By Zephyria =======
“It seems to be a foreigner who was staying at the village inn. If we listen to him, we might find out the detailed circumstances…”
“Be careful. It could be a demon.”
The priest interjected.
“A whole village vanished in half a day without a typhoon or a fire. It cannot be explained unless it was the work of a demon.”
The cavalrymen’s faces stiffened. Silence fell.
In the deep stillness, the man remained motionless, like a figure in a painting. His vacant gaze did not leave the blue sky. He looked more like a gambler who had lost his entire fortune than a demon. Suddenly, a bluebird fluttered down from the sky and perched on the man’s shoulder.
The man did not react. His half-open eyes remained fixed on the sky.
“…I think he’s a survivor,” one of the cavalrymen spoke hesitantly. The priest shifted his gaze and cleared his throat loudly.
The cavalry captain raised his hand.
“Approach with caution.”
The cavalry advanced slowly. When they finally drew near the man, the captain gave a nod. A cavalryman dismounted and approached the man.
“State your identity and name. If you are a survivor…”
The soldier could not finish his sentence. The man looked at him. In those brown eyes was a direct gaze that did not shy away from anything, staring precisely at the opponent.
The bluebird fluttered its wings. The small bird, taking flight violently, instantly transformed into a massive door. A wide-open entrance appeared in mid-air.
The cavalry was sucked into the door. The hem of the priest’s white robe mingled with screams. Armor, flags, people, and horses became entangled, and even the dust floating in the sunlight was dragged in entirely. Silence rushed back.
Blue sky. Ruins. The cavalry was gone.
The man stood up and entered the door. The door closed.
The blue sky gradually stained red. The surroundings grew dark, and the birds scattered. In complete darkness, the door opened.
The man emerged from the door. He was dressed in a cavalry uniform and riding a horse. The door turned back into a bluebird and landed on the man’s shoulder.
The man urged the horse forward and muttered.
“Sta… state… state your… your iden… identity…”
The monologue continued.
“S-S-State… your n-n-name… if you are a s-s-survivor…”
Hoofbeats trotted across the ground. Darkness chased the man.
* * *
〔You showed a stable reaction that exceeded the expected range.〕
〔The results for this target group can be classified as a success. Great job!〕
Silver stood there blankly. For a while, no one spoke.
Suddenly, Black Weasel threw both arms up and shouted, “We won—!”
Once more in the Atania language.
「We won—!」
“Won what, you shameless bastard? What did you even do!”
Silver sheathed his sword and gave Black Weasel a hard kick to the rear. His anger flared a beat late. At first, the guy had made such a grand fuss about surviving, but as soon as he saw the finger monster, he gave up his ambition and spent his time drinking and creating an atmosphere of terror. If he was going to be like this, he shouldn’t have acted so tough, the idiot!
Red Eagle suddenly hugged Wolf.
「Wolf! You are a hero! You performed a miracle!」
「Prince, I only did what I had to do.」
Wolf, patting Red Eagle, also seemed to be suppressing his emotion. The Eyepatch Woman stirred the water with her crutch.
“Damn it, I wanted to get this over with quickly. That brat is going to do something he’ll regret later, kicking the ground in frustration…”
“Don’t jump to conclusions. I’ve seen someone survive this place,” Black Weasel retorted, resting his axe on one shoulder.
“He was a perfectly normal blacksmith, but maybe he suffered too much mentally here, because he went completely insane. But we’re already crazy, aren’t we? Even if we return to the human world, we’ll be the same as before. As for the Prince and the Attendant, well, who cares.”
“You’re surprisingly optimistic,” the Eyepatch Woman snorted and waved her hand.
“Not me. That skeleton wraith killed innocent people just to have an interesting show. He’s unbelievable.”
“Is that a hunch?”
“Do I even need a hunch? Look, he said he’d send us back to the human world if we rescued the fairy, but we’re still trapped under a plate lid. The water keeps rising, too. Hmph, we’re all going to be drowned together… huh?”
“Huh?”
“Huh?”
