Berserk of Gluttony (LN) - Volume 6 - Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

The Night Skies of Tetra

ERIS TOLD ME that Libra had a second name: the Bringer of Balance. He was a knight in service to God who was also prone to actions that ran contrary to that same job. Eris believed his Divine Revelation was something like “Expel any and all who dare to disturb the order of the world.” To achieve this goal, he was even willing to make contracts with demons.

As she explained, my mind leapt to the conclusion that those with Skills of Mortal Sin were Libra’s natural foes. He simply could not abide by the existence of skills that violated the natural order. When I shared this thought with Eris, she laughed. “He has bigger things to worry about,” she said. The Door to Distant Lands was surely his highest priority.

The Door had the ability to completely annihilate all order in the known world. This was made evident by the simple fact that by its power, the dead were returning to life.

Eris said, “Libra is useful to us so long as the Door remains a threat. When that’s no longer the case, I’ll kill him myself.”

Eris’s feelings about Libra ran deep. Merely speaking his name transfigured her face into a mask of hatred with but one desire—to see Libra dead. However, she told me nothing regarding the details of their relationship and shared past. So, for a time, we simply stared out at the night skies of Tetra.

“I’m sorry, Fate,” Eris said.

“It’s fine. We all have our secrets.”

Eris laughed. “I suppose it’s not so different from all the things you hide from Roxy. Have you told her about your condition yet?”

“I haven’t. I still can’t. But I think she found out when we switched bodies. Even then, she never broached the subject. Not even once.”

“You should be grateful to have her by your side. Not everyone would be so kind and considerate.”

“I give thanks every day.”

“Then you owe her some honesty. Better to tell her that time is running out before it actually does.”

“I…”

“You know better than anyone: she threw away her status as a holy knight to be by your side. Don’t make me tell you why, Fate. You already know.” Eris gazed out into the distance, a faraway look in her eyes. She paid no attention to her surroundings, her eyes fixed on something much, much farther away.

I stared up at the night sky, my thoughts turning to Roxy and my journey to Galia. I had disguised my identity with a skull mask and fought to protect her; it had been my sole desire. I still remembered all the things we spoke of when we found ourselves alone in the cavern underlying the great canyon. Even then Roxy had worried about me. And even though I had worn an arcane disguise, she’d told me that I reminded her of Fate Graphite. I’d almost jumped out of my skin. The whole thing had become a joke now, and Roxy never passed up an opportunity to bring it up, but it still made me want to crawl in a hole and die of embarrassment. 

It had been no different after I returned to Seifort. In the battle with Rafale Vlerick, Roxy had accepted me for what I was. 

To err is human, after all, I thought. As long as you live, you can’t avoid making mistakes. But you can’t allow yourself to be defined by them either. The pain of those mistakes must push you forward.

Roxy had lost many of her soldiers in Galia, and she knew the importance of mourning those losses. She also knew that if she let her regret control her actions, she wouldn’t be able to lead her remaining troops. By watching her, I’d learned that people in power bore responsibility for their actions and needed to hold themselves to a higher standard of conduct.

By comparison, I was pretty immature. Roxy had endured so much that I still didn’t know about, and despite that, she still worried about me. I’d become who I was now because of her. Of course, I couldn’t downplay the influence of Eris, Myne, Aaron, and Memil, but if one person had truly shaped me more than anyone else, it was Roxy. Her warmth toward me was something special. Even an absolute dullard like me, always the butt of Greed’s jokes, was sharp enough to recognize that.

When I’d been a mere servant, and even when I was an adventurer, it had felt too presumptuous to even consider. But when she’d wrapped me in her arms and spoken the words “Welcome home, Fate,” my feelings for her had burst forth like water finally breaking through a dam.

“I love her,” I said, turning to look at Eris, who was still gazing into the distance.

She turned to me with a smile. “You can finally admit it. But you shouldn’t tell me, you should tell her. Let’s just call this an act of generosity on my part, helping you practice for the big day!” 

“Could you be any more conceited?”

Eris burst into laughter. “Well, I am a queen, you know. But in the one-in-a-million chance that you screw things up with Roxy, I’ll always be here to comfort you.”

I suddenly felt the full force of Eris’s Lust skill, her charms surging through me. It was nearly impossible to tear myself away from her gaze. “Hey, what the hell?! Using your power now?”

“If your feelings are true, it shouldn’t be a problem. If you can’t resist this, you don’t deserve her. So why don’t you just give up and become my pet?”

“That arrogance is back…”

“Like I said, I’m a queen. Prone to bouts of selfishness, as you can imagine.”

“Probably impossible to please too.”

The two of us returned to gazing out at the night skies of Tetra. There was a light chill in the air, winter’s last breath before spring.

“Shall we head back to the inn?”

Eris shook her head. I could have stayed there with her, but I got the feeling that she wanted some time to herself. Perhaps there were thoughts in her head with which she needed some time alone, and perhaps some of those thoughts were about that Zodiac Knight, Libra. I headed back to the inn by myself.

“Is it okay to leave her alone like that?” asked Greed as I walked down the sloping streets.

“I’d only make things more awkward if I stuck around,” I said.

Greed cackled. “So glad to see you’ve finally learned to read the room. My boy’s growing up!”

“Quit treating me like a child!”

Greed’s voice suddenly quietened. “So, you’re going to fight your father.”

