Chapter 35: Elaine and Pero’s Homecoming – 1
Elaine had already stained her hands with a lot of blood to survive. She didn’t hesitate to crush the heads of hostile nobles, spread rumors to undermine someone’s authority, or even resort to underhanded tricks.
Recently, she was thinking of using Irid’s benefactor, the Purple Magic Tower, under various pretenses. After all, the dimensional travel was originally to secure that justification.
Therefore, cutting ties with a boy shouldn’t have been a big deal.
However, her hesitation stemmed from the fact that she kept seeing overlaps.
The blond boy sometimes looked like a young Irid and sometimes like Sledo. But every time doubt crept into her heart, she could hear the laughter of the First Prince echoing from the boy’s shadow.
She knew many old tales. It was because, when she was young, she rummaged through piles of fairy tales in the library to share with her younger brothers.
Among them was a story about a suspicious Emperor. A simple tale that taught that a king who could not truly trust others would ultimately destroy himself due to his own suspicions.
The fairy tale she reopened after poisoning the First Prince had turned into a book of prophecy.
Intellectually, she understood that weak doubts would one day come with a price. Yet, the past, where she could laugh and trust purely, felt so distant. The path to returning to that state now seemed incredibly perilous.
So…
“Elaine.”
“…Pero.”
“I, um… I have something I want to say.”
“I feel the same, Pero. Let me go first. It seems this is as far as we can go.”
She cleanly bid farewell. Traveling with the boy was too dangerous. The boy’s complexion turned pale. Despite the golden glow of the campfire, his pallor was obvious.
“…”
“I heard you’re being chased because of your healing power. Plus, I’m worried you might have been infected by a Variant. I don’t want to take that risk.”
“…I’m sorry. For hiding it.”
“It’s not something to apologize for. It’s only natural that we lie to survive, right? I think we’ve spent enough time together. It was fun.”
“…I had fun too! I really did!”
The boy’s voice fell to a whisper.
“Consider the campfire my last gift. I sincerely hope you reach Paradise.”
“Are you leaving already? Right now?”
“An ambush could come at night, after all.”
Elaine stood up. The guilt of having fed Pero the poison that was the Variant larva still clung to her like a bad smell. But she felt she could cut the ties soon.
Now, she just had to take three steps away. If she turned her back on the boy and walked just three steps away, it would be goodbye.
The crackle of the campfire filled the space between them. It sounded like a fuse burning out and also, in a way, like a tiny flame extinguishing.
Step. Step.
As she prepared to sever this connection with one last step, Pero suddenly asked, “What about the compass?”
“If you’re talking about Paradise, I judged your risk to be greater than a return to Paradise, Pero.”
“No, Elaine. I think it’d be better if you took the compass with you.”
“That belongs to you.”
“Is there such a thing in this wasteland? It’s a place where you can snatch and steal from each other.”
“…”
“If you’re leaving, it might be safer to take the compass. You could even sell it to someone. Besides, my bag has many useful items that could help you.”
Elaine took a deep breath, letting out a faint sigh.
“Are you asking me to kill you and take them, Pero?”
“I mean, if possible, I’d like to be spared…”
“Then why?”
“It’s strange. You say you’re leaving to avoid risks, but you’re not interested in taking items that could increase your chances of survival.”
“…”
“I have something I want to say. If you hear me out, I’ll give them to you. The compass. And my bag too.”
There was nothing to lose in that condition. No, rather, it was only gain. After a brief conversation, she could gather items to aid her survival.
Her feet, which had initially set out to leave for survival, stopped for the sake of survival. In that space, only Elaine’s heart was shaking violently.
“First of all, I want to thank you, Elaine. The last five days were genuinely enjoyable. Traveling with someone was something I had never even dreamed of. It was much cooler than any vague imagination I had! It felt like I had an older sister… and that made me happy.”
“That was just a contract. You provided me with the knowledge I lacked, and I complemented your lack of strength.”
“I think I received more than you did. Without Elaine, I probably would have—”
“Lived, right? Because some idiot woman wouldn’t have forced you to eat a slime.”
“That’s not something you need to worry about… It’s not your fault, Elaine. I didn’t know I would be in that puddle either, and besides, you have amnesia, right?”
“Why are you defending me to this extent?”
“Because Elaine is a kind person.”
“Don’t you realize you’re being abandoned right now?”
