Chapter 15 - Academy City (5)
"U-Urgh!"
Eric's lips twisted grotesquely, melting away.
Like flowing candle wax, his dissolved lips stuck to his mouth, sealing it with a sticky film.
I was slightly surprised.
He was a spy for the Poison King Cult; he should have had resistance to poison, yet the effect was excellent.
Compared to this, my swollen red hand was nothing.
"Ugh! Urgh!"
"Does it hurt? Now you know too. How much my sister must have hurt back then... It must have felt like her whole body was melting. But she didn't scream once, so I wouldn't worry."
I put my hand back into the orb and smiled.
"So I should hurt a little too."
"Urgh! Urghhh!"
"And you too."
Eric's speechless eyes contorted as if looking at a madman.
And I liked that.
I truly wanted to see this.
Deeply, desperately.
"Good. This is so good. I really thought I'd never be able to tell anyone about this, ever. But there was a way, wasn't there? Thank you, Mr. Eric from the Poison King Cult. I don't know if Eric is your real name, but anyway."
Gathering that gratitude, I gently and slowly stroked Eric's body.
With my right hand, freshly withdrawn from the orb.
"Urgh! Urghhhhh!"
The guy twisted his stiff body like crazy.
He was like a fish being filleted alive or a frog in a steamer.
Flesh melted, muscles melted, bones melted.
So this was the true power of concentrated Leyline Poison.
If it was like this just from touching the body, how strong would it become if used in a body-enhancing way, like those Poison King bastards?
"Oh, right. Was that the illusion I saw back then? Leyline Poison as Deadly Poison Enhancement... Yes. That's why it swelled up so horribly."
"U-Urgh! Urgh!"
"Be quiet. Do you think I like doing this? But what can I do? When it comes down to it, I have to do it. Of course, it would be good to get stronger in the Sword King house's way, but that doesn't just happen because I want it to, does it?"
"Urghhhhh!"
"I can't feel the leyline. So I can't use Aura. Without Aura, there will be limits with just swordsmanship. So to wipe out the entire Poison King Cult... No, no. That's not important right now."
I shook my head and looked into Eric's eyes.
"One must be faithful to reality."
Tiber often said that during his lifetime.
That's why he always ate whatever food was in front of him immediately, without procrastinating.
And he was right.
You should enjoy things to the fullest when you can.
I savored the sight of Eric writhing in agony, taking it all in.
"Urghhhhh!"
Good.
"Urgh! Urgh! Urghhhhh!"
Truly good.
Humans are truly amazing beings, it seems.
To be able to enjoy watching another human melt before your eyes.
Then, at some point, his reaction weakened.
"No, no!"
I instantly pulled my hand away.
"No, don't. Absolutely not. This is just the beginning, let's not end it yet. Hmm? You can still hold on, right? Right?"
"Urgh..."
"If you have any conscience, hold on a bit longer. Do you know how many people were in that poison cave? Do you know what they all went through?"
"Urgh..."
"Hundreds of them. Hundreds of them suffered together and died. So cheer up. Hold on as long as you can. Even if not for hundreds, you should do the part of dozens, don't you think? Right?"
"..."
"So, how about... three days? Let's just hold out for three days like this. I held out that long without dying. Or five days is good too. Even if I have to miss the academy's entrance ceremony, I'll stay with you. Hmm?"
So please, entertain me a little longer.
Please.
But as always, pleasant times melt away quickly like snow.
"Urgh..."
Eric couldn't hold on for a few more seconds, rolled his eyes back, and breathed his last.
"Hoo..."
A sigh escaped me.
It was regrettable, but there was nothing to be done.
Next time such an opportunity arose, I would just have to control it more carefully.
The enjoyment ends here.
Now it's time to extract the real information.
"You're all listening to me, right? Can you do me a favor?"
I asked as I stepped away from the corpse.
Then, the floating orb spread wide like a cloth, covering the body.
WHOOSH!
Indeed, we were family.
Even without detailed explanations, we were perfectly in sync.
In truth, it was closer to me controlling the orb and issuing commands... but what did it matter?
I could still feel everyone's will remaining within it.
Sizzle...
The orb covered Eric's body and began to melt and absorb him.
His flesh, of course, but also the blood and poison he expelled before dying—all of it.
It absorbed everything that melted, compressing and extracting the essence within.
Just like it did in the poison cave.
It absorbed not only the poison accumulated in the deceased's body but also the lingering will embedded there.
Leyline Poison possessed such power.
That's why the souls of my brother, sister, and Tiber still remained within it.
And I could control it and give commands.
Because I was once the Poison King for a few moments.
As time passed, more memories returned.
Memories of the moment I harbored the first Poison King, Kainens, or something like Kainens' soul, within my body.
That's why I could give commands.
I felt sorry for my brother and sister, but in a situation like this, there was no other way.
Gurgle...
Nothing remained where the orb had been active.
Not the corpse, nor the bloodstains; even the poison mist and scent that had permeated the air vanished without a trace.
All of it had been compressed into essence and absorbed by the orb.
Thanks to this, the orb had grown infinitesimally larger than before.
