Two baby birds wobbled ahead.
—Peep.
It looked like a lazy pigeon walking around with perfectly good wings, but still, it was a great guide.
In fact, even though it was the size of a person, its appearance and age were closer to a chick, so calling it a pigeon was a bit harsh!
“If you’ve dropped into an unfamiliar place~.”
Pastel waved her arms and followed eagerly.
“Please receive guidance from the locals~.”
Suddenly, she pointed at the Demon.
Duet! Duet!
The Demon squinted at her.
『It’s been quite a while since I last sang.』
Oh dear, how dull.
“Delicious food and a cozy nest are waiting for you~!”
Instead of the Demon, the baby birds responded enthusiastically.
—Peep~!
Truly a great song, it seemed.
Yup!
Pastel energetically agreed but paused for a moment, realizing the food and nest provided by the Cult had been overly positively portrayed.
“Breaking news! Breaking news!”
She waved her arms.
The baby birds startled and turned.
—Peep?
“There’s been incorrect information in the song lyrics, so let me correct that! Instead of delicious food and a cozy nest, it’s suspicious food and an evil hideout!”
Oh my, that’s serious.
The baby birds pondered for a moment and then shook their heads.
—Peep.
That gesture meant they disagreed.
Really delicious food and a cozy nest, right?
“There’s no way! You’re experiencing Stockholm Syndrome, which means you’re empathizing with your captors too much and losing your objectivity!”
Oh, such a pitiful state.
You can see just how wicked the Cult is.
—Peep?
The baby birds tilted their heads.
『Hmm. The state of things.』
The Demon rubbed its chin and pondered. Then, it approached and knelt to match their eye level.
Ooh.
Pastel maintained her composure and met its gaze. The red eyes were scrutinizing her.
What could this mean?
『There’s no need to force yourself to hate the Cult.』
Oh dear…
Pastel was perplexed. She rolled her eyes, rubbed her cheeks, and felt slightly embarrassed.
“Does it show quite a bit?”
She thought her acting skills had improved since the villainous smoke had been going well, but it seemed not.
Perhaps her vengeance act didn’t go so well.
If this continues, she’d feel too guilty towards Craft’s loyal followers, who sacrificed themselves in the Mansion to watch over her from the afterlife…
“I’ve never had to hate someone for this long.”
Her fingers fidgeted.
“Well, that’s true. No matter how evil someone may be, they’re still human. They have their own lives, thoughts, and feelings.”
Pastel’s feelings were complicated.
“Some may kill people just for fun or rob lives out of greed, but not everyone is so awful. If I have to stamp everyone with a label and ignore their circumstances, that’s…”
I don’t know.
But isn’t that how things are in this age and world? Wouldn’t that be the only way for it to be a justified revenge?
“A lot of my hatred has died down. The Cult that carried out the massacre in Craft Mansion or my father, who took everything and ran away, must have their own reasons. Sure, they did wrong, but if you think from their perspective, there might be some understanding there.”
The Demon sighed slowly.
『That’s a kind thought.』
“I know, I just know.”
Pastel twisted her body uncomfortably.
“Now that I have money so I won’t starve, and I’ve made many friends, I’ve become more at ease.”
In that ease, it’s hard for hatred to become genuine.
“Just look at these days. In the past, I wouldn’t have had the luxury to act casual and would’ve switched to serious mode, but here I am acting like usual.”
She pointed at herself.
“See! I’m constantly checking for signs while chatting! Although I lowered my voice, seriously, this can’t be right!”
With power and strength, her mind had loosened.
She really was such a pastel.
『I can guarantee that. The range of your voice is limited compared to the range of your hearing. Your volume is at a normal level, but your hearing is beyond human.』
Pastel pointed rudely.
“What if there’s a chance! Objectively speaking, you, Demon, were locked away, so how much do you know about the world?”
『What?』
The Demon looked confused.
It was a moment dripping with guilt, but things were serious now.
“The matters surrounding the Cult concern people’s safety, so it’s best to deal with them thoroughly! You noticed the baby birds’ presence late in the library, right? This was very dangerous! What if it had been a trained scout from the Cult?”
『That’s because I’ve been with you in human form, so your alertness has decreased. That’s a natural phenomenon as a protected one.』
“Anyway!”
Pastel shouted earnestly and was now panting.
“And and.”
She rubbed her cheeks and glanced around aimlessly.
Ugh.
Maybe everyone’s listening?
