#021. Liar
20 minutes ago.
The path leading to the chief’s house.
“But Sir Virgil.”
“What.”
“You really didn’t know?”
“I didn’t.”
“Wow… unbelievable. So that’s why you treated me so terribly.”
“Even if I had known, nothing much would have changed.”
“…You do believe what I said, though, right?”
“What’s there not to believe?”
“Well, it’s not like doing that kind of thing in the past changes anything here…. Actually, it puts me at ease.”
Hanna adjusted the bag Virgil had entrusted to her and continued speaking.
“By the way, if we go down like this, people are going to be shocked. What are you going to tell them?”
“Who knows.”
“I knew we should have just left.”
“Then we wouldn’t get the reward.”
“Come on… you’re already loaded.”
“It’s not enough. I’m going to need a lot of money later.”
Virgil looked at Hanna.
Was it because of what happened in the cave?
Her gaze looked a little different.
Or maybe she was just acting like she was fine.
“Hanna.”
“Yes?”
“When we go down, I want you to explain to everyone what happened up there.”
“What? Me?”
“Yes.”
The moment Virgil heard about her profession back on Earth, he had immediately begun thinking about how to use it in his plans.
This matter was the first test of that.
***
Back at the chief’s house courtyard.
“What is that crazy bitch saying right now!”
Giras’s subordinate screamed.
Despite his shouting, Hanna didn’t bat an eye and continued.
“As I said, this man did it.”
“Is this true?”
The centurion asked, narrowing his eyes.
“Yes, when we arrived at the cave, the chief’s daughter was being assaulted by that man….”
Hanna spoke with an expression of recalling a terrible memory.
Then she glared coldly at Giras’s corpse.
A gaze mixed with hatred and contempt.
The clumsy demeanor she always showed was nowhere to be seen.
At her words, the chief wrapped his arms around his dead daughter’s face and screamed.
“Y-you wretch!”
As he wailed and caressed his dead daughter’s face, the clotted blood smeared away.
The centurion clicked his tongue briefly and asked again.
“Tell me in more detail.”
“Yes, the first thing we planned to do after receiving the request was to meet the chief’s daughter. Along with the mercenary captain who had been traveling with her.”
“Why did you want to meet them?”
“For the investigation. After hearing the request details and finding commonalities, they were all young women in their mid to late twenties. And the only woman in her early twenties remaining in this village was the chief’s daughter.”
“Hmm, that makes sense. Then why did you want to meet this man?”
“When we first came to this village, we spoke with Giras. At that time, my brother said this. This man smells of human blood.”
“That alone is insufficient for suspicion. You might have been mistaken.”
“My brother is a quite renowned Devil Hunter. He is not someone who would say such things lightly. I wonder if the rumors have reached here. The Savior of Javelin.”
“…Javelin? I heard that city was already ruined. That the sun, the source of mana, no longer rises.”
“That’s right. Ah, surely you know what ‘Savior’ means?”
“There’s no way… surely not?”
“Yes, my brother restored the sun of Javelin.”
“Huh, I heard even Mule couldn’t solve that…. Hey, Hans.”
The centurion called a knight waiting in the back.
When he approached, they conversed in low voices.
After a moment, the centurion nodded and continued speaking.
“I heard Javelin has expressed intent to attend the upcoming coronation. Indeed, if the situation hadn’t been resolved, they wouldn’t come…. Well, I’ll believe you for now.”
He didn’t look completely convinced.
“Anyway, continue.”
“Yes, so we traced the two people’s tracks and headed up the mountain.”
“How did you find their tracks? No villager said they saw the two.”
For the first time, Hanna was at a loss for words.
Then Virgil, who had been standing behind with his arms folded watching, opened his mouth.
“Devil Hunters are prodigies of tracking. Did you not know?”
“…Ah, yes. Very well.”
Hanna, gaining momentum, spoke sharply.
“Centurion, I would appreciate it if you stopped interrupting me.”
“My apologies, lady.”
To summarize what Hanna said after that:
Giras had been assaulting the chief’s daughter, and when Virgil intervened, he transformed his body with strange sorcery.
Giras’s corpse was enough to testify as evidence of her words.
After transforming, Giras and Virgil clashed. When Giras was overpowered, he took the chief’s daughter hostage. Virgil reached out to save her, but the chief’s daughter died from Giras’s blind attack, and Virgil immediately beheaded Giras. She finished with that.
“Let me take a look for now.”
As the knights who examined Giras’s corpse approached the dead daughter, the chief blocked them fiercely.
