Ankoku Kishi Monogatari - Chapter 56.5

Chapter 56.5 : Temple of Love and Beauty 

「That would end up making me seem even more conspicuous…some people might even go as far as to do a background check on me.」 

But I refused her suggestion. 

「Eh?」 

Shirone’s face had fallen and judging by the pout on her lips, she seemed dissatisfied with my answer. 

「He’s right, Shirone. Kuroki should stay undercover for my sake. Besides, not only is this disguise the most believable cover we could come up with but also, it was Kuroki’s idea in the first place.」 

Rena added with a gentle smile, her face glowing with happiness. 

Indeed, the entire motivation behind the strategy of hiding my actual identity was for Rena’s sake. I hoped to make her feel even just the slightest bit indebted to me. That was my true goal along this journey. It was all planned out. If I could successfully accomplish my mission, I could prevent future conflict. Because, as long as Rena gave up on the idea of killing Modes, I wouldn’t have to destroy Reiji once we met on the battlefield. I was sure that it would end up resulting in a fight to the death. Either Reiji would survive or I would. There’s no way I would lose though, it’s not my time yet.
 

「Hey, Kuroki…you seem to be getting along really well with Rena, don’t you?」 

Shirone swerved to shoot me a scornful glare, her eyes burning with a barely suppressed anger. 

To be honest, even I had no idea how we reached this point. 

Her attitude towards me might have changed upon my agreeing to save Reiji. I mean, I certainly couldn’t think of any other reason other than that. 

「Let’s shelve that aside for now. Shall we start with the discussion about the course of action we’ll take regarding the Lizardmen?」 

「It seems as if you’re deliberately trying to divert the conversation, but alright…we’ll change the topic. What do you think we should do about the problem of the Lizardmen?」 

「If possible, please stop the extermination.」
 

I dove right into the core of the topic, without the slightest ounce of hesitation.There was no point beating around the bush. This would be the best way to clearly convey my thoughts to everyone. Plus, I knew Shirone, it was best to be straightforward with her. 

Shirone slightly reared her head back in surprise when she heard what I had said. 

「Of the Lizardmen? Why?」 

「They’re turned into slaves to fight in the arena…why? All for the sake of serving as entertainment for the humans? It is a disgusting, immoral practice. That’s why I cannot abide with the idea of exterminating them. Can’t you consider other options first, before turning to such extreme acts of violence? Give me a chance to talk to them, persuade them to somehow open the passage that leads towards the labyrinth for us?」 

I took a deep breath after my small speech, not only catching my breath but also calming myself down. 

「I see…what a relief! Kuroki seems the same as always, I’m glad.」 

For some unfathomable reason, Shirone seemed relieved and lighter, as if a weight had been lifted off from her small shoulders upon listening to my tirade. 

「Kuroki-san, you’re actually a really nice person. Aren’t you?」 

In complete contrast to Kyouka’s gaze which was brimming with admiration, Kaya sent me a piercing glare from her place by Kyouka’s side. Her eyes stared at me with an undecipherable  intensity, not betraying any of her thoughts. For the first time in my life, I believed that if looks could kill…I would most certainly be dead. 

「Kuroki-sama, you’re not looking at the full picture. It’s an undeniable fact that the Lizardmen were hostile towards the humans to begin with. However, they’ve recently become more so. Although this situation may end up cleanly resolved, the overall issue is not. Are you really going to protect the lizardmen who pose such a threat to those who reside here?」 

As usual, Kaya was right. 

Of course, if I set those Lizardmen free from the labyrinth, they might attack the humans, endangering both the village and the tentative peace. If that was the series of events that would transpire in the future, someone would eventually be called to exterminate the Lizardmen. 

「Putting that possibility aside for now, I want you to hold back on your plan of action…even if it’s just for now, don’t exterminate them.」 

I stubbornly stared into Kaya’s bottomless eyes as I shot back a response, feeling not even an iota of guilt as I stood my ground. My motivations were clear- I am the Dark Knight, I was never an ally of humanity to begin with. Thus, saving the lives of the Lizardmen took precedence for me. There was nothing wrong with that given my position. I had never tried to hide my views and stance in these matters from any of the others. 

「I see. However…」 

「Please wait a minute, Kaya!!」 

Kyouka suddenly interupted us. 

「Milady…」 

「Kuroki-san is someone who has graciously agreed to help us save my big brother. He is our guest, under these circumstances. I definitely believe we should prioritize his opinion in this matter.」 

「I also agree with Kyouka. Please Kaya-san, allow Kuroki to do this.」 

Shirone also interjected before Kaya could refuse. Faced with their persistent pleading, Kaya finally relented. She looked over at the heavens, inhaling a deep breath into her lungs, her chest rising before she slowly exhaled and turned to face me. 

「If both of you believe in this particular course of action so fervently, there’s nothing left for me to say in this regard…my apologies for the interruption, Kuroki-sama.」 

Kaya bowed to me. 

