C179
"Something you discovered? What is it?"
I wondered if she had noticed that I was hiding Terence, but I calmed myself and asked Liena calmly.
"Mmm."
Liena was near the statue, closely watching my expression.
"I'll tell you later. By the way, what is Ethel doing here?"
She unnaturally changed the subject she mentioned first.
"Did you come to see this statue?"
I answered the question, keeping a proper distance from Liena without being too obvious.
"I just came up to get some fresh air and see the scenery, but the statue caught my attention."
"Isn't it a bit unusual?"
Liena swept the surface of the statue with her hand.
"The fact that it looks down from the highest point, as well as its delicate expression, makes it seem like a statue modeled after a great demonic figure."
"......"
"It doesn't say who it is anywhere. Doesn't it usually say on the bottom or something?"
I shifted my gaze and looked at the statue, which was slightly larger than a real human.
The bronze statue's head had two horns, symbolic of a demon.
A middle-aged man in armor, a sword at his waist, and a staff in his hand.
The man, exuding the majestic aura typical of a ruler, looked down with a somewhat weary expression.
Among them, I paid special attention to the staff.
It was a staff with a reptile foot-shaped head and its four fingers curved inward. As if searching for something.
I kept my eyes on the staff and stroked the black bead in my pocket.
"Ethel."
Suddenly, Liena, leaning on the rooftop railing, called me and pointed downwards.
"Let's take a look at the view this statue overlooks."
"... what?"
I reflexively looked down.
In the garden, which had been neglected for a long time, grew abundantly strange-looking plants, resistant to magic.
"It's a panoramic view I see every day, but I wonder why I should look at it again..."
Boom!
It was at the moment I just had that thought.
A wall of the building collapsed with a deafening noise.
Lucy said that on her first day here, she used a bit of force and hit the building wall.
"It's quite sturdy. I think demons used it as a fortress a long time ago."
As Lucy said, this building was built in poor condition with gloomy colors, but it boasted of being sturdy.
However, the outer wall of that building shattered in an instant.
"What?!"
I walked through the blowing dust, trying to discern what was happening below.
A moment later, two figures emerged from the dust.
One is Shadow, extending its arms and swinging wildly, and the opponent receiving the attack is...
"Terence!"
Sraaaak! With a sharp sound, Terence cut Shadow's arm with his sword.
"Are you worried about that guy?"
"Don't come any closer!"
At that moment, Liena tried to approach me, so I released divine power.
"Tsk!"
A burn-like wound was carved on Liena's arm.
"Stay there. If you come even one step closer, you won't be safe."
When I threatened, Liena stopped walking.
Liena, who no longer believed in the Goddess, had lost the vast divine power she once had.
Furthermore, because Liena's body was filled with demonic energy due to sharing the power of an evil god, it was natural that my divine power would hurt her.
Because the fundamental being was a human, not a monster or demon, the divine power alone wouldn't have resulted in the loss of her life, but it could have caused enough pain.
"I guess you knew."
The "interesting fact" Liena mentioned a moment ago was the existence of Terence, who had been hiding here.
So I suppose she sent Shadow to attack him while I was out of the room.
According to Lucy, the power of the royal family originated from the goddess but has been significantly altered over the years and generations.
In other words, Terence's power was not as powerful against Shadow as my divine power.
"How did you know?"
I asked, extending my hand towards Liena so I could release divine power at any moment.
We confirmed several times that there were no bugs or anything else in the room.
Even Kais, the artifact expert, stated that no special devices were installed in the room.
"I knew when I saw you."
Liena obediently answered my question.
"Your happiness at the arrival of that man was so obvious."
"Lie. Did I make a rookie mistake?"
I definitely tried to act normally, both in front of Liena and behind her back.
As proof, Lucy, who was always with me, also found nothing strange in my attitude.
"It's not a lie."
However, Liena didn't give up her argument.
"How long have we been together? And I'm always watching you. Even if you act the same as always, I can see subtle changes in your eyes. Your face suddenly became brighter."
Goosebumps rose on both arms.
It was because it seemed really possible, given the obsession Liena had shown me until now.
"I was curious. What is the reason you changed? But even if I had asked you, you wouldn't have told me, right?"
Liena continued speaking as if that fact saddened her.
"So I had no choice but to ask my subordinate to find out."
"Your subordinate?"
"Ah, let me introduce you."
When Liena snapped her fingers, a red form appeared in the empty space next to her.
It was a monster the size of a human and resembling a lizard.
"It's a kind of monster we normally call a Camellia. Now it's working for me."
It was a monster I knew well.
This was because the belt, which becomes transparent when worn, is made from the leather of this monster.
