LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 91
Chapter 91. Just as You Are
——I want to bring Leila to my side.
I brought it up to Antendeixis.
“Isn’t it a bit too soon? The risks are too high.”
But Antendeixis cut me off sharply.
I get it. I know it’s too hasty.
But I have no choice, you see.
…That’s right. There are no options for me.
Time is already running out.
†††
——That day.
The day I reunited with Claire.
After getting over the initial shock, the two of them—
“Ah! Did the Prince get surprised by the cute human girl? Teehee☆”
“Wait a minute, Claire! He’s a Viscount, you know!? The only reason I’m being all friendly is that I’m a Count!”
“What? A Viscount!? This is quite the gross impertinence!!”
“By the way, he’s still a Prince, you know!? You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you!”
Don’t be so reckless! Enma, getting angry, watched Claire stick her tongue out cheerfully, unbothered.
Ah, I thought this must be their usual behavior, with such lively energy.
In a pink, fancy room lay a tea set and two adorable human girls.
One of them looked like my childhood friend, just a bit grown up.
Bouncing around with changing expressions, Claire was—just like that day—twisting even Enma around her finger.
I felt like my head was spinning. I was losing track of who I was.
“Ahem. Well then, since we’ve graciously invited you to our base today—”
After taking a sip of tea, Enma returned to her usual tone.
“Let’s do something we couldn’t do out in the open. It’s a further practical lesson, Jill-kun.”
She grinned wickedly.
——In this pit of the undead.
In a place that could only be done where no one could see—
The instruction on the abominable dark arts began.
“I’ve prepared a goblin for today.”
“Ta-dah! A lively goblin!”
…With Enma as the instructor and Claire as the assistant.
When we moved to another room, a goblin was bound by chains. It had a gag in its mouth, rolling on the floor. With bloodshot eyes, it was struggling desperately to escape…
“Oh, don’t worry. It’s an escape goblin. It’s legal, you know.”
We were going to do various things with this goblin, Enma said nonchalantly.
“First up, the spell to drag the soul out from a living body—”
“Yes, yes! I want to do it!!”
Claire cheerily raised her hand to volunteer.
“Of course, that’s fine. Claire loves goblins, after all.”
“Wait, Master! Don’t say things that could be misunderstood in front of a guy!”
Pouting her lips, Claire grinned slyly.
Just like that day—a mischievous scheme in mind, yet behind it was a smile tinged with madness.
“And what I really like is—breaking goblins.”
Then, without a hitch, Claire chanted a spell, using dark magical power to drag the goblin’s soul out of its body.
I could see the translucent goblin soul.
It was tangled by dark magic, its eyes wide in fear—
“Necromancy doesn’t have immediate effects. As you can see, for lowly beings like this with almost no magical resistance, this type of spell can easily kill. To be precise, the body is still alive, though.”
As per Enma’s words, the goblin’s body, with its eyes rolled back, was convulsing.
“Now, let’s put it back for a moment.”
“Okay!”
When Claire roughly returned the soul, the body that was rolling on the floor sprang back to life.
“Huuh! Huuh! Gguh, Gguh!”
With ragged breaths, the goblin looked up at us, trembling in fear.
“Ahaha! This dimwit seems to know it just died!”
Claire looked down at the goblin with a refreshing smile.
“Hey! How was it? Scary? Painful…?”
She crouched down to speak to the goblin.
“…Don’t worry. This is just the beginning.”
Her glass-like eyes glimmered with delight.
“Because today, I can do whatever I want, as Master said!”
——As those words came true.
Spells to drag souls out. Spells to stop hearts. Spells to bind souls. Spells to inflict pain on souls. Spells to induce pleasure. Spells to dull senses. Spells to destroy the ego——
“Ahhahaha! Look at the Prince! That face!”
As I tightened the goblin’s soul with dark curses, Claire laughed.
“——Ah! ——!!!”
