V2C1 Part9

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Puppet

[The real Raul? T-That’s impossible… ..]

Wendell, who was all confident a few moments ago, began to feel anxious. When people became like this, it’s really pathetic.

[You should already know that I am traveling to different places in order to exact my revenge right? So it’s not surprising for me to come to see you]

When I took a step, Wendell was silent. His eyes and mine meet. Looking at Wendell’s face, memories of the tragedy in Macquarie village revived.

***

——After defeating the demon king, I will definitely come to see them.

I had made a promise with some children in Macquarie village, so after the problems disappeared, I decided to visit that village first.

Truth be told, I was away from the king and my companions. The princess sent me many letters saying “I want to give you a reward” “I would like to meet and talk”, but did not intend to reply. At that time, it was still pure, and it was being dragged away when the demon king was defeated. Also, he didn’t feel like talking about the death of the demon king.

I just didn’t want to break my promise to the little ones in Macquarie village. I really liked that Village. That small rustic village with the gentle people who welcomed us with open arms, reminded me of my home village that no longer exists. And the children were always by our side during our stay, they treated us as if we were their older brothers. The older brothers of the boys left the village as young soldiers, so they surely felt alone. Nature and affection flowed.

That was the Macquarie village that i had a special feeling for. But, what I saw in the village that I revisited was hell like a battlefield. Children whose stomachs were open with their intestines out. The bodies of women who were abused and discarded like dirty laundry. All the men were cut into pieces and turned into pieces of meat.

[No ..… it couldn’t be… .. Why… ..?]

I couldn’t easily accept the scene in front of me, I just stood there stunned. Being attacked by a fierce feeling, my vision turned dark. I no longer knew what was happening, and I rubbed my eyes hastily. My breathing stopped before I knew it there was a sound like air flowing from my throat.

You know? When humans are faced with a reality that they don’t want to accept, the first thing they do is laugh. That’s a lie, right, god? Wait, I’m addressing a presence that I don’t even know exists.

I entered the village while shaking and wearing a creepy smile. I thought there might still be someone alive. But, that hope was crushed the moment I saw the young man with whom I had a close friendship, he had a big hole in his stomach.

[Ahh shit… .. Why did this happen… ..!?]

I knelt in front of the boy and lifted his little body. My tears broke out and spilled over the boy. At that moment, I realized that the hole in his stomach was not due to a magical attack.

The boy’s stomach had been cut with a sharp knife. In addition, all the internal organs had been removed.

[What does this mean…..?]

I laid the boy’s body down carefully and watched the other villagers. Everything was removed from the stomachs of young women, children and men. I have seen many villages burned so far. I couldn’t help but remember what happened to my home village each time, but this time it’s not just something similar.

[It’s exactly the same thing that happened to my village… ..]

I do not get it. They told me that my home village was attacked and annihilated by monsters released by the demon king. But now that the demon king has been defeated and the demons are completely defeated, it is impossible to send monsters like at that time.

[In that case, who did this… ..?]

He was perplexed looking at the fresh corpses. I started to go pale.

—– Have I made a serious mistake?

Around the same time, I heard a few unique footsteps of military shoes throughout the forest. The overlapping steps are of considerable number. I immediately held my sword and braced myself. Coming out of the green brush, there was a unit led by Sandra.

[Sandra… ..!]

Is it a rescue force of the royal army? As I lowered my sword and tried to go towards them, I noticed that the unit was bringing children from the village. The children had pale and scared faces.

[Have you taken the children for protection !?]

I though I was very unfortunate, but fortunate for now, I thought—–

[Hey, bring him up]

When Sandra raised her voice with a stern face, her subordinates brought Wendell over. He had some shackles, he was thrown and rolled in front of us.

[Wendell !? What happened!?]

[We were looking for you, Raul-dono. You suddenly disappeared after defeating the demon king. It’s a bit cruel that you didn’t reply to our letters]

[Answer my questions, please!]

When I said that, Sandra put her hand on her waist and shook her head as if to say “Oh wow”.

[The great magician was captured because he was suspected of being your accomplice]

[… .. Accomplice? What are you talking about?]

Sandra who was frowning, looked at me like something unpleasant. Then, I turned my gaze to the village behind. Following her gaze naturally, I took a deep breath.

[Wait! Do you think I attacked Macquarie village?]

[All people have been killed. Only a person with great magical powers can accomplish such a terrible act in a fraction of the time]

[That doesn’t mean I could do this! It doesn’t matter how much power you have. Such cruel acts, it’s not something a human would do!]

