Moto Sekai Ichi'i no Sub-chara Ikusei Nikki

Chapter 30: Convenient Delusions

“――――! ? “

A severe pain woke me up!

It was like something hit my chest…!

“Noo! “

“Hahaha!　Finally, something good! “

“Hey, don’t kill the woman! “

Yukari was screaming.

Around us were about five men.

I was careless.

Thieves.

“…………”

I endured the severe pain while trying to not make a noise, and checked my HP as I lay on the ground.

Not even one fifth was lost. My heart was clearly pierced by a sword. But despite that, this is the only damage I received. Are the statuses of the thieves so ridiculously low? Or are mine just stupidly high? Probably it’s the latter.

Since they think I’m dead, the thieves are completely ignoring me.

Well, it’s only obvious. It would be strange to think that someone stabbed in the heart wouldn’t be dead. I think so too after all. They managed to pick some unsuspecting idiot who had exhausted himself and fell asleep. It would be weird if he didn’t die. But, I’m actually alive.

…No, let’s leave the reflection for later. In any case, I was lucky. That should suffice for now.

“Have you tied everything up? “

“Yeah. Let’s hurry back.”

“How much do you think we can make for all this? “

“In the black market, maybe 40 million CL if we push it.”

“Ahahaha!　I can’t stop laughing.”

Carrying the tied-up Yukari, the five thieves entered the forest in the opposite direction of the sea.

Lucky me!　Those guys, they were blinded by the 40 million loot and didn’t even bother to search my inventory. Certainly, you might not be able to take items out of a dead adventurer’s inventory, but to think that they would pass me off as dead without checking that.

“…………I can’t forgive them.”

This is an opportunity.

A good opportunity to get rid of “that”.

After I recovered my HP with a Medium Recovery Potion, I followed them into the woods.

＊　＊　＊

“Noo! “

How many years has it been since the last time I cried a womanly scream?

At first, I thought that man had forced himself on me.

But it was different.

I was surrounded by several men. I was tied by experienced hands. Unable to resist. Powerless to even attack――I had that terrible restriction.

“Let’s hurry back.”

The men went into the woods while carrying me. It was then that I understood for the first time, these men were thieves.

By the side of the bonfire remained the figure of that man, felled with a sword stabbed in his chest.

Disappointing…… How disappointing. The man who boasted about aiming at being the top in the world, the other party with whom I’ve been quarreling until yesterday, to die so easily.

And, me too.

After being used as an amusement, after my value as a sex slave wears out, they’ll just throw me in a garbage dump to end my life.

My life that began in the garbage, will also end in the garbage. How poetic, this might be fate.

……But.

………………

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I don’t want that.

I really, truly don’t want that!

Even being with that man is better!

Why is it that only I have to experience something as terrible as this!?

Why!?

I don’t want this!

I don’t want this!!

I don’t want thi–s!!

“Hey, what’s wrong!? “

One of the thieves rose his voice.

“……Uh? “

At that time, my forehead felt hot, almost as if I had a fever―― Then.

I remembered everything.

—————————–

“From today onwards, you are a ‘shadow’. I’m going to call you with that word.”

“Certainly, Lucia-sama.”

“Yes, you are a good girl.”

When I was young.

Lucia patted my head, and sometimes her rings would get caught up in my hair and it hurt, but only a little.

I liked her warm hands very much.

She was my Master, but she also was like my mother.

“Listen, you need to work. Be useful to me. This is the only way to survive in the Icene house.”

“Understood.”

“Good girl.”

I was educated by the gifted assassination unit under Lucia-sama, and I grew to become Lucia-sama’s right hand in the shadows.

Assassination was my only job. I was such a woman.

And then, the last day.

Her last words.

Why? How did I forget them? I now remembered them. Clearly……

“Ahh, you came. Lend me your forehead a little.”

“Lucia-sama, what in the world……”

“This is a good luck charm. A charm that will bring happiness to you.”

A crumpled smile. The hand with a lot of rings gently touched my forehead.

And the next moment, I lost consciousness――

――And when I regained it, everything was over.

Lucia-sama was executed under the crime of rebellion.

Everyone in the shadow unit was also killed.

Only I was spared and taken over to the Maurice Company as a slave.

No, I was helped. By Lucia-sama.

By my respected Master.

By my gentle mother.

That was Lucia-sama…

…………

“……oh.”

I opened my eyes.

Ahh, I see.

I was brainwashed.

That explained everything.

“Ugh…… ”

I couldn’t hold it, so I vomited.

“Augh!　How disgusting! ”

“Guh! ”

The thief kicked me in the stomach. I was slammed into the wall and rolled on the floor. Where is this place? Is this the thieves’ hideout?

“Hey, don’t damage our precious products.”

“She’s fine, it was just the stomach, the stomach.”

“Then it’s fine. Hahaha! ”

What an asshole.

While lying in pain, I remembered my past, almost as if it were a distant dream.

