Chapter 145 Part 2
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Translator: Jiro Editor: Ryunakama
6
The next night, after confirming that everyone had fallen asleep I got up.
Everyone was sleeping soundly due to being exhausted from searching for Claude.
While trying to be as quiet as possible I got up from my bed and got changed.
Just as I was about to leave the room I heard something moving behind me.
「Hmph… Zeph…」
「?!!」
Milly, who was supposed to be sleeping, was quietly whispering out my name.
I turned back fearfully, however it seemed like she was just talking in her sleep. After yawning once or twice she turned around and covered herself with her blanket.
「… Good grief.」 I said while glaring at her.
While looking at her sleeping face I remembered what she had told me the other day.
It was the day when I had fought with Grain and Kane.
「Can’t you trust us more?」
Were the words she had said back then.
Even though she finally turned into a proper leader I guess I’m still treating her like a child. Her body may still be small, but her heart has really grown. … Still, I can’t take her with me now.
「Forgive me Milly…」 I said as I caressed her hair and left the room.
I quietly sneaked out of the inn and headed to the promised meeting spot.
The place Claude meant was probably the place where we fought with Grain and Kane.
By using Teleport numerous times I quickly reached the rocky mountain. I looked around the appointed place with caution.
It seems like there’s no one here.
I decided to contact Claude with Telepathy.
《Claude, it’s me. I’m here.》
《Come here… to… that place…》
It seemed like she was already there. She was calling me. She probably wanted to talk to me, face to face.
There’s no teleport restriction magic cast on the area. It’s quite late so I guess Azalea and her friends must have already gone back as well.
「Still, I just can’t seem to shake off this uneasy feeling…」
Something could have happened to Claude.
While pressing down the uneasiness in my heart I proceeded with caution.
Grain was still alive, and still on this island, so I couldn’t let my guard down.
Still, this area is pitch black.
The moon was hiding behind the clouds, which wouldn’t let even a single moon ray pass through.
It should be somewhere around here…
A huge ditch that extended towards the sea… It was the sight of destruction left behind by my Platinum Break.
Due to the dungeon repairing itself it had closed up a bit, but it was still quite deep.
Come to think of it, I haven’t seen any monsters since yesterday. The dungeon must be redirecting all of its magic power towards repairing itself so I can’t spawn any monsters.
Without giving it a second though I continued forward until I reached a slightly open area. There was a huge boulder placed in the middle, and on top of the boulder a human’s silhouette could be seen.
It was dark and I couldn’t see clearly, but just from the outlines I could make out that it was Claude.
I let my guard down and slowly exited the shade. Doing so Claude seemed to have noticed my presence.
Looking closely, I noticed that Claude wasn’t wearing her usual outfit…
「So you came…」
「Claude.」
Just as the words left my mouth the wind began to blow.
The clouds dispersed, and the moon which had been hiding behind them showed itself.
Its light illuminated the surroundings as well as Claude.
「…Zeph-kun.」 she said.
There was no doubt that the woman in front of me was Claude.
However, the thing she was wearing wasn’t her usual light armor, but rather a black dress which exposed her shoulders and a part of her chest.
Claude usually avoided these kinds of clothes as they hindered her battle capability, yet the outfit she wore right now would undoubtedly steal the eyes of any man.
She put her hands on her exposed chest and smiled bewitchingly.
「Um… How does it look?」 she asked.
Her lips were painted lightly red making her gesture seem quite erotic.
However…
「It’s not like you.」
「Ehehe… But it’s cute isn’t it… Zeph-kun…」
It seemed like we were on the same page at all.
As Claude spun around, the skirt that stretched up to her ankles spread softly, revealing her white thighs beneath it.
Her gesture felt somewhat childish. It was as if she was acting exactly as her heart told her.
She approached me with a joyous face, however as she did so I noticed that her eyes were slightly red, and had lost their light of reason.
So that’s the case. She’s had a spell cast on her. Judging from this, it must have been Berselm…!
Berselm was a spell that significantly improved a person’s physical ability, but its drawback was that it lowered that said person’s ability to think.
Originally it was created with the purpose of being a strengthening magic, but its true value lay in its ability to rob your opponent of their ability to think, allowing you to give them orders, turning them into puppets that followed your will.
