There’s something inside my body.
— Crunch. Crunch.
It voraciously devoured the loneliness.
Damn it. What is this?
I’m utterly bewildered.
The voice I had dismissed as mere hallucination turned out to belong to something other than me. Cold sweat trickles down my spine.
“Urgh.”
On another note, the loneliness that churned my insides dissipates.
Only after the creature fleeing inside me was entirely consumed did the agony that pierced through my body vanish.
“Hey, are you okay?”
The executive of the Blood Cult who was watching me asks.
Worry is etched on his face.
‘Worry? Yeah, right.’
My lips twist involuntarily.
However, my position here isn’t one where I can afford to be careless.
“Yes. I’m fine. I can endure it.”
He nods in satisfaction at my words.
“Yes. Swallowing the worm isn’t an easy task. Seeing that the mark has appeared, it seems it has settled well.”
“…Yes. It seems so.”
“Consider it an honor. The Lady seems to have taken a special liking to you.”
What’s most certain is that the Kudoku is gone from my body. Clearly, the fact that it’s gone must be kept secret. Thus, I did my best to appease this man. It was something I was confident in doing.
“I will serve with utmost loyalty.”
He nods approvingly, checks the mark on my arm once more, and heads to the platform.
Children roll around him.
They must be in shock at having eaten the worms.
They flail as if trying to do something about the worms.
Some even hit their own bodies, but…
“Ugh!”
Of course, that wouldn’t work.
Instead, they are only stopped and beaten by the Blood Cult’s members.
I sigh inwardly.
‘These idiots have no learning ability.’
Despite being beaten, they still don’t get it.
I also felt nauseous, but it was bearable.
I was already used to such disgusting situations.
At least the other presence I felt in my body has disappeared. It vanished as if satisfied after having something to eat.
What the hell was that?
For now, I need to focus on the immediate task.
The Blood Cult is by no means an easy group to deal with.
Step, step.
The executive on the platform begins to speak.
“I am Bakel, the 53rd ranked in the Blood Cult, Vice-Captain of the Black Serpent Division.”
He glances around as if looking down on everyone.
53rd rank. I don’t know the exact size of the Blood Cult. However, considering their influence extends to the outskirts of the continent, they must be significant.
A person of authority in such an organization.
Not someone to be taken lightly.
“This place you stand in is the Black Serpent Division, where the Duchess is the main leader. The Duchess is the 5th rank in the Blood Cult. You should consider it an immense honor just to be here.”
What a load of crap.
At least it’s as I thought.
The Grey Duchess is an enormous figure.
The 5th rank among the most heinous cultists.
‘No wonder the atmosphere was different.’
On the other hand, this means the Grey Dukedom mansion is one of the Blood Cult’s most crucial branches. Escaping from here would mean obtaining a key weapon to bring down the Blood Cult…
No. I need to get a grip.
After suffering so much in my past life, why am I thinking so foolishly again? As I shake my head, Vice-Captain Bakel continues speaking.
“The role of the Kudoku you ingested is clear. If you betray the cult, rebel against higher ranks, or do not follow the cult’s doctrines, it will explode inside you at any time.”
— Gasp!
Sounds of fear come from all around. Unfortunately, it had nothing to do with me. The Kudoku that was supposed to be inside me had already disappeared, consumed by something else.
… Though I can’t be sure if that’s a good thing.
“Serve the Blood Cult with loyalty. Unlike the society you came from, the Blood Cult, especially our Black Serpent Division, will always reward your efforts. You will have the chance to display your abilities.”
What a ridiculous notion.
I could easily come up with several counterarguments right now.
From the very beginning, it was all wrong. They purchased us at an auction. The clause about releasing us after ten years? Sure, they’ll release us. But dying from Kudoku afterward isn’t their concern.
Ultimately, the children here, even if they survive, will definitely die in ten years.
Of course, most will likely disappear as test subjects or something before then.
“You will be assigned dormitories and tasks. You will also undergo training. All of this is for the glory of the Blood Cult, so carry it out without complaints.”
The speech ended there.
◆
“You will be staying here. Do not cause any unnecessary trouble.”
One of the Blood Cult executives led the children to the dormitory.
The quality of the dormitory was neither good nor bad.
To Lloyd, who had experienced a brief noble life after possessing this body, the quality of the bedding and such seemed low. However, considering the majority of the children were commoners, they probably thought it was quite decent.
— Bang.
The door closed.
About twenty beds were lined up.
