Is It Bad That the Main Character’s a Roleplayer?
Chapter 235: Full of Suffering (8)

Is It Bad That the Main Character’s a Roleplayer

Chapter 235 Full of Suffering (8)

Surging Azure Lake watched as the one they called Demon Knight suddenly spun around. Swoosh. At the same time, something only he could see rippled in the air: a stormy ocean overlapped with the crystal-clear night sky, its waves crashing violently.

“So, you’re willing to talk now?”

Surging Azure Lake sat on the outer garment his escort had laid down for him, rolling up the blanket he’d brought and placing it behind himself as a makeshift backrest. It didn’t provide much support, but it was better than nothing.

“Ugh.”

However, even that small movement was exhausting. He took a deep breath. Clank. Meanwhile, the Demon Knight had almost pressed himself against the iron bars.

Withering wildflowers flickered faintly over the young man, half-covered in ashen color. It gave off an overwhelming sense of foreignness, as if to declare he wasn’t from this world.

“What… did you just say…?”

“What do you think?”

Surging Azure Lake watched him quietly and pulled something out of his inner pocket. It was an artifact that could absorb sound within a set range when activated. Anyone outside that range wouldn’t hear a thing.

In other words, the soldiers and knights far outside its range wouldn’t be able to hear anything they were talking about right now. He’d brought it along as a precaution.

“I said you’re a noble soul from another world. An innocent person who shouldn’t be treated this way.”

With that, there was nothing left for him to worry about.

Surging Azure Lake carefully controlled his breathing, leaving the artifact on the ground. Instead, the ocean formed from a single person’s accumulated tears swallowed his ragged breaths. An ocean only visible to his eyes.

“Was I wrong?”

“…”

The sensation of being submerged in the ocean while still on land was rather strange.

However, it wasn’t uncomfortable. Watching the other man’s lips part slightly in confusion, Surging Azure Lake raised his hand.

The sorrow trickling down between his fingers was truly salty and bitter.

“Were you originally a soul of this world?”

At the same time, it was warm and comforting.

Like the sea within a mother’s womb, which all life had to pass before being born. Like the gentle embrace of someone offering solace to the grieving. All that surrounded his flesh was gentleness and compassion.

“…No.”

So there was no room to worry or even doubt him.

“No, I wasn’t.”

This man who had wept an ocean for others couldn’t possibly be consumed so easily by anger.

“I’m not from this world…”

And with that, the one they called the Demon Knight burst into tears. The ocean grew even deeper.

“…So it was true.”

Surging Azure Lake let out a lamenting sigh as he watched him.

It had just been a suspicion, but at the same time, a small part of him had hoped for a negative answer. If this person was truly from another world, there was absolutely no reason for him to suffer like this.

“In the end, it was true.”

However, the truth was undeniable. It left an unpleasant weight on Surging Azure Lake’s chest. It was especially uncomfortable because he’d come here to ask for yet another sacrifice.

Surging Azure Lake’s lips created a thin line.

“I… I don’t belong in this world…”

Fortunately, for certain forms of mourning, simply being there and offering warmth could be enough.

So Surging Azure Lake stayed where he was, silently listening to the young man’s sorrowful cries.

Between withered petals, wildflowers he recognized with his limited botanical knowledge as starflowers endlessly scattered about. Funeral flowers for someone who had been ordinary, who should have remained ordinary.

“Ah… Hic…”

“Tsk.”

The grief of someone who should never have suffered like this.

“Are you done crying? If you are, I’d like to tell you why I came here.”

“…”

However, despite knowing all this, he’d come to make yet another cruel request.

“…Say that you will live. Promise me that you’ll definitely live.”

For the sake of saving more people.

For the sake of this world.

…Perhaps even for his own sake.

Surging Azure Lake felt like his mouth was full of thorns.

“…Why?”

“That’s…”

“Why?”

“…”

At this point, it would hurt less just to collapse from his internal injuries.

Surging Azure Lake bit his lip as he looked at the other person’s face, soaked in tears of sorrow. He so wished to take back his words, to pretend his tongue had acted on its own.

“If you… if you were to die right now, there’s a high chance the Demon would take your place.”

But that wasn’t an option. The ocean of sorrow before him wasn’t just holding this quiet soul alone.

“For the record, this isn’t just based on what the Demon said. It’s something I… have seen with my own eyes.”

Surging Azure Lake lowered his gaze, observing what lay hidden beneath the sea.

When reality was peeled away, a vast ocean stretched out where the earth should have been. In its depths, a tangled web, spun from a single thread like a spider’s web, lay entwined with massive, blackened chains. Entangled within them were the remnants of another soul.

“You are the weight holding back the Demon. A force that is still absolute, and perhaps will remain that way for a long time.”

