Chapter 106
At this moment, inside the royal palace.
After those two guys left, only the group of twelve and his party remained.
Oh, and there are two guys squatting in the corner.
The little mouse squatted by the wall, resting its head on its hand, lost in thought.
As for why he didn't squat in the corner? It's simply because that spot was taken. Ghost Duke squatted in the corner, staring blankly at the ground.
This guy has been like that for a while now, a bit dazed.
Perhaps this guy only has two states: neurotic chatter and mentally challenged blank stares.
In that case, this guy is practically a lunatic.
If it weren't for the guilt I felt because I hurt him so badly, I really wouldn't want to talk to this guy.
But it was very curious about this guy, not only because this guy himself was an immortal monster, but also because it cared a lot about what he said.
This guy said he came from a magical place, a paradise where you never have to worry about food or clothing, and where people live in harmony. Everyone has access to education, or rather, is required to receive it. And what else... a wonderful place with cell phones, computers, and anime.
This guy was talking complete nonsense at first, and I didn't even want to listen to him when he was telling me all this.
But after listening to it for a while, it suddenly felt very strange.
If those are fake, what kind of place is this guy conceiving in his head?
There are many things that are completely beyond imagination, such as that world is infinitely large, and the place where they exist is called Earth, and beyond Earth is the universe. It is so large that it is practically boundless.
But this is impossible; the place they inhabit is merely a bounded world. This is documented. The world is not infinitely large, but rather very, very small.
And then there's the whole four seasons—it's ridiculous. To think that time can be linked to temperature and weather is absurd. Everything here is chaotic; there's absolutely no pattern to it.
The more I listened, the stranger it seemed.
But what was chilling was the way this guy was talking; he was earnestly recounting the story of that world and his own experiences.
He talked about what he did there, how much he loved watching cute anime girls, and how he dreamed of being transported to another world and building a harem. He also mentioned that he could draw and write novels, and that he fantasized every day about the day his writing would become reality. Even on the day before he died suddenly, he was still wearing a bed sheet with a picture of Patchouli from Gensokyo printed on it.
If all of this is fake, at least this guy's claim of writing novels is real, because it all seems too plausible; many things make perfect sense. If you press him further, you could uncover even more details.
But then he would fall silent, not because he couldn't remember, but rather as if he were lost in memories. This resulted in that expression—though he was looking ahead, his eyes were empty. It was as if he wasn't seeing anything, yet also as if he was observing everything. Suddenly, he had transcended the mortal world, appearing superior despite being just an ordinary person.
The rat felt something was strange, but couldn't pinpoint what was wrong. Perhaps it had been imprisoned in that place for far too long as a monster, and maybe everyone outside was a lunatic like this. Or perhaps it was overreacting, treating this creature with too much seriousness.
He might just be tired; if he's tired, he just needs some rest.
"You're still sitting next to me?" But then the guy suddenly spoke, his voice sounding very tired.
"I had nowhere to go, and you picked me up," the mouse said.
"Hey, I love this plot development." Ghost Duke suddenly laughed. Despite being covered in wounds, he looked so happy. He opened his arms to the rat and said with a grin, "Can I hug you then?"
The only response he received was a green snake that had somehow landed on his shoulder; this creature, Ghost Lord, knew could transform into something quite large. To avoid being unable to move for four months, he had no choice but to give up.
The mouse turned its head and looked at the somewhat embarrassed guy scratching his head, then sighed.
I really don't know what this guy says is true and what he says is false. This guy should probably just die, but he just happens to be something that can't die.
"Have you eaten?" Ghost Duke remembered that the breakfast he had brought had been knocked away, and this guy's stomach should be empty now.
The mouse shook its head, then curled up even tighter.
It's common to be hungry here, especially for monsters.
"Then I'll take you to the street to buy something to eat." Ghost Duke patted his pockets to make sure he still had some money inside. That was the pocket money Ark had given him; that guy was incredibly generous.
He stood up and dusted himself off.
"Pull me up," Mouse whispered. She had been sitting for a while, and her legs were a little numb.
"It's my pleasure!" Ghost Duke quickly wiped his hands and then reached out to grasp that slender wrist.
"Why do you have that expression?" Rat looked at Ghost Duke's expression of having no regrets in this life and felt a little strange.
"I've never been held hands by a girl, or rather, very rarely." Ghost Duke tilted his head and looked at Rat, saying, "It seems your character is quite novel. If nothing unexpected happens, you'll live a long time."
"You're talking in a language we can't understand again. You're disliked because you always say things like this," the mouse said, a little annoyed.
"No, no, no, actually people only hate those who are useless," Ghost Duke retorted. "Being useless is the reason people hate others. It's the root cause, and all the other reasons are based on that. And since I can't die, this creates a strange result. Simply put, others can't stand me, but they can't kill me."
"Incomprehensible."
"That's great. If you can understand me, then you're beyond saving."
The two of them were talking when they suddenly fell silent.
There was nothing more to say; Ghost Lord had no other skills besides uttering unpleasant words. So now he obediently shut his mouth.
I was the so-called useless person, the most useless guy among those present.
Perhaps I should work harder to become stronger? Maybe do some exercise?
He had already tried it, after all, so much time had passed.
It serves no purpose other than allowing him to deal with human guards while wielding two small knives. In other words, his combat strength is roughly equivalent to that of the gatekeeper at the entrance.
He cannot learn magic, nor will he be recognized by gods or demons. He is outside of any system and can only train his physical body.