"Sorry, everyone. For making you do something unpleasant like this. But you know how I feel, right? I know it too. I felt it when I put my hand in earlier. You all still think of me... Ah! Tiber, you too. There must be at least one good pumpkin pie place here if you look hard enough. And Eric? Can you come out for a bit?"
Then, a slightly lighter-colored aura flowed out of the orb.
Whoosh...
Like a hazy smoke.
Ughhhhh...
Screaming like a ghost.
"First, let's say your name again?"
"E-Eric..."
The smoke responded, a faint echo.
Good.
He's obedient.
A sudden question arose.
Could everyone hear this voice?
Or was it just me?
"Well, what does it matter? But Eric? Instead of that name, can you tell me your real name, the one you used in the Poison King Cult?"
"E..."
"Not Eric. Your real name."
"Ba... Baldinger."
"Baldinger?"
"Th-that's right."
"What a strange name. Anyway, you're a spy sent by the Poison King Cult, right?"
"Th-that's right. N-no. I mustn't. I can't tell..."
The smoke trembled violently, as if in agony.
I reached out and clutched the smoke.
"No, you can. You failed anyway, didn't you?"
"Fa-failed..."
"You failed to revive the First Poison King, didn't you? That's why you did all those things... No, more importantly, why did you come here? What's your purpose? Who sent you here?"
"Ugh, ughh..."
The smoke trembled violently, like a candle flame about to extinguish.
It was the soul of Eric, crafted from poison.
He writhed in pain for a long time before finally managing to speak.
"I... why am I like this...? Could it be... I-I'm dead?"
"You just figured that out? Anyway, yes. You're dead. So give up. Stop resisting pointlessly and just answer quickly."
"Ah... Damn it... I barely even started my mission..."
"Mission? What mission?"
"My, my mission was to cause chaos in Bryse... infiltrate the academy disguised as a student... roam the back alleys at night, killing people... causing unrest and confusion in the city..."
"And?"
"Collect information on key targets while attending the academy... and if there's a dangerous sprout, assassinate them when the opportunity arises..."
Yes.
I knew it.
"How many like you are here?"
"Spies dispatched by the Poison King Cult... I know of at least five..."
"Only the Poison King Cult? What about the Poison King family?"
"The Poison King family... I couldn't accurately ascertain... at least ten or more..."
"What's the exact relationship between the Poison King Cult and the Poison King family? Why do they act separately? And who are the key targets?"
"The Poison King Cult is... Ah, it's so frustrating. I've only killed three since arriving in Bryse..."
"Wait, you killed three already? Who?"
"Vagrants in the slums... Ugh, ah, I barely collected any information... Poison King... I'm sorry. Vice-Cult Leader... I failed... Ahh!"
Suddenly, Eric's consciousness flickered and scattered like smoke.
Why was he so weak?
I wanted to extract more information.
But perhaps because the lingering resentment was weak, it couldn't hold on for long.
At least I wanted to know who the key targets were...
All that remained was the essence of the poison he had harbored; Eric's existence and memories had now completely vanished.
No, was it Baldinger, not Eric?
Anyway.
Thanks to him, I learned an important fact: how strong the lingering resentment of my family was.
That's why they still remained within the orb, not disappearing like that.
For me, or because the dreams they couldn't fulfill in life were too desperate.
"Yeah. I know. I know."
I smiled at the orb.
"It's okay. You don't have to say anything. Don't worry, everyone. I'll do well. I'll do well and make all of it happen for you. I don't know how much peace that will bring, but..."
But at that moment.
"Ugh..."
My vision flickered and began to distort.
Suddenly again?
A future hallucination, the exact same scene of the city's future that I had seen upon first arriving in Bryse, unfolded.
Why was I seeing the same thing again?
"No, this is..."
No.
As I focused, something different appeared.
The outcome of the city's destruction was the same, but the timeline was slightly delayed, and the Sword King house's forces fought a bit harder in the final battle.
It wasn't a dramatic change, but the future had indeed changed.
My recent actions had altered the future.
Spy hunting.
Is this the answer?
Eric said that many spies from the Poison King family and Poison King Cult were in this city.
So if I find them and eliminate them all, perhaps I can prevent the city's destruction or create other possibilities.
This was fortunate.
I had been at a loss as to what to do immediately, but at least I now had an immediate goal.
Indeed, revenge is a business worth pursuing.
Who said revenge was meaningless?
This feels so good.
Hum hum...
I found myself humming.
Grrr...
And I was hungry.
I had just melted a person to death, and I was hungry... But I couldn't help it.
Based on my experience so far, seeing hallucinations generally made my stomach churn and brought on intense hunger.
Was even this mysterious power to see the future fundamentally fueled by the food I ate?
The problem was that I didn't have much money.
Most of the money I received from Inspector Pale had been spent on travel expenses.
With the remaining money, I had to get a uniform before the entrance ceremony.
I had thought I could eat once I arrived at the dorm, but the dorm itself was empty like a haunted house.
From the looks of it, I'd have to figure out my meals until classes started.
What should I do?
Should I go into a restaurant and wash dishes instead of paying for a meal?