…………Everything was a convenient delusion.

Only once was I stroked by Lucia-sama. And I distorted it to make it seem like it happened every day.

A gentle smile?　That kind of smile only happened once, in the last moments, when Lucia-sama turned it at me.

A mother-like figure?　What kind of mother uses her child as an assassin?　There’s no way I could ever forget those brutal days of killing.

Why did she turn me into a slave?　Why did she brainwash me?　Why was I the only survivor?　Why?　Why?　WHY!?

“Why?!　Why-?!! ”

“Hey, hey, hey, what’s wrong? ”

“Did she break? ”

I can’t stop my tears.

I was…

I was…

Not loved by anyone.

The only thing I believed was love, was fake.

What should I do?

What should I do!?

“It’ll be a problem if she bites her tongue.”

“You want me to shut her up with a rope?”

“Hey, open your mouth! ”

What should… I do…?

＊　＊　＊

The five thieves and Yukari entered a hideout inside the forest.

Two of them were guarding the gate. It is unknown how many people were originally inside. There seems to be no back door.

If possible, I’d like to settle this before dawn.

I grabbed my bow, and after setting an arrow, I slowly pulled the string.

I moved to the side of the hideout so that the two people will overlap in a straight line.

“…………”

It’s over if I hesitate.

I can’t afford to let go of this excellent future Blacksmith Master that I went to great pains to get.

I combined 《Lance Archery》 and 《Knight Archery》.

The moment it was ready, I let go of the arrow.

Along with the sound of cutting wind, the arrow flew and pierced the head of the first man and blew off the neck of the second one.

Without even being able to utter a sound, the two men fell down. They were certainly dead. I had killed them.

I rushed out and approached the entrance, taking a glimpse at the inside.

“Hey, did you hear something just now? ”

“Let’s go check.”

I heard such a conversation.

I switched from my bow to my sword and concealed my breath next to the door.

As soon as the door opened and the two thieves came out, I slashed at one of them diagonally using 《Silver Swordsmanship》.

There was the sound of entrails splattering on the ground.

“Eh, wh-!? ”

When the other one tried to speak up, without holding back, I slashed at his neck using 《Soldier Swordsmanship》.

Quite easy.

I stepped inside their hideout with my sword ready.

The number of rooms was small. There were no signs of people in the rooms that looked like the kitchen and storage room.

But many voices could be heard from the innermost large room.

While preparing 《Gold Swordsmanship》I broke the door of the room.

“Hey, what’s wrong!? ”

“Ugh!? ”

《Gold Swordsmanship》is a ‘range attack to all directions’. The three thieves that tried to surround me were all blown away by the slash, and while scattering their blood, they died instantly.

“Y-you should be dead.”

They died with a surprised face.

There were three more thieves.

Yukari was gagged and rolled on the floor next to one of them. The other two unsheathed their swords and came attacking.

I retreated two steps diagonally to the right and activated 《Bishop Swordsmanship》. Its effect is ‘quick and strong piercing attack’. It’s the most useful 【Swordsmanship】 skill for interpersonal combat.

The two thieves came at me in a straight line like idiots. Unleashing 《Bishop Swordsmanship》, it penetrated the first one in the torso and cut off the wrist of the second thief.

“Ahh-AAAHHH! ”

The thief who lost his hand panicked and shouted. Soon after, I dealt with him using 《Soldier Swordsmanship》.

“Hey… what the hell is this… are you a monster…?”

Muttered the man next to Yukari. Most likely he was the leader of the thieves.

While lying on the ground, Yukari looked over here with tears in her eyes.

I couldn’t sense any vigilance or hostility from her eyes anymore.

Nice!　Seems like the brainwashing is crumbling!　What great luck……!

“Hold on!　Don’t move! ”

The leader drew his sword and pressed the blade on Yukari’s neck. He was taking her as a hostage.

“Hey, drop your sword now! ”

I faithfully obeyed. I held the sword in front of my chest with both hands, then I released it.

“Good, now――”

In the next moment, a 《Fire Attribute?First Form》 spell hit his face head on, and while making burning noises, it burst into flames.

He was so distracted by the sword falling on my feet that he didn’t notice the spell.

“Uwaa!? ”

The sword moved away from Yukari’s neck.

In that moment, I stabbed the leader with 【Magic Swordsmanship】, using a combination of 《Silver Swordsmanship》 and 《Water Attribute?Third Form》. Receiving a stab with Third Form right in the chest, his torso was blown off due to the water pressure. The fire on his head was also extinguished before it could spread, so it was killing two birds with one stone.

———————

“Are you alright? ”

After checking that there were no other thieves, I freed Yukari from her bonds.

“…………”

There was no vigor in her eyes.

Her feelings appeared to be all over the place, and she was just shedding tears.

“……Let’s go. The air in here is bad.”

I couldn’t find the proper words to call to her, so after saying that, I stood up.

Yukari followed after me silently while still crying.

And so, the morning of the fourth day came.