“A truly bad person would have already taken the compass and left. In fact, they would have done it much earlier. You had plenty of chances to abandon me, Elaine.”
“That’s…”
Elaine was at a loss for words.
In his head, Pero heard the strong push from the parasite urging him to confess quickly. However, he didn’t want to burden Elaine, who was leaving, with the weight of his heart.
“I always thought you were pushing yourself too hard. Sometimes, Elaine’s eyes looked as if they were choked by something. So, I thought maybe you, Elaine… like me, harbored some fear.”
Rather than what he wanted to say, he decided to talk about what he wanted her to listen to.
“However, I realized it’s a bit different. I struggled against my fears, while you seem to have chosen to wear thick armor. To protect yourself.”
“So?”
“It doesn’t suit you, Elaine.”
Pero cautiously continued, ensuring his words didn’t lead to misunderstandings, so he could convey his thoughts clearly.
“We’ve hidden our wounds from each other and turned our backs, yet we continued our five-day journey. But you know, Elaine, we can do better. We can be free. It might just be a vague sentiment, but…”
“…”
“I hope you can lay down your armor and be happy. In a good place where you don’t have to worry about food or Variants. Instead of torturing yourself with survival and suspicion, live peacefully. Without being bound by anything.”
What the boy expressed was nothing more than a series of vague words, but at least it felt like his heart was conveyed.
“I don’t know what you suffer from or what makes you sad. But…”
As cracks formed in the colorless world, and through those gaps…
“I want to tell you that it’s okay, Elaine. Over and over, as much as I can.”
Light seemed to seep through.
“I’ll keep shouting that we can move forward. Elaine, so—!”
Right before the boy’s words could reach their conclusion…
BOOM!!
“…!!”
“What the hell…?!”
Suddenly, a loud noise echoed from the ground as it shook and the wind blew. Elaine lifted her head and looked toward the source of the sound.
Uuuuuuuuuuu.
A giant Variant was getting up.
Elaine turned her head away from the spot where the Variant had appeared. There was no longer any bait to lure the Variant. But with some distance left, if she started running with all her strength now, she might be able to survive alongside Pero.
However…
UUUUOAAAAA!!
Another giant Variant had emerged from the other side.
===============================================================
I found the Tower Master Pero’s role quite enjoyable.
Is this really the skill level of a newbie…?!
I had been pleasantly watching, waiting for the right moment to intervene. The foreshadowing had been laid out neatly until now. Not intentionally, but the important thing was that it could be utilized.
1) A giant Variant from the plains strangely chasing the party.
2) Pero drinking the slime (applying the Variant larva setting).
3) Pero blankly staring at somewhere in the plains, which was some foreshadowing bait.
4) The sudden burst of purple light from somewhere for an unknown reason.
5) Pero’s creaking movements as if he had been encroached upon by something.
All these clues clicked together in my mind, painting a magnificent picture.
It was a picture where the Variant larva implanted in Pero’s head had subtly controlled him and called the giant Variants to this place.
GROOOOAAAR!!
GRRRRRRAAAAA!
From the Tower Master’s actions, it appeared she was heading toward a calm, happy ending. Yet, even in a happy ending, the protagonist needs challenges. So, I created one. Round two with the giant Variants. This time, doubling the numbers!
From somewhere, the boy’s voice was heard.
“YOU SON OF A BITCH—!!”
Ah, that’s the Tower Master.
She seemed to be a bit angry, but what does it matter? I just wanted to spice up the finale for these two. And it felt like Elaine was still just one step behind.
The issue with Elaine wasn’t her survival instincts, trauma from poison, or distrust towards humans. All of these problems stemmed from just one characteristic.
As I see it, the crux of the matter was responsibility.
A nature that, in the face of crisis, tries to handle everything alone rather than asking someone for help. The very thought of “I must do it myself.” The blind determination to achieve goals at the cost of destroying herself.
An eleven-year-old girl deciding to commit sibling murder for the sake of her younger siblings and actually going through with it—such a tremendous sense of responsibility was the focal problem.
No one around Elaine believed the words “The culprit is the First Prince.” Her experiences, along with her inherent sense of responsibility, had synergized in a twisted direction.
Since the only variable in her calculations was herself, she couldn’t think beyond abandoning something as a potential option. After all, there are always limits to what an individual can achieve.
