novelAcedia's Neglect: Honestly, it's Troubling
| ← Ch.41 | Ch.43 → |
I'm bored.
Demons of Sloth are bored. Their cravings don't require any stimulus from the outside world.
No stimulus means their bodies, and their hearts give no reactions. They can't.
To summarize, one with Sloth at his base aside, for a half-assed one with other longings within me, it was quite an unbearable sensation.
This must be why there aren't any out there that reach the extremes of their power through simple sleep.
Boredom was the slayer of Sloth.
I remembered back when there was a Sloth Demon among my subordinates. He was an exceedingly weak Demon, but that stands to reason. The more they move, the more Sloth's power declines. Being enlisted in the army pretty much means there was no helping his powers dropping to such a low level.
He didn't lose the use of his Skills, but the greater problem was that his base abilities were much too low. As a soldier, it was a fatal error.
On top of that, Sloth Skills weren't even used for offense.
Every kind of resistance imaginable, VIT elevation, and other defensive Skills, as well, as some passives to let one live life without having to eat, and some passives to prevent one's body from getting dirty, and some passives to make excretion unnecessary, and... anyways, there was an absurd amount of passives. Passive perfectly describes a Demon of Sloth, but no matter how you look at it, that's an invitation to death's door.
That's why there's no reason to embrace it, or a reason to forge it. For what purpose did Leigie-sama continue to push on with it, I didn't understand even a fragment of his thought process.
But at the very least, I'm quite certain that the other Demon Lords proceed down their paths at a rate that leaves Sloth back in the dust.
And... I'm bored.
By doing nothing but wriggling around in the mattress like this, I end up recalling unnecessary things. I'm starting to feel a sense of inferiority.
Like, am I really alright with it like this?
Without finding victory, some hazy, cloud-like thing was wandering around the depths of my heart.
What's useful at times like these are my Invidia Skills.
Envy.
It was the most common Original Sin embraced by the Demons of the Demon world.
The heart to find jealousy in others was to Demon, and Humans, something anyone had felt at least once in their lives.
Fortune, and tragedy, and talent, and power, and treasure, and fame.
Even in this desolate world, there was an abundance of targets to envy.
It was the complete opposite sin to Pride, and its versatility of use was something not found within the other Skill Trees.
Well, I put a lot out there, but to say it simply... it's optimum for killing time.
While lying face up on the bed in my room, I activated a Skill.
"Envy Vision"
My field of vision frothed over in an instant, and changed.
It's a Skill to observe those you've Envied. Based on time and place, this was an evasive Skill that could display considerable power. It could only target the targets of your Envy, and that restriction was quite a fault, but for the current me, it didn't really matter who I saw, so there wasn't really a problem.
First, the General who once served under the same banner of Leigie's Legion, an Avaritia Demon, The Usurper, Deije Breindac. Let's peep at him.
It's been a bit since Deije left, but I get the feeling it hasn't been too long either. While it may be one sided, I can frequently view his form.
Without taking up a position in another army, after he resigned, Deije had been wandering here and there across the lands.
There are few of General Class. That's why regardless of what army he takes up service in, he should receive a favorable reception. Despite that, without taking up any official duty, he sought the fulfillment of his longings, walking through foreign lands. Of his way of life, I was a little jealous.
It seems he even got himself a tag-along. A Demon about as young as me. One with ashen hair and eyes.
Comparing his slender body to Deije's was like equating a woodchip to a tree, but the power I sensed from his body was definitely nothing so small.
"... How nice."
Compared to that, how about me?
How many months has it been since I last tasted the outside air? I can barely even remember it.
Since attaining Sloth, I've just done nothing but lie atop the bet, and spent my time lazing around.
If you ask about my growth, I am growing, so I can't really say anything about it, but that growth was limited to my power as a Demon, and other than that, nothing had changed at all.
Thinking too deep about it would lower my spirits, so I changed my train of thoughts.
I craned my ears to Deije's and that tag-along who seemed to be called Zeta's conversation.
"... Angel."
I'd never really met one before, but I've heard the rumors. That name belonged to the natural enemy of Demons, who lived atop the heavens, and the polar opposite existence to Demons.
The war that broke out around ten thousand years ago birthed considerable casualties on both sides, apparently, and the older Demons rarely ever talk about it.
Recently, the fact that more heavenly assassins had been descending had become the topic of gossip, and I'd listened in to that.
It appears that Deije is pursuing them. I don't know the reason, and even if I heard it, I doubt I'd understand. Deije's desire was stronger than mine, it's probably something like that.
If he's telling the truth, then will that something that's going on in the Demon World make it's way all the way here?
... Yeah, probably not.
After thinking a little, I ended up answering my own question.
Leigie-sama is strong. He doesn't move in the slightest, yet he's overwhelmingly strong
Even if that something were to aim for his neck, they'll give up soon enough. They'll understand the complete lack of meaning in such a deed, and how their power would never amount to enough.