「Huh?」
「Huh?」
Following the Eyepatch Woman, Silver, Black Weasel, Wolf, and Red Eagle were all bewildered. Suddenly, the surroundings had changed into a dark cavern. When they moved to the dome, there had been noise and vibration. But this time, it simply transitioned without anything. Carelessly and insignificantly, like a blink of an eye.
Silver looked up into the air. The skeleton wraith was nowhere to be seen. Where did he go? Is there a separate place for ‘observation’?
「H-H-How… oh my?」
Red Eagle stuttered, hugging himself tightly with both arms. His face was as pale as a corpse.
「Prince, please calm down. You mustn’t take everything that happens here seriously. You have to try and think that it’s nothing.」
Wolf held Red Eagle’s shoulders and comforted him. The Eyepatch Woman crossed her arms and raised her voice.
“Anyway, this isn’t the human world! He’s probably planning to make us do another task…”
As soon as she finished speaking, a voice drifted over.
〔This is the waiting area.〕
〔Please wait here until the other target groups finish their tasks.〕
〔Once the rest return, I will send you all back to the human world together.〕
Complete silence followed. Even the Eyepatch Woman stopped rambling. Everyone remained silent with skeptical expressions.
Silver suddenly frowned. Now that it had become quiet for the first time in a while, a deep sense of exhaustion washed over him. It was because he had kept his nerves on edge since the moment he woke up here. He had worked his brain frantically, which he usually treated like a farming tool left abandoned throughout the winter.
How long had he been trapped here? Not long. About the time it takes to flip an hourglass once?
Hmm… but this savory smell, is it my imagination?
…
It must be my imagination…
The moment he tried to believe that, Wolf shouted.
「Meat—!」
At that one word, a spark of light flashed in everyone’s eyes. With faces distorted as if they had encountered bandits right in front of them, fists clenched, Wolf shouted again.
「Meat! I smell meat and bread! Fruit and milk too! To the left, the left! Over there, the corner of the wall!」
Black Weasel and the Eyepatch Woman were already racing toward it, neither wanting to lose to the other. The three boys also ran hurriedly.
“Wow— ah… ah…”
The moment they turned the corner, everyone screamed. A boy and a girl in cute outfits were beaming with wide smiles. Beyond their shoulders, a long wooden table piled high with food was visible.
〔Welcome! We are the guides for this dining hall!〕
〔We will serve your meal!〕
The boy and girl guides spoke brightly. They had the kind of sociable impression that would be hired at any high-end restaurant in Atania. Although the fact that they were in a state of bodily separation, holding their own heads in their hands, deviated from general employment standards.
「Ugh…」
Red Eagle covered his mouth with one hand. He looked as if he were about to gag. Even those who weren’t raised as pampered princes had faces pale with shock.
〔Welcome! Welcome!〕
〔We’ve prepared it diligently! Please eat!〕
The fairies shouted from behind the boy and girl guides. They were mantis fairies the size of a fist. Wearing white bonnets on their heads and white aprons around their waists, they buzzed around. Silver’s heart skipped a beat. What! They’re actually quite cute!
They look like they’d fit perfectly in my belt pouch. Yes, let’s steal one! How long is the lifespan of a mantis fairy? If it’s around that of a ladybug, it would be just right…
“Eh, let’s just eat first!”
“Let’s eat!”
Black Weasel and the Eyepatch Woman yelled. Thanks to that, the fairy kidnapping plan that had been boiling fiercely in Silver’s head fizzled out. Following Black Weasel and the Eyepatch Woman, the three boys walked forward hesitantly. Red Eagle whispered to Wolf.
「I feel like there will only be things like eyeball stew or grilled human hearts…」
「Just eat bread with me. That’s the safest, Prince.」
「Hmph, it’ll probably be bread made of human hair. I’m sure of it.」
The boys’ predictions were wrong. The bread piled on the wooden table was charred rye bread. There were also crisply grilled salmon, legs of lamb, and piles of cheese. Several wooden barrels filled with thick honey water, liquor, and fragrant milk were placed in front of the table. The fairies busily carried fruits to the table.
47 – Hell Execution Order