Kanna piled up the walls of her heart like hastily rebuilding wooden walls on the completely collapsed empty ground of the castle.
But Kanna hid that as best as she could and spoke about what she really wanted to say.
It was gratitude.
Gratitude for the fact that so much had changed since the harvesting period began.
I explained my life, which had changed from before, by stating facts I already knew one by one.
The way my family looked at me had changed, the number of things I could do had increased tremendously, and I expressed how happy I was to have returned to normal.
“Yes. I see.”
“You really have a flat reaction. Isn’t this what you wanted?”
Ah, so that’s why you said that?
You probably think I’m making the harvesting period to feel some fulfillment.
Since I’m going to live pretending to be a good person, I might as well say something appropriate.
“More.”
“More?”
“I hope to go further. Kanna.”
The happiest future the harvesting period can obtain.
This world is a zero-sum game. For one person to become happy, countless others have to become unhappy. If they fall into despair and die, I can take their warmth.
If the cause of it all lies in the harvesting period, I can harvest warmth. Of course, it doesn’t seem like it’s from start to finish, and there seems to be a certain limit to it, but really, what do you expect?
I learned many things when Tisah was around.
For example, if Tisah ordered the eradication of bandits from the royal castle, I could harvest warmth from the bandits no matter how far away they were.
Kanna is also someone in that position.
So, like Tisah.
“At the very least, I should be able to fall asleep comfortably surrounded by grandchildren.”
And if I can have great-grandchildren, that would be even better.
Upon hearing my words, Kanna blinked her eyes, trying to understand, and then smiled faintly.
“What does that mean? Isn’t that looking too far ahead?”
“For me, it’s soon, Kanna. You might not realize it with this appearance, but I’m a monster. I live for a very, very long time.”
I say this, fully aware that it sounds like something a good person would say.
I can’t even tell if I can age and die. Not to mention, it’s impossible for me to die from injury. Whatever happens, I can’t take my own life.
“Yeah, even if you say you’re a monster… Are you really a monster? Not like a god? Really? Until now, you’ve been saving people?”
“I’m neither omniscient nor omnipotent. I often get complicated things wrong, and things I thought were fine turned out to be dangerous bridges later on. I just live longer than others.”
I’m a malicious monster living by draining the warmth of living beings. But I don’t intend to say all that. I’ll just cut it off here.
I make it sound like a kind superhuman but feel like I’m self-deprecating.
Ideally, it’d be great if people think I’m an amazing person who doesn’t want to be called that at all.
Good people are easy to manipulate, and they think about me as a gullible one who brings them benefits, no matter what.
Moreover, I live long. People look at me with anger and envy, trying desperately to get a piece of those byproducts.
Cult religions shake and lead with nonexistent byproducts, so by comparison, I might even be considered refreshing.
Of course, there are penalties that are harsh enough to not be compared to cult religions, but sometimes people have a reality they want to change even if it means accepting that.
Or like humans seen in a gambling den, they don’t think about such things.
“Every time I talk to you, I feel like you’re not human.”
I’m doing it on purpose.
Instead of saying that, I reply with a smile. Kanna then lets out a small sigh.
“Honestly, I’m starting to wonder if it’s okay to treat you like this so lightly.”
“You’re treating me lightly on your toes. Feel free to use me. I turn myself over indiscriminately. If I’m not dead, I’ll make you a better version of me once.”
“I really think you might be taking my most precious thing as payment.”
I didn’t say anything.
Though I might not have touched the truth, I subtly grazed near it, and Kanna’s expression stiffened slightly.
Feeling like I’m pushing her too hard, maybe it’s better to divert the attention with simpler words.
“If this is too burdensome… I have one request.”
“What is it?”
Days have passed, and there’s still no news from the royal castle. The situation in Bern City is still deteriorating.
The chance my request has vanished is high. Or maybe many people in Bern City have died, but that could just be ignored.
“Victoria sent a letter to her parents in Bern City, but there’s been strangely no reply. I was hoping you could check on that.”
The northern power projects influence on the south.
So, what does the royal family think at this time? If they’re in good relations with the power group, things would generally get resolved well, but Kanna feels indebted to me.
Whatever the answer is, she must bring it to me.
The very fact of approaching the topic of Bern City remains.
And there’s also a chance for an excuse.
I told the Highpion King that people are dying in the south.
