CH 141

Chapter 141

When Peaceful Times Cease To Exist : A Name That Calls Death, Part 13 — Words Of A King

Translated by KaiesV

Edited by KaiesV

「You were… even called the Heroic King, yet you weren’t on the side of humanity?」

With a snap, Lifeless stops in his tracks.

「You mean that. Unfortunately, but I’m not on the side of humans. It just so happens that the only people worth fighting for are fiends. If humans were stronger, they would have said I was an Archfiend. And in fact, there was a human Archfiend」

「Then why did you build your kingdom!?」

「It was done by people who worshiped me and followed me on their own, I don’t know. Besides, don’t you play board games? It’s a good way to pass the time.」

Lifeless laughs with a grin. Truly, this man thinks of human life as little more than a tool. But knowing this, Alfiris continued to ask more questions.

「…Legend has it that when you went into battle for the last time, your army was annihilated along with the Archfiend. Is it true?」

「Ahh, it’s true. After all, I’m the one who wiped out the whole Archfiend and everything else.」

「What, did you say!?」

Lifeless answered in a matter-of-fact, no-nonsense manner, with a face that showed no sign of offense. Alfiris was astonished by the answer.

「How many tens of thousands of lives have you sacrificed?」

「The Archfiend’s allied forces are about 200,000. This one is about 100,000. The residents of the town caught in the middle of it are about 200,000. That’s roughly 500,000.」

「Why… why would you do that?」

「I wanted to try it.」

「?」

「If I unleash my magic at full throttle, how powerful will it be?」

Hearing this, Alfiris shook her head in horror.

「You… you’re insane.」

「What is sanity? Back then, it was a world where power was everything. If you were weak, you lost everything; if you were strong, you gained everything. It was a bleak but very simple providence. At first I wondered if this was such a providence because of the war between fiends and humans, but as soon as humans took over the sovereignty of the continent, they started doing the same thing to each other. Even Archfiends didn’t kill their own kind, but the human beings killed their own kind with impunity. If you ask me, the humans are even crazier.

In fact, I now regret why I didn’t kill more people back then. They have multiplied like maggots in the little time I have not seen them, and while I would not torture life in vain, humans can kill those who share their blood with them with a laugh. No other species is this brutal. You see it all the time in Doom, don’t you? Well, I like to see others feeling helpless too. Don’t you guys feel a sense of superiority when you know you are better than others?」

Lifeless asked Alfiris and the others the opposite question. But if she only heard the last part, it certainly didn’t make sense.

「That’s…」

「It’s natural to feel superior if you’re better than others. It’s also natural to want to be rewarded for your efforts. However, people have too strong an emotional response to this feeling. Resentment, envy, jealousy… these are such trivial feelings that humans kill their own kind without a care in the world. In short, people are driven by their own emotions. But that’s no exception, even for Seekers and Elves. Fenna there, was it? The example are your ancestors.」

Lifeless pointed at Fenna. There was Fenna, her eyes still unfocused.

「But in the case of that girl, it’s called karma.」

「What did Fenna do to you!?」

Alfiris was incensed, but Lifeless returned it flatly.

「Even if she did nothing, the Rosenworks bloodline committed a mortal sin a long time ago.」

「Eh…?」

A faint light returns to Fenna’s eyes.

「Our clan, what?」

「…A long time ago, a family of schooners developed a form of magic. However, the Archfiend who used them tried to monopolize their magic. So they betrayed that Archfiend and surrendered to the Seekers who were cooperating with the human side… killing all the members of the family who opposed them.」

Fenna’s emotions come back to her like a weir at the startling words.

「Lies!」

「This is no lie. Have you ever wondered why only those of you at Rosenworks live so far away from each other? And they were forced to seal a Huge Treant. With the Seeker’s magical power, a Huge Treant should be nothing to worry about. Why should it continue to be sealed up maturely?

It is a fetter against you. Don’t be rebellious. That’s why every few years you had a lookout from Mutrio in the name of exchange, right? And you are royalty, yet you have hardly set foot inside this settlement. Am I wrong?」

「That…」

Fenna was taken aback by what she could think of. Indeed, Lifeless was right, Fenna had visited Mutrio with her parents, but it was always only her parents who were inside. Fenna was always waiting outside. Fenna didn’t think much of it at the time, wondering if that’s the way it was supposed to be, but now that she think about it, it’s not flattering to make the royal family feel welcome by not allowing them into the village and making them wait outside.

Looking at Fenna, who cannot argue with him, Lifeless continues.

「It may look like they’re being cruel to you, but in the long run of history, it’s all cause and effect.」

「I did it myself, and I don’t see how it could be so absurd!」

「It’s nothing reckless. Why did the Seekers here split off from the southern forest group and emigrate? And do you think there were no other creatures in this Mutrio that migrated here? The Seekers here are using force to drive out the monsters, fiends, and natives that were in the forest during the migration. Many creatures have died. What is the justification for this action?」

「That…」

「Living creatures always live by killing something, because if they don’t eat, they can’t live. But humans, either out of guilt or out of a guilty conscience… The humans have forgotten this, or want to forget it, and have created the concept of『justice』to justify their actions. I don’t blame you for that, as it is a kind of defensive instinct, but now the word “justice” is the only word that comes to mind, and today, under the word “justice,” you will probably kill each other again. It’s utterly and completely unmitigated stupidity.」

Lifeless gave Alfiris and the others a look of contempt. He probably thinks so to his core. But Alfiris countered,

「Then what the hell are you doing this for!?」

「For the sake of this world.」

「For, the world…?」

「Correct. In the long run, though. I don’t deny that there are atrocities committed in the process, but they are all necessary evils.」

「That’s just sophistry. You’ve just changed the words you wield, but you’re still doing what you’re doing.」

Lisa pointed out to Lifeless, pointing at him. But Lifeless only smiled thinly.