The goblin’s soul was struggling desperately. With a soundless voice, it issued a muted scream. Its soul was twisted into bizarre shapes, barely holding itself together, experiencing unimaginable torments beyond the realm of mere pain and suffering——
“You sure have terrible taste. I don’t like to make others suffer unnecessarily… well, I understand Claire’s feelings. This could be a necessary method, depending on the situation…”
Enma murmured with a hint of exasperation as she watched.
“But it seems like it’s about to reach its limit. Let’s ease its suffering, Claire.”
“Okay.”
Slightly disappointed, Claire chanted a few words.
“——Ah.”
The goblin’s soul crumbled away in an instant, shattered.
Then, when Claire opened the [Gateway of Spirits], the remnants of the soul were sucked in and disappeared as if swept away like garbage.
“Alright, that’s it. See! That was easy, right, Prince?”
Claire innocently smiled at me——
——She certainly was,
Always the mischievous troublemaker,
But she was never the kind to laugh while tearing insects’ legs off and watching them suffer…
…Claire was an undead being with a self.
Which means she sympathized with Enma’s ideology——
“Humans are better off dead than alive.”
That thought only proved how much Claire had suffered.
I didn’t want to think about what kind of end she had met.
†††
After all that, it was impossible to act like everything was normal.
I became completely useless, unable to focus on anything.
But I couldn’t just honestly explain my reasons.
In desperation, I awkwardly stated that I had fallen for the undead.
Well, I only shared the shock I felt, so it wasn’t entirely a lie.
Thanks to being recognized as odd, I managed to smooth things over.
——And I continued to attend the necromancy lectures as before.
I could have just ignored it. I could have stopped studying necromancy altogether.
…but I couldn’t.
“These spells are somewhat similar and complicated, but just by lining the beginnings like this, it sounds catchy and easy to remember, Prince!”
“Oh, I hadn’t thought of that.”
“See! This makes it easier, right? …Ah, it’s easy, right?”
“…It’s too late for that. You don’t have to force yourself.”
“Ehheh, as expected of you, Prince! You understand just like Master said!”
No matter how much she had changed,
Claire’s behavior was still utterly her.
As we did this and that together, it felt like that day had returned——
And I couldn’t help but feel, indescribably, joy.
Even if it wasn’t about preparing mischief, but rather torturous experiments with souls and studying dark arts——
I continued to dip into taboo practices. Manipulating the remnants of souls that had become mere shadows of their former selves from the spirit realm. Controlling the souls of forest elves who died in prison, possessing human bones to manipulate them.
I continued to absorb the essence of necromancy, freely given.
“Wonderful talent. You’ve met my expectations, even exceeded them!”
“That’s amazing! Prince, you really are different from the demon race!”
I think I was half-paralyzed.
Unable to do anything, indecisive.
That’s when the punishment fell upon me.
“I’d like to start interfering with high-level spirit bodies soon.”
Enma, who had been gently massaging my shoulder, suddenly seemed to have a thought.
“Speaking of which, you killed the leader of the dragons, didn’t you? The White Dragon leader, Faravgi, right?”
Ah.
The blood drained from my face.
“Of course you have the material, right? Then in the next lecture—”
Enma whispered into my ear.
“Let’s summon Faravgi—and do various things.”
From the moment I was targeted,
It was already over.
Even if I refused, Enma would——
Acknowledge Faravgi.
†††
Lying on my bed, I spoke with Antendeixis.
——I want to bring Leila to my side.
I didn’t just keep her around as a pet.
With the Faravgi matter, I needed to keep my end of the bargain.
“I understand that perfectly well.”
Antendeixis sighed, looking troubled.
“Not only did you kill your father, but you also toyed with his soul—the trust between you and her will be a distant dream.”
That’s right.
I desperately wanted Leila to be on my side.
If I had her mobility. And if I could establish a relationship where I could take Leila on friendly air strolls, I might be able to escape Liliana, and maybe even relay information from the Demon Lord Kingdom to the alliance.
Other dragons wouldn’t do. They would never keep such secrets.
Only Leila could achieve that…!!
“But as a fundamental issue—”
Antendeixis quietly began.
“Do you truly need that?”
…What do you mean?
