Chapter 125 : Chapter 125

Chapter 125 - Taming (2)

Darien Anfeld's consciousness was swimming through pitch-black darkness.

‘Hmm~’

I had never swum a day in my life, but I imagined it would feel something like this. It would be nice if the Avatar of the Savior suggested we go to the sea together someday.

‘But it would be too presumptuous of me to suggest it first, wouldn't it...?’

How could I, in a position where I should be grateful just to be by his side, dare to proactively express my own wishes?

Especially when he had just hugged me a moment ago.

“...-!!”

The moment she recalled that scene, Darien's mind was filled with the sensation of red smoke billowing up.

‘Oh, what should I do.’

What if I looked strange for a moment? Surely he didn't notice all those thoughts that flashed through my mind.

You know, mostly about the Avatar of the Savior and I doing this and that...

[ How absurd. To pledge that much loyalty to a mere human? ]

Darien's expression crumpled at once at the voice that had been scratching at her mind since a while ago.

Come to think of it, hadn't she entered this space in the first place because this bastard kept grating on her nerves?

“Instead of hiding and chattering like that, how about you show yourself?”

As she muttered sullenly, the darkness before her eyes slowly lifted, revealing a pure white space.

And sitting in its center was a jewel-like nobleman upon a throne of jet-black.

[Welcome to my mindscape. What's your first impression of the one who will soon be your master?]

Hmm.

An impression, you say.

The obsidian-like hair and eyes that seemed to hold no light at all. And that sharp, high nose bridge was...

“A little annoying.”

[...What?]

“I’m not into the pretty-boy type like you. So...”

If we lowered the nose a bit, made the eyes a little dazed, and made him a little shorter, and then...

[...Isn't that just the appearance of that human, Kim Gyu-sik?]

“Uh... Huh? Is that so?”

As Darien tilted her head and replied, the person sitting on the throne answered in an incredulous voice.

[What in the... Were you brainwashed or something? I looked through your memories and there wasn't any particular reason for you to fall for him, so why are you so into that human...]

“You, pretty boy over there. Watch your mouth, will you?”

[...]

A chill that momentarily silenced even her opponent emanated from Darien.

‘Oh my. Goodness.’

I shouldn't show this side of me in front of the Avatar of the Savior.

“A reason... you say. Well, I've seen some people who fuss over such things.”

She let out a deep sigh and opened her mouth.

Fools who think a person needs some grand reason to fall for someone else.

Idiots who believe that connection is only formed when they deliver their ‘heart’ wrapped in special, pretty paper.

“It's something you can tell right away just by being next to them. Even if nothing special happens.”

This was something she, who had been able to delve deeper into the ‘dregs’ and ‘true nature’ of humanity than anyone else in the world, could say with confidence.

After all, no matter how you wrap and decorate it, no one but the person themselves knows what's inside.

In that respect, the Avatar of the Savior was.

“...Hah.”

Truly an ideal person.

[...How did you reach that conclusion? Isn't he just a guy trying to use you by any means necessary?]

“That’s right. But he never hides it, does he?”

I need you. I will use you.

But as much as you provide for me, I will cherish you.

In other words.

I will treat you ‘fairly.’

Allies as allies. Enemies as enemies.

And so far, the Avatar of the Savior's principles of action had never once deviated from this major premise.

No matter who he faced. No matter who he met.

A person whose intentions and actions had never once failed to align.

Even if I didn't know all of his inner thoughts, I could grasp that much at a glance. I had the experience of judging people.

For someone who had spent her entire life feeling more disgusted than anyone by the duplicity of ‘people who are different on the inside and out,’ could there be a more ideal person?

Yes.

On top of having such a virtue, he was also the only person in the world whose mind she couldn't read.

Meaning, he was practically the only one with whom she could form a ‘human-like relationship.’

Wouldn't it be stranger not to struggle desperately to hold on?

“Wouldn't it be stranger for me not to fall for such a person? Let’s stop with the stupid questions, shall we?”

[...Tch. You're tied down, and tightly at that. I suppose it can't be helped.]

The other party clicked his tongue and raised his hand.

[I was thinking of making you my handmaiden since you seem to have a rather interesting ability... but it's futile. Disappear. And hand over the control of the body to me.]

And at the same time the man said that and lowered his hand, the darkness that had cleared away earlier rushed towards Darien all at once.

It was a clear move to harm her, but Darien didn't even flinch, staring at it with a blank expression.

“...Hoo. Really.”

And, letting out another deep sigh, she walked forward.

In a situation where the entire surrounding background was rushing to devour her, her action seemed reckless, and the man scoffed.

