"I'll go with you," Zetto said after a long pause, his voice trembling slightly.
"But first, you'll free her and let me heal her."
"You're not the one setting the terms here. Any second now, I could slit her throat."
"You actually think I couldn't wipe out you and your whole army in no time? Don't make me laugh. I know you're just following orders, and that's why I'm keeping this calm. I'm not here to spill blood for nothing."
Maghra looked at Zetto with genuine worry. Tae also glanced at him, torn between concern and irritation toward the dog-girl. The way Maghra couldn't take her eyes off Zetto really got on her nerves.
"If you try any tricks, then-" the general started, still trying to act tough.
"I've already told you," Zetto cut in, staying unmoved. "You follow my conditions, or…"
The general cut the ropes binding Alice. The maid pushed herself up into a sitting position, removed the gag, and ran toward Zetto, tears streaming down her face.
"Zetto!" she cried, joy mixed with lingering fear. Instinctively, she hugged him like a small, frightened child. In the meantime, Zetto healed her wounds.
"I did what you asked, and now you know what you need to do," the general pressed.
"Alright. Let me just check something with my team first," he said, then asked the others, "Do you want to come with me? I've got a feeling some weird stuff might happen there."
"Of course!" Tae said, annoyed. "The team sticks together. I can't imagine not backing you up here."
"Zetto, I'll follow you through fire if you want. You're the only human who's seen my suffering," Maghra said.
"Zetto, we've got your back," Alice said. "I see you're saving me again," she added, giving a bitter smile.
"Thanks," Zetto said, genuinely moved, though hiding most of his feelings. "My team's coming with me. Touch any of them and I'll take you down one by one. They'll all be by my side."
What the hell am I becoming?, he thought. Now I'm threatening people with death, something I used to hate. No, I'm only going after those who hurt Alice. Still, it doesn't make it right. I don't understand what's happening to me…
"Fine," the general said. "Then it's time to head out." He started marching toward the capital.
Two more weeks of travel awaited them.
*
Zetto and his team reached the throne room. The general escorted them to the doors alone. Inside, the room was filled with soldiers and warriors, and among the king's closest guards in golden armor stood Makoto. The rest of his team was absent, apparently Makoto had told them to take the day off. The glasses-wearing man shot Zetto a look full of satisfaction and triumph.
Makoto… how did you…
Zetto shifted his gaze to the king, who was holding a thin crystal. Through it, Zetto could see the truth: memories of Varlen from a bird's-eye view, constantly replaying.
What is this? Some artifact that can replay events from a specific place? I didn't know something like this existed.
If that's the case, there's no saving me or them. I shouldn't have brought them here.
"Hero Zetto,-" the king said, " -no, traitor Zetto. do you understand the gravity of your actions? The evidence provided by Hero Makoto has been properly verified, this memory stone is real. You don't have to hide the identity of one of your team members anymore. Everyone knows she's Tiriga and that you allied with them. And we placed so much hope in you. This is unforgivable." His tone was cold and harsh.
"Why didn't Yua return from the front?" Makoto asked, acting as if he were truly worried. "What happened, Zetto?"
Zetto remained silent.
"Hero Makoto noticed rightly, traitor," the king insisted, fixing Zetto with a piercing gaze. "Where have Heroine Yua and her companions gone?"
Fuck, what the hell is this pain? Feels like my stomach is going to explode from the inside.
They don't know shit. They have no idea what kind of monsters they dragged into this world, all dressed up like saints. If I hadn't done what I did, they would've butchered me in a far worse way.
It's me or them, simple as that. But nobody fucking gets it. Not the idiot king, not his even dumber nobles. They're clueless about what their "heroes" really are.
And now I'm the one painted as the villain. I'm not evil. I just want to protect what matters to me. I'll do whatever it takes to keep the trust of the few people who actually gave me theirs. I want to keep them safe… and grind into dust the trash you call heroes, you fucking old worthless piece of shit.
What the fuck is happening to me?
Not long ago, I never would've even thought of threatening someone with death, never mind being ready to kill. Who the hell am I now? Can I even call myself good anymore? Or am I just some murderer, some sadistic bastard that never should've been born?
I want to protect Alice, Tae, and Maghra. But I also want to brutally slaughter my whole class. And yeah, they'd gut me without a second fucking thought. So who the fuck does that make me? My head's a fucking mess, my feelings are spinning out of control, I can't get a grip, I can't hold it in. This chaos inside me has to go somewhere, but why the hell right now? And goddamn it, my stomach, fuck, it hurts so much…
Zetto grabbed his stomach, hunched over, and started chuckling under his breath.
