Chapter: 185
A festival, huh…
What should I wear? A tuxedo? Or perhaps the gloomy garb of a wizard in a tattered hood? Should I spice things up and go all out as a terrifying flower boy to boost Yuli’s spirits?
I knew nothing about the festival happening at the Elimination Team. Running to Yuli to ask now seemed out of the question, so I decided it was best to read between the lines.
I could just check what kind of outfit Yuli is wearing, right? Pairing is important, after all.
Even if it doesn’t align with the overall dress code of the festival, coordinating with my partner would look much better. I slowly opened my Third Eye to peek into the neighboring house.
“Hmm…”
Yuli was rummaging through her limited wardrobe, making distressed sounds.
She’s been at it for 30 minutes.
Thanks to her, I’ve also been stuck here for 30 minutes.
If I calculated the time her gaze lingered on each outfit, it would statistically show 51.2% for formal wear and 48.7% for graceful dresses. It seems she’s still torn between elegance and femininity.
A dress, huh…?
Looking back, Pinkvalez had teased me relentlessly but never changed her outfit. Sure, she had stripped claiming it was a release, but still.
So, Yuli’s new costume piqued my interest. It could turn out great or feel alien. Given her pedigree, she could pull off any outfit, no doubt.
As I pondered, I heard Yuna’s voice from high up in the sky, along the lifeline.
—Aren’t you supposed to be setting up that information bomb soon…?
“Right, but wait a moment. It looks like Yuli might be deciding. Look, she’s finally reaching for something.”
—I can’t see that from here… Also, I heard that same line ten minutes ago. Shouldn’t you get to your tasks instead of waiting on her…?
She had a point.
I stood up and began preparing to go out. Apparently, the festival hosted by the Elimination Team starts around sunset. For now, the sun was blazing high in the sky, so I still had plenty of time.
Yuli would likely stay at her house for festival preparations, and if I were to move, this was my opportunity.
I intended to finish setting up the information bomb.
The Queen had been quiet lately. If she’s wearing herself out and giving up because of this back-and-forth, that would be fantastic… but I suspected that was wishful thinking.
Outside my vision, she had probably been strategizing. So, I had to remain busy and active. If she’s gathering strength, then so must I.
As long as I methodically followed through, I would prevail. That was my assessment.
Just as much as the Queen was observing me, I was also keeping an eye on her. Ever since stepping foot into this realm, I’d been collecting and analyzing her behavior patterns and the echoes of her information.
To my surprise, the Queen was emptier than expected.
I mean, in terms of information content. Since a succubus is half an information entity, I initially speculated that a queen succubus would possess a vast amount of info.
She had subdued Yuli Lanster. Just like the intimidation I felt from Yuna’s magic volume, I thought the Queen would have an equally massive volume of information akin to a server.
Yet, her figures felt lighter than my expectations.
There could be a few possibilities. Maybe she was… a commander type, much like a queen bee.
A highly controlling type over the succubi, who essentially manages operations through orders to various succubi. That would easily explain her lack of personal skill.
In this case, she would have overwhelmed Yuli Lanster through sheer numbers. Considering her operation was the “Nest Entrance Closure Operation,” they must’ve battled at the largest entryway of the hive.
After overwhelming her with countless succubi, it seemed plausible to capture her. As far as I knew, she had no area attack spells.
I grabbed my things and exited the mansion. I was to plant information bombs all around the world and return to join Yuli for the festival later that afternoon.
Having been cooperative until now, I hoped the Queen would remain calm today as well…
…
Click, click, click!
Boom—!
“Why today of all days?!”
I grumbled, staring at the collapsing building. Today’s resistance was fiercer than usual. It wasn’t a critical moment, and I didn’t believe I’d been that threatening.
This was not a decisive moment, yet I was caught off guard by the Queen suddenly launching an all-out assault.
Let’s think positively. If she’s exerting herself, that’s a good thing.
…
How long is she planning to keep this up?
The attacks wouldn’t let up. I could sense the Queen’s exhaustion through the scattered information. Having folded the world for half a day, it’s no wonder.
If she pushed herself, then flaws would naturally show. Fragments of information began to scatter into the void. If I picked them up carefully, I could learn more about the Queen controlling this realm.
For example, she had dark gray hair.
