TL/Editor: Butter Cat

    Status: 4/week mon-thurs

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    〈 Chapter 67 〉 Chapter 67. Errare humanum est.

    (TL note: The Latin phrase "Errare humanum est" translates to "To err is human". Means that it’s common for everyone to make mistakes.)

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    CRRACK—!!

    "Why, I wonder, won''t the world leave that child alone."

    "...You!?"

    Soft flesh and strong metal.

    The collision between those two opposing forces resulted in a rather shocking outcome, as the sword blade crumpled like a sheet of paper.

    Black smoke rose from Saelli''s hand, which had effortlessly crushed Remi Akaia''s sword as if it were aluminum foil.

    Faced with this result that defied common sense, Remi Akaia could only stare blankly at Saelli. Although she hadn''t intended to take a life and hadn''t thrust the sword with full force, she never dreamed she''d be rendered so pathetically powerless, even taking that into account.

    Shards of the sword, now reduced to a powder, rained down.

    A grating, unpleasant sound, filled the alleyway where we stood.

    "That child finally found some peace, but now this is happening."

    "...What..."

    I was incredibly relieved that the two of them were still clinging to the last shred of their sanity, and that Remi Akaia hadn''t crossed the line.

    If she had thrust her sword with even a hint of murderous intent.

    If Saelli had judged that killing her wouldn''t threaten Alice''s safety but rather help...

    Right now, on this pavement.

    A cold, lifeless corpse, would have been lying there.

    Of course, I knew that this clash was just the first aftershock of the many earthquakes that were to come, but still, it was a relief that they had somehow managed to overcome the first hurdle I had been most worried about.

    After all, no one had died.

    I sighed in relief, grateful that I didn''t have to intervene.

    —SRRRK.

    "........."

    A faint sound of a sword that was half-drawn.

    I discreetly sheathed the protruding blade, coughing loudly to cover the sound.

    The situation still showed no signs of heading in a good direction.

    The two of them were still glaring at each other, their eyes locked in a deadly battle, and the tangled mess of a situation was too complicated that it offered no clue as to where to even begin unraveling it.

    I watched them face off, trying to come up with a way to turn this situation around.

    Of course, it wasn''t coming easily, but still.

    "Alice is already happy with me. There''s no room for you to come between us."

    Saelli declared.

    Her words were definite, without any conditional phrases like ''if'' or ''perhaps'' that implied uncertainty.

    Her blunt words, reminiscent of a straight line, carried an unexpected weight that didn''t match their simplicity.

    And because they were so simple and direct, they became the sharpest weapon, piercing straight into her opponent''s heart.

    If you truly want Alice to be happy, then give up on the idea of getting involved with us.

    Your existence will only be a hindrance.

    Look.

    Even now, you''re just making a fool of yourself.

    It was essentially a declaration that she had no right to take Alice away.

    "You bitch—!?"

    Of course, just because her weapon was broken.

    Just because she had nothing to rely on in her hands.

    Remi Akaia wasn''t a saint who would just stand there and let someone take away Alice right before her eyes.

    She dropped the now useless hilt of her broken sword and lunged at Saelli, her fist aimed at her face.

    But if there was one thing she had miscalculated, it was that.

    Saelli wasn''t weak or kind enough to quietly take a punch thrown without even proper form.

    —Crash!

    Dust scattered into the air.

    "...I…won''t…ugh…urk…allow…that…!"

    "…Your permission doesn''t matter. What matters is that Alice wants me. As long as she wants that, I will never leave her side — unlike you."

    ".....Go....to,kek.....hell.....!!"

    Her swung fist was easily caught by Saelli''s hand.

    The two of them, spinning around on the alley pavement hand-in-hand, almost looked like a dance, but the outcome of that dance was rather brutal.

    Saelli, using Remi Akaia''s attack against her by slamming her into the wall, and then using the forearm of her right hand, which was still gripping Remi Akaia''s wrist, began to slowly apply pressure on her slender neck.

    Of course, Remi Akaia wasn''t the type to readily admit defeat, and she thrashed like a wild beast, desperately trying to break free.

