The bald slave tried to resist in his own way, but ultimately, he had no choice but to be pushed in front of Davis by the other slaves.
Then Davis spoke to the bald man.
“Really? So, you’re claiming that this thief stole your coin?”
“I… I mean… I’ve never been robbed of a coin or anything like that…!”
If this continued, he would have to strike Evangeline with a club.
Having helped Evangeline initially, did some inner intimacy arise?
It seemed the bald slave at least wanted to deny his involvement.
But then, Davis pulled coins from a pocket filled with them, held them up in the air, and after a quick glance at the man, nodded affirmatively while saying:
“Well, it’s clear. You had one coin stolen, right?”
“Uh…? No, how do you know…”
What he gave Evangeline was definitely just one coin.
It could be a coincidence, but since Davis spoke with such confidence, the slave shuddered and asked.
Davis pointed to one of the floating coins and replied.
“If you look closely, there’s a small number written here, right? As a magician, I remember exactly who received which coin. This one is Number 818, the coin you received a few days ago. So let’s not get any ideas about coming out just to strike someone to receive a coin. The right to punish lies with the victim.”
That was a statement suggesting that denying was impossible, which left the bald man’s face stiffening.
“Oh, and if you don’t come out, I’ll consider you an accomplice who defends a criminal, so keep that in mind.”
At those words, the color drained from a few slaves’ faces.
All of them had shown kindness to Evangeline for some reason.
As a result, they found themselves in a situation where they had to hit Evangeline.
It was an unimaginably horrible coercion, painful for the one striking as well.
However, there was no way to escape.
The wooden club Davis handed was now grasped by the bald slave.
“Alright, it’s just one coin, so give it a swing.”
With that, the bald slave, holding the club, stood before the wriggling sack.
With trembling hands, he lifted the club and gently tapped the sack.
The bald slave’s face scrunched up in evident distress at just that, but Davis said,
“Again.”
“…Huh?”
“Didn’t you hear? Strike again. You think you can punish like that? Do it again.”
At Davis’s command, the bald slave gripped the club again.
His eyes tightly shut, he swung the club lower towards the sack with more force than before.
A faint sound of something striking something was heard.
Moments later, the bald slave, who struck the sack, dropped to the ground, trembling.
The club slipped from his shaking grasp.
But Davis seemed displeased with even that and said,
“Again.”
“Huh, huh…”
“Put more strength into it and strike properly. If you keep doing it improperly, you’ll be considered to be protecting a criminal. There won’t be a second chance, so you better behave.”
At Davis’s chilling warning, the bald slave, shaking all over, picked up the club again.
Gripping it with both hands, he lifted it high into the air.
And under the steady gaze of Davis,
“Ugh, Aah…! Waaaaaah!!!!”
The slave lost his sense of reason and screamed as he robustly brought the club down onto the sack.
Then, thwack.
That sound shouldn’t have come when hitting a sack containing a person.
“Huh…?”
The slave, who struck the sack, seemed to regain his senses, staring blankly at the club in his hand.
Then, in his grip, he found a single black coin.
“Well done. Now that we need the next person, step back.”
The coin presented as prize.
The bald slave clutched it tightly and ran off quickly.
To Beatrice, that sight looked like a desperate escape.
The lingering, undesired sensation in his hand and the dark something flowing underneath the sack.
“Uurk, Uawweeeeh…!”
However, it seemed he couldn’t completely flee, as the bald slave ran to a corner and vomited.
Davis watched for a moment before muttering to the slaves.
“Next, step forward.”
A moment later, a female slave who had laughed after receiving a drawing from Evangeline came out, holding the club.
“Ahh… Aah! I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry!”
She repeatedly apologized as she swung the club down onto the sack.
Thwack.
“Damn… damn! It’s not my fault… I didn’t do anything wrong…!”
The next slave, following her, kept justifying herself as she struck the sack.
None of them seemed to be without distress.
However, none chose not to strike the club either.
Those who had given their all to help others were now ready to kill for their own survival.
“Child, it’s painful, but there’s no other way… If we resist Davis, we’ll all die… So we have no choice…”
An elder beside Beatrice murmured.
He bit his lip so hard that blood flowed, all the while repeating that it was unavoidable.
Through the elder’s words, Beatrice realized this was truly an inevitable situation.
The elder was not one to speak falsely.
It wasn’t that people were bad and this was happening.
The elder would gladly sacrifice his life if it meant saving Evangeline.
But even such a good person had to obey Davis’s orders.
Because it involved not just his own life, but the lives of others as well.
So the elder reluctantly took the club for the sake of others.
Thwack, thwack.
Since he had given plenty of coins to Evangeline, the elder had to strike the club repeatedly.
As he brought the club down ten times in succession, he placed it down with a profoundly sad expression.
Once the elder’s turn ended, three coins remained with Davis.
“Then what’s left… Ah, right. It’s you.”
With a chuckle, as Davis smiled, Beatrice felt the ropes binding her and the cloth covering her mouth vanish.
As Beatrice stood up, Davis extended the club toward her.
“Alright, you’re the last one.”
At that, Beatrice asked.
“What happens if I don’t do it?”