And at the center of that web of chains created by that soul, there burned a flame submerged in the ocean yet never going out, one that could burst forth from this sea at any time and incinerate everything in its path.

There was no need to guess the identity of the fire that thrived on the world’s hatred, resentment, malice and doubt, treating them as firewood. It was the Demon.

The Great Demon of Wrath that one soul, using itself as collateral, couldn’t bind with chains forged from a contract, so they’d brought yet another soul into this vessel.

“That is why… I don’t want you to die. Because if the Demon you’re suppressing rises to the surface, we will again bear witness to something utterly horrifying.”

What would happen if something like that were to break free from all restraints and be unleashed upon the world? Wouldn’t it actually be far beyond just witnessing something terrifying? Wouldn’t it be the end of the world?

Surging Azure Lake couldn’t stop himself from thinking about it. That was where this shameless request originated.

The vision of destruction before them was too clear for him to ignore.

“…So… so you’re asking me not to die? You’re requesting that of me, of all people?”

At that, the other simply smiled.

“Even when everyone else wants me dead?”

…It wasn’t something he couldn’t understand. While Surging Azure Lake hadn’t witnessed the fight personally, based on the testimonies of others and the circumstances leading up to it, there was no way it had been an easy battle.

And even after enduring that trial, that wasn’t the end. What awaited after that difficult battle was neither praise nor gratitude, but condemnation and talk of execution. Who wouldn’t feel wronged?

“…I understand their choice. So I won’t resent them. People are like that. I never expected anything else from them, so I never hoped for anything more.”

However, even while swallowing down all that, he revealed his disappointment toward people…

“That doesn’t mean I want to live and endure their gazes, either. I-I’ve endured enough. I-I really…”

Surging Azure Lake found himself wondering, was it truly possible for someone to love others this deeply even without expecting anything in return? And was it really right to request this of someone so exhausted that even this love couldn’t keep him going?

He didn’t know. All he could see was the essence of things; the future was beyond his grasp.

“…If what’s unbearable is that everyone around you is demanding your death, I can fix that.”

So, he simply swallowed dryly before he continued.

Was this the right thing to do? He didn’t know. However, it wouldn’t be right to leave this radiant soul to wither away all alone, either.

“I’ve kept only silent until now because it was too important to declare without your permission, but I have the means to persuade them.”

Fortunately, with one soul bound by a contract as the first restraint, and another acting as a pressing stone, there was almost no chance of the Demon breaking free.

In other words, the argument that the Demon Knight should be executed lest the Demon go on a rampage could be refuted entirely.

“Of course, that doesn’t mean their hostility will completely vanish. It’ll probably only appease them a little. In the worst case… you may survive, but the scorn in their eyes might never go away.”

There was a minor problem, though. If he revealed this information, the Temple would likely use the contract as an excuse to interfere.

However, since the suppressing soul wasn’t party to the contract, they probably couldn’t use it against him… but then again, who knew? It wasn’t like the Temple hadn’t been unreasonable before.

“That’s why I waited for you to wake up before saying anything.”

However, this was too good an opportunity to abandon out of fear. He wasn’t asking the Demon Knight to endure for the sake of everyone else.

“Instead… I can promise you this one thing. If you agree to live and endure, I will dedicate everything I have to return you to where you belong.”

“…!”

If the Demon Knight could just hold on, he would do everything within his power to send this soul home.

“…You’ll send me back? To my home…?”

“I can’t guarantee anything. I’m a wizard, after all.”

However, there was something he could use: a magic he’d recently developed that could filter and Purify Negative and Demonic Energy, refining it into Arcane Power.

“However, I can promise you that I’ll do everything I can to try.”

Of course, this wouldn’t solve everything. Even if he successfully applied that magic to this body, all it would do was rid that Demon of all its power—and even that was somewhat uncertain.

And even neutralizing the Demon posed a problem: not only would it be easier to kill this body without worrying about the Demon reappearing, but it also wouldn’t guarantee that this soul could return home.

“I’m saying I’ll cooperate with you, staking my name and honor, to break through the contract made by those two entities that dragged you into this world and ensure your safe return.”

And on top of that, there was yet another risk involved. If the Demon lost its power, what would become of the contract it had made?

If it remained intact, that was fine, but if it broke, this would be a complete gamble. Once the contract was nullified, no one knew whether this soul would return to where it belonged or be bound to this world forever.

Even if the Demon wasn’t just neutralized, but killed, this risk remained. Surging Azure Lake had no intention of gambling with this soul he’d worked so hard to protect.

“I apologize for not being able to guarantee you absolute certainty, but my promise to do everything in my power isn’t empty—”

But if he were given some time, enough to find a safer way, he would most definitely find it.

“…Wait. Two entities? A contract?”

He was determined to do so.

* * *

* * *

“…So you really didn’t know about the contract?”