[If you have something to appeal, then speak in front of the princess, please—– Capture him!]

I hastily held my sword and backed away slowly.

[This is not the time to do this. The culprit must still be around. Let me look it up!]

[Be cautious. He is the man who defeated the demon king, if we are careless, we will be killed instantly]

[Stop. If you get any closer… ..I will have to defeat you by force]

My mind right now was filled with having to find the real culprit. I didn’t even realize that my actions, sense of justice, and behavior were increasingly cornering me.

I thought Sandra was getting it wrong. Because I knew I wasn’t the culprit. I really believed that everything would work out.

[Ha! I see you don’t understand the situation. Don’t you care what happens to him?]

Saying that, Sandra kicked Wendell’s stomach.

[Guhh… ..!]

Wendell’s spitting blood splattered on the floor.

[S-stop!]

When I tried to stop her, Sandra put a dagger to Wendell’s neck.

[Don’t move]

[…..]

Sandra herself has quite high combat power, and it would be difficult to attack with magic without harming children.

The magic that blocks the movement of the opponent’s body belongs to the magic of darkness. At that time, I couldn’t fight Sandra in that way, because my dark magic abilities were sealed by the saint.

[Sorry, Raul… .. It was all due to my carelessness… ..!]

[Wendell. And your magic !? Can’t you use your magic to free yourself !?]

Wendell has great abilities to call himself the great wizard. He can fight even his caught. But, he shook his head in frustration at my words.

[I can’t do it… .. These guys are sealing the magic… ..!]

[Kuh… ..!]

It is true. Because before speaking, I decided to give it a try. Wendell was arrested because resistance was futile. But how did they manage to capture a wizard like Wendell… ..?

[Aren’t you going to save your partner? You are the “hero of salvation” right? You can save him —– okay, give me your sword]

Sandra’s provocative expression caused her to extend her hand. I couldn’t contradict her words, and tried to give her my sword for the sake of my only best friend.

[Don’t do it, Raul! Forget about me, and run!]

[There is no way I can do that… ..!]

Ever since the hero party was formed, Wendell was someone I was closest more than anyone. I don’t know how many times the ridiculous conversations, He also had saved me multiple times along our journey.

Wendel, who had been entrusted to the royal palace since childhood as a genius-candidate magician, accomplished many things and behaved like a nobleman. Being from the kingdom, he seemed to me someone worthy, and from the moment I met him, I had an emotion close to longing. It wasn’t long after I learned that he was a very kind and gluttonous guy. Every time we visited a new city or village, he would invite me to find something delicious and drag me around. Thanks to that, I was able to make many memories.

We talked a lot during the trip. About the future, the feelings towards the family, the hope of the other. And also what happened that night. It was the day before entering the castle of the demon king, Wendell and I talked alone looking at the stars.

『Are those young soldiers doing well on the battlefield?』

『You really care for them a lot huh, Raul?』

『”Well that’s true. It’s like I have younger siblings, so I can’t leave them alone. I wonder if it will be like this when my sister’s son grows up 』

『Claire-san’s child will be born next month right?』

『”Yes. My sister got married, I have a brother-in-law, and my nephew will be born soon… ..it’s like a dream. It’s like my family is increasing. It’s because my sister and I have always been alone 』

When I said that, Wendell shrugged wildly somewhat in disgust.

『Hey, hey, don’t leave me out! We are like a family right? 』

『Wendell… ..』

『Hey, don’t make that kind voice』

As my hair tousled, I laughed.

“Clear! Take it for granted! 』

『Raul. We will definitely defeat the demon king 』

I cannot abandon a friend with whom I ate from the same pot and we went through the same difficulties. At the time, I really thought about it like that.

Goodness, the old me is a parade of embarrassing anecdotes. They just pushed me onto the stage and I happily performed the act according to the prepared script. Everything was happening without knowing it. Even if was stupid… ..even if I regret it, I can’t go back in time.

Well, let’s go back to the story. It seems she saw my determination by not letting go of my sword, so Sandra moved on to her next strategy. When she commanded a magic knight standing next to her, he quickly cast a spell. Immediately after that, the children around Sandra began to move slowly.

[Help! My body is moving by itself… ..!]

[I’m scared…..! Help us, Raul-onii-chan… ..!]

[You guys…..!]

I knew immediately that the children were being manipulated. Their small hands held a dagger.

[Well, what will you do now, hero-dono? The children are being controlled to kill each other. If I snap my fingers again, the little children’s blood will flow. It won’t be canceled unless you give up]

What the hell is this? For Sandra, children should be protected, but now they use them as tools to capture me. I came to the conclusion that I did not want to think and was surprised.

