Chapter 62
A Cluster of Small
Stars
Translator : PolterGlast
Summary from the
previous episode: The mark Veda placed on San was actually on San's butt. A
tragedy that occurred because, as a slime, the parts of his body were only
discernible to himself. Also, I delivered the final blow. I am deeply sorry.
While we all comforted
San, who was trembling while clutching his rear, Veda, even he looked slightly
uncomfortable, snapped his fingers once. The red paint-like mark on San
vanished just like that. Let's get back to the topic.
"Ahem," Veda
cleared his throat and explained.
"I placed a
'mark' on that slime-kun over there. That way, even if he escaped, I would know
his location immediately. Yet, when I used the detection magic tool, he was
nowhere to be found."
Veda's bracelet was a
magic tool. It had a presence-sensing function, and when Veda used it, it
became incredibly powerful, capable of detecting the presence of monsters. In
other words, the detection magic tool had lost San's presence, but another
mark, one I didn't know about, was still reacting. Veda found it strange, which
meant someone was blocking his presence.
"Whether it was a
magic tool or a skill, it was unclear, but that slime-kun of yours was dancing
on the bed of an inn when we first met. I was going to investigate the person
who had booked the inn first, but it's convenient that you came to me. I am a
busy man, so I was waiting while working."
"D-demon of
rationality..."
He was busy. Also, he
casually mentioned that San was dancing just now, but I'd like a little more
insight into Veda's state of mind when he saw that. Somehow, I felt like
saying, "Sorry about my slime." That guy was probably having a
one-person carnival.
"Now then, what
exactly is it that you have come here to do?"
It was a direct, straightforward
question. I couldn't help but groan. Then, as if Veda had read my mind, he
said, "I am not particularly fond of roundabout questions. They are a
waste of time." What a busy Vice-Tower Master. Before I knew it, Lotus was
standing in front of me as I groaned. I could tell he was ready to jump out
without hesitation if anything happened, and Veda certainly understood that as
well.
I was still using my
illusion skill, so I was in my adult form. But in the end, I was always relying
on Lotus's strength, which frustrated me. This wasn't the time to be feeling
down. Negotiations were my domain. I took a step forward.
"I will tell you
our purpose. But before that, I have a question for you as well."
I was glad I was in my
adult form. At least I didn't have to look up at Veda as much as usual.
"As you can see,
I am a demon. Yet, you have neither restrained us nor attacked us, nor done
anything at all. Why is that?"
I deliberately used
"I." Lotus had also shown his flight skill, so he might be thought of
as a demon, but his eye color was still blackish-purple because of the illusion
skill. If I could get by with deception, I wanted to try even if it meant using
force.
Humans and demons were
supposed to be enemies. The question I had asked felt terribly futile.
But that futile thing
had already become normal for me. Because I had become Eldorado, because I had
become a demon. I didn't think I was inferior to humans. But I wasn't thinking
of opposing them either. It was just that there was a "difference" between
us. It was something that existed beyond appearances or unique skills,
something clearly visible and easy to understand.
I couldn't pretend not
to see that "difference."
Before I knew it, the
tree branches Veda had extended were back to their original state, and the
quiet moonlight cast a round circle at our feet from the sky. Veda held his
shakujo and leaned against the tree trunk, smiling slowly. It wasn't the
artificial smile from before, but one that had inadvertently spilled out. That
kind of smile.
"...Are you
familiar with this rumor?"
The sound shan I heard
this time was definitely from the shakujo. It was a very beautiful sound, like
the clear ringing of a bell.
"...Rumor?"
"Perhaps it is
something you are least aware of. But I know it. This tree told me."
The tree I looked up
at was much taller than Veda or Lotus. Its lush green leaves were firm and full
of vitality. --This was one of the World Trees. No, the real World Tree was
much larger; this tree was just one of its branches. The Branch of the World
Tree used for shortcuts in Soleil was centered here. That's why the same spell
was used to go to Yuko's room in the Magic Tower and to enter this place. The
roots were the same.
"One of my major
tasks is the management of this tree. Soleil is the first country in this world
to be born as a leaf of the World Tree. That is why this country can use the
relics of the past called magic tools and has extended its roots to other
leaves longer than anywhere else. Therefore, you see, I have very keen
ears."
