His eating habits in his previous life were more survival based, after all. He’d simply been grateful whenever he got his hands on something edible. Hina nodded earnestly in response to Kaito’s half-hearted answer.
“I understand. Then I will give it my all to cook something you find delicious, Master Kaito. And then, perhaps—and this would be terribly august—were you to possibly find my cooking to your liking, Master Kaito… Ah, my heart would be so full with honor and pride that I would surely die!”
“Settle down there, Hina. Please don’t die over something like that.”
“Understood! Then I will live forever!”
Hina nodded, her cheeks still red. Vaguely muttering something to the effect of “by your side forever” and “Master Kaito,” her body swayed from side to side. As he watched her plump breasts bob up and down, Kaito felt somewhat embarrassed. But he’d spent so much time alone in this claustrophobic dungeon of a kitchen, and now…
It really is nice to have someone to talk to.
Nodding, Kaito turned on the sink’s faucet. The castle’s water supply was linked to a reservoir full of undines. He was glad for the limitless source of water, even if it was sometimes annoying that it didn’t come hot.
As he washed the dishes with cold water, Hina stood beside him, preparing the offal, her knife constantly moving. In the blink of an eye, the unnecessary sections were removed and the meat was cut to the perfect dimensions. As if to ensure that the meat not suffer more damage than necessary, the cuts were all clean and precise.
Kaito unwittingly stopped moving as he watched her masterful knife work. It was at that moment that Elisabeth’s voice rang out.
“Butler! Oh, Butler!”
“…”
“Kaito!”
“I heard you. What do you want?”
Abandoning the wet dishes and leaving the rest to Hina, Kaito broke into a run.
He had expected her to be waiting in the throne room, but she was still in the dining room.
He opened the door and saw her sitting on her ball-and-claw chair, tipping a wineglass back and forth. She wore a sullen expression, and her legs were crossed. A new visitor sat before her, occupying the same seat the Butcher had been in when Kaito had left.
“Apparently, this unpleasant man has some matter he wishes to discuss with you.”
“Ah, pleased to meet you… Young Kaito Sena, correct?”
The blond man’s face was chiseled, and he wore a black cassock.
He evoked the image of a goat, and his eyes seemed gentle as he smiled. Yet, his face gave off a somewhat suspicious impression, and looking at him gave Kaito goose bumps on his back and an unpleasant feeling in his stomach. He also noticed that the man’s pronunciation of his Japanese name had been smooth and more correct than he’d heard in some time.
Showing no signs as to whether or not he’d deduced Kaito’s unease, the man opened his mouth with dignity.
“My name is Clueless Ray Faund. I come as an envoy from the Church, looking to conduct a personal interview with you.”
“……………Huh?”
“He truly is your servant, Elisabeth. His manner resembles yours.”
The man spoke in a tone that made it impossible to tell if he was truly impressed or if he was being sarcastic. Kaito took another good long look at Clueless, the man from the Church.
Kaito didn’t know much about this world’s Church. But based on the fact that they’d been able to suspend Elisabeth’s execution and order her on her demon hunt, he could tell they wielded substantial influence. In the face of such power, Kaito’s first reaction was the desire to flee. But if he fled now, it would look highly suspicious. Suppressing his automatic response, which was to turn around, Kaito focused his gaze on the man, silently inquiring as to what questions he wanted to ask.
Clueless stood from his chair, stretched, and offered a rather unexpected proposal.
“Well then, shall we make our way to the Church? I’d rather not hear you out in a place as gloomy as this castle.”
“Huh? Well-I’m-Lady-Elisabeth’s-butler-you-see. I can’t just come and go as I please.”
“Insolent cur… So you’ll admit to being my servant when it’s convenient for you, I see. Nevertheless, he speaks the truth, Clueless. Do not simply carry off my servants with you. I made that one myself. The core component may be worthless, but it comes attached to a rather splendid golem, so he ends up being somewhat useful. You shan’t take him without my permission.”
