Chapter 27 (1/2)
27.TOWER OF KARMA
[Willian Rivius] was raised at a world that stinked of darkish sewer water. He was at the bottomest and was poor to no. This place was the beginning of the world, and was its end too.(TL note: Literal translation. I don´t know what the author means by saying that ->此処が世界の始まりで、此処が世界の終わり。<- maybe=”” it=”” is=”” that=”” the=”” poor=”” people=”” that=”” do=”” all=”” the=”” labor=”” work,=”” so=”” they=”” are=”” the=”” pillar=”” that=”” sustains=”” the=”” world,=”” but=”” even=”” so,=”” they=”” are=”” so=”” poor=”” that=”” they=”” are=”” were=”” it=”” ends=”” too…?=”” ^^=”” i´m=”” not=”” sure…=””>
He would drink muddy water. He would eat bread made of Kabi in small bites, and he would believe that was happiness. It was an unhygienic life where you would be the one of the first ones to die if disease spread. It was a daily life where people´s death was common. There were also times where the starving people would need to nibble on copses in order to make it through the winter. Anything would be done if it was in order to keep living.
If they were beasts, it would be fine like that.
If they weren´t humans, it would be fine like that.
However, may the world take care.
The ones that can change the world are people that at some point in time strayed from the path of humans.
[Al] was crying. [Arlette] would gently embrace him. Just like the [usual], the surrounding corpses would move around them and would keep raising voices of resentment. But there was something different from the [usual]….
“…I can… move?”
It was the fact that [Willian] could move. This spectacle of a dream where [Willian] wouldn´t be able to do the slightest movement changed into a world where he somewhat unconsciously was able to move. [Willian], who in his dreams would only be able to have the point of view that was in a certain way that of a G.o.d, for the first time was able to step onto this world with his own feet.
“…Am I wearing my mask?”
Sweeping his hand at his face, he found a foreign object. That roughness he was familiar with let [Willian] know that the object was the mask he would usually use.
“Well, fine.”
One step.
“Wha-!?”
The ones that were coiling around his legs was the owner of the bookstore of foreign books that had taken care of him in the past, Norman, and his wife. Their appearances were gruesome, and at their eye socks, there was an abyss nothing could be used to describe. With horrid corpse-like looks that had parts with skin and others with only bones, they clinged onto [Willian]´s legs.
“Why did you betray us? Even though we trusted you so much. Even though we thought of you as our own son. WhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHYYYYYYYYYY!?”
“Tch, move over! You were in my way! In order to have myself killed, I needed to kill everyone that knew about [Al]. As to be expected, even with my presence being weak, you guys would´t forget about me. That´s why I killed you! If you understand that, get lost!”
[Willian] swung his leg and sent Norman and his wife flying.
Two steps.
“You aren´t Willian. I am Willian. You aren´t Norman either. You aren´t even Al. Then, who are you? What are you? WhAt aM i? WhY dId I HavE To DiE?”
A red haired corpse was hanging onto Willian´s right arm while being dragged on.
“Ha! Aren´t you stupid and miserable, Willian-kun! In any case, you would have died a dog´s death along the way anyway. Rather than that, you should be thankful, you know? For me to be using your name!”
[Willian] shook off the corpse that was clinging on his right arm and sent it flying.
Three steps.
“WhY?”
Four steps.
“I dOn´T WaNt To DIe.”
Five steps.
“I WanT tO mEet wITH My FamILY.”
Six steps.
“fOr tHe sAKE Of mY nAtiON.”
Seven steps…
[Willian] shook off everything and moved forward. He wouldn´t take any notice of the corpses he had killed. It didn´t matter. It didn´t matter what happened to other people. He wouldn´t even give them a glance.
“…As expected, you guys are really annoying, aren´t you?”
After going through the crowd of corpses, the ones who were ahead was [Al], a black haired boy who was crying while hugging his legs, and [Arlette], a black haired girl who comforted him.
“You are doing such a pathetic expression while using my face.”
[Willian] threw some words at [Al] as if he was spitting them. Getting frightened in reaction, [Al] raised his face. After looking at [Willian], he twisted his face in dislike.
“What are you making this face for?”
[Willian] moved his hand to the sword at his waist. [Al] got surprised, but at that instant, a certain person got in between them. [Willian] frowned.
“Ha, so at the end of the day, you are going to get in my way? Arlette-neesan!”
[Willian] had raised his voice aggressively, but the hand that was holding the sword at his waist didn´t move.
“You aren´t me. I am nee-san´s knight. I am not a monster like you.”
A straight refusal. [Willian] became irritated at that.
“…Don´t be kidding me. You say that even though I became like this because you wished for it! Because I am nee-san´s knight, because you wished that I cleared away nee-san of her regrets! We wished for that! That´s why I am here!”
“That´s wrong! What nee-san wished was for me to live in peace. Despite how I wished to get her revenge, what are you doing now? You killed so many unrelated people and committed crimes that had no meaning, and you still don´t even know the face of the man that killed nee-san. Are you supposed to be nee-san´s knight like that!? All you´ve been doing had nothing to do with nee-san!”
“Th-those were necessary steps. Nee-san is everything to me. That´s why, because they stole her from me, I need to steal from them even more.”
“Even if nee-san wished for something like that, that was only killing count Vrad. It´s not more, nor less than that.”
[Willian] was being talked down by the [himself] who was far smaller and weaker than him.
“Just like Kail had said before, you should have backed out from this war. You are twisted. Too twisted. You forgot her original wish, and you were doing bad things while using nee-san as an excuse. You don´t have any intent on taking revenge on nee-san at all. You don´t really love nee-san. You can´t be loved by anyone.”
At some point in time, a mountain of corpses had piled up behind [Al]. They were wiggling around and roaring out their resentment, waiting for their time to move, wondering when they would be able to engulf [Willian].
“Someone as bad as you can go die. We will kill Vrad in your stead. And after that, it will be over. And then, just like nee-san wished for, we will live in peace. We will live quietly in modesty together with Kail and Havella. Yes, let´t become friends with Karl and Lutogarde too. If only you were to die, everything would….”
While [Al] was in middle of his talking, [Willian] threw his sword, which pierced [Al]´s belly. [Al] stopped talking and looked at [Willian].
“I see. I see… It is just like you said. I am mad. I am a failure as nee-san´s knight. …But, what about it?”
The eyes that were deep inside the mask were trembling. The ruby hanging at his neck was s.h.i.+ning like blood.
“At that time nee-san was eaten, I was born. I thought you had died at that time. But you were still living, weren´t you? And while you were hugging your legs and crying just like that… you were just waiting to eat me! Kuhaha, there is no salvation for me!”
As if to protect [Al], [Arlette] silently stood in the way. [Willian] showed a smile.
“Arlette-neesan. She would always protect me. Even after dying… she was preserving my heart. But I don´t need to be babysitted anymore!”