Volume 2, Chapter 7

 

Oooff. Ugh… I do not feel at my best. In fact, I feel horrible. What happened again? It’s all a little fuzzzy… Uh, fuzzy. I’m even thinking in a weird way. I guess I do think like that a bit though, huh?

Hmm… If I remember… I was getting Zynthia to check on onee-sama’s injuries… and then? Uhh, what happened again? I seem to have a mental blank… Oh. It must mean that. I fainted again, didn’t I? Which leads me to one question…

Why am I lying on a bed next to onee-sama, rather than being passed out on the floor? Yuuki and Zynthia would not have been able to move me… They should have passed out as well, due to the amulets spell. Though, I can’t see them either. It’s just me and onee-sama… Oh, cruds. I should try and move-

「Don’t bother. I was awake long before you noticed.」

It seems that escape is not an option. Which means I’m going to have to suffer onee-sama’s wrath, right? Onee-sama told me that fainting was something I can’t do anymore… and I agreed with her opinion.

「Uh… so, do you know what’s going on?」

I ask as such to onee-sama, as she said that it had been some time since she was awake. She probably has some idea as to what’s happening. An explanation as to why I’m in the bed with onee-sama…

I originally thought that someone had come in and seen that there was an issue. But after checking, our masks and disguises still seem to be in tact. Wouldn’t a stranger take off our masks to learn our identities for blackmail? Or, perhaps to see what is wrong with us? It just seems weird for them not to do that.

「A friend of yours came to visit.」

A friend? The only friend I can think of is Alice… My childhood friend, who is known as ’The Witch’. She’s known like that, as many people when in her presence, always seem to feel happy. No matter what the situation is, when Alice is present, they feel happy. Lumi and I aren’t affected by this constitution, but Alice is persecuted by many who curse her as a devil’s prophet.

To be honest, I don’t believe that. In fact, she reminds me of someone close to me… though I cannot seem to recall who it is? Ah well, when it becomes important I’m sure it’ll come back to me. Probably. Isn’t that how my life works? It’s just one coincidence after the other… until it’s no longer a coincidence. Whatever…

What’s important, is the fact that the only friend of mine that I can think of is Alice. As Alice is not here, combined with the fact that onee-sama didn’t say it was Alice, I can only assume that the person she is referring to is someone different.
So, who is this friend?

…

…

…

Is she referring to the assassin that I organised a meeting with? I completely blanked out and forgot all about her. Shit, that was a bad idea, huh?

Well, it’s odd that the assassin did not try and learn our identities. Isn’t part of her trade creating as much leverage as possible? I recall that assassin’s here are also info-brokers. It would be more in character for this girl to take our masks off than to gain favour, would it not?

.

So, with that assumption, just what aim does she have if she has not attempted to follow the usual procedure? Is she just interested in what I have to say and is avoiding angering me beforehand? Or is there are more sinister play at works…

While I’m thinking as such, it’s as though the world changes into a sepia-tone.

Huh? Just, what is happening? Is my eyesight failing as well… please don’t let that be the case. I’m having as much trouble as usual.

Well, I guess I have to stop thinking of such things. The assassin has finally come in. Well. she’s also got her face hidden, so that’s unfortunate. Well, it’s nothing too bad. Maybe we can sort this out.

“Do you mind taking off your mask, sir?”

Eh? She wants me to take off my mask? How about you do so first!

“…”

“Show us your face as well.”

Oh, onee-sama! Thanks for the save!

“I don’t think so-”

The assassin rushes towards me, and holds a knife to my neck. Oh, crap. This, well, I thought it might happen, actually. That’s why I didn’t say it.

“Sir, I apologise. If you wish for me to show my face, I require that you reveal yourself first.”

Uhhh… Okay? I don’t think I have much of a choice, to be honest. She has a knife to my throat.

“Fair enough… Please take it off for me, I’m a little preoccupied.”

Preoccupied, it’s true. I’m busy thinking about the fact that there’s a knife pressed to my throat. Well, the assassin is quite talented, as she has not even broken skin. There’s just enough pressure to make me know that fighting would be a stupid idea.

