novelraw Chapter 115 : Chapter 115
Chapter 115 : Chapter 115
Chapter 115: Asking the Black Sea, Four Questions (3)
Banshee, or the Noble Lady of the Sea.
The thing trapped in the iron cage went berserk.
Deudeuk, deudeuk, it went. The dishes on the table rattled. A table sparsely covered in mold, plates with leftover food scattered about. Forks and knives, and spoons. The ordinary situation and the extraordinary existence created a disharmony.
“I’m just asking to be sure……”
Monika raised her hand.
“Did you go into the sea and catch it?”
“That is correct.”
At Monika's question, Abel nodded.
Yes, of course he did. Monika thought, letting out a sigh. Abel's whole body was drenched. The blackened seawater was like ink. No, it was even murkier than that. A drop of sewage trickled down from the corner of Abel's eye.
“You dived, right?”
“Yes.”
“And you captured a monster underwater.”
“You know well.”
“So……”
Monika swept back her hair.
“You went into the winter sea with your bare body. To catch a monster. Weren't you hurt? No, don't answer. It feels more natural now for you not to be hurt.”
Right, it's more natural for him not to be hurt.
All the students except Monika nodded, and,
“But you should be cold. The winter sea is so cold. Your whole body is soaked.”
“I no longer feel temperature well.”
“Ah, yes……”
What kind of human is he, really.
All the students except Lizer were appalled, and,
“There are various tales about the banshee.”
Abel reached out his hand without a care.
He opened the iron cage and snatched the banshee's neck. Deudeuk, it went. The sound of neck bones being crushed was heard. The banshee, which had been wailing unpleasantly, groaned in agony. Gack, gack. With its windpipe blocked, the banshee flailed. While it extended its sharp claws and fumbled for Abel,
“They were once called the washing fiend. Because of their habit of washing the corpses of the dead.”
Abel continued in an indifferent tone.
Even though his sleeve was torn and his arm was scratched.
“There is also a legend about the banshee's wail. It was believed that they keened in mourning for the soon-to-be-dead. If the cry of a banshee was heard in a fishing village, someone would surely die the next day. The people of old believed so. The name ‘Noble Lady of the Sea’ was derived from that.”
But, he said.
Abel muttered, looking down at the banshee.
“It is different now.”
──Thud!
The body of the banshee was thrown onto the table.
Roberta's shoulders flinched. Demian, who was sitting next to her, opened his arms. Just as Roberta was about to grab Demian's collar and hug him,
“The banshee is a common monster. It is mainly sighted on the coast.”
Abel said, dusting off his hands.
“The reason they wash corpses is to consume them whole, and they do not possess the ego to let out a wail.”
“Professor Argento.”
Suddenly, Ernst raised his hand.
“Thank you for the explanation. Demian and I have experience fighting banshees. Since CIAR keeps monsters for practical learning. That's why I'm even more curious.”
This banshee……, he said.
Ernst muttered, stroking his chin.
“It's different from the ones we saw at CIAR.”
“It would be. You would also know the reason.”
“Don't praise me too much. I'm just guessing based on theory.”
Did it eat them.
The residents of Portsmouth…….
Ernst asked so,
“Correct.”
Abel wore a faint smile.
The banshee, sprawled on the table, was writhing. Its movements seemed difficult due to its crushed neck bones. The reddish glow of its eyes faded, and its melted wings occasionally twitched before the students' eyes.
“Intelligent species use the remains of monsters to make tools. They purify the core and then disassemble it for materials. Then what about monsters? Do they only consume intelligent species? There will be differences between each individual, but……”
Eudeuk, it went.
Abel bit his thumb.
A drop of blood trickled down from the corner of Abel's mouth.
“Monsters are also similar.”
Ptoo, it went.
Abel spat out a piece of flesh.
A small lump of flesh fell in front of the banshee.
“Monsters also improve their bodies through intelligent species.”
The glow in the banshee's eyes faded.
The banshee extended its arm. It rummaged between the plates and picked up Abel's flesh. The plates, pushed by the banshee's arm, fell off the table. Clang, it went. As the plates broke and the food scattered on the floor,
The students saw.
The banshee's handling of Abel's flesh.
After licking it clean of blood, the banshee placed the flesh on its neck and rubbed against it. It was integrating it. Before long, Abel's flesh was added to the banshee's body. At a glance, it looked like a white spot had been engraved.
“──Ugh!”
“Ack! Demian oppa, don't puke on me!”
Roberta pushing away Demian.
Demian covered his mouth and headed for the sink. He swallowed the rising nausea and observed. Ernst was right. The banshee Abel had captured was different from the ones they had seen at CIAR. It was because it had improved its body with the corpses of the residents.
The sharp white protrusions on its shoulder blades. Those must be human vertebrae. The blade-like thorns sprouting from its knees. Weren't those carved from human leg bones? There was no need to ponder the identity of the bones attached to its chest like armor. It must have taken the entire rib cage.
“Ugh──!”
Demian threw up, and,
“Geez, what a damn brat.”
Ernst patted Demian's back.
“Are you puking up everything you just ate? This isn't the capital, you punk. There's not much food. You knew about the habits of monsters in the first place……”
“But I didn't know they used such a method……”
Demian muttered, wiping his mouth.
“The textbooks omit the graphic descriptions……”
“Of course they do. They're books written to teach brats.”
“Right, Er. I am a brat……”
Abel let out a faint sigh.