“I-I’m not saying I’ll abandon my revenge! I did swear that when I was mentally cornered, but I will absolutely seek my revenge! As someone who has been protected, that’s the proper way, right?”
Saying that, her shoulders slumped a bit.
“Y-But I’m also slightly curious about the other side’s situation. I wonder why they’re living like that in the Cult.”
It was impossible to go full throttle with vengefulness just because she spotted a Cult member right in front of her with a clear mind.
“I’m sorry, my loyal followers.”
Pastel felt sorry and rubbed her hands together.
『Who are you talking to?』
“To my ghostly follower friends who might be listening. Ugh, I misspoke. To the ghostly followers.”
『Hmm.』
The Demon looked into the air.
“Don’t say there are no ghosts. There must be! I’m not just making a fuss because I mistook the curtains in the kitchen for ghosts while sneaking out to steal snacks at midnight!”
The Demon seemed slightly impressed.
『I see. That explains a lot. It felt strange.』
Oh dear, caught red-handed.
Pastel froze.
Please tell me they didn’t find out about the pieces of pie hidden in the hallway vase I snuck from the kitchen afterwards?
No wonder they were empty when I peeked the next day. My mouse friend must’ve eaten them.
The Demon pointed its finger and tapped Pastel’s forehead.
『Don’t lose yourself in the storms of life. If it feels heavy, it’s okay to relieve some of your burdens and revisit them later. It’s never too late.』
Pastel gazed into the tender red eyes.
Her expression turned somewhat pouty.
“It sounds like someone who worked hard for their family got so tired that they met them in a dream and rationalized giving up.”
She crossed her arms.
“Just like the dreams you create, you, Demon, can’t represent your followers either.”
『That might be true.』
The Demon pointed to one direction.
『But it’s necessary to shift your focus to your surroundings. Being buried in your heart without any refreshment is not good. Pushing yourself will only hurt you and those around you.』
Where the Demon pointed were the baby birds.
“Ugh!”
Pastel, alone with the Demon in another world, was startled.
“I’m sorry, friends!”
I left you behind and awkwardly abandoned you! I even insisted that the Cult was bad while ignoring your responses!
“I must have been pretty unreasonable, right? Even if the Cult is bad, there might be times when they offer delicious food and cozy nests!”
How hurt must they have felt to be so openly scolded?
Just how hurt they were, both of them had turned around and buried their beaks in the ground.
—Peep?
The baby bird looked back at her.
With a puzzled expression as if to ask if she spoke to them, it then slurped up a giant worm.
The worm spiraled like noodles and vanished into its beak. It felt as if it could hear the worm’s silent scream.
Ew.
Pastel’s pink eyes trembled.
“What—what are you eating?”
Why was it their worm friend?
No, no, it’s a bird, so of course, a worm.
Yup!
Pastel’s expression brightened.
“So you were just eating!”
—Peep.
A cool expression as they had forgotten the past scolding.
Oh dear.
“You guys are really such good sports!”
I knew it from the first time we met!
Like how they pecked at her as if she were food when she fell into their nest.
Or how they ignored her when she saved them from a pack of wolves.
And now, as soon as they realized they had been kidnapped by the Cult, they begged her for help.
Ooh.
Looking back, they weren’t that great after all.
But still, still.
With the way they acted just now, they might be at least somewhat decent.
Not great, but decent.
Pastel exclaimed brightly again.
“You guys are really something small!”
—Peep?
Oh dear.
That didn’t land well.
The two baby birds looked at each other, as if deliberating if they were indeed small, then turned back to Pastel.
—Peep.
Nodding.
“Are you affirming that?!”
Pastel’s mouth dropped open.
Shock.
Astonishment.
How small does a small fry have to be to admit it?
Do these friends even want to keep hanging out with each other?
Suddenly asking for a guarantee or something?
Ugh.
The Demon gazed down the corridor. A few giant worms with muddy bodies were crawling on the pure white floor.
『Even if the gods have neglected it, this isn’t a sight fit for a holy place. Has the Cult invaded and caused the boundaries between the outside and inside of the holy ground to collapse? Could it be that this area beyond here is part of the Cult’s indirect operational area?』
—Peep.
The baby bird, asked, confirmed.
Oh, I see.
There’s no sign of people, but we should be cautious.
Pastel held a finger to her lips.
“Then from now on, everyone, shh.”
—Peep.
“Peep is not okay! Shhh! Shhh!”
As she earnestly instructed, she suddenly realized.
All I have to do is be quiet!
Oh, silly silly.
Ahahaha!
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