The Main Character is the Villain

"What did you say this was?"

"Yes. It's a device we prepared to use on that damned bitch Eve when she was caught."

After the news of Eve's capture spread, the guild master brought an object from his mansion that was difficult to describe with my imagination alone. It was a large glass tank with numerous long tubes, and outside the tank was a pump connected to those tubes.

I couldn't understand how on earth this device was supposed to be used. In response to my question, the guild master spoke with a very proud expression.

"I'd like a more precise explanation."

"Yes. This is an item we prepared to both warn against the re-emergence of heinous pirates like Eve and to settle our grudge. It's what you might call a preservation device."

"A preservation device?"

"After anesthetizing and confining the target inside this glass tank, we use this special syringe of ours to completely harden their muscles. It hardens the muscles to the level of limestone, making it impossible for the person to move. Once used, they can't go back to normal, nor can they ever recover."

"So it's just killing them, then."

"No. Even with this injection, Eve will never be able to die. That's what we prepared that pump for." The merchant pointed to the pump outside. I, too, was wondering what that pump was for. When the merchant pressed a button attached below the tank, the pump started operating on its own. After showing it repeating its pumping action at a fast speed, the merchant stopped it again and introduced it.

"That pump will circulate the blood in Eve's body in place of her heart. Nutrients will be injected directly into her blood vessels, and since we don't plan on injecting her brain, she will still be able to think. Literally, she will become a living statue. As long as we live, Eve will live here as a statue, reflecting on her heinous life."

Isn't this an idea that only demon bastards would come up with? I was a little surprised at the method of execution, which was far more cruel than I had imagined. If these were the kinds of bastards capable of such an idea, it might have been right for Eve to just kill them all.

"But will such a method last long?"

"It's fine. We've experimented on a mermaid we caught before."

These were no ordinary bastards. I shook my head and looked at the mermaid I had brought. Her face was deathly pale as she looked back and forth between me and the guild master. The leader of Mermaid Island, a demon king—no one could maintain their sanity after hearing they would be executed in such a manner.

"This isn't right, is it? Right? This is really not right, is it?"

The mermaid whispered to me in a small voice, trembling. If they had just said they would kill her, she might have accepted death calmly. But even for a mermaid of a considerable age, this situation seemed terrifying. One wrong move and she might cause a disturbance. When I brought the tightly bound mermaid instead of Eve, the guild master asked with a curious expression.

"But you brought a mermaid, not Eve. What is that mermaid...?"

The mermaid looked at me with a desperate expression. I hesitated for a moment. Come to think of it, I had to get along with Eve in the future. But if I sold her mother mermaid, she would never try to communicate with me. No matter how legitimate my right was, Eve wouldn't be capable of such logical thought. When it comes to a family's death, emotion always overrides reason.

Not just killing her, but preserving her to be used as a street landmark—if Eve found out, there was no telling when she'd stick a knife in me. After thinking it over, I came to the conclusion that it was right to take both Eve and this mermaid.

"Ah, she is a mermaid I brought for investigation purposes, to provide testimony for the case."

Yes, Eve and the mermaid here had committed sins great enough that it wouldn't be strange to turn them into a human body mystery exhibition, but still, preserving them alive felt like crossing a serious line. If Eve found out her own mother had suffered such a fate, she might come to kill me with a knife later, even after I 'jabakkom' her. The guild master rubbed his hands together and asked me.

"Ah, I see. But then, what are your plans for Eve...?"

Eve was currently locked up in the Guard Corps' dungeon, bound in several layers of chains. Since I had caught her, I had the right to decide her treatment. The guild master looked desperate to use this preservation device as soon as possible and make Eve a landmark of the trade city.

I cleared my throat, then pretentiously adopted a cleric-like voice and began to speak.

"Reflection is very important for all criminals. From what I hear, Eve is of mixed human and mermaid blood, whose origins began in a slave market where she was abused by humans. This means that our society also bears some responsibility for Eve killing people and raping women."

"Th-that means, perhaps...?"

I roughly explained Eve's story from her character settings. Just from that, the guild master seemed to understand what I was trying to say. He put on a pitiful expression, which soon twisted as he spoke to me.

"Th-then, then what about my innocent wife? My wife, who was kidnapped and raped by a pirate for no reason! The spirits of the mermaid hunters! The adventurers who tried to earn rewards by subjugating pirates! With what are we to soothe the hearts of the women who were ruined!"

Frankly, it wasn't my problem. Hearing that he was the type to capture a mermaid for live experiments, it was clear this bastard had a considerable share of the blame for why Eve went around castrating people like that.

