Berserk of Gluttony (LN) - Volume 2 - Chapter 14

Chapter 14:

Gluttony and Wrath 

A FEW DAYS HAD PASSED since we’d left the holy knights’ walled city, Lanchester, when I realized I hadn’t said a word to Baldo or his adventurers before leaving. Then again, monster hunting was their trade, so I had a feeling we’d meet again. If we did, I figured our reunion would be a good enough excuse for a drink or two. 

Our wagon rumbled on under the canvas of a clear blue sky. Thanks to the money I’d earned slaying the sand golem, we didn’t need to hitch a ride as bodyguards this time. Instead, I spent fifteen gold coins to hire a private cart. Perhaps that was a little on the indulgent side, but at the same time, this was a once-in-a-lifetime journey—one I might never return from. Surely a bit of indulgence was worth the expense! 

Naturally, sullen and sulky Little Miss Wrathful sitting next to me didn’t contribute a single coin. Apparently, she hoarded whatever money she could to send to her home village. Still, it was kind of nice to have a traveling partner. 

“How far to the next city?” I asked our driver. 

“Hm… I’d say about three days.” 

Three days… I glanced at the food supply in the back of the cart. We were running low. Wait. Did I eat all of it? I thought. No, no, that can’t be right. I’ve been so careful to ration our supplies. 

I also clearly remembered checking how far Lanchester was from our next destination. That was why I’d bought so much food. 

The real reason we were down to our last slivers of jerky should have been obvious: Myne. Her appetite was profound. Did she secretly have Gluttony too? Actually, I’d slipped up earlier and told her it was a wonder she never grew any bigger, what with all the food she consumed. I would not quickly forget the punch in the face she gave me in return. 

More importantly, I was starving. My stomach rumbled hungrily. The driver glanced back at me. “There’s a bustling little village called Sui, and it’s not too far from here,” he said. “It’ll take us slightly off course, but you’ll be able to top up your food stock. Be good to give our horses a rest too.” 

This was better than I could have asked for. I agreed immediately, and we changed course to Sui. 

“What do you think, Myne? You think it’s a good idea?” 

Myne continued to stare vacantly up at the sky. “No idea what you’re talking about,” she said, “but yes.” 

“Thanks, that really cleared things up…?” 

Myne was always completely oblivious to anything she wasn’t interested in. She let out a big yawn, reached back into the cart, grabbed the last of our jerky, and started chewing on it. 

“Wait, why are you eating the last of our food now?!” 

“Because I’m hungry. Didn’t you just say we’re going to buy more food?” 

“Yeah, but…” 

But I was hungry too. I wanted to tell her that, but I was pretty sure it would be a fruitless endeavor, so I gave up. 

“Here, this is for you.” 

I turned back to Myne, who stuffed a piece of jerky into my mouth. It was a delicious treat for my empty stomach. 

“You’re hungry too, right, Fate?” 

“Yeah…” I mumbled around the jerky. 

She didn’t show a single shred of interest in the things she didn’t care about, but she’d clearly heard the rumblings of my stomach. I wasn’t about to thank her, though! I was the one who’d bought the food in the first place. Still, this gesture was out of character for her. After feeding me, Myne munched through the last of her own jerky, then rested her head on my knees, using them as a pillow. 

“There’s space in the back if you want to sleep, you know,” I said. 

“I don’t like it back there. It’s hard. I can’t get to sleep. This pillow’s a little more bearable.” 

“Well, please accept my humble apologies that this pillow isn’t up to your high expectations.” 

“I’d like the pillow better if it didn’t talk so much. Wake me when we get there…” 

And in the next instant, Myne conked out. She slept so soundly. To see her curled up, and to hear her gentle, quiet breaths…if I didn’t know better, I’d have said she looked like a sleeping child. If I dared say as much, however, I’d find myself launched into the air like Rudolph had been a few days ago. I gently patted Myne’s head, then leaned back and touched Greed’s hilt. 

“Hey, Greed,” I said. “What do you think Myne’s goals are?” 

“Beats me.” 

“You know, don’t you?” I asked. “You totally know. You’re just playing dumb.” 

“If you keep traveling with her, you’ll see for yourself soon enough. You’ll get a glimpse of them, anyway. But I wouldn’t get too involved in her deal if I were you.” 

“A glimpse…?” 

I wondered whether her mysterious Galian foe had something to do with her Skill of Mortal Sin. Or were her plans entirely different? I had no way of knowing. I wanted to talk it over with Greed, but the black sword was more interested in other things. 

“ Hey, Fate,” he said, a hint of cheekiness in his dark voice. “Now’s your chance. You can get your revenge. You know, for last time.” 

“What are you babbling about?” 

“While Myne is fast asleep, write ‘wrath’ on her forehead. It’ll be hilarious , I promise.” 

“I think you mean it’ll be hilarious for you . What about me?” 

“Will you do it? Will you take up my challenge?” 

“Of course I won’t! Do you think I have a death wish?!” 

Rudolph’s flying departure played again in my memory, but in my mind’s eye, the victim was me instead of Rudolph. “I’ll see you all in Sui when you get there!” I cried as I flew through the air… No, reality would play out far differently! 

