Deek’s swing stopped, and he looked over to see the group he had just teleported away had returned. The one who had shouted at him had been Kaia, the sister of the woman on the ground. The group of us hadn’t ventured that far, so although I opened a portal, I could only send the girls so far. It looked like when I didn’t go through, they had come back here to check on me. It was my fault since I had neglected to use Slave Communication to reassure her.
When Nerissa saw her sister, she smiled like a cat. “Oh? There you are. So, I was right, you were conspiring. Mother would be appalled!”
Kaia’s expression dropped slightly, but then she firmed her will. Nerissa would have said more to aggravate her, but I brought my sword to her neck, causing her to finally stop talking.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, even though I knew the answer.
The girls formed stubborn looks on their faces, and it was Carmine who spoke. “Although I trust Master, it is my duty to be your shield. I can’t do that if you’re gone.”
“D-did you do all this? Alone?” That came from the young human boy.
“You’re human!” Demetri said.
“Ah!” Kaia let out a cry as she noticed my ears and hair.
“We all are.” Carmine sighed.
I waved my hand, ending the illusion of the other three girls.
“I’m not!” Garnet harumphed, crossing her arms.
The three elite guards suddenly looked more cautious, stroking their blades, while the two humans look flabbergasted. As for the old lady and the young girl, they had stayed back. A glance at the map showed they were in the forest but nearby. As for Kaia, she drew away from Carmine’s group instinctively, putting herself closer to her guards.
“I am human,” I responded. “This woman callously tortures and murders humans. Why should I leave her alive?”
As I spoke, the two human girls emerged from the cave. The little girl hid behind the bloody woman. Anyone who took a single look at her could guess what had happened.
“You… have resurrection? You brought them back, right?” Kaia spoke uncertainly. “Then, can’t it be left at this? My sister has already suffered, and you have already corrected her mistake.”
“Mistake?” I made a face. “Is that what you call murder?”
I was angry. I knew that in this world, murder was done casually, but that didn’t make me feel any better. In a world where anyone could be resurrected, it made sense that life was casual. Killing a human as punishment was simple. Even the king had once chopped off my head just to make himself feel better. I hadn’t died that time, as Elaya had managed to reverse it before I could receive that kind of damage, but it was still a traumatizing experience any way you looked at it.
“You don’t understand.” Kaia shook her head. “We’re not the same as you humans.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“We were born in this world. We’re intricately bound into the life cycle of this realm. Our species… we cannot be resurrected! All of those men you just killed; they are dead for life! As for my sister, if you killed her, she wouldn’t come back!”