Interlude The Hero’s Sister, the Evil God’s Puppet, and the Hunting Dog
I look down on the world from the window.
Below, I see the imperial army dispersing, heading to the rooms they’ve been assigned.
Among them, I recognize the face of the sainthood candidate Yuri and scowl despite myself.
“Hey there. You’re looking grouchy as usual, my dear fiancée.”
The door to my room opens without so much as a knock, and Hugo peers in.
“Silence, false hero.”
“Ooh, very scary.”
Looking unconcerned, he enters the room and throws himself down on the sofa.
“And don’t call me your fiancée. Disgusting.”
“Damn, that’s cold. Fine then, Sue.”
“Don’t call me Sue, either. Only my dear brother and my closest friends are allowed to call me that.”
“Yeah, yeah. Princess Suresia, then.”
Hugo shrugs while flashing a nasty grin.
Just looking at him turns my stomach, so I direct my gaze back to the window.
The imperial army is steadily approaching the elf village.
The troops will be resting here for today, then using a teleport gate tomorrow to move on to the next location.
And this room has been assigned to Hugo and me.
The two of us are technically engaged to be married, though it is very much against my will.
Most likely, this arrangement is only to make it seem natural for he and I to be seen working together.
But even if it is only a farce, the idea of being engaged to this man makes me want to vomit.
I would kill him right now were it not for the sake of my brother.
Yes, all of this is entirely for my beloved elder brother’s sake.
So I must endure, no matter how awful it may be.
One day, I met an evil god.
Despite her pure-white appearance, she was utterly evil.
When I went to punish the sinful fool named Hugo for attempting to harm my brother, delivering judgment with my own hands, I found that evil god doing something to Hugo instead.
My instincts told me that I couldn’t beat her.
If I tried to defy her, I would die.
As I stood frozen in true fear for the first time in my life, the evil god whispered to me.
“Shall I spare your big brother from any harm?”
From that moment on, I was in thrall to that god.
She promised that so long as I followed her orders, she wouldn’t lay a hand on my brother.
For his sake, I swear I’ll overcome any trial…
“We’ll be at the elf village pretty soon.”
Even without looking, I can tell Hugo is smirking.
He usually is, even though there’s nothing funny about the situation.
“Heh-heh. I can’t wait.”
I wish he would simply be silent and stop fouling my ears.
If my elder brother’s voice is like a symphony from the heavens, this man’s is like a grating performance on rusted strings.
Oh, how I wish I could hear my brother’s voice now…
Even a few scant words would ease the fraying edges of my heart…
“I hope you don’t mind if I join you.”
Ugh.
Another pest has arrived.
“Hello there, little princess.”
This is the evil god’s underling, Sophia Keren.
“What do you want?”
“I came to see how you’re doing, of course.”
“Then you’ve already seen, have you not? So please go away.”
It’s bad enough that I already have to put up with Hugo, the unbearable eyesore. If I’m made to endure any more, I might go mad with the stress.
“My, how rude. Couldn’t we at least chat a little?”
“I have nothing to say to the likes of you.”
“Oh, I see. And here I thought I would comfort the poor, tearful little girl who pretended to be brainwashed and betrayed her precious big brother.”
“Why, you…! That’s none of your concern! You’re just a god’s faithful hound!”
I wasn’t pretending—I really was brainwashed that time!
For some reason, probably by order of the evil god, I had no control over my body when I killed my father.
Why would she do such a thing?
This is just a guess, but I think she might have been giving me a way out.
So that it wasn’t my fault—I was just brainwashed.
That evil god is crafty and merciless, yet sometimes, she shows some half-hearted kindness.
Honestly, it would be easier for me to understand if she was simply pure evil through and through…
“Oh, am I? But aren’t you in the same boat now? That’s why you betrayed your brother.”
“No! I would never betray my brother!”
That is the one line I will never cross!
“But you are obeying our master, regardless. That makes you an enemy of humanity.”
“Nnngh!”
“There we go. Now that’s the face I wanted to see.”
Sophia’s lips curl with pleasure.
“You’re the worst.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
What an awful person.
She might even be eviler than the evil god herself.
