Chapter 37: Punishment for oneself (3)

In the middle of the night, at an unknown hour, Yukomis slowly opened her eyes.

As soon as she regained consciousness, the first thing she felt was, more than anything else, terrible pain.

It wasn’t just the piercing wound.

Bruises, muscle pain from being restrained, headache from the effects of the medicine.

Her jaw felt like it was going to fall off because of the forcibly bitten gag.

The stuffy and stale air was suffocating.

‘How much am I in my right mind…’

She wasn’t sure how much she was in her right mind.

She was definitely more clear-headed than before.

‘What… What did I say?’

She was sure that she had met Manya who came here.

She was sure that she had been subjected to a tantrum and beaten… She didn’t remember anything more than that.

Even though various pains were assaulting her body, on the one hand, it felt unrealistic, as if it wasn’t her body.

It was an unknown feeling, as if she was vividly receiving only someone else’s pain from a distant place.

Magic… She couldn’t use it, as expected.

Mana was extremely scarce in this room, and in any case, in this state where she could barely see in front of her, not only magic but all other actions were impossible.

Even though she was in this state, she had finally done everything she needed to do.

She had succeeded in tracking down the hidden base, and she had also confirmed that Signa was safely in this place.

She had made such a large pillar of fire with her forcibly squeezed strength, so if Silissa was in the forest, she would have definitely seen it.

On top of that, she had lied to the elves that Silissa was dead.

They probably wouldn’t expect her to come to this place again now.

‘Is notoriety helpful when telling lies like this…’

In any case, it was all a story based on the premise that that stupid Silissa knew that the pillar of fire was her magic and came looking for her.

Was it really okay to trust that idiot completely?

If something goes wrong with her, or if things get twisted in an unknown place, what will happen to me now…

When she slightly raised her head, she saw a mirror placed at her eye level.

Because of the clear malice that the object conveyed, Yukomis let out a slight hollow laugh even in this situation.

This was definitely not placed here for her to groom herself.

‘So, that’s why they untied the blindfold.’

It was certain that it was placed here for her to appreciate her current miserable appearance herself. The image reflected in the mirror was so much that she couldn’t imagine it was her own. Swollen, bleeding, and full of dirt and soot.

If possible, she had at least done minimal grooming even during the Great War.

‘But… I can be like this too. I can.’

I can become such an ugly person…

But.

If Manya wanted to remind her of how terrible of a person she was,

it was something that was completely unnecessary.

Because Yukomis already knew very well that she was a terrible person.

‘Not yet… Not yet.’

This was nothing.

It was nothing compared to the pain that her sister had experienced.

With her hazy mind, she recalled that her sister had been captured by the enemy at the end of the Great War.

‘As always, she volunteered to remain in the rear guard alone, secure the escape route, and then planned to retreat last.’

But she was unlucky that day.

Just as she reached the target runway and was about to leave the battlefield on the prepared wyvern.

The weather deteriorated rapidly, and the takeoff was delayed too long.

When the wyvern of a knight was hit by the pursuer’s magic and died,

her sister put her on her wyvern Monad and forcibly flew her away.

Her sister herself attempted to retreat on foot, but in a situation where she was surrounded on all sides, there was no way that was possible.

She became a prisoner.

It wasn’t easy to rescue her sister.

Sufficient time was needed, and thorough preparations had to be supported.

‘If you’re too late, you might be executed.’

‘The value of the information that Thermis knows is enormous. The Demon King, cornered, will definitely want to extract it.’

‘Then, what if she tells the secrets?’

‘Thermis will never give in to torture, or anything like that.’

So, she carefully devised a plan that would never fail.

Everything went well as planned. It was a perfect operation, as Yukomis had guaranteed.

And finally, what she found in the deepest solitary cell of the target location, the fortress, was…

A person groaning while lying on the floor.

A person?

Rather than a person, it was closer to… a mass of flesh.

Her whole body was terribly crushed, and she was faintly groaning while unconscious.

Her muscles were torn, her bones were shattered, and her fingers were all crushed.

There were several fatal injuries all over her body that would have killed an ordinary person.

A blood-soaked iron club was carelessly thrown around her.

It was certain that it had been used to beat her sister, and its size and shape were so brutal that it sent chills down her spine just by looking at it.

But, despite such persistent beatings…

Even at that moment, the magic she had cast was healing her sister.

Even in that moment when she was unconscious, flesh was growing, and bones were returning to their original positions.

The enemy knew very well what kind of magic had been cast on her sister.

They… Accepted that she had been cast with ‘Forced Healing’ magic as meaning that there was no limit to the torture they could inflict.

Her mind faded.

As she recalled what she had done, nausea surged up from within.

She finally realized how indecisive and complacent she had been when she saw that figure.

While she had been smugly devising a plan in a comfortable and warm tent,

while she had been reviewing one more variable, her sister had to endure all this pain alone.

Being one minute late meant

that ten or so more beatings would be inflicted with that terrible iron mass in the meantime.

When her thoughts reached that point, she leaned against the wall and collapsed because she was dizzy.

