Chapter 168 : Meeting - 3
Chapter 168: Meeting - 3
We returned to the palace where the Dragon—Drod—had been coiled up.
Just a short while ago, it had been the fiercest battlefield imaginable, but now it was nothing but quiet.
The countless swarms of flies that had been impossible to count had vanished without a trace.
'Looks like Magireta has begun dealing with Odline.'
Since his own life was on the line, Odline couldn't keep focusing on the so-called "Hood Crusade."
Armelia spoke.
“The war seems to be over.”
“Yes. Magireta must have gone to find Odline. If I had to compare it to something, it's like an adult stepping in to stop two children from fighting.”
“An excellent comparison. Though it's slightly different in that instead of forcing them to make up, the adult kills one of them.”
Aina let out a dry laugh.
“If it's that different, then it's not an excellent comparison at all. It's completely wrong. Every time Mason says something, you call it excellent.”
“By the way, Mason.”
“She ignored that again.”
“I understand that Odline has retreated, but where is Drod?”
I gestured toward the palace below with my chin.
“He probably went to his wife.”
“......”
“I offered Drod two gifts.”
“Killing Odline and curing his wife.”
“Hmm. Since he'd think one of those had already been fulfilled...”
“He probably rushed off to check whether the other one had been fulfilled as well.”
After answering, I took out the Compass.
The Compass could also enlarge the map.
Thanks to that, I discovered that there was a massive underground area beneath the building.
And that Drod was there.
I signaled to Karin.
“Take us down. Let's head underground.”
“Huh?”
“What?”
“If you're right, isn't Drod in the middle of an emotional family reunion right now? Won't we just look like uninvited guests if we interrupt?”
I shrugged.
“That might happen, but it can't be helped. Right now, taking credit is more important.”
“Didn't you already take plenty of credit earlier?”
“That was with Drod. The person who was actually cured needs to know too.”
“She needs to know that we were the ones who saved her.”
“Good grief.”
“This is actually pretty important. Even if Drod were to break his promise and try to kill us someday, if his wife stopped him, he'd have no choice but to back down. So we need to win Mrs. Drod over as well.”
Drod seemed to be quite devoted to his wife.
In any case, we landed on the palace rooftop.
As we followed the enlarged map down toward the underground level, Sienne suddenly spoke.
“Shouldn't we bring some kind of get-well gift?”
“Waaah! Mom! Mom!”
“Beat... Ah, my daughter...”
Creak.
I quietly opened the underground door and peeked inside.
It was a sea of tears.
B—the girl we had met during the Intermediary Trade Quest, Beat—was sobbing uncontrollably in a woman's arms.
The one gently stroking her hair...
No.
A Monster.
'That Monster must be Drod's wife.'
A Monster named Lenia Kuhalim.
A Berserker who had lost the Madness trait.
From Magireta's perspective, she was probably nothing more than a failed creation whose defining characteristic as a Berserker had disappeared.
Yet watching her lovingly stroke her daughter made it seem as though everything had finally returned to normal.
Drod stood a short distance away, doing his best to maintain a calm expression.
The way he desperately tried to preserve his solemn dignity somehow felt very much like Drod.
Not that I knew him particularly well.
“Sniff... Mom, where did you go? Why did Dad lie to me?”
“Beat, that's...”
“No, no.”
“Don't answer.”
“I don't care anymore.”
“Just... don't disappear again.”
“Please... please.”
Lenia hugged Beat even tighter.
“I'm sorry.”
“I won't go anywhere ever again.”
“You've been very lonely all this time, haven't you?”
Sniff.
“I'm okay.”
“More importantly, Mom, you're not sick anymore, are you?”
“Of course not.”
“As you can see, I'm perfectly fine.”
Their reunion continued for quite a while.
Berseum muttered,
“Should we step outside for a bit?”
“There's no need.”
Perhaps he somehow heard that.
Drod's heavy voice echoed through the room.
Apparently, he had noticed us the moment we entered.
The mother and daughter, however, only realized it now and turned toward us in surprise.
Beat's eyes widened.
“Ah! You!”
“Hmm. Long time no see?”
“Long time no see? Long time no see?”
“Is this really the time for such a carefree greeting?”
She furiously pointed at me.
“Dad! That's him!”
“He's Mason...”