I wish she would just die…
“Oi, Sophia. You’re not even gonna say hi?”
“Oh? I didn’t realize you were here.”
Sophia glares at Hugo as if she were looking at a parasite.
“Don’t make that face. I’ve got feelings, too, y’know?”
“Oh, do you?”
And what’s wrong with looking at a worm like a worm?
My eyes might rot out of my head, having to take in a worm and a she-devil at the same time.
“Well? Have you managed to get one of the Seven Deadly Sins or Seven Heavenly Virtues skills yet, princess?”
“…No, not yet.”
“Well, that’s a shame. Have you forgotten your promise to Master?”
Nnngh.
I did make a promise with that evil god.
I said I would help her and that I would acquire one of the Seven Deadly Sins or Seven Heavenly Virtues skills.
If I can accomplish that, she’ll guarantee my brother’s freedom and set me free.
But I haven’t managed to do it yet.
“Well, I suppose it doesn’t matter much. I don’t think Master had very high hopes for you anyway.”
“Ha! Guess some of us are just built different.”
I clench my fist.
How humiliating!
I can’t bear to be looked down on by such filth!
“That face is even better.” Sophia’s smirk widens. “A spoiled little princess who grew up wanting for nothing, trembling in humiliation. Now that’s a sight for sore eyes.”
Scum. The absolute lowest of the low.
“……”
See, even a massive scumbag like Hugo looks taken aback.
Why should scum that alarms even other scum deserve to live?
I wish they would die…
Aside from my brother, what’s the point in all the riffraff that persists in this world?
I wish everyone but my brother and I would just die.
“But is the plan still gonna work if this one doesn’t make it in time?”
“It should be fine. It seems the more ruler skills that are acquired, the better, but I’m told that the bare minimum has already been met. I imagine it will just be easier if there are more, no?”
“Uhhh, sure. Not that I care, ’cause I don’t really know how to use the ruler skills’…keys, was it? Whatever.”
I don’t see how he can be so carefree when he’s being controlled by an evil god and evidently has two of these “keys.”
As far as I know, they have a total of six keys so far: Hugo’s Greed and Lust, Sophia’s Envy, and a few I haven’t met, namely someone called Wrath with the corresponding skill, someone named Merazophis with Perseverance, and the Demon Lord Ariel’s Gluttony.
I don’t know what these keys are for, either.
But I doubt the evil god is going to use them for anything decent.
“Isn’t it more of a problem that Yuri can’t get one? She’s a reincarnation just like us, dammit.”
“I’m sure some are suited to it better than others, even among reincarnations.”
I almost feel bad for Yuri, too.
Even if she was a rotten harlot of a nun who kept trying to seduce my brother, it’s cruel that she’s been brainwashed and forced to do their evil bidding…
But I suppose I don’t really care, since she tried to tempt my brother and all.
Maybe she’ll just screw up and go off to be with that god she loves so much.
Since she’s a true believer and all, I assume she would like that.
“Oh, that reminds me. I heard your dear brother is heading to the elf village. Did you know?”
“?!”
My brother?!
“Maybe you’ll get to have a touching reunion there.”
Brother…
I want to see him.
But I’m also afraid.
What am I going to say to him…?
“I’m told Ms. Oka is with him, too. Not to mention Katia, Fei, Anna…he’s very popular with the ladies, isn’t he?”
Those harpies…
I see now.
While I’ve been suffering like this, they’ve been cozying up to my beloved brother…
I was always suspicious of that “Ms. Oka” woman.
And then there’s Katia.
I thought she was a friend, but if she dares touch my brother, I won’t show any mercy…
“Y’know…this chick’s quick to trash-talk other people, but she’s just as bad, isn’t she? There’s no way she’s thinking anything good or wholesome right now, am I wrong?”
“Master would never take a truly decent person under her wing, obviously. She picks and chooses so that she won’t feel too bad if they have to suffer a little bit.”
“Heh, gotcha. Makes sense to me.”
The scumbags are talking among themselves now, but it’s just the incoherent warbling of garbage masquerading as people.
I won’t pay them any mind.
No Comments Yet
Post a new comment
Register or Login