TNZKMA 137

１３７

 

We avoided the plaza filled with rubble in the eastern section and took a different route back to the Guards Guild. The number of people inside the guild seemed a bit lower.

[Did something happen?]

Dole asked one of the guards nearby. This person was unfamiliar, probably from another section.

[They found one of the beast-type monsters, but it was already dead. Four people went out to dump it outside the town.]

[I see. That leaves just one more.]

The last one was the monster that appeared in the eastern section. The one that showed up during Dole’s Ceremony.

[Olphynn, the monsters outside the eastern section came from outside the town, right? So why did the one in the east suddenly appear during the Ceremony? Is it normal for monsters to show up if the Ceremony to summon the reincarnated goes wrong?]

Olphynn tilted his head, pondering my question.

[No, I’ve never heard of such a thing. I found it strange as well. Could there really be a monster capable of suddenly changing its location like that?]

Saine silently shook his head in denial.

[Then, was it the Ceremony performed by the Blue Insignia that summoned it? But… could something like that even happen?]

[Perhaps it was a monster of darkness. But even so, a creature capable of changing locations like that doesn’t seem likely.]

[A monster of darkness, huh… If it was, then we’d definitely have a harder time sensing it, wouldn’t we?]

[What’s a monster of darkness?]

I held Saine’s hand as I asked. When Dole and Saine are talking while standing, it feels like they’re speaking way up in the clouds. That’s why I grabbed his hand, so he’d look down and talk to me.

[A monster of darkness is a creature that stakes its territory near humans. Towns become their habitat, but there are few of them. Since they are always close to humans, their presence is difficult to detect.]

[We’ve only heard rumors about them too. There might be some in this town, but monsters of darkness aren’t that harmful, really. People say they only sneak food at most.]

The surrounding guards nodded in agreement.

If it’s just a creature that sneaks food, then why did it show up during Dole’s Ceremony? I didn’t understand and tilted my head in confusion.

While the guards were busy discussing the sudden appearance of the monster, Olphynn was staring intently at the three books in his hands. Noticing my gaze, he began explaining.

[These are from around 2,000 years ago. The language used is quite different from what we use now, so it’ll take time to decipher. And this one here… it has some kind of spell cast on it. I can’t even open it. There’s no title, and I can’t guess what’s inside. There must be a reason why it’s been sealed like this. Perhaps reading these books will shed some light on our questions—about the underground passages and the monster that appeared so suddenly.]

With those words, Olphynn left the guild. He was probably going to keep watch over the barrier.

I wondered when Olphynn would be able to finish reading the books. At the very least, he wouldn’t have time to sit down and read them until this whole commotion was over. And even when he could, he’d probably have to consult some sort of dictionary for the unfamiliar words.

I really hoped he’d figure out more about the Ceremony. And maybe, why no girls were being born anymore. If we understood that, then no one would have to go through the hassle of reincarnation anymore. And that would mean no one would have to cry anymore either.

After being reincarnated and years pass after the child is born, some of the women gradually stop hating their husbands as much as they initially claimed. However, there are definitely grannies who still genuinely despise their husbands deep down.

The real problem here is that, no matter how much they hate their husbands, there’s nowhere for them to escape. There’s no home to return to, no friends who would shelter them. No one dares speak out against the husbands or the reincarnated ones.

But if a girl is truly born here, I believe she’d be able to live with someone she truly loves. If it becomes unbearable, she’d have her family home to return to. That’s why I think it’s better that way.

As for me, I’m glad I reincarnated, but not everyone feels the same. That’s why I think the current Ceremony, which forces people to reincarnate, should be stopped.

“It’s out!!”

While I was playing a game with Saine and the other guards, Delice, who was on patrol duty, came rushing in. The moment his shout echoed, the guards who had been laughing immediately stood up. The men, their expressions suddenly deadly serious, rushed out of the guild as if they couldn’t wait.

Saine grabbed his spear and stood up as well. He was about to leave with the others but stopped.

“Stay here.”

He gave me a short command. I nodded and sat back down on my chair.

[There’s only one monster. If they hold it off and defeat it over there, it won’t come here. You can wait here safely.] 

