Chapter 181: Chapter 179: Resolve

Two days had passed since I was informed that I was already free. Tomorrow was the day of departure, yet I still couldn’t come up with the “things I want to do once I return to the continent”, as Aiwass had worded it. I had never realized setting goals for oneself could be this difficult.

Now, I found myself sitting on the sandy shore, gazing out at the sea. There were no signs left of that whale, whether in the form of bloodstains or the smell. The beach bustled with the voices of fishermen rowing their boats out to sea.

Listening to the sound of the waves and the spirited voices of the fishermen, I simply watched the slow movement of the blue sea and the clouds. It was only when I was in motion or engaged in such moments that I could suppress the feeling of restlessness.

“Hey there, mister demon! Lookin’ at the sea here again, ain’t ya?”

“Who are you…?”

As I emptied my mind and gazed at the sea, a fellow islander approached me as he made a pleasant, crunchy sound on the sandy shore with each step. This young man, wearing a friendly smile, plopped down next to me.

Who could this man be? As if sensing my confusion, the man introduced himself with a cheerful smile. He said he was the brother of the young man who broke his leg.

“It’s no surprise if you don’t remember me. At that time, I happened to be in the forest and wasn’t in the village.”

“Is that so?”

“My little brother’s been takin’ care of thanks to you. Thank you for that. Here, take this.”

The young islander handed me something wrapped in large leaves. Upon unwrapping it, I discovered a shiny, brown sphere inside. This scent… I can’t go wrong with it! It was a sweet treat!

Upon closer inspection of the sphere, it appeared to be a mixture of crushed nuts and honey. The nuts seemed to be roasted, and the fragrance was more intense than usual. There was no doubt about it; this was going to be delicious!

With a friendly smile, the young islander encouraged me to try it, so I wasted no time and savored the sweetness. The crunchy texture was delightful, and the rich flavor of the nuts combined with the sweetness of the honey made it exceptionally tasty.

“This is delicious. Thank you.”

“No worries at all. It’s good to see you enjoyin’ it this time, ya know?”

“This time?”

From his words, it felt as though there was a previous encounter that I wasn’t aware of. I assumed we were meeting for the first time, and he had even stated as much. Wasn’t this a contradiction?

Sensing my confusion, the young islander smiled wryly and explained that it was entirely a different matter.

“Not too long ago, I thought I’d do somethin’ nice and gave a gift, but it ended up causin’ more trouble than any good, you see. Just remembered that now.”

“That’s unfortunate.”

“Indeed it is. But more than that, it’s ’bout you, mister. If ya got any worries, feel free to talk, I’m all ears.”

“Ahh… actually…”

It seemed I had wanted to confide in someone about my worries. Despite it being our first meeting, I found myself opening up about my unresolved concerns.

The young islander listened quietly to my story until the end. I felt my narrative was somewhat scattered, as I hadn’t fully organized my thoughts, but he didn’t show any signs of displeasure throughout.

“Sorry… I didn’t express it very well.”

“No worries, it’s okay. Hmm… how about this? If thing’ seem all jumbled up, why not organizin’ them one by one?”

It was after we’d wrapped up our conversation that the islander proposed this. If things were still unclear, why not try organizing them one by one? I was troubled because I found that difficult…. but somehow, I was intrigued by his suggestion and decided to go along with it.

“So, what do you mean?”

“Well, first, what’s the most important thing for you mister?”

“My comrades and my own life.”

I responded immediately to his question. I had a mission to survive for a hundred years. Because of that mission, my life was more valuable to me than anything else.

However, I considered my comrades’ lives to be just as precious as my own. Without that belief, I wouldn’t be willing to put myself on the line to protect them, especially with my mission at hand.

“That’s only natural, ain’t it? Alright, next question. Mister seemed kinda puzzled by all this newfound freedom, but do ya actually dislike it?”

“No, I’m not unhappy about it, just a bit bewildered. I’m actually grateful for the freedom I’ve been given.”

“I see. So, is it okay for mister to be the only one with freedom?”

“Well… that wouldn’t work. Freedom’s a good thing for my comrades too.”

“Look here, ain’t that what mister is wishin’ for? And there’s another thing you’re fixin’ to do. Settin’ the goal of settin’ your comrades free, that’s what it is.”

The islander’s observation left me dumbfounded. I had just realized how easily one could create their own goals.

Once a goal was established, ideas for how to achieve it and even more distant final objectives started flowing. It was like finding a guiding light in the pitch-black unknown ahead.

“Thank you. My desires, my purpose, what to convey to Aiwass, and what to ask for, it’s all becoming clear. Thanks to you.”

“If I’ve been able to help Mister even a little, I’m honored. Well then, I’m off to the village.”

After a hearty laugh, the young islander stood up and began walking towards the village. He had helped me bring to light desires I couldn’t extract from within myself. It seemed seeking his advice had been the right decision.

There was no time for gazing at the sea. I devoured the sweet treat wrapped in a bundle, the crunching sound accompanying each chew. I didn’t want to waste a moment, not even savoring the sweetness.

Having swallowed the sweetness of the nut, I used sand spiritual arts to create a platform, then ascended to the mansion. Upon landing on the mansion grounds, I swiftly searched for Eins and expressed my intention to meet Aiwass.

Aiwass was also busy, so I didn’t expect him to be available immediately. As expected, he couldn’t meet me right away. I told Eins that I would wait in the other room until then, but he said something unexpected.

