PMEVBO 64

If Isabelle had become a guard to seek revenge and come find me, I could have understood. But it was Iser who came, and he hadn’t come for revenge.

When I asked why he was here, Iser’s answer was somewhat roundabout, but not impossible to understand.

“…You came because you missed me?”

I had no idea how to begin. After a long pause, the words that finally came out of my mouth were these.

“…I don’t understand.”

I muttered while splashing water on my face. Even with my face buried in my palms, I could feel his gaze.

If that’s all the answer I could muster after such a long, drawn-out silence, it would normally be enough to hurt someone’s feelings.

But…

“Why don’t you understand?”

His voice, piercing my ears, was only calm. There was no reproach, no pressure.

Iser’s death six years ago was the result of me accepting the main quest. Iser died not by human hands, but by the power of the system. So it was highly likely that even he, the person involved, didn’t know who killed him.

But… even so.

…He must know what I did to others that day.

That day, six years ago, there, I killed countless people. ‘A brutal mass murderer who killed N people during his priesthood.’ As written on my status screen, that was the title I held now.

How could anyone want to see a vile criminal like me? Why…?

This morning, I grabbed him at the foot of the stairs and spoke as if I were confessing a sin. I told him I killed him. I said I was sorry. But I couldn’t quite remember what Iser actually replied.

I was so frantic, he probably didn’t understand.

So this time, I decided I had to say it clearly. I took a deep breath to steady my trembling breath before speaking. My face was still buried in his palms.

“…I killed you.”

The moment I said those words, the image of Iser from that day came vividly to mind. My breath caught in my throat.

“Then I suppose I’m a ghost now.”

Iser said and pulled me closer. His scent, reminiscent of herbs, hit me in a rush. Before I could resist, I was in his arms. From his chest pressed against my ear, I could hear his heartbeat clearly.

“How about it? Isn’t my heart beating?”

He rested his chin on top of my head.

“…Back then, your heart had stopped.”

Iser said nothing. Listening to his heartbeat, I continued.

“I’m glad you’re alive.”

“……”

“But that doesn’t mean… what I did to you never happened.”

To me, the image of him lying in that pool of blood six years ago was just as vivid as his heartbeat tickling my ear now. Even if Iser was alive now, the fact that he bled so much because of my choice hadn’t changed.

My sin could never be forgiven.

Iser, who had been listening quietly, suddenly spoke up.

“Then if I forgive you… would that ease your heart even a little?”

“…What?”

I lifted my face from my palms. Iser gently patted my stiff, stone-like back and whispered.

“You can kill me. I’ll forgive you anytime.”

“What kind of…”

I pushed Iser away. He obediently stepped back from me. The face I saw then was only serene.

“The medicine is ready.”

Islercarefully removed the needle stuck in the back of my hand. But even after pulling out the needle, he didn’t let go of my hand. Life energy flowed into me from our touching hands. It was a force that felt refreshing and soothing, just as described in the original work.

“I left the injection marks and the wound under your eye as they were. The other guards might find it strange otherwise.”

He said he could control his ability now, so I suppose he can do things like that too.

“…Yes, thank you.”

Instead of answering, Iser smiled. Stroking the back of my hand gently, he said.

“Rest, Lucariel. I’ll come again tomorrow.”

***

It was the morning of the second day since reuniting with Iser.

In the windowless cell, I knew it was morning for one reason only.

…Because the red letter only comes with breakfast.

Footsteps grew closer beyond the iron door.

“Meal service for prisoner number 1004.”

It was the familiar voice of the food server. Though Iser and Palet had been assigned as new guards, the food server hadn’t changed. Well, that was fine by me.

I pulled only the red letter from the wooden tray pushed under the iron door. Then I immediately took out the cigarette inside and lit it.

Acrid smoke scratched my throat. I held back a cough and drew the smoke deep into my lungs. The dark room quickly filled with orange-hued smoke.

The time for receiving the IV drip was set for after dinner, and in this world, cigarette smoke vanished without a trace within two or three hours. The smell too.

If I smoke it in the morning, by the time the apothecary and Iser come around in the evening, it’ll be as if it never happened.

It was troublesome enough that the guards might discover a prisoner smoking in his cell, but more than that… I didn’t want to show Iser this embarrassing state.

And there was something else I was ashamed to reveal.

The habit of scratching my skin until it bled…

This wasn’t something I could hide like cigarettes. The slightest lapse would leave marks on my body. Iser had already seen me scratch my skin until it bled. There was no way that smart guy wouldn’t notice the meaning behind any new wounds on my skin.

Just yesterday, while smoking, I absentmindedly scratched my face and neck. 

It wasn’t just the day before; days like that happened often. To avoid making that mistake again, I consciously kept track of my hand’s position and drew the smoke in.

But something happened.

Beep―!

Beep―!

Beep―!

───【 Emergency situation! 】───

Player’s virus infection has been confirmed.

System initiating automatic recovery procedure.

───────────────────────

I forgot to exhale the smoke and stared at the status window.

“……I’m infected with a virus?”

It was true I’d been weakened since experiencing the divine power shock six years ago. But that didn’t mean I’d been particularly sick during that time. I hadn’t even caught a cold, the most common viral illness.

Moreover, I was currently as spry as I had been before experiencing the divine power shock.

HP: 100/100

Ever since Iser healed me with his ability at the stairs the day before yesterday, my HP had never dropped below 100. I had been checking my HP right up until the emergency situation window popped up, so I was certain.

It’s a bit strange that my HP is 100 while infected with a virus...

I felt uneasy, but I had no choice. It said it would initiate the auto-recovery procedure, and immediately a system notification window popped up.

───【 System Notification 】───

The current system does not have a vaccine capable of removing the long-term infiltration virus.

─────────────────────

“…Long-term infiltration virus?”

So I’ve been infected for a long time? …No, wait, when exactly did this infection start?

But that wasn’t what mattered now.

───【 System Notification 】───

Treatment will activate automatically after vaccine generation.

Vaccine Generation Rate: 0% (0/100)

─────────────────────

This was the work of a system that dumped killing people on me as a main quest, then went AWOL for six years. It called it treatment, but who knew what it would actually do. My prediction hit the mark perfectly.

─────────────────────

Vaccine Generation Rate: 0% (0/100)

Vaccine Generation Rate: 0% (0/100)

Vaccine Generation Rate: 0% (0/100)

・

・

・

─────────────────────

…Why was it still 0? I thought maybe it was a bug and waited quietly, but no matter how long I waited, the vaccine generation rate wouldn’t budge from 0.

“Hah…”

Frowning, I exhaled an irritated puff of orange smoke.

If you’re going to do this, you shouldn’t have offered to cure me in the first place.

This system bastard was a master at screwing over players.