Chapter 79: 'Bereavement”

Chapter 79: “Bereavement”

Rick Pov

...What is this?

I've seen the joke of a scene many times in the recent past.

Darzain. The kidnapping of Sania. Massive attacks in the city.

I was aware that there was a huge crack in my routine.

But once we defeated Darzain and got Sania back, everything would be back to normal.

I would go to the academy with Gervas and Lefea and receive instruction from instructor Shelifa.

At night, I help out at Angie's store with Sania.

Eventually, I'll become a holy knight and marry someone and have a warm family....

"Hey Rick. I don't know what to say, but it's time to face reality. I'm sure Refia is crying because you're ignoring her...probably."

Before I knew it, I raised my eyes, which had been downcast, and my eyes met Refia's.

I looked at her eyes, which were not reflecting anything.

When I looked further away, I saw Refia's body at Gervas's feet.

For some reason, she was headless.

Slowly reality seeps into my head.

"Re, leh-fu...what...so?"

The days I spent with her come back to my mind.

The first day we met, the words we exchanged, the time we shared.

"Ah...ah...ah...ah! Aaaaah!"

The fact that I can now speak my own voice slips out of my head and a meaningless scream erupts from my mouth.

I felt my rattle and my routine crumble.

Then I glared at Gervas.

"Geeerrrr Vaaaas!!!! You! You!!!!"

I glared at him with hatred.

Gervas sees this and laughs coolly.

"You've got a nice look on your face, don't you?"

He puts the big sword back on his back and walks over to me and sits down so that we are eye to eye.

"Do you hate me?"

Of course I do!

"Do you want to kill me?"

I'll kill you!

"Then come to the big church at the academy and I'll deal with you there."

Gervas stood up and made a face as if remembering something, "Oh."

"I'm not sure if Angie's store will be alright now that the city is in such a mess."

I widen my eyes when I hear that.

"Oh..."

I'm about to say something when I get a shock to the back of my head.

My consciousness becomes distant.

"I'll be waiting for you, so come, okay?"

I heard Gervas's voice and my consciousness was interrupted.

When I regained consciousness, there were no black robes around me, only Refia's corpse was left behind.

I closed her eyes, placed her head on my chest, and then, though I felt bad about it, stripped off the jacket of the corpse nearby and hung it over her head.

This is all I can do now, but I vowed to myself that I would mourn her when it was over, and I ran.

I couldn't forgive Gervas, but I had to save Angie first.

I ran toward Kaiko-tei.

The town looked so strange that I couldn't believe I was in a familiar place.

Residents are killing each other for some reason, and a large number of black robes appear from somewhere.

Houses on fire. It was as if I had wandered into a nightmare.

I ignore the surrounding scene and head straight for my destination.

Fortunately, it's not far from here, so I manage to get there...

"Oh no..."

Broken windows. A broken door.

There is nothing more I can learn by looking at the bodies, so I head further in.

I proceeded downward, but by all appearances it did not appear to be unexplored and under investigation.

I proceeded, paying attention to traps just in case, but there were none.

I wondered how long it had been since I entered the ruins... I was feeling impatient inside when I arrived at the deepest part of the site.

It was a vast space, originally empty, but now overflowing with horrendous things.

Bottled human body parts. A bed covered in blood.

A corpse that looked like it had been spliced together from other people's parts.

Unintelligible figures on the walls and floor. A magic circle...is that what it is?

On a shelf with a large number of papers.

I picked them up and skimmed through them, but the contents made me feel sick.

At first, it started with research materials on the magic circle for summoning demons, then the abilities of the summoned demons, how to select a catalyst....

The contents of the book became more and more extreme as it progressed.

The experiments to transplant a part of a demon removed from the demon to a human so that it can use its abilities, etc... Finally, I couldn't bear to look at it and put the bundle of papers back on the shelf.

Look to the back of the space.

There was something that would have been there originally.

A pedestal. Perhaps the rumored holy sword was stuck in it.

So the sword was found after the search was over.

And they were using it as a cover for Darzain, forbidding outsiders to enter on the grounds that the search had not yet been completed?

In other words, Darzain and Gnosis were collaborating behind the scenes.

But why?

I muttered unintentionally.

Then why were the knights who were supposed to be in a cooperative relationship dying up there?

And it's strange that no one is here at this supposed base of operations.

The possible reason is....

Because they have no use for this place anymore. I involuntarily look up.

At least if they didn't run away, there must be a big movement.

I checked all the abandoned items just to be sure, then turned on my heel and went back the way I came.

I might as well hurry.

I'm gonna kill you.

I - Rick - was running as fast as I could down a familiar... but changed road.

Dead bodies and blood on the road. There are fires everywhere.

I ignore everything in sight and just look ahead.

I see black robes, but they only glance in my direction and do nothing.

It seems that knights and holy knights are fighting, and I hear the sounds of sword fights and magic being used.

...Why?

As I run, I think about how I'm going to kill Gervas.

I vowed that at the very least, I would make him regret killing Refia.

But I also think about Gervas's behavior.

Why didn't I notice it?

Now that I think about it, there was something strange about his behavior.

--The black robes came on my side, too.

That was when Sania was kidnapped.

I didn't pay attention to it at the time, but it was as if it knew that the black robe had appeared at the place where I and Refia were chasing her at that time.

It's also odd that he reacted immediately when I mentioned Roe's name.

He just said it was a rumor and didn't seem to know about Roe personally.

The more I think about it, the more I find his behavior strange.

I wanted to tear myself to pieces and wonder why I hadn't noticed, but that would have to wait until later.

I went through the gate and entered the church grounds.

My goal is to enter a large church that only believers and related people are allowed to enter.

I open the double doors and enter.

"Hey, you're late."

Gervas, who was sitting on the couch, raised his hand lightly in his usual tone.