“Calm yourself.”
“Dad?”
“It's true that he did something terrible to you.”
“But at the same time...”
“He's also the one who cured Lenia.”
“What?”
“I'll explain everything.”
Drod slowly began speaking.
Without showing any emotional agitation, he calmly recounted everything.
Lenia's mysterious Madness.
How he had imprisoned his wife while shedding tears of blood.
That Magireta had been responsible for her Madness.
And finally...
That I had persuaded Magireta to cure Lenia.
Lenia's and Beat's eyes grew wide.
Once the explanation ended, Lenia spoke first.
“So that's what happened.”
“I don't know how I could ever express my gratitude...”
“Huh?”
“What is it?”
“I just...”
“I didn't expect to receive thanks so immediately.”
“I really did feed maggots to your daughter.”
“That's certainly something I should be angry about.”
She smiled gently.
“But if it weren't for you...”
“I would never have seen my daughter again.”
“......”
“You didn't simply cure my Madness.”
“You restored our broken and crumbling family.”
“That achievement is so overwhelming...”
“That I simply can't bring myself to be angry.”
She quietly lowered her head.
Then she gently patted Beat on the back.
“Beat.”
“Let it go.”
“They only made that choice because they were trying to survive.”
“You heard your father explain the Quest, didn't you?”
“Ugh...”
“Go on.”
“Thank them.”
“......”
“Hurry.”
Beat pouted as she spoke.
“Th-thank you.”
“For now.”
“......”
“But that doesn't mean I've forgiven what you did to me!”
“I'm just holding it in and letting it go!”
“I'm not forgiving you!”
“Don't forget that!”
“Hahaha.”
“Why are you laughing?!”
“It doesn't feel like the right atmosphere for crying anymore.”
In any case...
The three members of that family had officially forgiven me.
Which meant...
[You have successfully survived the Sudden Quest 'Erasure'.]
[The records during the Sudden Quest 'Erasure' have been changed.]
[Part of the Future Diary has been revised to reflect the updated records.]
[The Diary Book's 'First Memory Fragment' function has been upgraded.]
[Sudden Quest: Armelia's Survival has been completed. Reward: 100 Points.]
[Sudden Quest: Aina's Survival has been completed. Reward: 100 Points.]
[Sudden Quest: Berseum's Survival has been completed. Reward: 100 Points.]
[Sudden Quest: Sienne's Survival has been completed. Reward: 100 Points.]
[Sudden Quest: Benjamin's Survival has been completed. Reward: 100 Points.]
[Sudden Quest: Karin's Survival has been completed. Reward: 100 Points.]
[Current Points: 3,405]
I did it!
I couldn't stop myself from grinning.
Benjamin noticed my expression and asked,
“Mason. What happened?”
“We've survived now.”
“What?”
“Mr. Drod will never kill us.”
He had resolved to keep his promise with me.
That was why this Sudden Quest had been completed.
At that moment, Aina stared at me in disbelief.
“'Mr. Drod'?”
“Ah, you're right.”
“I was being too disrespectful.”
“Lord Drod.”
“That's even worse!”
“Isn't just calling him by his name enough?”
“Not at all.”
“We'll be seeing each other often from now on.”
“I should show proper respect.”
“We'll be seeing each other often...?”
Instead of answering, I looked toward Drod.
“Lord Drod.”
“That's enough.”
“From what I've seen, you don't even use honorifics with Lady Magireta.”
“So calling me 'Lord' when I'm merely her subordinate only makes me uncomfortable.”
“Is that so?”
“You're surprisingly loyal...”
“At least for now.”
“......What do you mean?”
“Oh, it's nothing.”
I shrugged and changed the subject.
“Anyway, I'd like to maintain a good relationship with someone as respected in Hell as Mr. Drod.”
“Heh.”
“Why are you laughing?”
“When we first met...”
“I told you that I already found you unpleasant despite it being our first meeting.”
I felt somewhat awkward.
However, Drod's next words were unexpectedly gentle.
“I take that back.”
“...?”
“I've come to like you.”
“At least a little.”
“I'm honored.”
“Come to think of it...”
“I haven't actually said it myself yet.”
He slightly bowed his head toward me.
“Thank you.”
“For curing my wife.”
My companions and I were slightly surprised by his proper expression of gratitude.
