Chapter 12: The Spiral of Self-Flagellation [2]

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“Those guns are made using the crystal that forms inside the brain after at least a decade of life,” Louis clarified. “There are rumors that in the Vultarn High Dominion they clone Espers and harvest the crystals once they mature.”

“That’s horrible…” Elises muttered, visibly shaken.

“Well, yes. They have far fewer regulations than we do,” Catrise nodded. “Our Queen would never allow such a thing.”

“It feels like we’re in a race against them, constantly developing new weapons to fight each other when we should be uniting against the Dimensional Labyrinth…” Belladine sighed, shaking her head.

Rashid stood silently beside Louis, his limbs now fully regenerated.

Meanwhile, Louis raised two more Undead. Unfortunately, both the red-haired bandit and Karn had been destroyed, so the new zombies were merely low-level thugs killed early in the assault. Louis would have preferred to keep the red-haired man, but his body had exploded, and Louis had sacrificed his soul to decapitate the leader—who was now his strongest zombie.

Although the headless giant was powerful, Louis also considered extracting the Spiral Stone from its body. Technically, the man was already dead, so the stone should have manifested somewhere. He wondered if there might be a way to absorb the entire Spiral instead of just a weak fragment… perhaps some kind of Spiral Extraction Ritual. He would research that later.

As they prepared to leave, soldiers and additional knights arrived. Louis greeted them and explained everything that had happened. Leading the group was an unexpected visitor: an Esper with long chestnut hair and bright blue eyes. Louis recognized her immediately—Agent Helena, a powerful Esper-Sinner hybrid and one of the few allowed to roam freely without restrictions. Her Sinner identity was classified information. She was a beauty who appeared far younger than her actual age, which Louis had heard was over seventy.

“Ah, Prince Louis! So your father was right after all. You’re the one who cleaned up Nameless Street,” Helena said with a light laugh. “We rushed here as fast as we could, but you’ve already taken care of everything?”

“Yes,” Louis replied with a nod. “There was a Spiralwalker among the bandits—the leader of the group. He’s standing right behind me.”

“H-Huh? That headless thing?” Helena took a step back. “W-What…! Wait, is that your familiar? So you awakened against your father’s wishes and gained such a dark ability…”

“Dark? I’d call it a wonderful power,” Louis said with a faint smile. “Don’t worry, Aunt Helena. The zombies I create are completely obedient and loyal only to me. Think of them as puppets rather than independent beings.”

“Even so…” Helena sighed, crossing her arms. “Well, it’s good to see you after so long. Honestly, I’m still surprised you’re here.”

“We’re not finished yet,” Louis continued. “We came to clean the entire area. There’s another criminal organization called the Black Fang we still need to deal with. We barely managed to win here. Would you be willing to help us raid their hideout? I’ve interrogated a captured thug, and he revealed they have a Dimensional Rift underground in the sewers. They’re extracting materials and distributing them illegally. The Knife—the group we just destroyed—was using those materials to produce the Fantasium Drug they sold not only here but apparently even to the Vultarn High Dominion. The bastards…”

“That’s serious,” Helena said with another sigh. “I suppose I’ll have to get involved. Ah, what a pain. I wanted to take the week off—I just finished handling another Dimensional Rift.”

“It’ll be reassuring to have you with us, Aunt Helena,” Louis said with a warm smile. Helena smiled back and gently kissed his forehead.

“Thank you,” she giggled. “Shall we get going, then? We can leave the cleanup to the VPI agents on their way. Where are you staying? Back at the castle?”

“No… you see…” Louis trusted Helena completely. Though she was not related by blood to his mother, she was the Dragon King’s niece and therefore family. The Dragon King himself had once been a human from Earth who reincarnated on Yggdrasil as an Ice Dragon. Decades ago, during the Dimensional Convergence, he had reunited with his human family, including Helena. Though the Dragon King now rarely left Yggdrasil, the connection remained. Helena had always been close to Benladra and was a dear friend of Gustaf as well. She had never missed Louis’s birthdays or family gatherings, even when he remained unable to awaken his Dragon Form.

Because of that bond—and because he knew she genuinely cared for him—Louis told her the full truth: they were staying at the orphanage while searching for a powerful Sinner known as the “creature” that roamed these streets at night. He wanted to recruit her for the group he was building.