Surging Azure Lake then took a deep breath, gazing at the ring placed around a simple wildflower. The thread attached to the ring led directly to the net obfuscating those chains.

In other words, this soul was being held back, prevented from leaving this ocean, yet with nothing stopping him from drowning in it.

“I don’t even know where to start explaining.”

What a truly cruel contract. Even if its purpose was to trap this Demon, how could it have been used on someone without even telling him anything?

“Your body doesn’t only contain the Demon. There’s the Demon, the soul that made a contract with the Demon to suppress it, and you…”

However, that thought didn’t last long. After continuing to speak, Surging Azure Lake suddenly clamped his mouth shut, his eyes wide with shock.

「Don’t talk about that…!」

Snap. Part of the net sealing the flame tore apart. The chains trapping the Demon’s flame shook violently, as if it was about to burst forth at any moment. Snap, crack. Its tongues licked hungrily at those openings.

“Ah.”

Something was wrong. Surging Azure Lake realized that, but it was already too late. Rip. The one who was ordinary yet extraordinary, altruistic yet selfish, had already begun to realize part of the truth.

Riiip. The net tore further. The chains, the chains of the contract, gradually became clearer.

“So this is where you were.”

At the same time, dark energy began surging from the Demon Knight’s body. “What’s happening?!” It was so intense that even the knight stationed far away could sense something was wrong.

“They were here.”

“…Hey.”

“They were here… all along, and yet…”

Fortunately, the net hadn’t fully unraveled yet, but was it really a good thing that the contract that had remained hidden until now was becoming more visible?

Surging Azure Lake stared at the soul that had been used without even knowing the truth. Perhaps… it was that ignorance that…

“Sir Great Sage!”

“Stop!”

Surging Azure Lake ignored the knight calling out to him and reached into the cell. It was fortunate that the other party had come so close. He was able to place his hand on the young man’s shoulder.

The blood that had rushed up his throat from his sudden movement was of no importance right now.

He let out a cough and whispered, his voice sounding as if he were chewing.

“I misspoke. What I just said…”

“If I follow your words.”

However, his words were cut off. The one with fire darker than the night attached to him raised his head, looking him right in the eyes.

“Will I truly be able to go home?”

Drip. Red liquid was now trickling down his already dry cheeks.

“That’s—”

“You just said I was the weight holding down the Demon, right? If I leave, the Demon will rampage. So you truly believe the others would let me return home in that situation? Even now, there are some who call me pitiful but still insist on executing me because that Demon is dangerous, right?”

“…”

“And even if I push through all those obstacles, exactly how much longer must I endure until your uncertain research succeeds?”

There was no way he could answer that.

“Sir Great Sage, step back!”

“…I don’t want to do that.”

The knight behind him had realized something was happening and called out again. However, Surging Azure Lake couldn’t respond to his words.

“I don’t want to.”

“Jack, ring the bell—!”

Crack!

As prison cell bars were sliced apart, the torch lowly illuminating the area was cut down, scattering embers across the ground. The makeshift warning bell met the same fate. The sound of metal clattering as it fell to the ground echoed through the area. “What the…!” The soldiers and knights could only stand there and express their shock.

“I’m sick of being tossed around by other people’s circumstances.”

In the meantime, Surging Azure Lake, who’d been knocked aside by the other man suddenly standing up, coughed violently. Seeing that, the young man flinched before reaching out to him.

The hand that steadied his back so he wouldn’t choke on his blood was very gentle.

“I appreciate your kindness. But please understand.”

His soft, whispering voice was no different. Still spitting blood, Surging Azure Lake, instinctively clung to that support. The certainty that this young man would never harm him was so evident in his mind that he did so without thinking.

“I’ve done enough. I just want to go now.”

And because of that same certainty, because he knew this young man would never harm him, he let go.

“…Yes. You certainly have.”

As a Great Sage, Surging Azure Lake knew he shouldn’t let the Demon Knight leave. With so many forces already sharpening their blades against him, if he vanished now, there was a high probability he would be marked as an enemy.

Was that the only issue? The Demon he harbored, the value he possessed, the situation that would befall them if only the Demon remained in that body. There were countless reasons why Surging Azure Lake should stop him. As a Great Sage, he should try to persuade him, convince him, appeal to this young man’s tender heart, anything to make him stay.

“I can’t stop you.”

But what about Surging Azure Lake as a person?

Dragged into this world without knowing the reason, forced to suffer through countless hardships, and now, he said he didn’t want to be swept up in other people’s arrears anymore and just wanted to find his way home for his own sake.

Could he really stop him?

Rather than relying on an uncertain method, rather than walking straight into a future where everyone would try to obstruct his path, he chose to leave in search of a more certain solution. So, could he really stop him?

“Great Sage Surging Azure La—!”