“You say that, Elisabeth. But you’re the one who failed to report having summoned the soul of someone from another world, aren’t you?”
At Clueless’s declaration, Elisabeth twisted her lips. He seemed to have hit the mark. Kaito was fairly surprised that the fact that he was from another world had been exposed.
Laying his large hands one on top of the other, Clueless continued.
“However, I have no intention of reporting that fact to my superiors. I can say that I simply wanted to check on the specifics of how you defeated the Knight and the Earl, and besides, this little visit was off the books in the first place. Don’t you think that rather than dealing with formalities and punishments, it would be more constructive to quietly resolve this matter together? To that end, I would like to speak with the young man. How does that sound?”
“Bah, enough with the farce. At any rate, you intend to blather on and grumble until I relinquish him to you, am I wrong? Fine, then. What a bother. You have my permission. If you fail to return him, however, I shall have your head.”
“There’s a good girl, Elisabeth. A most sensible choice indeed.”
Watching their exchange, Kaito couldn’t help but be surprised. He hadn’t thought there was a person alive who could stand up to Elisabeth the way Clueless just did. Nodding to Kaito, Clueless began walking.
From the way the conversation had gone, Kaito guessed he was supposed to follow.
Neither party seemed to have the slightest interest in how he felt.
Half-desperate, Kaito obediently followed after the cassock-clad man. He accompanied Clueless down an underground passage, and they arrived at Elisabeth’s teleportation circle. Kaito, having thought they’d been heading outside, knit his brows. Clueless stood in front of the circle and turned to look at Kaito.
“Now then, young Kaito, shall we be off? Do mind the vertigo.”
Clueless reached inside his cassock and pulled out a heavy-looking silver pendant. At the end of its thick chain hung an upside-down sculpture of a veiled woman. The intricately carved veil defied gravity in its obstinate quest to conceal the woman’s face.
“Guide me down the path of righteousness.”
He held it over the center of the circle, and the bloody runes blurred. Crimson drops began pouring into the air. They then glowed blue and began orbiting like little planets. When the rotations reached their peak speed, the blue lights froze. They then fell to the floor as one.
When the blue rain had cleared up, a basement with a notably different ambience to the one they were in before spread out before them.
“This place is…”
Apparently, they’d reached a place separate from Elisabeth’s basement. The walls were made of bare packed earth, giving off a completely different sense of claustrophobia than stone. The cool air had a damp odor, announcing loud and clear that they were underground.
“Come now, young Kaito—follow me. We’re going this way.”
Placing his pendant back in his cassock, Clueless left through the single door.
Outside the room, long, tunnel-like wooden passages extended to both sides. Old magical lanterns hung from the low ceiling and lit the path. It felt almost like a passage built for mining.
As he walked through the corridor rich in smells of soil and rotting wood, Clueless spoke quietly.
“These are the hidden passageways that extend beneath the Church. They connect to my private chamber. Follow me.”
Obeying the instru
ctions, Kaito turned halfway through the passage and made his way up a narrow staircase.
Beyond it was a surprisingly small room. Its wooden interior was barren, save for a stately desk and a filing cabinet. One wall, however, was adorned with an image of the same inverted, veiled woman Kaito had just seen. Upon closer inspection, he saw a single red tear running down the woman’s cheek.
Ignoring Kaito, Clueless knelt and offered a heartfelt prayer to the woman. After a few moments, he stood back up.
“Forgive me for the wait. And please make yourself comfortable.”
“Ah, thanks.”
Kaito, being offered the chair at the desk, took it. While he did, Clueless busied himself with the porcelain tea set that had been left on the desk. He poured a pinkish liquid into a cup. A surprisingly refreshing minty aroma wafted up from it.
“I’m quite a fan of this tea, you see. I buy it up every time I’m at my favorite shop.”
“Uh… Ah, well, that seems like a pleasant hobby.”