Davis answered.
“How insolent. Well, you’ll die.”
“Then go ahead and kill me.”
“If you keep that insolent attitude, not only you but everyone will die?”
Feeling the gazes of the other slaves around her, Beatrice sensed their eyes on her.
Those looks seemed to say:
It’s inevitable.
Before unreasonable power, it was only natural to comply quietly.
Yet, Beatrice wanted to refuse, but several slaves would not allow her to do so.
They forcefully took her hand and made her grasp the club.
Then, they grabbed her arm and hoisted it up, forcing her to strike the sack which had already lost any movement.
Thwack.
Thwack.
Thwack.
Those three strikes were executed against her will.
In this moment, Beatrice was a weak person that had to be swayed by unreasonable strength.
Beatrice felt deeply how the world was like this, and simultaneously thought:
If this is how the world operates,
How incredibly dull and boring it is.
Through that horrific experience, Beatrice was able to secure the lives of all the slaves and three coins.
Afterwards, Beatrice helped the slaves with the cleanup.
Since there were no separate graves in the mine, the sack containing what had been Evangeline would be discarded in the abyss, as had been done with the other slaves who had died here so far.
A place that would never see sunlight again.
In Beatrice’s ears, the sound of tearing could be heard.
The white paper that wished to embrace the sunlight was being ripped by the absurdity of the world.
The sound proved that there’s no miracle in the world.
*
The slaves in the underground mine returned to their daily lives.
When it was mealtime, they ate, and after work, they rested and slept in a cycle.
However, Beatrice couldn’t adapt at all to the returned routine.
It was as if all interest in everything had evaporated.
“……”
Perhaps tired of the boring world.
It felt as though the entire world had turned colorless.
“……It’s boring.”
The harsh boredom brought forth apathy toward everything.
Thus, Beatrice decided not to go to work and made the habitual decision to stay away.
Naturally, some commotion arose.
The rules of the mine stated that if one didn’t work, there’d be no food, so not working was tantamount to begging for death.
The elder urged Beatrice, insisting she should live.
But Beatrice’s resolve was firm.
Being forced to do what one does not want to for another was far more dreadful than having to live in this boring world.
So Beatrice wished to no longer be interfered with by anyone.
Then, Beatrice gained the ability not to be interfered with by anyone.
The ability to conceal her form, silence herself, or erase her contact was exceedingly convenient.
Beatrice could now evade the searching slaves standing right in front of her.
She wouldn’t have to hear the loud noise they made.
And above all, she could erase unwanted things from the world.
“──!!!”
“…Step aside.”
For instance, there was Davis, who tried to block her from leaving the cave.
After erasing Davis from existence, Beatrice stepped outside.
Emerging from the cave, she was greeted by the sunlight that Evangeline had longed to see.
Seeing the sun, Beatrice couldn’t help but let out a hee of laughter.
Attempting to imitate Evangeline’s cheerful hee whenever she was happy.
“……”
Yet, even in seeing the sun, she felt startlingly numb, unable to emulate her.
Beatrice apathetically stomped her feet.
Then, the very existence of the underground mine behind her disappeared entirely.
In doing so, would the sunlight, which Evangeline had yearned to see for her whole life, reach her, buried below?
Now, it didn’t matter to Beatrice.
After that, the slaves in the underground mine returned to their daily lives.
When it was mealtime, they ate, and after work, they rested and slept, stuck in the mundane routine.
But Beatrice had no ability to adapt to that recurring life.
It felt like all interest in everything had vanished.
“……”
Perhaps tired of the dull world.
It felt like the entire world had become monochrome.
“……It’s boring.”
The relentless boredom brought about disdain for everything.
So Beatrice decided to abstain from her work, despite the habitual motions of going.
Naturally, that caused a bit of a stir.
After all, the mine’s rules dictated that refusing to work meant starving, which equated to courting death.
The elder pressed Beatrice, suggesting that she must keep living.
Yet Beatrice’s thoughts were resolute.
Being forced to do what she didn’t want to do by someone was more dreadful than struggling through this tiresome world.
Thus Beatrice wished for no more intrusion from anyone.
And so Beatrice acquired the ability to remain unbothered.
The ability to conceal her appearance, silence her sounds, or erase her presence. It was exceedingly convenient.
Now, Beatrice could evade the slaves who were searching for her.
She wouldn’t have to hear their clamors.
And above all, she could erase unwanted entities from the world.
“──!!!”
“…Move aside.”
For instance, like Davis, who tried to bar her way out of the cave.
After erasing Davis from her existence, Beatrice stepped out into the open.
Emerging into the light, Beatrice was greeted by the sun that Evangeline had longed to see.
And seeing it elicited a hee laugh from her.
She tried to mimic Evangeline’s happy laugh, but…
“……”
In reality, even seeing the sun brought her no exhilarating emotions, leaving her unable to mimic the joy properly.
Beatrice, feeling emotionless, stamped her feet against the ground.
In that action, the entirety of the underground mine behind her was erased completely.
Wondering if this might allow the light Evangeline had craved all her life to reach her below.
Now, it truly didn’t matter to Beatrice.
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