「No…your worries are justified.」 

Kaya’s thought process and approach were justified from her stance as a member of this party and the Hero of Light’s comrade. It was her duty to look out for the humans and work for the advancement of Humanity, even if it came at an expense to other species of creatures. Exterminating the Lizardmen would indeed be the right course of action to undertake, especially since the Lizardmen were hostile towards humans. 

If someone didn’t take up the responsibility of exterminating the Lizardmen, it was likely that more people would end up as their victims. 

「You might have not noticed, but it’s already become quite late. Let’s persuade them tomorrow morning, shall we? Please enjoy your dinner tonight in Shirone-san’s company. Have you prepared their dinner, Regena-san?」 

At the last question she asked, Kaya said to Regena who stood merely one step away from her. 

「Yes, indeed! Preparations have been put into order. It’s a selection of Master Kuroki’s favorite foods. I made most of the items myself with some help from the priestesses. I hope the spread that I’ve curated pleases you, Master Kuroki.」 

Regena addressed me after she had turned to face me. 

「Although having dinner with an attendant might have seemed strange from an outsider’s perspective, bringing more attention to me…it’s alright, I’ll let it slide this time- let’s have dinner together.」 

Given a choice, I really didn’t wish to stand out so much. However, I could tell that Regena had made a lot of effort helping make this meal. She also tried to find all my favorite foods and mimic them as best as she possibly could. Out of respect for her thoughtfulness, I acquiesced. 

「It’s been a while since we had a meal together, Kuroki. There’s so many things to talk about, right?」 

Shirone’s face had noticeably brightened. In her own way, this was the happiest I had seen her on this trip. What a child. Well, it wouldn’t hurt to have dinner with her, as long as I could help her remain happy, I would do anything if feasible. 

Ignoring the light chatter around me, I mulled over my goal and what I needed to accomplish tomorrow. I would leave the matter of persuading the Lizardmen until tomorrow had arrived. If these Lizardmen were anything like the ones residing in Nargol, I would probably be able to convince them. 

=== 

◆Goddess of Spider, Atlankua 

The slightest of sounds echoed in the dark cave. The barest whisper of shuffling amongst the rocks was the only betraying sign that anything was moving under the inky cover of darkness. These creatures were known to everyone as Arachne, each of the girls served as my vassal. 

The Arachne race consisted only of women. Although their upper half resembled a gorgeous female human, from their waist down they took after a spider’s form. They blended in with the humans, changing their appearance in order to live in the seedy underbelly of Freedom City, Teseshia. 

No one could have possibly suspected that these girls living beside them were not human, that there were monsters in their midst… 

Fury bubbled within my chest as I recalled the matter that had taken place earlier. From the shadows, I had a glimpse at her. The woman who accompanied the Hero of Light’s comrade. There was not a shadow of doubt about it in my mind, that woman had to be Rena. Although she had come disguised, hiding her radiant appearance in a thick, dark cloak, it was clear as day. No matter how much she tried to hide her identity, I knew it was her as soon as I saw her figure. 

I would have never expected that Rena, the goddess would actually personally come to save the Hero of Light. 

According to protocol, I should report this unexpected matter to Labrys. However, I felt extremely hesitant. It tugged at my mind persistently like an annoying pest. Let’s see, I really wanted to kill that woman with my own hands. The fire of revenge that had alighted as soon as I thought of the incident that took place in the past had been stoked from sleeping embers to a hungry, aggressive flame. That’s right, I’m going to kill that woman myself, but not before inflicting Rena with what she deserves, Sorry about this Labrys…my mind is made up. 

I continued to blend into the inky dark depths of the shadows while spying on her security arrangements. Upon studying the conditions clearly, I almost grew giddy. A chance like this came once in a blue moon! It was indeed a rare opportunity when Rena was left alone without her valkyrie. Although it was still an arduous task due to the presence of the Sword Maiden and the rest of the Hero of Light’s party. It would also be difficult if I aimed to ambush her while her priestess were around. They had the advantage of numbers- I simply could not face so many foes at once and emerge victorious. No, I had to get at her somehow. There had to be a way, it’s not like she was without any chinks in her armor. And, even if she didn’t have one, I would make it myself. This, I swore to myself. 

I analysed the overall situation once again. There shouldn’t be any major threats or dangerous factors besides the presence of the Hero of Light’s party and the priestesses of her temple. My gaze swept over to the male attendant that had accompanied them. Pfft. Based on my observations, he was knocked down by the Hero of Fire. In a single blow. He was clearly a small fry, a pathetic weakling who wouldn’t be able to throw a wrench into my plans. There was no need to raise my guard around such a loser. Defeating him would be a piece of cake. 

「Just you wait, Rena. I’ll get my revenge on you, I’ll pay you back for what you did tenfold….」 

As thoughts of revenge swirled through my brain with the intensity of a storm, I smiled smugly while imagining her lifeless body stripped of all its former beauty.