Edge Forys (3)

“Hey. Sleepy?”

“Not sleeping.”

“When are you going to sleep?”

“I don’t plan to.”

“That won’t do! Humans need sleep to recover from fatigue.”

“How could I possibly feel sleepy when I know a nightmare is guaranteed?”

Did she lose her brain when she became undead? The Nightmare in the next cell was spouting nonsense.

When I clearly know she’ll rummage through my head and give me nightmares while I sleep, why would I agree to such a proposal?

I’ll hold out as long as I can.

“More importantly, why are you gathering information under Duke Forys?”

“Because he lets me eat nightmares.”

“You’re quite bold about admitting to such a dirty mutual relationship.”

“I dunno, if I’m happy and Edge is happy, isn’t that good for both of us?”

How remarkable that she can address the Duke’s name so casually.

Well, who knows how ancient a monster she might be despite her youthful voice.

“Besides, Edge won’t give up until he gets something from you. Want to be locked up forever?”

“You have a point.”

He’s certainly the type to do that.

“So let’s sleep now?”

“I’m not sleepy right now, maybe later.”

“Aw, whyyyy!”

She definitely lost part of her brain when she died.

That’s what I concluded.

And during such conversation, I secretly cast holy magic to protect my mind without letting my opponent notice.

With this, it shouldn’t matter even if she barges into my dreams as she pleases.

“Come to think of it, what’s your name, junior? You haven’t said it yet.”

“You can call me Lost.”

“Lost? What a nice ring to it!”

“Isn’t it?”

“Yeah! I like it because it’s similar to our names.”

“Now that you say that, I can’t feel entirely happy about it. Just how is it similar?”

“Because we’re all lost ones.”

“……”

Oh dear, like Edge Forys, Bella also caught on that I’m using an alias. Was I too obvious?

No, even if that’s the case, it’s not a non-existent name. The two of them must be out of their minds to make such assumptions just from hearing a name.

As I was thinking this, drowsiness started creeping in.

“Hey, Lost. Sleepy?”

“Not… yet.”

“Really? Sleep well.”

I didn’t expect her to be this blatant about her schemes.

Did she think she wouldn’t be caught? Despite being this unnatural?

I’ve already cast holy magic anyway.

If I fall asleep now and let her see only the memories I want to show, this confinement should end quickly.

Since this interrogation is meant to investigate my suspicions, it’s better to show things here to dispel those doubts.

Seeing and confirming directly is better than a hundred words.

“Sweet dreams.”

The Nightmare’s voice in my ear was particularly eerie.

*     *     *

“Hmm? Is he sleeping?”

“……”

“He is sleeping!”

Bella grinned at the steady breathing sounds coming from the next cell.

Finally, it’s mealtime. Recently, Edge Forys hadn’t been bringing in prisoners, so she’d been quite bored.

How wonderful to be able to satisfy both her curiosity and hunger at once.

“Heehee!”

Bella lightly phased her head through the wall to check on Lost.

As expected, Lost had fallen to her tricks and was sleeping deeply.

“Ha! I’ve still got it!”

Though Bella was already dead, such things didn’t matter.

Using sleep magic while guiding the conversation to make the target fall asleep.

How perfect is that!

Bella kept nodding to herself, drunk on her own perfection.

Of course, her plan was just a crude trick that would only work on someone who didn’t know her true nature.

“Now then.”

If the ingredients are ready, it’s time to cook. Bella placed her hand on the sleeping Lost’s head.

Black ooze emerged from her fingertips and began burrowing into Lost’s mind.

To match this, the whites of Bella’s eyes turned black as if being dyed by her pupils.

Eyes that see dreams rather than reality.

Now it was time to satisfy her curiosity and hunger while fulfilling her contract with Edge Forys.

And so Bella delved into Lost’s mindscape.

And then…

“Ugh?!”

Bella jerked her hand away from Lost as if she’d been thrown back.

She fell on her bottom while floating in mid-air and couldn’t get up, as if struck by terror.

“What is this…?”

Looking into Lost’s dream was fine. Though it was a strange dream with holes as if something was missing, that wouldn’t be strange for someone who had their memories stolen by the <Dreamer>.

But something else was strange.

There was something in Lost’s dream that even he didn’t know about.

A black lion with red eyes. That monster wrapped in mist was watching Lost from afar.

Bella had to flee the moment her eyes met that being.

If she hadn’t, she would have died.

She, who existed only as a spirit without physical form, felt annihilation just from meeting its gaze.

“How in the world…?”

Bella knows what that is. Though she’s never met it directly, she’s heard of beings with such power.

“How is he still alive after meeting that thing…? No, how was he even able to meet it in the first place?”

The <Corruptor>

Untouchable

One of the monsters among monsters recorded first among the 10 trials was watching Lost.

*     *     *

When Bella entered my mind, I was aware of it.

And when she screamed and escaped from my dream, I could have woken up then too.

The aftereffects of the holy magic I had cast.

What I borrowed in exchange for holy power was the eye of Horus, the sun god who watches over and blocks impurities.

That’s why I could notice everything that happened. When I opened my eyes, I saw Bella trembling in fear.

“You, what are you exactly?”

“I wonder about that myself.”

I know what she saw. I was watching her after all.

But I never imagined things would turn out like this.

Recently, the Saintess told me in a dream to be careful of trials.

When I first encountered Belial, I wondered if that’s what she meant.

