"In fact, if I so wish, your vendetta can end here."
The room was silent, with the only noise being the occasional metallic groan of the lamp as it swung gently overhead.
I had expected an outburst, perhaps anger or at the very least a simmering disdain directed towards myself.
But there was none of that.
She simply steeled her jaw, and sat up in her seat.
'Was there perhaps another reason for attacking me?'
"Have you nothing to say for yourself?"
Despite my threat, she was neither concerned, hateful nor smug in her tone when she finally decided to speak.
"No, after all I don't mind if I can no longer fight anymore. It doesn't matter if I can no longer pursue my revenge. That would be a weight lifted from my shoulders.
But as long as retribution is within reach, their execution is my responsibility. It is my obligation. I must kill them. No, they must be murdered. By any means necessary.
That is the task I have been left with.
That is the life I have made for myself.
So for you to take this burden off my shoulders, I am relieved."
"Ernst…"
"I don't need your pity, guildmaster," she spat.
The man beside me winced at hearing his title, looking away in dejection.
I, however, ignored this exchange. There were certain things I choose not to intervene in. I had a complicated problem before me. This person, I recognized their conviction is incredibly strong.
And that was something to be respected.
But in her current state, she was desperate, and because of that she was making strange and outlandish decisions.
In other words, she was useless to furthering my goals at the moment.
Even so, the fact that she could go so far as to invade one of these mamono domains without becoming corrupted in the slightest is impressive. Given the level of humans I had seen around me, people who could do this were few and far between.
At the very least, she was just a tad below any of the Thorne Hearts.
She simply required some polish.
Even so…
I needed to know more.
"You, tell me everything. From the beginning of your suffering to now. I don't care how long it takes. Guildmaster, guards, from here on out it's just me and her."
The guards hesitated, looking to each other before seeking answers from the guild master.
Pulling himself together and out of his misery, he spared me a glance to which I responded with a simple nod.
"Let's go, Acros has this handled."
Obeying, the guards sheathed their weapons and went around the table, following the guildmaster out and closing the door behind him.
*Clak*-*Clik*
Upon their exit, there was only a metallic clack of the door's lock clicking into place.
We were now alone.
"Explain yourself, now."
"So that you can decide whether or not my sob story is worth your trouble? Give me a break."
"No, so I can have a greater understanding of what the effects of corruption can have from a broader perspective.
Your vengeance being achieved may or may not end up being a byproduct of this conversation as I will likely end up investigating this nearby mamono realm anyways.
I am offering you a chance in exchange for information. Comply, or don't. I do not have time to play your contempt fueled games."
Ernst narrowed her eyes as she leaned her head slightly to the side, trying to see within my helm.
Even so, there was nothing to look at.
My gaze can only be met should I wish it so.
For another moment or so, she tried staring into the many little openings but it was all for naught.
"Alright then, fine. You want to hear my life story? That's up to you."
…
Villages.
In this world, villages are locked in a constant battle for survival. Along the Larinian border they play a crucial role as the early warning system. In return for their sacrifice, they live practically tax free. The only thing the empire cares for is that once every three days, a messenger makes their way from the village to the nearest overseeing town. Other than that, they are truly free people.
My parents lived in one of these villages. It was a small farming village not far from here. They were nothing special. They tended to wheat fields and kept a careful eye on the forest nearby. My great grandfather had created a windmill which my father had owned at the time, leading us to have some fairly good income. However, while my mother was pregnant with me, a lamia from a far off land came for him.
And during that time, she served as a midwife at my mothers request. She hadn't known of the danger of the mamono, and had been shielded all her life. So when she saw the lamia being persecuted, she decided to rescue her and try to give that monster a job. My mother was six months pregnant, and at this point couldn't really do anything about a powerful mamono.
And in that time, in those three months, when my mother could do nothing about it, that woman slowly peeled apart their marriage. Eventually, she and my father eloped. The goodwill my mother had offered had meant nothing.
My mother had always been a kind person.
A trusting person.
And that had been her downfall.
When I was brought into the world, I was practically skin and bones.
But my mother was no better.
She was left so weak she would never be able to work again.
Luckily, at the time, I had an older brother. He had been the only thing keeping us afloat and alive. It wasn't enough, but he pushed and tried to keep us alive on his own. We had lost everything in the time that our father was taken.
Everyone told us about the mamono.
Yet my mother didn't listen.
So to the rest of the village, our plight was simply that of a fool who received their dues. Eventually, when I was thirteen, my mothers heart finally gave out. With one less mouth to feed, my brother finally managed to make headway in our survival.
Sounds cruel right? Even so, it was what saved us.
Sometimes, now that I'm older, I wonder if she killed herself.
Not that it matters now.
When she died, the mamono came back. She had the audacity to seek to take us both in. She had never cared for my mother. But because we were his children. Because that rat bastard helped conceive us, she saw us as some collectibles from his past.
So we refused, and she left without a second thought
After that, eventually my brother became the guildmaster you see today, and I learned that my father was still alive. From then on, I went and decided there was no other way my life ends unless I know he is dead by someone's, anyone's hand.
I hired assassins, swordsmen, warriors from abroad.
I worked my knuckles till they bled to see them both dead.
Yet it wasn't enough.
Nothing, no one, could do it.
No man or woman could bring their heads to me.
So I learned how to.
For seven years I dedicated my life to their termination.
Even so, my malformed body was weak. I fought his wife twice. Yet I lost both times.
I simply couldn't kill her.
So I honed my skills, collected artefacts, stole from demons, vampires, even wyverns. Relics of olde made to kill monsters.
In that time, I lost their trail.
It was as though they disappeared without a trace, permanently this time.
Yet now I have a chance.
…
"A chance to end this once and for all."
As finished her story, I watched her carefully. Meticulously interpreting her emotions as best I could. Despite the content, her anger was quite tame.
It was as though her vengeance had simply become a task.
I leaned back in my chair and my mind began to consider what had happened to her family. It was undoubtedly self inflicted. Her mother was foolish for trusting a mamono, especially when she couldn't satisfy her husband's urges.
From all that I have gathered from many sources, mamono are resourceful, determined, and unrelenting. Once they have their eyes on someone, their obsession only ends when they meet their end.
It was also interesting to note that the social dynamic between men and women amongst humans had not changed much in terms of the common man and woman. Amongst adventurers, guards, and any other combat jobs I had seen so far, there had been an overwhelming female majority.
Yet the male breadwinner female caretaker dynamic remained prevalent despite the now glaring weaknesses it holds in this era.
Her story had provided quite a bit of interesting insight into the current state of the Larinian empire.
However there was something that bothered me.
"I have one question, if the guildmaster is indeed your brother, why isn't he more proactive in seeking revenge like you are?"
Upon hearing my question, Ernst seemed to ponder it for a moment.
She seemed to have an answer, but she didn't want to say it.
"My questioning will end when I receive an answer"
"I-"
Within my helm I raised an eyebrow, waiting for the answer.
"Haaa… It's probably because he saw what it did to me. He matured out of his feelings for revenge, I didn't, and that's all. He helped fund my recruitment a long time ago, but after those first failed attempts, he gave up and told me to let it go as well.
I then gave him a piece of my mind, and continued on this self destructive path."
"You're quite honest."
"I try not to lie as a policy. After all, getting someone to kill for you is a lot easier when they trust you."
"I see, I've heard enough. You said you're weak right?
You said you lack power right?"
Placing my hands on the table, I carefully stood up as the light of the lantern dimmed, faded, and died out.
*FWOOSH*
Shock crossed her face as she was bathed in a green light.
"I can fix that."