Berselm had a high affinity with people who had mastered hypnosis or commanding spells. As a result, it was widely abused as a torture or brainwashing method, which led it to be marked as a taboo in the future.
Thankfully it looked like the one cast on Claude wasn’t all that advanced, and seemed to just be a case of simple hypnosis.
I wonder who cast this on Claude. I guess there’s no point in thinking about it…! Grain…!!!
Berselm was quite the rare spell after all.
In these circumstances there could be no one else besides a former Dispatch Magician, such as Grain, that would be able to use.
He’s probably hiding somewhere around here. I can’t act recklessly. If I’m not careful he’ll probably try and take me and Claude out at once. Either way, I must take care of Claude’s hypnosis fast.
Luckily I knew of a way to dispel it.
Just as the Sleep Code, even though Berselm needed some effort in order to be cast on a person, it could easily be dispelled with Healing.
And the command given would disappear the moment Berselm was dispelled, but…
Currently Claude’s body was covered in a thin layer of Screen Point.
He must have made her cast it after applying Berselm on her and giving her his orders. All in preparation against Healing…
「Zeph-kun…」
Claude approached ever so slowly with a feverish face.
She doesn’t have any weapons.
While paying attention to my surroundings I patiently waited for Claude.
Claude, who came right in front of me, cast her eyes down, and moved her lips.
「I… you see… I like…」
She was mumbling her words, however as if finally having found the courage she looked me straight in the eyes and spoke.
「I like you…」
Claude wasn’t in her right state of mind.
Still, these must be her true feelings.
She continued to stare at me with her bright red face, and bewitching eyes.
「But you like Milly-san, don’t you Zeph-kun…」
「Claude.」
「It’s okay!! I understand!」
She shook her head as she covered her face with both hands, crouched down and began to shake her shoulders.
It seemed like my words wouldn’t reach her in her current state.
Either way, I must do something about this…
While I desperately thought of a way to deal with the situation, Claude stood up slowly, wiped her tears with her finger and smiled.
「I know… I know that I can’t win against Milly-san. But I… I love Milly-san as well…」
「I know.」
「That… is… why… I…!!」
Claude held her head with her hands as she began to tremble.
… She’s probably in a state of chaos right now. Having her ability to think stolen from her, and now being forced to confront me, the one responsible for her running away from her friends, must be really tough on her.
「Aaahhh… aaaahhh…」
I looked down at Claude who crouched in pain.
The moment I break down and show an opening, Grain will try to assault me. If that were to happen I won’t only be putting myself at risk, I’ll also be dragging Claude with me. I can’t move… Not yet…!
Blood began to flow down from my hand as I tightly clenched my fist.
「… So that must be it.」 said Claude with a smile and stood up as if she had remembered something.
「It was so simple.」 said Claude as she reached her hand for her bag and pulled out a reinforced silver longsword.
It was the sword that belonged to Kane. She must have picked it up as a memorial of her brother.
Claude’s hand quivered as she pointed the tip of the sword towards me.
「Since you can’t choose one, we’ll just have to share. I’ll split Zeph-kun in two. One half for me and the other for Milly-san!」 she said as the corners of her mouth raised up and she used her left hand to steady her quivering right hand.
A single tear dropped down from her crazed eyes.
「Ain, come!」
A dazzling light shone forth from my hands and took the shape of a sword.
Divine Sword Ainbelle.
However, as Ain came out, her light seemed kind of lonely, and she shouted out in sadness.
「Claude! Come back to your senses!!!」
「… Claude, I’ll bring you back.」
「Ahaha♪ Zeph-kun, Ain-chan, what are you talking about, I’m me, can’t you see?」 she said with a smile as she forcibly held her sword with her trembling hands.
And then she kicked the ground, arriving right in front of me and swinging her sword down.
She’s fast!
I cast Black Boots and somehow managed to dodge the attack.
I continued to dodge while leaving behind afterimages, however Claude’s eyes didn’t sway as she followed me.
As our eyes met, Claude showed a sadistic smile.
Just a minute ago she was in a mental breakdown, and now it seemed like the only thought running through her mind was that of splitting me in two.
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