Chapter 79

Chapter 79
## Chapter 79

“Miss Aiselin, I already told you. I will use any means necessary to achieve my goal.”

“…”

What is this? Why did we come all the way to the North? Weren’t we here to cooperate and work together? But now I am being deceived, the plan is being obstructed, and my time is being wasted. If they continue to act so irrationally, I will have no choice but to take a firm stand.

He was a reaper.

With his snow-white hair and crimson eyes peering out, he looked like a monster that had come to claim someone’s life.

Even the demons who caught the scent of blood on his body—not to mention ordinary humans—were sometimes paralyzed by fear.

Those who do not hesitate to take lives emit an indescribable terror.

Dereck was one of those people.

*Bang!*

Aiselin, who had jumped to her feet, quickly placed Siern behind her and adopted a defensive posture.

Dereck now harbored murderous intent toward Siern.

Even if they tried to reason with him later, for now, it was necessary to keep Siern away from him.

It was already evident that Siern and Aiselin were conspiring together.

—
**Discover more**
* E-book publishing
* Romance novels
* Short story writing courses
—

Dereck was not someone who got angry easily, but that did not mean he did not punish.

“Don’t… don’t come any closer, Lord Dereck.”

Dereck raised both arms and said:

“Please, do not be so cautious with me. How could a mere commoner like me harm the young lady of House Duplain?”

“…I know. Lord Dereck would not harm me. But… just this once, please take Lady Siern’s situation into account.”

“I have already told you several times. My stance is not going to change.”

Siern’s entire body began to tremble. It was a violent shiver, enough to make her teeth chatter.

Dereck had dedicated his life to killing demons. His mere presence instilled terror in low-level demons.

The simple fact of perceiving his murderous intent activated my survival instincts.

In fact, Siern felt an irresistible urge to break the window and flee into the vast snowy field.

“Since we have reached this point, I will have to impose my will, even if I must use force. If Miss Aiselin does not step aside, she could be injured… or even lose her life.”

«I am… the young lady of the Duchy of Duplain. Even if our house is in decline, if you harm me… Lord Dereck, you won’t be safe either… So please… stop…»

Aiselin’s almost pleading expression remained etched in Siern’s mind. She really wanted to save her. Even if it meant facing that terrifying being, she didn’t want Siern to suffer the same fate as Diela.

Aiselin’s will, burning like molten lava, shone in her eyes. But her opponent was a demon who seemed to have come straight out of hell.

“Then Miss Aiselin will also have to be involved in this.”

“W-What? If you do that…”

«Miss Aiselin, haven’t you heard Lord Melverot’s words? The North is infested with demons, and many people are attacked, with numerous victims. It is a place with little human traffic, so only the heavens know what happens here.»

“Dereck…! W-What are you saying…?”

“The snow falling on this frozen field seems to cover the sins of any murderer equally. And the one who has benefited most from it is Lady Siern, isn’t it? Precisely the one you have been protecting, Miss Aiselin?”

—
**Discover more**
* Translation software
* Character products
* Translator recruitment
—

Siern’s eyes trembled violently. Aiselin’s did too.

“It is time to pay for those sins. Miss Aiselin, please do not defend that vile murderer. Otherwise, the silence of the snowy field will claim not just one life, but two.”

Having said this, Dereck pulled a magic staff from behind his back.

Dereck, wielding a 4-star grade magic weapon, was unbeatable, even if Aiselin and Siern joined forces against him.

Since defeating that madman was not an option, the most efficient one was to flee. Siern had extremely developed animal instincts.

*Bang! Crash!*

Before Dereck finished speaking, the spell was already complete.

The magic from Siern’s hand shattered the window, and the curtains billowed in the cold winter wind that rushed in.

*Whoosh!*

Siern ran quickly and jumped onto the window frame with movements full of fear.

Her ruffled nightgown and blue hair fluttered in the wind. It was the moment she attempted to flee into the snowy field.

Looking back, there were Aiselin and Dereck.

Siern couldn’t know what Dereck would do to Aiselin, who had betrayed him. However, that didn’t worry her. What mattered was her own survival.

