HEO 79
by LiliumBlack Weasel did not exist in this world. He was not a human who had died and vanished; rather, he was a human whose very existence did not exist. No one knew Black Weasel, not the regular innkeeper, the regular tavern owner, the regular blacksmith, the owner of the inn where he had stayed for over a month, the assassin middleman, or even that old hag Erem. If you asked, “Do you know that wandering mercenary named Black Weasel?” the only answer you received was, “Who is that?”
And one more thing. ‘Silver’ did not exist, either. To the question, “You don’t know me?”, the only answer he received time and time was, “Who are you?” It was truly terrifying.
This bizarre hell began after Black Weasel died. After burying his biological father’s head, Silver pondered what to do next and decided to find the man who had hired someone to kill his mother’s lover. If he were to rank his revenge, that man was first, and Wolf was next.
Silver went to see the middleman he had suspected for a long time. That was when he heard the words, “Who are you?” for the first time. Even after torturing him to the brink of death, the middleman consistently asked, “Who is Black Weasel? Who are you?” A strange premonition led him to the place where his mother and her lover used to live. His mother’s lover was so wealthy that many people still remembered him even after 11 years. The problem was his mother.
‘There was a mistress who was killed along with him. But did that woman have a child?’
‘I worked as a servant in that house, so I remember it clearly. She didn’t have a child.’
From then on, Silver wandered here and there half-mad. He confirmed and reconfirmed that Black Weasel and the human named Silver did not exist as he roamed the world for three years. People remembered every incident related to them differently from Silver. It was really, really terrifying.
Where does the truth begin and end? Why did it turn out this way?
In Silver’s memory, his biological father definitely existed. A fellow who possessed monstrous strength and outstanding skills befitting his massive frame, yet lacked patience and was prone to getting bored quickly. A frivolous bastard who had a high tolerance for alcohol but was bad at gambling. Silver also remembered all sorts of things they had experienced while wandering across the entirety of Stoll together for eleven years. That distinctive, husky voice remained vividly in his ears as well.
‘Hey you punk, Silver!’
‘Silver! You’re Thunder too!’
He is so vivid in my memory. Why, why, does no one know him except me?
Is that biological father really just my imagination?
Then…who am I?
My name…is it Silver?
People…they don’t know me either…
……
“Ha ha ha!”
Silver burst into convulsive laughter. Startled, Starry Eyes flapped his wings to fly up.
〔Ƨᴉɼʌԍʁ1? You again?
“What do you mean again! A person can laugh!”
Silver sat up while clutching his stomach.
“Who am I! Where am I! Fuck, I don’t know a single thing!”
〔Ƨᴉɼʌԍʁ, your name is the one you remember! It’s Ƨᴉɼʌԍʁ!〕
“See! You call me Ƨᴉɼʌԍʁ too!”
〔I told you that! I think I’m broken! Even if I say your name correctly, it always turns into ‘Ƨᴉɼʌԍʁ‘ as soon as it comes out of my mouth! And this is Pirate Island!〕
“No! This is the harbor docks! I’m just a nobody! My name isn’t even Silver, it’s Ƨᴉɼʌԍʁ! Or maybe it’s Schlorp!2”
〔Ƨᴉɼʌԍʁ! Calm down! You’re not a dockside beggar!〕
“I’ve seen them countless times! Crazy beggar bastards sprawled out on the docks spouting nonsense! They all firmly believed they were important people living in fancy houses! Ha! To think that everything I believe to be my memories is just the delusion of a dockside beggar…!”
Silver raised both arms toward the empty air.
“That’s right, my memories are lies! To think I suddenly died, fell into the lair of a skeletal evil spirit, and then came back to life! That servant bastard suddenly transformed into a berserker and beheaded Bingapsu with a single stroke! Those are all stories that would only come out of a lunatic’s head!”
〔You’re not crazy! Look at me!〕
Starry Eyes flew in front of Silver’s eyes.
〔I’m right here! So your memories aren’t wrong!〕
“You must be an hallucination too.”
Silver muttered softly.
“A talking mantis? It must be a hallucination. I can’t be Thunder either.”
He started laughing again. And after giggling for a while, Silver turned around abruptly.
“I’m crazy! I’ve lost my mind!”
He kicked the door and ran outside. Rainwater pounded all over Silver’s body.
“It’s weird enough that a Stoll bastard is using the name Silver! Thunder? Hahaha! What grand dreams for a dockside beggar!”
〔Ƨᴉɼʌԍʁ! Ƨᴉɼʌԍʁ!〕
The pirate village was submerged in heavy rain. No one was in sight. Silver ran and ran.
