EP.192 The Life of the Herbivore (1)
There was a saying for times like this, but what was it?
Should I say it’s pitch-black? Or should I say it’s gloomy?
There were plenty of phrases floating in my head, but I didn’t think any of them truly matched the situation I was in.
Those words seemed far too refined and decent to express the tragic scene saturating my vision right now.
Yeah, this is what it is.
“It’s horrifyingly ominous…”
Something was seriously off.
Beyond the shuddering atmosphere, a solemn foreboding seemed to whisper to me.
“In all my life, I’ve never…”
“What in the world…?”
It seemed the other guests felt much the same as I did.
The incredulous sighs from Dawna and Apis, which they uttered simultaneously, looked as if they were more perplexed than me.
After two full days of flying on the old griffon that Bigtim had painstakingly brought us, we arrived near the Vatican.
What halted our swift advance was a dark, massive pillar exuding an undeniable sense of dread, unmatched by any vision we had received before.
My breath caught, and my mouth felt dry.
For people who had seen all kinds of disasters without flinching, their intense reactions indicated that this black pillar contained an overwhelming danger.
Estimating the distance with just my eyes, it looked like we would need to walk for about half a day more to reach the pillar.
But the instincts engraved within my blood were ringing alarm bells, telling me to stay far away from that thing.
What felt even more ominous was the fact that I hadn’t encountered a single living person since we arrived here.
The drastic reduction of crowds at the site of a dungeon disaster was not surprising but rather wholly expected.
However, the fact that there weren’t any refugees in the capital of the system, especially after a dungeon disaster, was simply incomprehensible.
If it was due to monsters crawling out of the dungeon, there should have been some signs of that too.
But in every town we passed through, there were no traces of people, as if none had ever existed.
“Let’s ask the Sword of the Holy Sword. Quickly! Pull it out now!”
“Apis, didn’t I tell you repeatedly not to shake while riding the griffon?”
“With the situation being this ridiculous, is that really the important thing right now!? Hurry up and bring it out!”
Reluctantly, I put my hand on my waist at Apis’s insistence.
The Sword of the Holy Sword. That was the officially recognized name of the holy sword within our party since the earlier commotion.
Or rather, it was the nickname of the woman who called herself the great angel Ultima, hiding within that sword.
It was a horrifying title filled with obviously malicious intent, but given her behavior, no one dared to contest her naming.
Swish.
Drawing the sword from its sheath, I noticed that it had noticeably shrunk compared to before.
The blade, heavily rusted, had been polished through dozens of temperings but the length was less than a quarter of its original size.
For a sword that used to be the size of a human torso to turn into a mere kitchen knife within just a few days—it was unbelievable.
If it weren’t for the fact that it was the Hero who had touched it, I might have felt even a smidgen of sympathy.
“Hey, Sword of the Holy Sword. What’s that?”
Apis suddenly asked, pointing at the holy sword in my hand.
“Yes. Lady Apis. That is the space referred to as the dungeon by Ha Gye In. As I explained previously, it’s a high-ranking entity commonly known as the Demon King, crafted by the Divine Authority.”
The answer came in a mechanical voice that sounded like something from a car navigation system.
That emotionless, dreary voice vividly illustrated just how dreadful Apis had endured her time with her.
What could have caused such a proud being to end up like this?
Just imagining the series of events made my stomach churn.
The reason I ended up possessing the holy sword wasn’t simply because of this.
When Apis held it, the sword vibrated constantly like an electric razor, making it impossible to carry around.
I couldn’t keep a being that once tried to take over the body of the Hero near either the Hero or Bigtim, who always stayed by his side.
Since Dawna had been eager to experiment with the sword on every available occasion, it turned out that I was the only suitable possessor.
“From hearing it speak, it seems that really is the Demon King. How about we call off the reconnaissance and head back for now?”
“I agree with Lowville. Even if that dungeon isn’t actually the Demon King, rushing in without any preparation against something of that level would be peak foolishness.”