If this unrelenting assault continued, I thought maybe I could pinpoint the Queen’s location and counterattack.
My target would be the control room; strike hard and seize GM authority. Luckily, I still had information bombs I hadn’t deployed yet. I had plenty of weaponry.
While I felt happy about the opportunity,
an unsettling anxiety stirred within me. The setting sun was scraping at my nerves. The festival would soon commence. I might be late or even miss it altogether.
Was the Queen trying to prevent me from attending the festival? If so… why?
Was there a reason to intervene so heavily to stop me? Even so, if she got caught, the game would be over. There wasn’t any rationale for this behavior, no matter how I thought about it.
I was lost in the Queen’s intentions.
Time was cruelly fleeting. The sun dipped its feet into the horizon. I faced a dichotomy presented to me during this tussle.
Would I go for the Queen’s head?
Or would I keep my promise to Yuli?
Both paths could be traps; neither could be certain. In this unclear juncture… I had a choice to make.
===============================================================
In the end, Yuli chose the formal suit.
She contemplated wearing a dress and even tried one on, but… after seeing how her figure looked in the mirror, she gave up, shrinking every time the hem fluttered.
That Mima guy would only tease her endlessly about it. She couldn’t let that happen.
She did have a desire to enjoy festival spirit and dress like a girl, but wasn’t he known to be the kind of guy who had a weak lower half? She figured he’d prefer her in casual attire.
Also… she didn’t want to hear slander.
What would people say if she showed up in a dress with a guy? She could already hear it ringing in her ears. They’d say she couldn’t adapt to the Elimination Team, luring a clueless agent into her clutches—her vile nature couldn’t be hidden.
If she wore a formal suit, at least she could counter their remarks. He was merely a friend, after all. All the crude thoughts of others would be mere lies.
She’d need to retort in such a way that they’d chuckle and slightly recognize her. They thought that weak people didn’t belong in the Elimination Team.
The Elimination Team… was a place for poisonous souls only.
A gathering of vengeance seekers.
Where fists flew more than words, and no one cared about others, only laughing at a comrade’s suffering.
That’s why the term “festival of the Elimination Team” felt so foreign.
She vaguely understood the need for it. Their group was filled with wolves blinded by personal revenge; a thread to bind them together was undoubtedly necessary.
Some minimal connection had to be established for them to function as an organization.
“…”
That unfair connection she struggled to accept.
Yuli found herself drifting in the Elimination Team.
They had many reasons to throw words of hatred her way. Because she was a girl, because she was a succubus—a race deemed completely useless, because it was evident she’d soon be in tears and leave, because of her pink hair.
She didn’t truly know the reason. But it felt clear that they half-heartedly derived amusement from pouring their disdain onto her.
They’d certainly do so now. If she showed up at the festival, they’d surely launch verbal assaults. But that was okay. This time it would be different. Yuli would have Mima beside her.
For reasons unknown, he genuinely liked her… her ally. Perhaps the only ally she had in this world.
She firmly believed she would enjoy herself.
Yuli took a deep breath and stepped outside her house, knocking on the front door of Mima’s mansion. Knock knock knock. No response.
Wondering if he was asleep, she knocked a bit harder.
Still nothing. She cautiously pressed her ear to the door, but she felt no presence inside. Had he left the mansion? Something must have cropped up.
Feeling a bit anxious, Yuli clenched her fist.
No, it’s okay. He was usually a scatterbrained person, semi-forgotten letters to the Imperial Family—just another minor oversight. He must’ve stepped out momentarily.
It wasn’t that he’d forgotten about her.
It made sense. They’d made plans. Even if he called it a nickname, he’d told her his name. He would come.
When they met at the festival, they would walk and talk together. And she would boldly boast to her fellow Elimination Members. “I’ve made friends even without you!”
What if they walked arm in arm? That would quiet down the guys trying to pass crude comments on her. Would that be rude to Mima? Nah, he didn’t seem like he’d take offense.
She mulled over such thoughts for quite a while.
…
The festival promised to be anything but luxurious or extravagant. They merely set up campfires in an open area and grilled hunted deer meat to eat.
There was a rickety fence surrounding the area, and at the entrance stood a lone guard. An older, quite seasoned member of the Elimination Team, as his name was…
“…Lett?”
