Book 3: Chapter 33: Bell: Terror into the Script
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*Parry* *Parry* *Swing* *Evade*

“Not too bad” I commented as these soldiers came at me bravely. I counter and dodged them all easily but it’s clear they’re improving. A lot better than what I was used to dealing with, it’s actually a bit exhilarating in comparison.

*Yawn* *Swing*

I yawned and swung my sword randomly. Somehow intimidating everyone nearby to get out of the way as if the swing will create some sort of projectile. I could do that but I don’t have any intention of firing off any right now… I think I have done enough for the day.

“Anyway I think this is enough to fulfill the quota on my end. See you all later” I said as I simply walked away. Vermilla doesn’t exactly put a hard minimum in my work hours as long as I do my job.

Time to go back to my room and see if my flower has bloomed in a big way yet. I also should get some sleep… I’m generally pretty sleepy.

 

#####

 

Being here for over a week now and I’m still doing fine for myself. In fact it feels like I have fit in a bit better with the people back home. Being abnormal means you’ll get along with things not normal it seems.

The flower doesn’t change into something amazing just yet. It seems to be moving a bit and even trying to fool me that it’s not supernatural in some way. Is there a way to fasten the process I wonder… or perhaps now is not the time?

Those two are going on doing something outside of my knowledge. I have been kept in the dark regarding these things, I’m not much but an outsider even if I’m in the same residence as them.

I do feel a bit concerned with those kids back at the academy, it’s been some time and I feel like me not being there will probably worry them, but considering the nature of the situation I wouldn’t be surprised if someone wants to pin the blame on me if I didn’t opt to go along with the demons, and I might die sooner or later if they thinks I won’t keep my words, if I wanted to stay there and say I’ll keep everything a secret. Ultimately I am left with only this choice as my best one. 

I should probably try to make contact with them at some point even if it really doesn’t do much. This place is probably extremely far away from the kingdom and it would be hard for me to sneak in without getting detected as well… I wonder if I could ask the Demon Lord, or rather Maova, about easy transportation there… Then again maybe that was a bit much to ask, she already spared me, what else would she do for me?

“Haaah…” I think I should stop overthinking about such a thing for now. At this point in time in the late afternoon I think I should get in some shut eyes and-

*Knock* *Knock*

Huh? What’s that knock at such a late hour? Let’s see who’s here at this time…

*Open*

It’s the sage. She’s here and I’m not sure why.

“Hmm…” She looked behind me for a moment then back at me, what is she playing at?

“Why here at this time?” I asked her, feeling a bit paranoid. This person is clearly dangerous and chaotic. I don’t think I want to be reeled in whatever she’s planning.

“I’m here to check if that flower has become what it meant to be just yet… and it clearly hasn’t. Perhaps a bit of waiting is needed. Apologies for the sudden and short visit” She said a bit cryptically and ready to leave. Now it feels like I should get reeled in to not be left in the dark.

“What exactly does that mean?” I voiced my question before she could leave.

“A bit of waiting as I said. Perhaps something extra from yourself if you want to speed it up” She said with a small wink as she left before I could think of something else to ask… That’s certainly ominous. Let’s just lock the door and rest for the rest of the day, there's some food in this large box here.

Hmm… Certainly not much to go on, and I don’t exactly consider myself the best thinker to process every cryptic message… I mean obviously I need to take something from myself and feed the flower… but what do I feed it? Should I try at this point considering her mentioning time? All these things and no guide at all…

At this point I really should just go to sleep, I can worry about other things tomorrow.

*Yawn*

Yeah I think I should get an early sleep again. No point in not doing so with nothing else to do. Sleep for the rest of the day and onto the new and brighter day. Get on this nice and comfy bed and have a good sleep…

 

#####

<Flashback Start>

 

“That was insane…” Someone behind me muttered as I took a deep breath finally done with the subjugation. It’s harder than expected but not anything unusual.

“Well… Time to go back” I said as I picked up the monster’s corpse and stored it away. 

“D-Did the thing’s remain just disappeared?” Someone else in the team commented. What a hassle.

I turn around to look at them with tiredness in my eyes. Is that really something to worry about at this point?

“Something bothering you?” I asked them hoping this conversation would stop soon. They all shook their head as if in fear, what a joke…

 

#####

 

“Hmm…” This odd looking mage has been staring at me for some time now, what’s her problem?

“Anything interesting to see mage?” I asked her as I stared at her. This half red half blue mage is an enigma, and that in itself is something I don’t want to deal with.