When I considered using the <Morpheus’s Dream Fragment> to drive him away, I doubted that too.

And even when I finally decided to use Necropolis to shake off the magical beast, I worried a lot.

But it seems…

“…I have rather bad luck.”

The trial the Saintess mentioned seems to have been inside me. Given the situation, there’s quite a bitter taste in my mouth.

I hadn’t even noticed something was feeding on my body.

I was already thinking I needed to resolve this urgently, but… it seems I should hurry up with the plans.

“So, senior? When do you think you can arrange a meeting with the <Wanderer>?”

“I don’t like you…”

“A promise is a promise, isn’t it?”

“If you promise not to do anything strange to our king…”

“I swear.”

“Sigh…”

Bella sighed as if drained of energy and rolled back to her cell.

It was a completely different quietness from her earlier noisy chatter.

Perhaps because of that? Other sounds became more noticeable.

Tap!

The sound of something solid striking the stone floor.

Tap!

From those sounds coming at regular intervals like footsteps, I could tell who had come.

It wasn’t some guard.

“Well, how was your dream?”

“Haha, what a mischievous question, Duke Forys. Are you asking that after deliberately showing me a nightmare?”

“So you knew. Did that loose-lipped one blab again?”

“He knew from the start, Edge you dummy!”

Bella’s retort came from the next cell. Her tone was quite familiar.

“He knew? How?”

“Well, I’m probably not the only one who’s been in and out of this cell, am I?”

“I’m sure I killed them all though?”

“……”

“Just kidding.”

No, it was probably the truth.

Those who made it this far were likely all killed.

After all, one couldn’t enter here without good reason.

“So? Did you notice anything suspicious? Bella.”

“There are holes in his memories so it’s hard to tell, but seems like he just came down from living in some mountain? Oh, and that bastard’s been corrupted so be careful.”

“Corrupted? That corruption?”

“Yes, well. That’s what it seems.”

Edge Forys’s poker face crumbled instantly at those words.

Of course it would. Having someone infected by that trial show up when it’s already close to his territory, how creepy would that be?

“It’s not contagious.”

I told him in advance.

I’d never find peace even in death if I got killed over needless suspicion.

But Edge Forys asked as if he couldn’t care less about that.

“Am I looking at a ghost right now?”

“Well, you can see one in the next cell.”

“Your mouth suggests you’re alive but… can priests purify such deadly poison?”

“Nothing’s impossible. Just that very few people can do it.”

“……”

Actually, in my past life, I was afflicted by the <Corruptor>, but I could endure it with the Saintess’s help.

The Pope probably could too, and some cardinals as well.

Of course, complete detoxification is impossible. At best it just extends life.

If it hadn’t died while turning the Empire into ruins, causing the corruption’s influence to disappear, I would have been walking the path to the afterlife long ago.

“Since this is quite severe, Duke, you’d better just run if you ever encounter it.”

“Of course I’d run.”

“Even if that monster heads for your territory?”

“Then I can’t run. What else can I do? I’m the lord of this land.”

“How admirable to see you uphold your noble responsibilities.”

Honestly, I knew he would say this.

Because I actually saw him act that way.

Edge Forys challenged the trial, the <Corruptor>, and was utterly defeated.

He couldn’t even stop its advance. That’s how monstrous it was.

And that’s also the most crucial problem to prevent. Because Belial started moving openly after Edge Forys died.

“So that’s what you’re worried about?”

“Yes, I’m concerned that someone as excellent as you might get hurt.”

“Worry about your own life.”

“That’s why I’m doing this. I’m flattering you.”

“You’re insane.”

People tend to go crazy when they do this kind of work too much.

How could they not? When there’s a monster breathing deep inside my body.

Either endure until it dies naturally or fail to do so.

Those are the only choices left to me. It’s essentially a death sentence.

If I can’t endure the corruption until it dies, I’ll die.

“Then tell me. Who are you?”

“I’m Lost.”

“Besides that?”

“As you can see, I’m a priest. Also a heresy inquisitor.”

“I heard there’s no such name in the Pantheon Temple? How do you explain that?”

“My, how quick you are.”

That was what I was worried about when dealing with Shade.

What if it was discovered that I wasn’t affiliated with the Pantheon Temple. But this time the scale is different.

Isn’t there perfect material right here?

“You should have asked someone who knows.”

“…So there are few in the Pantheon Temple who know of your existence? Do you know who I asked?”

“Probably one of the bishops?”

I shrugged my shoulders.

It wouldn’t be strange for someone of ducal rank to have connections with such people.

Whether Edge Forys likes priests or not doesn’t matter since there are temples and churches in his territory too.

But not all bishops are the same. When given such a hint, who would he think of?

“Hmm…”

I have material to work with.

Namely, the fact that I’m being corrupted by the <Corruptor>.

Edge Forys would surely understand what it means to encounter him yet still be alive.

Just look at how he asked if purification was possible.

Edge Forys knows about the <Corruptor>. In this situation, there’s someone who can suppress that power. Then who could possibly do that?

-Nothing’s impossible. Just that very few people can do it.

The ingredients are ready. It’s not hard to guess what dish will come from these ingredients.

If you have flour and eggs right in front of you, and there’s an oven nearby, what would you think of?

“…I’ve meddled in troublesome affairs.”

Nine out of ten would think of bread.

As expected, Edge Forys assumed I was someone directly under the Pope.