I never thought Namia would be the one to bring up revenge.
That night, lying in bed, I found myself replaying our conversation from earlier that day. I’d given Namia the bed my mother used to sleep in.
Namia had always been the kindest person I knew. To hear the word "revenge" fall from the lips of someone so gentle was, quite frankly, a shock. It only served to prove how deep the resentment for what had been done to her truly ran.
I had harbored a naive fantasy that if she were brought back to life, everything would simply return to the way it was. But reality didn't work like that. Resurrecting the body didn't mean the scars on her soul had vanished.
If fulfilling her vengeance would clear even a fraction of the gloom from Namia’s heart, then I would dedicate my entire being to helping her.
"Hey, Kiska."
While I was renewing my resolve in silence, Ageha spoke to me from where she lay beside me.
"Namia is a good person, isn't she?"
"Yeah."
Ageha seemed genuinely happy that Namia had called us a good match. For my part, I was just grateful they weren't at each other's throats.
"Namia loves you, doesn't she, Kiska?"
"Huh...?"
"I can tell just by looking at her. You said yesterday that you weren't lovers, but you two were basically in that kind of relationship anyway, weren't you?"
Her tone was heavy with certainty.
"It wasn't like that with Namia."
"Liar."
She wasn't going to believe my denial. Even someone as dense as I am when it comes to romance knew that telling her the full truth right now was a bad move.
"The only one I love is you, Ageha."
"..."
She shot me a dissatisfied look.
"Look, what do I have to do to make you believe me?"
"You should be able to figure that out without me saying it."
As she spoke, Ageha looked bashful, a faint flush creeping across her cheeks. I understood exactly what she was hinting at.
However, the walls of this house were paper-thin. Everything we did or said would be perfectly audible to Namia in the next room.
"Hey, Kiska. Look at me properly."
Ageha seemed highly motivated; despite her shyness, her eyes held the focus of a predator that had cornered its prey. There was no running away from this.
◆
Apparently, this year marked the 100th anniversary of the Demon King’s subjugation.
Consequently, Kataroff Village—the very site of the Demon King’s defeat—was preparing to host a 100th Anniversary Commemorative Festival. They held a festival every year, but since this was a centennial milestone, they were planning it on a massive scale, even inviting members of the Royal Family.
"No wonder the village is so crowded."
Though the festival was still a week away, the streets were already bustling. I’d been stealing glances out the window for a while now, and I could see plenty of outsiders wandering through the village.
Various attractions were planned for the ceremony, and the organizers had arrived early to begin their preparations. I recalled Namia mentioning that earlier.
The village was in a festive mood, but Namia and I remained shut inside the house. If either of us were spotted and our identities revealed, it would cause an absolute uproar. We had no choice but to stay in hiding.
We relied on Ageha, the only one who could walk around without suspicion, to handle the shopping and scouting. She was out on an errand at this very moment.
"Hey... Ageha-chan is the Hero, right?"
Namia, who had been knitting to pass the time, looked up and spoke to me.
"Yeah, she is."
"I see..." Namia nodded, though she seemed lost in thought, her mind elsewhere.
"Is something wrong?"
"Oh, it's just... I always thought the Hero from 100 years ago was Lord Eligion."
Right. To the public, Eligion was the Hero. The current Royal Family of this country were the descendants of Highness Eligion.
"Well, Ageha is the True Hero. Highness Eligion simply inherited a portion of Hero Ageha’s power."
The circumstances were incredibly convoluted. I tried to explain it simply, but Namia didn't seem to quite grasp it and tilted her head in confusion.
While we were talking, Ageha returned, calling out, "I'm home!"
"Sorry for making you do all the shopping," I said.
"It’s no big deal," Ageha replied, setting a basket full of groceries on the table.
The three of us set to work, preparing lunch with the ingredients she’d bought.
"By the way, I found something useful in the village," Ageha remarked.
"Useful? Like what?"
"Well, remember how we talked about how convenient it would be if Kiska and Namia could walk around the village freely?"
I certainly remembered that. If we wanted to carry out our revenge as Namia wished, our options were severely limited if we couldn't even leave the house.
"Did you find a way for us to hide our identities?"
"Yeah. What if you both wore masks? I saw some for sale in the village."
Masks...? What was she talking about?
"Maybe she means the masks used in the masked plays?" Namia suggested.
Ah, that makes sense. The festival was supposed to feature various performances—plays, dances, music, and the like. Masked plays were likely part of the itinerary.
"What's a masked play?" Ageha asked. Apparently, the concept was foreign to her.