“Ha-ha, I wonder. I’m glad you think so, at least. My subordinates often scold me for buying too much.”
Clueless winked. It was a very human gesture, but for whatever reason, it made Kaito tense up. Something about the way the man talked seemed uncanny, almost superficial.
Clueless moved his own chair such that he was facing Kaito from across the desk. Kaito noted that the arrangement resembled an interrogation. Clueless took a sip of his tea, then began the conversation in earnest.
“I must say, I never imagined Elisabeth would drag someone from another world into her demon hunt, even if only as a servant.”
“Uh, not that Elisabeth really talks about it much, but I got the vibe that it wasn’t really a big deal. Are you saying it’s uncommon for people to get summoned from other worlds?”
“Wait, she hasn’t bothered explaining anything? Well, she’s never been much of a responsible one. Uncommon would be putting it lightly. It’s beyond rare. I’d heard the two of you had shared some memories during the summons, but you and Elisabeth must really be on the same wavelength. That, or perhaps you have similar natures.”
“You’re saying I’m similar to that woman?”
Kaito immediately frowned. He would hardly describe himself as similar to that proud, haughty, devil-may-care woman. Taking another sip of tea, Clueless shook his head.
“I’m sorry; that was rude of me. I certainly don’t find the two of you similar. After all, I’ve heard that Elisabeth Le Fanu’s cruelty started quite early on in her childhood.”
The statement caused Kaito to start. The image of the young girl he’d seen a few days prior flashed through his mind.
She’d just sat on her bed, her body thin and frail and her eyes hollow.
Kaito shook his head to dispel the vision. Ignoring Kaito’s unrest, Clueless continued on.
“She was born as the only child of the distinguished Le Fanu family. She was a feeble child who broke toys and delighted at the deaths of animals, but she didn’t truly bloom until she turned sixteen. It was at that point that she began torturing people, gaining significant magical ability from their pain. And with those wicked powers, she killed even more. As she committed her many, many atrocities, no entity, living or dead, could inspire fear in her any longer, least of all God.”
Clueless’s hand squeezed down on his porcelain cup. A stern light burned in his azure eyes, and Kaito could tell that his voice was full of needle-sharp hostility. Clueless had been chatting merrily with Elisabeth just a moment ago, but his words were now steeped in hatred.
Squinting in the face of the severity of Clueless’s reaction, a seed of doubt took root in Kaito’s mind.
Obtaining power from the pain of others—that was exactly what the demons did. But Elisabeth Le Fanu was no demon; she was the Torture Princess.
“I thought Elisabeth wasn’t one of the fourteen demons, though?”
“True, she isn’t. She accomplished that all by herself, not contracting with anyone or anything. She shouldn’t be able to use the powers of demons, and none but the High Priest has been able to discern the mechanism by which she’s able to turn people’s pain into her own power. But the facts are the facts. She is an evil woman, with powers surpassing those of the demons. Her very existence is blasphemous.”
Clueless spat these words. Perhaps he was right, but Kaito wasn’t sure how to respond. It was true that Elisabeth was a torturer, a despot, and a tyrant. But now, she was fighting the demons. And the number of people in this world who could stand up to those hell-birthing monsters probably wasn’t high.
And for now, Kaito was assisting her.
While he still lashed back at her at times, ever since the incident with the Earl, he’d stopped having qualms about serving her. He even kind of liked the innocent side she occasionally revealed.
Maybe it was a warped way to live, but it worked for him.
In his hesitation, Kaito had grown silent. But Clueless nodded, seeming to understand Kaito’s position, and heaved a heavy sigh.
“Forgive me. It appears I have gotten rather heated. But I thought that you, after spending some time with her, would find such things obvious. Now then, would you mind if I asked a few questions about your world? I hear that your world is where machines have progressed further than magic has; is that correct?”
“Huh? Oh, yeah. Or rather, magic doesn’t really exist in my world at all… At least as far as I know.”
