78 Ch-78: Shedia (3)
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Werewolves.
Those who can shift into a wolf-faced — half-beast, half-human — bipedal monstrosity. Although their beastly form seperated them from normal humans, they were humans in the end.
At least they thought so, and that's why they hid among humans.
But that also slowly changed.
Shedia is the only one of her species making an appearance in The Hero's Party.
Because the population of werewolves is dire in numbers.
The reason is that when you become a werewolf, you lose your sanity and become a ferocious minded beast.
That was the reason why Shedia turned frenzied upon seeing the moonstone and promptly jumped into the river.
Moonstone is an item that definitively prevents confusion and beserk status abnormalities. If you possess a moonstone, you can maintain your sanity even if you transform into a werewolf.
As Shedia stood up, the river water cascaded on both sides. With wet hair dropping down and clothes sticking to her body, she looked like a drowning dog.
She climbed out of the river and looked at me.
"Hand it over."
""
Growling, on the edge to run over me.
Why, no.
I held up the moonstone necklace in my hand.
"Force me and I will crush it and then throw it into the river. If you want to prevent such an unfortunate incident from happening, your cooperation will be appreciated."
Shedia flinched and stilled.
Looking at my hand holding the moonstone, she clenched her fist and trembled.
Teething her lips gently, she snarled.
"…what do you want?"
"You seem to understand the situation. My request is not that difficult. You just need to follow me for a while and be my teammate."
"Teammate?"
Puzzled by the word, Shedia tilted her head blankly.
"You don't know what a teammate is?"
"Don't know."
Shedia spoke proudly.
I wondered if she was teasing me for a moment, but considering she had been locked up inside a dark closet for most of her life, it was not impossible.
"Teammates are… they bond, going through experiences, sometimes difficult, sometimes enjoyable, together; sometimes they support each other's backs, and sometimes they risk their lives for each other."
Shedia, hearing my explanation, made a blank face.
Did my explanation passed over her head?
With a contemplative look on her face, Shedia nodded after a moment.
"Alright. Teammate. Agreed."
Then she stretched out her hand towards me.
"Give me the moonstone now."
"Nope."
Shedia narrowed her eyes dangerously.
"You agreed to give it to me if I acceded to become your teammate."
"If you get the moonstone, nothing will hold you off from running away, breaking the deal. For such an uncertain deal, a solid trusting relationship has not been established between us yet."
"?"
"…don't give me that betrayed look. I'll keep the moonstone for now and hand it to you later when time's appropriate."
Shedia made a blank face again and then nodded her head.
"Right," I said. "You can try sneak attacks on me. We will together see if you succeed first or I powder the moonstone before you get close."
"Tsk."
Shedia clicked her tongue as if she was seriously considering the option.
I smiled, put the moonstone necklace under my arms, and started covering the distance down the road again. Shedia followed me at a distance.
* * *
"You didn't say we were going to Oulheim."
Shedia said with a prickly expression on her face.
"You didn't ask."
To my response, she puckered out her lips like a child.
"If I go to Oulheim, I would die."
Oulheim was the capital of the Kingdom of Alitia.
It was the stronghold of the Zarakh Society, and as such, their connections were also widespread.
What worried her was the Vampire Ancestor who lorded over her finding out she was travelling with me.
Prime Squad was annihilated, but she lived and was travelling with me, the hero — their target. That was enough to cog all the wheels in correct direction, letting them know she had betrayed them.
"You won't die."
"How do you know that?"
"I won't let you die."
"How?"
"That's a secret."
I answered her, before busying myself with socializing with the people at the bar. It wasn't hard. Just buying a glass of reed did wonders.
I locked shoulders with them, sang songs, drank alcohol, and inquired when the festival was going to be held in Oulheim.
Feeling a gaze, I gently turned my head.
Shedia was still staring at me.
With her characteristic blank expression.
* * *
From morning to evening, they trained them, lightly brushing past death at moments. After the training got finished, they were locked in cramped, dark cells and fed on whatever meal the vampires provided them.
That was the daily life of the werewolves captured under Kutcher.
A life of less worth than that of a slave's; with no mercy for an intelligent life.
Shedia had no major complaints about that.
She was very young when she was captured, so she knew nothing about the concept of freedom.
But those who remembered the life of the outside world were different. They wanted to free themselves from the shackles on their legs. They wanted the training to finish, to become the assassin their new master wished them to be and once again see the world outside.
And Shedia trampled on those beautiful hopes.
All she got after was loneliness.
Her one and only blood relative, her sister, was no longer with her.
She was a sinner.
She was obligated to atone for all whom she has trampled upon.
But the atonement didn't come easy.
The blessing of her clan, which was the strength she had trained to acquire, became a curse that entangled her even to this day.