I changed my posture, and pushed my face into my pillow.
Despite what she says, Lorna cleans my room as well, so there's no obstacles to my slacking.
Without shifting my body, I changed over to the next target.
What entered my eyes was the form of a single girl with teary eyes, and grit teeth, looking over in my direction.
She was trying to form a smile at her mouth, but even a moment's glance could tell you how cramped her face was.
Her form could be described as a little younger version of Lorna, with her breasts quite a bit withered. She definitely had an attractive face and figure to an extent.
The name of the girl who, if you wiped away the smile full of ill intent constantly covering her face, would look identical to Lorna, was Hiero.
Lorna's younger sister, and the Demon who's set to look after Leigie once Lorna is gone.
But she wasn't the target of my Envy.
My target was the one calmly standing at Hiero's side.
Like Leigie, the Demon boasted black eyes and hair, as if they were fashioned of darkness.
But the air about him was the opposite of the lazy Lord.
The Demon whose mere existence constantly exerted an aura that forced all creation to their knees was a Demon Lord who governed Superbia.
At the same time, he was once my superior, and upon becoming a Lord, he easily crumbled the ranking system, and took over the Rank One position among Demon Lords.
The Prideful Kaiser, Heard Lauder.
At this point, he was a Lord of Pride that no one didn't know of, and with his condescending eyes pinned on Hiero, he raised his arm to the horizontal.
Towards an area of empty space, he lightly lowered that arm.
... And with just that, the ground split.
Without using a Skill, the pressure from that single attack had torn the ground asunder. The earth quivered as if choked with tears, as black pebbles rolled across the ground.
But with a single word from Heard, all of them fell flat on the earth.
Heard used his chin to indicate the natural disaster he had personally brought about. Even during that motion, his glare continued to pierce through Hiero.
With a dejected expression, the girl pointed to herself, as she tilted her head in a planned-out cute gesture.
Heard completely ignored that flirtation, and gave a single order.
『Do it. 』
"Pu... Nonono, that's impossible."
I unintentionally let out a laugh.
Just what does Heard Lauder think Hiero is?
She's an ordinary person without even any military service behind her. For a civilian, she may be considered strong, but that's all she was as a Demon of Pride.
I won't say she doesn't have any talent. Her garbage-like nature was exceedingly aligned with that of a Demon, and given the time, she would probably become strong.
But now is definitely not the time.
More so, to split the land barehanded without using a Skill, just who are you...?
I don't even think most Demon Lords would be able to manage that one.
That was the farthest front only a Pride Demon who had continued to hone his body could reach.
I had heard of how Heard had dragged Hiero off from Lorna.
Perhaps he felt something from a fellow Pride Demon, but it seems she was persevering in being beaten into shape.
No, she was persevering, but... yep. My condolences.
That's impossible, ain't it?
In the first place, the thickness of Heard's and her arms are completely different. While it's true a Demon's strength and appearance are disproportional, there's something out there called limits. Hiero was just as delicate a Lorna. Her power was likely not something she polished to use in battle.
『N-no... impossible. That's impossible for me...』
『Do it. 』
『No, I mean, my power is...』
『Do it. 』
『......』
On the other side of things, it doesn't look like Heard has any intentions of listening to Hiero's words. Well, that's to be expected from a Pride Demon, but...
Hiero lowered her eyes from Heard's, and with tears of defeat forming at their corners, she slowly lifted her hand.
I couldn't handle the scene any longer, and returned my vision to my own.
On top of the bed. The complete opposite of the wasteland Hiero had stood on, lying idly in my world of repose. I stretched my body.
I recalled the scenes I just witnessed, did some calculations, and as no one was around me, I shook my head.
"No, no... that's impossible..."
I really wonder what Heard is thinking... that was... too much. Even for me, it's absolutely imposible.
I remember of how, with a gentle smile on her face, Lorna had told me of how Heard had taken Hiero away for training. I wonder if she hates her sister... no, that's definitely wrong. Despite this and that, when Leigie-sama isn't concerned, she's a woman of common sense.
But that being the case, that scene back there was... just harassment. She'll fold over before anything actually gets trained.
And wait, what about her household skills... I was kinda under the impression she was going to take up duty after Lorna...
It looks like the intent has completely shifted, ...
This is kinda tiring...
I sighed, but I still went on to use the Skill for my next target.
My field of vision shifted for a third time. This time, it was for the kind older sister.
The form of a maid walking down a familiar corridor came to my eyes.
Even when no one was watching, she held a posture brimming with courtesy, and even when she was doing nothing but walking, that figure made for a pretty picture. She wore a clean white apron over a navy blue one piece. On top of focusing on practicality, the attire made her seem all the more lovable.
Her form was prim and proper, and while I can't say for certain, she didn't look suited to one carrying the sin of Luxuria.
But I know. Right, under that naively oblivious expression, I know just how muddy of an appetite lies. Her well-calculated passions let her raise her status as a Demon without letting a single thing taint her body.