"It’s a theatrical performance where the actors wear masks to play different characters," Namia explained. "They were probably selling them as commemorative items for the festival."
Namia’s guess was likely spot on. The organizers were certainly eager, selling souvenirs before the festival had even begun.
"Walking around the village in theater masks would look incredibly suspicious," I pointed out.
"Oh, I see. I just assumed it might be okay to wear masks in this world."
"Wait, was it normal to wear masks in the world you came from, Ageha?"
Her suggestion was so nonsensical that I had to ask. She was from another world, after all; I had to account for the possibility that her common sense was fundamentally different from ours.
"We didn't wear masks like that, but people would often cover their mouths and noses to prevent getting sick."
I couldn't even begin to picture what that looked like.
"On another note," Ageha continued, "everyone was out welcoming some very important people today."
"Guests, huh? Even with the festival still a week off, I guess some people arrive early."
"What did they look like?" Namia asked.
Ageha thought for a moment. "They were wearing white robes and long hats, and they all carried staves. There were several of them dressed the same way, and they all got out of a large carriage. I only saw them from a distance, but I'm pretty sure they were priests."
That description certainly matched the higher-ranking clergy.
"Why would priests be here?" I wondered. I could understand nobles, but would priests travel all this way just for a festival?
"To set up a barrier against monsters, most likely," Namia explained. "This region is known for being a monster habitat. Since the Royal Family is visiting, I imagine they’ll establish a barrier covering the entire village just to be safe. I’ve heard those take a long time to set up, which is probably why they've arrived so early."
"A barrier over the entire village... that's a massive undertaking."
"The priests they sent must be very high-ranking."
"Also, there were a lot of soldiers," Ageha added. "I think they're here to secure the village."
With royalty expected, it seemed they were taking no chances with security.
"It might be difficult to pull off the revenge during the festival," I said.
We hadn't decided on a specific plan yet. But regardless of the method, doing anything with that level of security was going to be an uphill battle.
"Namia, wouldn't it be better to wait until after the festival is over?" I suggested.
Ruining such a high-profile event would certainly be a powerful blow, but there were countless other ways to get revenge.
"If you want to back out, Kiska, feel free. In that case, I'll just do it alone. I’d just appreciate it if you didn't get in my way."
Namia’s tone was unnervingly cold. I found myself wondering what exactly she could accomplish on her own.
"Do you really want to ruin the festival that badly?"
"Yes."
Namia answered without a second's hesitation. Her eyes held a hypnotic, dark allure; if I kept staring into them, I felt like I might be swallowed whole. I had never seen this side of her before.
"There's no need to worry, right?" Ageha interjected with her usual breezy optimism. "I mean, I'm here. As long as you have me, it doesn't matter how many soldiers they have."
It was true that Ageha could solve almost any problem with brute force, but I couldn't help but feel she was being far too optimistic.
"I see. You're very reliable, Ageha-chan," Namia said.
Was I seriously the only one worried about the logistics?
The three of us spent the rest of the day brainstorming.
"Alright, then it's decided. We're kidnapping Dalga."
Namia summarized our conclusion. Abducting the Village Chief’s son would certainly throw the festivities into chaos; as a plan, it wasn't bad.
We spent the rest of the day debating the specifics of the kidnapping. We went through several ideas, but none of them felt definitive. By the time the sun went down, we still didn't have a solid method.
◆
"Well, I'm heading out."
"Be careful out there."
"I will~"
The next morning, I saw Ageha off at the front door. Since she was the only one who could move about freely, I had asked her to do me a favor.
I wanted her to check on Namia's family. Their daughter had been murdered, so they were undoubtedly grieving, and I wanted to make sure they were actually alright. Since Ageha didn't know the way, I’d hand-drawn a map for her. It might take her some time to navigate, but she’d get there eventually.
Now that breakfast was over, I wondered what to do. Namia was in her room; perhaps I should visit her and talk.
I had been thinking about our future. Once the revenge was settled, I wanted the three of us—Namia, Ageha, and me—to leave this village and go somewhere else entirely. There was nothing left for us here. In a new land, maybe we could find some happiness. It was a conversation for the future, but I thought I might test the waters and see how she felt about the idea.
Click.
I heard the sound of the front door opening. I turned around to find Ageha standing there.
She’d only just left. "Did you forget something...?" I started to say, but the words died in my throat.
Her eyes were red, her face a mask of absolute tragedy. Her expression told me that something devastating had just happened.
"Kiska... I'm so sorry."
Her voice was barely a whisper.