She removes my mask with care, removing the knife from my throat. When she takes it off…
“Sir is…the sickly prince?”

Oi! Saying it like that, I feel quite sad! I’m a very important person, okay? I can’t be poisoned!

“Yeah, tehe~? Mind telling us who you are now?”

“As you wish…”

The assassin stops covering her face and reveals…

A shockingly stunning appearance. If I were to compare her to something, she would most likely be considered ‘angelic’. Her face reminds me of some of the more mature angels in heaven. Hmm? What is this?

“I am the heretic ‘Cindy’, the bringer of darkness”

A heretic? I don’t recall them in my studies… However, looking at onee-sama, heretics are not very well respected. In fact, the look on onee-sama’s face is the same one that she holds for demons.

At the moment I looked away from onee-sama, the sepia toned sight I had disappeared. As did the assassin. What the heck just happened?

“Onee-sama, what just happened?”
“What do you mean asking me that?! You’ve been thinking to yourself for some time, now!”

Huh? The things that happened when the world was sepia, they happened, right? I can still remember the feeling of a knife pressed against my throat… Right. Maybe I can ask onee-sama about heretics now… that might help?

“Onee-sama, what exactly are heretics?”

When I mentioned that word, onee-sama went pale.

“Where… where did you hear about them?”

Huh? So, she really doesn’t remember…

“I, my vision, went sepia… and then, the assassin came in, and revealed identities. Mine and her own… Uhhh, she said she was the heretic ‘Cindy’… the bringer of darkness?’

Although onee-sama is still has hate visible on her face, she seems to be more relaxed? What?

“Sepia… Future? Did you, by chance, create a ‘Unique Practice’… The ability to see into the future? No, that’s not right. The ability to see ‘possible’ futures… ‘Parallel Foresight’?”

I think onee-sama is speaking strangely? Is she trying to change the topic from what heretics are? But, isn’t that a bit late… Shouldn’t she tell me what they are so I know?

“Fei, regarding your vision, you might actually become more useful from now on. Try and train yourself further in your ability to read intent.. That may be what triggered it… Now, you want to know about heretics? You would have learned about them in two years, I think. This is just a crash course, got it?”

Onee-sama seems to be conflicted right now… She seems very happy about the possibility of me not being useless, is it? But scared about the topic. Let’s just get on with it.

“Yes, onee-sama.”

“Firstly, heretics are the children of an angel and a human. They are called ‘heretics’ as they are existences which should not exist. That is, according to us humans. The gods and goddesses, don’t seem to be bothered. But heretics possess powers which instigate fear in all but the strongest of the strong.”

“They are the children of humans… and angels?”

The angels wander this world? This seems odd, already.

“Right, the angels wander this world, in order to let off steam. Apparently, the gods and goddesses they serve get on their nerves, occasionally. Sometimes even I question whether they are the best rulers. They do answer the prayers of the people, so they are decent.”

…

The goddesses getting on the angels nerves… I can see it. Is this the world where the angels come to play?! Did I get sent to an odd world?

“Anyway, heretics are not, by nature, evil. In fact, some are even highly respected in other continents. There are others, however, who find it fun to rebel against the world. They are people who we need to avoid. You said ‘Cindy’, correct? She is a member of the king’s assassin corps. I remember the name, though we have never met. It seems you have good fortune today.”

Good fortune? Because she’s a part of the king’s assassin corps, is it? Yeah, I think that’s what onee-sama is saying… she’s right. I won’t do this kind of thing, again. I feel like I was egged on by the fairy, who seems to have been wrong about what this person was… I’d like to berate her for sending me down a dangerous road!

“Now that I’ve told you all of that…

GET OFF THE BED!”

Onee-sama seems to have reached her limit of tolerance, and shoved me off the bed at full force…

I avoid hitting my head against the wall, and decide that sleeping on the floor while I wait will help save time.

The world turns to black as I fall into a slumber.

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