“You’re okay with this, Adlet? We’re not going to kill Nashetania?” asked Fremy.
“…” He couldn’t reply to her. He had stopped the fight because he’d wanted to hear what Goldof had to say—and because he thought that if they tried to kill Nashetania, they’d have no guarantee of winning. Even now that Goldof was disarmed, wounded, and exhausted, Adlet didn’t feel like they could beat him. Goldof would make it through any trial for the sake of protecting Nashetania, or so it seemed.
“I want to ask you one thing, Goldof. What was your goal?” Adlet asked.
Goldof replied, “…I wanted to see her.”
“That was it?”
“Yes. Nothing more…than that. I couldn’t think…about anything…else.” His expression was different now. No longer the monstrous warrior who had barred their way so many times, he was now just a boy. Adlet noticed the distinct youthfulness of his face. Tears overflowed from Goldof’s eyes.
“…Gol…dof…” Nashetania whispered in his arms. Her voice was hoarse because of her crushed throat. “…Now, I’ve…granted it. Your request…six years ago.” She smiled.
Goldof bowed his head to the woman in his arms and said, “Your Highness…thank you…so much.”
From what Adlet could see in this situation, Goldof had been the one to save her. So why was he thanking her? But the meaning behind that was surely meant for just the two of them, something he would never be privy to.
EpilogueAn Alliance Formed
Night fell, and the group returned to the Cut-Finger Forest from the hot, sulfuric area. If they lingered, Tgurneu’s fiends might come to attack them next. In a corner of the woods, they sat together, keeping as quiet as possible.
After Adlet’s trio had finished fighting Goldof, they’d headed over to meet up with the other Braves. They told Nashetania and Goldof they’d put the fight on hold for the time being so they could learn the truth about what was going on. Chamo didn’t seem pleased, but since she had no choice, she did as Adlet said.
When Dozzu discovered they’d stopped fighting, it had returned from where it had fled to come meet up with them.
Chamo removed the blade gem from her slave-fiend’s stomach and then meticulously inspected the rest of her pets. Dozzu, meanwhile, spat up the parasite in its mouth that had been feeding information to Tgurneu and immolated the Saint-sealing fiend on Nashetania’s back.
In the faint glow of light gems, Adlet’s party faced Dozzu. A short distance away from where the Braves huddled together sat Goldof, holding Nashetania firmly against his chest. Dozzu situated itself right next to the group of six, telling them the truth behind their fight. It explained the contract between Cargikk, Tgurneu, and Dozzu, about how Cargikk’s fiends had chased Dozzu and Nashetania, how the pair had chosen capture by Tgurneu over the alternative, and how they’d had Goldof save Nashetania. Dozzu did most of the talking. Nashetania’s throat was destroyed, so she couldn’t speak, and all Goldof’s nerve had been consumed protecting her.
“I swear that all I’ve said has been completely true. Please, I do hope you will trust that,” said Dozzu, tying up the long story.
The six looked at each other, silent. They had no guarantee that everything Dozzu said was genuine—but still, it didn’t seem to be lying.
Adlet was shocked. Now he knew just how far from the truth he’d been, and the degree to which he had been manipulated. The hieroform he’d been chasing had just been a tool for Goldof to speak with Nashetania. The traces of the hieroform that he had mistaken for a clue had been from their communications. Tgurneu had tricked him and won.
“So in other words, it was mew guys, the Dozzu camp, who won this one?” said Hans, ignoring Adlet as he reflected upon this humiliation.
“Exactly. We achieved our goal, which was the survival of both myself and Nashetania. That was all,” Dozzu replied, quite composed.
“So you used Tgurneu in order to escape from Cargikk,” Fremy reflected, “and to escape Tgurneu, you used Goldof. Quite a pair you are.”
“I will take that as a compliment. Thank you.” Not even Fremy’s sarcasm bothered Dozzu.
“Hey, so now that we’re done talking, Chamo can kill it, right? Chamo just can’t hold back anymore.”
“…Miss Chamo.” Dozzu lowered itself and pressed its face to the ground. “You have my deepest and most sincere apologies for everything that has happened. I realize that this is not a transgression that can be forgiven, but I beg of you, please, have mercy.”
“…Um…are you apologizing?” Taken aback, the girl tilted her head in bafflement.
“Chamo, our original purpose was never to cause you harm. It was something we were forced to do to survive,” said Dozzu, and behind the fiend, Nashetania bowed her head as well.
“Well, Chamo doesn’t know what to do with an apology,” she mused, scratching her head.
“We should kill them, no? They’re our enemies,” said Mora.
Dozzu lifted its head. Seeing that, Fremy took aim at the fiend. Goldof, still holding Nashetania, put his hand on his spear and rose slightly. Hans lifted his blades to dissuade Goldof.
“Wait, please. It’s true, we are your enemies. But it’s not our intention to fight right now,” said Dozzu.
Adlet gestured for his allies to sit. He’d expected as much. If Dozzu had wanted a fight, it wouldn’t have gone to all this trouble to tell them the truth.
“Please, Dozzu, could you explain what you mean?” said Rolonia. Adlet wondered why she was being so polite to a fiend.
“If we killed three of the Six Braves,” Dozzu explained, “Tgurneu and Cargikk would surrender to us. That was ultimately the only reason we arranged that battle in the Phantasmal Barrier. Killing the Braves in and of itself is not our goal.”
“…So?”
“With our current forces, we can’t kill three of you. Perhaps it could be done if we sacrificed ourselves, but that wouldn’t help us realize our ambition.” Dozzu surveyed the entire group and said, “We would like
