Chapter 345 - Beeetchology… I mean Remorse

“… As I thought, I’m ‘Trash.’”

While watching the Witch burn, Trash murmurs under his breath.

I silently watch the scene beside him.

Trash: “My lack of control over my daughter’s actions, everything that has happened was brought about by my deeds.”

Naofumi: “That may be true. But you still have work you have to do.”

Trash: “I know.”

His beloved daughter Witch used the world as her toy and put on a crude play up ‘til the very end.

Why can she use humans so well…

I do believe Trash to be a terrible person. But, there has to be another source.

I’ve begun to think of him differently than I think of Witch.

Trash’s life gave him ample reason to hate the Hero of the Shield.

The Hero was the bane of his very existence.

His parents and his beloved sister were taken by the men singing praise for their beloved Shield. By Silt Welt.

I’ve never had any direct relations with them, but it isn’t a story I can’t comprehend.

There are many a protagonist with backstories like that.

Trash: “My wife… tried to correct my daughter again and again… but I never thought too much of it at the time. And this is the result.”

“…”

It would be easy to affirm his statements.

But a large question hangs above my head.

It’s true that the daughter of Trash and the Queen, Witch, is an unredeemable devil of a woman.

The Queen lamented that Witch had inherited the worst traits from both of them, and she did much to try and correct her.

Even so, when looking at Trash and the Queen, I see too much of a disparity between them and that bitch.

The Queen was apparently skilled enough at negotiations that she was called the Vixen of Melromark.

But she acted for the country’s sake by principle.

Even if she commits evil, she puts the country first, and she conducts them calmly while acknowledging the malice behind them.

Her evil deeds carry a greater goal.

For the Queen to do them knowingly suggests that she has a bit of a personality problem, but you can also say she cares for her people.

Next is Trash.

He’s called the Great King of Wisdom, and there isn’t a better man at scheming, it seems.

That may sound nice from afar, but when you’re the target of his plans, it isn’t something to laugh about.

But, you can say that that’s standard practice in wars and conflicts, and if you don’t plan, you can lose against enemies you could have easily defeated.

For the weaker side, it’s natural for them to have to use scheming to take down the strong.

And here’s the big question.

Trash… he does a good job of using his knowledge for those dear to him.

In the recent war, he did his best to fulfill his wife’s will and protect the country.

But… what about Witch?

For what purpose did she find pleasure from getting people to fall for her traps?

I can only think she’s acting for herself.

It’s a bit rash to think the child of those two would only act for her own sake, is it not?

Am I thinking too much? Of course, Trash has gone senile after getting that child.

But looking at Melty makes me wonder.

Despite what she says, Melty treasures friendship.

When Firo was in trouble, she took the initiative, and she assists in the managing of my land.

Is it the influence of her growing environment… that’s all I can think of.

But still, she was born to royalty.

And her birth mother, the Queen, spent her time trying to correct her.

For her to have turned out like that regardless of her environment, it must have something to do with her base personality.

Looking at the parent’s personalities, I can see how someone like Melty could result.

Well, Witch’s past isn’t of any interest to me, and perhaps Trash merely pampered her too much.

I’ve thought about it a few times, but Witch truly seems cut off from the rest of that family.

If it was just the selfishness, I could point to Trash and nod, but she has no feelings for her family.

I’m not sure about the Queen, but I’m pretty sure she had as much familial affection as everyone else.

I mean, Trash’s lineage is connected to Faubley, and with the blood of past heroes flowing in her, I guess it isn’t unthinkable for her to end up on an evil path.

… Could it be that like Tact, there was a reincarnator among the Heroes of the past?

Or could it be that one of the ones summoned to this world had a twisted personality?

Honestly, I’m no saint.

The Spirit of the Shield called me the First Candidate, but I wonder how much of its words were true.

My thoughts are straying. Back to Witch’s personality.

It’s as if she existed merely to harm the world; merely to put the Heroes through pain.

I wonder whether she’s a reincarnator herself, but judging from her actions, the possibility is slim.

But… it’s scary that I can’t deny it.

Could this be it…? The scary thing Glass said about reincarnators?

Including those at my place, I can’t say there isn’t a reincarnated individual among us.

Of course, I would know if they took flashy action like Tact.

But if someone was truly skilled at hiding it, then there would be no way for me to tell.

The people I trusted until now may betray me at the last minute. It’s nothing to laugh at.

I can understand how Glass’s world fell into the trap of suspicion.

Raphtalia was really a reincarnator, and in the last moments, she would attack me… If something like that happened, my heart would break.

But it’s also hard to deny it. I pray that it isn’t true, but I can’t say it isn’t with certainty.

