Chapter 91

The get-together began with Nerea as our guest. Terrified inn staff delivered one lavish dish after another, likely because Nerea, the ruler of this land, was present. It must have been an incredibly stressful time for them. Feeling a twinge of sympathy for them, I snacked on the food.

“—And that’s when Jack used the City Core in the castle’s basement. Even Dorgu’s body couldn’t withstand that massive output of mana.”

Alice was being unusually talkative. She was recounting the time she and I finished off Dorgu. It was hard to tell at a glance, but she had a proud look on her face.

“That’s incredible! To take such a gamble in the heat of battle… I could never hope to imitate that.”

Nerea listened with interest, her reactions appearing quite pure.

“……”

On the other hand, Mihana was grimacing with distaste. She focused on her food, trying her best not to listen. Perhaps she wasn’t good with gory stories.

I watched the three of them casually, paying particular attention to Nerea’s movements. I didn’t trust her. There was something unidentified about her; it was only right to remain on guard.

The gathering proceeded smoothly, and eventually, late night arrived. Alice was fast asleep beside me, and Mihana was sleeping in the adjacent room. The plates had already been cleared away by the staff, leaving only alcohol and snacks on the table.

I sat by the window and smoked a cigarette. I was running low on stock; I’d have to buy more. One of the greatest perks of power is being able to acquire almost anything with money. Even luxury items like tobacco can be bought easily. For me, it’s a matter of life and death, so I’m grateful for it.

“Here you go.”

Nerea poured a drink into my glass and handed it to me. I put out my cigarette and accepted it.

“Ah, thanks.”

“No, don’t mention it…”

Closing the distance, Nerea leaned in close. Her left hand rested on my thigh, while her right arm wrapped around mine. A sweet fragrance tickled my nose.

“Lord Jack…”

A plaintive voice and a soft breath hit my ear. Nerea placed her fingers over my hand, attempting to guide the glass to my lips. I let out a soft exhale—and pressed a knife against her throat.

Nerea looked at me with a bewildered expression. “…Lord Jack?”

“You spiked the drink, didn’t you? I didn’t miss it.”

I pointed it out flatly. When Nerea poured the drink, I’d seen a powder drop from her sleeve into the glass. I’d been monitoring her every move for the past few hours. My suspicions had hit the mark perfectly.

“Oh dear, I haven’t the slightest idea what you mean. I didn’t—”

Nerea played dumb with an anxious face. Her eyes began to glow red. Her pupils shifted and her irises rotated eerily. It was obvious she was trying to pull something.

I drove the knife into Nerea’s neck and swung it sideways. A spray of blood soaked the floor.

“Ugh…”

Nerea swayed and collapsed onto the floor. She grew still instantly amidst the spreading pool of blood. Simultaneously, her corpse and the blood turned black, transforming into a mud-like mucus. The mucus bubbled and evaporated without a trace.

A moment later, there was a knock at the door. Peeking inside was Nerea, wearing a graceful smile. I wasn’t particularly surprised and offered her a round of applause.

“A clone made of sorcery, huh? Maybe you should consider a career as a magician.”

I’d heard rumors of such a thing during my preliminary investigation. In some circles, she was called “the woman who won’t stay dead.” I’d been half-skeptical, but it seemed it was true.

Closing the door behind her, Nerea rubbed her neck bashfully. “I didn’t think I’d be killed so suddenly. You are quite impatient, Lord Jack.”

“I get that a lot. I’ve been meaning to fix it.”

Terms like short-tempered or impatient were insults I’d grown used to hearing. I was well aware of my flaws.

I observed Nerea while idling with my knife. No matter how I looked at her, she was a spitting image of the woman I’d just killed a second ago. This wasn’t on the level of merely having a look-alike pose as the real thing.

“Still, clones are impressive. They look convenient; I’m almost jealous.”

“It is one of my few special talents. Did you not hear anything about it from the other Representatives?”

“No, not a word.”

Neither the Sage nor the Assassin King had mentioned anything about clones. Did they think Alice and I would figure it out ourselves, so there was no need to tell us? Or was it pure harassment? They might be hoping that I, ignorant of her cloning ability, would be killed by her. It was a perfectly plausible scenario.

The Sage notwithstanding, the Assassin King was a rationalist. He didn’t believe the four Representatives had to get along. There was a possibility he wanted one of us to die as a result of a clash between me and Nerea. He really is a piece of work. When people are this unhelpful, it makes me want to kill them. It’s irritating, but I’ll decide how to deal with the Assassin King later. For now, I should focus on what’s right in front of me.

