Chapter 1

Shivering in the cold wind that blew violently, I slowly pushed the motorbike and climbed up the road in the mountain pass at night. The dark road with its sparse streetlights, obscured by the snow mixed with sleets, seemed to reject living creatures even further.

—If you would consider the circumstances of an accident, it was rather fitting.

I didn’t know if I could call myself lucky. But at least it was convenient.

I am about to commit suicide.

It wasn’t a suicide due to mental illness, or out of despair over my own life. It was just the perfect situation to do so. It just so happened that my family was a poverty-stricken, fatherless family, and it just so happened that my younger sister from such a family was suffering from an incurable illness, and it just so happened that the cost of treating that illness wasn’t covered by insurance. And it just so happened that my death insurance (also called life insurance. In short: the insurance company will pay money upon death of the policy holder) would be enough to afford the treatment. It was that kind of story.

The world was too unreasonable because the amount of money received from dying was a lot higher than the money I had saved, even though I’ve desperately worked so hard to get a job as soon as I got out of high school to pay for my younger sister’s fees to enter school. Well… Regardless of the circumstances, I knew for a fact that I shouldn’t be taking this kind of means and that I should’ve found another way. I knew that, but.

‘Mom. Brother. I’m sorry for causing you all these troubles…’

On the white hospital bed, my younger sister’s voice trembled as she apologized. My mother’s sobs as she collapsed on the spot. The moment I saw that, I only had one thought before I lost my composure: I must do whatever it takes to help them.

Since then, I spent quite a fair amount of time to prepare things precisely, such as reviewing my insurance and inspecting suicide locations.

Apparently, once I learned that the insurance money was likely to be withheld if it was discovered that I killed myself, I thought about how to make my death look like an accident. Well, I also didn’t want my younger sister to feel guilty that her brother died because of her, so it was just right. It was the first time I had ever thought about suicide in my life, and I feared that I might chicken out during my preparations because of my hasty decision. But in fact, that didn’t happen at all, and things had been going extremely well even until now.

I wasn’t a very bright person, but still, as family and an older brother, I had to smile and shoulder all my younger sister’s misfortunes.

When I finally reached the top of the hill, I stopped walking. A sign on the roadside had large red letters written on it, saying ‘Sharp curve ahead. Caution: Accidents occur frequently!’ It was too dark to get a good look around, but just as the sign said, there was a sharp curve point on the descent ahead. Beyond the dilapidated guardrail was a cliff exposed with rugged rocks. It was a height where you won’t be spared if you get thrown off and fall. Driving down this dangerous road with a motorbike at night when visibility was poor due to the snow. Well, it was no wonder that accidents happened. When I found out that this mountain pass, which was too favorable for me right now, was a route that connects my home and workplace, I wondered if this was somehow orchestrated by the heavens. Thanks to that, I could die here without the need to give any kind of rationalization. Let’s see. In this kind of weather, cars wouldn’t be travelling down this road until morning unless they had some sort of emergency, so at best, I’d die instantly upon falling, and at worst, I’d freeze to death. I didn’t want to suffer so I hoped I could die instantly if possible…

As I was thinking about such things, the phone in the inside pocket of my jacket vibrated. When I took it out, the name on the display was my mother. It was probably a reply to the text ‘I’m coming home soon’ I had sent an hour ago.

“…”

I placed the phone back to its original place without opening the contents and closed my eyes.

—Mom, I’m sorry. I won’t be coming home again. Yurika, I’m sorry. I’ll definitely cure your illness. Manager, I’m sorry, though I was forced to work overtime, I’m going to cause you some losses. And then…

The doctor at the hospital who was kind to me, my former teacher who helped me during the times I was looking for jobs, the woman who was there for me when I was at my lowest and my colleagues and friends who were so good to me even though I was difficult to get along with… I apologized to every person I could think of in my heart. I didn’t leave a will though, so it wouldn’t reach them.

—I’m sorry. And thank you. You guys have made my life easier.

I slowly opened my eyes and straddled the motorbike. The sound of the engine echoed through the empty night pass. Now all I had to do was run through. The speed gradually increased, the cold wind pierced my skin, the cliffs rapidly drew near, and.

With a violent impact and a roaring sound, I, Kashimiya Tsukasa, had put an end to my twenty-five years of life.

◆◇◆

A dimly lit dungeon smeared with the smell of blood. A man in front of me covered with wounds was screaming for help.

—…? Where is this place, or rather, who is this person?

…No, I knew. Even though he was one of ‘my1’ subjects, he was an inexcusable fool for failing to pay his taxes. What a fool, to commit such a felony in our country.

What, you have a sick mother? …So what? In my territory, deadbeats deserve to die and if you couldn’t get rid of that useless woman to reduce the mouths you have to feed, then you should pay your debts. It’s a pretty simple logic, right? Well, rest assured. At the very least, I will punish you properly by stripping you of your flesh and crushing your bones so that your sins in this world will be paid for before sending you to the other side.

As I told him that, a sound drawn in despair leaked out of the man’s throat with a whimper. I found the miserable figure who couldn’t even scream to be amusing, so I raised my whip with laughter…

—What’s with this revolting sight? Why am I whipping a cowering man so violently? Hey, he’s hurting. Damn it, stop…!

But my heart’s cry was left in vain and I couldn’t stop my hand from raising it with my own will.

I was about to throw up at the sensation of hurting someone being transmitted through the whip when the setting around me had suddenly changed. This time, unlike earlier, was a resplendent room arranged with fine looking red carpet and perhaps expensive furnishings… it was my room.

I grabbed the woman weeping ‘Please forgive me,’ by her hair, dragging her and tossed her to the floor. I grinned at the frightened woman and whispered.

