MTLNOVEL Ch. 10
Chapter 10
Deathwish (3)
Everyone entangled in the main scenario was, without exception, far from ordinary, and among them, it was nearly impossible to possess only good qualities.
There were always quite a few people one absolutely had to avoid, and among those who ranked at the top of that list was precisely this one.
Deathwish, Katya Heinkel Craven.
A ‘key figure’ in the scenario who held a significance comparable to Noel’s.
The traits I remembered were these.
Peculiar, capricious, self-destructive, and willful.
Despite all that, the power she had been born with was terrifyingly strong.
When circumstances ‘went awry,’ there was nothing but factors that made the negative repercussions escalate to a serious degree.
……
If I thought about the direction in which the story progressed in the game, in the end, all the main characters ended up staining their hands with blood.
But no matter which route you followed, the one who, in most cases, killed the ‘greatest number’ of people was this one standing before me.
It wasn’t as if she had the disposition to commit indiscriminate murder, nor was she a scoundrel who delighted in using violence against innocents.
But perhaps it was like pressing a certain ‘switch.’ If you happened to touch her reverse scale, this girl was the kind of person who would commit a massacre without blinking an eye.
At a glance, she looked like a wealthy young lady strolling leisurely through the streets with a placid expression, but it would be more accurate to call her a docile-looking time bomb.
!! Sub Quest !!
▶ You have come into contact with ‘Deathwish,’ Katya Heinkel Craven.
▶ Resolve the situation as peacefully as possible.
▶ If you handle the current situation smoothly, the target’s affection toward you will increase significantly!
▶ If you fail, you will suffer disadvantages!
……And now, I was supposed to resolve the situation peacefully while being tangled up with someone like her.
As if it was certain that something unpeaceful would erupt.
The mere thought was dreadful, but since this had already appeared before me, I had to stay completely alert.
‘……A crisis might also be an opportunity.’
If I used this well, it could turn out that way.
The fact that I could significantly raise her affection meant that I would be able to gain many skill copy rights.
“I’m bored.”
We had been walking side by side in silence for quite some time.
Then, all of a sudden, the girl let those words slip out.
“Is there anything we could do?”
“……I heard you wanted someone to talk to. Didn’t you have something you wanted to say?”
“There isn’t anything like that.”
“……”
“I really just called you because I was bored. There was something interesting right in front of me, but I got interrupted, you know?”
With a bright, carefree smile, she answered, leaving Aiden momentarily at a loss for words.
No.
Weren’t there plenty of things to ask?
Like why she had intervened just now, how she knew about his identity—any of those could have been topics to keep a conversation going.
“Or, would you rather be the one to entertain me yourself?”
“……”
“I have a few pretty good ways I could play with you. Want to hear—”
“—Anything is fine with you?”
Aiden cut her off midsentence, and Katya let out a giggle.
No matter how you looked at it, this wasn’t the attitude one should show to royalty, but considering what I knew about her background, she was not the kind of person who cared about such things.
She was the sort who was blunt about everything. There was no need to overthink it.
“Anything’s fine.”
“I have something to do. If you want to come along, then follow me.”
When Aiden turned and began walking ahead, Katya, who realized where he was going, gave a snort of laughter.
“A gun shop?”
If it was the alleys behind the capital, of course you could get anything you wanted there. Even firearms that normally required strict permits could be bought as long as you had money.
“Is there any point in something like this?”
“I need it.”
“Why?”
“Rather, why are you so curious about the reason?”
“You can use Mana Arts.”
“……”
How the hell do you know that?
When I looked at Katya with that question in my eyes, she tilted her head slightly and answered.
An awkward reply followed right away.
“……That’s the sort of thing you can tell just by looking.”
……There really were so many things she claimed she could see at a glance.
Of course, apart from that, explaining why he needed a gun would be a little complicated.
As Katya said, people capable of using Mana Arts had no reason to rely on firearms.
But considering the ‘traits’ Aiden had in mind, there was no tool better suited than a gun.
Mana Arts became much more precise when they were shaped this way. You could embed them directly in your body, but it was more efficient to put them into a weapon.