What was he trying to
say? Naturally, the furrow between my brows deepened. I felt uneasy about
conversations whose purpose I didn't understand. I thought he had said he
disliked roundabout conversations, but perhaps this was a straightforward
explanation for Veda. If so, I decided to listen to his words quietly without
interrupting. Veda nodded with satisfaction.
"I have known
about you for some time now."
"For about three
years now, perhaps?" he added, raising one hand slightly. Several small
bubbles floated around us. Something was reflected in each of those bubbles.
When I blinked, they grew larger. What was reflected was me.
I was running
desperately.
In the city, in my
current adult form, my face was flushed red, and I was shouting,
"Attention!" I was threatening that because I was a wicked demon, I
would do bad things and destroy the city, shouting as loudly as I could, but
looking at it now, I was crying a little. I was scared. Watching the people
fleeing like scattered spiderlings, I felt relieved. It was supposed to be a
brilliant idea I had come up with so that no one would get hurt.
But at that moment,
just a little, a feeling of sadness also arose. Because I was a demon, people
fled like that.
But if they didn't
escape, something terrible would happen. I felt like I would be crushed by the
overflowing, heavy magic power. I couldn't say anything grand like protecting
important people, but I at least wanted to do everything I could. When Lotus
defeated the appearing monster, the bubble burst.
"This is a memory
from three years ago, in Velvect, the capital of Cloudy Country."
--I know.
Looking back, I
thought it was ridiculous. I thought I was trying so hard back then, but I was
just desperately reckless and pathetic. There were countless ways I could have
done it better.
"I make an effort
to gather information from other leaves as much as possible. However, with all
four countries, the amount of information is enormous, so a certain amount of
selection is necessary. In this incident, a part of the city of Velvect was
destroyed. It would be difficult to say not to worry. However, compared to the
state of the city, surprisingly, there were no fatalities. Behind that story
was one demon."
"That would be
you," Veda said, turning his gaze to me. Before I knew it, countless
bubbles were overflowing around us. Various scenes were reflected in each one.
"I found it
strange and decided to follow you. Then, several rumors also came to my
attention."
--What a clumsy demon.
When trying to destroy the city, they actually announce it themselves.
--Thanks to that,
everyone was able to escape. Though there were a few who got slightly injured.
--Well, that's because
that boy from that house was an idiot, wasn't he? He tripped and fell while
running away.
--Anyway, it's good it
was a stupid demon.
Men were laughing
uproariously. I had expected to be mocked, so I didn't feel much about being
laughed at.
--Really?
That's why I was
puzzled by the woman who asked with a trembling voice. A woman I didn't know.
The men all turned back to her at her question. Startled, she shrank back and
trembled. If that was the case, she shouldn't have said anything, but she
clenched her fists and continued while looking down, "I was just
wondering."
--When you're going to
destroy a city, is there really a need to announce it beforehand? Wasn't there
perhaps some other purpose?
When asked what that
other purpose might be, the woman shrank even further, saying she didn't know.
--But I just thought
it was strange. Did that demon really want to destroy our city...?
The men exchanged
glances and tilted their heads at the woman's question, but then, as if their
interest had waned, they left, saying they didn't know. The woman who looked up
had a lovely face, but she was truly a stranger.
"Um, this person
is..."
"I believe you
have met her before. Would you like to rewind a little and look at the branch's
memories?"
The next memory was a
pitch-black night, when Lotus had yelled at me for being reckless.
He had cautioned me
that even though I was a demon and didn't know how strong I was, this was a
human city, so I should live more cautiously. Remembering it, I felt nothing
but embarrassment welling up. When it went back a little further, I was helping
a woman. She was being harassed by some men in an alley and was in trouble. In
my demon form, I slammed the heel of my boot into a man's stomach. That was the
reason Lotus had gotten angry with me.
Memories of a woman I
didn't know flowed by. She knew it was dangerous to walk around the city at
night. But she had unavoidable circumstances. Escaping after being rescued by
me, she trembled and asked Lotus for help, but then she escaped on her own.
Along with heavy regret, the memory of a strangely dressed woman remained in her
mind.
Several days later,
she heard rumors that the woman who had caused a commotion in the city was
dressed strangely. That's why she had wondered. Could the woman who had helped
her have been a demon...?
One memory slept in
each bubble. The next ones were of people I knew. Sutra-san was moving around
energetically, and although a hole had been made in the corner of the
Harapeko-tei, it seemed to have been rebuilt somehow. The restaurant was as
popular as ever, and she was livening up the place with the landlady. I watched
with relief, thinking, "Thank goodness."
