Volume 7 Chapter 3 Part 3 (2/2)
s.h.i.+n too was surprised to know about their stats increase.
In THE NEW GATE, the only way to increase stats was to level up, perform reincarnation, or use stat-up items.
Stats would also increase thanks to t.i.tles, but there were few ways to permanently increase stats.
The Drops of Erathem were also supposed to be items unrelated to stat increases.
”I suppose this means that it happened to Filma too, as she was in the same state as you.”
”It's very possible. I can't detect any other change in particular. How is Filma's condition?”
Schnee inquired about Filma's condition, whom s.h.i.+n was still carrying in his arms. As if to answer her, Filma moved slightly and opened her eyes.
What her deep red and violet eyes -the same color as her hair- saw was s.h.i.+n's face.
”.Master? Eh? What? Why?”
Still drowsy, Filma saw s.h.i.+n's face in a blur.
It took a little for her to recognize him, but when she did she instantly recovered from her half asleep state and looked around frantically, while still in s.h.i.+n's arms.
”Ah! Schnee! Please tell me what's going on!!”
Filma shouted after seeing Schnee.
The fact that she was still holding onto s.h.i.+n was proof that she was still confused.
”First of all, can you stand?”
”Er, yes, I think.”
Seeing Filma this meek was unusual in s.h.i.+n's eyes. In the game, he had set her personality as frank and open.
”But more than that!! Someone explain!!”
Filma apparently came back to her senses and raised her voice again.
s.h.i.+n thought that it was pretty unusual for Filma to act like that.
”I see, now I've grasped the situation.”
As the party explained their mission to rescue Hermie, Filma nodded in understanding.
Together with the oral explanation, they explained to her what they didn't want Konig to know via Mind Chat.
They only gave her a very basic explanation for the moment, planning to go in more detail later.
”I will help too, then. I've awakened and there's nothing wrong with my body, so I'm returning to the battlefield right away.”
Filma announced her return as if it was a completely natural development. She had checked her condition, but didn't find anything unusual. Her stats, however, had increased as expected.
The one globe not absorbed by anyone had returned to the crystal, so s.h.i.+n turned it into an item card and collected it.
”And now that we're all set, pull that out s.h.i.+n, come on.”
”Alright.”
s.h.i.+n, acting as if he was pulling it out from his chest pocket, took a card out of the item box and gave it to Filma.
As Filma materialized it, a deep red greatsword with a 2 mels blade appeared.
It was a double-edged sword; the deep red at its center would gradually grow fainter towards the edges, turning silver on the blade itself. Bright gemstones shaped like square pyramids were embedded on the base of the blade, from which originated geometrical patterns which decorated the whole body of the weapon.
The blade was roughly 15 cemels wide, so compared to a wide greatsword like Rionne's Muspelm, it seemed very thin.
It was Filma's main weapon, the superior ancient-cla.s.s greatsword Red Moon.
”This is the sword I'm most comfortable with after allbut wait, it's more powerful than before?”
”Well, lots of things happened while you weren't around. I'll tell you more later.”
”Alright then! Let's go and save that poor Hermie, shall we?”
As should have been expected, Filma didn't appreciate at all the enemy's ways, so she was more than eager to act right after joining the party.
”.in the end, we basically have more fighting power now?”
Too many unexpected developments had left Konig unable to keep up; all he managed to mutter was this one comment.
He didn't react to Filma shouting Schnee's name, so he had probably not heard it or not recognized it.
”I think it's better not to think too hard about it. We ended up using a lot of time for this unexpected event, so let us leave other explanations for later.”
”Yes, that'sright. We should think about rescuing Lady Hermie right now.”
s.h.i.+n started walking away, and Konig followed while shaking his head.
”Hey Milt! Get a move on or we'll leave you behind!!”
”Yeees, coming!”
Milt was crouching where the crystal was, but she stood up and joined the party after s.h.i.+n's call.
”What were you up to?”
”I was wondering if there was no way to know why the Drop of Erathem was on top of the Ley linewell, I'm bad at a.n.a.lyze-type skills, so I didn't understand much though.”
