I Married the Beautiful Female Protagonist In Order To Survive

42. This is the Food of Chaos (Part Two)

Though she couldn’t quite place the near-instinctual ‘wariness’ she felt towards this other sprite, who seemed, on the surface, to be quite ‘normal,’ Lance couldn’t dwell on it. At least this one had helped her secure a meeting with Dio. To badger her with questions now would be rude, and besides, she didn’t have the time.

Concluding that “every woman associated with Leed is dangerous in some way or another,” Lance felt a little more at ease. She offered a wry smile to the sprite, Philo, and said her thanks.

“Then I’ll trouble you to wait here for a bit, keep an eye out for anyone passing by.”

With that, Lance pushed open the door, intending to… use this last chance to firmly declare: she did not regret her actions!

The sight before her: Dio, the same Dio who had been so arrogant and boisterous that morning, was now pacing frantically like a cat on a hot tin roof, doing nothing but turning in circles anxiously. He clearly didn’t recognize her, but the moment he saw her, he immediately wanted to “ask for her help.”

“You… you’re with the Conquest Knights!? Just in time!”

Lance couldn’t tell for sure if Dio was still in a state of ‘chaos,’ but she was certain that *this* time, *someone* was capable of reason!

“Go tell those people from the Grand Empire! There’s nothing wrong with me! Why are they keeping me locked up like a lab rat?!”

“…Your words this morning were practically treasonous. They lock you up instead of executing you outright, and instead of being grateful, you’re complaining?”

A swirl of… complex emotions washed over Lance, making her lower her voice, practically seething as she answered Dio. Disappointment? Nonsense. She was just a sprite. She simply knew Dio wasn’t a bad person, but she certainly didn’t have feelings for him. And the emotions stirring within her weren’t for him, but for… herself.

“That… that was just me being temporarily insane! That wasn’t my real thinking! I’m still confused, I don’t know what’s going on! Don’t you people from the Grand Empire know what’s happening in the city lately!? I must have been influenced by something!”

Look, this ‘chaos’ had become so dangerous that it even allowed its victims to retain their reason. But that very danger was filled with a strange hope, because even someone like Dio could come to his senses after calming down, and recall his own strange behavior from that morning.

If… if she’d chosen to just hide in the city with the group, seal the defenses, and hold out for rescue, or even until Lee came, would everyone have been spared from “stepping ahead”? Now, “confusion” could be weathered with reason, even allow one to “awaken.” If she hadn’t spoken of her woman, hadn’t laid a hand on her, hadn’t cleaved her in two with that final strike, would she now have a chance to “clear her head,” too?

“Hey! I’m talking to you, what’s with the silent treatment?!”

Ah, that wasn’t quite right. Why wasn’t she seeing a raving, frenzied Dio, but a *normal* Dio?

If he were still in that volatile state, she could cling to the idea that she “hadn’t made a mistake,” but now this Dio was so… composed. It felt like…

Like it was telling her that all her actions had been meaningless, a complete waste, and… had led everyone to ruin?

“Hey! What’s your deal, woman…”

“Enough!”

Lans couldn’t endure the man’s incessant nagging any longer. She lashed out, striking him with a forceful blow, sending him staggering back.

Having been slapped out of nowhere, Dio wasn’t about to back down. His demeanor instantly turned ugly.

“What do you think you’re doing? Do you even know who I am?! How dare you…”

“…”

Regret. Regret, regret, regret! Why had she done those things? Why couldn’t she have waited for Queen of the Great British Empire to send Lee to help her!? Look at things now… everyone who had come to Northern Ireland with her was gone, leaving only her!

And now she had to watch Dio’s face, even have to plead for him before Lee!? Ah… regret!

Didn’t you understand, Dio? Your lucidity now, your mere existence, felt like a mockery of her previous actions, mocking her ignorance and blindness. Regret, regret! Why had she acted that way back then!?

No, she couldn’t indulge in regret. She couldn’t betray everyone!? So… even if everything before her was a “mockery,” then… she just needed to make it so that Dio’s existence couldn’t mock her anymore, right?

“When she arrived, Dio, consumed by ‘confusion,’ was attempting to attack Fila. And she acted decisively, eliminating that ‘confusion’ and saving Fila.”

A perfect narrative, because: If Dio wasn’t around, she wouldn’t have so much to regret! If there was no one who had “fallen into confusion but could regain clarity” she wouldn’t have to agonize over her past actions!

So…

“Made! What the hell is wrong with you, woman!? Don’t think you can just get away with screwing with m- GAA…”

The lightsaber in her hand was already stained crimson. Even though she was now without a master, killing…no, eliminating a serving of “confusion” was well within her ability.

With the lightsaber withdrawn, Lans didn’t bother to register the look of utter disbelief on Dio’s face.

Because… ah, she felt a little better now. Indeed, as long as people like Dio, who fell into confusion but were able to return to their senses, were gone, the wave of regret in her heart would diminish considerably.

Who else? Or rather, who else could she find next?

But before that, to prevent her actions from being exposed, she needed to “arrange things” again.

“Fila, you can come in now.”

The next moment, Lans spoke.

Fila, who had entered, clearly saw the bloody scene, but remained silent as if she were oblivious, not even the slightest change in expression, and simply stared “ordinarily” at Dio, who was lying in a pool of blood.

Although all of this caused Lans to be puzzled, she didn’t have time to think about it: Fila was the only witness. If she wanted to continue to dissolve the regret in her heart, she had to prevent what she had just done from being exposed.

Therefore…

“Fila, this Dio suddenly fell into ‘confusion’! I had no choice but to use the lightsaber on him! Don’t run around here, watch the scene, okay!? I’m going to call for help!”

“……”

The dark-haired sprite offered no reply, but Lance took the silence as tacit agreement. After instructing her to “stand guard outside the door, stay hidden, and run at the first sign of trouble,” she hurried off to inform the others, especially… Reid.

Who would suspect her, the one who “protected Filo from the chaos?” Besides, as long as Reid didn’t doubt her, she was absolutely safe; he was the linchpin for all the women around him.

Ah, truly, she couldn’t let this regret fester any longer, or else… she might fall into “chaos” herself. Killing Dio had been for everyone’s sake.

Thinking this, Lance quickened her pace.

—

Meanwhile, elsewhere.

From Dio’s fallen body, bursts of black mist suddenly erupted, but before they could even dissipate, they were entirely “absorbed” by the “flicker” in the eyes of the dark-haired girl standing in the room.

A brief silence, accompanied by subtle changes in the girl’s body: her dark hair grew longer; her physique visibly matured; the spiraling “dagger” in her hand had now lengthened, becoming akin to a short sword.

But most importantly… was something else, something more difficult to describe.

“The next one has already been found, but…”

“‘King,’ will you forgive me for carrying this ‘mission’…”