「What about the reason you killed your men in the last battle? Isn’t that exactly what you did for fun?」

「I won’t deny that I enjoyed it. But the fact that I did it that way was a consequence of unleashing the magic, and honestly, it was more powerful than I had anticipated. I didn’t care whether my allies lived or died, or whether the inhabitants lived or died, but I didn’t dare get involved. Besides, it would be the duty of a commander to sacrifice efficiently to achieve the best results. However, if I hadn’t killed them there, it would have been a civil war involving all the eastern countries.」

「On what grounds!」

「It was happening, that’s for sure. I had no blood brothers or family. All my wives and concubines were killed in a plot and I had no heir.

When I got older, my subordinates would squabble over who would succeed me. Even though the Great War hadn’t ended, they’re always talking about who would be the next king, not about defeating the Archfiend. If I had left it like that, it would’ve been more than just the Archfiend. What a load of crap.」

Lifeless looks at her with a faraway look. There were many men under Heroic King Graham whose exploits were celebrated in legends. The public was encouraged by their stories. When Lisa read fairy tales to her children, Ruth and others often asked her to tell them tales of heroism. That’s why she stocked up on various stories, and Lisa also liked the stories of heroes because they seemed to inspire her courage.

However, she was very disappointed to learn that these heroes were involved in a petty conflict.

「…That’s ridiculous.」

「It was such a stupid thing to do. Killing all those people was a bit much, but I’ll take my punishment as much as I can later. But if you ask me, mere townspeople are just as guilty.」

「Screw you! What’s the sin of those inhabitants who didn’t join the fight!?」

Miranda stomped the ground and became enraged. It seems that her anger exceeded her fear. Lifeless looked at Miranda with cold eyes.

「There’s a sin. Soldiers are enriched by the weapons and food they provide, and they kill their enemies. Those who don’t know this and polish their weapons impatiently and give them to the soldiers should die. Don’t you think that those who cannot imagine the consequences of their actions, simply because they aren’t directly involved in them, are the worst offenders of all? It’s tricky, those people. They don’t feel like they’re killing people.」

「But!」

「I was a king, even if only formally, so I’ve seen a lot of rottenness in that area. Have you ever seen a mother of an enemy country crying beside the corpse of her daughter killed by a weapon she gave to a soldier? For the honor of their own country, the people of the enemy country are forced to commit unjustifiable massacres. And all in the name of mere example. Do you know what a scene unfolds the moment you say to the soldiers on the battlefield,『I give you permission to loot?』

One who kills all the inhabitants of a store in order to eat a piece of bread. One who beats an old woman to death in order to steal something of value. Or one who goes out of his way to rape someone’s wife and daughter in front of their husbands just because he likes the way they look. It was ugly at heart, those human. You’ve lived a long time, haven’t you? Have you ever had that experience?」

「…」

Miranda fell silent. The one who had approached her with a kindly face and defiled her when she had started her own solo journey. Also, if she’s on a pilgrimage, she have seen enough of the filth of humanity to be disgusted. Still, Miranda wanted to believe in humans.

「But!」

「You are young to say so. You’re young, and I envy you, foolishly. If you could say the same thing when you lived as long as I did, I might be willing to listen to you a little.

But let’s not start talking about it now. Anyway, we can’t stop now. And when they commit atrocities, they do so for a reason. Of course, only I and a few others know that. But Doom is just a brat that’s just having pure fun…」

Dragleo isn’t smart enough to know that, and Titania is just loyal to her mission. When it comes to Anomaly, he is out of control because he is looking forward to getting back at them. The Master, Hidden, and Silence seem to know what’s going on, though. He wasn’t sure about Bloody Maria, Calamity, and the other boy.

「…Well, whatever. That’s why the choice of prey is almost entirely up to me. And you will thank me in the future for what we are doing now. That’s for sure.」

「What a joke. What in the world is your reason to…」

「Unfortunately, I can’t tell you that. Well, I’m tired of talking. Can I kill you now?」

Lifeless is once again ready for battle. Miranda again grips the sleeve of the alfilice as she readies herself.

「Alfie…」

「Miranda, let’s fight. Even if he’s right, I don’t want to get killed for no reason. Besides,」

「Besides?」

「I would never give Miranda to that guy.」

「…You’re telling me that! You’re giving me strength.」

「Let me fight too.」

Fenna was behind Alfiris before she knew it. The light is back in her eyes, albeit weak.

「I… don’t want to die without knowing anything either!」

「Yeah, I’d rather have your help.」

「Alfie, I am as well.」

Aerial came to her side, but Alfiris shook her head.

「Aery, you should protect Nia, Kazas, and Lisa as well. Lisa will use her Sensor to keep track of the holes in the warding. We’ll manage to damage the lifeless and scar the wards, and I want Aerial to pry that one out of the way. That’s the only way to do it now.」

「…Alright.」

「Good luck, everyone.」

Lisa dressed as if she were praying for a moment, and then she stepped back. Lifeless confirmed what was happening and said a few words.

「Hmm, are you all willing to do it? Otherwise, it’s no fun. If you’re going to fight, go out there and fight to the death, you vulnerable mortals.」

「We don’t need to be told!」

「（If we could just buy a little more time…）」

Alfiris realized something while fighting. It’s a gleam of hope, but she’s willing to bet on it now. And then Alfiris and her group slashed at Lifeless.