NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 12 - Pandemonium
Pandemonium
‘Is this a dream?’
Third-person observer perspective. It’s been a while since I had a lucid dream.
This is what happens when you live in a fantasy world for 10 years.
With each dream, scenes that were originally based on the original world gradually change to focus on experiences from this place.
As if my previous life is being mercilessly overlaid with memories of my current life.
-Caw. Caw.
‘Oh my.’
With the sound of crows, the Asphodel family mansion came into view.
Every day had been hell since I was transmigrated into the game and entered the Asphodel household.
Being the weakest among the demon race, I was essentially raised like an animal.
The memories are too painful, so I don’t want to explain any further.
And on the day of Arein’s coming-of-age ceremony, I became Arein’s servant.
‘Ugh…’
The nightmares got worse from that day on. Arein’s blood-drinking was difficult because I was plagued by nightmares every time.
‘Please… stop…’
– Whoosh.
Whether my feelings were heard, or because dreams have no proper structure, the scene changes to a blue night where fireflies sparkle around.
– Gurgle gurgle.
I hear pleasant sounds of water.
‘Ha-yu! Ha-yu!’
‘Holy Lady…’
‘I told you not to… not to abuse your body!’
The Holy Lady is crying. In that beautiful forest where we first met.
While it might be a sad scene to a third party, for me it’s an incredibly happy and precious dream.
I don’t know how long I wept, overwhelmed with joy that someone was worried about me.
This world is full of discomfort. There’s no one on my side, and only memories of my original world remain to weigh me down.
There’s a clear difference between never having had something, and having had something that’s now gone.
‘Ha-yu… promise me? You must never get hurt!’
‘Quick, pinky promise!’
‘When I become a priestess, when I become a high priestess…’
Yes, we made that promise…
*Sparkle*
The scene changes once again.
‘♪♩♫♩♪~’
‘Bang, boom!’
Magical fireworks bloom in the night sky over the village. Joyful songs mix and resound through the air.
The Festival of Abundance.
The wide plaza with its clock tower and the waterways that quarter the city was lined with countless lanterns, filling the air with a festive atmosphere.
There, a masked boy who appeared to be around fifteen caught my eye.
Was that me?
That’s when it happened.
‘Found you.’
‘Found you.’
‘Found you.’
A familiar woman’s voice painfully reverberates in my head.
*Flash*
.
.
.
My closed eyelids opened.
‘Ah.’
An unfamiliar ceiling.
[Remaining Blood: 1]
“Kheuk, kup.”
“Ha-yu!”
Suddenly breathing heavily caused my airway to block, making me cough.
“Huh-eok, huh-eok…”
“Slowly, breathe slowly! Don’t change your position suddenly!”
Floria was beside me in her flowing dress.
My body was tightly wrapped in what appeared to be bandages.
And now, the familiar sound effect.
-Ding.
[※Aftereffect: The blood receiver’s stats are decreased by 70%]
[Time remaining: 17 hours 1 minute 23 seconds]
…I’m screwed for a while.
“Oh no… Look at all this sweat… Are you alright?”
She was wiping my sweat while worrying about me. Her gentle touch made my mind hazy.
“Floria.”
“Yes, I’m listening. Please speak, Ha-yu.”
While diligently washing my body, she listened and responded.
Should I tell her now?
‘…If you treat a lowly commoner like this, rumors will spread…’
‘Ha-yu!’
Floria’s gentle voice changed slightly to an angry tone.
‘Don’t say such things! Do you know how worried I was?!’
Looking around, the room’s pink atmosphere was definitely Floria’s taste.
‘Why do these things only happen to Ha-yu? It’s so pitiful…’
She holds my waist and buries her face.
Is it pity?
Like in the dream, as ordinary happiness keeps slipping away, even this emotion feels like it might become precious.
‘Ha-yu…’
-Clank.
‘You’re awake.’
At that moment, Eliana opened the door and entered.
As usual, she was wearing white leather armor with her silver hair.
I raised Floria up and asked.
‘Where… is this?’
‘This… is my room.’
As Floria hesitated for some reason in her response, Eliana continued with the explanation.
‘They said it would be improper for an Academy priestess to enter the commoners’ dormitory. So you had to receive treatment in Floria’s room instead.’
“This is too much… Isn’t a priestess supposed to look after those who are struggling?”
Eliana handed me a black liquid. It appeared to be something that would help with recovery.
As I quietly accepted it, Eliana bowed at a right angle.
“I apologize on their behalf, I’m truly sorry. I never imagined my subordinate would… act that way towards you. I’m ashamed, no words can express how sorry I am. I will make sure to compensate you for this somehow.”
I raised my upper body and said,
“What happened to that person?”
“They’ve been handed over to the dedicated committee, and appropriate measures will be taken after investigation. Don’t worry.”
“Then there’s no need for you to bow. I’m just a cheonmin, so you don’t have to go that far…”
“Cheonmin, cheonmin, please stop that!”
Floria shouted with an agitated voice.
“Ha-yu is Ha-yu! It doesn’t matter if you’re a cheonmin! You’re also a precious person, so you have the right to receive apologies for unfair treatment!”
“Ah…”
Apology. Since being possessed in this place, the only ‘apology’ I knew was the fruit.
“Floria is right. This is Lachesis Academy. Everyone has a chance to be equal here. Of course, the discrimination between commoners and nobles seems to have decreased significantly. Though this is the first time the Magic Department has taken in a servant.”
Looking back at yesterday, that’s true. The servants even had a separate entrance ceremony.
While commoners and nobles attend classes in the same classroom, cheonmin are clearly considered separate beings.
Well, I am the first one to be admitted, so some discord was to be expected.
Eliana spoke to me calmly.
