"Do you know? What do you mean!?" Cristina struggled to comprehend the reason behind my suspicions.
"..." I met the gaze of the village chief and released a sigh.
"Actually, initially, I had no suspicions about you all. From my perspective, it appeared that you were all merely victims threatened by a criminal group. So, it wouldn't have been surprising if I fell into the trap you set."
To be honest, I felt a twinge of embarrassment at the thought of falling for such a ruse.
"B-But if you felt that way initially… How did you change your mind? No one in the cave should have divulged anything to you, and as far as I recall, there was no incriminating evidence within the village!"
Cristina's skepticism was justified.
None of the men in black robes would disclose any information, even under torture or similar means of interrogation.
"After all, soldiers unafraid of death are the most terrifying."
"Yes, you're partly correct. These individuals would never confess anything to me, which is why they weren't my source of information in the first place."
Cristina, upon hearing my response, erupted in anger.
"NONSENSE! ARE YOU CLAIMING THAT SOME OF US BETRAYED US?!"
She briefly considered the possibility that Natasha, the girl who had assisted them, might be the culprit but swiftly dismissed the idea. Natasha was never truly integrated into the village community and was treated as an outsider, keeping confidential information hidden from her.
Observing Cristina's expressions of disbelief and anger, I allowed a slight smile.
"You're partly wrong. Indeed, it wasn't any of the women in this village who informed me. However, it was other people who used to reside here."
'I'm eager to see the look on her face when I reveal the entire truth. It will undoubtedly be astonishing.'
Frankly, I didn't necessarily need to provide an explanation of how things unfolded. Moreover, she was likely asking these questions as a stalling tactic to devise an escape plan.
However, that didn't concern me in the slightest.
'Because, truthfully, I'm in a rather foul mood right now.'
This entire situation impacted me more deeply than I initially realized. The war had only recently concluded, and now I found myself cleaning up this mess.
I'm exhausted by the ceaseless cycle of death.
I'm weary of individuals who toy with the lives of others.
I'm tired of killing.
Yet, paradoxically, I find that my mood may improve by indulging in it this time.
Perhaps I've already descended into madness.
Killing isn't sufficient this time; I genuinely want to witness Cristina's reaction as she plunges into complete despair.
...
Yes, I acknowledge that it's not the most heroic mindset.
But come on, cut me some slack!
This woman, or rather, this monster cloaked in human skin, deserves the harshest punishment I can deliver.
To be taunted and intimidated by me!
"You're correct in thinking that your comrades didn't betray you. They're just as despicable as you. However, you're mistaken in assuming that they were the sole inhabitants of this village."
"What do you mean? Clearly, we're the only ones—!" Cristina widened her eyes.
"I-It's impossible that they're still alive! You told us that when you arrived at the cave, they were all dead!
Yeah, I lied.
"Well, indeed, a significant number of them were already deceased, and even those remaining were transformed into non-human creatures. Chimeras. Nevertheless, despite their grotesque nature, they somehow retained their rationality and communicated with me."
"!!!"
"WHAT?! The chimeras retained the personalities of those men?!"
Of course, she was already aware of the Chimeras.
"Yes, it's astonishing, isn't it? They even exerted considerable effort to synchronize those chaotic minds and convey an important message to me."
The countless souls in torment.
They entrusted their final wishes to me.
In the next moment, my expression turned exceedingly cold as I spoke.
"They warned me not to trust the women of this village. They revealed that they are true monsters disguised as humans."
Having said that, I started to move toward Cristina.
She couldn't move because her legs were trembling.
When I stood in front of Cristina, I summarized all the information I had gathered.
About them.
About this entire village.
"This village has been gathering outsider men for countless years, handing them over to the organization of men in black robes for experimental purposes. There are even holding centers scattered throughout the village for confinement and torture, if necessary. Presumably, you use them for outsiders who uncover the truth or for non-females who happen to arrive."
I furrowed my brow and continued speaking.
"Perhaps, when a man arrives with a woman, you decide to let her live in the village if she proves useful. However, when you decide to resume your activities anew, you dispose of them as if nothing happened... As was the case with Natasha and her father, correct?"
Cristina's face paled completely upon hearing me.
However, there was something she still didn't comprehend, prompting her to inquire.
"B-But even if the Chimeras told you that, it's still quite unbelievable, especially coming from a monster!"
"Yes, you're correct."
Cristina's argument was, in fact, reasonable.
Even I questioned the credibility of what I heard from the Chimeras.
It's possible that the Chimeras sensed they couldn't defeat me in some way and chose to deceive me.
However...
"That's why I had to confirm it firsthand. Tell me, Cristina, don't you have several paintings displayed at the entrance of your residence?"
Cristina furrowed her brow, perplexed by the sudden question.