What's the point? If it's just about exercising, it won't really help much.
Come to think of it, he had also been jealous and envious of others. His yearning for that kind of power made him quite neurotic for a while.
But so much time has passed, and those things stronger than him are dead, as are those rare things weaker than him. The things he liked are dead, and the things he hated are dead.
Only I am still alive.
This girl with long hair is really nice. Maybe I can trick her into becoming my girlfriend with sweet talk? Being alone is such a despairing thing. I really want someone to be with me.
Just think about it; it can't actually happen. If I really get too close to this girl, I'll cry my heart out when she dies.
"What strange thing are you thinking about now?"
"Of course I'm imagining you and me doing some lewd things, do I even need to think about it?" Ghost Duke started spouting nonsense again.
How fake. I don't know when it started, but I no longer want to say lame things. But if I can't even say lame things, then I'm even more useless.
"What kind of consciousness is that?" The mouse was stunned, clearly not having any deeper connection to those two words.
"It's nothing, just forget about it," Ghost Duke said, turning his attention back to the guy standing in the corner.
That was Twelve. Unlike the Red Demon siblings, it wasn't sitting at the table, nor was it wandering around aimlessly like the others who were alone. Instead, it stayed in a corner, lost in thought.
That's the main character. If nothing unexpected happens, this world created by the gods revolves around him.
How wonderful, how wonderful, the whole world revolves around me. I have the potential to achieve anything I want, and I can always find something I want to do. Even when I'm feeling down, there's always someone to comfort me, like Subaru Natsuki from Re:Zero, who, even when his mind breaks down from constant rebirth, has Rem to bring him back to normal.
However, when I had my last breakdown, I was left alone for more than a hundred years until I finally came out after I figured things out.
Because everyone I knew had died of old age over time, I left no memories of myself in this world except for a legend of an immortal.
Perhaps I've mistaken them for someone else; after all, I've seen too many teams similar to the protagonists. Isn't that common in anime and novels? There are always characters who have experiences and encounters very similar to the protagonists. But in the end, they die for some strange reason or become mere background characters.
That's only because they're not the main characters. If it weren't an ensemble piece, God wouldn't grant many people good fortune. The one called the main character is a puppet that can follow a pre-set script; they are the key, unique and irreplaceable.
Therefore, only he can accomplish the most important task.
Actually, Ghost Lord didn't have much hope; he was just hoping to be a supporting character. This kind of trope has been overused, hasn't it? Like someone who's lived for thousands of years suddenly encounters the main characters and begins an adventure. He was just hoping that one day he'd meet the protagonists and become a supporting character, or maybe just a random NPC on the street.
Twelve didn't seem to like him. Ghost Duke stood at the door for a long time until the guy looked at him warily and he greeted it.
This can't be rushed. After this event passes, there will definitely be other plot developments. It's not a bad idea to try to improve the relationship when you see him again.
So he went out, taking the girl he had saved with him.
Going out now is obviously not a good choice; the monsters outside are rioting.
That was a monster, an absolute monster. It was suppressed by someone, and the entire sky turned red and black.
Such an exaggerated scene suggests that the fight outside is going very well.
Are they Ark's group? That's great, they're all powerful people, able to fight such monsters.
I might die someday, maybe this time it will be my last.
Just like how expendable pawns don't just disappear for no reason, the next time you meet, someone from that team might be dead. It could be that guy named Denos, or it could be someone like Lady.
It's possible that they'll all survive, though the chances are slim, but it could very well end in a happy ending.
What can I do now? I know nothing about that monster, and I can't even risk my life for information. The most likely scenario is that I'll be stuck to something when I rush in, and I won't see it again for a long time.
He felt his clothes being tugged, and he tilted his head to look at the girl hiding behind him.
Are you scared?
"That's a really unnecessary question. It's surprising that you're not afraid, isn't it? I thought you were joking when you said you were going to take me out to eat." The rat's expression was strange.
She genuinely believed the guy was joking; as a monster similar to a rat, she always took the sense of danger very seriously.
Because that thing outside was so dangerous, all the rats in the city didn't leave their burrows for a whole month because of its appearance.
If it weren't for the fact that the food reserves had run out, forcing them to come out to avoid starvation, perhaps the problem could have been cured.
Ghost Duke hesitated for a moment just before leaving, and at that moment, Rat actually wanted to come up and mock him.
But this guy went out as if he had made some major decision, and naturally, he saw that incredibly huge monster as soon as he came out.
It was a truly terrifying sight; the thing seemed to have doubled in size. Then it twisted and writhed, emitting horrifying sounds.
Even dragons aren't as scary as this thing. If this thing really rushed in, I'd probably be scared to death by now.
"Hmm, it seems so." Ghost Duke looked very happy, then rubbed her head: "Then hold my arm. Trust me, even if I look like this, I'll definitely rush to help you if there's any danger."
"Do you have that kind of guts?"
Why should someone who can't die be afraid of death?
The rat hesitated for a moment, looking at the wounds on the guy's body.
It's no longer visible.
It wasn't because this guy recovered so quickly, but simply because he found the paints he used for painting here.
Then, after about five minutes, I mixed the color to my skin tone and applied it to all the wounds on my body.
That would make it seem as if you weren't injured at all.
She knew that the wound would hurt if it came into contact with dirt.
But that guy's whole body was covered in this stuff, it looked so painful.
Because he had been so dismissive, the mouse initially had some reservations. But this guy looked exactly the same as before.
“That’s true,” she said softly.
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