“If you let the Saint escape or relay information to the alliance, what good will that do? That’s not truly necessary to defeat the Demon Lord.”
…….
“In recent times—you’ve shown remarkable growth.”
Suddenly, Antendeixis laughed lightly.
“I’d almost like to show you how much power I hold.”
…The price of the taboo.
“If you continue like this, in a few years or decades—”
You will be able to defeat the Demon Lord on your own. …But really, do you need it?
Without warning, the apparition of Antendeixis gazed at me.
“Do you really need that girl’s power?”
Even as things are now——isn’t it sufficient?
“……”
I couldn’t retort.
Because…
“That’s right. You should be aware of it in your mind.”
The reason I was anxious.
“I think you’re still believing there’s time left.”
——Don’t look at me with such pitying eyes!!
“I do pity you…. It must be painful. If it’s now, you can still let that girl meet her father in a way close to his former self. —Unlike the lost self and childhood friend. You’re thinking that, aren’t you?”
…….
“I understand your feelings. I’m one with you. I understand it painfully well.”
But, as the phantom’s hand touched my cheek—
“What is your true objective?”
——To defeat the Demon Lord and save humanity.
“Don’t lose sight of your original goal. Hero.”
…That’s right.
I am… no matter what anyone says…
A Hero…
†††
Despite such thoughts, I became increasingly unable to focus on my studies.
So I threw myself into training.
I tried to forget.
In a fit of rage, I fought forcefully with Platy.
——Pain is just—
The pain of the flesh is merely a danger signal.
It’s nothing compared to suffering.
There was a feeling as if my will had surpassed my body. I felt no more pain. In fact, it seemed I could tear away any magical interference that would disturb my body.
Even if it resulted in blood spurting from my fingers——
This is nothing painful at all.
If I thought that way, it became easier.
I had grown strong.
I had become strong!!
Before long, I believed I was smiling.
It was amusing to see Platy flinch.
As if everything in the everyday life had been burned away,
The warm sunlight that I loved felt more dazzling, as if it were scorching my very being.
And, after all, I am the prince of the demon race, so it doesn’t really matter. If I push forward like this—someday—
Hahaha.
Hahahaha!
Hahahahahahahaha!
“——That’s enough.”
Then, one day, as the next necromancy lecture was approaching, Antendeixis spoke.
“…Having too strong a will can be troublesome. A soul that is already patchwork and frayed could easily rip apart…”
It would be better than you breaking yourself through recklessness.
“…Do as you please.”
The Demon God bent.
†††
……A little snapped back to sanity, I decided to discuss further with Antendeixis and reach a compromise.
To lay the groundwork for bringing Leila to my side, I would keep my promise regarding my father.
But I wouldn’t reveal my true identity yet. That’s how it would be.
As long as I don’t reveal my identity and keep the truth hidden, to be honest, I have no idea if I can restrain the infuriated soul of Faravgi.
Calling forth his soul in the room goes without saying, is dangerous.
But, if Leila is there.
And if she calls out to him.
Faravgi might regain his reason.
If that happens, I might be able to “protect” his soul by sealing it with his possessions——
Even if I can’t summon the soul in Enma’s lecture, I can brush it off with something like, “Pathetic fool, has your soul disappeared already!”
…If Enma knows of any way to track spirits of the living, there’s the possibility of being discovered. I intend to resist with all the concealment spells I know. If discovered, that soul is mine! I’ll just have to fussily make excuses that don’t really make sense…
In that respect, there is indeed some risk.
But I kept it to a minimum. That’s how it would be.
“…I can summon him now. Your father, the soul of Faravgi.”
Well, all of this,
“…If you want.”
It all depends on whether Leila in front of me responds.
“…………Why.”
After a long, long silence.
Leila, sitting across from me with her head down, finally looked up cautiously—her hands tightly gripping her knees.
“…Why now…?”
It was a gaze that seemed to shyly look up at me.
Ah.
I felt a sudden empathy.
In Leila’s eyes lingered that color—
Although trembling, and partly resigned, still unable to contain—
“Why are you saying such things now…?!”
The unmistakable flames of anger and hatred.