Chapter 181: Spreading Malice
{TL: By Creed}
Night.
After returning to the inn, I reunited with Sofia and Aisha.
We exchanged the information we had gathered.
"…And that's how it is."
"Aisha is a Miko, huh..."
A beastfolk with exceptional strength.
And not just that—she might be an incredibly rare existence known as a "Miko."
"Even though it's not confirmed, I'm glad we're getting new information, but... hmm."
"The issue is that we can't think of a clear way to deal with it, and that's what's troubling," Sofia said.
She's right.
If we go by what Lyra said and assume Aisha really is a Miko, then what?
Miko are like figures from legends, so there’s almost no information about them.
How do we protect Aisha?
Can we figure out the enemy's objective, or make them abandon it?
With so little information, it's hard to find any concrete answers.
"For now, all we can do is gather as much information as possible while doing our best to protect Aisha."
"Exactly. But what concerns me more is…"
"…The incidents happening around town?"
"Yes. I also encountered a man causing a disturbance."
Reflecting on the encounter, Sofia's face turned grim.
"Mom was so cool!"
"Oh? Thank you, Aisha-chan," Sofia replied, smiling.
Aisha's words of praise were the ultimate mood booster.
"Since this is a tourist hotspot, it's not surprising that some unruly people might show up. But..."
"The number of incidents has been steadily increasing, hasn’t it?"
"Yes, and that’s what feels strange."
It’s not unusual for visitors to let loose in a tourist area.
However, it doesn’t make sense for incidents to be happening all over the place.
"…This isn’t solid information, but…"
Prefacing her words, Sofia spoke with a serious expression.
"The man I dealt with had something resembling a cursed sword."
"What!? Are you serious?"
"I can’t say for sure. But the sword he had looked a lot like a cursed sword."
"A cursed sword... huh."
The cursed swords—connected to the Dawn Alliance—were weapons imbued with a dark curse.
While they possessed immense power, they were also known to drive their wielder insane. We’d seen this firsthand during the Leafland incident.
"Hey, hey, are you sure it was a real cursed sword? Couldn’t it just be some fake that looks similar?"
Flitting lightly around, Licorice casually posed her question.
"I’m not sure. I didn’t get a proper look at it, and… well, I don’t have the ability to identify cursed swords. But..."
"But?"
"It gave me a very unpleasant feeling."
"Hmm… then yeah, it’s a cursed sword."
Somewhat unexpectedly, Licorice agreed with Sofia without much hesitation.
Given her usual contrarian nature, I was a little surprised.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Because you agreed so easily, Licorice..."
"Hey, Fate. What kind of impression do you have of me?"
"A fun… fairy?"
"A surprise jab from the side!?"
Licorice staggered dramatically, apparently taking emotional damage from Aisha’s innocent comment.
"Anyway, back to the main topic."
She seemed to have recovered quickly and, with a serious expression, spoke.
"We fairies are experts in magic. So, we're quite sensitive to things like the flow of magical energy. And... recently, I've been feeling some unsettling magic around here."
"Is that the cursed sword?"
"Probably. It's like having your least favorite food placed right in front of you, and its smell starts wafting toward you."
It was an example that I could almost understand… but not quite.
"And I'm feeling this unpleasant magic from all over the place."
"Huh?"
"So, you're saying… it's not just one, but multiple cursed swords are being circulated throughout Blue Island?"
"Probably."
I wanted to deny it, but…
When I thought about it that way, it all seemed to make sense.
Cursed swords are easily capable of driving people mad.
They increase desires, change personalities…
Isaac is a perfect example.
If the cursed sword is the cause, it would make sense.
"But why would cursed swords be here…?"
"That woman is the reason."
With an expression filled with anger and jealousy, Sofia declared firmly.
"You're talking about Lena?"
"Of course. There's no other culprit but that woman."
"Hmm."
"The meeting with Fate seems like it was a coincidence, but there must be another purpose behind it. I can't imagine that devious, vile, and crafty woman would come here just for a vacation."
It felt like she might be going a bit overboard, but...
I had to agree with Sofia.
Lena is a shrewd person.
Even if the current goal doesn’t involve me or Aisha, there must be another purpose behind it.
For example… spreading cursed swords around.
"But if Lena is involved, what exactly does she want?"
"That is…"
"I doubt she's giving them away for free. I think she's using the cursed swords for business. She mentioned something about raising funds before. But that’s not all, I think there’s another real objective behind it…"
What that goal is, I don’t know.
What kind of organization is the Dawn Alliance, and what are they trying to achieve?
I have no idea, so I can't even begin to guess what their ultimate goal might be.
Sofia seemed to be thinking the same thing, her face showing signs of concern.
"Could it be that they’re trying to turn everyone into bad people…?"
Suddenly, Aisha said something like that.
"Bad people, you mean… like the people I helped capture?"
"Yeah. Turning a lot of people into bad ones…?"
Aisha wasn't speaking based on any evidence, it seemed like she was just throwing out words on a whim, relying on intuition.
But for some reason, her statement seemed to catch Sofia’s attention, and her face grew serious.
"For example…"
"Yeah?"
"What if they’re deliberately spreading cursed swords? What if their goal is to collapse the order of this city?"
"That would…"
When she put it that way, it seemed like there might be a possibility.
But if that’s the case, what terrible plans is Lena thinking of?
"If that’s the case, it would be a huge problem… but we still don’t know Lena’s true objective."
"That’s the issue… she’s really a troublesome opponent. When she first interfered with Fate, I should have just cut her off right then and there."
Sofia spoke in a surprisingly serious tone, her frustration clear.
TL Note: Women.....
Women indeed... (lol)
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