Chapter 13 - Megalithic Altar (part one) (2/2)

『Did you forget, Aurelia!

I always remember……There have never been any forgotten even after hundreds years of being frozen…!

Your smell and the pain you gave to me!!』

“Pain……? Then, after all, you are…”

『Oh, how nostalgic……

That face, that golden hair, those green eyes……

—But yet, you……about me…after just a few hundred years, did you forget!

This me!

……You guys killed, this me!!!』

My whole body was shocked as if it was struck by a hard object, my sight was instantly distorted.

The air was forcibly pushed out from my lungs, and I was confused due to my brain whose supply oxygen was cut off, as if I was dragged into the pool for playful attacks.

When I noticed it, I was pressed against the stone floor by the front leg of the black monstrous monster.

『Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha–!

This is just by stroking gently…this is how weak creature humans are!

It seems that this has not changed even after as long as hundreds of years has passed.』

“Guh……, tsu……, kah, haah……”

『Kukukukuku, don’t worry, golden madness.

This degree won’t kill you……I won’t kill you, this easily……!

I will have you dead after letting you taste it……My pain, my regret, my loneliness, my, my……

I believed in you guys! I thought you were my true friends!

Well……well, you betrayed me!!』

Black droplets dribbled down from the empty eye sockets looking into me.

Oh, no doubt about it.

It was different from the legend and game settings, but he certainly was betrayed by Aurelia’s ancestors.

『Remember…….

Until the fire of your life disappears, just carve it in that soul……Praise the devilish golden madness!

Zarathan is not my name.

As you are a human race, I am a race called Zarathan.

I am the only one Zarathan.

The rich Zarathan.

I am the one who lost the opportunity to carve my name in the future for eternity……by you, the Aurelia traitors!!!』

It was a monologue full of anger, yet full of suffering like tearing out himself.

I nodded a little while being caught.

The emotion of his grudge had gently entered my mind somehow, rather than the mental interference ability that appealed for nostalgia and sorrow.

The moment my heart shook, a small explosion broke out in front of me.

Because he was pressured by the impact, the restraint of Zarathan relaxed.

At that moment, something wrapped around my body and I was pulled with great power.

“I don’t know……I don’t know anything, Monster. Ignore us, and don’t make up a story without permission.”

Before the exit of the inner sanctum, there were the Harvan siblings.

Klaus set the Wand of Fire Bolt and pierced the black monster with his staff, while Ann was grasping the opposite of the magical rope wrapped around me.

That’s right, my bag……when I was pressed down by Zarathan, it was falling down.

“Erica-sama! Do you have an injury!?”

“Nn……I’m alright. Thank you for your help, Ann-sama, Klaus-sama.”

“I’m not okay.”

“Y-yes? What’s wrong, Klaus-sama?”

“If you die as you please, I’m not okay. Carve it deep into your soul more than the words of that monster. Harvan’s men will protect women in front of anything! So, don’t make a gaze as if resigning yourself to such a thing!”

I had not. I had not made such an ominous gaze.

—I hadn’t done it, right?

It didn’t matter, and I was thankful that you would help me, but this was a tough one.

“Onii-sama……Be more honest……”

“Ann! Don’t give unnecessary retort! Untie the rope as soon as possible!”

Ann untied the rope while sighing, and she returned my bag and wands to me.

Klaus’ sister was having trouble with him.

I wanted you to live firmly.

Ann had a bunch of spell cards and a staff, she stood diagonally behind Klaus.

I also came to my senses and stood up, having the wand handed to me by Ann at the ready.

Too late, Zarathan had recovered his stance and was walking slowly towards us.

A burnt-like smell still remained in the air, but the monster’s body didn’t even show traces of flame injuries.

Was it been hindered by the hard scales or did he already regenerated?

『Nostalgic……I miss everything……

I remember. The magic of a crafty alchemist.

I was surprised because it was a long time ago, but such magic tricks will never pass.』

“I see. If that’s the case, next time you will be surprise by Harvan’s exquisite skills. Don’t think that you will have the opportunity to live and see my magic twice.”

『Ha–! What a proud little boy!

You do not seem to be an Aurelia. The smell is different.

Were you lured by a small sum of money, or have you been misled by the girl’s charm–

It is not something I knew either way, but in the end you will be betrayed by Aurelia just like me.

I reject it. I have no grudge nor interest in you.』

“Are you going to retreat? Move aside, Monster. Sooner or later, if I don’t bring along this showy lady and my sister, you will receive a good scolding from my father who is 100 times more frightening than you.”

Klaus continued to look after us as he stood in an imposing stance, he dismissed the huge monster he was facing in a grand gesture.

Even though deep down he had to feel terribly frightened.

His strong point was his sense of responsibility, that didn’t change even when he was very young.

(But—-)

I glanced fleetingly at the wand that was handed to me by Ann.

The stick head was rock salt. The shaft was cherry tree.

There was a skin of boar wrapped around the handle.

Core material……the leg of a pig which was preserved.

Yes, this was the Wand of Grease.

I believed that it was an instruction from Klaus, but…what did he want me to do with this wand?

The monster and Klaus was still glaring at each other in a tense atmosphere.

In this situation of conflict, my confusion was deepened.

1 I don’t think I need to say this, but this is referring to Pokemon. And seeing the cover of this series, Zarathan does seem like a combination of Lapras and Sandslash. Something like this but paint it black, and all four legs have claws:

Also, I tried making Zarathan more menacing by bolding his speech and giving the sense of hurt by making some of the words in italic. What do you think?