Shedia waited for the opportunity to come as she was educated. Passing her days in the narrow, dark basement. At the end she chanced upon a precious opportunity that she hadn't thought about.
Moonstone.
A treasure touted to barrack the negative alignments of werewolves since ancient times, she had to have it, by hook or crook.
The only reason Shedia dealt with the Zarakh Society was because on every full moon night, her werewolf instincts triggered her into a berserk state.
Running away wasn't going to help once the berserk state overtook her, leaving behind trackable traces.
When that would happen, escaping the clutches of her master would no doubt prove fruitless, so she never thought in this direction.
But what if something could control her berserk state?
She had no problems at losing her potential vampire trackers. Raised as an assassin her entire life, she was confident she wouldn't get caught.
That's why moonstone was a must.
A night when everyone was asleep.
Shedia slipped out of her bed. Tip-toeing a few steps forward, her body sank into the shadows.
Brought up to become a skilled assassin, it was a skill that was uniquely learned at the instructor's direction.
Shedia was the only one among all werewolves who could use this skill.
""
The vampire, who had taught her this skill, fussed about her talent and how easily she had picked up the skill. To Shedia, it was just something that made her work convenient.
She quickly assimilated into the shadows, crossed the doorway and headed into Cloud's room.
-Krrrr!
The strong smell of alcohol and snoring.
Shedia waited for about an hour as she hid in the shadows. Cloud lay on the bed, unmoving and defenseless.
When she was convinced that he was completely asleep, Shedia slowly revealed her body from the shadows.
She looked at Cloud, lying on the bed and sleeping soundly.
'I have no grudges.'
No, actually, a little, but not enough to take his life.
She had to kill because she had to, as always.
Shedia moved her hand to access the sword around her waist.
At that moment Cloud opened his eyes and fisted Shedia's stomach, sending her knocking away.
"Ugh..!"
Shedia couldn't stand the force as she rolled away, crashing against the wall.
"You did it after all."
With an ominous feeling, Shedia lifted her head.
Cloud let go of his clenched fist.
Fragments shining blue enough to be seen even in a dark room flowed down to the floor.
"Ah…"
Her blank eyes quivered for the first time, looking at the pieces of jewelry that was completely shattered.
That was hope.
The hope that this long period of time had given her for a chance at atonement, removing the curse that had been entangling her by throat.
And that hope was now shattered.
She will forever be bound by the curse of the full moon, and she will die without atonement.
""
Even in death she won't be forgiven by them.
Shedia's eyes, hazed by despair, gradually lost their light.
When a round blue jewel appeared before her eyes.
"..?"
Wut…?
She froze for two seconds—
—before, having grasped the situation, she hastily reached out her hand, fisting nothing. The moonstone sailed up and slipped into Cloud's hand.
Shedia, wondering what the hell was happening, looked up at Cloud with a blank expression on her face.
Cloud grinned and squatted down, making eye contact with Shedia.
"I never thought that it would be easy to get over with one oral contract. I expected you to try breaking the deal at least once."
"That was…"
"Not the moonstone, just a similar-looking faux. Didn't I just show you the real one?"
Cloud stroked Shedia's head.
"Breaking the deal once can be passed off as cute antics. Not twice. If something like this happens again…"
Cloud slightly tightened his hand holding the moonstone. Shedia shook her head wildly, beseeching him not to. Cloud smiled and stroked Shedia's hair.
"You know it without me telling you, right?"
Shedia nodded her head.
"Then you won't do this again in the future, right?"
– Nod.
"Are you going to be a good girl who listens?"
– Nod..?
Seeing Shedia nod her head indecisively, Cloud re-strengthened the hold on the moonstone.
– Nod nod nod nod.
Shedia nodded her head frantically.
* * *
A woman poked her face out and looked into the hallway.
After making sure that no one was in the hallway, she pulled out two curved blades that had been wrapped in her clothes.
She took a deep breath and stepped forward on her right foot.
At the same time, her arms moved gently like flowing waves, swinging her curved blades.
She whirled, whirled, and whirled again.
Her long orange hair intertwined with a red veil and her thin skirt fluttered, exuding glamourous splendor.
Her ripe copper-colored skin and breasts that rippled with every step she took made her beauty monumental, adding femininity to splendor.
However, the sharpness hidden behind that beauty was dangerous.
'It's going well today,' she thought. 'If the next part flows just as fluidly…'
Changing softness to rigidity.
She failed at it every time, but today she was feeling encouraged.
""
The moment the woman jerked her left foot for the next move—
"Katarina!! The parade will start soon, where are you?!"
A sharp shout echoed through the hallway.
Astonished and startled, she hurriedly hid the blades and put on her veil.
"Coming!"
The third-class dancer, Katarina, ran out into the hallway.
You can read fully translated chapters, including the last chapter, for $20.
p(a)treon.com/Daoist02