“If he’s caught up with those Zodiac Knights, probably. But you knew that already, didn’t you?”

“And what if I did?”

“Then it would be completely in character. Like a regular book of secrets, you are.”

“Of course. But chin up, Fate. Even without me having to spill all my secrets, you’ve managed to come this far. Something to be proud of.”

I still wouldn’t have made it without Greed’s power. He was full of unspoken history, that was for sure, but when push came to shove, he always revealed what I needed when I needed it. Regarding my father, Greed had told me not to follow him. He had said his piece, but I was no longer a child.

“I’m my own man now,” I said. “I’ll make my own decisions.”

“In which case, all that’s left is to head for Hausen. But don’t forget to keep your senses sharp with practice. I probably don’t have to remind you.”

“That unbreakable ice… I’m going to need some way to get around that attack.” To overcome it, I would need complete mastery over Greed’s fourth level, the black stave. I needed to master the black flames so they would defeat the ice my father wielded. If I couldn’t do that, I’d be powerless against the thick frozen walls he was sure to put in my way. “I’ll be waiting for you tonight, Greed.”

“I like that enthusiasm! Best get word to Luna too. She’s been champing at the bit recently.”

It seemed that Luna, too, had something she wanted to tell Myne, her older sister. Those unspoken feelings were probably what had made her such an active part of my training with Greed of late. 

I felt two things when I sparred with Luna: first, that she was very good, but second…she truly disdained battle. I wondered if she was afraid. I felt something similar—a fear of endless strife. For as long as I had Gluttony, the battles would never end. The only way out, it seemed, was death.

“Luna seems more open to talking recently. More prone to sharing,” I said.

“She’s always been talkative,” Greed muttered. “She’s probably just feeling more like herself again.”

“But you don’t talk much with her at all, Greed. Why is that?”

“The mighty Greed has his reasons!”

What was with this sudden reluctance?! The infinitely arrogant Greed betrayed a slight uncertainty with his words. Thinking back to our time in the spiritual plane, Greed had always made sure to keep his distance from Luna. Why was that? I was desperate to know. “Well then? I’m still waiting to hear these reasons.”

“Then you’ll keep waiting! Quit being nosy!”

“This isn’t like you at all, Greed. You’re being weird.”

“You’re weird! Everyone’s weird!”

Pushing him only made him dig his heels in. He seemed to almost be panicking. This was so unlike him—I’d never seen him react in such a way. But there was nothing else I could do. If he’d made up his mind to keep his figurative mouth shut, it would stay shut.

“Fine,” I said. “I’ll just have to ask Luna.”

“Hey! Hang on, let’s not be too hasty.”

“You said it yourself. She’s been more talkative lately. More willing to open up. I’m sure she’ll tell me all about it if I just ask.”

If I wanted to learn more about Greed and Luna, there was nobody to ask but the people in question. And pestering Greed was a dead end.

“All right, I’ve made up my mind,” I declared.

“As have I,” added Greed, “I have no choice but to murder you on the spiritual plane.”

“Hey!”

As usual, the black sword’s solution was excessive. 

We walked along the almost deserted main street of Tetra. It was past midnight, but there were still lights on in the inn, and they seemed to welcome my return. This inn was frequented by adventurers and open day and night to accommodate those going on night hunts. That convenience was the reason we’d chosen it. Although it’s worth mentioning that the beds were also fantastically soft, an amenity about which the rest of the party was very particular.

I lit the lamp in my darkened room; the tremulous wavering of its light practically invited slumber. Yawning, I placed Greed against the wall. I figured a bath could wait until the morning. For now, all I wanted to do was crawl into bed, and I did just that. Except…

“Huh?”

I couldn’t put my finger on what I was touching. It was soft, but…it wasn’t the bed.

“Ahhhh…” 

And now there’s a voice?! No, it can’t be! I’d forgotten about it in all the surprises of the evening, but now it all came rushing back. 

“Just where do you think you’re touching me?!” came a voice.

Just as I thought! It was Memil, her cheeks flushed bright crimson. She’d waited for me all night, though I had to admit that I didn’t appreciate how she’d chosen to wait.

“I wouldn’t be touching you if you chose better places to wait!”

“What was I supposed to do? I was waiting and waiting, and you never came back… I got sleepy.”

“That’s why there’s a bed in your room! For sleeping!”

“How can you say that? You know why I’m here!”

It was extremely obvious that Memil was at her limit; her eyes sparkled the color of fresh blood. She hungered for my blood, and when she reached this state, she was like a starving wild animal.

“I need it…quickly…I cannot wait!”

“Okay, okay, take it easy! It’s the middle of the night!”

“I’ve been waiting so long! I can’t wait anymore!” 

“I said take it easy—gah!”

Memil pounced. She was done listening to reason. The force of her body pushed me back onto the bed, and before I could react, she sank her fangs into my neck. At times like this, her more sadistic side revealed itself. 

“Memil, seriously, take it easy…” I moaned.

But I was tired and exhausted, and my consciousness quickly began to fade. Memil lifted her head from my neck for a moment and grinned, her lips stained crimson with my blood.

“Leave the rest to me,” she said. “You just lie back and relax.”

Her fangs glinted suspiciously in the light of the lamp. Then they clamped down once more upon my neck. No pain accompanied the bite, only the world fading to black nothingness.