"...Yes, there are some paintings in the main hallway. What's the issue with that?"
"As I suspected, you haven't noticed the problem. Your paintings depict the villagers across different generations, right? There's even one where you make an appearance. So, I have a simple question for you."
I gestured with my right hand toward the entrance to Cristina's residence.
"Why are there only women in all the paintings?"
I hadn't noticed it before due to the absence of light at night, but the second time I traversed that corridor, I realized that, strangely enough, no men were depicted in any of the paintings.
'To be honest, it was a bit eerie.'
It wasn't challenging to deduce that subconsciously, the village head and her predecessors regarded only their female companions as 'true members' of their community. Consequently, they omitted all outsiders, regardless of how many years they had resided with them.
"Furthermore, by the time Jessica and Natasha didn't show up to welcome us, I already knew something was amiss. Natasha's original duty was to care for Jessica, who wasn't feeling well. If Jessica's condition improved and Natasha received news of our return to the village, she should have deemed it unnecessary to continue looking after Jessica and would have come to greet us. After all, she wouldn't know that Jessica was in danger at this point."
After stating that, I paused briefly to observe Cristina's expression.
Her face grew increasingly pallid.
Her eyes and mouth were wide open.
If I were to compare it to something, it would be akin to a pufferfish, probably.
Cristina, who had finally recovered from her state of shock, posed the last question that still eluded her understanding.
"I-In that case, if you already knew everything, why did you allow all of you to be drugged?"
It was a valid question.
Allowing oneself to fall into such a situation after possessing all the information seemed incomprehensible.
"Well, I already knew that you would attempt something against us. When we ordered the food, it wasn't challenging to deduce that you would take the opportunity to lace it with some form of drug or poison. However, considering that none of you were aware of the entire situation in the cave, it was unlikely that you would attempt to assassinate us immediately."
'!!!'
'E-Even that you managed to predict? W-Who is this man!?'
Cristina had been consistently astonished by my deductive abilities in this brief period.
"Realizing that you were holding Jessica and Natasha hostage, it wasn't difficult to predict that, after we fell asleep, you would confine us somewhere with them. Hence, this was the best course of action I could take to rescue them."
Cristina, who had transitioned into a furious expression upon discovering that she had been deceived, retorted:
"So, you pretended to be under the influence of drugs to rescue your comrades and attack us!"
She was entirely mistaken.
"No. You're wrong. They did fall into your trap and were completely unconscious."
"What?!"
"I mean, we all consumed the food you brought, right? Naturally, they would be affected by the drug's effects."
"B-But in that case, how are you unharmed!"
"Hmm, it's because, being a Hero, I possess immunity to almost all kinds of drugs and poisons."
I couldn't help but break my perfect poker face after stating that.
"A Hero? What do you mean?! The only hero in this territory is Franz Alexander, but he's in the capital right n-"
At that moment, Cristina's operating system malfunctioned.
Or, if she were a machine, that would have been the case.
'How did I not realize it earlier!!!! They even have the same name!!!!' she thought.
To be fair to Cristina, my appearance wasn't widely known because I spent most of my time on battlefields during my time in this world.
Moreover, my name was quite common, making it even more improbable for anyone to recognize me as the Herssian Hero at a glance.
"...So, you orchestrated all of this to awaken your comrades and covertly infiltrate this place for revenge!?"
Cristina believed that the reason she didn't hear any commotion from my sudden assault on her residence was due to the coordinated attack I executed with my companions.
Once again, she was completely mistaken.
"What are you talking about?"
Her theory was flawed, though.
"Of course, I didn't awaken them; they were unaware of anything that transpired."
I never intended to involve anyone else in this chaos.
"That way, they wouldn't have to witness what I've already done in this place."
Cristina began to tremble at my words.
"Something you've already done in this place?" she questioned.
"It's futile to wait for someone to come to your aid. After all, there's no one left conscious in this place besides us."
I seized Cristina's hair while staring directly into her quivering eyes.
Cristina, who had not only lost hope of rescue but was so agitated that she could no longer think clearly, attempted to plead with me through her words.
"Th-This doesn't make sense. Aren't you a hero? A hero wouldn't do that!!"
For a fleeting moment, I appeared affected by Cristina's words, so she attempted to continue attacking me in that manner.
"What kind of hero causes a massacre without even batting an eye!"
But she didn't comprehend.
"I used to think the same as you," I replied.
That wouldn't work for me.
"When I entered this world, I was much more naive. Soon enough, I learned the truth. Acting like a fairy tale hero or a knight in shining armor doesn't help protect people. The world is cruel and perilous, and to survive it, to save everyone... one must change."
My gaze brimmed with determination.
An eternal fire blazed in my eyes.
A fire that would consume all evil.
"So, I had to change."