Saying not to taint his daughter’s final moments.
At those words, Hanna swallowed dryly, and Virgil scoffed.
“Then what happened to the women who had disappeared?”
At the centurion’s question, Hanna was at a loss for words once again.
She hadn’t asked Virgil about this while coming down the mountain path.
She quickly thought up improvised lines in her head.
Before she could, Virgil noticed and helped once more.
“He said he sent them to Roun.”
“Roun?”
“T-that’s a lie!”
One of Giras’s subordinates screamed.
“He’s making it up! We never kidnapped women… kuhk!”
He was subdued by a nearby knight.
The knights already considered them provisional criminals.
“Take it easy.”
The centurion pondered briefly before speaking.
“I heard you contracted with the mercenary company after the incidents occurred.”
“Yes, I know.”
“Then the timeline doesn’t add up.”
“I heard they came immediately after the chief posted the notice. As if they had been waiting. Isn’t that right?”
Hanna’s gaze stopped at the tavern owner among the onlookers.
“M-me?”
He stepped back as if flustered, then soon answered as if having made up his mind.
“Y-yes… most people here know.”
“Hey, you son of a bitch! We were just passing through!”
One of the mercenaries thrashed about before being struck in the back of the head and losing consciousness.
The remaining three mercenaries knelt and pleaded.
Their sincerity was felt.
They truly looked wronged.
The centurion remained confused to the end at that sight.
“Furthermore, something strange….”
Just as he was about to speak again, Virgil stepped forward.
“Now, check Giras’s clothes. The cloth wrapped around him is his clothing.”
At his words, the centurion jerked his chin at a subordinate.
Telling him to go check.
A knight who searched through the clothes for a moment sprang up and shouted.
“I-it’s the emblem of the Roun security force!”
“What?”
The centurion quickly approached and snatched the silver badge from the knight’s hand.
A shield-shaped badge engraved with Roun’s emblem.
It was only given to soldiers of Roun.
“It’s real….”
The expressions of Giras’s subordinates hardened upon seeing it.
This was obtained by Giras, who had been seduced by the chief’s daughter, after ambushing the dispatched security force, and he had kept it because he heard it would fetch money on the black market.
“I found it strange that the investigation team sent a few days ago hadn’t arrived. Bind them all!”
At the centurion’s shout, the knights roughly bound the mercenaries.
They didn’t resist excessively, only muttering curses under their breath.
Virgil frowned slightly upon seeing that.
‘They were accomplices in this as well.’
Guilt clouded Hanna’s eyes, as she hadn’t realized that.
After the briefly tumultuous arrest scene ended, the centurion approached Virgil.
“Thanks to you, this matter went very smoothly. If you ever come to Roun, find me. I shall repay this debt, however humbly.”
“That’s enough.”
“I mean it, so please come. The coronation in Roun will have quite a few interesting sights. It will likely be a good time.”
Though the centurion was speaking to Virgil, he kept glancing at Hanna.
Virgil also knew those words weren’t meant for him and answered perfunctorily.
“Then we shall take our leave.”
Centurion Ronnel gave a brief knight’s salute, then led his subordinates and mounted their horses.
Giras’s subordinates, their waists bound, ran as if being dragged along.
Their hatred-filled gazes turned briefly toward Virgil and Hanna, but were lightly ignored.
Once the flag symbolizing the Blue Wolf Knights was completely gone, the villagers gathered around the chief.
They offered sincere condolences.
Several men carefully wrapped the chief’s daughter’s corpse and went to prepare the funeral.
Hanna watched that scene with complicated eyes, then lightly grabbed Virgil’s armor.
Her gaze had returned to its previous clumsy demeanor.
“I… did the right thing, right…?”
“Who knows. You made the choice, and you must take responsibility for the consequences.”
“Sigh… yes, I know…. If Sir Virgil hadn’t given me hints beforehand or helped in the middle, I would have been caught.”
“You know well.”
“More importantly, do you believe me now?”
“About what.”
“What I did on Earth.”
“Somewhat.”
The corner of Virgil’s mouth rose slightly.
A face similar to when he had decided to use her as a buffer, like he had found an amusing toy.
“I’ll believe that you were a famous actress.”
Hanna smiled awkwardly.
“Then that’s good. To think I’d feel wounded pride over this….”
Virgil spoke as he looked at the dejected Hanna.
“Let me ask you one thing.”
“Okay.”
“Why did you wrap up that woman?”
