Something's strange.
Until a moment ago, someone should have been here, but I can't remember who it was.
"Kiska, what's wrong? You seem absent-minded."
When I turned around, Namia was standing there. She had a worried expression.
"Um, was there anyone here just now?"
I asked to investigate the source of the discomfort.
"What are you talking about?"
She tilted her head. It seems Namia doesn't feel any sense of unease.
"Hey, Kiska, are you okay? You look pale."
Suddenly, Namia said that and tried to approach.
"Don't come any closer!!"
I reflexively shouted. Namia stopped and looked puzzled.
"S-Sorry…"
After that, Namia apologized, but she seemed to not understand why I shouted. I myself didn't quite understand why I rejected Namia.
Suddenly, a piece of paper was placed at my feet. A handmade map was drawn on it. From the looks of it, it depicted the location of Namia's home.
From the handwriting, I could tell that I had drawn the map for someone. However, I couldn't remember who I had drawn this map for.
Six things were written on the map by someone's hand.
'It's a fake, Namia. Don't let your guard down'
'Protect High Priest Cieltia from the enemy.'
'Let the second prince Dilekka be left to die.'
'Chaosism adherents are lurking in the village.'
'Do not trust anyone other than yourself.'
'Do not approach the vampire Judite.'
First and foremost, the statement that caught my eye was "Namia is a fake." It seemed absurd, and I felt like laughing it off, but for some reason, I found this statement strangely convincing. Could this be the reason for the aversion I felt toward Namia earlier?
"Hey, Namia. Are you really a fake?"
Unconsciously, I asked her. It might be impolite, but I couldn't help but ask.
"Kiska? What's wrong? You've been acting strange since earlier."
Namia said, showing concern for me. There's no way this kind and caring Namia could be fake.
"Sorry. I must have been out of it."
Maybe I was running a fever. It might be better to rest in the room.
The next moment, I noticed something else.
There was an additional seventh statement below.
'Kiska, I love you.'
Reading the last statement, tears welled up for some reason. It seemed like I had forgotten something very important.
"Namia, you must be fake after all."
At the same time, I was convinced that the statements written on this paper were true.
"Kiska… Is something wrong? You really seem off."
Even so, the Namia in front of me tried to play it off.
Internally, I felt frustration. Please don't mimic Namia any further and tarnish her image.
"Don't lie anymore. I already know that you're fake!"
So, this time, I asserted it with a strong tone.
"..."
At that moment, Namia's gentle smile from earlier crumbled, transforming into a cold expression.
"Ahahaha! What on earth is this? I was perfectly playing the role of Namia, so why was I exposed?"
Suddenly, she started emitting an eerie laughter, and simultaneously, her face, which was Namia just a moment ago, began to distort. Her entire body changed to pitch black, and the skin started peeling off. It was truly a monstrous entity beyond human.
"Who are you…?"
"Revenant. You could say it's a corpse possessed by an evil spirit."
The distinction between demons and monsters is vague, but when it comes to understanding human language, they are often referred to as demons. Therefore, the being in front of me should be called a demon.
"What were you planning by pretending to be Namia?"
"It doesn't matter. Anyway, do you know anything about the habits of Revenants?"
The Revenant smirked.
"No, I don't."
"Revenants, you see, just hate living humans so much! We hate them beyond measure! So, we want to kill a lot of humans! And the more we kill, the more we get a pleasure we can't resist!"
Saying this, the Revenant wore a blissful smile. There was no trace of Namia left.
"So, was your revenge plot to kill a lot of people?"
"Yeah, that's right."
The Revenant had a beaming smile. I could assert now that this wasn't Namia.
"Of course, you, Kiska, are included in the targets I want to kill."
Suddenly, a black mist spewed from the Revenant's body, covering the surroundings. In an instant, everything became invisible.
This is bad…!
Instinctively, I rolled to where the "Blazing Sword" was, picking it up and preparing to defend myself with the sword.
Clang! A metallic sound echoed.
"Oh? It was blocked."
The Revenant, who had likely brought a knife from the kitchen, attempted to stab me.
"What's your intention?"
"It doesn't matter."
Saying this, the Revenant once again concealed itself in the mist.
"Ahahaha!"
Laughter echoed from various directions. The Revenant would likely attack again to kill me. So, I sharpened my nerves, ready to defend against any attack with the sword.
However, that expectation was off the mark.
When the mist cleared after several seconds, the Revenant's figure was no longer there. The door was casually open. It was evident that it had used the door to exit the house.
For now, it seemed like the crisis was averted.
Even though I understood that, I couldn't help feeling helpless.
◆◆◆