Honestly, she was the one I was most afraid of.
In the past, I once chanced upon a meeting with the Demon Lord of Lust, Lilith Luxeliaheart, and by Envying a part of her, I could understand.
The Original sin of Luxuria didn't possess any direct offensive Skills like Pride or Gluttony, but it definitely wasn't weak. Its way of life was, in a sense, close to Sloth.
But if Acedia was like a plant, then Luxuria was a carnivorous plant. For them, the battlefield wasn't some bloodstained wasteland, but a... stained bedroom. Their battles were not the swinging of fists, but to burst in full bloom.
In that, there was a melting fear that had built up in me without my notice. And Luxeliaheart, the Demon Lord one, was a powerful Lord who brought a number of other Demon Lords to their deaths.
It was, in a sense, the most dreaded power for a soldier.
I returned my eyes, and under the covers, I let my body shake in a fear that came from the depths of my heart as I whispered.
"... Lorna... what a frightening woman..."
"... And what do you mean by that...?"
"...!?"
I pulled off the blanket covering me. There, was the maid I had been peeping at, and fantasizing of.
The fact that I got lost in thought, and stopped watching, had backfired on me.
The perplexed face that she made— under that mask, I felt as if I were being tasted by the extended tongue of a snake, and on that illusion, I raised a short scream.
"How rude..."
"Kku... h-ha... hah..."
It became hard to breath for a moment, but I somehow got myself in order. It would be no joke if I choked to death atop the mattress.
And despite all that... Lorna still takes care of my meals, and cleaning. That's why it was unavoidable for her to be here.
A Demon of Sloth has no right to refuse. I mean, we aren't even doing anything to earn it.
"Now, Medea. It's time for your meal..."
"Y... yes..."
Hunger hasn't struck me yet. It's because it has been abated with my Skills. If I continued advancing down this tree, then perhaps food will become unnecessary in itself. For the reason of it being a pain, most likely.
But there's no way I'm getting there any time soon, and even once I've reached that point, I'd still probably eat meals. It would be difficult crushing such a necessary habit.
I press against my heart that was still exploding in my chest, and somehow raise my sluggish body before proceeding to the dining table that had been prepared.
Before coming here, I had never eaten a decent meal, so to me, Lorna's cooking was the taste of home.
Even without hunger, there's no way I would ever think it wasn't tasty.
Silently, Lorna stood by my side.
Without saying anything, she watched me bring the food to my mouth. If she stares at me so intently, I won't be able to make anything of the taste.
I finished eating, and as if she were gauging for the moment I put down my silverware, Lorna finally opened her mouth.
"... Hey, Medea."
"Yes?"
For a moment, I caught a glimpse of her hesitation. But that quickly vanished, and resolving herself, she threw a strong look in my direction.
"Don't you think it's about time you start working..."
"... Y-yes."
Those eyes were filled with such sorrow that my heart began to give off a throbbing pain.
What's with this mental assault... my Skills won't defend me from it...
Her voice was still untainted. There wasn't an emotion of Wrath or Pride behind them.
And that's why it was able to pierce through my heart like a blade.
"Medea, no matter how much you sleep, you'll never become Leigie-sama... you should have your own way to live out your life."
"... Y-yes..."
I... I feel like running away. Her earnesty was giving me this unbearable urge to flee. It was only amplified by the fact she was my life's benefactor.
And those words weren't getting at the root of things. It's not like I want to become Leigie-sama or anything... more so, I'm sure I don't want to do that.
What I want to be isn't the man, but the man's...
After thinking that far, I started going over the sins I carried once more.
... There's no way. I wonder if a screw went lose somewhere in my desire of Envy.
To add to it all, I've even begun to carry Sloth due to that, and it feels like I'm being closed in on from all sides.
If you carry multiple Sins, then each individual Skill becomes harder to raise. This is just a rumor, but its rate becomes even less than half. Because of that, it's hard for Demons of multiple Sins to get strong.
Also, how should I handle the pairing of Sloth and Envy...
And wait, in the first place...
"... This place doesn't even need an army anymore..."
Right. Leigie-sama's camp no longer has a need for bloodshed. There's no enemies, and no army. If you had to say, I was the sole member of the army.
If you tell me to work at a place like this, it's honestly troubling.
Right. It's not that I don't want to work. I don't have a place to work.
"It's fine."
And to me, Lorna directed a smile like the Virgin Mary, and said something befitting a Demon.
"I'll try getting Heard's Army to let you assist their work, so..."
"I'm sleeping. Good night."
"Wai..."
I ignored Lorna's cries, and dug myself into the bed.
Perhaps the one most messed up in the head is Lorna. She doesn't think of a single thing but Leigie-sama.
What floated up in my head was the form of the one I had peeped at a while ago, Hiero, who was forced to attempt so many impossible feats.
| ← Ch. 41 | Ch. 43 → |