“A succubus, huh.”
His blunt way of speaking was surprisingly welcome. The other members of the Elimination Team would often add unnecessary words, so it was a relief to have concise responses.
He gestured to the guest book. Yuli took the feather pen next to it and firmly wrote down her name… and Mima’s name.
Lett suddenly asked, “Are you an outsider?”
“No, I’m not. I’ve brought a royal command document bearing the Imperial seal. It seems I’ll be operating alongside the Elimination Team for the time being.”
“I haven’t heard anything about such a document… But you’re no fool, so it must be valid.”
Yuli let out a sigh of relief. She’d had a moment of concern that they might turn her away, saying she couldn’t attend the festival.
He then began to pace at the entrance.
It felt awkward to go in alone. She thought she’d wait until Mima arrived. Seeing her wait, Lett frowned.
“…Are you still not used to this?”
“Used to what?”
Yuli instinctively shrank back at his mildly reproachful words, but mustered up courage to glare at Lett. He looked at her with unreadable eyes.
“You need to choose your battles. You can’t catch two hares at once.”
“What should I let go of?”
“Your heart, your future, your life. Everything besides revenge.”
Was he offering advice rather than reprimanding her?
“I’ve lost too. My family and my village. What do I have left…?!”
“Those who have lost can spot the ones with something left. The smell gives them away. That’s why everyone hates you. Like how starving beggars despise the rich.”
“…But, I too have lost.”
Lett clicked his tongue and simply said that before stepping inside the festival ground. What was he talking about? I too had much to lose and had come seeking vengeance.
Wasn’t he just making excuses? Because he didn’t believe in the succubi, he danced around with vague ideas to dismiss her?
Laughter and chatter echoed from within.
A sudden chill coursed through her chest. She couldn’t fit into any of these groups. She couldn’t blend into the humans. She was always on guard.
She couldn’t integrate into the succubi. Yuli’s family had been completely incinerated by the Queen, who was their nemesis.
Even the Elimination Team—a gathering of those who shared the same scars, those who had lost something—hadn’t accepted her.
She had been trying hard to hold on. Putting up with ridicule day after day. Yet sometimes, loneliness weighed heavily upon her. The happiness of her past she could never return to… it left her yearning.
As she ruminated on how she shattered that paradise, it became unbearably painful.
But beside him, she could momentarily forget such melancholy.
“…When will he arrive?”
Yuli muttered absentmindedly. Quite some time had already passed. She had informed him of the festival location beforehand, so he shouldn’t have gotten lost.
Maybe he slipped in through the back door? Was it possible he was looking for her inside that celebration? Why hadn’t she thought of that earlier…?
Thinking that filled her with excitement, she suppressed her fear and stepped into the open area.
Yeah, there was no way he’d break their promise. He seemed excited about the festival after hearing about it!
Among the laughing Elimination Team members, she sought Mima. He must be a friendly person, so maybe he was already mingling with someone and having a good time. She glanced around.
He was nowhere to be found.
No, it was me just not finding him. She tried hard to console her dampening heart, evading the looks that mocked her.
Rustle.
“…Mima?”
A hand landed on her waist. Turning her head, she found a member of the Elimination Team grinning wickedly. The smell of alcohol was unbearable.
It was someone who usually made passes at Yuli. He slurred, “Who are you looking for? If you’re out to find a man for tonight… I’m right here, how about it?”
“…Don’t touch me!”
Yuli recoiled in shock.
No way! It felt as horrendous as a cockroach crawling under her clothes. She felt powerless, and anxiety bubbled up within her. Yet no one came to her aid. She fully understood that. It was infuriating and heartbreaking.
What terrified her the most was… the nagging expectation still lingering inside her.
Was Mima lurking among them, watching… not forgetting about their promise, but merely planning to pull a harmless prank?
“…”
Had she given up too early?
Should she never have even dared to hope?
Should she have been stronger than to grow sad and surprised by such crude antics? Should she strive not to waver emotionally and become someone who deals back to others in kind and doesn’t reveal any vulnerabilities—a heartless individual with emotions buried deeply?
But wouldn’t it be agonizing to become such a person—one who doesn’t show pain or screams outwardly?
===============================================================
“…Did I take too long?”
The festival had already ended.
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