Chapter: 376
I was paralyzed by the sight of the little Lucy with that annoying smile.
The being I thought was beyond the door was a monster ready to take my life, not a pathetic little kid giggling at me.
Uh… So I’m supposed to face little Lucy now? How? What am I supposed to compete with that little brat over?
It’s true that I’m ruthless against enemies, but I’m not the type to smash a tiny child’s head. Shoddy God wouldn’t just leave little Lucy here for that.
So, what do I do? Since we’re both mesugakis, do we have to have a “who can make the opponent cry” battle? Like, who can make the other one feel worse?
Hah. Moron, does that even make sense? I’m sure Shoddy God is a total pervert, but he wouldn’t cause such a scene just to watch two mesugakis throw insults at each other.
…Right? Still, he’s a god; he wouldn’t be that ridiculous.
Seeing Lucy quietly giggling made me throw my hands up in desperation and ask for help.
“Grandpa! What should I do?!”
But there was no answer.
“Grandpa? Grandpa!”
The only sound echoing in my head was my own hollow voice. Panicking and dripping divine power onto my mace, I realized the entity within it was deep in slumber.
…This must be Shoddy God’s trick. Since he’s the one who woke Grandpa, it makes sense that he could put him back to sleep. What in the world is lurking beyond this door to pull such a hassle?
Tap, tap. As I stared blankly at the mace, I looked up at the sound coming from the front. Little Lucy kicked the ground to get my attention.
She met my gaze and silently moved her feet forward, then tilted her head to glance back at me.
Is she… telling me to follow? After a moment’s hesitation, I moved my feet, and little Lucy nodded, lightly trotting deeper into the cave.
“There.”
Huh? My voice came out just fine!? After confirming that the translation from the mesugaki skill wasn’t activating, I hurried over to little Lucy and called her name.
“Lucy?”
Lucy looked up at me as if asking why I called her, but she didn’t speak. Just because she’s little, I didn’t think her personality would be this well-behaved; maybe she just can’t talk right now.
Still, it seems she can hear me, so maybe I should ask her some questions and watch her reactions.
“Where are we going right now?”
Upon hearing my question, she tilted her head, drew a square with her hand, and then drew a triangle on top of it again.
It was easy to understand what she was trying to say. A house. Little Lucy said that the place we were heading toward is home.
Before long, I understood what she meant. The barren cave scenery shifted to a vast plain, revealing the Allen family’s mansion.
Following little Lucy, who entered the building without hesitation, the scenery changed again.
“Mira. Is it really okay for me to hold her? What if something goes wrong?”
“What do you think a baby is?”
“Something to handle with care?”
“Pfft. Benedict, this child is yours. She can’t be that fragile.”
As the woman named Mira handed the baby over, Benedict, looking bewildered, carefully cradled the child.
The baby squirmed uncomfortably in Benedict’s rough hands, locking eyes with his fierce expression, causing her to freeze.
“Uh. Uh. What to do? She looks like she’s going to cry?”
“What do you mean? If she cries, you soothe her. Go for it.”
“Aren’t you making it sound too easy?!”
At Benedict’s voice, the baby frowned. Seeing this, the panicking Benedict quickly made a funny face.
Being what he is, his face resembled a demon rising from hell more than a clown, but the child, in her peculiar taste, found it amusing and chuckled.
“Mira! The baby is laughing!”
“Why are you scared when you’re doing just fine?”
Leaving behind the conversation that radiated everyday happiness, the scenery shifted again. The baby, who could barely talk moments ago, could now walk on her own.
At a glance, she looked so cute that anyone would want to treat her well, but the gazes of the servants watching her were anything but kind.
“Shrew. Where’s Mama?”
The issue was in their tone. The aggressive manner in which they spoke left people naturally filled with hostility. People wondered how an innocent child born under such kind parents could behave that way, each one voicing their thoughts, but not me.
Since I could hear the child’s inner feelings, I knew she didn’t want to say such things. The cursed blessing that tormented me was also clinging to that little girl.
Unbeknownst to her own intent, the girl had to cause harm to others, and slowly, her heart was rotting away.
Why was this curse given to me?