I told Kanna that there has been no contact with Victoria’s family.
On the surface, these are completely different issues.
It’s just a coincidence that they are in the same place. So if it comes to the suspicion that I couldn’t trust the king, or more precisely, I tried to drive a wedge, there’s room for an excuse.
I’m worried if this will really work, but my actions until now should provide a fair amount of credibility.
“Victoria Bett. What’s your relationship with her? Not family, right?”
At that moment, Kanna looked at me with a face that truly didn’t understand.
Huh? That side?
Ah. Right. Since I intentionally created a personable facade, I thought everyone who knew would consider me part of Victoria’s family.
In reality, we have no relationship at all, and she seems to know that.
Here, I’ll reinforce that relationship a little more.
“Victoria was the first person I contracted with when I came to this world, and she gave me the name Bell.”
It sounds like I have a deep connection.
Parents and children also create such bonds by chance. So, at first glance, it seems similar. It appears as if we have a family-like relationship.
Unlike real family, there’s no function of passing on genes.
Yes. We are not family. Really, we’re nothing to each other.
The name Bell can be discarded at any time, and the first contractor is not special.
I correctly pointed that out, but I steer it towards denying that. I add humanity, making it as if those people are just like my family.
A weakness that’s easy to understand.
As time progresses, who knows, but even noble families that survive the fittest generally think of family as one side.
And that side is a weakness.
“So that’s why you two often went around together.”
Kanna made a surprised expression.
Is it really that surprising? Rather, given the context until now, shouldn’t it be seen that Victoria and I are close friends?
Victoria is a harvesting period. That means she contracted with me. And during the Bern City incident, we became famous together and got transferred to the Royal Academy together.
I don’t think it’s that surprising.
If you don’t know, you should ask.
“Is that strange?”
“Yeah. Strange. If it’s a girl named Victoria, maybe, but you seem so detached from the mundane. I didn’t expect you to ask me to do someone else’s work while neglecting your own.”
Yeah.
You’re seeing it accurately. So that’s why you were more surprised.
When it comes to my own issue, it’s about the story where I almost got bullied for meeting the prince.
But that side was actually fine, really. If they attacked, I’d just try to make it an opportunity to turn them into a harvesting period.
My skin improves, and I get just the right body shape. Generally, one would say this is becoming pretty.
For beautiful people, being able to do anything is common.
So jealous people were easy harbingers of future clients to be transformed into harvesting periods.
Anyway.
You know too much about me. To erase that understanding, a shock is needed.
In moments like this, saying it like this is much more shocking than elaborating.
“Can it be compared to Maleficent?”
“No. That’s just the jealousy of girls when compared to that. How can it compare to a witch who has lived for hundreds of years… Oh, so it was you who dealt with her.”
Ah. Now that I think about it, I did say the royal family handled it. But since they didn’t tell me not to speak the truth, that’s fine, right?
I brought her items as a bribe and a trap and handed them over.
“That killed people to an unforgivable degree.”
Naturally, she drained the future harvesting periods and caused a mess in the capital.
Now, I’m aiming for a far-off future where the harvesting period spreads.
If that’s the case, it’s better for people to live happily and prosper.
What’s the reason for wanting to blow up Bern City again?
Ah.
It’s because I can gain warmth. Hehe. A lot of warmth.
Moreover, while fighting, I’ll gather the things that were there. Among them will be items that can change the situation.
And for that, I don’t necessarily need Morris. The knowledge for that is already keyed into the harvesting period’s mind.
Need breeds development, right?
Unlike Brightshin, which had only the lower class, the harvesting periods created in Bern City are mixed from all walks of life.
If these people are doing well, there’s a high chance that the materials I sent will vanish into thin air. Because healthy-minded people have never pulled out the information I sent.
Yet, right now, all the harvesting periods in Bern City are in extreme situations.
My knowledge penetrates minds perfectly.
And in reality, there are several people tinkering away with mechanical puppets.
As soon as we entered Bern City, we seized numerous war machines that had turned into coffins for captured people.
Soon, powerful weapons that exert their might while generating areas where magic cannot be used will appear.
When that time comes, a lot will change.
As I considered the benefits of connecting Bern City and the Theodor family, Kanna chuckled at how funny it is that those I killed were supposed to be too dangerous to keep alive.
And quietly sipping tea, we concluded our conversation.