However, if she broadened her perspective, no longer seeing the boy as a burden or potential threat but rather recognizing him as an ally, it was a battlefield designed for an outcome where everyone survives.
This was a simple gimmick battle.
The information was clear. Espero was infected, and the Variants were drawn to the boy. Additionally, it was stated that he possessed healing powers coveted by many. Combining aggro and healing meant that he was, in essence, a tank.
While the boy tanked, all she had to do was break the Variants. Simple.
This gimmick had been conveyed to the Tower Master beforehand. Of course, the pain sensitivity had also been mitigated to the level of a cat’s punch.
Would Elaine see the boy as a tank or bait? That was the critical point to observe.
Or would she recall Learo’s existence, which seemed to have been erased from her memory? Learo was designed for a sub-damage dealer position. They both found themselves in a situation where they were being attacked. It wouldn’t hurt if she made a brief remark about cooperating for survival. If I succeeded in this persuasion, I’d provide considerable supplementary damage.
Now, the first attack of the giant Variant was flying toward her.
Would it be escape or combat? Would she use Pero, or not? Had she forgotten Learo, or did she still remember?
KUAAAAAAAAAA-!!
“?”
The First Princess shredded the Variant’s arm into pieces.
===============================================================
Metamorphosis was the process of changing the soul’s color.
Strong emotions—such as shocking experiences, firm resolves, and overflowing affection—dyed the soul, imbuing it with color. With this, the mana gained by burning a colored soul attained special effects.
The reason why the First Princess Elaine could achieve results on the Eastern Front was that she had entered the realm of Metamorphosis herself. She had refrained from using that power due to its extremity, but—
She decided that now was the time to use it.
Elaine stretched out her arm and chanted the activation incantation.
“Wind Gloves of Ravine.”
Wind began to swirl around Elaine’s scarred hands.
It was magic that could function in both offense and defense, wrapping her hands with blades of wind like gloves. However, adding color to it once more…
The sharp wind gradually increased its speed with a buzz and then quieted after reaching a certain point, crossing beyond the threshold of human hearing.
Slice.
Blood splattered.
The fierce wind sliced through the skin of the caster, Elaine. As the wind traced its path, wounds formed and blood flowed, becoming part of that very wind.
The reason Elaine’s hands were scarred like rags was due to this technique—a reinforcement of a specific action utilizing mana made manifest through changing the soul’s color.
“Metamorphosis – Bloodwind.”
From a distance, she appeared to be swirling a red tempest in both hands.
GROOOOOOAAAR!!
The arm of the giant Variant scraped the ground as it charged forward. A cloud of dust burst forth from the earth, scattering rocks in every direction.
Even in the face of what seemed a massive wall flying towards her, Elaine merely assumed her stance.
And then, with a stomp, she launched that storm forward.
KUA-AAAAAA!!
Crunch!
Following the spiral path of the storm, the arm of the giant Variant was literally shredded apart. And from the backlash, the Variant’s shoulder was sent reeling. A blood tempest stained the sky.
The destructive power was markedly superior to that of other metamorphoses.
However, Elaine’s complexion began to pale rapidly. Just maintaining the technique was causing massive blood loss, and on the Eastern Front, she only utilized it when backed by the Priests.
Without the Priests now, she had about five minutes before blood loss became fatal.
Within those five minutes, she had to make a choice. Could she slaughter two giant Variants in that time? It was difficult. They weren’t particularly tough, but their size was a considerable obstacle.
The head, where the core was presumed to be, towered high above, so she would need to land effective hits on it by cutting down their legs at least four times. Considering the Variants’ regenerative capabilities, she’d probably need to strike five times. And there were two of them.
Dodging or deflecting attacks from those massive bodies required a total of ten strikes. If she had any extra time, it might not be a problem. But five minutes were far too limited.
If that was the case… she needed to break through and escape.
“I have to escape—!”
KA-BOOM!
Elaine seized her chance once more, countering the Giant Variant’s attack while still anchored in the same position. Why wouldn’t her feet move?
Maybe she was just exhausted. Exhausted from all the suspicions, from the mere act of surviving. Tired of living miserably through malevolence.
Perhaps she found herself pathetic for not accepting the boy’s goodwill and merely pushing it away.
Or, maybe it was the last words of the boy—words she hadn’t yet heard—that was holding her captive.