“Even though you’re Arein’s direct servant, you have the right to be respected during your personal time.”
“…Is Lady Arein alright?”
“You’re quick. You’ll be disappointed when you hear this.”
“Ha-yu!”
Eliana shakes her head and Floria glares at me again.
“Still, she is my master.”
“…Well. I heard she just stays locked up in her room.”
So it’s true after all. Treating me like baggage. That’s Arein for you.
“Are you two sure you don’t need to go?”
“Today and tomorrow are course registration days. Is that important?”
“I have self-training in the afternoon anyway.”
It was certainly getting dark. How long have I been here…
“Ha-yu, I know it might be uncomfortable, but could you tell us what happened yesterday?”
“Well… a man with glasses attacked me, saying I was a demon.”
“Not that! There was blood all over the bed! And Miss Arein didn’t say anything about it. You didn’t let her feed on you in that condition, did you?”
That’s correct. Even as her slave, there’s no way to sugar-coat what Arein did.
“Well, that’s true, but…”
“I’m sorry she disgraced herself as your master, but she’s lacking in what it takes to be one.”
While I strongly agreed, I spoke with plenty of pretense to secure my future.
“No, it’s not like that. Miss Arein warned me about the blood-drinking, it happened because I wasn’t properly prepared.”
Eliana spoke to me with an expression that said she couldn’t help it.
“Is that truly how you feel? Nothing can be done about this.”
What?
‘That’s enough gossip. Come in.’
When Eliana opened the door, Arein was standing there with a prim expression.
‘That was close.’
A black beret and neat attire that could pass for human.
Unlike usual, her braided hair was slightly disheveled as if she had just been lying in bed.
‘Lady Arein, how long have you been there…?’
-Thud.
Ignoring Floria’s words, Arein walked in briskly and handed me a basket.
The basket was full of something and covered with white paper on top.
However, Floria’s surprised expression quickly turned into a frown.
‘You went too far this time.’
She began confronting Arein.
‘After seeing Ha-yu’s condition, you should have waited to feed. Didn’t you see she almost di-‘
‘…mine.’
‘Pardon?’
‘She’s mine, isn’t she…?’
-……
Silence fell.
Floria tilted her head as if she had greatly misheard something.
“What… did you… just say…?”
“I’m saying it’s not something you should be involved in.”
This is a critical moment.
“Let’s… let’s not do this.”
Even with my intervention, I couldn’t stop Floria’s rampage.
Her hands were trembling.
“…Apologize to Lady Ha-yu.”
“!!!”
Huh… Arein apologizing? Even a passing dog would laugh at that.
“…”
Arein kept her mouth firmly shut, staring at the woman in front of her.
Floria spoke as if frustrated.
“I’m sorry. Don’t you know how to say it?”
“…”
“Repeat after me. So-“
“…”
“SO!!”
“…”
Arein’s eyes grow drowsy.
This is dangerous.
[※Warning: The hostility level from the authority figure is high. Please be careful with your conduct.]
While appearing as a pretty human on the outside, Arein’s true nature is that of a demon.
As I was just watching cautiously, fortunately, unexpected words came from Arein’s mouth.
“…Lee Ha-yu.”
“Yes?”
“You answer.”
If I hesitate even for a second on this, I’m done for.
Shit.
Inevitably, I act like a fool again today, wearing an awkward smile.
“Um… well… I did break our appointment time too.”
Arein looks at Floria with an expression that says ‘See?’
“Really…. Ha-yu!!!!!!!!”
[You have gained 1 point of Seven Deadly Sins: Greed from ‘Arein S. Asphodel’]
That must be the right answer.
Though it’s sad that somehow this became my fault, I can’t cause bloodshed just yet. At least I should collect the points.
“Lady Eliana, please say something too!”
Then Eliana stepped forward with a resigned expression.
“Well… since I’m more at fault primarily, I don’t have the right to speak…”
And she slightly bowed her head to Arein.
“Arein, I apologize for harming your servant. I apologize once again.”
“…I’d prefer if you didn’t resolve the hard feelings this way.”
“That’s not it. I swear on my family name.”
Arein’s eyes lifted slightly.
It was a sign of slight satisfaction.
[You have gained 1 point in Seven Deadly Sins: Pride from ‘Arein S. Asphodel’.]
…
In the end, I never got an apology from Arein.
“Poor Ha-yu!!!”
-Whoosh.
“Ow, that hurts!”
Floria burrows into my body once again.
With her fierce charge, we’re now practically lying together on the bed.
“Oh?”
-……
Somehow the atmosphere becomes drastically colder than before.
-Sliding.
“Ha-yunim…”
Floria kneels on the bed, holding my hands tightly with both of hers while gazing at me intently.
As if asking me to tell her my honest feelings even now.
“Um… well…”
Why did it suddenly turn out like this? I just want to rest now.
Should I say I need to go to the bathroom or something to change the subject?
In the end, I just blurted out whatever came to mind.
“By the way, are all three of you planning to stay here…?”
-?!
“I’m uncomfortable too, and I think one person would be enough…”
Then Floria spoke while twirling her hair.
“Well, I’m the nurse. And I’m also the owner of this room.”
Eliana spoke with her eyes closed while leaning against the wall.
“As a knight, I will fulfill my duty.”
And Arein was just sending silent glances without saying a word.
“…”
-Clap!
Floria clapped her hands.
“Miss Arein, don’t you have separate duties as the top-ranking student? And Miss Eliana has training…!”
“…It’s finished.”
“It’s done.”
The answers came almost simultaneously.
-……
In the end, I ended up being the one feeling awkward. Why, exactly?
And while I was standing there in a daze, a kill pass came flying.
‘T-then Ha-yu, you choose directly! Who would you like to take care of you!’
…M-me?