What’s the matter? Scream for help, you pathetic woman. It’s the last means of resistance you’re allowed to do. Except that no one will come to your rescue. How pitiful. If your man hadn’t sheltered a criminal, we’d be having a peaceful afternoon as usual by now. Or if you could’ve at least snitched on your man’s wrongdoings when you found out about it, then the results would’ve been different. Your family was wise in that respect. Don’t you think?

The frightened, trembling woman cried and begged for forgiveness in earnest. The fading sound of “Have mercy,” escaped from her lips, over and over again.

Mercy? Certainly, I’m a man who is gentle to women. You’re guilty of a serious crime, but if you say ‘I kept my mouth shut for the sake of my lover’ then that’s all you had to do. Your punishment will not be light, but I have prepared a gift for your pitiful self as consolation at least. There’s a wooden box in there, right? Try opening it. …Open it.

Without naturally given the right to veto, the woman crawled towards the crate while heaving with sobs. I didn’t dare rush that figure with weak-kneed, sluggish movements and simply watched. A big, big, sturdy box. Its structure was massive and profoundly made its presence known. The woman finally got to the box, though it took her a long time, and hooked her hand, disgustingly damp with cold sweat, on the lid. It opened with a jarring sound, and what’s inside of it was.

A deafening, high-pitched scream rose in an instant. I roared with laughter to match it.

”

”

What’s the matter? What were you screaming about?! I took it upon myself to be merciful and kept his head clean, shouldn’t you be glad?!

I didn’t get any response from the woman in dismay, but I was most amused by this. I kicked down the screaming, flailing woman down and stripped off her clothes, and…

—Stop, no, I don’t want to do something like that! Why… Why are you doing this…

Amidst my confusion, the setting changed again. Once it was over, it moved on to the next. Dimly lit alleyways. A dubious shop. A town square. Luxurious and gorgeous interiors.

“No” “Help me” “Thank you for your continued patronage” “This demon” “How cruel” “Stop it” “That’s what makes the nation,” “Someone, somebody” …

There were at times suspicious interactions with viscous looking people, but other than that, almost everything else were scenes of gruesome abuse.

Everyone was in pain and agony, regardless of age or gender. And I was the one laughing and abusing them.

Just when I thought I was going to lose my mind after being continuously shown unending repulsive scenes with no way to stop them, the setting had changed again.

A dungeon similar to the one I saw in the beginning. A body that had collapsed to a crouch and a man that stood still with a stunned grip on his blood-stained sword. Time had passed in that state for quite some time, but eventually, the man had slowly turned around.

‘Hein…reid…!’

“AAAAAAHHHHHH! …!”

With a loud noise, I woke up and jolted up excruciatingly. A throbbing, sharp pain ran through my head in an instant and I suppressed my temples at once.

It hurts… It’s like a fist had struck from the inside of my skull, this sucks… Ahh, shit, my body is also sweaty and uncomfortable. Well, after seeing such a repulsive dream, it’s understandable. It’s just like hell… A dream?

”

”

It’s strange. Why did I wake up? If you’re saying that spectacle was hell, it would still make sense, but if I’m awake, that means it was just a dream… No way, a failed suicide? It’s ridiculous, how is that possible, falling from that height with that speed?! Where is this place, to begin with…?

Suddenly, I realized something wasn’t right. In the unlikely event that I survived, I would be at the bottom of the cliff or in a hospital. But when I looked around, I was indoors, but no matter how I looked at it, it wasn’t the usual view of a hospital. A furniture with excessive, dazzling golden ornaments, a vase that looked kind of expensive, and furthermore, the sheets and blankets that I woke up in were pure black and spotless, and even had a canopy.

…Is this a VIP room? Wait, there must be some kind of mistake. There’s no way I can afford to pay for my hospitalization if I’m laid up in a place like this.

I searched around to call someone anyway, but there was nothing like a nurse call. I had no choice but to get out of the bed while holding my throbbing head. If I stepped out into the hallway, I would encounter someone for sure.

…In any case, this room. The carpets were soft and fluffy, so it was more like a hotel room than a hospital room. Being rich is awesome. Ugh, even the mirror is outrageous, aren’t these rim decorations jewelr…?

I looked in the mirror and froze. Because the figure reflected in it… no matter how I looked at it, was not the one I remembered.

A thick, luscious black hair that waves gently. In contrast, the skin is white like a polished doll. And… bright crimson eyes, which perfectly describes his venomous nature. Amidst the extravagant room, not outshining his existence at all, a young man with monstrous beauty. He looked at me from the other side of the mirror with a stunned look on his face.

“Huh… what?”

I was stunned, unable to process all the information.

—Uhh, what is this…? I assumed this was a mirror because it reflected the things in the room, but was I wrong? It’s like a one-way mirror… No, that’s not how a one-way mirror works. But then, just what…

I was extremely confused. And right then.

Suddenly, there was a loud sound coming from outside the room, then, Bang! The door was opened.

“My lord, what happened?!”

“…Huh?”

A tall and somewhat muscular young man barged into the room with vigor. He had slightly dull, warm blonde hair and emerald eyes with deep yet bright radiance. Our gazes met as he wore an impatient look on his dauntless face.

—At that moment. I had another stabbing headache and the nightmare I just had flashed back to me. Immediately after, information about the young man surged in along with the headache.

Head knight of the guards, son of a count…

The moment my headache had subsided, I opened my eyes as wide as I could because even without relying on the memories that had flowed in, I knew.

Not only this young man, but also the name of the person in the mirror, long before I had the dream.

His name was Craig Bauer.

He was a character from a novel I read a long time ago, called “Sieg of the Rebellion”… and the man who killed me (?), the atrocious noble, Heinreid von Rodvelia, who was reflected in the mirror.