I shook my head and put on a pitiful expression.

"I truly have no words, Guild Master. But, Guild Master. The pirate Eve has lived a lifetime of murder, persecution, and discrimination, without even being given an opportunity for reformation. Isn't guiding such a person back into society the path a religion should take?

Everyone has the right to be loved. A cleric exists to give them that opportunity to be loved."

"My Lord!"

The guild master shouted, looking at me with an even more desperate expression. But there was nothing the guild master could do. Whether I handed the criminal over to the city or took her to fuck, that was my right. Even this mermaid I brought to the guild master was, strictly speaking, my possession that I hunted and caught.

"Guild Master. We must love one another. Anyone should have the opportunity to go out into society and get a new life. As the Southern High Priest of the Archdeity Church and the top honoree of this Eve Capture Operation, I will take custody of Eve."

Finally, I drew the line. Having said this much, there would be no problem no matter how much the guild master acted up. The mermaid, still tightly bound, looked at me and opened her mouth.

"Hk."

Is she hiccuping?

Hero AA was preparing to leave the city with a few female crew members. When she saw me, she waved her hand with a brighter smile. I waved back in greeting and then asked her.

"Sir Hero. Where are you going? Isn't it about time you head to the Elf Kingdom...?"

"Ah, I definitely need to go see Erina, but this matter is more urgent right now."

"By this matter, you mean...?"

I was scanning the women. The crew members still couldn't grasp the reality that they had escaped from Eve. It seemed the Hero was thinking of taking these women to their hometowns herself.

They were trembling as they looked back and forth between the Hero, me, and the mermaid I had tied up. One of the crew members pointed a finger at the mermaid and said.

"Th-that mermaid must be killed! She's a real crazy bitch! Th-that bitch was snickering while she watched my husband die... And she'd swim after the crew members who tried to escape and kill them..."

The mermaid tilted her head slightly and stared at the crew member. At her gaze, the crew member screamed and hid behind the Hero. The Hero shielded the crew member and spoke to the mermaid.

"Are you reflecting on your sins?"

"Heh... Are you reflecting?"

The mermaid asked the Hero, sticking her tongue out. The Hero and the crew members both wore incomprehensible expressions. The Hero asked back.

"What is there to reflect on?"

"Heh... The mermaid hunters killed my children. They were all sold as slaves, sold as prey, all dead. Sometimes, mermaid skeletons would wash ashore on the island where I lived. We're beings with intelligence just like you, so why do you act like this? What was I supposed to do to survive there? Do you think I could have lived with a sane mind? If I had come to the port and said, 'Please don't kill us,' do you think you would have let me live? You would have cut off my head, calling me the leader of Mermaid Island."

"Wh-what does that have to do with anything! It's not like I was involved in the mermaid trade... I was just on a journey! Before I was caught by your crazy daughter and had to do all these fucking shitty things, I was just on my way!"

"Does that feel so unjust to you?"

The mermaid asked again. The crew member nodded her head and shouted.

"Yes! It is unjust, you fucking bitch!"

"Heh... But what does that have to do with me? Just as you said. We weren't the ones who attacked humans first. We were just mermaids living peacefully, but you all didn't care. You should just accept your husband's death. Misfortune always comes without warning. You just met a storm."

"What..."

"A storm. Eung? I'm saying you met an inevitable storm. Anyone who sets out on a dangerous sea route is bound to meet a storm. How long do you think humans can rule this land? How far do you think you can go treating other species as slaves? Do you think only elves, humans, and dwarves can live happily ever after? Evangeline was right. I should have done as she said."

"What did you say?"

It seemed like a strange name had just come out of the mermaid's mouth. The mermaid stared at me blankly and asked.

"Why? What are you curious about?"

"Evangeline? Did you just say Evangeline?"

"That's right. Evangeline. That's the name of the mage who came to Mermaid Island. She said her name was Evangeline. She moved us mermaids to a different dwelling place. She said she'd give me power and we should wipe out this city, but I refused. There's no end to things like that. To be honest, this was more fun anyway."

As the conversation shifted to a serious topic, the Hero had a puzzled expression. It seemed the Hero, who had been on the verge of death at the time, couldn't remember the name Evangeline. Thanks to that, I didn't need to explain.

"Well then. I'll see you again next time, Priest."

"Farewell, Sir Hero."

I waved to the Hero. The mermaid flopped onto the cart, asking for water.

I fell into thought as I looked at this mermaid. It seemed I now had one more reason to take the mermaid with me. Because the name Evangeline had come up once again.