The real pain, though, was that whenever I wanted to talk seriously with Greed, he found something ridiculous to joke about instead. 

After another hour or so, our cart arrived at the village of Sui. 

“This… Wow.” I muttered before I could even fully verbalize my thoughts. 

Fields of wheat stretched out before us. Water mills were everywhere, their wheels powering millstones that echoed with the sound of grinding barley. This village had incredibly advanced farming techniques. And the wonderful scent of bread! The aroma of freshly baked goods drifted over everything, a delicious fragrance that had me practically drooling. 

Sui seemed to grow produce other than barley, too. I saw fields of vegetable varieties I’d never seen before, and I heard cows and pigs in the distance. It was a village far more prosperous than the one I’d once called home. 

“I’ve never seen a village so vibrant and flourishing,” I said. 

“That’s Sui for you,” said the driver. “It’s blessed with an abundance of spring water. The water’s especially good for plants too. It helps anything grow, really. When you get to the heart of the village, you can see the lake for yourself. Can’t miss it.” 

“So, different types of water have different effects? How strange.” 

“They say it started about fifty years ago. Spring water bubbled up from under the ground, and especially lush greenery began to grow around that small spring. Passing travelers stumbled into the area, and eventually, others gathered here too. Soon enough, the place grew into the village that stands before you.” 

Was it possible for a spring to emerge from nowhere? I couldn’t help but think it was an odd story. The lands around Sui were dry and barren, a stark contrast to these flourishing fields. This village was literally an oasis in the middle of a desert. 

Our driver leaned in and said something strange. “Look, I know you’re in a rush, so it’s probably nothing to worry about, but I feel like I should say something all the same. Whatever you do, don’t make your stay in Sui a long one.” 

“But…why not? It’s so peaceful here.” 

The driver frowned at me, uncertainty written across his face. I got the sense that he didn’t really know the reason he was warning me either. “Well, it’s just that…people who stay here too long, they end up never wanting to leave.” 

I wanted to tell him to lay off with the jokes, but there was such a weight to the driver’s voice that all I could do was chuckle uneasily. 

We decided to stay the night and head out at first light the following day. I unloaded the still sleeping Myne and her black axe from the cart, and the driver took the horses to the inn to rest. 

Now I had to wake Myne up, and I had to consider the how part of that very carefully. I knew that if she didn’t like the way I woke her, she’d get mad, and I’d suffer. At the same time, she’d specifically asked me to wake her, so I had to think of some way that was both gentle and definitive. 

“All right,” I muttered. “I’ve got an idea. Let’s give it a shot.” 

I gently squeezed her little nose shut with my fingers, and I waited. A few moments later, Myne’s eyebrows twitched, and her body tensed. 

So far, so good. 

A few more moments of this, and Myne’s face started to redden. The lack of oxygen was getting to her. All I had to do was make sure I got the timing right. 

Wait for it, wait for it… Now! 

Just as Myne opened her eyes, I let go of her nose. “Hey, Myne. We’ve arrived.” 

“Oh…” Myne blinked sleepily. It seemed as if she hadn’t noticed a thing. That was good to know. It meant I could do it again. 

“Oh, and don’t forget your axe,” I said, holding out her weapon. “The old man took the horses to the inn so they could rest a bit. We should probably go stock up on supplies while we’re here.” 

“Okay.” 

Upon taking up the black axe in one hand, however, Myne snatched my nose with the other. Her movement was faster than my reaction speed, even with my high Agility. 

“I asked you to wake me up,” she said, “so I’ll forgive you this one time. But if you ever do that again…” 

“Ow, ow ow ow!” 

She’d known all along. But that didn’t mean I would give up. There was just something about Myne’s adorable, peaceful sleeping face that invited pranks. I didn’t know why, exactly—only that the urge was near impossible to resist. Perhaps Gluttony was making me do it. 

When I tried to explain this, Myne just furrowed her brow and squeezed my nose harder. “Did you hear me?” she asked. 

“I did. I heard you! I won’t do it again! Now please let me go!” 

Myne finally released me, and I rubbed my nose. Oh, don’t you worry, I thought. I won’t do that one again. Next time, I’ll figure out something new and completely different! 

In any case, with Myne awake and on her feet, we went to buy supplies. 

“I’m beat. Let’s get our shopping done quick so we can head to the inn,” I said. 

“Great. I need some more sleep,” said Myne. 

“All you ever do is sleep!” 

Myne trailed after me drowsily as we headed into the heart of the village. There weren’t a lot of stalls or shops, but every shelf was jam-packed with produce. In mild disbelief, I asked a lady selling vegetables about it. 

“This is just how it is, here in Sui,” she said. “The farming is incredible. Produce, livestock—they all grow so quickly. But, you know, it goes bad real quick if you take it away from the village, so we can’t really ship to other towns or cities.” 

“But it’s okay to eat?” 

“Of course! We eat this stuff every day! Hm…but you’re travelers, so you’re probably looking for food to pack, right?” 

“Yes.” 

“In that case, how about some salted jerky? Perfect for a journey. All the passing travelers buy it.” 

