Chapter 306: My Friend is Me

Human nature is complex.

The virtues of humility, compassion, caring, solidarity and friendliness are real.

But that goodwill is limited to human-to-human, and human-recognized, existence.

Obviously.

Monsters with dry bones are not in this category.

Cursed by the witches and infested with the scent of the undead, the girl has long since changed into a faceless being.

She lost her beautiful face, ugly and horrified.

The loss of her fair skin and the pallor of her withered bones was evident.

She had lost her beating heart, and the soul fire was awake and hard to hide.

“Get out, monster!”

“Quick, kill this monster!”

Angry stones were thrown, vicious swords slashed.

Sylvia Cloverfield.

For the first time since the sunlight bloomed, Emerald experienced the malice of people, horrified, helpless, and watched as they called her a monster.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this. It wasn’t supposed to be like this.

Serwia didn’t mean to hurt people in the slightest.

She just wanted to protect, as much as she could, the people of Cloverfield’s territory, even though time had passed so far away, so far away that people forgot the name.

I grew up listening to stories of “G.One”.

Still want to be in this dangerous world.

Go and guard the innocent as best you can.

At least.

Can’t let the deceased parents down.

That’s what Thalia thought, but the people of the village didn’t feel the same way, and with looks of horror and fear, they yelled at the undead-ized Thalia to be driven away.

In the end, Servia could only flee.

In the most lopsided manner, stumbling and falling to the ground, and repeatedly getting up and running away.

She can’t do it.

Can’t do it swinging swords at scared people.

So the only option is to run away.

Flee far, far away, so far away that only rot and stench will keep you company, back to a home that has long since collapsed beyond recognition.

“Sorcerer-sama.”

In the damp, dead forest after the rain.

The water ticked and echoed crisply.

The brave man in heavy armor, half of his body hidden in the darkness, appeared a little thin, his voice wandering and confused, “You think ……”

“Shall a man be judged by his outward appearance, or by his inward self.”

“I’m …… a friend.”

“Servia, would love, love, love, to know the answer to that question.”

Hands unconsciously crossed, rubbing the rust between her ten fingers, the undead-ized girl within the heavy armor waited for Xu’s answer.

That voice, it was so hoarse and shaky.

As if filled with lead and sand.

Sharp and hard to hear.

It even affected the dead branches overhead, causing the water droplets to fall faster, one after another, thumping and cracking in front of Xu System’s eyes.

“Answers? ……,” Xu said as the department recalled several past simulations.

Finally, speaking to the girl in front of him in her armor, wrapped tightly.

“I don’t know.”

“Why?”

Such an answer made it incomprehensible to the girl, who acted incredulous.

Even apart from the heavy iron helmets.

The Xu system could feel it too, the disembodied look of dismay that spoke of incomprehension in the silence.

The Xu system locked eyes with him, “A person’s goodness depends on many aspects, neither a single exterior nor a single interior.”

“In this world, there are really no absolute answers.”

“It’s good, it’s bad, no one can say.”

“And, I’ve never felt like I needed to be judged by others for being good or bad.”

Recalling in the third simulation, leading the Seeking Life Army to attack Da Qian, he heard the angry curses of the Da Qian officials.

The Xu system shook its head.

“The most important thing in a person’s life, really, is to believe in yourself enough.”

“No need to heed the words of others?”

“It can be heeded or ignored, the ultimate choice is not important, what is important is that it is you who makes that choice.”

Inside the armor, the undead girl lapsed into silence.

The wizard in front of me was too peculiar.

Not as evil as those encountered in the past, not wantonly playing with the souls of the living, and even saying strange and bizarre, yet inexplicably penetrating words.

He seems to ……

It’s a good wizard.

“Thank you for clearing up your confusion”, as if some burden had been lifted, the undead girl’s soulfire came alive a bit and politely thanked the Xu system.

“If my friend were here, I’m sure she would …… appreciate your answer as well.”

The girl’s speech was a little awkward.

A mouthful of friends, covering a touch of falsehood.

In the sound of falling water.

The undead girl asked the Xu system one last question.

“Lord Wizard, do you think …… Thalia, my friend, is she still human?”

The girl added, “She believes in herself and is still a real person, but still wants to hear what others think.”

In the dark.

There were bright fires leaping.

It was the firelight of the soul, hollow and godless, yet burning fiercely.

There was invisible longing bursting through the air, the fragile and agonized souls waiting for an answer from the Hsu system, for an affirmation from the heart.

Deadwood was quiet.

So much so that the soul feels uneasy.

Finally.

The girl waited for a “light” to appear.

“Of course, even though the body is undead, the mind is unquestionably human.”

There were voices that turned into light and tore through the silent darkness of the night, a cracking sound that was crisp and booming, yet had a silent warmth to it.

Beaten up, abused, driven away and vandalized.

A “brave man” who has stood up through numerous setbacks.

Now there’s some broken defense.

Dazed and lost for a long time.

“…… Thank you,” Inside the armor, the voice was still raspy and hard to hear, but with an extra sense of relief and light.

The Emeralds of House Cloverfield, the most fearless of knights.

Even if she is alone, she will bravely advance with her sword.

She knew that she had never been brave.

She knew that she was pathetically weak.

She wasn’t even sure if what she was doing had any meaning; she was just bent on atoning for her sins, suffering from having ended both of her parents with her own hands, and longing to do more of the right thing to make up for it.

“Monster!” “Devil!” “Devil!”

People loathed her and drove off to vandalize over and over again.

Even when wearing armor and hiding their true colors, they can still hear the malice of people.

But today.

Someone acknowledged the presence of Thavia, speaking in a tone of conviction, believing that within that monstrous body existed a human mind.

“…… Thank you.”

The undead girl thanked again.

She blamed herself with some guilt.

Hands pressed against the helmet, and with trembling amplitude, he slowly removed the steel helmet, revealing once more his hideous, ghastly visage.

The girl looked like she had made up her mind about something.

“Wizard-sama, you asked me earlier about my specific name and the reason for the alienation of this body.”

“I will, now, return to you with the answer.”

“Actually, I’m …….”

“Thalia Cloverfield!”

The night, it was quiet.

Servia waited for Xu System’s reaction, but Xu System was expressionless, sitting in the same place and looking at her with eyes that didn’t fluctuate.

Neither surprised nor dismayed.

Cervelia was a bit confused, “Aren’t you surprised? Just, about who I am.”

“Thalia.”

“Ah yes, I am.”

“Has anyone ever told you that you’re actually …… not much of a conversationalist.”

“Eh, how did you know?!”