[Don’t tell me that… .. Did you attack the village?]

In response to my question, Sandra did not deny or affirm anything, but simply pressured me to decide.

[Well, what will you do?]

[Fine. I will give up]

I have no time to hesitate. This time when I actually dropped my sword, Sandra looked at me blankly.

[It will be a problem that this conclusion was reached so easily. That person will not be satisfied with this development]

[What are you saying…..?]

Sandra snapped her fingers, ignoring my question.

[What!?]

Immediately after that signal, the children began to stab each.

[Hii… ..]

[Gahh… ..]

Jets of blood came out of the mouth of the injured children.

[No! I do not want! I don’t want to! Ahhhh!]

While crying, the children stabbed each other with daggers several times. Turning pale, I screamed loudly.

[Stop! Stop…..! I did what you asked me! Please…..!]

[It’s okay. So stop them]

Sandra gestured to the magic knight and the children fell to the ground. They have lost a lot of blood, they man not be saved. Thinking about that, I spoke.

[Sandra! Treat the children!]

[Capture the hero]

[Shit…..!]

They were no longer moving. The surviving children held the bloodstained daggers like empty shells.

***

Without knowing what happened to the children, they sent me to the royal capital and forced me to spend my days in prison. I was still unaware of Wendell’s betrayal even after I was taken to Victoria and heard from her that Macquarie villagers were massacred to put that crime on me.

I was imprisoned in a castle, all my weapons were confiscated, and they performed multiple sealing spells to prevent me from using magic. I thought about not resisting to protect my friends, so I reluctantly accepted the seal.

In the darkness of the prison, completely in a state of confinement, my tears couldn’t stop as I remembered my miserably murdered sister and the villagers of Macquarie. At this point. I was more concerned about my friends than about Victoria’s actions. Ahh, what a laugh. Will Wendell, Christiana and the mercenaries who supported me be okay? I seriously thought about it.

Victoria visited the jail many times a day. She would whip me hysterically with a whip, step on my crotch with her long heels, and the next time she came, she had a softer expression than before. This princess attacked the Macquarie village. When I look seriously at Victoria, it seems she didn’t like that. She got angry by grinding her teeth.

[Even though your sister was murdered, are you still sane? Should I use the fetus that was taken from that woman to decorate this prison?]

[… ..Go ahead, just try to harass my companions. No matter what your excuse, I will kill you]

[What a fool you are, Raul. I don’t want us to kill each other. You just have to give me your body and soul]

[……… ..]

[Well, there is plenty of time to try various things. Let’s have fun together, Raul]

[What have you said…..?]

Being in a good mood, Victoria clapped her hands a few times. In response to that signal, I felt a presence moving deep within. Another person appears to have descended the spiral staircase that leads to this prison. The one standing strangely dressed was Wendell.

[……….! Wendell! Are You alright!?]

I was relieved to see Wendell’s face, and for a moment I forgot everything and ran to the iron bars. When I met his eyes, Wendell distorted his expression and lowered his head.

[I’ll give you some alone time]

Victoria who said that with a creepy and gentle voice, raised the hem of her skirt a little and left. Being distracted by Wendell’s presence, i wasn’t able to think anything. Until Victoria was completely gone, Wendell kept his head down.

[I’m sorry. Raul… ..because of me you… ..]

[Do not worry! You’re fine!? Didn’t they do something horrible to you?]

Looking at him, Wendell didn’t appear to be hurt. That was a enough for me. I didn’t know what Victoria could do. It wouldn’t be strange if she tormented the people I cherished. As it was with my sister. As I was thinking about that, I asked Wendell about the situation.

[Actually, I’m being threatened by Victoria. She will forgive me if I can persuade you]

[Persuade?]

[Raul. If you become the servant of Princess Victoria, she will free us]

[That cannot be…..]

I was stunned.

[Is that what Victoria really wants? Did she do that to my sister and the villagers just for that… ..?]

I hated Victoria so much that I bit my lips until blood came out. I can’t forgive that woman.

[… ..Please, Raul. Become the princess’s slave… ..]

Wendell dropped his shoulders and begged me with a stubborn face. His eyes tremble with concern and shook with a slight noise.

[Don’t be afraid, Wendell. Everything is fine. If that helps everyone, I will gladly accept it. So…..]

Do not worry. When he was about to say that, Wendell suddenly looked up.