“Hmph” She made a sound in indifference as she walked away. Just vanished and that was it, how come such a mysterious figure exists in the royal hall? As the court mage of this place no less.

 

#####

 

*Swing* *Clank*

This is all too boring I must say. These soldiers are so weak, they’re more like little animals than actual threats. This is like swatting at flies.

“No way…” Someone muttered as they saw their captain defeated in a swing. Why am I even here at all? What’s the point of entertaining weaklings with fighting? They should all go read a book or two instead, maybe they’ll smarten up from knowing who is the strong and who is not, probably will be more productive if they would just realize that simple fact and face it.

 

#####

 

“Is that seriously what you asked of me?” I said boldly to the prince with no formality whatsoever, hearing his blasphemous request.

“Yes, and if you succeed I’ll grant you any one request, what do you say?” He said with a small confident smirk on him. Such a crazy idea that I have no idea as to why he thinks it would be of no consequence, some sort of back up plan perhaps?

“And you expect me to do it?” I said, still maintaining my skepticism of his words.

“Who else? No one else but you can with your strength, otherwise I’ll have come up with something way more conspicuous” He said indifferently. Honestly I don’t even know what I want if I were to go along with it. I don’t care for either him nor his father, it doesn’t matter who lives or dies. From the looks of it it doesn’t matter, one would probably die… Maybe I could be pragmatic about it and actually step in? But that’s also risky… But I never encounter any risk either… not that I know of are really all that bad…

“Fine…” I said indifferently as well. He seems satisfied with my response even though I haven’t said anything just yet.

 

#####

 

“W-Why are you-” The person in front of me said that with fear in his eyes. Corpses are laying on the ground bleeding and feeding the plants, destruction clear as day. This is a complete slaughter, as if a mass genocide was committed… but this feels more like an exhilarating game more than anything else, taking out all these weaklings and truly take out all my frustration, one with rewards at the end. Genocide as a game… What a strange phrase to make.

*Slash* *Splatter*

 

#####

 

“Haven’t you heard? The king is missing!” Someone in the guild lobby said quietly to another adventurer. 

“Wasn’t he just out and about with an army or something? I don’t think anything really happened” The other adventurer said.

“Heard that?” Someone else at a different table said to their friend.

“Isn’t that just a random rumor? And like anyone cares about the king and all as long as nothing goes wrong” The friend said casually. 

 

#####

 

“I said assassinate but you… Haaah…” The new king said as I stood before him. He may sit on top of a throne above me, but that doesn’t mean anything to me.

“I’d say as long as it works, it works” I replied. He looks a bit fearful of me actually, what could he possibly be thinking?

“So… What is your request?” He asked me in a heavy voice. What could I ask for? I have no idea myself… Nothing to say honestly, no real goal in mind.

“I’ll hold onto that chance for now. I’ll have something to ask later” I said as I simply walked away silently. 

 

<Flashback End>

#####

 

Reminiscing in a dream… my older days. I must say I was a bit of a bloodthirsty person back then unable to find much solace in peace… Well I wouldn’t say those behaviors have gone completely or that what I did was particularly regretful. The way people have been looking at me has certainly been the one thing bothering throughout for sure.

Hmm… it’s still kinda early in the morning. I don’t think I should try anything for now. Perhaps I could go for a walk and into the library of this place, perhaps there’s something worthwhile there?

*Open*

Let’s travel down the massive hallway and into the library, it should be on the other side of the castle…

 

#####

 

Hmm… There’s a lot of books in all kinds of languages that I can see… this place is massive, it’s a giant library that could’ve held all the books in the academy library and then some. Perhaps there are things I could read on to get some idea as to what’s going on? Maybe a book that made the words they said offhandedly click… That or I could’ve asked them and they probably wouldn’t even mind considering how indifferent they are towards me. After that tournament selection or whatever they all seemed pretty preoccupied.

Let’s just read some books and be done with it, or maybe taking a stroll elsewhere as well.

The place is massive and I’m unsure of where to start, one thing for certain is that I have to find books I can read first… There’s some with a readable cover over here...

Let’s see here… Demonology… Sounds interesting enough, probably will skim through some pages. Yeah let’s settle down and read a bit of this, since it seems a few demons are about in this place.

 

#####

 

*Flip*

Hmm… ‘What exactly are demons in general?’

Demon is a collective term for certain kinds of humanoids or other races. They exist and originate in a way uncertain by humankind and the other humanoids. 

