How To Suck Honey With Extras [EN]: Chapter 296

296. A Certain Dead Man’s Wish (2)

“E, Aileen?! That’s utterly reckless!”

I heard Cruse shout, sounding dumbfounded.

Don’t worry, I won’t die.

As the ice spirit, which had crushed us with its bulk, slowly raised its body, Kmelz was deeply embedded in the floor.

…And I was standing tall and unscathed.

“It seems that even the sturdiest wall of dark magic is hard to withstand when crushed by sheer weight.”

[…Indeed. A spirit… That was my blind spot.]

Kmelz looked at his staff, broken from the impact, then put it down and muttered, sounding dejected.

[Spirits cannot harm their contractors…]

“That’s common sense, but surprisingly, people often forget it.”

Well, even I, who handle spirits, forget it sometimes.

How much more so for someone who isn’t a spiritist?

The higher the level of spiritism, the more extensive its destructive power and formidable its might.

The stronger the materialized spirit, the more overwhelming its presence.

But while wielding such power freely, have I ever been electrocuted or burned?

There’s no right answer.

“If you’re conscious of it, you can exclude yourself from its effects as much as you want.”

Of course, with harmless phenomena like water or wind, I don’t consciously think to block them, so unless I forcibly recognize them, I can get wet or be blown away by the wind along with everyone else.

It’s the same principle.

Just before being crushed, I strongly recognized the ice spirit and sent a thought telling it not to harm me.

Accordingly, the spirit vaguely materialized only the parts touching me, allowing them to pass through.

‘It might go wrong if the user’s spiritism skill is ambiguous, though.’

The chances of me, who has already reached a considerable level, experiencing such an accident are low.

“It’s a trick within a trick… But please understand, I make a living with this.”

[You speak nonsense.]

But unlike his words, I no longer feel any oppressive energy from Kmelz.

“Have you accepted it now?”

[Nonsense… Do you think this Kmelz would easily entrust the goal I have so longed for, no matter what you do?]

“…Then.”

[…But even if I do something to you here, I won’t be able to stop what will follow.]

In any case, my warning will really happen.

[I won’t forgive you if you do anything foolish.]

“Of course.”

I shrugged lightly and held out my hand to him.

And he scoffed and grabbed it.

This can change things.

* * *

The problem is how to persuade Cruse.

She listened to our story and pondered for a long time, eventually getting a headache and getting angry.

“Ugh! Seriously! If I say, ‘I’ll handle everything here!’ then I’m the only bad guy!”

Her language is rough, unlike her usual self, because she is quite mentally shaken.

Until now, she had worked solely with the mission of chasing the world’s most evil dark wizard.

But when she opens the lid, a completely different situation unfolds, so she must be confused.

“If you can’t accept it, you can step back here…”

“That’s even worse!”

Anyway, the root is… no, she’s just a nice person, that’s true.

In addition, the current Cruse is somewhat calmer than the one I read in the novel.

Perhaps it’s because she encountered some events in a different direction.

To put it bluntly, she has seen less of the dirty side of the world.

“If you think of it as saving victims captured by dark wizards, this is within the scope of compromise.”

She mutters appropriate excuses several times and tries to help us with our work.

But in the end, Kmelz is still in charge.

[You better keep your promise.]

“It’s not like I’m just losing out and volunteering, and I won’t lose anything either, so I’ll keep it thoroughly.”

Kmelz must have accepted and compromised because he knows that I’m a person who only moves based on profit and loss.

“…Even so, it’s surprising. To think you’d easily betray other villains.”

“Betrayal or whatever, Kmelz didn’t trust those guys in the first place. He was probably planning to bury them all in the end.”

Betrayal among villains is a promised situation.

“Even so, to accept it so easily just by talking to you…”

“Are you uncomfortable?”

Certainly, my proposal is nothing special.

Anyone who knows the situation can easily say it.

“It’s the opposite. It means that no one has ever said such a thing.”

Even though it sounds simple, it means that no one has ever said that.

Usually, they try to fight and defeat the opponent and win the result, but they don’t think in other directions.

Because power is convenient.

“You tried to solve it with power…”

Cruse muttered softly after hearing my words and fell into thought.

Does she think it’s an incomprehensible method?

“Aileen, I know what values you have. But will he act according to your thoughts?”

“Actually, I can’t be absolutely sure either.”

It’s a surprisingly irresponsible statement, but it’s true.

“I just hope he acts as promised as much as possible.”

“What if he doesn’t?”

“…Then I’ll just settle it with force.”

It would be nice if it works out, but if it doesn’t, it can’t be helped.

“Aileen. I don’t know if you’re being cold or irresponsible.”

“Think of it as opportunism. I just go along with the atmosphere of the moment.”

I just believe that it’s better to try.

[Don’t worry. At least this Kmelz has never betrayed a human. …That’s right. We were always the ones who were betrayed.]

“…No, are you the one who just shook hands with the villains and betrayed them?”