[Hey, hey, give me a break, Raul]

Wendel suddenly changed his attitude and looked at me somewhat disgusted.

[Will you really get to that point?]

[Wendell?]

[You really are a fool! For that reason they used you! You are not the strongest hero in the world, but the biggest idiot in the world!]

When Wendell screamed, he began to laugh holding his stomach.

[What are you talking about?]

[What you still don’t get it? All was a lie!]

[A lie? What do you mean…..?]

[To get started. Did you really think those weak knights could capture me? It bothers me a lot that you underestimate my abilities]

I didn’t understand what Wendell was saying, I was just flabbergasted.

[If you become that princess’s dog, really think about keeping yourself without killing yourself. But it wouldn’t be interesting that way. So you had to reject it]

[Wendell… .. What are you… ..?]

[I want you to die. You have always been a nuisance]

Wendell said it with a smile.

[First of all, Princess Victoria doesn’t understand. I should have killed your sister in the end. To be more precise, until the baby was born, that way it would be the baby and then the sister. She discarded her trump card to convince you early on. It seems that she does not know anything]

[… ..It’s a lie, right?]

[Even if she tormented you, that won’t affect you. That is why an important person has to be used. Upon learning of the betrayal, the number of pawns that can be used in this way will decrease drastically]

[… .. Who betrayed whom… ..?]

Wendell grasped the iron bars and opened his bloodshot eyes.

[US! We betray you ~! Me, Christiana, the general, Sandra, the soldiers, everyone—–!]

[……….!]

[Your strength is too dangerous. A traitor like me cannot sleep easy while you are alive. That’s why I wanted you to die]

[No It can’t be… ..Victoria is threatening you right? Wendell… ..please say it’s a lie… ..!]

[Just believe me once. The conversation will not proceed otherwise. Oh by the way, we received a mansion from the royal palace, and we are living comfortably]

His laughing voice echoes through the prison. My head has been hurting for a long time, it must be from too much confusion.

[Oh it’s true. I revealed the home where your sister live]

[What… ..my sister… .. Why… ..? If you tell them where that place is in this situation, you should know that… ..]

[You really are an idiot! For that reason I did it!]

My mind was blank at Wendell’s words.

[I thought your spirit would be shattered if your sister and the baby in her womb were killed. Seeing you suffer, my heart that has always been boiling would finally calm down. But, you are still in a state of mind where you can have a conversation normally. I thought you were a fucking siscon with everything you said, was it a performance?]

[Wendell… ..you to my sister… ..]

[First of all, your sister pissed me off. Even when I was proposed to her, she refused, and married that boring craftsman!]

I knew Wendell was interested in my sister. That is why I thought he was a good guy when he blessed her marriage.

[Although when I looked at her belly, I felt better]

A voice like that of a beast was about to overflow from my mouth, so I desperately bit my lips. The taste of blood spreads in my mouth.

[Why…..? Do you hate me so much… ..?]

When I was finally able to control myself, Wendell spat in disgust.

[Hate? There’s no way I can make such an important decision in my life with that ridiculous kind of emotion]

[Then why…..?]

[The demon king was defeated. We have been raised to defeat the demon king, but now that he is dead, we are worth nothing. Both you and the others, it was natural to find another job, right? I decided to choose the princess who has the greatest power in the kingdom, and support her as a wizard. That’s it]

[……… ..]

In the face of despair, my eyes dim. Is he really Wendell? Is he the man i considered an important friend? It may be a mind trick that Victoria prepared. I wanted to believe that. But, unfortunately mind trick don’t work for me.

Also, Wendell is resistant to the magic of brainwashing. In other words, this Wendell standing in front of me is the real one, and he’s saying those words of his own free will.

[I never thought of you as a companion. You were more like a —– just a stepping stone]

Those kids caught by Sandra. The magic that was cast to manipulate them was Wendell’s doing, he said it himself as if having fun.

[Does Christiana think the same as you… ..?]

[Do not say that. She is not as vulgar as I am. Tomorrow is her turn to visit you. Then, you will hear her sermon]

[That cannot be…..]

[You have a face of being betrayed. But, I despised you from the beginning! You were always imitating me!]

[Imitating… ..? You’re wrong. It was not an imitation… ..]

[Even if it wasn’t, I was already tired of it! Because of you it didn’t stand out! You always, always, always, always attracted more attention than me! Were was done!]

Wendell got up and turned away from me.

[See you, Raul. By the way, Princess Victoria left you a message “If you don’t intend to become my dog, then you better be executed”]

My screams at being betrayed continued to echo through the prison even after Wendell left—–