In her mind, that voice was still ringing. Run away from here. If she ditched her memories, her feelings, anything and everything, and fled, just like that day, she could survive.
As she prepared again to counter the giant Variant’s palm slicing through the sky…
“Here! You nasty Variants, I’m right here! Your offspring is inside me!”
“…Pero?!”
Pero shouted, emanating a purple light from his hands, the principle of which was unknown.
The giant Variants turned their heads toward the small boy. They reached out, drawn to something within his mind that was screaming at them to come look.
A massive hand descended, aimed to crush the small boy.
“You idiot—!!”
Elaine propelled her body forward, slashing down diagonally to the ground. With a red tempest, she launched herself with an acceleration that felt almost unbearable.
In an instant, she reached the boy’s side, snatching him away.
WHAM!
Just above where Elaine and Pero sailed past, embracing each other, the Variant’s hand fell, missing them by a hair’s breadth. In that split second, Bloodwind was released.
Elaine grasped Pero by the collar and shouted.
“Are you crazy, Pero?! If someone else is buying time, you shouldn’t dawdle! You should’ve run—!!”
“…You left, didn’t you, Elaine?!”
Elaine’s expression contorted.
Was this boy seriously saying he was willing to sacrifice his life to save her? Bearing everything alone until death?
Just like Elaine, who found herself ensnared in the First Prince’s scheme, made her own painful decisions?
As she contemplated unleashing her anger over such thoughts…
“I have healing abilities… Did you hear from Learo? So as long as I don’t get killed immediately, I can hold on. Considering the esteemed Variant in my head, they won’t act too aggressively!”
“…”
“When that time comes, you just have to finish off the giant Variants! Before I get crushed too badly!”
Elaine blinked in confusion. The boy had meticulously crafted plans for everything.
That wasn’t self-sacrifice?
“Uh, well… Isn’t it better if we all combine our strengths and survive together?”
Elaine’s expression notably shifted in surprise.
It was a novel sensation. The boy seemed to believe that if they fought together, no one would die, and they could conquer this crisis.
Elaine froze, her facial expression akin to that of someone who just heard a ludicrous statement like “one plus one equals three.” Then she burst out laughing.
Perhaps she had been misunderstanding something the whole time. It felt like the scattered puzzle pieces of understanding were clicking into place.
===============================================================
How long had it been since she had truly trusted someone?
Since the incident at the Pagoda Palace, Elaine had never fully trusted anyone—not even herself.
If there was even a hint of danger, she would detour and was always on guard against betrayal whenever she met someone. The only question she troubled herself with was, “Will I manage to do it myself?” Her heart was cultivated in a desolate existence.
Had this been a belief secured in “safety first,” there would have been no need for such deliberation.
But as Pero put it, that surely didn’t suit her well. With each choice, she could feel her heart drying and crumbling away.
If she used Pero as bait, she could almost definitely escape.
If she used herself as bait, she could undoubtedly save Pero.
Yet, if she aimed to save both Pero and herself simultaneously, and if she failed, it would leave her with nothing… but somehow, her heart felt light. Unburdened. Liberated.
Thus,
Elaine decided to trust.
In both herself and in Espero.
The wind that had been cutting her flesh eased. Blood continued to ooze from the injuries already inflicted, leaving a sticky trail. Yet, no new wounds were forming.
And from her fingertips, the wind—no longer tracing a confined spiral—freely unwound, as if resisting bonds of restraint.
Elaine felt it intuitively; she wouldn’t be able to use Bloodwind anymore.
However, the strength she gained instead—though less destructive—rendered many things possible. She gazed at the delicate wind with intrigue and suddenly gave it a name that came to mind.
“…Metamorphosis – Expectation.”
This small realization shifted her heart’s direction. Although she had not completely triumphed over her fears, she had indeed taken a step forward.
The wind gently wrapped around Elaine’s body. When she reached out, a thread of wind spiraled around Pero as well.
“…Whoa?!”
“Please, Pero. I’m going to send both giant Variants’ heads flying at the same time. Can you draw their attention?”
Though shaky and uncertain, it was undoubtedly the shimmering trust she now held. In face of finally having faith bestowed upon him, Espero nodded vigorously.
“…Yes!”
It was time for the counterattack.
===============================================================
Distance remaining to Paradise──
0.
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