Volume 3 Chapter 7 True Cost
After the encounter with the extermination team, we continued flying and arrived at Sunpool before sunset.
Sunpool, known as the city of sunshine, was a city filled with bright colors. The city was bathed in gentle sunlight and looked like a pool of light from the sky.
As if in a hurry, Cirrul descended into the central square of Sunpool as if diving. Although she was exhausted from her unfamiliar flight, Cirrul's expression was bright. She believed in the slightest hope and did not doubt.
But.
"Whoa!?" "A dragon is here!?" "Run away...!"
The citizens fled in panic at the sudden appearance of the dragon. That's a natural reaction. Everyone in Sunpool sees Cirrul as the 'evil dragon who kidnapped the saint'.
'Wa-wait a minute!'
Cirrul shouted in a hurry.
However, that was a bad move. Cirrul's voice turned into a thunderous roar, and the panic spread even further. Screams and shouts arose from all over the place, and the peaceful town's landscape quickly collapsed.
'Wait... please listen to my story'
This time, she spoke in a small voice. Perhaps it was taken as a word, and some people stopped and looked at Cirrul. The nature of the commotion in the square changed. From pure fear to fear mixed with curiosity.
Cirrul, who became the center of attention, swallowed hard before opening her mouth.
'You may not believe me, but... I'm Cirrul. I'm Cirrula Tu Lake, the saint'
The commotion grew louder. More out of confusion than surprise.
'I turned into this because I touched cursed equipment... it's temporary. I can go back to normal. I can go back to my original form if I kiss someone I love. Please cooperate.'
Cirrul begged earnestly. But there was no answer. The people just looked at each other and didn't move. They just stared at Cirrul with cold eyes from afar.
Cirrul's body seemed to be trembling slightly. Probably, Cirrul, who always stayed in the center of the sunlit area, had never been the target of such cold stares.
'Ah, ah... help me...'
Perhaps weakened by the lack of response, it was a weak and pleading voice that didn't sound like a dragon could produce. But no one would lend an ear to the dreadful voice of a dragon.
And then, at that moment.
"What's all this commotion?"
An elderly woman pushed through the crowd and approached. The woman wore a bishop's crown over her gray hair and was accompanied by church holy knights. She was probably the "bishop" that Cirrul had mentioned.
When the female bishop found Cirrul, her sunken eyes widened.
In contrast, Cirrul's face lit up like the sun peeking out from behind the clouds. It was a smile that seemed to say, "I'm saved."
'Bishop! It's me! Cirrul!'
Cirrul desperately pleaded.
'You may not believe me, but it's true! I've turned into this form because of the cursed equipment!'
She must have been desperate.
Cirrul babbled excitedly, one-sidedly.
'Please, Bishop! Kiss me! If you do, I can return to my human form!'
"..."
The female bishop remained silent for a while, her eyes closed.
When she opened her eyes, she smiled gently at Cirrul.
With that motherly, loving smile, Cirrul let out a sigh of relief and...
"Ice Bind."
'...Eh?'
Suddenly, ice chains flew in and wrapped around Cirrul's entire body.
'Wh, what are you...'
As she was confused, the staff the female bishop was holding glowed blue-white, and more ice chains appeared. The chains bound the bewildered Cirrul and mercilessly pinned him to the ground.
"Everyone, run away now! While I'm holding it down... quickly!"
Suddenly, the female bishop let out a panicked cry.
'B-Bishop?'
"Don't be fooled by the evil dragon's words! This dragon can steal the voices of the humans it eats! It... it even stole the voice of the Saint!"
'W-what... what are you...?'
Cirrul tried to force herself up... the ice chains shattered. In the silent square, the sound of ice cracking echoed out ―― and with that sound as a signal, the people started to run away again.
'Hey, wait... wait!'
Cirrul pleaded, but no one would stop this time. No one would listen to the dragon's words. In the blink of an eye, the square was empty.
'Ah... ah...'
Cirrul was stunned. There was no anger or shock on her face. Maybe she couldn't even understand that she had been betrayed. On Cirrul's face, there was only pure bewilderment.
"So, that's how it was"
Only now, with the acting bishop's actions, could I understand.
The true nature of the various inconsistencies. The true nature of the anxiety that had been gnawing at me all along.
"...Did you arrange everything?"
I glared at the bishop.
"What do you mean?"
She wore an expression as if she truly didn't know.
'Quite the actress, this old woman'
"Yeah."
Really, quite the performance. I might have been fooled.
But, she was far too calm. Even now, standing in front of the dragon, she didn't seem to think she was in any danger. She didn't seem to remember how panicked she had been just moments ago, when she was also facing the dragon.
Surely, she had been using this act to deceive Cirrul as well.
...It was very unpleasant.
"You put the cursed equipment in Cirrul's room, didn't you?"
The unpleasantness that was welling up inside me made my voice sharp.
"What makes you say that..."
"The ice magic equipment you and your subordinates have."
The bishop and her subordinates were all holding high-rank ice magic equipment. There was no way I could have mistaken the equipment. It was certainly appropriate for dealing with the dragon, but... it was too perfect.
"You have far too much ice magic equipment. It's as if you've been gathering it from all over the world."
High-ranked magic equipment is incredibly expensive. It would be impossible to have gathered so many pieces without being certain in advance that dragons, which don't inhabit this land, would attack Sunpool.
"Also, it seems you've known Cirrul for a long time. You must have been trusted greatly. That's why you were able to learn about Cirrul's deepest fear. That's why you were able to prepare so much for the dragon."
The effect of Beast & Rose is to "transform the wearer into their most feared form."
If the bishop knew about this effect, she could have predicted that Cirrul would turn into a dragon. That would explain why she reacted so quickly and unusually.