Well, it was an ego that would soon be torn to shreds by the darkness, so he could feel a little pity for it. But like this, wasn't she just a foolish human?

A few seconds later, that sentiment vanished completely.

[What...!]

The darkness that had touched Darien's body was all crumbling away.

Like an egg hitting a rock. It shattered into pieces wherever it brushed against her, without leaving a single scratch.

[What... is this...!]

This was darkness imbued with a curse that he, a servant of an ancient demon, had personally crafted in the mindscape, his own domain.

Each bundle of curses could corrupt a priest who had trained for many years or an enlightened monk in mere seconds, yet she was neutralizing them just by passing through?

While the man was in the midst of his shock at this fact, Darien, who had orchestrated such a process, simply walked right up to the man with the air of someone out for a stroll.

“A curse to corrupt an opponent in a mindscape... Well, from the looks of it, you seem to have composed it quite viciously.”

A curse of this level was something that had been injected into her since she was a child to develop her ‘ability.’

[What...? What kind of nonsense is that...!]

“It makes sense, though?”

Ah, those were terrible days.

The past where she had cried out, scratching the walls until her nails bled every day, wondering why she had to suffer such pain. Those days of being forcibly injected with curses while vomiting and crawling on the floor.

Compared to the days of receiving such education continuously until her father escaped from ‘that place’ with her, this was nothing.

Well, but. Now, none of it mattered.

Because she had found a worthy recipient for the mind-reading ability that had blossomed at the end of such pain. Because she had found someone to whom she could give her body and soul completely.

“...Ah. So, this is perfect timing.”

Having reached the front of the throne at some point, Darien unhesitatingly grabbed the man's neck.

Beneath her expression, which shone blankly like a glass mask, the eerie light of her crimson eyes, like something sticky and caked at the bottom of a mire, revealed itself.

“The Avatar of the Savior... is popular with everyone since he's fair. So there are many other people around him, you see.”

[Gack...!]

Seeing the man's face turn pale as he was instantly subdued, Darien smiled sweetly and continued.

Normally, it would be impossible for someone with a slender body like hers to lift a man like this with one arm.

But this was the ‘mindscape.’ The place where she had been bound endlessly to awaken her mind-reading ability.

Although it belonged to another, there was no doubt that she was the one holding the ‘initiative’ here.

In that respect.

If she were to inject this man with some of the curses that had been injected into her in the past...

[Ah, gaaaaaahk-! Aaaaaaaahk--!!]

A terrible scream, as if his vocal cords were being torn, echoed from the man suspended in the air.

And while still looking at him with a blank expression, Darien muttered calmly.

“The people around the Avatar of the Savior are ones he placed there himself, so I won't take the lead in chasing them away... but there should still be a chance to let them know someday.”

Who is the person who will stand by his side the longest. Who is the one who will serve him most faithfully.

To properly imprint that fact into everyone's minds, ‘power’ is needed.

Having a weapon she could wield directly would be helpful for such a task.

“In that respect, someone like you seems useful enough. What do you think?”

Well, clearly.

It was clear that the man had no choice.

***

Hmm.

So.

“...You just somehow tamed it?”

“Yes!”

Looking at Darien, who was smiling brightly and answering before my eyes, I felt a throbbing headache coming on.

No.

Anyone would react the same way if they heard that a unique-grade weapon contaminated with demonic mana had been subdued with just a few ‘conversations.’

Just looking at Ironclad next to me, who had an expression that said 'Shouldn't we send this person to a mental hospital,' proved it.

No, no matter how specialized her skill was for that kind of thing, this was a bit...

“Hmm...”

Well, be that as it may.

The demonic mana contained in the Bloody Reaven in her hand certainly seemed dormant.

To be precise, it looked like it was completely terrified of Darien.

What on earth did she do inside the mindscape?

Even in the game, only the skill's effect was written; there was no separate description of the principle by which this girl subdued her opponent.

Whenever a cursed weapon came into her possession, a message saying ‘subdued’ or something would pop up after a moment, and it would be immediately purified.

“…”

Looking at Darien smiling brightly beside me, I thought it would be better not to dig too deep.

“...Right. Well. Keep it safe.”

Whatever happened, Darien holding a purified demon-type weapon could play an active role as a sub-dealer and debuffer in various ways.

There were many places to use her in this ordeal, for that matter.

“Yes! I will make sure to rip apart any bugs that try to pull any funny business around the Avatar of the Savior!”

“You mean the enemies, right? You're not talking about innocent people, are you?”

I said that out of a strange sense of anxiety.

But Darien's expression didn't change from her smiling face.

Frighteningly so.

She didn't even move an inch, to an unnatural degree.

“...You mean the enemies, right?”

“…”

Hey.

Answer me.

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