Original Sin (2)

When I opened my eyes, I felt an indescribable discomfort and pain.

Twisting my stiff neck to look down at my body, what was this?

My arms and legs were in casts. I could probably move if I tried, but that would take considerable courage.

After all, it would be impossible without breaking all these plaster pieces.

“Mmm…”

Finally awake but nothing I can do. All I can do is stare at the ceiling and kill time.

As I was blankly staring at the dull brown ceiling, someone finally entered the room.

“Been a while, Claire.”

“…”

“Could you call someone?”

“…”

“Hey, at least say something.”

“…”

Claire stared at me intently before quietly sitting in a corner chair and starting to read a book.

Not going to call anyone? No, should I be grateful she’s not killing me while I’m defenseless?

“Ahem! This is uncomfortable. Could you open the window?”

“Sigh…”

Claire, who had been quietly sitting and reading her book, finally stands up.

For a moment I felt a chill as she approached me silently, but then I felt relieved seeing her walk straight to the window.

However…

Thud!

The window opens.

Swoosh!

Rain starts pouring in.

Claire silently stares at me while adjusting the sliding window.

Having opened the window, Claire crossed her arms and watched me.

“Ah, right. My bad. Sorry, but could you close the window?”

Is she protesting right now?

I knew she disliked me but this is too much.

“Linea-unnie got hurt.”

“I know.”

“It’s because of you.”

“How is that my fault? It’s because of that punk kid who showed up at an unpredictable timing.”

Thud!

The window closes again.

Then she grabs a nearby towel and wipes my wet hair before laying it underneath.

Good at giving medicine after causing the illness.

“You didn’t even run away.”

Splash.

This time she pours water for me. Seems her previous actions were just venting her anger.

Just as I thought that, Claire herself gulps down the water.

“Phew. You didn’t give it your all, did you?”

“…”

“What kind of trouble is this? Do you have a death wish?”

“You’ve got good eyes.”

“Some things are obvious when watching from afar. You didn’t use your sword or gun. If you weren’t going to give it your all, shouldn’t you have at least run away?”

“I have nothing to say.”

“And yet you’re still running your mouth.”

“…”

She wasn’t this bad of a kid before… I wonder what turned her into such a biting conversationalist.

Who could have had such a bad influence on this child?

Linea is too kind so it couldn’t be her, and Titan is too stupid for it to be possible.

“Anyway, stay still until your wounds heal. And sort out your thoughts during that time too.”

“I’ve already sorted my thoughts.”

“In your dreams?”

“Yeah. No, something feels off about your tone. Anyway, I’ve reached a conclusion.”

After answering, I saw Claire’s sneering face. It had been a sarcastic question, but I answered seriously.

“So what’s the conclusion?”

“To become a punching bag.”

“My, I didn’t know you had a head injury too. You should have Linea-unnie check when she returns.”

“Well, that was partly a joke. First, I think we need to have a conversation, regardless of what happens.”

“Will she listen?”

“That’s why what I said earlier was both a joke and not a joke.”

“…”

Contempt.

In some ways, it’s remarkable.

The moment contempt surpassed her hatred toward me.

“Do you hate me?”

“Should I like you?”

“For killing your brother?”

“…Don’t run your mouth carelessly. How, how dare you in front of me…!”

Claire responds violently.

Actually, until now, we had both avoided talking about Burke.

Knowing that topic would only bring pain.

Claire must have also suppressed her anger by deliberately avoiding bringing it up.

Yet in this situation, I brought it up. I forcefully pushed forward a situation we had been averting our eyes from.

“Don’t you want to kill me?”

“How can you even say that?”

I realized I needed to face hatred head-on. This ambiguous relationship was partly for Claire’s sake, but in a way, it was also my own avoidance because I didn’t know how to handle it.

This won’t do.

Leaving hatred like this will only result in incomplete combustion.

I had been unconsciously following the same pattern in my relationship with Claire as before.

The only difference was that I could hold my head high regarding Burke’s death.

I was just making things comfortable for myself.