Hanna couldn’t answer Virgil’s question and hesitated.
She raised her head and looked at the chief, who was still wailing loudly.
Then she spoke in a small voice.
“I thought of my father….”
“I see.”
More likely, it was guilt over the killing.
He didn’t voice that thought.
“Did I do something wrong?”
“Not particularly. As long as it doesn’t interfere with my plans, I don’t care what you do.”
“…That’s a relief.”
“And if you had told the truth, we wouldn’t have received the commission fee.”
“What? The commission fee?”
Hanna asked back with wide eyes.
She hadn’t thought that far.
“If you had told the truth, he probably wouldn’t have paid. We would have become murderers overnight.”
“Sir Virgil, really….”
“Shh.”
“Why….”
“If you’re going to commit to something, don’t stop until the end.”
“What do you mean….”
The chief approached Virgil and Hanna.
“You there….”
An expression brimming with misfortune.
His face held all manner of sorrow.
“Thank you… so very much…. If not for you, my child… the culprit would never have been caught, and she would have died a miserable death…. Uhk.”
“Ah, no, Chief….”
The chief’s repeated thanks.
Virgil didn’t respond at all; only Hanna accepted them with a complicated expression.
***
The village was busy preparing for the funeral.
Virgil and Hanna received the villagers’ thanks and had dinner.
“When are we leaving?”
Hanna asked Virgil.
She wanted to leave this place as soon as possible.
She couldn’t even eat properly.
To her, Virgil answered curtly.
“We’ll sleep and then go.”
“…What?”
“Didn’t I promise I would let you rest when this job was over?”
“Ah, I… but….”
“Do as I say.”
And so the two decided to stay in the village tonight.
Virgil at the mercenaries’ campsite in front of the chief’s house.
Hanna in the dead daughter’s room in the chief’s house.
“Chief, I’m really fine…. I’ll just stay with my brother….”
“How could I let a woman sleep outside? Don’t be like that; sleep in my daughter’s room.”
“Ah… I….”
“Please do this favor for me…. I hate so much for the warmth to disappear from that room…. I’m sure my dead daughter would want that too….”
Hanna looked at Virgil with a face asking for help.
“Then my brother too….”
“I have things to do, so you sleep inside.”
Hanna turned ashen at his answer.
A short while later.
Hanna sat on the edge of the bed in the dead woman’s room, clutching her head.
Her mind was blank.
“I’m going crazy….”
A knock was heard from outside the door.
“May I come in for a moment?”
It was the chief’s voice.
“Ah… yes.”
The chief entered holding a teapot.
“Drink this before you sleep. It’s tea that brings peaceful sleep.”
“Yes…. Thank you.”
“I’m sorry to have a savior stay in such a place….”
“It’s fine….”
“Then rest comfortably.”
“Yes….”
The chief started to leave but turned back.
“Um… I….”
“Yes? If you have something to say, please say it.”
“If it’s not too rude, may I ask one favor…?”
“Please speak.”
“Just once… let me hold you just once….”
“What…?”
Hanna couldn’t believe her ears.
“Please don’t take this strangely…. It’s just that I have too much regret over not being able to say goodbye to my daughter…. Seeing someone her age, I keep….”
“Ah… I… that’s….”
“I-I’m sorry. I made too rude a request.”
Hanna called out to the chief, who was trying to leave quickly.
“Ch-chief.”
At her call, the chief turned with bloodshot eyes.
“Why….”
Hanna approached and hugged him lightly.
“Stay… strong.”
“Kuhk….”
The chief wrapped his arms tightly around Hanna’s waist and shoulders.
“Arina…. Arina….”
He shed tears for a moment before going outside.
He told her not to worry since no one would be in the house tonight, and to sleep well.
The chief said he would hold a ritual for his daughter through the night.
“Sigh….”
Hanna was about to drink the tea the chief had left but put it down again out of discomfort.
“Why on earth did Sir Virgil….”
Hanna sat on the hard bed, letting out deep sighs.
How was she supposed to sleep in the room of someone who had died by her own hands?
She spent time emptily in a drowsy, spine-chilling mood.
“I should do something….”
To pass the time, she took out the herbology book Virgil had given her.
A window similar to when she acquired a skill appeared before her eyes.
After roughly looking through it, it seemed that reading the book automatically revealed the manufacturing methods.
“Hmm.”
She moved closer to the moonlight to read the book.
Then she saw a very small gap at the bedside.
Inside was a small notebook.
“What’s this?”