Milt's job was a pure fighting one. She barely learned any a.n.a.lyze-type skills.
”It is unnatural for it to be here, yes.”
”Could they have brought it here from somewhere else?”
”That's the most acceptable explanation, I think.”
Drops of Erathem like the one that had trapped Filma only formed as a product of natural magic power.
Not even demons or High Humans like s.h.i.+n, could create Drops of Erathem artificially.
The demons had only tainted the crystal with miasma, through the magic circle in the other room, and used the magic power within it.
s.h.i.+n possessed a creation machine that allowed him to create materials, but he couldn't create a large crystal like the one that had imprisoned Filma.
”They might have used it after they found it by chance. In the end, all they could do with it was place it here though.”
Drops of Erathem were so hard that only blacksmiths or alchemists of the highest level were able to craft with it. The fact that they left Filma inside it instead of controlling her through the Collar of Submission was proof that even the demons couldn't do anything to it.
The number of the support characters expressed the order they had been created during the game. Filma was number 2.
As she had been created roughly at the same time as Schnee, her stats were slightly superior to Girard's.
If she had been under enemy control, they would have had to deal with her as soon as possible.
”Well, we should ask that to the person directly involved. We will have to meet them one way or the other, after all.”
It was no more than a hunch, but s.h.i.+n felt that it would definitely become reality.
At the same time as s.h.i.+n's party departed from Sigurd, in the room within the cave where Hermie was held.
Standing guard were Wilhelm, brought there by Adara, and 2 of the Summit Faction's most capable soldiers.
Wilhelm stood with an expression void of all emotion, it was unclear if he was conscious at all. Even if he was aware of his surroundings, it was not possible for him to think of something by himself.
What he was now was just a doll that would attack anyone who came too close without permission.
”.why is this happening?”
”Because you're a Holy Woman.”
Looking at Wilhelm, Hermie let out a weak whisper. The answer came from Scoruas, who was standing near Wilhelm.
”You are”
”Oh, my apologies for not introducing myself earlier. My name is Scoruas, it is an honor to meet you.”
Scoruas introduced himself with affected politeness. Hermie, feeling an endless indescribable something hidden behind his smile, felt a chill down her spine.
”Where is this place..?”
She was supposed to be sleeping in her quarters in Palmirack, but when she woke up she found herself in a completely different room. The room was adequately furnished and allowed her to rest without problems. Yet at the same time, it made her feel severely cold chills.
Knowing that Eline, the head of Bulk's followers, had been defeated, and all other collaborators had been caught one after the other, Hermie thought all danger was over. She would have never imagined something like the current situation could happen.
”It would be meaningless to tell you. There is something I wish to show you, so I will have you come with me.”
Saying this, Scoruas pulled out a black collar.
The collar, which looked an even darker black than before, was burned into Hermie's memories.
”That's!!”
”You know this well, don't you? I don't know how you removed the previous one, but this new collar is a bit special. I think it will fit you wonderfully.”
Scoruas equipped the collar on Hermie without even giving her the chance to resist.
”Uuhaaah”
The very instant the collar was attached to her neck, all strength abandoned Hermie's body. Her body, which was attempting to resists, suddenly became immobile; it didn't obey her will anymore.
”This way, then.”
”Kh”
She could not refuse the satisfied-looking Scoruas' gesture of invitation. Untied to her will, her body followed Scoruas. Somehow, it seemed that only her mouth was still under her control.
Probably because they had been ordered to guard her, Wilhelm and the 2 other guards followed as well, in total silence.
After they walked for roughly 10 minutes they arrived in a larger area and Scoruas stopped.
”Come, in front of me.”
As Hermie stepped forward, she noticed something s.h.i.+ning in the corner of her eye. She was standing in what seemed to be a gallery for spectators, above a large magic circle with several people standing in it.
What she had noticed s.h.i.+ning was the magic circle drawn on the floor of the room below.
The people inside the magic circle were trying to leave, but the barrier erected at the circle's edges prevented them to.
”What areyou”
”This is all in preparation for your turn.”
Hermie couldn't understand the situation, but Scoruas forced her to keep looking below.