“Who says we’re rushing in? I’m aware of that. I was simply asking. You guys are overthinking it.”
Normally, right after this, a brawl would have broken out.
The reason I followed those two who were setting out for reconnaissance was to mediate when they inevitably clashed.
But right now, there was hardly any of that taut tension I’d grown accustomed to from them.
“Alright, let’s head back to base camp. Hero, you must be worried.”
“Got it.”
Without even a proper argument, the two seemed to come to a peaceful agreement, a scene that felt so foreign to me.
Even when sharing a single bean, these were the same two who used to threaten each other with arrows and staffs—I was familiar with Dawna and Apis like that.
‘Is this saying there’s no time even to fight…?’
That moment struck me with how serious the situation had become.
◈◈◈
“You’ve returned, Regis Priest. The meal preparations are all ready, so please eat before it gets cold.”
“Yes. Thank you, Sister. And, of course, Saint too.”
“Hmph!”
As soon as I opened the door, the first sight to greet me was Sister in her apron and Saint puffing up her cheeks in irritation.
From the looks of it, they must have waited without eating until I returned once more.
I had told them countless times it was fine to eat beforehand.
She had matured quite a bit lately, but this stubborn trait still lingered in her, unchanged from past to present.
“Sorry, Welna. Are you angry?”
“I’m angry. I’m angry enough to be ten times and one hour worth of anger.”
“…”
Could this also be a sign of her personality returning?
These days, even when she got angry, she seemed to have developed a systematic way of expressing it.
It turned out that as Saint’s intelligence increased, it did not make her easier to handle; instead, it often led to more frustration than joy.
“But really, even if it’s an empty house, can we really use someone else’s place so carelessly?”
“There shouldn’t be a big problem. Currently, it’s an emergency, and we left some compensation for the owners in case they return.”
“O-Oh, I see…”
As Sister spoke and held up a pouch of gold coins, my worries vanished on the spot.
The base camp we were currently using was a well-sized mansion we discovered while heading towards the Vatican.
While I preferred living in such a nice house over sleeping on the streets, it still felt awkward to use someone’s essentials without permission, almost like I was a petty thief.
“By the way, where did the people who lived here disappear to…?”
“Who knows. The horses, carriages, valuables, and everyday items are all still here, so it doesn’t seem they left willingly. Yet, saying they were attacked is hard to believe since there are no signs of that either.”
“Maybe they’re all playing hide and seek?”
“How did you come up with such a genius idea!? You have detective skills! Truly, our Welna!”
“…”
I started to feel a bit frightened that I could accept Sister’s flattery without any reaction.
“What do you think, Sister?”
“Hmm. I believe…”
Sister fell deep into thought upon hearing my question.
Her gestures were as calm as a still lake, without the slightest hint of disturbance.
She was just as I remembered her.
Except for the fact that she was awkwardly turning her back to me.
“Sister… If it’s not too much trouble, could you please face me while talking…?”
“I apologize. I’m experiencing a bit of a crick in my neck…”
As I quietly moved closer, Sister’s rigid neck jerked sharply.
What was there to say?
Since that day, I hadn’t seen Sister’s face even once.
In fact, I hadn’t been able to capture a single frontal shot of her.
There had indeed been more than enough events that could justify us avoiding each other, and I too had been equally reluctant to face her.
But no matter how much we avoided the subject, every time we faced each other, her cold reactions were impossible for me to ignore.
Fortunately, communication was still problem-free, but mentioning that day’s incident even slightly resulted in Sister sprinting away like an experienced athlete, making it practically impossible to apologize.
At this rate, would I never see Sister’s face again for the rest of this life?
That concern, which began as a mere jest, was becoming quite a serious worry lately.
“By the way, how has your relationship with the Hero been recently? I heard things have been somewhat awkward between you two.”
“Huh? Have you and Bigtim fought?”
“N-No! It’s not a fight… It’s just…”
“Just?”
“It’s just become a bit uncomfortable to face each other due to circumstances I can’t explain…”
“… Isn’t that a fight?”