“You probably know now why I had to kill Burke.”

“…”

Claire glares at me.

Yes, she knows this. That’s probably why she’s been suppressing her anger like this.

From my perspective, killing Burke was the right thing to do. But for Claire, he was her only family.

The current Claire is struggling between judging what was right and harboring hatred for her family being killed.

“Back then, I offered Burke two choices.”

So I spoke.

First comes dialogue. A necessary process to find the problems.

I revealed to Claire all the specific details I had deliberately avoided explaining before.

“And so, I killed Burke.”

And I decided to take you in to keep my promise with him. My story ended there for now.

In a way, it’s an excuse.

Now Claire is the one who must pass judgment on this.

“Now it’s your turn to speak. Why haven’t you killed me?”

“…”

“You could have stabbed me with that dagger anytime.”

There’s a dagger lying on the bedside table. It’s clearly an unnatural object to have in this place.

She didn’t just bring it in.

Claire definitely entered the room holding a book. She must have brought the dagger in before and left it there.

Then it must have been a situation where she felt comfortable leaving the dagger there.

In other words, it was a situation where she could have killed me.

“Bringing that means you intended to kill me. Given that I’m still alive, you must have changed your mind partway through. What caused this change of heart?”

The plan to kill me couldn’t have been an impulsive decision.

If she were the type to act on impulse, she would have done it long ago.

She must have assessed the situation and realized this was an opportunity that wouldn’t come again.

As a result, she decided to take this chance for revenge but ultimately couldn’t go through with it.

“…”

Claire clutches her skirt hem and starts sobbing.

“You…!”

She probably doesn’t understand her own actions either.

Though she concluded she should take revenge, she reversed that decision at the last moment.

“…Because you called my brother’s name.”

“I did?”

“While sleeping. I wondered what was happening when you started listing people’s names.”

“I didn’t know I had such a habit.”

The names I called out must have been those of the half-demons I’ve dealt with.

Not simply villains, but those who, like Burke, were turned into half-demons by their circumstances.

They just wanted to survive and succumbed to the temptation before them. Even after gaining power, they didn’t use it against others.

Yet I still had to kill them.

I couldn’t leave time bombs that could go off at any moment.

They were people I didn’t want to kill. But that was my job.

Killing such people.

“I could hear your voice trembling…”

If asked whether I regret it, I don’t. I did what had to be done.

But if asked whether it was difficult…

Without a doubt, it was difficult to the point of being unbearable. Though I thought I had gotten over it after receiving counseling from the Saintess, it seems I hadn’t fully shaken it off from the depths of my heart.

It must be because I learned about the <Corruptor>’s hidden story.

“Did it pain you to kill my brother?”

“…Yes. Though I don’t regret it, it was definitely something I didn’t want to do.”

“I see. Why did you do it then? Why do something that painful…”

“Because it was my duty.”

“What is your duty?”

“Choosing the lesser evil between two evils.”

“…”

It’s not just me.

There are many such professions in this world.

While some strive for the best, others must work to avoid the worst.

And when avoiding the worst, you inevitably encounter the lesser evil.

This world doesn’t always have happy endings like in fairy tales.

“I thought I was the only one who mourned my brother’s death.”

Claire Ryan’s principle of action.

“I thought I had to mourn. I had to be angry about my brother’s death. That’s what I believed.”

Feelings for family.

Even if she didn’t want to, she thought she was the only one who could do this in this world.

She didn’t want to let Burke’s death become something no one cared about. Making that death meaningful and a destination to work toward.

That was the most she could do to show her effort for Burke.

“But now I don’t know. I thought I would understand if I followed you, but I understand even less.”

“Can you forgive me?”

“I should, right? Someday that would be the right thing. But I can’t do it now. I still dislike you, and it seems I still haven’t accepted my brother’s death.”

“Both of us have a long way to go.”

We should have done this sooner.

We should have shared the feelings we held for each other.

Whether Claire or I, we’ve finally just reached the starting line.