“I’m a beggar! Spare me a coin!”
〔Ƨᴉɼʌԍʁ!〕
Starry Eyes blocked Silver’s path. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck, and for a very brief moment, the world shone bright. At the same time, Starry Eyes slid to the ground. One of his wings couldn’t withstand the rainwater and had folded. Only then did Silver come to a stop.
〔Ƨᴉɼʌԍʁ….〕
Starry Eyes looked up at Silver. The latter bent down and lifted him with both hands.
“You… are really a fairy? The one I kidnapped from the evil spirit’s lair?”
〔That’s right, you hid me in your belt pouch. By human standards, I’m a fairy; in our territory classification, I’m External Tool Type 3, No. 78. In charge of the kitchen.〕
“To others, it will look like I’m talking to my palm.”
〔Others can see me too! I’m telling you, you’re not crazy!〕
“If I’m not crazy, then the world is. It means the world fabricated Bingapsu and me into beings who weren’t even born, does that make sense? Just because that bastard and I aren’t exactly some grandiose fellows…”
Silver put Starry Eyes in his belt pouch and wiped his eyes. He was overcome with a piercing loneliness. Loved or hated, his only flesh and blood was actually a fiction created by the imagination of a dockside beggar. And not just any fabrication, but the greatest assassin in Stoll as a father. It was obvious what kind of person that beggar must be. He must be a pathetic loser who lived his life getting beaten up by the mobsters all the time.
I don’t know. I really have no idea what’s going on.
He didn’t know how fast he ran, but before he realized it, he was at the shore. Under the pitch-black sky, only the spots torn by lightning were briefly tinged white. The waves gnawed at the sand like starving beasts.
Suddenly, something was floated ashore by the waves. A human arm pushed through the deep blue currents and spun over. The waves cast the person near Silver and sailed away. It was a man. He didn’t move a muscle. His shirt was tattered, and his pants were covered in stitches.
Did he die?
Silver lost interest and turned around.
“He’s luckier than me.”
* * *
Two days later, the rain stopped.
The Pirate Island’s beach was a complete mess after the storm swept through. Would it be this chaotic if giants got drunk, caused a ruckus, and left? Pieces of wood, broken oars, and overturned barrels. Bundles of waterlogged rope and torn sail fragments. Broken jars and crates. Swollen sacks of grain. Bloated corpses.
It appeared that at least three or four ships had been wrecked while passing through the nearby waters. Only the pirates were having a field day. They rejoiced like farmers rushing toward free barrels of wine on the first day of the harvest festival. They tore off the corks from barrels scattered all over the beach and gulped down the contents. They cheered as they scattered gold coins and jewelry taken from chests into the air. They emptied the corpses’ pockets and stripped off the clothes and boots. They cut off the fingers adorned with rings with a knife and stuffed them into the bags.
“Newbie! Get to work too! Strip the corpses!”
The senior pirate snarled. Silver looked around the beach indifferently. Dozens of corpses were scattered here and there. They were all naked after being thoroughly robbed by the pirates.
“There’s no work.”
“What do you mean no work, you punk! Look at that!”
The senior pointed to a corpse lying in the distance. It lay face down with its lower body submerged in seawater. A white bird was perched on its naked back, enjoying the sea breeze.
“Someone already stripped it.”
“He’s wearing pants!”
At that moment, the tide receded, revealing the man’s lower body. His pants clung to his body so tightly that his skin was visible through them. The senior hit Silver on the back of the head.
“That pant fabric is Atania Belfoca cotton! I’m a guy who handled fabric a million times back in the day at the fabric shops in a port city of Atania, so I recognized it at first sight! Wash those thoroughly and bring them to me!”
Fuck. What kind of bullshit is this?
Silver swallowed the curses rising to his throat and turned around. This bastard, making a pirate do laundry work? That isn’t even within my scope of duties. Do you even intend to pay me? Just you wait. When I escape, I’ll pull out all your teeth and wear them as a necklace.
“Starry Eyes, isn’t it frustrating?”
Silver took Starry Eyes out of his belt pouch and perched him on his shoulder. Starry Eyes neither spoke nor flew in front of people. Even though he only pretended to be a big praying mantis, Silver was always careful because the moment people saw Starry Eyes, their eyes would change as if they had come face-to-face with their naked ideal type.
“If you’re really a fairy, I’m going to sell you off for a fortune later. Because I’m a broke bastard.”
〔Ƨᴉɼʌԍʁ. You are Thunder.〕
“I’m certain you’re a rare mantis. That’s enough to make you a solid asset for me…… huh?”
Silver recoiled and stopped. That bird sitting on the back of the corpse… …?
0 Comments