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100. Evil

「Speaking to the soil and ore and giving them life. That is Azura-chan’s endemic skill [Messenger of the Mine].」

「Speaking with ore… So that is why she confessed that she could do so many different things… 」

Although the golem walls have been scraped and become smaller, they still remained large enough to cover half of the passageway, protecting Angelina and the others.

The person who created that strength was Azula, who was still under suggestion. Hearing this from Angelina through the wall, Kirmiji shook his head in denial.

「H-However, that would not be able to stop suggestions! There is no way my skill can be broken!!」

「Oh, you still don’t know the reason for that?」

The mineshaft continued to move.

Perhaps because his subordinates were being swallowed up one by one, Kirmiji gradually lost his composure. He was sweating, his bangs sticking to his forehead, as he spitted.

「As soon as she faces me, she will recognize “me” visually or audibly or even in some other form! Once that happens, she will automatically pay attention and listen to my words!」

「Perhaps so. Geli guessed that that might be the trigger for the suggestion. Blindfolds and earplugs won’t be perfect in blocking it completely.」

「Exactly! Now that the wall is full of holes, there’s no way she can’t hear my voice! There’s no way she can’t see me!」

「Are you sure about that? There’s a lot of sand and dirt flying around, so you should take a closer look.」

「What do you want to say? It’s not a skill that can be blocked with earplugs and blindfold! So, Azula, can you really not see… me?」

When she was on the other side of the wall, Kirmiji obviously couldn’t see her.

After the wall began to collapse, he couldn’t see clearly due to the violent storm of mana and the swirling dirt.

Kirmiji noticed Azula’s figure, but was unable to see her in detail. For the first time now, Kirmiji could clearly see Azula.

「Ridiculous! That’s just!」

「It’s rude to be surprised when you see a woman’s face.」

「I don’t want to hear that from you!!」

In front of Kirmiji’s line of sight was the figure of Azura, who continued to speak indifferently. However, that face was no longer one that Kirmiji knew.

Her eyes and ears had been gouged out.

「Devour them, Devour them, Devour them. Protect us, Protect us, Protect us.」

「You destroyed her eyes and ears and have her keep repeating the same phrases!?」

Because she can see, she fell for the suggestion.

Because she can hear, she can be manipulated.

Her eyes and ears have failed her. If so, crush it and throw it away.

「At Azula-chan’s request, Shizuku-chan cut out her eyes and ears.」

「I-It must be some kind of deception! There’s no way that little girl can calmly use her skills with such a serious injury!」

「『I declare』.」

「…!」

That was the “phrase for taking order” set by Kirmiji himself.

Understanding the meaning of that, Kirmiji gritted his molars.

「Right now, Azula-chan doesn’t feel pain or fear. She will just keep using her skill in darkness and silence. She was given a suggestion to just keep using her skills before her ears were cut off. She will remain like this until she is healed by Skill Lender-san’s healing skills.」

「B-But you can’t cooperate in that case! Besides, if you can’t join up with Marge Siu…!」

「We can just signal with our hands or something. Also, Skill Lender-san will come here. Geli’s calculations say so. That person is smarter and stronger than anyone Geli knows, so there is a very high possibility that he will come.」

「How fiendish are you guys! You bastards, who are even worse than pigs, cut off your allies’ ears and eyes with such calculations! Stop hiding behind the wall and come out!!」

In response to Kirmiji’s disparagement, Angelina calmly replied from a position directly behind the wall, where he could never see her.

「It’s no use provoking Geli. In order for you to use the [Placebo Master’s Golden Spoon], we have to see each other face to face. Geli already knows that.」

「Wha…!」

「Geli realized this when she heard that you stole skills from Skill Lender-san. Kirmiji, you can’t suggest anything unless you can see each other.」

Kirmiji appeared before Marge, who was following him, and gained the skill by using suggestion on him.

Angelina quietly pointed out that all that trouble can be avoided if she just doesn’t face him.

「You turned around in the passage and activated the skill. He was already caught when he tailed you. If all that was needed was to hear your voice, you would have just done that. This is also what Skill Lender-san taught me.」

「Guh…!」

「Then you took away his skills, ordered him to die by having his neck cut off, and left. Unfortunately, Skill Lender-san won’t die just because his neck is cut off.」

「You… You guys have strayed from the path of humanity forever!」

That’s fine.

Angelina’s reply through the wall was very simple.

「The Knights Order are just, right? In that case, Geli and the others are happy enough to be evil. Evil protects what it wants to protect in its own evil way. Even Geli has a reason why she never wants to lose.」