Tae and Alice stared at him in shock, while Maghra looked down at the floor, her lips trembling with sadness.
"Is he… laughing?" Makoto asked, faking surprise. Perfect. I'll destroy everything that matters in your life just to stop… what's coming. Show them who you really are.
The knights in the hall started shouting in outrage.
"Impossible!"
"He's crazy!"
"He's dangerous!"
"Zetto…" Tae's voice shook with worry. "…what's wrong? Can you hear me?"
"He may not look like it," Maghra said quietly, "but he's in terrible pain. He can't handle all his fears, thoughts, and emotions."
"Huh? And how would you even know that? I've known him longer than you," Tae shot back, annoyed.
"When I chose him as my master, I gained the ability to feel some of his emotions," Maghra said in a soft, shaky voice. "That's how it works among dog-people."
"Zetto, what happened to Heroine Yua and her team?" the angry king demanded. "I expect an answer!"
What started as a quiet chuckle became a louder laugh.
I can't save myself now. There's no way to dig myself out, but I won't drag my team down with me, especially Maghra, who just got her freedom. I have to take the blame for her, she didn't know what she did. And I have to protect all of them… I…
What happened to Yua and her team? There can be only one answer. They died because of me, either because of what I did or because I let them die.
I killed them.
"I killed them," Zetto said, clutching his stomach tighter, then laughing hysterically.
"You piece of shit! How can you laugh after what you did?" one of the king's guards in gold armor rushed toward Zetto, drawing his sword.
"It's not like that!" Maghra shouted, tears welling up in her eyes. "He–"
"Be quiet, or I'll have all of you beheaded," the king cut her off.
"You wouldn't do it, because you know I'd tear your entire country to pieces.," Zetto said, holding his hand out. I want to stop, but I can't. Why is this happening? Tae, Alice, Maghra… please, don't look at me. I'm so pathetic right now.
A small red stream of magic shot from Zetto's open hand, hitting the running guard and knocking him off balance. The spell would have turned him to stone for just a few hours, but since it hit him while he was running, it simply threw him to the ground, shattering him into dozens of smaller pieces. Sorry, your death was pointless, but you left me no choice.
"My king, I insist on the immediate execution of Zetto and his team," Makoto spoke up.
"Just try," Zetto said, straightening up. He glared at Makoto with pure hatred. "Makoto, you're nothing but disgusting fucking trash, just like the rest of them. For what you did to me back in our world, you deserve to die. Here, you can act innocent because no one knows you yet. It makes me want to throw up thinking about all of you playing the saviors of humanity!"
Zetto yelled almost the whole time, then laughed hysterically again, this time less intensely.
Makoto stared at him, surprised.
Haven't you lost your determination yet? Understand this: your big career is over. It didn't even last a month, and it's only going to get worse.
What do I have to do to finally make you kill yourself? I guess I'll have to go to even more extreme measures, Makoto thought, pretending to be surprised while shooting Zetto just as angry a look.
Did he… just lose control? Tae stared at Zetto, scared and worried. She looked at Alice, but Alice turned her head and held her arm, like she didn't want to see any of this. How many things has he been holding back from us?? Couldn't handle it himself anymore? Zetto… why did keep it all inside? Even if you scare me now, deep down I know this isn't the real you.
"No, hero Makoto," the king said. "I can't risk people's lives for no reason, not during a war. You saw how easy it was for him to crush five people and annihilate a whole team of heroes. You disgusting human-shaped monster," he said to Zetto, "I give you three days to leave my country."
"Fine, on one condition," Zetto replied, smirking.
"You actually have the nerve to set conditions, you bastard?" one of the king's top guards in golden armor snapped.
"And what are you gonna do? End up like that idiot over there? I've got you all trapped. You can't do a thing, and all it does is make you more frustrated."
The king sighed.
"I'll heard your demands, Zetto," he said, clearly annoyed.
"Your Majesty, I say we attack. We've got me and way more soldiers, we could crush them just by numbers," Makoto insisted.
"No. They'd all be dead in a second. I've seen what that demon can do. Tell me, pathetic creature, what do you want?"
"I'll take all the Tiriga with me. If you hate them so much, why not let them go too? You've already killed enough."
"Fine. Honestly, you're helping me more than causing trouble. Take as many of those underlings as you can. Now get out of my sight, you and your team, and don't ever come back."
Without a word, Zetto turned to leave. Tae, Alice, and Maghra followed. The Messenger quickly cast a shield spell on them just in case Makoto would try to attack them from behind.
As soon as the door slammed shut behind them, Zetto put his hand over his face . Small streams of tears ran down his cheeks.