I recalled that Noel had explained it to me like that before.
Mana Arts could be handled on their own, but if you infused them into a weapon, their effectiveness increased exponentially. A very simple concept.
However, for someone like Aiden, who handled ‘multiple’ Mana Arts, the choice became a bit more complicated.
He needed several different components, and above all, he—who had never received any combat training—had to be able to use it.
Because of that, old-fashioned cold weapons like spears or swords were out of the question. Aiden had no connection whatsoever to such things.
Naturally, the most suitable option was this.
A firearm. A simple weapon made of multiple interchangeable parts.
“Welcome—!”
The shopkeeper was a friendly old man who greeted his customer with a polite welcome.
Considering how rough Aiden’s disguise looked right now, this level of customer service was practically perfect.
“……Do you have a handgun that even a complete beginner can handle?”
“Sure. You can look over here!”
And just seeing how he responded so politely, completely unbothered by such an unusual request that didn’t match Aiden’s voice or appearance at all, said it all.
“I don’t see the point in buying something like this.”
In contrast, Katya, trailing after him closely, muttered her complaints while glancing around.
“Weapons are meant for killing people. But everything here is for self-defense.”
……Embarrassingly enough, that was exactly what Aiden was looking for.
But before he could even explain that properly, Katya was already putting her displeasure into action.
“Shopkeeper—where are the cartridges?”
“Oh, they’re in the drawer over there.”
At that, Katya whistled and rummaged through the drawers, pulling out the bullets that fit the pistols displayed on the counter.
So far, there was nothing particularly strange about this scene.
It was normal enough that neither the shopkeeper nor Aiden had any reason to suspect anything.
“If you’d like to try out the weapons, you can step out into the back yard—”
The problem was.
Before he could finish saying that, Katya was already pointing the loaded gun.
At her own head.
“Wait, miss—!”
Before the flustered shopkeeper could say another word.
A gunshot, sharp enough to tear through their ears, exploded through the shop.
“……”
As the empty casing clattered across the floor, Aiden’s mouth fell open.
Around Katya’s body, right after the gun fired, a burst of holy flame flared up out of nowhere.
It looked exactly the same as the holy flame Aiden had handled before. Fire that moved automatically to shield the user from danger.
The bullet, struck by the searing heat, had melted away without a trace.
“—Even when I suppress it as much as possible, it still bursts out like this. How irritating.”
Katya gave a small laugh and casually set the smoking gun back on the counter.
Then.
She moved along the display, picking up each gun and doing the same thing.
She grabbed one, loaded it, and pressed it against her head before pulling the trigger.
Almost as if she were comparing them.
While Aiden and the shopkeeper both stood frozen stiff, staring at this madness, every fired bullet continued to melt away in the holy flame surrounding her.
“Oh, right.”
Of course, the further she went down the counter, the larger the caliber of the weapons became.
Naturally, Katya eventually picked up something that could no longer be called a pistol but rather deserved to be called a hand cannon, and aimed it at her own head.
“This one feels pretty good.”
With those words—
Even the holy flame that had so easily blocked ordinary pistol rounds was overwhelmed by the sheer force of this massive round and failed to stop it.
But.
“……”
Aiden, his face drained of all color, stared at the scene unfolding before him.
Even with her head completely blown apart.
Katya was calmly turning her body.
Her face, smashed and pulverized by the bullet, clung back together like a doll made of mashed clay.
And seeping into every gap between the fragments was the same ‘holy flame’ that had automatically surged out moments earlier when she had been in danger.
As if it refused to allow even death to touch its wielder, as if it wouldn’t tolerate so much as a single drop of blood being spilled.
That gruesome wound was ‘regenerated’ perfectly, leaving not a single trace.
“This is the kind of firepower worth using. You’d better buy something from here on.”
And as for her.
Even though her own head had been blasted apart by a bullet.
She didn’t so much as blink. Her expression didn’t shift in the slightest.
As if.
Truly.
She ‘felt nothing at all.’
“The holy flame I’ve suppressed to the utmost is only about as thick as a few sheets of iron. You need something that can pierce that if you want a weapon you can actually use in a fight.”
