Chapter 61 While Holding
「(What the hell with them!? They are not fulfilling their duty as escorts at all!)」
Alistar violently abuses Helge and the others inside. Of course, his iron wall acting is ongoing, so his thoughts will never leak out.
However, even if he speaks it out, it won’t reach to Herge and the others.
「Herge-san!? Everyone!?」
Magali is more upset than Alistair. Of course, that’s not because she’s worried about them. She’s worried about herself that she couldn’t use them as a meat shield.
「Saint-sama, unfortunately your voice doesn’t reach them. They are a captive of my song.」
「Song……?」
It seems that Magali doesn’t understand well, but Alistar realized about it.
「… The song of a mermaid has the power to fascinate the listener. However, normally a mermaid song doesn’t enough to manipulate others. My sister’s song is more excellent and beautiful than other mermaids. That’s why I think she can do something like brainwashing like this.」
「(Mermaids are an extremely dangerous sub-human after all…!)」
Listening to Malta’s explanation, Alistar strengthens his vigilance towards the entire race of mermaid once again. For him, Pamela and Malta are the same.
「Fufufu. Thank you for the praise, Malta. But, it’s a little different.」
「Different……?」
Malta looks at her sister with doubt.
Seeing such her, Pamela smiled slightly.
「You are thinking that I can sing like this by birth, right? However, that’s wrong.」
「How is that wrong?」
Malta becomes hasty to her put on airs way of talking.
「… When I had awareness of the surroundings, there were many things that I wanted. I wanted toys that others’ have, amusements, friends… I wanted such things. But, there was something that I wanted for the first time.」
Pamela’s memories are all about what she wanted from others’. She wanted the toys that her friends played with fun. She wanted her friend’s friends that on good terms and then snatched them away.
However, what she wanted the most after she had awareness is…
「It’s a song.」
Pamela squints her eyes.
「I think I was able to sing a better song than any other mermaids, but it wasn’t enough to fascinate and manipulate others…. At that time, it was fine. I mean, no mermaid could sing a song better than me. However… after a while, someone was born with the ability to sing a song better than I… do you know who? 」
「Who……?」
Pamela’s singing voice was wonderful. To the point even the mermaids were fascinated. But, it didn’t have enough power to control other people. However, she said that someone with such a skill was born.
Even being told so, Malta has no idea who that person is. That’s because no one in this mermaid settlement is so good at singing like Pamela. Let alone equal to her, nobody is near her.
Looking at such her, Pamela smiled slightly.
「That was you, Malta.」
「Eh……」
Malta was shocked when her name was called.
I can sing a song that exceeds her ……?
However, Malta immediately shooks her head.
「B-but, I’m just a failure mermaid, singing is…」
That’s right. That’s why she tried to improve her fighting skills to approach her sister Pamela as much as possible. At least, not to make her embarrassed as her sister. Conversely, if Malta had the talent to sing like Pamela, she wouldn’t think to improve her fighting abilities.
「It’s natural for you to think so. After all, I realized that you had such a talent was when you were still a baby.」
Pamela looks back on the past and looks at a distant place.
「It was just a normal cry. A normal cry for all babies… But Malta, the moment I heard your cry, I was so shocked that as if it hit my head strongly.」
She recalls about it. The baby Malta who just cried.
That’s not a strange story. Just a baby that cries for such trivial things as to appeals of hunger or wants to pee.
Malta cried just because of those reasons. It was not something to be called a song.
However…….
「It was beautiful … it was like I was fascinated. You had such power in your voice.」
Pamela dyes her cheeks slightly red as if fascinated. Her expression is appealing that Malta’s singing voice was really fascinating.
「I have that power…」
「I wanted it. That was my first time. The first time of me wanting something by all means.」
Pamela’s eyes getting muddy. She’s getting too immersed in her desire to the point that her beautiful appearance looks ugly.
「So I decided to take it.」
「Take it… how…」
Listening to Pamela who shows a terrible smile, Malta’s spine freeze.
As for Alistar, his cheeks have a cramp.
「There are some useful magic tools. With it, I took your singing voice.」
「Wha!?」
Magic tools… those are special tools that imbued magic. Those are created with much effort and time. Within those might exist a tool that can bring out unimaginable results.
Voice… there may be a magic tool that can take away the beautiful singing voice. In fact, that might be true because Pamela said so.
「Because of this, I was able to control the knights with my song. This is also your power, Malta. You can proud of it.」
Pamela’s original talent and a singing voice that was taken from Malta. By combining these, she can sing a song for the first time that allows her to control Herge and others.
「But, I’m sorry that because of me you became a failure mermaid in terms of singing. But I couldn’t help it, I wanted it after all.」
「W-why something like this… I am…」
Malta is in a state of confusion. She was valued as a failure mermaid and had been suffering until now. It won’t be strange for her heart to fall apart when she knows the reason for that was her sister that she was longing for.
Looking for help at Alistar, who was intimate with her (or that’s how she thinks), might be natural for such her.
「(Don’t look at me)」
Unfortunately, he is not the kind of man she can rely on.
『Say something.』
However, fortunately, Alistar has a holy sword.
Frightened by his threatening voice and headache, Alistar goes to Marta’s side…
「Eh……」
He gently stroked her dark blue hair.
「Don’t worry about it (even if she’s a family, she’s a total stranger after all. That’s clear now)」
『Don’t say that! Absolutely don’t say that!!』
His thought was trashy as always, but thanks to the holy sword’s efforts it didn’t come out. It’s good that he didn’t say ‘even though she’s your sister, it was your fault for believing her unconditionally’.
「If you tell me that you can’t stand alone, I’ll support you. So, stand up and face your sister.」
Dedicated and kind words, that he didn’t think at all, cuddled to her. Receiving that, Malta’s heart felt like it was clearing up.
Alistar, who has been working together and helping mermaids, is becoming a big existence inside her.
Now, if Pamela, who was a big existence inside Malta, collapsed and then being replaced by Alistar….
「……Yup!」
Malta nodded with a clear and firm will. The insecurity towards herself can’t be seen in her eyes. Malta got a new pillar, Alistar, and was able to stand up again.
Looking at that, Pamela seemed to be dissatisfied… she slightly squinted.
「Well, let’s end this. You knights, do it.」
『Uooooooooooooooooooooooooo!! ]
Under Pamela’s order, Herge and the others, who lost their minds, screamed and rushed.
「(Don’t ‘uoooo’ me!!)」
Alistar screamed while making a stance with the holy sword.
……And while holding Magali’s neck who tried to escape.
