258 â Revive the Vampire Princess
Thatâs good enough for Divine Word Religion. Iâll go visit them again after a break of several days. Then I only need to hear their answer.
However, therein lies a problem. While I could convey what I wanted to say in a book, thereâs no way to hear their reply with a book. Well, itâs basically impossible that they would take my circumstances into consideration and reply to me using a book. Whatâs with that exchange diary-like setting? Shouldnât an âexchange diaryâ be more bittersweet or something? Just whereâs the sadness in an exchange diary that is seriously discussing the fate of the world eh. On top of that the other party is an ojii-san as well. If he was an austere occhan then it would be fine, but that guy is completely past his prime you know.
So for that reason, I need someone to act as a listener-cum-negotiator. My not-so-random selection is, vampire girl. The Demon King is busy with various things anyway, and sheâs still the Demon King after all. It wouldnât do to just blithely bring her to the very center of enemy territory, surely. The Divine Word Religion is like the pillar of the human society after all.
I have various other reasons other than a process of elimination to bring vampire girl along. If I say I have them then I do! Itâs not like I have no acquaintances to bring along other than vampire girl, okay! Ahem!
Well, to put it bluntly, vampire girl and the Divine Word Religion have a bit of fate between them you see. After all, the country where vampire girl was born in, was basically destroyed by the Divine Word Religion, right? Ah, I guess it was actually destroyed. The town that vampire girl was born in was completely trampled over, so I guess itâs not really any difference. Basically, theyâre about equivalent to being enemies.
Vampire girl, really. Ever since Mera got angry at you, youâve sure been depressed huh. Or not so much depressed, but in turmoil? What does it mean to be human? What does it mean to be a vampire? Who am I? What am I? That kind of thing. Sheâs lost sight of her own identity it seems. Itâs kinda like sheâs interpreted what Mera wanted to convey in a different way, and has gotten lost after dashing around at full power every which way.
When I tried asking Mera whether itâs okay not to amend his explanation, he said,
ăThere is no meaning to it unless ojou-sama finds her own answer.ă
, so it seems that he doesnât intend to help. Are you sure? At this rate Iâm worried that she might come up with some weird answer though.
In other words, to let her distract herself Iâve thus decided to throw her in at the deep end with a task that can become her current objective. As to how her contact with the Divine Word Religion will work out, thatâs an unknown for now, but well, Iâm sure itâll work out somehow. As long as I hold her reins tightly, it shouldnât develop into a particularly bad situation, probably.
ăIn other words, prepare.ă
ăWhat do you mean, in other words â how does that explain anything? Suddenly turning up and saying âin other wordsâ doesnât mean shit, obviously.ă
Good girls should not say words like âshitâ! Thus, a chop to the head. Maybe I heard her skull cracking or felt her neck breaking, but well, donât mind it. I press a book into her hands.
This particular book is quite thick. Itâs about time that vampire girl has to learn about important matters such as the composition of the world, about the System, and about what we are about to do next. In the first place, if she doesnât know about such things then she wonât be able to talk with the Divine Word Religionâs pope-san anyway. Vampire girl also more or less has Taboo, so itâs fine if she maxes that, and I could also have her deliberately use her skill points to do that as well.
Muhaha. Before such an important announcement her worries over her identity should be blown away! Iâll have you forget all your little worries! Come now, you shall tremble in fear before the truth of the world!
âŚOh? Havenât I⌠just increased her worries?
Yup. Itâs all good. Vampire girl is a fine adult. Iâm sure sheâll manage one way or another by herself you know.
Now then, thatâs enough about vampire girl. Maybe itâs bad but whatever. I can leave the rest to Mera, her guardian. I guess Iâll go check out oni-kun as well.
Thus I have come to oni-kunâs place. I have walked, for once. Normally I just teleport though. Well, weâre living in the same mansion after all so the distance isnât far enough to be worth teleporting.
ăShiro-san, welcome.ă
Oni-kun greets me with a gentle smile. Youâd never think he held Wrath. I wonder how he actually came to hold Wrath.
ăWhat brings you here today?ă
ăYeah, itâs finally risen as far as Greater Heresy Resistance level 5. It seems that Nullity will take a bit more time, but things should already have improved quite a lot since previously.ă
Uh-huh, uh-huh. Thatâs going well. I donât get tired having from having a conversation with oni-kun. From just a single word he can guess what Iâm trying to say. I guess this is whatâs meant by being able to read the mood.
ăYeah? Erm, ah-hah! Thatâs almost returned to normal as well. About 90% I guess. I think thatâll become fully recovered in a short while.ă
It canât be helped if he occasionally misinterprets things or misses things. Ugh, not being able to talk is painful. I donât think Iâll be able to improve though. After all, getting in contact with others is such a pain.
Oni-kunâs physical condition is still recovering. As yet he hasnât activated Wrath either. At this rate, I guess itâs just a matter of time until he learns Heresy Nullity. In that case, oni-kun will no longer lose his way due to Wrath anymore, probably. If that happens then oni-kun will be able to determine how he wants to proceed from now on by his own will.
I hand oni-kun a book. It has the same contents as the book I gave to vampire girl just now.
ăTodayâs book is a bit thicker huh.ă
ăRead it, then do what you want.ă
I turn my back to oni-kun and leave. Once heâs read that, then itâs up to oni-kun to decide what to do next. If he decides to align with my side then good. If he becomes hostile then Iâll show no mercy. If he stays out of it then thatâs fine too. I donât have the right to decide oni-kunâs choice. Everything is up to oni-kun.
Thatâs not just for oni-kun either. I could say the same to vampire girl. For now it might seem like sheâs working under me a bit at a time, but, I have no intention to bind vampire girl. Since picking her up I granted her the minimum amount of power to be able to get by. However, vampire girl already has enough power to be able to live freely within this world. Vampire girl is free to make whatever choice she wants afterwards. Indeed, she can even choose the path of becoming hostile to me.
I stop walking. If vampire girl becomes hostile to me, what will I do? Thatâs obvious. If someone stands in my way, then I will show no mercy no matter who they might be. No matter who.