Aiden swallowed a groan and stared at Katya, who was still smiling brightly as she offered him a handgun.
He already knew, in his head, about the traits this girl possessed.
Abolition of Pain.
And, far beyond that, Abolition of Sensation.
Katya Heinkel could wield this absurd holy flame, but in exchange, she was incapable of perceiving any sensation whatsoever.
Because the holy flame that automatically erased anything that could harm her also blocked every external stimulus completely.
‘—Seeing it in person, this is just…’
A monster.
Even though she’d said herself that she was suppressing her Mana Arts to the utmost, calling her effectively immortal wouldn’t be an exaggeration.
He could understand why she held as much importance in the main story as Noel did.
And it was clear that at least one other person in this place shared that impression with a vengeance.
The metallic click that came from the counter drew Aiden’s and Katya’s eyes in unison.
The shopkeeper, pale as a sheet, was pointing a loaded gun straight at Katya.
“Get out of my shop.”
“…It did look a bit unsightly, didn’t it? I’ll pay for all the bullets I fired—”
A flash of light burst in front of Katya’s eyes as she spoke.
It must have been the holy flame erasing the bullet the shopkeeper fired.
“I told you to get out, you monstrous bitch…!”
His voice came out thin, filled with tension.
The way his hand trembled showed clearly that he was not accustomed to this kind of threat. He was probably half in a panic, driven to this by Katya’s insane behavior.
But.
When Katya saw that, the corners of her lips stretched wide.
“Sure, I might look a little strange.”
On the surface, it was the same silly smile she always wore.
But Aiden, who was skilled at reading people’s moods, could immediately tell the difference.
What hid beneath that expression was a murderous intent so sharp it felt like it could split the skin.
This girl reacted with extreme sensitivity to others’ ‘hostility.’
“Shoving bullets at me without warning… That’s a bit offensive, you know?”
The moment Katya took a bold step toward the counter—
—Click.
A switch flipped inside Aiden’s head. That alarm of his that always rang in the face of crisis.
It felt just like when Noel had been about to swing her sword at him.
If he stood still like this.
That man would end up in a truly wretched state.
!! Sub Quest !!
▶ You have come into contact with ‘Deathwish,’ Katya Heinkel Craven.
▶ Resolve the situation as peacefully as possible.
▶ If you handle the current situation smoothly, the target’s affection toward you will increase significantly!
▶ If you fail, you will suffer disadvantages!
And, in the current situation.
This was absolutely not a development he welcomed.
Aiden let out a groan and clutched his head.
This was already the second time. Since meeting this damn princess, he’d found himself in a situation where, if he didn’t intervene, someone could die.
And.
At the very least.
He was not the kind of person who could stand by and let something like that happen without a care.
Especially not when he had the means to stop it.
◈ Weaver of Fate
【 Katya Heinkel Craven 】
Bond: Stage 2
You can copy 1 skill.
◆ The First Vow
He hastily operated the window he always saw when copying a skill. Since he’d looked over what was available before, it was easy enough to pick.
Right now, the only way to stop Katya from going on a rampage here was to turn her attention elsewhere. There was no physical way to restrain her.
And if you wanted to soothe the anger of someone this capricious, peculiar, and willful—
The only way was to seize their ‘interest.’
In that case, he already knew exactly which skill to bring.
System Message
▶ You have copied the skill ‘Sanctified Body’!
While Aiden manipulated the window, colorless flames churned around Katya’s body as she strode toward the counter.
Those searing holy flames rapidly took form, forging themselves into the shape of a blade aimed precisely at the man standing behind the counter.
Without hesitation, she fired.
The shopkeeper had gone beyond pale and was now turning an ashen shade of purple, as if he’d sensed exactly what kind of future awaited him.
“…?”
And then.
Katya’s eyebrows twitched upward.
It must have been because she spotted Aiden flinging himself bodily between them.
But right after that, her eyes went wide with shock.
Probably because—
Aiden’s outstretched arm was pierced clean through by the flaming blade.
“It hurts—!”