Beat, however, seemed even more shocked.
“D-Dad.”
“You don't have to bow your head!”
“Haha.”
“Dad?”
“Hehehe... Hahaha!”
Suddenly, Drod threw his head back and burst into hearty laughter.
It was an abrupt emotional shift, but somehow I understood why.
Until now, Drod had barely managed to maintain his dignified composure.
But inside...
His emotions had already been on the verge of overflowing.
The moment he formally thanked me, those emotions finally spilled out.
Smiling broadly, he said,
“Are you leaving right away?”
“Huh?”
“If you don't have any pressing business...”
He continued in a gentle voice.
“Stay here for a few days.”
That night.
I unpacked my belongings in the most extravagant room in Drod's palace.
Then I threw myself onto a gigantic bed large enough for at least five people to roll around on.
Boing.
'Whoa.'
'It's unbelievably soft!'
'So this is what a bed in Hell is like.'
[It doesn't seem to have much to do with Hell.]
'I never imagined I'd receive this kind of hospitality from an MVP.'
Drod really was that grateful to me.
His wife and family clearly meant everything to him.
[In any case, congratulations.]
[Who would've thought you'd even form a connection with an MVP?]
'Yeah.'
'I'm just glad he's an MVP who can actually be reasoned with.'
[Indeed.]
[Now then...]
[Shall we get to the main topic?]
'...?'
[The new function you've just unlocked.]
Ah.
The so-called First Memory Fragment.
I tilted my head.
'This feels a little different from the functions I've unlocked so far.'
[Does it?]
'Considering your usually straightforward naming sense...'
'Could this restore my lost memories?'
As I asked, I could feel my heart pounding.
As I've said many times before...
I have no memories of my past.
Unfortunately, the Diary Book's answer was disappointing.
[No.]
[Not at all.]
'Why do you sound so cheerful saying that?'
[In any case, a "Memory Fragment" isn't something so trivial.]
'Don't call someone else's lost memories trivial.'
'Then whose memories are they?'
[I never said this was Lord Mason's Memory Fragment.]
I frowned.
'They're not my memories?'
[I never said they weren't your memories either.]
'Are you messing with me?'
[I can't tell you whose memories they are yet.]
[Nor from what point in time.]
[You'll learn those things little by little.]
[For now...]
[Would you like to take a look?]
I sighed.
'Of course.'
[Very well.]
[Just a moment.]
The Diary Book suddenly flipped open with a flutter.
Watching it, I thought,
'Am I about to watch it flap around like a bird laying an egg again?'
It had looked exactly like that when we bought my companions' Awakenings.
'Hm?'
No.
Riiip.
One particular page was torn from the Diary Book.
The torn page slowly drifted toward me...
Swoosh.
And was absorbed into my body!
'W-What is this?'
I asked.
But there was no answer.
Or perhaps there was...
And I simply couldn't hear it.
Before I realized it...
I was seeing a vision.
It wasn't a dream.
Nor was it reality.
It was literally...
A memory from the past.
A fragment.
The world inside the vision was pure white.
After blinking several times, I finally realized why everything around me was so white.
'Clouds.'
Every direction was covered in white clouds.
The sensation of floating through the air made me lose my composure.
As I panicked, a heavy voice echoed from a distant cloud.
—An uninvited guest has arrived.
I flinched, wondering whether it was talking about me.
But it wasn't.
This time, someone answered from the clouds on the opposite side.
—Have you been well?
A light, cheerful voice.
The complete opposite of the heavy one.
Neither speaker could be seen.
Both remained hidden behind the clouds.
So I couldn't even begin to guess who they were.
I couldn't guess...
'Huh?'
'I feel like I've heard that cheerful voice before.'
Where was it?
Who was it?
......
'Magireta!'
There was no mistake.
The owner of the cheerful voice was Magireta.
'What's going on?'
'Why is Magireta inside this Memory Fragment?'
'Whose memory is this?'
At that moment, the deep voice spoke again.
—What brings you here?
—I was bored.
—That has nothing to do with me.
—Leave.
—No, hear me out.
—You must be bored too.
—I came up with a great idea.
After a brief silence, the deep voice replied.
—Let's hear it.
—You know...
—How about we...
Magireta's next words made my heart feel as though it would leap out of my chest.
—Play a game?