I can understand it, but I still don't get it.
"Why are you doing this...!?"
Though we haven't known each other for long, I know that Cirrul isn't the kind of person who deserves to be hated.
I know that Cirrul doesn't deserve to suffer like this.
In the first place, if she only wanted to kill Cirrul, there were more efficient ways to do it. The bishop had plenty of opportunities to get close to Cirrul. She didn't have to do this... She didn't have to strip Cirrul of her dignity, torture her, and then kill her.
"..."
The bishop remained silent. Perhaps she decided that answering would only expose her flaws.
At some point, all emotion had vanished from the bishop's face.
'N-no, that can't be right?'
Cirrul asked hesitantly.
'There's no reason for you to do something like this, bishop... You attacked me because of a misunderstanding, right?'
The bishop didn't respond to Cirrul's question. It was as if she hadn't heard her.
She remained silent for a while, then sighed.
"...There were a lot of miscalculations, but oh well. It was a good idea to prepare a lot of ice magic equipment."
The bishop stepped away from Cirrul and raised her hand. At that signal, the Holy Knights all drew their weapons. With practiced agility, they quickly surrounded Cirrul.
In the hands of the Holy Knights were ice spellbooks, weapons specifically designed to kill dragons efficiently.
"Kill that dragon."
The female bishop spoke coldly, her eyes as icy as her words. There was no warmth in her gaze, no hint of mercy.
"Your Eminence, there are still civilians here..."
"It doesn't matter. That boy is an accomplice of the evil dragon."
"Understood."
The holy knights nodded and began chanting in unison.
Ice chains flew in from all directions, their target being Cirrul. Her massive size made it impossible for her to dodge.
'Kyaa!?'
Cirrul's body was pinned down by the ice chains. She struggled to resist, but more chains materialized faster than she could break them.
The holy knights cheered as they watched Cirrul, now bound and unable to move.
'B-Bishop! Why are you doing this!?'
"...Why?"
The female bishop's face twisted with a sinister grin.
"Don't you understand yet? You're such a foolish girl."
'Eh?'
"...It's obvious, isn't it? Because you're an eyesore."
She whispered in Cirrul's ear, her voice laced with venom.
"Just because you're beautiful, you've had everything handed to you. Your position as a saint, your fame, the love of the people. Everything I've worked so hard for, but could never achieve... everything."
'N-no, that's not...'
"You're like a ray of sunshine. Just by being near you, I'm relegated to the shadows. Do you understand now, in this form that you've become, how I've always felt?"
The emaciated female bishop's face contorted into a cruel grin. It was a stark contrast to Cirrul's, a face that was both sinister and ugly.
...Finally, I understood. The female bishop was jealous of Cirrul. She envied everything Cirrul had, and she wanted to take it all away from her. To turn her into an ugly outcast.
'Such... I...'
Cirrul hung her head in disbelief. The person she had loved had shown her such blatant hostility. It would be impossible not to be shocked.
The female bishop scoffed at Cirrul, as if amused by her reaction.
"Everyone, don't stop yet. Lower the dragon's body temperature now. ――Diamond Dust"
The female bishop swung her ice staff, sending a flurry of ice chips at me. The other holy knights followed suit, and in an instant, my vision was obscured by a blizzard.
'Noroa-sama!'
Cirrul moved her wings through the gaps in the ice chains, covering me. Was she trying to protect me from the blizzard? She must be in so much pain herself.
Cirrul's body temperature was dropping rapidly. Her movements were becoming slower and slower. Her pure white scales were slowly becoming scarred, and a look of pain crossed Cirrul's face.
And every time Cirrul was hurt and in pain, cheers erupted from the holy knights and the spectators.
"Ah, so that's it..."
This is the true Cost of Beast & Rose.
I thought it was just about loving someone. It was supposed to be simple.
But it was different. Just because she took on a monstrous form, the true nature of others was revealed. She was bombarded with ugly emotions and cold stares.
Even so, she still had to love.
She had to love from the bottom of her heart the people who feared, hated, and tried to kill her.
Just because she took the form of a dragon, is it so difficult to being loved by others?
Surely, Cirrul is already done for. She must have been disappointed in the people she loved. Her love must have cooled down and frozen over.
I don't know if Cirrul will ever be able to love again. That's how cruel it was.
'Hey, Noroa! Do something! I'm cold!'
Juju shouted, trying to overcome the sound of the blizzard.
I slumped my shoulders and nodded.
"...It's time to go..."
Even if we stay here, there's little chance of Cirrul turning back into a human.
We won't be able to talk to the Sunpool citizens properly either.
Staying here will only weaken Cirrul.
At least we should retreat for now. Although I don't think there will be a next time.
"...I guess I have no choice..."
I didn't want to fight, but I can't help it.
My life is also at stake.
I closed my eyes tightly and drew the Bloodsucker Blade.
There are a lot of people around, but I won't go berserk.
The reason is simple.
Bloodsucker Blade's Cost is "It will rampage until it kills all living things in sight."
In other words, if I don't put any living things in my sight, it won't rampage. Strictly speaking, the rampage will stop in an instant.
That's why... I closed my eyes before drawing Bloodsucker Blade.
This all-too-simple act is the loophole of Bloodsucker Blade's Cost.
Of course, I can't fight properly with my eyes closed. I'll be full of openings, and I'll only be able to send out shockwaves blindly. But it should be enough to get through this situation.
Bloodsucker Blade can wipe out the humans in the square. At least, one needs the durability of an A-rank monster to withstand even the minimum output shockwave of this sword.
So, I――
'No, Noroa-sama, wait...!'
I heard Cirrul's voice trying to stop me, but I was already moving.
I raised Bloodsucker Blade high――
――and thrust it into the ground with all my might.
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