Kaito matter-of-factly answered Clueless’s questions. But on top of the fact that his knowledge of his previous world was strongly biased, he knew nothing about the workings of many of the industrial technologies he had benefitted from in life. But even though their exchange touched only on broad generalities, Clueless appeared enraptured.
He finished his tea, then gently shook his head.
“Thank you. I learned quite a bit. And you have my condolences. The battle against the demons will no doubt grow fiercer from here. I find it difficult to imagine you continuing to serve Elisabeth once she finishes killing all thirteen demons.”
“Is… Is that so? I mean, this body is immortal, but I expect it’ll get pretty rough from here.”
“Quite. And even on the off chance you do survive, all that awaits you is an inquisition by the Church.”
“Wait, what?”
Kaito raised his voice in surprise. Clueless was unbothered by his rudeness. As he stared at Kaito, something resembling sentimentality welled up in his blue eyes.
However, it wasn’t the gaze of one looking at another human but of one looking down at a worm.
“Why so surprised? It’s a natural measure to take, no? The Church can’t exactly allow one of Elisabeth’s puppets to roam free after she completes her task. The stake awaits you both. At best, you’ll be confined, but not before being thoroughly tortured.”
“That’s… Okay, I’m gonna be honest with you. I’d rather pass. I got sucked into this mess against my will. You guys are the ones in charge of the torture, right? Can’t you do something about that?”
“It just so happens that I have a proposal for you.”
Clueless leaned forward in his seat. As he did, Kaito felt as though a piece of the incongruous puzzle he’d been a part of had finally slid into place. All the talk leading up to this had been a mere prelude. Clueless appeared attentive, but Kaito got the sense that it had all gone in one ear and out the other.
“Think about this. I consider Elisabeth dangerous enough that I’ve been unofficially monitoring her as well as occasionally dropping by to check up on her. After the Church captured her, we bound her in such a way that she could not resist us or try to escape. But if she was to form a contract with one of the thirteen demons, her power would grow, and those shackles would be insufficient to restrain her. In fact, if her unique power was to synergize with the demon’s, it would be quite terrifying indeed.”
“Are you sure you should be making someone like that fight for you?”
“She swor
e she wouldn’t forge a contract with a demon, and the head of the Church, Godot Deus, told us to believe in that promise. He also said that should the time come when she breaks that promise, he would sacrifice his life and soul to seal her away… But while he likely possesses the power to make good on his word, we would still be losing the most distinguished member of our clergy. Having anticipated such a calamity, I cannot, in good faith, sit idly by and allow the birth of a demon that will surpass all demons.”
Clueless reached inside his cassock and once more withdrew the pendant with the upside-down suffering woman. He carefully opened its hidden compartment and pulled out a vial.
He tilted it over Kaito’s cup, and a single tear-like drop of clear, colorless liquid made ripples in his tea. As it did, it briefly stained the pinkish tea deep purple. The tea quickly returned to its original color.
“If you make Elisabeth drink this poison, I can promise you a painless death.”
“You’re promising me death?”
“That I am. Your existence is an affront to God, and I cannot permit it to continue. Although from what I heard, upon being summoned, you wished to die anyway, correct? Having served under her, you know how terrifying pain can be. Do you understand what I’m offering you? I myself think the terms are rather fair.”
Clueless smiled. Remembering the uncomfortable feeling he’d initially been getting from the man, Kaito felt validated once more. Clueless was arrogant. He seemed to be looking down on Kaito from so high up that he didn’t even realize he was being arrogant.
Clueless no doubt thought he was being earnestly merciful.
Kaito swallowed his retorts. He decided to speak as little as possible until he returned safely to the castle.
Not receiving an affirmative response, Clueless tilted his head in dissatisfaction.
“You seem displeased… Very well. In order to demonstrate to you the validity of my proposal, allow me to offer you the privilege of observing the heretics under my jurisdiction. Come along.”
Torture Princess: Fremd Torturchen, Vol. 1 Page 10