Глава 16

Else, you will die.

In your own Dominion...

*cough*–– *cough* *cough*!!!

Now sleep...

<i>Bozhe moy.</i> This... This—

Boy... Boy! Are you okay? Is that black monster still coming after us—

—Aah!!!

*cough*... *cough*...

He... won't chase you anymore.

What?

Quick. Get out of here. Head south before he comes to. And don't you turn back again.

You have to leave this place, if you want to live...

Wh-What are you talking about? He won't chase us anymore?

What's that supposed to mean?

*cough*—

Are you saying you managed to convince that unreasonable lich?

Enough! Go!

Go...? Go where?

The preacher told us before: 'Those who turn their backs on the motherland can scarcely be called human.' We... We don't want that!

We don't want to turn our backs on the Tsar, on Ursus... and you...

You managed to get him to stop chasing us... You saved us, and you accomplished the impossible, but you still won't tell us your name? Just who are you?

That's not important. I...

Or... are you perhaps—

Are you perhaps the Yurodstvo who vanished long ago?

What...?

But the Yurodstvo should be in the splendorous palaces of Deity Grypherburg, at the Tsar's side.

No...

Right. Right! If you don't belong here, then this blessing received is a stolen one. In that case, it's only fair that we're punished for it.

'We must endure,' 'we must persevere...' 'We must be silent!' But we haven't been able to do any of that...

Even so, you protected these sinful souls.

In that case, you must be the Yurodstvo. Otherwise, you wouldn't have the kindness and compassion to offer the Infected a helping hand, as equals.

In that case, there is only one name you could bear.

The name that you don't want us praising. The name shared by all Yurodstvos.

'Gabrielus.'

Gabrielus. Gabrielus...

It's the Yurodstvo. Our Yurodstvo has returned!

The Yurodstvo? Like the one in the tales?

Is it the Yurodstvo that Mama said would love us even if we had the Stone Disease, even if it is not by our side?

Yes, it's her! She has returned! She defeated the villains and saved us! That's something only the Yurodstvo could do!

The Yurodstvo has saved us! Yurodstvo—

The boisterous crowd and their hands all gush toward her.

They keep pushing and pulling, like waves splashing upon a beach, all in an attempt to so much as touch the corner of their idol's shirt, even if her attire is hardly any different from the tattered clothing they are wearing.

Fully surrounded, she is no longer able to prop herself up or think. The moment her knees twitch and fall to the snow, she seems as though she is going to collapse and pass out right here and now.

But she can't. Not here. The Royal Guard is still here, and those executioners who want to use her to kill even more people are still here. She can't close her eyes. She can't... give up just yet.

*cough*... *cough*...

Ugh—

That moment, she even seems to think that her tongue is once again working with her mouth to clearly enunciate her words. However, her body simply curls up quietly and gets smaller... and smaller.

She endures it until the pain subsides.

Yurodstvo—

She is not the Yurodstvo, yet there is a price to pay.

And despite being the one mistaken for the Yurodstvo, she doesn't know what's the price she has to pay for this absurd charade. Sometimes, not knowing the price is itself a price.

Mantra? What's wrong?

The leader's quiet voice suddenly echoes in all the Rhodes Islanders' minds.

Everyone, stop.

This...

Repeat. Everyone, stop immediately.

The area ahead is demonically corrupted.

Demonic corruption? Here?

But aren't we one-third of an Ursus away from Sami? How could this possibly—

Doctor?

This may not be a normal demonic corruption...;'Dominion.'

<p=1>Central Far North Mining District, Ursus</> <p=2>Autumn, 1101</>

Raidian's squad's last known coordinates should be around here.

According to the timestamp of the signal sent back to the city, they last sent out a message ten days ago.

The laboratory she mentioned is roughly three kilometers up ahead.

Mon3tr, have you faced the Royal Guard before?;Mon3tr, are you able to analyze anything here?

I'm looking.

Based on the scale and shape of the corruption, this is very likely to be caused by 'Dominion.'

Right, a fight against the Royal Guard probably took place here.

It's strange, though. For such an intense battle, there aren't any traces of Arts nearby.

I understand you are worried, Doctor.

But knowing Raidian, she would definitely have tried to leave tracks we could decipher.

At the very least, this explains something happened here that called for the Royal Guard's involvement.;Clearly that the Grand Duchess is hiding something from us.

Raidian's squad might be in an extremely dangerous predicament.;Raidian's squad might have been involved in whatever happened here.

Correct.

Whether they were going after Raidian or the laboratory, it seems we need to pick up the pace.