Aiselin herself had said it. There was no need to worry about her or trust her. Any harm Dereck might cause her was none of Siern’s business.

As Siern gritted her teeth and prepared to jump out the window, she locked eyes with Aiselin.

Aiselin’s lips moved.

*Run. Fast.*

As soon as she understood what she meant, Siern instinctively activated acceleration magic. Just as she was about to run alone into the snowy field, she quickly returned to the room and grabbed Aiselin’s arm.

*Thud!*

Siern was a master of transformation magic. She knew how to temporarily reduce the weight of objects, adjust their inertia, or accelerate them.

—
**Discover more**
* Language learning tools
* Coin shop
* History
—

The instant she grabbed Aiselin, she threw them both into the snowy field.

*Thump! Thump!*

*Thud!*

She would think about the consequences later. For now, the important thing was to escape Dereck’s reach.

Tracing a long arc in the night sky, the two girls barely landed in the snowy field in front of the mansion.

*Thump, thump!*

“Eek!”

With a small cry, Aiselin barely managed to roll across the snow-covered ground.

Siern also rolled several times through the snow before regaining her balance. In the distance, they could make out the tower they had escaped from.

For such a short escape, they had covered a considerable distance.

Her magic energy was almost exhausted after using transformation magic while carrying Aiselin, but there was no time for regrets.

“We have to run! Now! That man uses strange magic to detect where I go every time I use acceleration magic.”

Indeed, Dereck, who had appeared by the broken window, was looking directly at Siern.

Looking at those red eyes, it was difficult to discern who the real murderer was.

If a murderer is someone who harbors the intent to kill, then, regardless of what others said, that man was one too.

Even if she didn’t care what happened to herself, the thought that Aiselin, who was innocent, could get involved and die left a bitter taste in her mouth.

Siern took Aiselin’s wrist and ran across the snowy field. They had to lose him before he closed the distance further.

However, Aiselin couldn’t keep up. Upon closer inspection, it was clear she was wearing indoor slippers.

“…You…”

“Go ahead, Lady Siern. If Lord Dereck reaches us, I will try to persuade him again with sincerity.”

—
**Discover more**
* Novel subscription service
* Action and adventure novels
* Fantasy books
—

What kind of stupidity is that?! Didn’t you see that man?! Do you really think he can be convinced?! Why do you always think of others even after you are beaten over and over again?! You are so infuriating…!

“Anyway, I can’t keep up with you, Lady Siern.”

Siern was used to running barefoot through the snowy field while casting various transformation spells, but Aiselin was not.

In fact, Aiselin’s feet were swollen and red from the cold and injuries.

Siern’s expression twisted. There were only two options: abandon her or stay.

Aiselin asked her to run. She kept repeating those frustrating things about trying to understand that uncontrollable monster.

It was impossible to understand what made that girl trust Dereck so much.

Remaining here would be a useless death.

However, Siern’s steps were not easy. The idea of leaving Aiselin behind was hard to accept.

It was truly strange.

Even though she had said over and over again that she didn’t trust Aiselin, the girl’s unwavering expression, full of sincere trust, kept coming to her mind.

Even in that state of hesitation, the noble appearance of the girl, who stood firm in her resolution, inspired admiration.

And then a possibility arose. All those who had called Siern a monster, trembling with fear at the thought that she might kill them at any moment…

Those who pointed at her and abandoned her, perhaps they were fundamentally different from this girl.

This time, it really could be different. Maybe this elegant and dignified girl would embrace her like the warm sun.

Even with those thoughts, what filled her mind were the corpses of wolves soaked in blood.

When she regained her senses, she found herself in the middle of the snowy field, having killed beasts and monsters, looking at the sky without any emotional alteration.

At times, human beings also became the target of that murderous instinct.

Simply kill. That was all. The impulse to murder, arising for no reason, did not choose victims.

That was why Dereck was right.

—
**Discover more**
* Adventure games
* Online bookstore
* Fantasy books
—

It was beneficial for the world for a being like Siern to disappear. That Dereck always said the right thing.

“…”

Siern slowly crouched down and spoke to Aiselin, who was sitting, panting.

“If I manage to escape to the snowy field, they won’t catch me easily. I used to wander outside the mansion when I was bored, so the servants won’t care much.”