“You tried to cast magic on me earlier. What was the effect?”

“Charm. It was supposed to take effect in an instant, but unfortunately, it failed. You have a remarkably resilient spirit, Lord Jack.”

Nerea confessed easily. She didn’t seem to feel any guilt about it. “Charm” meant she intended to manipulate my heart. As I thought, sorcery is a pain.

“I truly didn’t think I would be killed so suddenly. You have no hesitation when it comes to taking a life, do you?”

“It’s the same as your clones. It’s just a ‘special talent.’ I can kill a person more easily than I can pop the cap off a bottle of Coke.”

Knife in hand, I stood up to face Nerea. Her posture was completely defenseless. I could probably take her down again with a single thrust of my knife. However, the person before me was likely a clone. Killing her here would surely end in a wasted effort. Suppressing the urge to act impulsively, I interrogated her.

“Tell me your objective.”

“I… I have found myself wanting you,” Nerea answered, clasping her hands together with an adoring expression.

Faced with such an unexpected reaction, I raised an eyebrow. “…Excuse me?”

“Lord Jack. I want to make you mine and mine alone. That madness that deviates from the norm, that human tenacity that bows to no one… Ah, I can’t stand it anymore. You are so… beautiful.”

Nerea approached me with a face that looked ready to melt. Saliva trickled from the corner of her mouth. The eyes staring at me had lost all reason. An excessive, obsessive desire for possession. I understood the situation instantly.

“Um, so… if it’s alright with you?”

Nerea’s reaching arms wrapped around my neck. She closed her eyes and leaned her face in close. Her plump lips were drawing near. I pulled out my handgun and pressed it against her chin.

“It’s not ‘alright.’ I don’t belong to anyone.”

Saying so, I pulled the trigger. Nerea’s head exploded from the back, brain matter scattering everywhere. She fell backward, once again turning into mud and evaporating.

An unharmed Nerea appeared at the room’s entrance as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “Oh my! Even your shy side is adorable.”

“Don’t touch him.”

I turned my gaze toward the familiar voice to find Alice sitting up. She had a cold, piercing look on her face. She seemed to be quite angry. The change in her expression was slight, but I could tell by the aura she was projecting. Nerea, now the target of Alice’s killing intent, looked surprised.

“Oh. You should have been asleep from the drug.”

“I analyzed all the components in my body and neutralized them.”

Alice casually stated something incredible. I was curious about the specific method, but it likely didn’t require much effort on her part. Mihana, in the next room, didn’t show any signs of waking up. I’d thought she just couldn’t handle her liquor, but it seemed it was because of the drug. Unlike Alice, she apparently hadn’t taken any countermeasures.

“So, what’s the plan? Are we going to fight it out?”

“…”

“…Fufu.”

We faced Nerea, prepared for a deathmatch. In the volatile atmosphere, Nerea was the first to move. Taking a step forward with her red eyes, she—pressed her forehead against the floor and apologized.

“…I am terribly sorry! I don’t know what came over me, I lost my self-control. It is a bad habit of mine. I simply got too excited…! Truly, I apologize.”

Nerea continued to apologize with a tearful voice. If this was an act, she’d be quite the actress, but it didn’t feel that way.

“I have no intention of fighting you two here. I am not good at combat, and more than anything, I do not wish to hurt you. Please, could you find it in your hearts to forgive me? I will prepare a recompense as well…”

Nerea showed no sign of raising her head. Alice looked at me, seemingly at a loss. “What should we do, Jack?”

“Well now…”

I crossed my arms and thought. I didn’t sense any malice from Nerea. Her previous rampage was born from an excessive amount of affection. While I couldn’t overlook the fact that she tried to charm me through underhanded means, it wasn’t a problem as long as our true objective hadn’t been exposed.

Besides, fighting here would be inconvenient for us as well. Since we didn’t know the total number of Nerea’s clones, it was too dangerous to strike carelessly. I was sick of losing big because of rash decisions. I’d had enough of that after the duel incident.

Nerea felt guilty toward me. There was no way I wasn’t going to make use of that. Having reached a conclusion after deep deliberation, I stood before Nerea. I made her lift her head and spoke to her tear-stained face.

“Change of plans. You’re going to be our tour guide.”