He reassured me before heading out.

They didn’t say, “We found it,” but rather, “It’s out,” which means the monster must have revived. If they had found it hiding while weak, they would’ve said, “We found it.” But since it restored its strength and came out on its own, that’s why they said, “It’s out,” right?

I pondered.

Isn’t a monster that confidently reappears more dangerous? Saine will be okay, right? He’ll be fine. The Dauntless from the eastern section have all gathered, and reinforcements from other sections have come too. With so many of them, he’ll be fine. Yeah, he’ll be fine.

I reassured myself.

The Guards Guild was now eerily empty. The only ones left here were me, three other Dauntless from different sections with serious injuries, and Plau, a first-year guard.

Plau, his eyes nervously darting around, seemed restless. While I was scared that Saine might get hurt, Plau was more frightened about what would happen if the monster came here. But despite his tense face twitching, he smiled at me, trying to reassure me. “Don’t worry. If the monster comes here, I’ll take care of it,” he said, his voice slightly trembling.

Forcing a smile in return, I told him, “We’ll be okay, right?” and we exchanged nervous reassurances.

There was a clattering sound, and when I looked toward the entrance, Dole was standing there.

[What’s going on?]

As I called out to him, Dole hurriedly spoke.

[Your husband is injured!]

[What…?]

I stood up, dazed.

[Hurry up! Let’s go!]

[Wait, injured? How bad is it?]

Dole grabbed my arm so tightly it hurt and began pulling me toward the exit.

Why Saine? With all those people there, with so many Dauntless, why would Saine be the one to get hurt?

My mind was a mess, and I could barely walk. Dole was practically dragging me when a heavily injured guard called out.

[Wait.]

Dole stopped abruptly.

[Where are you taking him?]

[To his husband, of course.]

[Ohh…… Isn’t that a monster?]

‘Huh?’ When I turned around, startled, I saw the guard with a pale face and a mocking grin, despite missing an arm.

[Get away from him. You filthy monster.]

The guard who had been lying near the entrance had already risen and was now aiming a large bow.

[Get away! Reincarnator!]

Plau came running, colliding with me and knocking me aside. I hit my head against the wall with a thud. Before I could even groan from the pain, an arrow whizzed past me.

The arrow, fired from close range, pierced through Dole’s body. But Dole didn’t fall or seem to feel any pain—instead, he just smiled eerily.

[You’re not Dole!]

I pointed and shouted, to which Plau responded in exasperation.

[Yeah, I figured it out. A monster’s impersonating him.]

The finger I pointed with cracked unnaturally.

Now that I think about it, Dole had mentioned that some monsters can transform into humans. I’m confident I’d be able to tell if one took Saine’s form, but Dole? Without the sight of an arrow stuck right in the middle of its body, still laughing, I would have continued believing this was Dole.

Wait, but if this thing is here…

[Does that mean the monster Saine and the others went to fight is a different one?]

The air in the guild instantly grew tense at my words.

[D-D-Damn it!!]

Plau gripped his sword with both hands and charged forward.

It was just me, first-year guard Plau, a guard who’d lost an arm fighting a monster, and two others with slashed stomachs. My teeth began to chatter in fear. Saine… Saine. What should I do? I can’t fight a monster like this…

Laughing, the monster, still looking exactly like Dole, swung its arm and sent Plau flying. The motion was as casual as someone flicking water from their fingers, yet Plau was thrown effortlessly, crashing through the wall and out of the building.

The monster, still wearing Dole’s face, turned its gaze toward me. With a sinister grin, it took a step forward. Just from that single step, a gust of wind surged around it, lifting me into the air.

[Huh…?]

The monster took another step, and I heard the air burst like a balloon popping. The guild exploded.

Chairs, tables, pillars, and the guards were all thrown into the air. I couldn’t even close my eyes, simply floating in slow motion, aware of my body flying.

Today, the sky was smoky again. I had once wanted to become a bird. I used to admire birds, free to fly wherever they pleased. So this is what flying feels like…

That absurd thought crossed my mind, and suddenly, a face appeared right in front of me. A monster’s face—pale white skin, black hair, and eyes of gold and silver—grinned at me.