"Haha! What good luck! A money source! Here I was worrying that with nothing but ominous things happening an opportunity like this would never arrive! But that wasn't the case at all! A rare demon like that would sell incredibly well, even to slave traders! A demon that can transform? The nobles will be absolutely delighted! I wonder how much gold a trade will go for? Hahahaha…!"
"Ha…"
Kelvin jumped in surprise and faced forward. Tom, who was now seated in a chair, was laughing.
"Haha… Hahahaha!"
He held his belly and laughed delightfully to the extent of tearing up.
Kelvin stared at him, bewildered at the sight.
"Hahaha! Truly. Her worrying for others hasn't changed, has it? The likes of a demon being mindful of others. I still can't believe it. She's still a good child at heart. But what is she thinking caring for someone else at a time like this? Especially when it's a matter that concerns her own life? It's understandable for Karakul to be anxious about her."
Kelvin asked out of puzzlement.
"What are you saying? Sir Holy Knight?"
"While in contrast…"
Tom continued to speak while gazing at Kelvin with a pointed look.
"Somebody else I know sure does change easily."
Kelvin shrunk back at the accusation.
Tom rose to his feet, and drew closer to Kelvin one step at a time.
"Yes, somebody else I know betrays others with ease." The corner of Tom's lips turned up to form a smile. "Gold? Money? Just for those insignificant things he broke someone's trust." His footsteps stopped. "He doesn't know, doesn't try to know, the pain of betrayal and is merrily enjoying his life."
He lowered his gaze to stare at Kelvin, who met his eyes directly. Golden light reflected in Tom's eyes, and Kelvin's expression gradually began to change at the sight. He felt his body temperature drastically falling at those familiar eyes, and his vision shook as he broke out into a cold sweat. Amidst Kelvin's delusional sensation of being sucked into those golden eyes… Tom muttered one line.
"… I—found—you. Kelvin."
"Aaaah!"
Kelvin screamed, which finally brought the dazed mercenaries back to their senses. They grabbed hold of Tom, forced him down onto a chair and looked at Kelvin.
"A-are you alright?!"
Kelvin did not hear the mercenary's question as he was currently covering his face and screaming. The violently trembling old man peeked through his fingers at Tom with terrified eyes. The same utterly ominous words spoken by the crow last night caused fear to take over his mind.
'No! It couldn't be him! It happened 30 years ago! There's no way he could be alive! Even if he was, he'd have aged! No, he would have died from illness before that! There's no cure for that illness!'
Tom continued to speak even as he was held down by the mercenaries.
"The incident 30 years ago. I've come to repay you for what happened back then! Kelvin! How astounding! Money, money, money! Gold, gold, gold! You still can't throw away your attachment to these things?!"
Kelvin's shaking grew worse at Tom's accurate indication of time.
"Y-you, who are you?! Who are you I say?! Who are you to know me?! I-it can't be…" Kelvin drew out all the possibilities in his head. "Are you a relative of that person?! Have you come to take revenge j-just for that blasted clergyman?!"
Tom sneered at Kelvin's words.
"You don't understand. You know who I am, don't you?"
"… Know? Me?" Kelvin listened to him speak. The man's voice full of hatred and rage, containing delight amidst the madness, echoed in his ears.
"Yes, you know well. Oh so very well! You gave it to me with that hand of yours, that packet of medicine… and you told me, remember? 'I'm sorry'."
The past rose in Kelvin's mind, and the figure of one monk slowly began to overlap with the young man before him.
His eyes were the same as that monk. The shape of his face was the same as that monk. His voice was the same as that monk. Every single thing about him… was exactly the same.
"If you still don't know, then I'll teach you who I am. You know well what my name is at least, yes?"
Kelvin opened his lips he was keeping shut.
"… Don't do it."
"My name is…"
"Don't. Don't do it! Shut your mouth—!"
Tom uttered one name, a syllable at a time.
"Tho—ma."
"Aaaaaaaaaagh! Kaugh?! Ah… uh… c-can't breathe…!"
Kelvin started seizing and hastily took out some medicine from a nearby cabinet and swallowed it, gritting his teeth to endure through the fit. It was too much, however, and his broken and rotten teeth fell out onto the table in front of him. He glared at Tom with bloodshot eyes as he tried to catch his breath, and pointed a shaking finger at the man.
"Throw that… that man inside! Throw him inside the demon cage right this instant!
"What? B-but… he's a Holy Knight…"
"Shut up! Toss him in! Or I'll have you lot go in there instead!"
Kelvin's bellow prompted the mercenaries to force Tom to move.
"Wait there for me, Kelvin! I shall hand you your judgement. In the name of the faith that you people so firmly believe in… your corrupted soul will perish!"
The door of the reception room closed.
Dazed and trembling, Kelvin covered his head with his hands at the lingering words, akin to a curse, that echoed in his ears.
***
Walls covered all sides of the cells. The only gaps that existed were the iron bars in front of the prisoners. Torchlight was the only illumination that could reach this far down in the underground lobby. Amidst this gloomy atmosphere, the slaves who would soon be entering the arena to pay off their debts retreated in fright at the sight of one girl.
"Aaah?!"
"That one's a demon! Why is she being put here with us?!"
"That's a doppelganger, isn't it? A monster that takes the form of a human and eats other people!!"
"Horrible devil spawn!"
The girl, squatting down and leaning against a wall in the corner, listened to it all. When she lifted her head to look at the speakers of those words, the slaves urgently reached out of the iron bars and yelled out for help.
Ellin giggled to herself, but while a smile hung on her lips, the mirth did not reach her eyes; she was glaring at the humans with an icy gaze of annoyance.
'Ahh, so it came to this again. Put behind bars and gawped at by humans again. It's what I go through every journey I make, but… I just can't get used to it.'
Humans were always like this, judging by outward appearances. They would approach when she was in the appearance of a girl, but would stay far away in fear when they knew what kind of being she was. Even that confident gambler Halsem had been terrified, while the apprentice Holy Knight had outright ignored her. She truly felt awful.
Ellin buried her face into her knees, but it was at that moment that she was startled by a presence right next to her; she lifted her head and looked to the side.
"Ah, oh my… we meet again?"
And there he was, one swollen-faced apprentice Holy Knight. Tom and Ellin were sitting in the same pose, leaning their backs against the wall.
Ellin blankly gazed at him, blinking her eyes in non-comprehension, but then she turned to look at the nearby slaves. The human slaves were all gawking at the apprentice Holy Knight Tom in astonishment.
Halsem, who had come here together with her moments ago, was shocked. He furtively eyed Ellin before bringing up the courage to speak to Tom.
"O-oi! B-brother Holy Knight! Don't you know about that kid? She's a doppelganger! A vile devil that transforms into a human to eat people!"
It was then that Ellin finally came to her senses and frowned.
'Why's this Holy Knight beside me?!'
She quietly muttered under her breath, looking at him.
"You. Just what are you?"
— Ω —