Chapter 8
The magic potion store was found quickly.
Yuurai had the Knight support her arm while she drank a healing potion and reattached it. It was fortunate that even human potions worked on Monsters.
"Thanks for the help."
The Knight remained silent. Perhaps this was their own form of resistance.
"Hey, what's your name?"
Silence.
"......Well then, at least show me your face."
She manipulated the Knight and made her remove her helmet.
She was a girl with beautiful crimson short hair, around seventeen or eighteen years old. Her mouth was stained red from coughing up blood during the battle, but she had a dignified, pale face.
Her red eyes glared mercilessly at Yuurai.
"Don't be so mad. Sure, I did accidentally kill some people in this town, but I didn't kill your comrades, right? It's not like I go around killing people for no reason."
"......Even so, you must atone for your sins."
"Maybe so."
(If I killed someone by messing up while driving, they'd forgive me because it was an accident, right? ...Yeah, I probably can't say that. Ugh, I really messed up. But I still think the real fault lies with those damn soldiers. I don't care about my own sins.)
While browsing inside the store, Yuurai questioned the red-haired Knight.
"Let me ask you instead—what do you want me to do? My death won't solve anything, right? That might be revenge, but it's not atonement."
"......I don't know what the right thing to do is either. But your death would be one form of atonement."
"Oh, I see. I don't plan on dying, so if you come up with another idea, let me know."
"There is no alternative......!"
"You're all brawn, huh? If you kill ten thousand people, then save a hundred thousand to make up for it. Or better yet, devote your entire life to saving people. Can't you say something like that?"
"That may be... but your existence is a threat to the world."
"Wow, that sounds like something a born bully would say. If someone weak-minded heard that, they'd shut themselves in forever. You're awful."
"......The Saint said she received a Divine Revelation that the Demon King has awakened. That the world is in danger. I must kill you."
(Divine Revelation... Is it some kind of ability to hear the voice of God?)
"Isn't that a different story now? It's not about atoning for what I did—it's about killing me because of a Divine Revelation."
"......It's the same thing. There are just two reasons to kill you."
"......I don't agree with what you're saying, but... basically, I'm now someone the whole world might try to kill. Because of this Divine Revelation, I'm recognized as a dangerous Monster... If that's the case, I'll have to fight too."
(But wait, doesn't that mean the Divine Revelation is actually what's making the world dangerous? If I weren't being targeted, I would've lived quietly in peace. If I'm hunted, I'll fight back, and that just makes things worse...)
Tilting her head, Yuurai packed healing potions and antidotes into her bag. It was a shoulder bag she had picked up somewhere.
"If you die here, that would solve the immediate problem."
"Too bad. I have no intention of dying. You're so persistent... Maybe I should just tamper with your mind using Mental Manipulation."
"M-Mental Manipulation...?"
"Yeah. Mental Manipulation. I can mess with your mind that keeps yelling 'Die! Die!' and turn you into my loyal, worshipping servant."
"S-Stop it! I won't become your servant!"
"Breaking the will of someone who resists like that might be fun too."
Yuurai chuckled darkly.
"......I'd rather die than become your servant."
"......Oh, I see. If you die, I'll eat your soul."
"Eat... my soul?"
"Yeah, I can do that too. If that happens, even after death, you'll be with me forever."
"Stop...! To desecrate the soul even after death...!"
"All you ever say is 'Stop, stop.' You're so selfish."
Having finished browsing the store, Yuurai left, deciding she had no more use for it.
"I want to know more about this country. Will you talk to me?"
"I have nothing to say to the likes of you."
"Oh, I see. Then I'll ask someone else."
When she returned to the place where she fought the Knights, one of them was, for some reason, swinging their sword at the surrounding people.
(......What is this? What's going on?)
"Aaaaaaahhhhhh! Don't come any closer!"
That Knight was clearly deranged. The surrounding Knights could barely dodge the sword while staggering... Among the chaos, a helmet that seemed to still have something inside and a headless suit of armor lay on the ground.
"Vin! Please calm down!"
The red-haired girl Knight shouted. But Vin didn't seem to hear her at all and continued screaming incoherently.
(......Looks like their mind was broken by Mental Corruption. Was it more powerful than I thought?)
"Hey, Monster! Do something! This is your fault, right!?"
"......I guess I could stop them. I just need to do the same thing I did to you."
"Then do it! Hurry!"
"......If you can say 'Please, help me,' then I'll cooperate."
"W-What..."
From Yuurai's perspective, she only fought back because she was attacked. She felt no guilt toward the deranged Knight.
Even so, if they were going to ask for help, they should at least do it properly.
"You......"
"So what's it gonna be? Swallow your pride and ask me for help? Or keep your pride and abandon your comrades?"
The red-haired Knight glared at Yuurai as if looking at a mortal enemy.
(If they dropped their prejudice that I'm a Monster, I think they'd realize I'm actually making a lot of sense.)
Even as the red-haired Knight hesitated, the deranged Knight continued to attack the others. These Knights didn't carry shields, and apparently, their swords were stronger than their armor. Several were cut and bleeding.
"......P-Please. Help me......"
"Oh, that was faster than I expected. Alright then."
Using Marionette, she stopped the deranged Knight's movements. Though he desperately tried to escape the magical restraints, Yuurai's power was overwhelmingly superior.
"Aaaaaaaaah! Let me gooooooo!"
"Don't even speak. Shut up."
She manipulated not only his body but also his mouth, silencing him. It finally became quiet.
The area calmed down, but the Knights looked at Yuurai and trembled, backing away in fear.
"Please stop already......"
"I can't take this anymore......"
"I want to go home......"
(......These guys are completely broken. They might not be able to live as Knights anymore. Well, not my problem.)
At the very least, they didn't seem intent on attacking her anymore, so Yuurai let out a small sigh of relief.