Chapter 116
“This isn’t like you at all,” Denost said after a pause. “Maybe I should stay and keep an eye on you; no one else can handle you.”
“Your bones are corroding. I’ve been trying to find a way to get rid of you for the past six months. But I haven’t had a good opportunity, and I’ve been lonely. So I’ve been putting it off until now.” Acton paused and said, “You have to go. Staying here won’t end well for you. I don’t want to send a crippled child back to my old friend. He’ll definitely kill me.”
"It's possible that he doesn't care whether I live or die. After all, I was just an accident. Otherwise, my mother wouldn't have gone so long without coming to see me."
"She has a reason."
“I know, I know, if I don’t understand now, I’ll be too old. Sigh, it’s true, I haven’t been back for so long, I’m practically an old man before I go home. I really don’t know if my dad is still alive, even if he is, he’s probably a monster by now. It would be normal to hear when I go back that he’s dead and has found a new son to inherit his position.” Denos looked into the distance and said, “I haven’t been back for a very, very long time.”
“From when you were fifteen, he contacted me a few times via mental link to inquire about you, and then he never contacted me again. I haven’t seen him for over ten years, maybe even decades.” Ark looked at Denos, who had lit a cigarette at some point and was taking puffs, watching the white smoke rise. “Do you hate him?”
“It would be a lie to say I don’t care at all. You know what I was like when I first came here. I was so arrogant and thought I knew everything about the world from books. But my dad always said I was ignorant and that my vision was as narrow as a frog in a well.” Denos said with a chuckle, but before he knew it, he choked on his cigarette and coughed violently, while Ark just watched him from the side.
He just watched silently without making any other move, but after a long time, Ark reached out to Denos: "Give me a cigarette too."
“Don’t you not smoke?” Denos opened the wooden box and took out a cigarette. “Don’t waste my time. This stuff isn’t cheap anywhere.”
"It's just not addictive. It's just a bit pungent and bitter when I smoke it." Yak said, holding the cigarette in his mouth without lighting it, also looking into the distance.
Then, feeling a warmth, Denos struck a match and handed it to Ark.
"Don't you need a lighter anymore?" Ark grinned, looking like he was smiling, but it didn't quite seem like it. This guy's facial muscles were stiff; he was practically expressionless. To be able to make such an expression was truly commendable.
“I’d rather stay a stubborn and traditional guy,” Denoston said after a pause. “This thing is still too powerless for me.”
"I believe this kind of machine would be a good choice! In a few hundred years, this kind of thing will probably be something that everyone carries in their pocket."
The one who said this was Ghost Duke. This guy was resting in a carriage with Denos. He looked like he was sleeping very comfortably. Being able to sleep so comfortably in a place like this really shows that he is a carefree guy.
“That sounds quite possible. You can live that long, but I can’t.” Denos stuck out his tongue, but he didn’t seem to be in any pain. After all, it had taken him a long time to accept the fact that his lifespan was short compared to those of these long-lived beings.
“Of course.” Ghost Duke yawned. “I’m really looking forward to this. After all, steam technology is just beginning, and there are still things like alchemy and sorcery that ignore the laws of nature. So it’s possible to make these kinds of dolls. This kind of artificial intelligence-like thing has always been something I’ve been hoping to see become a reality in the place I came from.”
As he spoke, he made no attempt to hide his gaze at the dolls who were helping out. These figures looked absolutely beautiful; they were truly made to resemble that timid girl.
That timid child has really changed a lot. When he first came, he was terrified because a crow had eaten half of his body off. Now he's as cold and aloof as a queen.
I guess it's because he realized that he no longer has a home, no relatives, and that he is no longer alone; the whole world is against him.
And then it turned out like this.
Ghost Duke rested his head on his hand, thinking, "This is great. Is this what they call turning evil? I want to turn evil too."
However, his mental breakdown did nothing to change anything; in fact, it made things worse, and he couldn't even save a decent person.
Lady is such a captivating character after turning to the dark side; it's truly enviable.
But speaking of which, I did save someone this time. Or perhaps it was a monster.
The rat was taken in by Apari, and at the end, the guy turned around and hugged Ghost Duke, almost letting him stay there.
That was the first time a girl had ever hugged me willingly. If it weren't for the fact that I would smell bad in a few days, I really wouldn't want to change my clothes again.
It was good that she stayed there, as good as it could be. Because it was safe for monsters; as long as they made themselves appear valuable or safe, the church would spare their lives. It was the perfect place for a living monster, as good as it could be.
“Ghost Lord, are you listening?” Denos looked at the guy next to him until he patted him on the shoulder, waking him up.
"Huh?" Ghost Duke was stunned for a moment, realizing that he had just been in a hazy state of consciousness.
“You really are the strangest guy in our team,” Ark said helplessly. “You’re practically immortal. I’ve never seen anything like you before.”
"Doesn't the fact that I've never seen one mean I'm rare? Rare things are valuable." Ghost Duke spouted nonsense without any sense of the situation.
Yak shrugged to indicate that he didn't know what to say. He got up from the carriage to leave, as he needed to help Karl set up the barrier and couldn't stay there for the time being.
That leaves only Denos and Ghost Lord.
"What were you trying to say?" Ghost Duke looked at Denos and said, "Speak quickly if you have something to say."
"I just want to ask, what exactly are you thinking about all the time?" Denos looked at Ghost Duke with a bit of curiosity and asked, "I often see you spacing out, and when you start spacing out, it's no different from being asleep. I really envy your sleep quality."
