[Holloway watches your reaction and wants to tease you even more.]
[Holloway thinks the comedian’s reactions really are the most entertaining.]
[Holloway thinks, ‘I might become addicted to seeing the comedian flustered.’]
After seeing the consecutive thought windows—
I decided these were probably accurate.
Yeah.
That sounds like Holloway.
He kissed my eye solely to tease me.
What incredible dedication.
Seeing me practically growl, Holloway smiled faintly.
Sellir hesitated.
Still with her back turned toward me, she asked,
“You saw my past, didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
“……Extenron. Did that woman see yours too?”
“Yeah.”
“And Holloway too, probably. Don’t you find this suspicious?”
I couldn’t see Sellir’s face.
But her voice trembled faintly.
Personally, I thought Sellir was completely right.
I was the only one seeing the demons’ pasts.
It would be stranger not to suspect me.
Sellir was the normal one for questioning it.
Unexpectedly—
Holloway defended me.
“Evelyn doesn’t know what’s happening either.”
“How can you be sure?”
“Because I checked.”
Checked?
What?
The other two demons and I looked at Holloway.
He didn’t open his mouth again.
Don’t tell me this has something to do with him moving my hand and selecting options however he pleased?
It does.
With him, it definitely does.
If they discovered information by themselves rather than because I told them, maybe it was safe.
Still, until the system explicitly told me ‘it’s okay,’ I planned to keep my mouth firmly shut.
Did Holloway know that when he spoke?
My lips parted.
Then closed again.
“Good girl.”
Apparently he was very pleased that I didn’t ask.
Holloway stroked my head like I was a dog and praised me.
I glared.
He merely smiled.
Fine.
As long as all of you can smile……
It wasn’t like they chose to create this place.
They didn’t choose imprisonment either.
It would be strange for me to resent them for it.
I said I understood Holloway’s words.
But these two demons didn’t know why I understood.
Why weren’t they questioning him?
[The demons possess unwavering trust in one another.]
Right.
In a place like this, they probably only had each other to rely on.
That made it even sadder.
I tried shoving my fist into my mouth to suppress crying.
It wouldn’t fit.
So I quietly returned it to its original position.
“Even so, the fact that you’re a disgusting human hasn’t changed. Don’t expect me to suddenly change just because one past was shared with you.”
“I don’t.”
Of course not.
You tried killing me without hesitation.
It would honestly be strange if humans looked pleasant to her after humans had taken everyone she loved in that way.
Sellir used to be human too.
That didn’t matter.
She hated people.
Sellir said nothing else.
Instead, she viciously punished the innocent floor by stomping it repeatedly with her heels.
Anyway.
System.
Give me my hint.
[Hint: The escape gate is located somewhere between the 7th floor and the top floor.]
Um.
That range is too wide.
***
A vengeful spirit chased us.
What I mean is—
“Of all the humans to get stuck with……”
I was alone with Sellir.
Damn it.
Underground, Sellir possessed absolutely none of a demon’s dignity.
I was practically going to have to protect her myself.
That was enough to make me cry.
The problem was—
I didn’t feel like abandoning her.
Probably because I had only just witnessed her past.
Holloway had said the flow of demonic energy was completely chaotic……
Maybe the demons couldn’t use their powers properly down here.
From my perspective—
this felt like deliberate system manipulation.
As though it had intentionally separated us.
And since the demons couldn’t kill the vengeful spirits either, they probably couldn’t do much against an entire crowd of them.
“It makes me want to cry when none of the reliable demons are around.”
I refused to lose and answered back.
Sellir’s sharp gaze stabbed into me.
Scary.
I shouldn’t have argued.
“…….”
I expected her to say something.
Sellir remained silent.
Unlike the others, Sellir seemed to possess much deeper fear of the basement itself.
She could barely control her body.
Even taking a single step looked difficult.
She braced one hand against the wall and steadied her breathing.
Then glanced toward me.
“I’m not carrying you.”
“I don’t want to be carried by a short little runt like you either!”
“Thank goodness……. Then why do you keep glancing at me with those sticky eyes?”