"Sorry, everyone. I don't know what came over me. You were scared of me, I could see it in your eyes. Because of me, you'll be going into exile too."
"If we move to safer areas, there's a chance our kind can recover, so I see it as another opportunity," Tae said, giving him a shy smile.
"Zetto–" Maghra hugged him from behind, holding onto his chest. Tae's eyes flared with anger and jealousy. "I never got to stay anywhere for long. You said yourself that–" She let him go, then smiled warmly as she continued, "I'll be safe with you. Wherever you go, I'll go too."
"This country's already sickening me. I hate this king, the nobles, and all the rest," said Alice, her voice full of anger and sadness, "Sorry, Zetto, I couldn't do anything."
"No, it's all my fault," he replied, staring gloomily at the ground, a pale smile appearing on his face. I don't deserve this. I don't deserve such an amazing team. Maybe my suffering had a purpose if it brought me to this point?
"We have to go to my dad," Tae said after a moment. "It's the Tiriga's way to freedom."
"Right," he agreed, nodding. "Let's move."
"Wait," Alice interrupted. "If we're going to move with this many people to unknown lands and settle there, we'll need builders. Better to have someone ready. I know the right person, but I'll have to convince him. He can be pretty stubborn."
"That carpenter friend?" Zetto asked.
"Yes," Alice nodded. "I suggest we split up. He lives near the forest where the Ti–" She stopped, worried someone might be eavesdropping and that she could accidentally reveal the Tiriga hideout. "You know."
"I'm not sure that's wise. Some will definitely want to hunt us down," the Messenger said, rubbing his chin, thinking about the best course of action.
"Let's go to my dad first. It should be quick, he respects Zetto. Then we can all go to your friend together.", said Tae.
"That's probably best," Zetto replied.
"The thing is, he won't take anyone except certain people. In that case, I'll go alone." Alice answered.
"Alice, you can't!" Tae said, irritated and worried.
"Don't worry about me. Zombies can't die… unless someone decides to use a weapon with the highest blessing on me again," she said, smiling. "But then I'm sure you'll come to save me."
"You're so stubborn!" Tae replied. "I'm coming with you."
"No. I can't put both of you at risk," Zetto answered, clearly worried.
"We'll manage. Besides, since it's nearby, you'll get to hear my tiger roar if anything happens.," she said, gazing at him with a hint of admiration.
"I'm not so sure about that… but there's no point arguing. Alright, time to get this done as quickly as possible."
*
"Wait, you're not coming with me?" Zetto asked in surprise when Gerai spoke. Maghra stood hiding behind Zetto like a puppy seeing a grown tiger for the first time.
"You misunderstood me, dayun," Gerai said, smiling. "You have no idea how grateful I am that you've sacrificed so much for my people. We'll go with you, but not everyone."
"Not everyone? What do you mean by that?"
"You'll take our women and children. We know they'll be safe with you. There are two reasons for my decision. First, all our missions so far weren't just about going after the people responsible for the Tiriga purges, we also carried out smaller attacks ourselves. We've been gathering allies for a full-scale uprising. The uprising starts in a few days, which lines up perfectly with your exile, dayun. You won't have to pretend to be on the kingdom's side, and they probably would've sent you to deal with us. This way, you avoid playing both sides."
I'm already torn enough. I don't know if I could even handle the situation Gerai's talking about.
"But I won't help you," Zetto said, feeling down.
"No, not at all, dayun," Gerai said with a wide smile. "You'll give us more support than on the battlefield just by doing your part. A warrior feels ten times lighter when they know their loved ones are safe, even if the warrior is on the weaker side."
"Alright then, it's settled?"
"The only question is, where do you plan to go?"
"I don't know… somewhere far from conflict and politics, to a quiet, peaceful place," he said, unsure.
"Hmmm, you do realize the only place like that is the deserts in the northeast? The Demon Kingdom is fighting on every possible front, so all the human kingdoms have united against it. In other words, if you're an enemy in one kingdom, you become an enemy of all humanity."
"Good to know after the fact."
They both laughed, but Gerai quickly became serious.
"It's going to be tough there, but I believe you'll figure something out. Please… survive. And reach your goal."
"I promise."
They shook hands.
"If you pull this off, I'll owe you for the rest of my life. And I have one more request."
"Yes? What is it?"
"Take good care of my Tae. By the way… that puppy, is it a wedding gift for her?" he asked, looking at Maghra wagging her tail. The dog-woman had been hiding behind the Messenger until now, but her excitement gave her away.
