ch21-ch40 · 030-ch30
Chapter 30: Purification
"Are you more interested in his daughter than the Black Knight himself?"
Though slightly confused by the woman's reaction on the other side of the mirror, Melkid sensed this was the key to returning and began to talk eloquently.
"His daughter is fifteen years old. She looks younger than her age, but this information came from someone who attends the same school as her, so there's no mistake. She lives alone with the Black Knight, and appears to be his only family... I detected with my puppet's nose that she definitely has the blood of both a Ceyloan and a Limilaruu person. That girl is surely the Black Knight's greatest weakness..."
《What's her name?》
"Eh?"
The woman asked about something Melkid never expected, so he asked back without thinking.
But he immediately realized his rudeness and paled.
"My, my apologies!... Her name is, I believe... Shirakawa=Ai."
《Shirakawa=Ai... Ai=Shirakawa, I see. Rokku is also using the name Shirakawa?》
"Yes, the Black Knight seems to be using the name Rokuro=Shirakawa."
《I see... That's quite interesting information. I'll praise you for that.》
Hearing her seemingly good-humored voice, Melkid breathed a sigh of relief.
《Now then... I suppose I should also hear about Rokku as the Black Knight?》
"Y-yes. Because eiyōso is thin in Limilaruu, I believe he cannot freely merge with the Black Bird. In fact, I can't even conceive how he managed to reach the stage of emergence this time... It can only be considered a miracle."
When Melkid frankly reported his doubts, the woman responded with a dry laugh.
《Ahahaha, how foolish. You can't think of the Black Knight... no, of the Seven Knights within the bounds of common sense. If it's a miracle, then they've already shown us one. The miracle of overcoming the overwhelming difference in military power and defeating the Demon King, you see.》
"!"
At those words, Melkid remembered once again.
The one he fought is an entity that belongs to the realm of legends while still alive.
If he thought about it calmly, this was an opponent he couldn't possibly match--
《Anything else? Is that all?》
"Y-yes, forgive me... The time the Black Knight can maintain his merged form is 696 seconds. And he uses a technique that manipulates shadows."
《So, he still has enough power left to use the Black Claws... But he can only maintain his armor for about ten-odd minutes, huh. In that case, depending on how it's done, even an 'Underz' might be able to win.》
For Melkid, that was meant to be quite important information, but the woman's reaction was considerably lower key compared to when he spoke of the daughter.
'Even if she's the Black Knight's weak point... is there really that much value in reacting so excessively to a daughter born in the world beyond the mirror?'
As far as he could see, Ai=Shirakawa was just an ordinary girl.
He didn't feel any hidden power from her, and she probably hasn't received training to manipulate eiyōso. She couldn't possibly become a threat to them, and he thought she could only be used to lure out the Black Knight.
《... Very well. I will permit you to pass through the mirror.》
"A-ah, thank you very much!"
As Melkid expressed his gratitude, the three former Unbar gang members behind him also breathed sighs of relief.
"Big bro, we can finally go home."
"Yeah, the day was about to change. It's good we made it in time."
The thieves rejoiced together.
In that instant, purple fog began to overflow from the mirror.
"Eh?... U-uwah!? What's this, the fog is grabbing my body..."
"Roan, what's wrong! Uwo? Me too!"
"Big bro!!"
As if it were a smoke demon with a will of its own, the fog grabbed the bodies of the three former Unbar gang members and dragged them toward the mirror.
"Wh-what's this, this isn't like when we came!?"
"Hey, knight, what's happening to this! Can we really get back!?"
"Uwaaaaaaaaa!"
Before the stunned Melkid, who couldn't even speak, the three captured by the smoke disappeared into the mirror one after another.
"Wh-what is this, on earth..."
《Since they would just suffer if they returned to prison anyway, I made it so they didn't need to go back. They will wander forever in the space between worlds.》
The woman stated the fate of the thief group with a feeling of complete detachment.
Growing chilled by this, Melkid had a bad premonition. The fog was still remaining in the abandoned house.
And unfortunately, that premonition proved correct.
"U-uwaaaaaaaaaaaa!?"
The fog gathered again, clinging to Melkid's body and trying to pull him into the mirror.
"Why, why me too!?"
《Who knows? It might be an order from above, you know. That failures aren't forgiven.》
"Th-that's not what we agreed! You said I could return!》
《It's not different. I only permitted you 'to pass through the mirror'.》
This was too unreasonable... Melkid couldn't stop his eyes from watering.
He wasn't a criminal like these thieves, so why must he receive such treatment for just one failure?
"No! I don't want this, I don't want this, help meeeee!!"
《Farewell, Melkid. Try to die gracefully like a knight, without making an unsightly scene.》
After saying that, the woman's voice could no longer be heard.
By then, Melkid's body was already more than halfway submerged in the mirror.
'D-damn it, I can't move... At the very least, if only my consciousness alone!!'
With a desperate expression, Melkid strained his remaining strength.
And with that expression still on his face, he completely disappeared into the mirror.