Then, after less than one minute, something changed. The people inside the magic circle started glowing, one by one, and disappeared.
Their screams echoed through the room, striking Hermie's ears.
”What!?”
”Wasn't it beautiful? The light that flickers when human life expiresthe screams that adorn it too, they are so comforting.”
Scoruas spoke with nothing but glee on his face, with a tone of voice that showed he truly enjoyed what they had seen.
”I cannot believe it! Don't you have any regard for life!?”
”Hehe, It's nothing more than manure that increases by itself. Or good soil to grow miasma. Did you know? Humans are the living beings that create the most miasma in this world.”
Scoruas, who found even Hermie's angered voice pleasant, answered her in a somewhat bored tone.
He then grabbed Hermie's face and pointed it to the people gathered below.
”Guuh!”
”Look very well. Everyone here has been gathered for you, you know?”
”Eh?”
His face still in a smile, Scoruas kept Hermie's face pointed downwards with his right hand and, with his left, pointed at the sources of the continuous screams.
”As we have the honor of her highness the Holy Woman's presence among us, we had to prepare a fitting welcome, right?”
Behind his smile clearly lied malice.
”All the people suffering before you herethey suffer because of you.”
”What are yousaying”
”That they wouldn't have suffered if it wasn't for you.”
Scoruas whispered in Hermie's ears. As if in response, Hermie's collar gave a dull glow.
”Because of you.”
”Because ofme”
Scoruas' words were impressed in Hermie's consciousness.
”They are suffering.”
”Those peopleare suffering”
Emotions, like thick mud, flowed into Hermie's defenseless heart.
”It's your fault.”
”It'smyfault”
The whispers of demons lead human hearts astray. That effect was boosted by the collar, its influence stronger than normal.
”Did you think that you could have saved someone by becoming a Holy Woman? You, who can only watch these people suffer before you, without doing anything? Did you seriously think you could do something?”
”I, I didI wantedto be useful tosomeone”
”Yet you can't do anything, can you. Manipulated, kidnapped, just waiting to be helped. I wonder how many sacrificed themselves to rescue you.”
”Ah”
After each of Scoruas' words, Hermie's heart cried in despair.
There are people who were hurt, who suffered, to save her.
Hermie knew well that it was the truth, so she couldn't deny Scoruas' words.
”Look, they are angry at you.”
The screams were caused by the despair born from their unescapable situation, but Hermie, under the influence of the collar and Scoruas' whispers, heard them as voices of resentment and insults towards herself.
”I didn't I didn't, mean to”
”You did not realize it yourself? Oh milady Holy Woman, I must bow before you.”
Acting like he could not believe what he just heard, Scoruas put his hand on his forehead in an exaggerated gesture.
Hermie felt that even those movements were blaming her.
”Ststop.”
”What are you saying. They are dying for you, you know? Seeing them off is your duty, is it not?”
”No, that's not true, I did not wish for any of this!”
”Regardless of what you wish or don't wish, all people involved with you end up sufferingor am I wrong?”
”Gh”
Hermie could not say anything to Scoruas' words.
She tried with all her might to string the words together, but they dissolved into mist before taking shape.
”To bring temporary solace in order to cause suffering around you. That's the kind of existence you are.”
”Ahaaah”
Hermie's sight trembled.
Because of the collar and the miasma's effects, her thoughts broke and scattered into thousands of pieces, while her guilt towards the people before her and the disgust towards her own self grew larger and larger.
The feelings lying deep within Hermie's heart grew stronger, along with her despair.
”Oh my, looks like it was more effective than I thought. What a splendid result.”
Hermie fell to her knees, whimpering. She didn't see Scoruas anymore, looking down at her. Crushed by self loathing and despair, her heart sank into darkness.
””
Hermie had been corrupted by Scoruas' malice, to the point that she was incapable of any reaction, but Wilhelm simply stood there, without moving an inch.
As before, no clear consciousness inhabited his eyes. His utter lack of any sign of life could have made him pa.s.s for an extremely intricate doll.
Gradually, the human sacrifices' screams vanished; even if he had been ordered to guard Hermie, Wilhelm was just standing in place, motionless.