    But the very idea of pushing back an opponent she might not be able to beat even in a proper stance, while pinned to a wall in an awkward position, was just stupid.

    All she could do was provoke her opponent while letting out small groans.

    But for Saelli, a cold-blooded woman who treated humans as nothing more than mere bugs to be used at will, such cheap provocations wouldn''t work—

    —Crack!!

    "........."

    "...Keh, keheuk?!"

    …Ah, maybe not...?

    Did it… actually work...?

    I mean, she… She wasn’t even listening, was she?

    Although her face still held an impassive expression, the black aura emanating from her arm seemed to have intensified a bit…maybe?

    Huh? What''s this, did she really get angry? Seriously?

    Come to think of it, watching her play with Alice, I did get the feeling that she was becoming more human-like day by day.

    Since they must have spent a year together being lovey-dovey after I left, it''s only natural that she''s become more human-like than before.

    But then why am I still being treated the same as always?

    I don''t really get it.

    Anyway, the winner had essentially been decided.

    Watching their fight, which showed no signs of calming down and was only getting more violent, I decided that I should intervene.

    Judging by Remi Akaia''s face, which had gone from red to deathly pale, if this continued, someone might really die.

    And it''s not like either of them would back down.

    If I were to butt in with a lame joke from the side and ruin the mood, they might leave saying the excitement was ruined.

    Well, even though it was a losing deal for me, I guess I''ll just take a few hits and end this.

    I''m used to being treated like a punching bag, after all.

    "Haah…"

    I dusted off my clothes and was about to stand up.

    That is, until I heard Saelli''s words.

    "—I will keep Alice with me, forever. I will make sure she only sees a happy world and never has to think about sad things ever again."

    I froze, mid-rise.

    Hearing those words that should have never come out of her mouth, I stared blankly at Saelli''s face with my mouth open.

    Because I couldn''t believe she had said that.

    Because I couldn''t believe she had actually said those words.

    I even felt a slight sense of betrayal towards a friend I hadn''t seen in so long.

    "Aris is… my… Ugh, Ughk!"

    "—Don''t call Alice by that name."

    I stood up silently, without making a sound.

    I firmly grasped the slightly curved handle of the sword that was hidden beneath my clothes, hanging behind my back, making sure it wouldn''t slip out.

    The silver light, created by the sunlight reflecting off the blade, illuminated the moss growing on the ground.

    "My… little sister, IGaK—!!!"

    "—Lost little sister, you mean."

    Saelli, strongly pressing down on Remi Akaia''s throat.

    That back, which had seemed so intimidating before, now looked so pathetic.

    I couldn''t bear to see any more of her pathetic display. Sёarch* The novёlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    I quietly approached her from behind, muffling my footsteps.

    And I—

    "—Huh?"

    "...You, the more I see you, the more of a circus you become."

    Pointed my sword at her neck.

    **

    In the past, there was a child who adored the monster that had saved her life, as if it were her real parent.

    The monster''s frozen heart melted at the child''s warmth, and the monster, having faced its own heart, didn''t want to let go of the child.

    So the monster.

    So she.

    Locked the child in a cage, deceiving itself with the excuse that it was all for the sake of protecting the child, to prevent the child from abandoning her and flying away.

    "What are you doing—"

    "—You, have you forgotten?"

    "........."

    That her own selfish desire to keep the child by her side had ended up hurting the child.

    Where did the one who had cried tears of blood, confessing her sins. Where had that person gone?

    Have you forgotten what we talked about that night?

    Are you trying to repeat the same mistake as back then?

    I asked, pressing the sword I held to her heart.

    Honestly, my actions might not have been all that different from Saelli''s.

    Someone might call me a hypocrite.

    After all, wasn''t I also deliberately hiding the truth from Alice, who was desperately searching for her past, even if that past is only filled with betrayal and pain.

    I had no right to criticize Saelli''s actions, her attempts to protect Alice by pushing away anyone she deemed a potential threat, to only show her the good and bright things in life.

    But even to me.

    Even to a trash like me.

    "That''s wrong."

    "........"

    That''s just wrong.

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