Chapter 60

〈 Chapter 60 〉 Forgiveness

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What is the most commonly said phrase by those wishing to be pardoned for their sins?

Perhaps it is the request for forgiveness.

The most effective way to alleviate guilt toward a specific individual is probably to appeal directly to that person’s mercy.

Moreover, in this world, there are books selling like hotcakes with the absurd message to love your enemies.

A strange culture persists where the act of forgiving someone is regarded as a virtue and sacred, which I find incomprehensible.

By now, the weight of saying “please forgive me” has become lighter than a casual morning greeting.

This was the conclusion I arrived at after personally exploring this merciful world for nearly a decade.

”Ugh, I-I’m sorry…”

But.

The girl before me did not easily utter the words of forgiveness.

As if she felt she didn’t even deserve it. As if it were impossible.

Her appearance, not seeking forgiveness or salvation but seemingly hoping only to be reproached for her wrongs, looked even more pitiful than a sinner condemned to death.

”Hero…”

I kneeled down to try to meet her gaze, but.

Her eyes, dimmed and lacking light, seemed to struggle even to recognize me sitting right in front of her.

”Hero… It’s me…”

”I-I’m sorry, I’m sorry…” sniff

Struggling to control my tumultuous heart, it seemed my words didn’t even reach her consciousness.

It was right after that.

I noticed an abnormality occurring in the hero’s body.

”…!”

Her beautiful blonde hair, reminiscent of ripe barley ears, was gradually being tainted by an ominous white of unknown origin.

Instead of being dyed, it seemed more accurate to say the color that had adorned her was fading, like clothes losing their dye.

And the source of power felt in this strange phenomenon was truly a familiar concept that anyone engaged in the clergy job would recognize.

The fragmented miracle said to have been bestowed upon humanity by the gods.

Divine Power.

”H-Hey!”

At that moment, a presence I had set aside briefly came out of nowhere and called my name.

With a hint of annoyance, I turned around.

A figure wrapped in a long skirt and flopping around like a fish out of water began yelling at me.

”Are you still there!? You’re listening to me, right!? Ha Gye In! Do you have any idea how much you’re about to incur divine wrath!? Of course, you don’t! Naturally, you don’t! If you knew who I am, you wouldn’t dare act so irreverently! This time! Yes, just this once, I shall mercifully forgive your ignorance! Right now! Unbind me from this filthy restraint!”

It was a haughty attitude so far from believable for someone in such a disheveled state, with only a piece of underwear peeking out from her tightly wrapped upper body.

At first, I thought a bit that I’d gone too far, but seeing her manner, it seemed I’d worried for nothing.

I didn’t think the restraint was an inappropriate measure.

Restraining a suspicious character from doing suspicious things is something that must be done.

There were no personal sentiments involved.

”Hero. It’s me. Regis Lowville. Don’t you recognize me?”

”H-Hey! I know you’re listening! Don’t ignore me! Ha Gye In!”

Her whiny voice continuously poking my back like a child begging their parent for a toy was irritating, but.

I was too focused on wiping the hero’s tears away with the handkerchief I brought to pay any attention to such trivial matters.

”Hah! If you’re thinking of playing tricks on me, you should give up! She is currently being bestowed with my sacred power! She’s not in a state to listen to anyone! So! Stop messing around! Unbind me right now and bow your head to me—”

CRACK.

”H-Huh…?”

After the chilling sound echoed once, the irritating noise finally faded away.

Without moving my neck, I casually glanced at the source.

The Blade-type Rosary that had been around my neck was now embedded like a shuriken right next to her.

Thanks to the blade that had torn through my clothes, that suspicious figure got a chance to see the world again.

But after our eyes met through the torn fabric, she started trembling like a rabbit before a wolf, leaving no desire to spout more nonsense.

”Hah…”

I wanted to give her a sharp warning, even if just for a moment, to please behave, but.

I couldn’t carelessly speak.

I couldn’t say harsh words in front of the hero.

Thus.

I carefully brought my index finger to my mouth, hinting to her quietly, like a librarian admonishing a noisy patron.

Close your mouth.

”Hick!”

Confirming that my intent was certainly conveyed by her frightened behavior, I turned my gaze back toward the hero.

”H-Hero…?”

”I-I’m the cause… Ugh! Because of me…”

With trembling hands, the hero, stained with crimson from scattered fragments, held onto me weakly, sounding sorrowful.

Soon after, the vague white things floating around the hero began to take on more defined shapes, drifting like steam over hot water.

It was the grayish film of past events lighting up.

The stench of soot forcibly thrusting a day long buried into someone’s face.

Since I had just gone through a similar experience a moment ago, I could guess well enough that this was the scenery the hero was witnessing.

This was, after all, the past she wished to hide from, which wasn’t hard to imagine.

Whether this phenomenon was a unique characteristic of this dungeon or a trick of that irritating figure, I had no way of knowing at this moment.

But I could see she was confronting some past, regretting and suffering.

A man bleeding from his hands.

A young girl crying across from him.

This familiar scene that forces memories of something from the past was indeed a kind of reenactment featuring the same leading actors.

”Hero… This wound isn’t your fault…”

”N-No…! It’s because of me! Because of me…! Ugh!”

Though we finally managed a conversation.

What she was looking at was only the past me, not the current me.

The foolish man lost in guilty thoughts, standing vacantly where the hero had swung her sword.

There was absolutely no reason for her to suffer this much; he was truly an insignificant character.

”So you knew everything, didn’t you…”

”Ugh! Hic!”

She seemed to struggle to hold back rising sobs, but ultimately her efforts failed.

With one tear that dripped down, she flung herself into my arms.

Her humid breath wetting my neck brought her indefinable thoughts that language could not possibly express flowing into me.

”Ugh! I-I’m sorry, sorry!”

It seemed even finishing her sentences was becoming a challenge.

Her mannerisms, unable to contain the overflowing emotions, reminded me of a little child having a nightmare of losing their parents.

”No… It was me… I… I was wrong…”

”N-No! I… I’m the bad one! I’m sorry! Ugh! Uncle! I-I’m sorry!”

I tried embracing her tighter, patting her back, and ruffling her hair, but.

The hero’s tears showed no sign of stopping.

It was as if the fierce fury she had been holding back for years was bursting forth like water from a broken dam.

It was right after that.

The ominous white invading her golden hair began to swell, threatening to cover her entire body.

They say you can still recognize a rotten fish.

As someone who could handle Divine Power, albeit clumsily, I instinctively understood.

This invasion would greatly affect her emotions. It would have a severe negative impact on her personality.

”H-Hero, would you mind listening to me for a moment?”

”Ugh! Hic!”

I had to think.

The intensity of her lament and the emotions swirling within.

I needed to find a way to mediate, even if just for a brief moment.

”H-Hero…! Hero! Please calm down for a second! Abigail…!”

”Ugh! Hic! I’m sorry, sorry…”

However, my not-very-smart brain could hardly come up with a major alternative in the terribly limited time I had, which could scarcely be called a moment.

Soon enough, I sensed that the ominous erosion was trying to reach the hero’s soul, deep down at her roots.

”Kuh!”

Feeling a mental shock, I had to force out whatever information could stop my brain from freezing.

Just then, my chaotic thoughts blurted out a confession without passing through my brain.

”Hero, I’m actually really into women.”

”Huh?”

Her sudden empty exhalation scattered into the air at my nonsensical confession.

*