"I'm the kind of guy who looks at those pretty dolls and thinks lewd things," Ghost Duke blurted out without thinking. "You're about to leave this caravan, shouldn't you at least pick up a pretty girl before you leave?"
But he didn't even get a chance to speak, because Ghost Duke had already gotten up and left.
He was exhausted, so exhausted that even speaking nonsense felt tiring. This guy's spine had been completely crushed; too much time hadn't tempered him, but instead had directly destroyed him into a useless cripple.
So he needs to leave before he runs out of nonsense to say. If he loses even the label of "talking nonsense," he'll be left with nothing.
Lady sat in the carriage, turning her head to look at the little girl sitting next to her.
"Big sister, you've worked so hard." Lori carefully handed her a glass of water. "Have some water."
"Thank you." Lady looked at the slightly flustered little girl, smiled, and then ruffled her hair.
The little girl's role in the group was mainly to be cute, and at most, to help carry water or something. She couldn't do anything else; after all, as a child, there wasn't much she could do.
Although more than half of the team's troubles are probably because of her, because this obedient child makes it difficult for them to move an inch in this world.
"Um, can you help me?" When Lady turned her head, she felt someone tugging at her clothes. She turned her head and saw Lori with a pleading look on her face.
"Hmm?" Lady was willing to help, even though she didn't know what it was for. But with her dolls and abilities, helping a child was a piece of cake.
"Can you teach me how to use this?" Lori took out a short-handled flintlock pistol from her waist. "I want to know how to use this."
"Huh?" Lady tilted her head, looking at the thing handed to her.
It's not that she doesn't know how to use it; rather, this is what she relies on most in combat. After all, her entire body is made agile through alchemy and steam-powered machinery, and without this, she would indeed lack a core combat method.
But this is not something that children should treat as a toy.
Lady took the musket from her hand, inspected the magazine to confirm it was a dangerous weapon ready to fire at any moment, and then casually aimed, piercing the claw of a passing scorpion-like monster. Enraged, the creature charged forward, crashed into the golden barrier, and vanished.
"Don't make things worse." Karl's voice came from not far away. Lady didn't bother to look at the guy who always spoke so seriously, like a superior being. He was currently placing the cross in the right position, using divine magic to create a protective barrier.
This thing is much harder than Denos's magic. And to monsters, the people inside are as repulsive as sweet water.
That thing aroused resentment among many in the team, such as Deedris and himself. Ark probably also disliked the feeling of being enveloped in holy magic, though he just didn't show it.
Now that she's a demon, defeating a priest on her own shouldn't be a problem. In Lady's mind, that person is just a lolicon, yet always acts so superior, which is really annoying.
Karl frowned, put his hands behind his back, and seemed a little annoyed that Lady didn't reply.
However, he didn't say much. He flicked his wrist twice, and the magic cores of the two monsters that tried to attack were shattered. Most of the monsters killed by this guy lost their magic cores. This guy seemed to have a strong aversion to magic cores, preferring to shatter them rather than sell them for a good price.
Even if they could exchange this thing for money in the next city, they wouldn't want it to be in good condition.
Lady's current attitude was fueling a fire in Karl's heart. It wasn't because she disrespected him—Karl wasn't one of those people who cared much about what others thought of him as a house hunter—but rather because she seemed indifferent even to the church. This was wrong. The church should represent God's will, and Karl had absolutely no liking for someone who didn't respect even God.
And that guy really seems a bit strange; his personality has completely changed. Before he became a demon, he was a fairly obedient guy, but now he seems like a really arrogant one.
Both of them were quite annoyed with each other, so in this situation, Ark needed to step in as a peacemaker to prevent the battle between the demon and the high priest from destroying the carriage that he had worked so hard to buy.
"Sister?" Lori asked Lady in a low voice.
"Hmm?" Lady didn't want to look at that overly upright guy anymore. At least there was a prettier girl next to her now, so there was no need to do something that would make her feel uncomfortable.
"Um, did I make you angry?" Lori asked softly. "I'm sorry."
“Little Lori is very nice.” Lady was a little surprised. This girl, who was always so careful, was really hard to anger. No one could dislike a cute and obedient child.
“Then could you please stop being so hostile toward Mr. Carl, um?” Lori carefully chose her words to sound like she was trying to mediate rather than start a fight: “He’s a good man.”
"It's nothing. My rudeness to him has nothing to do with you." Lady cursed the priest in her heart for being a lolicon, and continued to look at Lori, saying, "It has nothing to do with you, so there's no need to apologize."
At this point, Lady paused, then suddenly remembered something interesting. She looked at Lori, and just as Lori was about to say something next, she made a knife gesture with her hand and slashed at Lori's shoulder.
The swirling air made Lori unconsciously close her eyes. She felt herself being hugged, and when she opened her eyes, she stared blankly at Karl, who was hugging her, and Lady, whose wrist was being held.
"That's fast," Lady said casually, her tone seemingly normal but laced with sarcasm.
Her hand was caught by Karl, who moved with almost instantaneous speed, before it could strike. Karl was expressionless, but his eyes were filled with rage. This rage turned into ferocity, and he snapped Lady's wrist in one swift motion.
Meanwhile, a bullet was embedded in Karl's head. The musket that Lori had fired from Lady's hand had only penetrated half a bullet's depth when it hit Karl's head. The metal bullet, however, was riddled with cracks.
The two stopped moving in the next instant. Karl released his wrist and raised his hand to bring his wrist close to Lady's neck, while Lady dropped the musket, her fingernail less than half an inch from his eye.
"Have you made enough of a scene?" Ark yelled from below, looking somewhat angry as well.
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