Why can’t I even say the one word I wish for?
Why can’t I express love, gratitude, or apology properly?
Why do I have to carry this pain alone?
What wrong did I do?
Huh?
Huh?
Why only me?
“Lucy.”
The reason that this child, who seemed like she could collapse at any moment, could hold her ground was that she was surrounded by those who loved her endlessly.
Her father, Benedict, chuckled, saying she was cute no matter what words came out of her mouth, while her mother, Mira, embraced her with a soft smile, no matter what she said.
Naturally, the little girl became someone who could never leave her parents’ side. The instant she stepped away, countless hostilities would rain upon her, so she couldn’t muster the courage to step outside.
Others might think differently, but the child thought this was enough. If facing others could only earn her hatred, she would rather stay in the mansion forever.
Tap, tap.
Feeling something brush against my waist, I turned my head and found Lucy grinning playfully.
And then, the scenery crumbled around us.
“Gah?!”
With my strength giving out, I plopped down on the floor, struggling to endure as the child’s memories churned in my head.
The happiness the child felt. The frustration the child experienced. The anger coursing through her. The pain wrought from all those amalgamated emotions was more intense than any hurt I’ve felt before. How much time passed?
Only after the child’s memories fully seeped into my brain could I barely regain my senses.
Shaking hands pulled out a handkerchief, and I wiped my face smeared with various liquids. Had it ever hurt this much since that potion? Sure, I almost died a few times, but back then, I was already half out of it.
[Lucy! Are you awake?!]
‘For now, yes.’
[That's such a relief! I was so startled when you suddenly had a seizure as soon as we opened the door!]
Hearing Grandpa’s voice, I looked up and saw the dungeon scene in front of me. So everything I just saw was all an illusion?
Crawling over to the wall, I leaned against it, recalling what I just witnessed, and chuckled to myself.
Yeah, I did think the rumors about Lucy were extraordinarily bizarre. No matter how childish she is, it’s weird to think she’d engage in such outrageous conduct.
But if Lucy is a victim of the mesugaki skill, it changes everything. Just like I’m suffering now, she must have endured pain.
No, comparing my suffering to hers would be rude. How could someone already dulled from mental scars be the same as someone who had to suffer in ignorance?
As I barely calmed my erratic breath, while reflecting on Lucy’s memories and emotions, a strange point struck me.
The things that flowed into my head weren’t all that unfamiliar.
Could it be an illusion created by inhabiting Lucy’s body?
[What happened, Lucy?]
‘I saw memories from the past.’
[From the past?]
‘Yeah. From the past.’
<...I guess it wasn't good memories, was it?>
Grandpa seemed to sense something and held his tongue, choosing not to press any further. In the silence that settled back in, I found myself recalling Lucy who had been in anguish, staring blankly at the dungeon ceiling.
The Shoddy God I know is a total pervert with no divine dignity, but he isn’t evil. So why did he cast such a curse upon Lucy?
Shaking my head to clear my swirling thoughts, I wobbled to my feet.
Whatever Shoddy God’s intent is, if I reach the end of this treasure map, something might click. I can make a judgment then.
As I stepped toward the door leading out of the dungeon, the figures waiting for me came into view.
“Young lady!”
“Employer! Inside…”
“Something was…”
As I let their voices drift, I turned my head back to see the cave that had just been perfectly intact vanished without a trace. Was that its role finished?
“Young lady?”
At the worried voice of Karl, I forced a smile to show I was fine by spreading my arms wide.
“Shoddy Dog. Were you feeling insecure because I was alone for a moment?”
After speaking, I sensed something odd and reflected back on what just happened. Wait, what? I feel like I’m missing something in between?
The strange discomfort when I paused made everyone else look at me with concern.
What… is going on? Thanks to the mesugaki skill, my expression should be confident, shouldn’t it?
“Employer, what in the world happened inside?”
“What happened? I just smashed a sloppy dungeon, that’s all.”
As I answered Karia’s question, I caught a glimpse of my reflection in her eyes.
In them, there was no trace of the self-assured mesugaki I expected.
What reflected back in Karia’s eyes was merely a confused little girl grappling with the current situation.
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