[Sellir is dumbfounded because she insulted you as a ‘short little runt,’ yet you don’t seem to care.]
That was supposed to be an insult?
If she heard the things I said to people, would she really consider that an insult?
And compared with Sellir, I was shorter.
So it didn’t affect me.
Anyway—
I wanted to leave the basement quickly.
I was terrified too.
But Sellir was even more frightened.
So somehow I couldn’t allow myself to be scared.
I slapped my trembling legs and led the way.
“Pull out your sword like when you tried killing me.”
“That belonged to Extenron.”
“Ah…… Was it?”
I was so terrified back then I barely remember.
―Puhuhu……
“Who was that?! Who laughed?!”
I reacted sensitively to even one laugh and whipped my head around.
Sellir suddenly collapsed onto the floor.
Then buried her face and began sobbing.
Her family had died underground.
Of course being here would make her frightened and sad.
I almost reached toward her.
Then hesitated.
Maybe she’d become offended if I pitied her.
[Sellir thinks she understands why the demons call you ‘the comedian.’]
She’s crying because she’s laughing at me?!
Is this some kind of shared demon trait?
Pretending you’re crying whenever something is funny?
That damn comedian thing.
Since when did quiet and calm Evelyn become branded as a comedian?
I grabbed Sellir and pulled her upright.
She was biting her lips so hard to stop laughing that it looked ridiculous.
Apparently insulted by the fact that I had made her laugh, Sellir snapped coldly,
“If you keep shouting that loudly, every spirit will gather here.”
“…….”
I had only shouted because I was terrified and surprised.
I grabbed Sellir’s sleeve and dragged her away from where the noise had come from.
She slapped my hand away coldly.
“I don’t need it. Stop looking after me.”
“Then can I go by myself?”
“Fine. Fuck off. The only reason I’m not killing you is Holloway. So you’d better stop acting arrogant.”
“Thank you.”
She told me to go.
So I happily obeyed.
Throwing my guilt somewhere far away, I left Sellir behind and turned left with light steps.
I walked faster than before, searching for stairs leading upward.
Sellir immediately followed closely behind.
I whipped around.
She became irritated.
“I’m not following you. I’m just……”
“I happened to be on the path you were taking?”
“Exactly!”
Such a cliché excuse……
Then I should give her a suitably cliché answer.
“Go ahead of me, then.”
“As if that’s difficult.”
Goodbye.
Sellir walked past me.
Then abruptly turned the corner.
And somehow ended up right beside me again.
Why are you following me?!
I turned right and increased my pace.
When I started power walking, Sellir increased her speed to match.
Let’s see who wins!
Power walking became a run.
I thought surely she wouldn’t make it this obvious.
I was wrong.
Sellir openly sprinted directly toward me.
“Why are you chasing me?!”
“That’s the way I’m going!”
Then at least pretend to pass me in the opposite direction!
I turned around and ran directly toward her.
Then passed by.
Sellir immediately changed direction and followed.
Unable to endure it, I dragged Sellir into the nearest laboratory.
If we fought in the corridor, we’d attract the spirits.
I whipped around and glared.
Sellir’s eyes rolled around.
“What? Do you want to kill me that badly?”
I was preparing a long lecture when something entered the corner of my vision.
That……
“Yeah! That’s why I’m following……. Hey, I’m talking to you! What are you doing?”
I approached a drawer in the corner.
“I’m talking……!”
“Keep talking.”
I need to check this.
Without hesitation, I shoved my hand underneath the drawer.
Sellir’s grumbling stopped registering.
If my eyes weren’t mistaken—
this was……
“You—while I’m……! This ring……”
Sellir grabbed my shoulder and spun me around.
Then saw what I was holding.
Her eyes widened in shock.
Her reaction wasn’t what mattered to me.
The crest engraved clearly into the ring—
a black swan.
“Why is a House Lodriz ring here……?”
Sellir snatched the ring from my hand.
Strangely—
her wet eyes contained affection rather than hatred.
Then—
[You have discovered your family’s crest: ‘House Lodriz.’]
[Beginning ‘Hidden Story.’]
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