What exactly differentiated them from other humanoids? For one their home world is not the regular universe, nor are they exclusive to one particular universe, but rather they exist in a realm of their own. A realm of fantasy and distortion. It’s not all too different from the regular realm regular beings exist in, however there is a certain atmosphere that causes some sort of uncomfortable feeling…

Another thing to note about the demons is that their power is much greater than most beings. Outside those like the dragons who also have their own realm it’s hard to find any beings existing in the three worlds to be innately stronger.

There’s a lot of words on this page… I think I should skip to the next.

*Flip*

Demons are not a single race as mentioned in the introductory page. They are a set of races, and the amount of races that belong in the demon category is extremely massive and ever changing.

There’s like-

*Flip*

A few-

*Flip*

Pages worth-

*Flip*

Of just listing the names. Yeah this is definitely not a book one could just skim through… Perhaps I should go for something else? Or maybe I could-

“Ah. Didn’t expect you here with that book” A voice called out to me as I turned around to look at the source. It’s the sage.

“What about it?” I asked her without much idea of how to respond.

“It’s a pretty massive book with all sorts of information that isn’t really worth your time. You could probably use the time to read something else” She replied sounding rather casual like always. She looks at the book that I take and on the table then picks it up.

“Besides, you aren’t even one” She said as she walked over to the place where it initially was, put where it was and then walked back to me.

“What is exactly going on for you to do that?” I asked with my arm crossed.

“Nothing. All I know is that it’s more trivial than the story going on at large isn’t that right?” She said as she… what or where exactly is she looking at? Feels like she’s trying to look at someone who is and isn’t here, as weird as that sounds.

“The way you say it… are you suggesting I should take part? Or at least a bit of interest?” I asked her not wanting any of her cryptic nature right now.

“...Sure, let’s go with that” She answered flatly and sarcastically. So was I right or not? That’s not a very convincing answer. Perhaps I should go along with the flow of the conversation for now.

“And what am I to do then? I don’t think there’s much I can do that either of them can’t” I said as I looked at her a bit skeptically.

“Hmm… how can I salvage this mishaps...” She went into a thinking pose and muttered. Now what is she on about?

“Ah… I supposed you could act as a rogue character everyone thought was dead but come back heroically? How to do it is the question…” Character? Heroically? Is she trying to make me play hero? Because that’s simply not something I take interest in.

“I’m not going to-”

“I meant it in a more figurative sense, no need to worry about it, just play along at your own pace… Anyone you know at the place they were at perhaps?” She interrupted me and asked me. What does she mean by the place they were at? I don’t even know where they go.

“And said places included?” I asked her, raising my eyebrows in slight confusion. 

“The academy, the castle… those are the two places that they gather usually” She answered. I do indeed know people from both places, though in the latter case it’s not exactly a fond one.

“I do have a connection to both. As for the people I know… I do memorize a few students who came into the library frequently, and with the royal palace I of course am acquainted with the king himself” I answered unsure of what she’ll make of this. There’s one boisterous boy I know of, and another a meek girl who I thought might be pretty strong given good care and training, but it never seems like that came to be the case.

“Interesting… Well for now you’ll be on standby. Probably better to just let the story flow than forcibly letting you take the stage out of the blue” She said something odd again. Is she seeing this whole deal as nothing but a play? Because that’s a level of detachment even I in the past haven’t expressed.

“I… see…” I responded, unable to process everything she has said with a straight face. 

“Let’s keep this conversation to just us for now. No need to worry about being a major character because you are not, that I am certain of. Just chill for now and continue doing errands for Verm” She promptly said and left. 

…Now I’m just left more confused than ever. Just woken up and wanting to have a peaceful reading of the knowledge available here, then she came along and interrupted that plan, saying I have part in this whole plan I was never considered at all.

Guess I’ll just go to my room and wait for now, seems like they expect me to do that until my role comes up for whatever. To be involved because of some connections…

Actually that’s pretty good for me, I was just concerned about how the students are all faring and now I could check up on them, it’s pretty likely I’ll be sent there at least temporarily. Perhaps I could go give that kind a scare as well if they allow it. 

 

#####

 

Guess I’ll take a morning nap… Yeah might as well.

Getting some shut eyes and ready for whatever errands they’ll impose on me, as they did on my rather peaceful life up to this point.

I have no problem with my life here, and honestly it’s been pretty luxurious even with how strangely advanced everything is. Their generosity doesn’t seem to match their attitude however… they aren’t mistreating me at all, just a bit dismissive, and that is still better than whatever mythril rank nonsense and the reputation I was getting that is just so annoying to deal with. I’m glad those things are left behind.

Now… It’s time for the nap, and then continue to wait… 

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