--Huh? Did that little
kid who used to be here quit?
At the regular
customer's question, she turned around while holding plates in both hands, and
a slightly sad look appeared on her face. But it was only for a moment.
"Aren't you satisfied with just me?" she huffed, pretending to be
angry. "No, no," the regular customer said, panicking.
"Sutra-chan, you're lovely, the most beautiful woman in Cloudy
Country!" As she was being cheered on, she spun around and struck a pose.
"You idiot girl, you'll spill the food!" the landlady's yell came
from the kitchen.
In the corner of the
lively dining hall, someone muttered quietly.
--That brat was a
demon, you know.
"Didn't they
somehow manage to hide their eye color? After that woman who looked a lot like
that brat caused trouble, they disappeared immediately. They were suspicious,
and if that's the case, they were a terrible little brat," a man drinking
in the middle of the day said, and Sutra-san swung her fist at him. She acted
too quickly. I interjected from behind the bubble. The customers around caught
the food on the plates Sutra-san was holding, and several strong men held down
the growling beauty. The man who took a punch to the stomach was out in an
instant. But Sutra-san was still shouting.
--Don't say things
without any basis!
It was a lie. Within
the bubble, I could understand Sutra-san's feelings just a little. Surely,
Sutra-san also knew that I was a demon. At first, it might have been a
possibility, but the more she thought about it, the more it seemed that way.
She had been raised being taught that demons were terrifying. So, even if she
was told I was a demon, she didn't really understand, and her thoughts stopped
there. Because it was something that shouldn't be said, and shouldn't even be
thought of. But. Even so.
--El was a good kid!
Since it was about me
personally, not as a demon, she could shout as much as she wanted.
With her large eyes
filled with tears, while being held back by the men from behind. She was
surprised by her own voice that came out involuntarily. But she had no regrets.
The man Sutra-san had
punched snapped back to consciousness, kicked the table, and stood up, yelling,
"You bitch!" Yozaki-san tripped him from the side. "As a
gatekeeper protecting the peace of the city, I won't tolerate any business
disruption," he said with a smile, touching his top hat, as the man,
holding his now bright red nose, tried to get up as if to punch him. However,
he was looked down upon by several burly men and immediately twitched his lips.
Eventually, the
landlady kicked him out, saying, "The meal's on the house, so don't ever
come back!" and he stood dumbfounded in front of the Harapeko-tei, tasting
the whirlwind of his own making.
"You are just a
single drop of water."
Veda looked at me
quietly.
"However, that
small drop creates a slight ripple. The ripple that is born resonates and
continues endlessly."
Snap, snap, the
stories within the bubbles told me one by one.
That was a demon.
Really?
What in the world was
their purpose?
They were probably
trying to do something worse than destroying the city.
So, what was it?
I don't know.
If you don't know,
then maybe it's different.
It was like the voices
of many rumors. The voices of people, overlapping in layers.
"I have
occasionally observed your journey. Of course, this is just the memory of a
branch, so it is not omnipotent. Some parts are missing, so while I knew you
had come to Soleil, I did not know you were in this city. However, we know that
you have no ill intentions towards us."
Memories of traveling
with Lotus and Ichi and the others overflowed, floating in the bubbles. Lotus
carrying me on his back through the forest, fleeing from monsters, everyone
laughing, eating together, going to new towns and villages, looking up at the
starry sky and sleeping. In the memories, Elma was smiling. She had a past
where her brother had turned into a demon, suffered through various things, yet
still gritted her teeth and lived on, a friend of a small girl.
--I want to see El
again.
Before I knew it,
Lotus was roughly wiping my face with his large palm. When I wondered why, I
realized I was crying terribly. I didn't know how to swallow my emotions. The
tears that spilled out uncontrollably wouldn't stop, no matter how many times I
inhaled and tried to hold them back. It was no use.
People were
terrifying. Just a slight change in appearance or status, and they would
instantly change their attitude. But there were also people like Socius who saw
me as El, not just as a demon.
Whether that was right
or wrong, I didn't know. But I felt happy.
Lotus patted my
tear-streaked face even more roughly. I had meant to get angry, but the words
wouldn't come out properly, and I grabbed his thick palm. It was a warm, hard
palm. The hand of someone who held a sword. Feeling incredibly reassured by
that, I simply bit my lip.
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