From now on, Claire will work to turn hatred into forgiveness. I need to become a better person so that her decision doesn’t waver.

“So don’t die. I haven’t decided what conclusion I’ll reach yet. Whether I kill you or forgive you, it’s meaningless if you, the person involved, aren’t alive.”

“Right, I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Don’t think about doing something stupid like this again. Not if you don’t want to make my resolve meaningless.”

“Our conclusions are similar.”

“What?”

“No, just saying.”

-Haven’t you considered this? That the sight of an enemy stupidly offering their neck before someone who had thoroughly prepared for revenge might be infuriatingly unbearable.

As expected of the Saintess’s closest aide.

No, did the Saintess perfectly understand Claire?

I’m not sure which it is.

Perhaps even that conversation was just superficial pleasantries I had in my dream according to my own tastes.

“Then I should become someone who makes it easier for you to decide either way.”

“I’d prefer if you became the worst bastard possible. Then I could happily stab your neck.”

“Then I should aim to become a saint. It would be shameful to die to someone who can barely hold a dagger.”

I smiled back at Claire. We exchanged sneers.

But within those sneers, there must be a bit of affection too.

“Now here’s the main point. About the one who put me in this state.”

“Does it matter when I won’t be the one fighting?”

“Well. In some ways, they resemble both you and Burke.”

Someone who holds a grudge against me.

Unwillingly became a half-demon. Forced to make decisions by a heresy inquisitor.

It’s quite remarkable. One person carrying all those emotions.

“What do you think should be done?”

To someone carrying wounds similar to yours. How should we approach them?

*     *     *

“…Did she really need an escort?”

The hunter who followed to escort Linea was panting heavily.

They owed Linea. Not just personally, but the entire hunter’s guild was indebted to her.

Not only did she provide free medical care despite being an expensive doctor, but she was seen running around making efforts everywhere.

Even while being seriously injured herself. Though there were no life-threatening injuries, there were injured people who might not be able to work as hunters again.

Linea had saved several lives.

That’s why when she said she was going outside the city to gather herbs, they happily volunteered to accompany her.

Those herbs must be for treating the injured too, right?

However…

“Huff… huff…”

Linea’s stamina far exceeded what the hunter had anticipated.

He knew beastkin had superior physical abilities.

But Linea’s movements were even lighter than he had expected.

He was out of breath just trying to keep up as she lightly bounded through the mountains.

“Should have noticed when watching her running around treating people.”

His mouth tasted metallic.

He had never hunted this intensely before. If he had known it would be like this, he should have let a stronger hunter handle it.

He had volunteered because he was familiar with the conditions outside the city and thought there were no significant threats in the area, but…

“Oh boy.”

Still, thinking he needed to repay the debt of gratitude, the hunter grit his teeth and tried to keep up with Linea.

Of course, despite such determination, his body was honest. Soon after losing sight of Linea, the hunter anxiously began searching the surroundings.

Nothing seemed likely to happen. The person herself was already being careful about safety so there shouldn’t be problems.

Right now, there wasn’t even any information about that damned kid who had caused trouble in the city going outside.

In some ways, it might be safer outside the city than inside.

That’s why only responsibility and face were driving him forward.

Rustle!

“Did you wait long?”

“Eek! You scared me!”

The hunter, who had been panting while searching the area, jumped back startled as Linea suddenly appeared before him.

If what appeared had been a magical beast instead of Linea, he would have died.

“Ahem! Did you finish gathering everything, doctor?”

“Not everything… but I think I found something more important now.”

“Pardon?”

Linea held out the herbs she had gathered in front of the hunter.

The hunter recognized the herbs.

They were common herbs used for bruises that he would also gather a few roots of when he saw them while walking around, as they were fairly effective despite being common.

‘Why did she gather these?’

Of course, the important point here was that they were common.

These could be obtained easily without specifically coming out to gather them.

If she had wanted them, the hunter’s guild would have given them to her for free.

Did she notice the hunter’s doubts? Linea quietly added.

“These are poisonous herbs.”

“…Pardon?”