The symptoms of mana over-breathing that she had experienced several times recurred there.

Who had given her first aid in that place?

Who had stabbed a knife into her right hand and given her a mana shock?

She had rushed to save her sister, but she had become a useless burden in that place and only caused trouble for her comrades.

When she regained consciousness, both her sister and herself had safely returned,

and no one mentioned that incident.

She had tried to apologize.

She had tried to apologize. She had tried to apologize honestly this time.

“I really didn’t say anything. I did well, right?”

Because she saw her sister’s smug face saying that on the sickbed.

Because she saw such a silly face, somehow, she got angry, she got so frustrated and angry…

‘You fool! Fool! Fool! Idiot! Moron! Sister is really a moron! After being in that state, all you can do is, all you can do is say that now! You dare call that speaking……!”

‘Ouch, ouch, ouch, it hurts Yukomis…! I’m not better yet!’

…A day became two days, a week passed…

There was still a chance, because she could apologize anytime. Another week passed…

Just wait a little longer, if the opportunity arises…

But, there wasn’t.

Such an opportunity.

While she was hesitating and putting it off, her sister had left her side forever.

‘She always missed the chance.’

‘All she had to do was say what she had to say.’

When you think about it, it was already too late then.

At the moment when her sister first reached out to her,

when she forcibly created a tea party and invited her, she should have said ‘yes’ there.

She should have said, ‘I’m glad too, Sister,’ but what was so difficult about that…

‘So, it’s okay. This much.’

‘This is just the punishment I have to receive.’

It was difficult to maintain her thoughts any longer because of the consciousness that was fading every moment.

‘Compared to the pain that my sister received, this is nothing…’

It was well past midnight, but Signa was not asleep.

It was also because she had heard disturbing words from the holy sword, and the signs outside were also ominous.

Muffled shouts from outside the room, the sound of numerous people running around busily…

There was also the sound of something being dragged and the sound of weapons lightly colliding.

In addition, someone had opened the door slightly a little while ago and come to check if she was sleeping.

When Signa just pretended to be sleeping, the door was carefully closed, and soon after, she heard the sound of the door being locked.

‘The atmosphere is strange. What do you think?’

[I think it’s strange too, Master.]

Signa carefully put her ear to the locked door.

Originally, she should have heard the presences of the two people guarding the room from outside the door, but there was nothing like that now.

‘It seems like they locked it and left somewhere for a while.’

[Could it be that your younger sister has come?]

‘There’s a possibility. If she found this place, she’ll have to confront it with as much force as possible.’

Or… Signa began to point out an uneasy possibility.

‘If she succeeded in capturing me, from Manya’s point of view, she’s the most important dangerous person.’

‘She’ll want to put her under the strictest security.’

It was something that she herself had experienced firsthand.

Of course, the great mage Yukomis wouldn’t be easily defeated by any stretch of the imagination, but.

‘Did she come this quickly…? That’s not like Yukomis. Could she have been defeated because she was in a hurry?’

She sometimes showed a lack of screws in strange places.

Was it the concentration typical of a genius? You could say that she was sometimes overly absorbed in one or two things.

When that happened, she would make mistakes that she wouldn’t normally make… It was like that.

‘Whatever it is, it’s a good opportunity to check the situation.’

[But if you get caught?]

‘It’s okay. Even if I get caught, the people here are worshiping me. At most, I’ll just get scolded a little.’

Signa tried hard to ignore the fact that she had met Ilesha after entering her room with this thought before.

That was then… The situation was different now.

[Still…]

‘The surveillance might get stricter for a while, but I have to take that much risk. In the worst case, it’ll just end with taking you away from me.’

Signa realized that she had said something she shouldn’t have.

[What?]

‘I misspoke. Taking you away for ‘a while.’

[I don’t want to. I don’t want to. I don’t want to! I’ll never fall off again! I won’t fall off even if I die! No one can separate us again!]

‘Calm down for now. I’m not trying to leave you. It’ll be fine as long as I don’t get caught.’

[Why are you taking such a risk! You’re not trying to break up with me again because you think it’s an opportunity, are you? Huh? Can’t we just stay together inside here? Just stay here with me.]

‘I’m sorry, but I can’t. I don’t know when this kind of opportunity will come again.’

Signa tried hard to ignore the holy sword’s nagging.

[You’re trying to ignore me again! Again! You were like that when we first met!]

‘Please… Puhbannol.’

Signa decided to use a method she really didn’t want to use.

‘I really like you, but… If you keep whining like that, I’ll have no choice but to leave you behind and go alone.’

[Do you want me to let you wander around without my protection?]

[I don’t, I don’t! This time, I’ll definitely protect you, Master!]

‘Yeah. I trust you. But there’s no time to explain now. Everything will be fine. Please trust me.’

[Hiiing…]

The holy sword made a sobbing sound.

‘Puhbannol. You’re my favorite holy sword, so you’ll listen to me, right?’

[R-Really? You promise me that nothing will happen?]

‘Yeah. I promise. I need your power.
‘

[Then… R-Really, this is just this one time.]

