I Became the Childhood Friend Who Commits Suicide

Chapter 60

People gathered around a large table set up in the middle of the room.

Everyone had their faces hidden behind animal masks, yet the group was unique enough to be distinguishable from one another.

However, there wasn’t much conversation flowing among them.

Breaking the silence that settled in the room was a woman in a blue cloak.

“It sure kills the mood. It feels like it’s been a long time since we met like this. I heard you had quite the brawl as soon as you got here?”

With a deep sigh, the two, who had been quietly glancing at each other, looked at the blue shark.

“Honestly, how pathetic. You’re not a kid anymore.”

The man in a golden cloak with a lion mask crossed his arms and replied, his discomfort evident.

“Ha. Whose side are you on? If someone saw this, they’d think I’m the one who’s partnered with that lizard.”

“Shut up. I don’t want to be partnered with an idiot like you either!”

“That jerk started it first. I was just teasing him, and I’m supposed to hold back?”

Despite the fierce gaze of the golden lion, the man in front, wearing a red cloak and a dragon mask, was not intimidated.

“I merely suggested you keep quiet. Every time you come to the shrine, things get broken and messed up. It’s only my job to fix it, you ignorant cat.”

“Let’s have a proper fight, you rude lizard-head.”

Despite having tried to calm things down, the situation escalated into a brawl.

Finally, the blue shark raised her hand and shook her head.

“Enough! Fighting in front of the leader—aren’t you ashamed?”

An old man wearing a green cloak and a horse mask alerted them.

The black goat, who had been sitting quietly in the main seat without saying anything, finally spoke softly.

“Do not fight inside the shrine from now on.”

“…Saying that makes it sound like we can fight outside.”

“Weren’t we comrades after all?”

The blue shark’s words faded away, lost in the air.

As if trying to change the subject, the red dragon threw out a topic.

“It’s been a while since we’ve had a gathering like this, but some people are missing.”

“Since there are six of us here… how many are absent?”

The answer came from a quiet corner.

“Four.”

“Still, it’s a good turnout. The crocodile is playing teacher anyway.”

“It’s been a while for the sparrow too. How have you been?”

Correcting the golden lion’s greeting, the girl said sharply.

“It’s not a sparrow; it’s a falcon.”

“Well, it’s all the same, isn’t it?”

“You ignorant muscle fool wouldn’t understand.”

“Shut up, blue shark.”

After the pink falcon finished her remarks, the green horse turned to the black goat.

“So, what is the leader calling us for?”

“Is it related to that human girl from earlier?”

The apostles simultaneously recalled the girl who came with the black goat.

The only one among them who knew about the girl was the blue shark.

“That girl… she feels very different from when I first saw her. What on earth has she been up to?”

Despite looking the same, she had become someone completely different, to the point where one might not recognize her.

The black goat got straight to the point.

“She will become a new apostle.”

“……”

The room fell into a heavy silence.

The topic of a new apostle was not something to joke about or bicker over.

For them, it carried a meaning beyond just being colleagues.

Of course, anyone could become an apostle if they proved their strength or necessity.

But the girl they had seen earlier did not meet that fundamental prerequisite.

The golden lion spoke with evident displeasure.

“That girl is a human. Since when have apostles embraced humans?”

The basic condition for being an apostle was to be a demon.

The common trait shared by everyone present was that they were demons.

However, the girl was undoubtedly human.

Expressing opinions aloud, even clear opposition.

Immediately, the apostles felt the need to organize and express their own positions.

The red dragon’s thoughts were very straightforward.

“If that is the leader’s will, I will follow.”

“Hey, lizard!”

“Golden lion. Are you trying to defy the leader right now?”

“I typically follow the leader’s wishes, but this is too much. This will shake our very identity! We are demons! Our goal is to kill humans!”

As the conflict between the two reached a boiling point, the black goat opened his mouth.

“She is the savior. Thus, she is the most crucial key to our objectives.”

“…Even so, saying she must become an apostle is insufficient.”