“Before meetin’ Master, you best take a bath or somethin’. Lookin’ all clean and tidy tends to get a better reaction from Master.”

“A bath you say?”

Eins suggested that I take a bath. However, I had never taken a bath before. If I needed to wash away dirt like sweat and blood, a simple rinse with water was sufficient. More importantly, as a battle slave, I wasn’t allowed the luxury of a bath.

Initially, I considered declining. But before giving a response, I had a change of heart. I was free now. I had the freedom to take a bath, and no one could reprimand me. So, there was no reason to refuse.

“Alright, I’ll take you up on that.”

“Huh? I thought for sure you’d refuse… Seems like you’ve had a change of heart. Aight, follow me.”

Guided by Eins, I arrived at the bathhouse within the mansion. He explained the proper etiquette for using the bath, and then I proceeded to immerse myself in the bath.

It seemed that one had to rinse their body before getting into the bath, as a consideration for others who might use it later. Although I thought it to be a needless formality, I did as instructed and then got into the bath.

“How’s it feel? Must be more satisfyin’ than just a rinse with water, right?”

“Hmm… Maybe it’s because of my constitution, but to be honest, I can’t really tell the difference between this and normal water.”

In response to Eins’s question, I could only offer my honest opinion. Upon further thought, I realized that whether it was super-high temperatures that could melt steel or ultra-low temperatures that could freeze the air, my exoskeleton could withstand it all. While I usually looked like a typical human in appearance, with my exoskeleton’s hardness in its decreased state, my temperature resistance remained the same.

In other words, I had no concept of the pleasant warmth of a bath. If I had to pinpoint something, it would be the sensation of water droplets turning into steam and lightly touching my face.

“Hahaha! Ya talkin’ like us!”

“Seems like luminous crystalline life forms are also insensitive to temperature changes.”

“Our bodies are mostly like stone, ya see. Soakin’ in hot water don’t do much for us, really.”

It seemed that Eins and his kind were similar to me in this regard. Water temperature didn’t affect bodies made of stone-like materials. Knowing that I wasn’t alone in this, I felt a slight sense of relief.

I decide to get out of the bath, as I have already cleaned myself before soaking in the hot water. Soaking in hot water had no effect anyway, and taking any more baths would be pointless.

“I’ll dry ya off. Afterward, we’ll head to master’s room, aight?”

“Thank you.”

A dry breeze emanated from Eins’s outstretched palm, gradually drying my wet body. What a convenient form of spiritual arts. While I specialized in sand spiritual arts, I knew I could also manipulate earth, fire, and wind. With some practice, I might be able to do that as well.

With newfound hints for my training, I joined Eins on our way to Aiwass. He led me to a research laboratory where Zwei, the first person I had met here, was suspended. Perhaps he was taking a break, as Aiwass sank into a soft chair and was drinking tea.

“It looks like you’ve arrived. Please take a seat. Eins, brew some tea.”

“Of course, Master.”

I complied and took a seat across from Aiwass. Eins silently placed a cup of tea in front of me. Eager to try it, I took a sip, only to furrow my brows in surprise at its bitterness.

The bitterness was a bother for someone with a sweet tooth like me, but it seemed to suit Aiwass’ palate, and he savored it as if it were delicious. I patiently waited for him to finish his cup.

“Hmm, it seems it doesn’t agree with your taste. It’s a very beneficial concoction made from dozens of herbs, but…I guess it does have the drawback of being unpleasant to anyone except me. Well…”

Aiwass placed the saucer with his empty cup on the table with a slightly sad expression on his face. He gazed at me intensely, as if he could see right through me. His scrutinizing look was almost overwhelming, but I braced myself and maintained my composure.

“It seems you’ve made up your mind about many things. Your doubts have disappeared, and you carry yourself well. So, let me hear it. Now that you’re free, what will you do when you return to the continent? What are your desires?”

“I will free my comrades and the demons. I will grant everyone the same freedom I have.”

When I had finally gained my freedom, I found myself shaking in the face of that very freedom. Yet, in truth, I had longed for it. My comrades would likely be bewildered at first, but being free was undoubtedly the right path.

Moreover, if possible, I wanted to extend this freedom to not just my special operations unit comrades but also to the other demons. I wanted to liberate these downtrodden species and races who were forced into the hardships of battle.

“Ah, I see. But even if you become free, what will you do after that? Do you have any prospects for the future?”

“Distance myself from the Empire as much as possible. Afterward, I’ll establish a safe haven where the demons can live in peace. The Empire’s current turmoil is the only opportunity we have.”

After gaining my freedom, even if I were to remain hidden within the Empire, I would inevitably be captured or hunted down at some point. So, fleeing from the Empire was the only viable option.

Fortunately, it seemed the Empire was currently embroiled in a civil war, leaving them little room to chase after us. There was a high likelihood of successfully escaping from the Empire.

Afterward, I intended to establish a settlement in a remote and unpopulated area. While the environment might be harsh for humans, the resilient bodies of the demons should be able to withstand settlement somewhere. If not, I was prepared to seize a safe haven from someone, no matter what it took.

“Hehehe… Hahaha! Excellent! Whether there was a catalyst or not, you made a decision after thinking things through in just two days! Very well! I, Aiwass El Regis, pledge to become your supporter!”

“…I appreciate it.”

Aiwass’s usual calm demeanor, now completely at odds with his laughter, promised to become my supporter. I wasn’t sure of the extent of his support, but I deeply bowed in gratitude.

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TN: Development!