‘Thank you. You’re the best.’

What am I really doing?

Is this what it feels like to have a really annoying girlfriend?

No, that’s not it, there’s no way there’s a girlfriend who volunteers to ‘help you treat another woman like a toy.’

‘…No, maybe there is somewhere in this world.’

Signa took out a safety pin from her arms and gently touched the lock on the doorknob.

It was a trick she had learned once in her previous life and had always used it usefully.

‘I also used it recently when I ran away from the Irendel’s mansion.’

That wasn’t a good idea in the end, but…

It had to be different this time.

Click.

The door of the cave room opened, and Signa slyly peeked outside the door.

As expected, no one was guarding the door.

It seemed like they thought it would be enough to just roughly lock it.

Beyond the narrow cave passage, she could see the main chamber where the gathering had been held.

As she tried to approach the main chamber while hiding in the darkness, her feet hurt much more than she thought.

The outside of the room was an unpaved cave stone floor.

The soft soles of a girl’s feet, with no calluses, were not a good environment for walking.

Manya and the elves dressed her in such gorgeous clothes when there was a gathering, and they took away the shoes she was originally wearing and didn’t return them.

The reason was obvious.

Even if they didn’t put on restraints or anything like that, just taking away her shoes was enough to prevent her escape quite effectively.

Signa frowned and moved carefully.

‘The atmosphere is ominous. What happened?’

When she approached the main chamber, she saw several elf devotees rushing out and shouting urgently.

“Didn’t you say she was definitely dead?”

“I, I heard that too.”

“How did she find this place? Even in this middle of the night?”

“Maybe that battle…”

“That’s it! In any case, we must protect the entrance no matter what. She’s definitely not an opponent to be taken lightly. Got it?”

“Yes!”

‘What are they all talking about?’

[I don’t know either…]

‘Could it really be that Yukomis has come? This quickly…’

[Three mages ran out to the entrance. Looking at the outside entrance right now is not a good idea.]

‘Okay. Let’s look at other rooms for now.’

Signa was looking for the clothes and small sword that had been taken from her more than anything else.

Whether it was for now or for later, in order to move freely and protect herself, she had to remember where they were.

If Yukomis wasn’t the one who came now, or…

If she failed to rescue her, she wanted to be aware of the basic escape plan.

However, Signa wanted the holy sword not to know about the fact that she was ‘looking for a sword’, even if it was about her clothes.

She was already upset enough, and if she thought about the holy sword, who would cry as soon as she reunited with her, saying that she was finding an ugly sword first, Signa’s head ached.

Signa looked around a few of the passages that branched off from the main chamber.

At the end of those small passages, there was a room in each place.

Some seemed to have been made artificially, and some seemed to have been created naturally…

Since there was no one guarding the surroundings, she was able to look around faster than she thought, even with Signa’s awkward steps.

Most of the places were decorated with a feeling similar to a simple lodging or rest area, but there was only one place that felt different.

A thick door reinforced with steel on the outside.

Unlike the rooms with flimsy temporary doors, it was made to minimize the play with the door frame.

‘It looks like a treasure vault. Right?’

[Wow. It really is. There were a lot of rooms with this feeling in the Demon King’s army’s fortress too.]

The holy sword forgot the situation and answered innocently.

Signa briefly thought that maybe her child-like mind and the holy sword might be a good match.

..It’s locked, as expected.’

Signa took out the safety pin and started unlocking it again.

It was using a much more complex and heavy lock than the room she had escaped from, but in the end, it would only take a little more time.

‘…Done.’

[You’re amazing!]

Even after all this, the holy sword liked her.

She was sure that the only one who would praise the door-picking skills, which didn’t suit the eldest daughter of the duke, was the holy sword.

In fact, the best thing about that holy sword, and also the scariest thing, was that it was unconditionally positive, no matter what.

Signa slowly opened the door so that the creaking sound wouldn’t be heard as much as possible.

In fact, she had no choice but to open it slowly because the door was quite heavy.

‘Ugh… The door is really heavy…’

As soon as the door opened and she went inside, the first thing she felt was the suffocating and heavy air.

As soon as she breathed in that air, an unpleasant memory swept through one side of Signa’s mind.

‘This air is…’

The room was dim.

A room with only a very small brazier to prevent suffocation.

Even that was almost out of fuel.

A sealed entrance. Reinforced with a large lock made of iron.

Unpleasant and stuffy air.

Signa knew what kind of room this air was felt in.

‘Mage prison…’

It was a typical characteristic.

This place seemed like an improvised place, but all the characteristics matched.

‘Puhbannol. Can you feel mana in this room?’

[No, not at all. It’s strangely scarce. I think so too, this place is…]

Signa didn’t answer and slowly walked into the dark room.

Carefully, carefully.

As expected, there were no gold coins, other treasures, or boxes here.

“Ouch…”

Signa’s foot kicked something.

“A mirror…?”

What she had tripped over was a small mirror.

“Why is a mirror like this on the floor…”

Saying that and turning her gaze,

Signa’s eyes found a familiar figure on the dead-end wall.