“So you’re staying at the orphanage,” Helena said with a nod. “Well, I suppose I can join you all. It’s been almost a year since we spent proper time together, hasn’t it, Louis?”

“I suppose so,” Louis agreed. “Ah, there’s something else I wanted to ask… It’s about Mirai.”

“…Mirai?!” Helena gasped. “W-Wait, you know about her?”

“I saw her the other day,” Louis explained. “So you and my father have been raising that girl this whole time, haven’t you?”

“Well… yes…” Helena admitted. “Your father planned to introduce her to you once the Academy opens next year—oh, forget I said that!” She panicked, realizing she had revealed confidential information.

“Please, I already know,” Louis said calmly. “That girl is certainly annoying. She seems obsessed with making friends. Is it because she’s been alone in that laboratory all this time?”

“I… suppose so,” Helena sighed. “Hey, Louis, as your aunt, I’m asking you sincerely—please be kind to her, okay? She’s been through a lot. It wouldn’t hurt to be her friend, would it?”

“…” Louis fell silent for a moment, then sighed inwardly.

“I know she can be awkward, but her mind isn’t always in the right place,” Helena continued. “Just be nice to her. I’m sure you’ll end up liking her. She’s a good person—someone you could trust.”

“Someone I could trust, you say?” Louis almost laughed at the thought.

William had literally been devoured by her. There was no way Louis could ever fully trust Mirai, and he intended to remain wary of her, no matter what. He was cautious by nature, always analyzing every tiny behavior in others to an almost obsessive degree.

Still, he decided to lie.

“Okay, I’ll try,” he said with a smile. “I’ve already befriended her, technically. She asked me to be her friend the moment we could speak properly. She’s… lively. Though she was a little disrespectful—she didn’t acknowledge my title as prince. I had to remind her of her place.”

“Louis! Don’t be mean to her…” Helena sighed. “It’s obvious Mirai wouldn’t know those things. She was raised in a lab. Come on, I know you’re a good person deep down.”

“…A good person?” Louis repeated quietly, then sighed. “I already told you I’ve befriended her, Aunt Helena. What more do you want me to do? Babysit her?”

“Haha, no, that’s quite enough,” Helena giggled, ruffling his hair. It only irritated Louis further.

When they reached the orphanage, dozens of children rushed out to greet the new arrivals, overjoyed to see Louis return with even more food. This time he made no effort to hide his identity, surprising everyone.

“It’s Prince Louis?!”

“Wow, you’re so handsome!”

“A real prince charming!”

“Wow!”

“Can’t you give us money?”

“Isn’t the food I brought good enough?” Louis asked with a gentle smile, placing the bags on the table.

The nuns were equally delighted to discover it was the prince himself. They hurried to tidy the orphanage and brought out their finest tea, reserved for special occasions.

“Please don’t mind the children’s words,” the elderly nun who had greeted them earlier said nervously. “They don’t know what they’re saying…”

“It’s quite all right,” Louis replied. “I don’t hold grudges, especially not against children. I hope you all enjoy the food. I also have a donation for the church and the orphanage.”

He handed over a heavy bag of money—only a tenth of what he had taken from the criminals, yet enough to bring tears to the nuns’ eyes.

“Thank you so much, Lord Louis!”

“How could we ever repay such kindness?”

“There’s no need,” Louis said. “I’m content as things are. Later, I’ll assign more soldiers to this area. I can’t promise it will ever be fully integrated into the capital, but this is the least I can do.”

“Yes, of course. You’ve already done more than enough!”

“We will be forever grateful.”

“Thank you truly.”

As dinner began and the children happily devoured food better than anything they had tasted in years, Louis noticed the winged girl quietly filling a plate with bread, meatloaf, and cheese before slipping away.

“…”

He stood and followed silently amidst the celebration, using Shadow Movement to stay hidden. He watched her exit through the back door and waited in the darkness.

“Who is she waiting for?”

Then, under the moonlight, a small fur-covered figure emerged from an alley, shyly approaching. The girl placed the plate on the ground.

“Here. Someone brought a lot of food today. You can have this.”

“…”

Louis observed the “creature”—a childlike being covered in white and red fur with a head shaped like a wolf’s skull. It looked ominous, even frightening, yet the girl smiled warmly as it ate.

“Is it yummy?”

