Chapter 209: Resolutions for Each

The monster fell and twitched violently.

While not familiar with the ecology of the Flame Demon, it was clear that his life was near its end.

“Ricardo, what about the undead!?”

Exhausted both mentally and physically, Lutz asked with a face as if he had crawled up from the depths of hell.

“I chopped them all down and slashed them nicely.”

Ricardo pointed to where dozens of undead lay fallen, squirming. Perhaps they didn’t even understand the fact that they couldn’t stand up without legs, as they kept swinging their arms to move forward.

Kasim, who seemed ready to charge forward with a sweeping motion, put an end to the ‘energetic undead,’ a term with some ambiguity, and then rushed to Lutz and the others.

The four of them first rejoiced at the fact that they were all alive and nodded at each other in silence.

“Here.”

With an easygoing attitude as if saying, ‘Care for a cigarette?’ Lutz offered kyouka suigetsu to Kevin.

Kevin hesitated for a moment about the intention, but finally understood when he saw Lutz glancing at the monster.

“Am I allowed to deliver the finishing blow?”

“Yes, I think Kevin-san has the qualification for that.”

“Don’t you want the honor of defeating the monster or something like that?”

“I’m not very interested. I’m satisfied as long as I can land a good punch on this guy.”

Looking towards Ricardo, he shrugged, showing an attitude that seemed to leave it to Lutz.

Having gouged out the eye of the monster that had mocked them, Ricardo seemed quite satisfied with that alone.

“I thought adventurers didn’t like leaving their weapons to others.”

“My main job is a blacksmith. It’s actually my job to have others use the swords I forge.”

“That’s different.”

Honestly, it was grateful to be allowed to avenge by oneself. To have come this far, abandoning everything, and to be affirmed for it brought a certain joy.

Kevin grasped the hilt of kyouka suigetsu that Lutz offered. It was the first time he wielded a sword, but for some reason, it felt familiar in his hands. Perhaps that’s what a famous sword was like.

Approaching the monster with the drawn white blade, the monster, noticing Kevin’s approach, shook its head pitifully. Did it plan to say that it didn’t want to die? At this point?

“…Everyone feels the same way.”

Surprisingly gentle and calm, the voice belonged to the one who had spoken. When the sword was swung down, the monster’s head was severed with almost no resistance. It was an almost ridiculously simple death for the immortal demon, whose entire body was surrounded by flames, whose body regenerated instantly, and whose abnormal right arm was like steel.

The flame erupted from the beautifully severed surface, spreading quickly across the entire body, burning the monster to ashes.

The four of them silently watched this fantastical scene. It didn’t seem strange to them at all; it felt like this was only natural.

The flame disappeared in about three minutes, leaving behind thick bones. Instead of a heart, there was a vivid, crimson, beautiful gem.

“So, it was related to cursed objects after all…”

Frowning, Lutz picked up the gem. The fact that Ricardo’s cursed blade ‘Camellia’ didn’t work had already been expected. Those already cursed couldn’t be affected by new curses. It had been a hypothesis until now, but it could almost be considered proven.

“Would you mind leaving the disposal of this guy to me? I’ll definitely share the spoils.”

“Sure,” Ricardo said, nodding naturally.

They had heard about the possibility of cursed items before. Lutz would hand it over to Claudia, who would then sell it to Gerhardt or someone else. This was the most reliable course of action. Ricardo himself wasn’t good at negotiations and found them troublesome; he didn’t want to do it if he didn’t have to. If he could get paid without doing anything, that was happiness.

“I’ll take this then.”

Kevin said so, picking up the monster’s unusually heavy skull. If he showed this and said that he had defeated the monster, the people in the village would be able to sleep soundly. Although he had abandoned his duties as the leader, it didn’t mean he had lost his sense of responsibility.

He still worried about everyone. His feelings hadn’t changed.

Kasim hadn’t listened to Lutz’s story. With feverish, lustful eyes, he stared at the monster’s bones.

He thought it was genuinely terrifying. The monster that chased him even into his dreams was now displaying its miserable corpse. The fact itself gave Kasim an unknown pleasure.

“Beautiful…”

While Kasim’s mutter was not unheard, the other three didn’t understand, so they just tilted their heads, not bothering to ask again.

…Beautiful. What a beautiful ending. The tyrannical monster was defeated, its existence denied, and now it lay exposed like the corpses of those it had looked down upon.

Kasim had no interest in art; he had just awakened.

The shape is somewhat distorted.

…Revenge is a beautiful and sublime act. What he’s feeling right now is undoubtedly the finest ecstasy! Ah, because he wanted revenge, won’t someone torment him and persecute him!?

With a tap on the shoulder from Ricardo, the dangerous thoughts that were entering Kasim’s mind were interrupted.

“Let’s go back, you idiot.”

“Oh, yeah? What were we talking about?”

“Go back to the inn and sleep. Lutz will bring your share soon.”

“Wow.”

Share and sleep. What sweet words. Kasim felt like dancing, but since his three companions were already moving ahead, he hastily followed.

Near the entrance of the temple, undead were still wriggling. Some were desperately trying to move forward, while others were biting into the flesh of their companions.

If there were hell in this world, this place would be it.

Lutz looked at the undead with eyes filled with sadness. Were they just adventurers who committed such sins that they had to wander the labyrinth with their souls imprisoned and their consciousness unclear? He didn’t think so.

Kyouka Suigetsu, returned to him by Kevin, was swung. One by one, the undead whose heads were severed ceased to move. After beheading dozens of undead, Lutz wiped the blade with a cloth and proceeded forward as if nothing had happened.

“He’s a scary guy…”

“He’s a kind man.”

While Kasim and Kevin expressed opposite impressions while watching Lutz leave, neither of them felt the need to deny the other’s perspective.

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