Snap.

“Urgh.”

“…!?”

No, he couldn’t.

“Those people—”

“Cough!”

More than anything, he couldn’t do that to the man who’d saved his grandson’s life.

“…You.”

“…It’s… just the backlash from the {Sleep} spell. Cough. No need to worry… I won’t die. The others aren’t dead either… Just asleep.”

He might feel like he was dying, but he wouldn’t.

After confirming that all the knights and soldiers had fallen unconscious—damn it, even his escort had gotten caught in the spell’s range—he let out a long breath. The blood in his throat interfered slightly in that endeavor. He could hear it in his breath.

“Why… why would you cast magic when you were already coughing up blood…”

At the very least, it was fortunate that they’d built the Demon Knight’s cage on the outskirts. It was also quite lucky they lacked enough manpower to set up better security measures.

With the guards now taken care of, this should be enough for him to escape.

“I could never bring myself to let a soul as noble as yours be captured.”

“You didn’t have to help me like that…!”

But even in this situation, this young man was worried about others? Was there really a need for a person to be this kind?

“It’s not enough.”

Well, it had to be a person like him to suppress that awful Demon.

“Considering all that this world owes you, this much kindness isn’t even close enough to repaying it.”

Ah, the Demon had said it, didn’t it? That his devotion and sacrifice would be ignored?

“And yet… after today, many will point their fingers at you. They will trample on your sincerity, all while knowing nothing of the truth, and consider your efforts worthless.”

Yes, that much was unavoidable now. The ones who refused to learn the truth, who didn’t even care to know it, would curse his name and call him their enemy.

“But… I, Surging Azure Lake, shall declare you a hero worthy of being compared to the Hero, no, perhaps even greater than her. A savior.”

Because he alone would bear witness to the truth.

“I, at least, will never forget that for the rest of my life.”

The one who sacrificed, who struggled so hard, who had nothing to do with any of this but still chose to act with kindness… He would remember forever.

“You have my deepest gratitude for your devotion.”

“…Ah.”

“…It would’ve been nice if you’d been friends with my grandson.”

Now that he thought about it, that brat had been particularly concerned about him. Right. Even his ungrateful, bad-tempered grandson must have found him worth caring about.

“…Someone like me wouldn’t make for a very good friend.”

“You’re wrong. If anything, you’re the one who’s too good for him. He may be my grandson, but beyond his talent, there’s nothing much to him.”

Because if someone wasn’t drawn to a soul as beautiful as his, that was their failing, not his.

“…Well, whatever. You should get going now. It’s not good to waste any more time. The {Sleep} spell… Huff. It won’t last long.”

“…Thank you.”

“You’re thanking me…? If anything, I should be the one… thanking you…”

“But if not for you, I might’ve never learned the truth until the very end.”

Yes. To look at a soul this noble and virtuous and feel nothing.

“That’s why I can’t help but feel grateful.”

To look at someone so kind that it almost made one’s heart ache and not be moved the tiniest bit.

“…I’ll definitely make it home.”

To look at such a person smile so brightly despite only one person recognizing all the hardship he’d gone through and not feel dizzy from the weight of it all.

That would be their problem, not his.

“Yes, make sure you do.”

“…Yeah.”

Surging Azure Lake let out a hollow laugh, watching this young man still trying to help him lie down comfortably even in this situation. Even though he wasn’t suffering from a fatal wound and the Demon Knight didn’t have enough time, he still insisted on being kind to the very end.

“Just get out of here already.”

“I was just about to do that.”

“Liar… Ah, right. Do you mind if I defend you?”

At the very least, this made it easier to look at the sky. Surging Azure Lake felt a soft blanket be placed beneath and over him as he lifted his head a little.

“By defending, you mean…?”

“I mean sharing some of… what we talked about earlier. Not with all of them, just with those who have the power to decide your fate.”

“…”

Above, he saw starflowers in full bloom surface from the sea and shoot toward the sky, all the way to the stars.

Flowers blossomed alongside stars in the sky above the sea.

“No… Don’t.”

“Why?”

“…Who knows. More importantly, I really should get going now.”

Where those starflowers drifted, they left behind a steady, quiet, yet unyielding river.

“Ahh.”

As tenacious as wildflowers. Thousands and tens of thousands of starflowers unfurled their petals through the storm, gently illuminating the night.

“…I have never seen a light so beautiful even in reality, yet I can see it within a single person.”

If he had to name the sea this soul had created through his tears, it would be love. And each starflower high in the sky would be called kindness.

“Someone like him shouldn’t be sent off like this…”

Held in love’s embrace, beneath the heavy weight of such kindness, Surging Azure Lake shed a single tear.

“May the guiding star’s blessing be with you.”

Far above, a lone star protecting those finding their way shimmered.

____