And as he screamed, his arm was being regenerated by the bright, burning holy flame.
The sight was exactly the same as moments ago—
When Katya herself had regenerated her blasted skull.
▣
It hurt.
It hurt…!
◆ Sanctified Body
Restores the flesh based on The First Vow. You can enhance its power through a Vow Ritual.
◎ You must possess the prerequisite skill ‘The First Vow!’
◎ The ‘The First Vow’ skill currently has no unique properties applied. The ‘Sensation Suppression’ trait is removed. A penalty is applied.
◎ Only minor wounds can be healed!
Thanks to this, his arm was intact, but pain was pain all the same.
Aiden clutched his arm, twisting in place, completely overwhelmed.
It went without saying of all the kinds of pain a person could feel, burning pain was the worst. The agony of having an entire arm skewered by a blazing blade was beyond words.
His reaction was only natural.
But.
“……”
Katya’s gaze as she watched was filled with shock.
As though she was witnessing something that should never, ever be possible.
“You…!”
While Katya stood there, frozen in place, Aiden groaned and turned toward the counter.
“Run…! Dammit, this hurts like hell…!”
The shopkeeper understood at once and spun around, bolting out of the store at a dead sprint.
At least, it seemed that doing something this reckless had been worth it.
Katya clearly didn’t spare even a shred of attention to the man escaping.
“You’re… exactly like me.”
Her cheek was twitching violently. That ever-present bright smile was, just this once, twisted all out of shape.
“Hey. Aiden. Answer me. That was my holy flame, wasn’t it?”
Still tearing up from the pain, Aiden dazedly turned to look at Katya.
“Did you just say Aiden?”
“Did you really think I’d fall for that pathetic disguise? More importantly answer me. What the hell was that just now?”
…Then she’d known exactly who he was from the start, before she ever approached.
Come to think of it, she did seem to know far too much about him, and she’d always felt too coincidental to have run into by chance.
But instead of asking her anything more about that, Aiden only let out another sigh in his heart.
Anyway, that wasn’t what mattered right now.
“…Yeah.”
There was no point in lying.
She wasn’t stupid, and there was no way he could fool her about something like this.
No—more precisely.
What he needed to lie about was ‘something else.’
“You’re just like me.”
“You can see it yourself, can’t you?”
“……”
Katya’s expression twisted even further at those words.
Even an idiot could see the excitement gleaming in those glistening eyes.
“But how in the world—”
“—How in the world am I able to ‘feel pain?’”
“……”
Katya froze in place. As if he’d struck right at the heart of her weakness, her gaze began to shake violently.
Aiden knew exactly why this girl went around shooting herself in the head without a second thought.
To be numb beyond pain—to be devoid of all sensation was, for someone born that way, an unspeakable curse.
To exist, empty, without any stimulus, unable to die yet unable to truly live, endlessly continuing on like that.
She repeated those deranged acts, desperate to ‘feel’ something, even the slightest sensation.
In that sense.
The real reason she’d been so shocked just now wasn’t only that Aiden had used the same power she had.
It was more that, even wielding such a power, he had still vividly felt pain.
So.
“Do you want me to tell you?”
“……”
Katya’s body stiffened.
He had no doubt he’d struck her deepest vulnerability.
And in Aiden’s head, the switch was still clicking away.
The situation had erupted in an instant, and he’d only managed to resolve it with desperate improvisation.
But now that it had come to this, it was the perfect time to add one more thing.
Since it had all gone this far anyway, he might as well squeeze every possible benefit out of it.
“If you want to know.”
In that sense, it was time to get back to his main profession.
Deception. Lying to people.
“Do me a favor.”
And turning that into his own advantage.
System Message
▶ You have skillfully handled the Sub Quest.
▶ The target ‘Katya Heinkel’ has increased interest in you.
▶ Bond stage has risen from Stage 2 to Stage 3.
▶ You have gained 1 additional skill copy attempt!
▶ Related content has been added to the Main Quest!
“……”
Aiden let out a relieved sigh as he watched the window appear before his eyes.
It was clear.
The feedback for every gain was always so… satisfyingly direct.