[Those guys were already thinking of betraying me first anyway. It doesn’t matter.]

Is betrayal among villains common sense?

I learned something good.

[You mustn’t forget your promise.]

“If you’re worried, you can put a curse on me?”

I don’t mind putting a curse on me in case I break my promise.

Because I’m going to keep my promise.

But he didn’t seem to want to put a curse on me.

[It doesn’t matter.]

“…That’s surprising. To trust someone like me.”

[I’ve seen so many people I really can’t trust. Compared to them, it’s not difficult to see through your true intentions.]

“Huh? …I guess I’m an easy person to understand.”

[That attitude is easy to understand.]

Somehow Kmelz seemed to be sighing.

[I’ll tell you this on this occasion. It seems that you don’t understand yourself objectively.]

“…Yes?”

[You think you’re brazenly armed and hiding your inner thoughts well.]

“Um… Isn’t that so?”

[No. Not at all hidden.]

“…”

[Your attitude is easy to understand. Maybe that young wizard would agree too.]

“I agree with that.”

“Heeeee?”

Unexpectedly, I’m a little embarrassed to be pointed out that I’m not good at lying.

[Even so, if you have been able to proceed with what you want to do so far without any problems. That’s because your actions come from your true heart.]

It’s so strange to hear the word true heart from the mouth of that lich.

Why am I being praised for being honest by a villain?

No, is it really a compliment?

If you praise me, will you give me a golden ax?

[Be glad. If you were a person who was good at hiding your inner thoughts like them, I wouldn’t have trusted you at all.]

If it’s a compliment, let’s just say it’s okay.

[I’ve talked too much. Let’s start executing it.]

Kmelz turns his body as if he has nothing more to say and stares at the transparent coffins where the elves are sleeping.

[…It’s been a long time.]

He stroked one of the coffins with his fingertips.

But because there were only bones left, only a dull, inorganic sound rang out.

[Aileen, do you know what it means to abandon a living body?]

“I don’t know. I don’t really want to know.”

I said honestly.

[At first, I felt disgust for myself. I felt nothing but disgust for thinking about doing this by throwing away my soul.]

“But you couldn’t give up?”

[…Of course.]

“That’s very natural.”

Ttok, ttock.

As if she had heard our conversation, the undead girl Elles, who had just arrived here, said nonchalantly.

“The tragedy of that day is our sin. Rather, it has come to this…”

[No, you don’t need to feel responsible.]

Come to think of it, that undead must have had some connection to the fall of the elves.

Although it wasn’t mentioned in detail.

“Come to think of it, I know that that person was used as bait for the fall of the elves in her lifetime?”

“It’s not much different.”

She readily confessed the truth.

“In the past, the girl was only deceived by the emperor and her father at the time, and believed that she was promoting friendship with the elves and was dispatched.”

“But the reality was not?”

“After all, the girl was just a prop to disguise, and a assassin to deal with the main figures of the elves was hiding in the luggage.”

“…That’s a dirty trick.”

“It was already too late when I realized it. The imperial family secretly sent troops to attack. …Well, that’s just a pathetic thing.”

That’s why she regrets that incident and stayed with Kmelz to plan this.

[I’ll say it again, I don’t blame you.]

“That’s until today. When the plan is achieved… the girl will no longer wander the world.”

[…I understand. Then let’s start.]

Kmelz prepares to activate the spell in earnest as if he has nothing more to say.

[What are you going to do after that?]

“It’s simple. When I finish, I’ll move them as they are with my space control ability.”

If I fly them away with space control without a trace, no one will be able to track them.

“To do that, you have to get rid of the barrier that interferes with space teleportation first.”

[I know without you telling me. That will be resolved at the same time as this spell is activated.]

After that, we can finish the incidents in order.

If Kmelz’s regrets are resolved, he will no longer antagonize us and will obediently be defeated.

[I’ll start.]

His voice rings out solemnly.

[Those who have fallen into eternal rest. This humble being speaks to you.]

The spell rings out.

[You will listen to the voice, and you will gradually rise from the abyss according to this spell.]

Every time he completes the chant, the air here becomes heavier.

The density of mana increases.

“…How much mana are you going to gather?”

I faintly heard Cruse muttering.

He intends to use the land of the empire to manipulate the ley lines [naturally occurring lines of energy believed to connect significant geographical locations] from under the continent and gather a large amount of mana.

He’s going to use that power right now.

‘Is it starting?’

I was wary of the surroundings just in case, but I didn’t feel any other presence at all.

‘I thought there might be a possibility of interference… Is that not the case?’

Was it a pointless worry?

Or is it not the time yet?

[What’s wrong?]

“It’s nothing. It’s a little stuffy.”

I watch the ceremony without neglecting my attention itself.

The mana densely packed in the room would have made ordinary people dizzy.

And the gathered mana reacts to Kmelz’s chant, corresponding to the spell he created and causing some phenomenon.

‘Is this the masterpiece of the man who became the pinnacle of dark wizards…’