He drew his beloved sword and pierced the banshee's chest.
Gik, it went. A final cry was etched into the students' ears. The banshee, which had been flailing on the table, went limp. The beloved sword that had pierced through the banshee along with the table was eerie.
“For now, I alone am enough. Protecting the coast of Portsmouth is……”
Abel said in a quiet tone.
“But it will gradually become overwhelming. After the intelligent species notices my existence, it will soon prepare for an all-out war.”
To confront the intelligent species alone.
That too is not a problem. But it will be impossible to save all the villagers.
Abel muttered so.
“Even if one person is strong, it is not possible to save everyone. You all are my disciples and at the same time, my comrades. We came here to save Portsmouth.”
Thus, he said.
Abel said with emphasis.
“We must prepare for an all-out war together. Today, let's form teams and act to ensure we are fully prepared.”
Abel gave the students their tasks for the day.
“First, Lizer Leinhart, and Ernst von Tresckow.”
He ordered Lizer and Ernst to scout.
Portsmouth was one of the areas where battles had taken place during the Mirror War. The fortifications constructed at that time had been left as they were. They were to enter the fortifications along the trenches and see if there was any usable equipment. Abel ordered so.
“Also, Monika Lohengrin, and in addition, Demian Fernando von Farenheit.”
He entrusted Monika and Demian with guard duty.
The two were the main forces among the students of Abel's class. They would play a large role in fighting an all-out war. Therefore, he ordered them to guard the coast. To familiarize themselves with the area that would become the battlefield in advance, and at the same time, to experience Abel's absence.
“Finally, Roberta Sinclair.”
“……Yes.”
At Abel's call, Roberta raised her hand.
Roberta knew well. The fact that she was the most useless here. Monika had aura, Demian had genius swordsmanship, and Lizer could cast magic. Ernst must be proficient in devising strategies. In Roberta's case, she was young even before her abilities could be identified. She could help by making tools, but……,
‘I'm scared.’
She was afraid.
Of making weapons, more than anything else.
“I hear a junk dealer lives on the hill.”
That was why Abel said.
“Let's go there together.”
Because he had anticipated Roberta's fear.
***
Noon, near Portsmouth.
In the middle of a crudely installed field trench,
“Ernst, how about we have a chat?”
Lizer, unable to bear the silence, opened his mouth.
He had been walking with Ernst for over an hour. Without any conversation.
“Shouldn't we get to know each other a little? We'll be fighting together in a life-or-death situation.”
“Dream on, senior.”
Ernst responded with a blunt expression.
Spirits were hovering around Ernst and Lizer. Trenches were usually hastily built with things like mud bricks. Since maintenance had not been carried out, the path was rough. It must have been designed to be winding in the first place, but rainwater had poured in and parts of it had collapsed. If the spirits hadn't shown them the way, they would have been stranded quickly.
“Do we need to get to know each other? I don't think so.”
“Why are you so cynical? It's tiring to live with that kind of attitude.”
Lizer wore a smile.
Ernst's smell pierced his nose. It was, without a doubt, the smell of caution. A smell of caution this thick seemed to have been cultivated since he was very young.
Then what about the taste? Lizer rolled his tongue and savored Ernst's words. The taste of fresh sorrow. Come to think of it, he had heard that Ernst's grandmother had passed away recently. He wasn't showing it, but he must be ruminating on his grandmother's death.
‘Finally, the sound.’
Lizer closed his eyes gently.
He heard Ernst's heart through the senses of a spirit.
It didn't come to him as words with specific content. The senses of a spirit had nothing to do with mind reading. A straight, monotonous sound reached Lizer's ear. This was undoubtedly the sound of a conspiracy. Ernst seemed to be preparing something huge.
‘To sum it up…….’
After contemplating for a very brief moment, Lizer,
“Ernst, you've been wary of others since you were young.”
He expressed his impressions to Ernst without hiding anything.
“What?”
“It seems you didn't trust people from your own family in particular. That's the kind of smell you're giving off.”
Ernst frowned.
What was this nonsense about smell? Above all, it was unpleasant. Lizer's slyness, as he recited things as if he had seen through his inner thoughts.
“But it seems you liked your grandmother. That's why you're sad now, right? I can taste your sorrow.”
“Cut the crap.”
Ernst adjusted his glasses.
He withdrew his gaze that had been fixed on Lizer. He turned his head and took a step.
“And you, to protect your grandmother's honor, have decided to……”
“Hey, senior.”
Hah, it went.
A scoff escaped Ernst's lips.
“I don't trust you. I don't know why you suddenly volunteered to be Professor Argento's assistant.”
Don't be too offended.
Ernst whispered so.
“I don't trust you because Professor Argento is suspicious. I don't have any ill feelings towards our grotesque professor, but it seems he's hiding a lot of things.”
I hate people who keep things to themselves.
Because I was born in a house riddled with power struggles.
And above all……,
“Separate from my distrust of you, the way you go on about smelling things, tasting things, hearing things is kind of……”
I don't like it.
You're talking as if you know everything.
About the inner world of others…….
“So shall I say one thing too?”
Ernst smiled brightly.
He faced Lizer, his green eyes shining.
“Something that others don't know about you.”
You lost your parents in the ravages of war,
and you and your brother took refuge in the empire.
Crossing the border at the mere age of six.
“Am I right? Lizer Leinhart, prince of a fallen kingdom.”
I know everything.
You, you're the prince of a fallen country.