“I understand what you mean. Then let’s hear the opinions of others.”

The black goat’s gaze shifted to the blue shark.

After a moment of contemplation, she sighed and replied.

“I oppose it. Just because she’s a savior doesn’t mean she has to become an apostle, right? It might be better to keep her hidden in the shrine so she can’t roam around.”

The green horse then voiced his opinion.

“I partially agree. Wouldn’t the fact that the savior has become an apostle shock the humans? Of course, I don’t like the idea of a human being an apostle either. But that can be fixed by turning her into a demon.”

The golden lion nodded in agreement.

“If she becomes a demon, I have no reason to oppose it. The zebra is indeed clever.”

“I’m not a zebra.”

“It seems a conclusion has been reached. Why have we kept her as a human until now?”

In truth, becoming a demon was simpler than one might think.

The only real problem was that one could not revert from being a demon back to being human.

One merely had to ingest a magic core.

In other words, if one simply ate a magic core, they would immediately become a demon.

Then, the heart and the core would merge, emitting a unique energy, resulting in the blood turning black as a side effect.

“That is impossible. The savior must remain a human.”

“…In the end, we’re back to square one.”

Based on the current opinions, the situation was split 2:2.

Among them, there was only one person who had yet to speak.

All eyes turned to the silent pink falcon.

She calmly stated.

“In the end, the issue is the anxiety that she might betray us and side with the humans. She is not a demon. Therefore, the solution is simple. We just need to confirm it ourselves.”

Whether the girl would abandon humanity and choose to side with them.

The method proposed by the pink falcon, while not the best, was close to the optimal solution.

Eventually, everyone took a step back and nodded in agreement.

The black goat also agreed with her suggestion and summarized.

“We will conduct an initiation test. If she passes, the savior will officially become a member of the apostles. However, until then, she will remain on hold as an apostle candidate.”

“How do you plan to conduct the test?”

“The most reliable way is to send her into real combat.”

A somewhat risky gamble.

What if they accidentally lost the savior?

The plan would completely fall apart.

“Who will be her partner?”

That was why deciding who would accompany her was of utmost importance.

Originally, apostles would typically operate in pairs during missions unless it was a special circumstance.

The blue shark, who secretly liked the girl, raised her hand excitedly.

“I’ll do it! I’ll do it!”

“No. The partner will be the pink falcon. Since she has been active alone recently, if the savior becomes an apostle, they will continue as a formal team.”

“Yes. Understood.”

“Cheh.”

The meeting concluded.

As the black goat stood up, he said.

“Once this initiation test is over, we will officially begin our activities. All apostles, including those not present today, will focus on this plan. If you have personal matters to attend to, hurry and resolve them.”

With those words, the black goat left the meeting room.

Those remaining at the table engaged in light conversation.

“Is it finally beginning?”

“It took much longer than expected.”

“Now that we’ve found the savior, it’s not far off. The sandy crocodile deserves a lot of credit.”

“By the way, blue shark. I heard you lost to the hero and ran away with your tail between your legs.”

The blue shark slammed her hand down on the table, erupting in anger.

“Damn it! What the hell are you talking about?! Who lost?! That coward called for friends to gang up on me; I was merely retreating strategically!”

“The excuses of the defeated are always ugly.”

“Your mother! Damn it.”

The golden lion chuckled, pouring oil on the fire.

“It can’t be helped. Blue shark, you’re the weakest among us.”

“Ha. You’re asking for it. Let’s have a proper fight after a long time.”

“Yikes. How scary. You can’t do anything without human blood, yet you’re acting tough.”

“Damn it. Where’s the savior? I just need one drop, nothing more.”

Amid the chaos, the pink falcon calmly stood up to say her farewells.

“I’ll be taking my leave now. I need to prepare for my mission.”

“How about getting to know the savior beforehand? Whether she becomes an apostle or not, you’ll be seeing her often.”

“Thank you for the suggestion. I’ll think about it. Then, I’m off.”

Even as she left, the shouting in the meeting room showed no signs of stopping.