Even in this situation, the children watched each other warily.
Choosing a bed seemed entirely up to them.
‘First come, first served, I guess.’
Lloyd moved to the bed closest to the window at the end.
Right now, he wanted to focus on the voice inside him more than anything else.
Not in a meditative sense, but the literal voice coming from within him.
As he tried to settle in.
“Hey.”
A shadow fell over him.
Looking up, he saw a familiar face.
It was Hector, the guy who had been picking fights since the carriage ride.
He had a group of four or five with him, suggesting he already had a following.
“What do you want?”
“I should be the one asking that. Who do you think you are, picking a bed at your own discretion?”
“…Hah.”
Lloyd let out a deep sigh.
Then he got up and moved to another bed.
He didn’t care much about the bed.
Although he was born a noble in this life, he had spent most of his previous life in a time of war. He often gave his comrades good spots to sleep while he rested on uneven or sloped ground.
Any bed was better than the dirt floor.
Until another shadow fell over him again.
Hector was standing over him.
“…What is it?”
His voice turned surly.
This was clearly a provocation.
Did this idiot still not learn after all that?
Observing him, Lloyd could roughly guess the reason.
A deeply furrowed brow. Dilated pupils from excitement. Trembling fists.
He was looking for someone to vent his frustration on.
And it just happened to be Lloyd.
‘Unbelievable.’
How could someone be so oblivious to their own standing?
Seeing Hector picking another fight after getting beaten before, Lloyd felt a sense of disgust at his stupidity.
“Get up, you b*stard.”
He tried to act tough.
Lloyd willingly stood up.
He glared directly at Hector. Hector hesitated for a moment, then, perhaps embarrassed, raised his voice even more.
“I told you, didn’t I? This b*stard is a spy for the Blood Cult!”
“A spy? What nonsense is that?”
“From the start, you were suspicious. As soon as we got off the carriage, the leaders or whatever were protecting you!”
“B*llshit. You threw mud at me and got subdued.”
“Moreover, while we were all getting beaten, you alone were taken into the mansion!”
“That’s because Duchess Grey called for me.”
“And just now, in the training ground…! You were the only one who swallowed the worm without any trouble. It’s clear. You are their spy!”
Hector pointed his finger at Lloyd.
As if to let everyone hear.
What absurd political maneuvering.
Lloyd was dumbfounded by the pettiness.
And at the same time, he clenched his fist.
Ever since being executed, he’d had enough of political scheming.
Let’s beat this guy so badly that he won’t even dream of such a thing.
Just as Lloyd was about to step forward.
— ‘Yes. Human blood would be preferable.’
A voice surged up within him.
It was a voice much clearer and stronger than before he consumed the Kudoku.
This brought him back to his senses.
He unclenched his fist.
Just then.
— Thud!
The door to the dormitory opened.
Step, step.
An executive who had just entered walked straight up to Lloyd.
“Lloyd?”
“Yes.”
“You have been assigned a different dormitory. Come with me.”
The room buzzed with murmurs.
When Lloyd turned his head, there was Hector pointing at him as if to say, “I knew it.”
◆
The executive who led Lloyd spoke in a low voice.
“You will be a gardener.”
“…A gardener?”
Lloyd furrowed his brows at the leader’s words.
From what he had seen so far, there was no garden at the Grey mansion.
“There is a small garden in the Duchess’ study.”
…So that’s how it was.
It seemed the Duchess’ favor wasn’t a lie. This wasn’t a bad thing. The more influence he had on her, the greater his chances of escaping this place.
“Your dormitory is here. You will stay here from now on.”
The executive then turned and left.
His demeanor suggested there was no need to monitor Lloyd because of the Kudoku.
This was advantageous for Lloyd.
Creak.
Lloyd hesitated as he opened the door.
The room was quite spacious and well-furnished.
“Of course, expensive items are kept in display cases.”
It was better to be an ornament in a display case than shoved into a corner, even if he was to be a collectible.
This would undoubtedly deepen Hector and the others’ suspicion towards Lloyd.
Logically, it was unrelated to Lloyd. However.
The suspicious glances from the children as Lloyd left the dormitory alone.
Those were no different from the gazes of the spectators at the execution ground.
— Clap, clap, clap, clap
He could hear the inevitable phantom applause.
And then.
— “Finally, we can have a conversation, kid.”
A fully distinct voice now addressed Lloyd.
Speaking from the depths of the darkness, it reached out to him.