“…Wheeze… Wheeze…”

“Then I’ll run away. You… deal with that man for me. Tell him I tried to kill you and that it’s only fair for a human like Siern to disappear from the world. If you beg for forgiveness like that… maybe at least he will forgive you. If you trust him so much, do it.”

“…”

Siern released Aiselin’s wrist, which the latter had been holding tightly.

“That man is right. I might end up killing you. Don’t protect someone like me. Don’t do something so stupid; act for your own sake.”

“…No… Wheeze… Wheeze…”

Although Siern had left everything behind and said that, Aiselin gritted her teeth and shook her head.

She was a pitiful figure, covered in snow and mud, but her determined expression was infinitely noble.

With great effort, Aiselin stood up and took Siern’s hands again.

Her hands were freezing from the extreme cold, but to Siern, they were warm.

“There is no one in this world who deserves to die, Lady Siern. Although all the creatures in the world define you as a monster, never forget that you are human.”

“…”

“Things like instincts don’t matter. There are many people who live rationally, going against their instincts. You can definitely change. I will help you. So please, don’t give up and don’t abandon your humanity. We are human.”

Siern looked at Aiselin with trembling eyes. Even while an uncontrollable monster pursued them, Aiselin shouted desperately, refusing to deny Siern’s humanity.

“You can do it, Lady Siern. Trust me, I… I can definitely help you.”

Everyone else defined her as a monster, but Aiselin saw her human side until the end.

—
**Discover more**
* Collectible coins
* Anime products
* Character costumes for cosplay
—

Siern Alaina Rochester is human.

As she repeated that fact, believing in her and placing her trust in her—

Siern simply nodded.

*Thud!*

*Splat! Splat!*

And then, blood spattered.

“They made it all the way to the edge of the snowy field on their own.”

It happened in an instant.

For a moment, a surge of magic energy was felt, and Lady Aiselin’s eyes trembled violently.

Then blood spattered and a blade appeared. The smell of blood.

Siern had smelled that cruel scent countless times.

Even the blood of a noble saint like Aiselin seemed to have a floral fragrance. Could it be safflower, or perhaps balsam? It was a scent she had perceived in a flower that had been gifted to her.

In that precise instant, just as that noble girl was about to open her mouth to utter her final words…

Once more, the magic energy intensified, the girl lost consciousness and was thrown into the center of the snowy field.

*Crunch! Snap!*

*Drip, drip.*

A red liquid flowed down Dereck’s blade.

“What… what… what… what is this…?”

The scene unfolding before Siern’s eyes as she fell backward was unbelievable.

The boy standing in the middle of the blizzard was the spitting image of a slaughtering demon who had torn apart countless monsters.

Before him lay Aiselin, buried in the snow, motionless.

Red blood stained the snow around her.

Just seeing the amount of blood scattered, the instinct to take her immediately to a healer overcame me.

However, Dereck simply flicked his sword without showing any emotion.

With those terrifying eyes, he looked at Siern in silence. The meaning of his gaze was clear.

“You… you… you…”

“The snowy field is perfect. It buries all deaths equally.”

“She… she defended you until the end. She believed in your humanity… until the last moment…”

“Really?”

Dereck’s voice remained cold.

He watched in silence as the blood spread, then looked back at Siern and spoke.

“It doesn’t matter anymore. She’s dead.”

The mercenary in the blizzard. Dereck’s dry voice echoed across the snowy field.

“…”

Is there a problem?

“You… you… don’t you feel anything seeing her corpse…?”

“…She was a fairly useful person.”

There was a moment of silence.

For a long time, Aiselin’s steady gaze remained etched in Siern’s mind.

Just as that memory came to an end, an unimaginable surge of magic energy erupted from Siern’s body.

*Boom!*

The blizzard began to swirl violently, covering the entire area.

In Siern’s eyes, a scorching fire swirled, burning.

The origin of that turbulent emotion was unknown, but at least one objective was clearly etched in her mind.

Kill.

Kill Dereck here and now.

That cry, full of fury, echoed throughout the snowy field.

Dereck responded with a calm expression, raising his staff.