Hanna slipped her slender hand into the gap and pulled out the notebook.
She examined the cover.
It was the dead woman’s diary.
“Ah….”
Flustered, she dropped it.
Thud.
The diary fell open on its own, and letters were revealed in the moonlight shining down.
‘Mom brought home a stepfather.’
The wind blowing through the open window gap turned the pages bit by bit.
Hanna blankly read the sentences that caught her eye.
‘Mom died.’
‘Stepfather came into my room.’
‘He says he loves me.’
‘I want to die.’
‘Tomorrow I go on an errand to Roun.’
‘I was kidnapped.’
‘When I came home, stepfather looked at me with surprised eyes.’
‘That evening, he came into my room again.’
‘Strangely… I didn’t hate it.’
‘I kidnapped village women at the teacher’s request.’
‘It was pleasure I’d never felt in my life.’
‘I want to see blood again.’
‘Stepfather has grown weak.’
‘Boring. Shall I kill him?’
‘Mercenaries came to the village.’
‘Not enough.’
‘I can’t reach the teacher. Then can I do as I please now?’
‘I killed five people today.’
“What the hell is this….”
Though the contents were fragmentary, they filled her with disgust.
A strange sound reached Hanna’s ears as she grew serious.
The sound of someone approaching the door.
Creeak. Creeak.
‘I-is it Sir Virgil?’
Hanna put the diary back in its place and lay down on the bed.
Her mind was complicated.
Tonight of all nights, she didn’t want to see Virgil.
Rough footsteps slowly opened the door and entered.
Hoping he would leave quickly, Hanna pretended to be asleep.
“…….”
“Huuuh….”
Then a strange sound reached Hanna’s ear.
A rough breathing sound that Virgil would never normally make.
“Huuuh….”
When Hanna felt something was wrong and turned over, someone immediately covered her mouth.
“Mmph!”
“I knew you weren’t asleep.”
What she saw in the moonlight was the chief’s flushed face.
His eyes were half-glazed, and the smell of alcohol reeked from his mouth.
“Our Arin, were you waiting for me today too?”
“Mmph mmph!”
The chief’s filthy breath reached Hanna’s earlobe.
And the moment his ugly hand tried to grope Hanna’s body—
Bang!
A bullet flew in from outside the door and pierced the chief’s head.
His frail body was slammed into the wall, and bright red blood poured onto the bed.
Hanna looked toward the door with frightened eyes.
There stood Virgil with his usual indifferent face.
“He took longer than expected.”
“Did you… know?”
Hanna’s voice trembled.
“Only suspected.”
“How….”
“When I saw him earlier, he was hugging the dead daughter and erasing the spell drawn on her body with saliva. As if he had known she was a witch from the very beginning.”
“…….”
“Also, his eyes were filled with lust when he looked at you.”
“……”
For the first time, Hanna glared at Virgil.
“Am I too cruel?”
“Yes, knowing that, why on earth did you leave me here?”
“To teach you.”
“Teach me what?”
“That this world is not as beautiful a place as you think it is.”
“…….”
“To survive, throw away weak thoughts like guilt. And never trust people. You’re too soft.”
“…….”
“Let’s go. The gunshot was loud.”
Virgil turned around.
Watching his back, Hanna opened her mouth.
“Sir Virgil.”
“What.”
“Should I not trust you either?”
At her words, Virgil stopped walking.
He turned his head and looked at her.
His gaze was cold.
Seeing that, Hanna expected his answer.
He would tell her not to trust him.
Treating her like an annoying nuisance.
Based on what she had experienced so far, he was that kind of man.
Then her heart began to feel empty.
Hanna hung her head low.
Her courage to survive in this world diminished.
“Never mind. Forget I said it….”
“Trust me.”
“…What?”
She raised her head.
She wondered if she had heard wrong.
Virgil continued indifferently.
“You only need to trust me. My plans, my actions, my orders, my expressions, my words. Then you’ll survive.”
“…….”
Hanna bit her lip.
It was fine if he treated her as a tool.
She just needed somewhere to lean.
“Yes….”
“Let’s go. I’ve collected the reward.”
Virgil went outside the room.
Hanna watched his back, then as if remembering something, went back to the bed.
“Dirty bastard….”
She took out the diary and placed it on top of the dead chief’s body.
Hoping that whoever saw it would spit and shower curses on him in her stead.
Hanna immediately left the room.
And a short while later.
A mountain breeze from outside the window turned the diary’s pages.
‘Tomorrow, I’ll kill my stepfather.’