From her statements and actions, there are too many things I have to analyze.

If I could read people’s hearts, then all of this may be resolved, but that one calling himself god seems to be able to give some strange powers.

If I could, and they had the ability to block it, then I would be certain in my judgement, and that would be the end.

Well, it’s more fun to try and find the reason that God didn’t help out Tact.

To protect our sanity, we had all the Heroes assembled here just in case, but it was quite a letdown.

I got to see the execution, but… quite a few of us retired part-way through.

I mean, it wasn’t a good sight.

At the very end, Trash, Glass, and I stayed as representatives.

Trash: “I’ll accept any work… This is my crime.”

Having lost his wife and having the one who prompted it be his daughter. Having the one his daughter was with be the one who destroyed the memento left by his sister. If I were in his position, perhaps my heart would break.

The current Trash has admirable ability and decisiveness.

Honestly, I see why the Queen put her faith in this man.

His strength of heart… If it were me, I don’t think I would be able to imitate him.

For the first time, I sympathized with Trash. For the first time, I thought that perhaps I should stop calling him Trash.

But, because the individual himself wishes to condemn himself, I must continue to refer to him as such.

Trash: “I thought that that child should live as freely as she could. She responded to my parental love, and I often was too soft on her. For it to reach a conclusion like this…”

Naofumi: “I’ll bet it was the freedom. Where the hell did she learn to take pleasure from looking down on others?”

Trash: “I have no answer… even so, when that child proposed the idea of accepting the Three Hero Church and summoning the Four Heroes, I felt I had awoken to my mission.”

Naofumi: “What?”

Witch was the one who proposed the idea of summoning us?

Well, we aren’t the only Heroes, and she already had the experience of looking down on everyone by a Hero’s side.

But, I’m starting to understand Witch’s motives less and less.

Was Trash’s foolish state her doing as well?

She’s good at getting others to pamper her, and looking at all the Heroes, me included, she’s a master of having people fall into depravity.

Perhaps if Tact never associated with her, he would be a bit more decent of a Human Being.

The first time they came into contact was the Academy at Faubley.

This is just speculation, but Witch probably gave her first to him.

Naofumi: “You know how Witch studied abroad in Faubley, right?”

Trash: “Yes, well, to some extent.”

Naofumi: “Then did you know Witch’s first partner?”

Trash: “No… but I learned it from my Wife’s memos. It seems that child was trying to hide it.”

Naofumi: “I see.”

The Queen did say quite a bit.

Like how Motoyasu was far from being her first.

She created friction among the Heroes and kicked them down to the ground whenever she wanted. Up to the Spirit Turtle Incident, the Queen looked over her actions out of benevolence.

But after that?

If she was too scared to do anything, all would be solved if she came before the Queen. But instead, she seduced Ren and placed false charges on Motoyasu. After stealing Ren’s belongings, she ran. After that, she took the Three Hero Church Remnants, and Itsuki, and started her upheaval.

No matter how angry she thought the Queen would be at her deserting the battlefield, I don’t think she would have been executed, or sent to the Pig King at that point, at least.

When Motoyasu honestly admitted his fault, he only received minimal punishment.

Her mental state may have been affected by the bounty on her head, but though her status wouldn’t have been what it was before, she would have been able to make up for it.

… Did she hate the rumors and hardships that much?

That was enough for a Coup d’état? She did proclaim she was the one worthy of being Queen.

Just how much was she acting for her own self-satisfaction?

Did Trash teach her to hate the Shield from a young age, and so she started emulating his worst parts?

Naofumi: “Did you ever teach her that the Hero of the Shield was the God of the Enemy and an existence to be hated?”

Trash: “I didn’t. Though it was in the country’s policy.”

Well, she did seem to participate in their religion, so would her being a devout follower of the Three Hero Church constitute a proper reason?

But… her moves are a bit erratic for her to be a believer.

She did take advantage of them, but I don’t think she had any firm belief.

Honestly, it just doesn’t fit her.

Religions like that seem to prohibit excess luxury in all worlds, so it doesn’t fit the Witch’s character.

It was quite obvious she was using them, and the Pope was enraged when he figured that out.

If she was a devout believer, she would have been accepted there.

Her objective is too unclear.

In the end, the fact that Witch was the one whose mischief dropped the world into chaos is undeniable.

Did she receive some interference or objective from the one naming themselves as God?

An answer probably won’t come. Even if we tortured her, she would probably stay silent.

Trash: “It’s all my fault.”

That day, Trash’s back looked so narrow.

We were in a hate-hate relationship, but even scum like me feels like I should cheer him up a little.