We followed the lady’s directions to the butcher, where we loaded up on salted and spiced jerky. Of course, Myne didn’t pony up a single copper. 

“What a weird place, don’t you think?” I asked as we walked through the village with our hefty sack of jerky. “They raise all this delicious produce and livestock, but they can’t ship it out of here.” 

“Look over there, Fate.” 

“What? You mean, at those triplets?” 

“Yeah. And over there.” 

“Wait…are those kids quadruplets?!” 

It wasn’t just them. There were tons of children in the village, many of them triplets and quadruplets. It was mind-boggling. 

“Maybe Sui’s a fertile village too?” I wondered. 

Myne ignored my attempt at an explanation. “No. That’s not it.” 

I placed a hand on the hilt of the black sword. “Myne’s right,” Greed said. “Something’s creating these conditions.” 

“What do you mean, ‘something’? There’s nothing here.” 

“Oh? I’m certain someone dropped an important hint earlier.” 

A hint? The only thing I could think of was the strange spring water the driver had mentioned. That mysterious spring was where everything had started. It was why this strange little village even existed. 

We made our way to the lake at the center of the village. They’d said it started as a small spring. Now, the lake was so big that I thought the entire castle of Seifort could probably have been sunk in it. I watched as people of all ages played in the water. The lake seemed like a place to relax, unwind, take it easy. I reached a hand down and cupped some of the crystalline water in my hand. 

“Fate, don’t,” Myne said. “Don’t let it get inside you.” 

“Huh? I just wanted to check it…” 

Myne took hold of my arm and placed her black axe on the ground. “I had my suspicions earlier, but this is really it.” 

“Sure seems like it,” Greed muttered in agreement. 

I had no idea what they were talking about, so I pressed Myne for a straight answer. 

“It’s a city eater,” she said. 

“A monster,” Greed added. “A gigantic, monolithic monster. Its appetite matches its grotesque size. Fortunately, this beast only eats once every few hundred years. Now, listen carefully, because this next tidbit is important. The city eater has a unique way of gathering enough food to sate its appetite. It takes a long, long time.” 

“No… Are you saying…?” 

Greed didn’t need to continue. I could put the rest together myself. The heart of the truth was the name of the monster: the “city eater.” Sui’s unusual prosperity was the work of this monster. And this water…this peaceful lake…was bait, drawing people in like honey in a trap. 

There was nothing monsters enjoyed more than eating humans. 

The kids I’d seen earlier, the triplets and quadruplets, were a side effect of the city eater’s influence. They were born so plentifully to give the beast even more to feast upon. 

I stared hard toward the bottom of the lake, but it was far too deep. I couldn’t see to the bottom. At this distance, my Identify skill was useless. 

“The city eater waits down there?” I asked. 

“It does,” said Myne. “One day, it will devour everyone who calls this place home.” 

I wanted to speak, but I swallowed my words. I hated this monster with every fiber of my being, but that wasn’t what I had trouble articulating. 

Myne seemed to understand. “If we fight the beast here,” she continued, “we cannot prevent Sui’s destruction. Nobody will believe us if we tell them about the city eater. The monster makes its home in the deepest parts of the earth. The villagers won’t flee if we tell them to, and anybody who doesn’t run will be pulled into the battle, whether they like it or not.” 

“Even if we kill it,” I said, “the village is doomed.” 

“Yes. The city eater itself is the heart of Sui. When it is gone, this place will return to the barren, lifeless desert it was before, just like the land surrounding it. If the villagers had to flee, could you promise them a life as good as the one they have now?” 

“I…I couldn’t.” 

“So, this is a monster we’d best leave alone.” 

“But…” 

The city eater had to be defeated, but not yet. In the end, Myne was right. For the city eater to prepare its meal, this village would have to grow much bigger. Even at its rapid speed, that would take a long, long time. Perhaps a hundred, even two hundred years. While the city eater waited, the villagers dwelling here could spend their lives in oblivious bliss. Their futures were not something passing strangers had the right to decide. 

I knew all this. I understood Myne’s logic. Yet I was frustrated, helpless in the face of Sui’s doom. I gripped the hilt of the black sword in my fist. 

As I did, Greed spoke. “You can always come back, Fate. You can find a way to solve this problem, then return to Sui.” 

“Then that’s what I’ll do,” I said. “That’s what I’ll do.” 

Whenever I felt weak like this, I saw her face in the back of my mind—the one worthy of the title holy knight. If Lady Roxy were here, what would she do? 

If it were Lady Roxy in Sui, she’d think of something I couldn’t, and then she’d see her plan through. 

“I can’t do anything as I am right now,” I said to Myne as I stared out at the lake. “But when I come back, the next time I stand here…” 

“Not all battles are solved with strength alone,” she said. “You had to learn that one day, and I’m glad you did. Let’s head to the inn.” 

In that moment, Myne’s face—usually so hard and expressionless—seemed to soften with just a hint of kindness. 

The city eater was a monster best left alone, unlike any other I’d encountered. If I met another monster like this one, a monster it wasn’t right to hunt and kill, would I unsheathe my sword to face it? 

Perhaps my answer would depend on how heavy my heart had by then become.