“Grarr! Yummy…”

The creature let out a happy growl and even spoke, surprising Louis further. His eyes narrowed. This was definitely the one he had been searching for.

♢♢♢♢

Selene Virell was born in the slums of Nameless Streets, outside the Capital of the Frostbane Kingdom. Her birth was tragic—her mother died giving birth, and her father, horrified by her appearance, tried to kill her the moment she emerged. Driven by feral instinct, she escaped and was hunted by him for days. Exhausted from running, her instincts took over. She killed him and devoured his body.

After being forced to kill her own father, Selene’s madness grew. She became a feral child, growing rapidly while hunting small animals and hiding from others. Time and again she was chased, captured, and persecuted, only freeing herself by unleashing her madness. When she did, she would lose all sense of time and awaken covered in the bloody remains of her captors, staring blankly at the sky.

At that point, Selene had no name. She was known only as the “Horror of the Nameless Streets”—a monstrous child, a Sinner who attacked anyone who approached and was rumored to eat human flesh.

Today was supposed to be like any other. She would catch a rat or two, hide beneath trash, and survive.

The poor girl knew no better.

“Gryack!”

“Rat…”

She would often sit in the shadows, watching the children her age play near the Holy Dragon Cathedral and the nearby orphanage. At night, a “friend” she had made would sometimes bring her food—usually stale bread, but far better than insects.

Her friend was a beautiful girl with featherless wings, different from everyone else and also shunned. They had bonded over their similarities and the comfort of each other’s company. Tonight, her friend brought an entire plate of delicious food she had never tasted before.

“Is it yummy?”

“Grarr! Yummy…”

She wagged her fluffy tail happily, devouring everything and licking the plate clean. She looked at her friend with a content smile—perhaps hard to discern beneath her skull-like face. She was completely unaware that tonight was different. Someone else was watching.

A man with long white hair and golden eyes radiating an aura more similar to hers than anything she had ever felt.

“So there you are. I’ve been looking for you all this time. Was the food delicious? I’m glad.”

“Huh?!”

Her friend stepped back in panic as the stranger emerged from the shadows—the handsome, slender young man, half human and half dragon… Prince Louis Drakeheart Yggdrasil himself.

Selene growled warily, baring sharp teeth. Yet the prince only smiled and offered more food.

“Hello, Selene. I’m happy to finally meet you. You’ve suffered a lot, haven’t you? Someone like you deserves far more. Come with me. You’ll sleep in a warm bed, eat whatever you want, and never be chased or hated for your appearance again.”

“…!”

“W-What? Prince Louis… you know my friend?”

“Of course. She’s the person I’ve been searching for this entire time,” Louis said with a gentle smile. “Would you like to change your life for the better, Selene?”

“Uhh…!” Selene seemed frightened of the stranger.

“Come on, Selene, it’s okay! He’s Prince Louis! He’s the one who brought us food today,” the winged girl said reassuringly.

“Yes, why don’t you come inside with us?” Louis asked softly. “Aren’t you tired of hiding? How about a better life?”

“Auh…!” When Louis gently patted her shoulder, Selene shook him off and bolted into the darkness. “Aee!”

“W-Wait! Selene!” her friend called, but the creature vanished into the alleys. “I-I’m so sorry, Prince Louis…”

“It’s fine,” Louis said calmly. “I already knew she would run. It would be strange if someone like her trusted a stranger immediately.”

“Eh?” The girl looked confused as Louis’s hand glowed faintly.

“I placed an Ash Attribute Rune on her shoulder. It’ll help me track her,” he explained. “I’ll look for her tomorrow. Shall we return to the orphanage? Oh, what’s your name?”

“I’m Melisa!” the winged girl said brightly.

“Melisa… You’re very important too. If you’re the only person Selene trusts, you’re invaluable,” Louis said, patting her head.

“Is that so? Heheh… I’m not really that special…” Melisa giggled as they walked back inside together.

♢♢♢♢

Selene had escaped the stranger who wanted to recruit her for reasons she didn’t understand. Panting, she slipped through her hidden passage into the sewers.

They smelled awful, but they were perfect for hiding and sleeping undisturbed. She crawled into the small burrow she had dug into the wall, content with a full belly.

“We’ve finally found you, little Sinner.”

“Aeh?”

Yet someone far worse than Louis had discovered her.

“Don’t be afraid. The Abyssal Mother welcomes all lost children into her cradle.”

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