Chapter 23
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"Wha, what's with that scream again...!? Hey, Claire! What is that Dark Lich doing!?"
Lipia grows increasingly anxious with each scream from the man that echoes intermittently.
Though the distance makes it hard to grasp the situation, it's immediately clear that something bad is happening.
"......I don't know. I have no idea what's going on either."
"......Claire, is it okay to just leave it be? That Dark Lich... she's probably attacking someone......"
"If Yuurai is attacking someone, there must be a reason for it. ......Probably. At least, that's how it should be. Since she's not attacking you, there's no need to worry."
"B-But......"
"You were shot with arrows by those bandit-like people. So why are you worried about them, when they're likely the ones being attacked now?"
"It's not that I'm worried about them...... It's just that scream, it's not normal...... Something terrifying is happening, and it scares me......"
"It's fine. This isn't something for you to worry about. Though...... I do agree, it might be time to put a stop to it...... I think bandits like them deserve to die, but making them suffer unnecessarily isn't right......"
Just as Claire starts to move, the man's screams cease.
Shortly after, Yuurai returns, carrying Ragvela on her back and holding Jeevy in her arms.
"Ragvela! Jeevy! Are you okay!?"
"They're both alive and well. Don't worry."
Yuurai seems to smile.
Lipia can't see a world of colors, but she can sense her surroundings through the flow of magical energy. However, with Yuurai, it feels as though there's a gaping void where she stands. Lipia can only gauge her demeanor from the flow of magical energy in the air around her.
Lipia first takes Jeevy into her arms. Her body seems weak, but there are no major injuries. What remains are...... traces of arrow wounds that haven't fully healed. Though she's clothed, there appear to be scars beneath her garments as well.
"......What are these wounds...? Was Jeevy shot all over with arrows......?"
"Huh? I thought the surface wounds were healed, but you can still tell?"
"We can sense the flow of magical energy, so we can detect deeper injuries......"
"......I see. I didn't want to cause unnecessary worry, though."
"......Could it be that Ragvela is also......?"
"Well, yeah."
"......How awful. What did we ever do to deserve this......!?"
The Eyeless Tribe doesn't shed tears. But if they could, Lipia thinks she would surely be crying now.
"You haven't done anything wrong. It's just that the world is full of people who can't help but want to eliminate others for having different skin colors or appearances. The world is unfair and cruel."
If Yuurai is attacking someone, there must be a reason for it.
Lipia comes to understand the meaning behind Claire's words.
"......Where are those people? I can't forgive this......!"
"Ah...... sorry. They're not here anymore."
"......Did you kill them?"
"Only one died. I didn't mean to kill them, but I couldn't bring them back. The others...... well, they went somewhere, I guess."
"You don't mean you just let them go!?"
"Not exactly. ......Their minds are completely gone. They'll never return to how they were."
"......What do you mean?"
"W-Well, I'll explain the details later...... okay?"
It seems there's something she finds hard to say.
Considering those screams, it's not hard to imagine that something terrible happened.
(......Did Yuurai take care of the revenge for us? I feel like we should've done it ourselves...... but maybe this is for the best. If we keep retaliating for every wrong, we'll just get swallowed by a vicious cycle......)
As Lipia lets out a sigh, she senses a four-legged beast approaching.
The presence sends a chill down her spine.
(Wh-What!? I've never felt a creature with a magical flow like this! Human? No. Not a beast either!)
It's a distorted presence, as if a human had been forcibly transformed into a four-legged beast.
Despite possessing human-like magical energy, its form is that of a wolf.
The head, in particular, is wrong. Though it should house a human mind, the flow of magical energy is a chaotic mess, with any trace of human intellect or heart completely destroyed.
(Such a revolting existence......! I can't stand it. If I keep sensing this presence, I'll go mad myself......!)
"Hey, I told you not to follow me anymore! Go away!"
Yuurai tries to shoo away the unsettling creature.
"D-Don't come any closer!"
Lipia creates a Water Ball with water magic and hurls it at the creature.
Again and again.
Until she can no longer sense its presence.
"......Lipia, are you afraid of wolves?"
Yuurai seems to tilt her head in curiosity.
"......No, it's not that. That thing...... it's different."
"Hmm. What did that thing look like to you, Lipia?"
"......I don't know. What on earth was that......?"
"......Well, who knows."
Yuurai says no more on the matter, and Lipia doesn't feel like asking further.
"Oh, right. Lipia, there's something I need to tell you beforehand."
"......What is it?"
"I'm...... really sorry, but we were too late."
Lipia's heart skips a beat.
"Huh? T-Too late......? But Ragvela and the others are safe......"
"Not them. It's about...... you, Lipia."
"......About me?"
A terrible premonition surges through her.
Though she doesn't want to hear what comes next, Yuurai continues.
"When we found you, Lipia, you were already dead. So...... I turned you into an Undead to bring you back. It was the only way I could save you."
(I-I'm...... an Undead now......? That strange feeling in my body all this time...... was that it......?)
Lipia's thoughts grind to a halt. Her body suddenly feels heavy, and as she nearly collapses, Claire supports her.
However, Lipia eventually falls to her knees, unable to move for a while.