"This child can hide. Also, does it adhere well to walls?"
Liena stroked Camellia's back.
"Fortunately, last night it snuck into your room through the window and became my eyes and ears. It takes a lot of stamina, but I can briefly share the feeling with the children who follow me."
"Last night..."
"Yes, I heard everything. The story you and that man talked about."
Liena looked at me with calm eyes.
"You said you're not the real Ethel?"
For a moment, my body trembled.
Liena's expression turned ugly when she saw that.
"How, how...?"
How will Liena react after finding out the truth that I am not the real Ethel?
She found out that another soul had taken over the body of the only person who had loved her in her past life, but what could she do?
I took a defensive stance and mentally prepared myself.
Lucy also blocked the space between Liena and me, as if protecting me.
"How did you come to such a misunderstanding!"
However, Liena's reaction was very different from my expectations.
Liena trembled and looked towards the building.
"... After all, that man is probably the cause."
At the end of the line of sight was Terence, who was engaged in hand-to-hand combat with Shadow.
"I tried to leave him alone for your happiness, but I can't anymore. I must get rid of him from you!"
"What are you talking about?!"
I shouted in panic.
"What does Terence have to do with me not being the real Ethel?"
"He was the one who gave you that illusion. I heard everything. He's brainwashing you by saying he loves you even though you're not the real Ethel!"
It was an absurd claim that I had never imagined before.
What kind of intermediate process did he go through to come to that conclusion?
"Stop talking nonsense! What kind of brainwashing are you talking about?"
"Otherwise, why do you think you're not the real Ethel?"
"Because I'm not the real Ethel."
"Then who are you?"
"I..."
I was speechless because I didn't know either.
"See! Am I not right?"
Liena shouted triumphantly.
"You are Ethel. If you were really someone else, there would be no way I wouldn't recognize you, right? The you from your past life and the you from this life are very similar."
"What?"
I asked, not understanding Liena's words.
Liena insisted that I was the real Ethel, and she was so confident that it overwhelmed me with confusion.
Considering Liena's experience of hearing numerous unreasonable assertions so far, there was a high possibility that this too was an unfounded speculation.
"... But, is it really like that?"
Liena was the only person who remembered both her past life and this one.
Furthermore, just like in the original version, Liena had the ability to vividly recall her first life as if she had experienced it yesterday if she wished.
Perhaps she knew better than anyone in the world who the real Ethel was.
Anyway, the two were close friends.
Liena believes that I am the real Ethel.
Suddenly, an old memory passed through my mind.
"Now that I think about it, I once felt that Ethel's original personality resembled mine."
Before her personality changed due to the cold and harsh treatment of the Wallace family, Ethel had aspects similar to mine.
"Maybe, just maybe..."
But my thoughts couldn't go any further.
Liena looked down and shouted.
"Yes, Shadow! Put an end to it!"
On the ground, Terence was facing a crisis.
Because Shadow's movements were much slower than before, Terence was able to face the strongest monster in the novel alone.
But the problem was other monsters.
Other monsters that had gathered nearby heard the commotion and joined in, putting Terence on the defensive.
Shadow's arm narrowly grazed Terence's side, causing blood to splatter.
"Lucy! Please! Help Terence!"
I also felt like I wanted to go down, but if I go, Liena will follow me.
So not only Camellia but also the Wyvern, which was currently flying overhead and watching us, would join in and target Terence.
So, while I held them off here, Lucy had to go alone.
"But if I go, my mistress..."
"I'm fine. With divine power, you can keep Liena and the monsters from getting close. Besides, Liena doesn't seem to have any intention of harming me."
"......"
"Please, please. Lucy."
When I pleaded again, Lucy began to float in the air with a determined expression on her face.
"Understood. I'll be back soon."
Finally, Lucy returned to her original form and attacked the monsters aiming at Terence with lightning bolts falling from the sky.
The battle situation changed to Shadow against Terence and other monsters against Lucy.
"It's no use. This is the realm of demon beasts. The things that are everywhere are monsters."
Liena laughed bitterly and nodded towards a distant place with her chin.
When I turned my head, I saw countless monsters gathering beyond the fence surrounding the building.
With that number, not even Lucy could stop them.
It was at the moment when my eyes darkened.
But then, instead of despairing, I did something strange.
I started running towards the statue, holding the black bead in my pocket.
I don't know why. Did I lose my mind in the face of an insurmountable crisis?
The idea that something would happen if I just placed this bead on that staff seized my mind.
Maybe I ran because it was the only action I could take at that moment.
And at the moment I placed the black bead in the reptile's hand, the world trembled as if it were about to turn upside down.
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