"I'm not a puppy!" she said, stepping beside Zetto. Gerai looked at her, then at Zetto, clearly annoyed again.
"Zetto, that woman keeps standing way too close to you," he said. Maghra quickly hid behind Zetto again, a short shiver running down her spine "You're not cheating on my Tae, right?!"
"No, it's not like that. She got attached to me because I saved her from… well, from a fate worse than death, to put it as simply as possible".
"Eh, that's why I don't like dog-people. They get attached too fast and too strongly. And it only causes problems later."
Maghra growled quietly, showing her irritation.
"Well, thanks for the advice. I'll come back here in three days, ready to set off on the journey, but first, I need to take care of the basics.
"Good luck, Zetto," Gerai said in a serious tone, though with genuine hope.
*
Alice's friend turned out to be a fifty-year-old, short man with a bald head and a long brown beard. He lived alone, far from everyone else, his small house standing in the swamps just beyond the forest where the Tiriga were currently staying.
"Yeah, that's about it," Alice finished, sipping the tea the carpenter had made for her. Tae was waiting outside, but every now and then she peeked through the window to check if they were done. The zombie and the man were in a small, modest room. A short hallway led to a wooden room with a rectangular wooden table in the center, surrounded by six chairs. Behind the table were a fireplace and an old, worn kitchen cupboard. Beyond that – just a closed door. Light came through the only window, right above the carpenter.
"Hmmm, not bad," he said. "But I'll need to meet this Zetto guy and figure out where we're headed. I'll bring my two best students, they're as talented as I am. They don't really have anything better to do, and at least they'll get some adventure out of it."
"He should be here soon," Alice said proudly. "And you'll have to invite someone new inside, haha." They both laughed. "Before we split into two groups, I explained exactly how to get to your house. Plus, there's a woman from the dog-people race with him. She'll lead him to you by our scent."
"An ordinary Varii woman in the team of such a powerful hero? She must've really made a name for herself."
Alice laughed, a little embarrassed.
"Not really. Zetto just saved her."
The carpenter took a sip of tea, then sighed.
"Saving a Varii is like gaining a new, loyal companion for life. Does Zetto even realize that?"
"Y-yeah, I think so, haha. Oh, here they come."
The carpenter finished his tea in one gulp. Zetto, Maghra, and Tae entered. The Messenger's team introduced themselves.
"Yarick Gorden, nice to meet you," he said with a small smile.
Alice was impressed. Her friend was much less rough toward her team than he usually was with strangers.
"So, what did you figure out with my dad?" Tae asked.
"In three days," Zetto said in a serious, slightly sad tone, "we'll take only the women and children of the Tiriga. Gerai also told me where to go. We'll settle in the northeast deserts. It's currently the only place where we'll be free from away from politics, though surviving the extreme conditions will be a challenge.
Alice spat out almost all of her tea.
"Where? Even if you buy carriages, it'll take us six months to get there! Too bad teleportation magic can't take you somewhere you've never been. We could try teleporting at random to get around that, but it'd be way too risky. And back to the point… six months of travel just to end up settling on dry sand?"
"I actually like sand," Maghra piped up quietly. She was sitting next to Zetto, her arm lightly brushing his. Because of that, she stayed blushing the whole time, staring at the floor, and her tail flicked so fast it made a noise between their conversation, which just embarrassed her even more.
"If that's the only way for the Tiriga to be free, we'll face any challenge to make it work," Tae said, determination shining in her eyes.
Yarick stroked his beard.
"We'll need to buy the right materials and build homes that give some relief from the heat. That requires special magical tools. Zetto, if you plan to buy carriages tomorrow, please let me come with you. We'll get everything we need to lead a peaceful, carefree life there".
"Sure," Zetto replied, nodding. He looked at the tigress. "Tae, if you want, let's go back to your dad for a bit. These days might be the last time you get to say goodbye," he added, glancing sadly at the floor. "Sorry, I shouldn't say that, but…"
"No, it's okay, I understand. I need to give him a big hug. Zetto, promise me, no matter what happens, you'll do everything you can to make this plan work out."
"Of course. After all, I'm the Messenger," he said, smiling with hope.
They looked into each other's eyes.
It's nice to see your eyes calm again, Zetto. Or is it just me, or is there a brighter spark in you than usual? I hope that despite everything, you still remember what it's like to feel joy in life.
When your eyes first burned with anger, I was scared of you, but now I know you simply couldn't keep all the emotions inside under control.
This is you, isn't it?
Calm, sometimes faintly smiling, but full of mysteries, holding everything in.
That's exactly who you are, and that's why I like you.
I want to see a much wider, genuine smile on your face someday.