Ch#56
As far as Berugon knew, the principle behind Krazar creating a subspace was simple.
‘What the target fears most is the key.’
Krazar was a monster that used human fears to induce delirium.
To someone afraid of snakes, it showed a forest crawling with venomous serpents.
To someone afraid of water, it showed a vast, endless ocean.
And while they flailed about in panic, it bound their entire body and slowly digested them.
Thus, the moment he realized he was trapped in a subspace, Berugon thought he might have returned to ‘that day.’
Because if he had to pick his most terrifying moment, it was only ‘that day’ for him.
However, the place he arrived held not a single thing that could frighten him.
Nor were there any elements reminiscent of ‘that day.’
As he seriously pondered where this place could be,
he finally realized upon noticing the Sovereign King's pink bag in his hand.
‘This delirium isn't targeted at me.’
This was a delirium space crafted for Agavert's leader, the Sovereign King.
Berugon's gaze turned back to Astie before him.
‘That's why I came searching for her.’
Narrowing his brow, he opened his mouth.
“I might not know, but you should. What this place is.”
The Sovereign King stared at him with round eyes.
Her blank expression amid the serious situation made his brow furrow further.
“I thought I was going to die of shock wandering around searching for you! What the hell are those hole-riddled rocks? What are those things flashing lights and zipping by? Are those what you're afraid of? Is that why they exist in this subspace?”
“…….”
“Say something! You're not going to tell me you don't know where we are either, are you! As you said, we need to get out of here!”
Tie timidly averted her gaze from Berugon's harsh face.
The child's lips automatically pouted.
‘I knew it since you tried chasing me out of the Armory, but Factory Chief is really, really…….’
There wasn't a shred of kindness to be found, even if you washed your eyes looking.
Both of them trapped helplessly in the subspace.
How nice it would be if they relied on each other and found a friendly way out.
Tie replied in a sullen voice.
“I know, but I don't!”
“What?”
“I know this pwace, but don't know how to get out!”
Of course, Tie had grasped the situation to some extent.
The monster core that fell out when the armament shattered.
Tie had been trapped here after touching the smoke that emerged from it.
In this place filled with the things she feared, her mental weakness.
But that didn't mean she knew how to escape it.
Sorry for the factory chief who got trapped alongside her by accident.
“And those awe buiwdings! Beep beep! Twiangwes! Bank!”
Still, she couldn't let the factory chief call a bank a rock, so Tie pointed at the buildings herself to explain.
“Those awe honking caws! Those awe stweetwights! Don't you know those, Factowy Chief?”
Berugon stared at her with a baffled expression.
Tie pursed her lips, huffed, and snatched her kindergarten bag back from Berugon.
“See! It's because you tried chasing Tie out fwom the stawt that we ended up wike this!”
“What did you say?”
“We didn't cause any twoubwe, but you said get out anyway! And won't seww!”
“……No, that's.”
“Tie was westisting unfaiwness! Didn't mean to knock ovew Kwarzaw's Heart! Sewf-defense! Sewf-defense!”
Berugon shut his mouth, feeling utterly frustrated inside.
The Sovereign King before him was still chanting ‘self-defense’ even now.
A cold glint flickered in Berugon's eyes.
He soon crouched down to meet the Sovereign King's gaze at eye level.
“You, what are you?”
“Sewf-defense…… ? Huh?”
“What the hell are you exactly.”
Unlike moments ago, the chilling gaze made Tie flinch.
But before she could step back even one pace, Berugon poured out his words as if waiting.
“People call me a gloomy mole that doesn't step a foot outside Popullosa.”
“Mowe……?”
“Right. But I know all the big rumors circulating in the world. Major events I need to know. Crucial news like who sieged what magic stone in some province. In other words.”
“…….”
“I've already heard quite a lot about you.”
Gulp-
At the words that he knew about her, a lump went down Tie's throat.
Berugon's gaze sharpened even more as he stared piercingly at Tie.
“Two magic stones in the Tenebraum Caves. Not enough with that, even the unprecedented large-scale one that rose in Pearl City waters. All sieged by you, right?”
His eyes now fixed on the small hands clutched tightly at her chest.
“They say the thing inside that fur of yours is three times the size of an average mercenary.”
“Uh, uhmm…….”
“Rumors of a wicked witch who toys with people using vicious dark magic. Even tales of a monster wearing human skin. But.”
Thud-
Berugon's hand heavily rested on Tie's right shoulder.
“I'm not scared of even that you. Know why?”
“…….”
“In here, inside Krazar's domain, no magic can be activated. In other words, even a grand wizard like you can't use any power here.”
Berugon tightened his grip on Tie's shoulder.
“So stop the puppet play and reveal your true identity already.”
“F-Factowy Chief……?”
“What the hell is your true identity?”
Berugon's gaze hardened menacingly.
Tie's shoulders shrank even more.
“How did you break Krazar's core? That core stayed intact for decades even melted in molten metal, even smashed with a hammer. How did you destroy it?”
Tie shook her head in too much shock.
“Tie didn't do it!”
“Nonsense! You think I'm an idiot?!”
Flames sparked in Berugon's eyes.
“I've known for a while the Imperial Family was after Krazar's Heart! That they'd find some excuse to take weapons from me! Did they send you?! To kill me and dismantle the blacksmiths?”
Hot rage began surging from Berugon's heart.
Weapons are sacred.
Dirty things are people.
Berugon knew that better than anyone.
“Ah, now I get it. The Imperial Family planned to swallow the entire Popullosa Weapon District using you. We expected it from the Imperial Family and Church, but now even mercenaries……”
Veins slowly bulged at Berugon's temples.
Hatred gradually filled his unfocused eyes.
“Same bastards! Even if we grind our souls to forge armaments, they just want to fulfill their filthy desires. No greater good, no human decency—worthless scum you couldn't find even scouring with your eyes!”
Tie stepped back a pace from the now frightening Berugon.
Berugon, head bowed deeply, began muttering incoherently.
“Should never have given anything to those bastards. Should have kept them from even stepping foot in my Weapon District……”
Drip, drip-
The rain, which seemed to have stopped, began pouring again.
Tie stamped her feet in place.
At the edge of her gaze, the red mist still writhing across the street was visible.
‘Factory Chief grandpa is acting stwange.’
The sudden talk of the Imperial Family and Church popping up out of nowhere.
In this urgent situation, Berugon was behaving oddly.
More precisely, he had suddenly become strange.
‘Why? What's making grandpa angwy?’
But no matter how she thought about it, she couldn't figure out why Berugon had suddenly turned weird.
As the frustrated Tie bit her lip,
“Huh?”
Near Berugon's chest.
Something faintly shimmered from inside his clothes.
Tie's eyes widened round.
