“You are making quite the refreshed face there.”
Levi has evolved (?) into a Leviathan which is apparently a powerful race that’s even called a superior dragon of the sea.
But the reality is that the ones who are doing the job a Superior Dragon should be doing in that world’s sea are the Neptunes. Leviathans are apparently a powerful species that sometimes appears in the seas of that world.
It seems Levi is also the first Leviathan Serwhale has seen, and leaving aside how she is currently, he said he had cold sweat feeling the possibility that she might be able to become stronger than a Neptune in the future.
After putting foot in the tatami room prison zone, I asked Serwhale-san and the others to stay where they were and I went alone.
An extensive room, with a carpet that leaves a nice sensation on the feet, a bed, and a desk.
If it weren’t separated by iron bars, this extravagance wouldn’t let me believe this is a prison cell.
Levi must have noticed I arrived, she was in seiza at the side of the bed.
That expression of hers was as if an evil spirit had been exorcised from her, the very definition of a nice and bright face.
“Waka-sama…I showed you an unsightly sight the other day. No, longer than just the other day…” (Levi)
“Even when you vented your anger on Hazal’s group and the other adventurers that we called to Asora, the wound of your defeat didn’t heal. That’s how I see it. What about you, Levi?” (Makoto)
Her being completely defeated by Haruka-san must have been the direct reason for her slump.
But she won’t be able to have her revenge anymore.
I already settled the score with her after all.
Because of this, I was even worried about how to interact with Levi who was agonizing from this.
Levi herself couldn’t speak out clearly the reason for her slump and her venting towards hyumans, and it is an undeniable truth that there was a slightly awkward atmosphere from that.
I just hope there will be some sort of progress today though.
“All this time, I have been assailed by a mess of anger, hatred, uneasiness, jealousy, and a whole many other troves of emotions that my mind couldn’t even keep up anymore. But with that stupid action of the mage and what happened after, I finally understood that I was directing hatred towards that woman fitting of the hatred that my race has towards hyumans…” (Levi)
“…”
“And then, I saw what was ahead of a scylla.” (Levi)
“Ahead, huh. Are you talking about a Leviathan?” (Makoto)
“Yes. I was on the verge of catching the tail of it at Lorel, and yet, my hands couldn’t reach, so I instead ended up showing a pathetic sight. Now that I think back on it, I have been desiring what’s ahead the whole time since then. But what I did in the end was the same as my race -bullying the weak. Why? Is it because I was faithful to my traits as a scylla? I don’t understand that part yet. Just one thing I do understand…” (Levi)
“?”
“Hazal is an idiot.” (Levi)
“Yeah, no doubt about that.” (Makoto)
I was wondering what she was going to say all of a sudden, but it was something that’s basically common knowledge now in Aosra.
His mess-ups were so powerful that I even suspected they were a curse, but he finally went and died from them, you know?
There’s no other word more fitting than idiot for him.
Moreover, Ranina who he protected wasn’t even pregnant like he assumed.
We were shaking at how massive of an idiot he was, as an adventurer, as a backline, and as a man.
“But I wouldn’t say he is a hateful hyuman. That’s a likeable idiot. Seeing a big hole opened up in him, I ended up laughing despite it being improper.” (Levi)
“…Oi oi, laughing after killing him…” (Makoto)
This is embarrassing.
This is a lot different from the reason I thought.
This is what you would call missing the mark.
It seems like she was being impatient here seeking evolution.
As a result, she fought Alpine and Birgit, and ended up becoming a killer, and has now reached enlightenment, huh.
“And so…Waka-sama, am I really going to get the capital punishment?” (Levi)
Levi looked at me with a meek expression that doesn’t fit her, and asked me this.
“…”
About that…
This is a first case for Asora, and in the first place, Asora is currently in a state that’s filled with holes.
When it comes to matters of life and death, it would only be that time when my ring exploded and highland orcs and adventurers died from it.
At that time, I finished the adventurer that survived, apologized to the orcs, and we all mourned around a fire…
The situation is too different; it doesn’t serve as reference.
Most of all, there’s the discrepancy of how heavy the sin of killing is viewed in japanese society.
It is clear that I shouldn’t be applying it exactly as it is on Asora, and there’s no capital punishment, tree punishment, or life imprisonment in my mind.
However, just as how Levi has said directly, there’s a number of Asora residents who are thinking about the capital punishment for her actions.
The reason for that is that she went against my orders.
There’s also a group friendly with the adventurers that want her to be given heavy punishment.
“I went against your strict order of protecting the adventurers and to avoid any pointless confrontations or killing. Even though I have been allowed to stay in Asora, I have done such a foolish action. I am ashamed of myself. And so, I intend to accept any punishment that may befall me.” (Levi)
“When it comes to matters of the company, even if it is my words, they don’t have that much weight, really.” (Makoto)
“? But the work of the company and Asora…” (Levi)
“The problematic thing here is that I hold too much of a difference in views here. Ema and Tomoe scold me a lot about this.” (Makoto)
“…I think the two are correct.” (Levi)
“Yeah, but for the current me, delivering capital punishment for going against my orders is a bit too heavy.” (Makoto)
“But I believe that, if it is Waka-sama, you will be able to shoulder that.” (Levi)
“Right, in the near future. But right now would be a bit rough. I personally feel it is too heavy.” (Makoto)
“…”
“Also, the killing in Asora and outside holds different meanings. We have resurrection here after all. With resurrection at our disposal, we can change the weight of a murder at the very least. Especially when that resurrection succeeded.” (Makoto)
“Aah…” (Levi)
Right.
Killing is made even more severe because it is an irreversible action, thus meriting heavy punishment.
“Also, we haven’t discussed the crime and punishment between us yet, you see. It has been settled that we will be discussing it with your case as the onset, but I don’t know if what’s decided then will fall onto you just like that. I personally think that what should be done from here on and what we should do about your case are two different matters.” (Makoto)
“Why? Or more like, I don’t really understand the difference between those two…” (Levi)
Levi must have read from my state that what she has done won’t be connected to that heavy of a punishment, she began to get flustered.
She already said she would accept any punishment, but she herself must be wishing to be given a heavy punishment to a certain extent.
“We will be thinking about the laws regarding killing in Asora, and about going against my orders. I just feel like applying them on you just like that would be retroactive. From what I know, doing something like tracing the past and applying the current laws to those things isn’t an action that can be done unless it is quite the extreme dictatorship. In regards to your situation, well, I will be talking with everyone about it later…” (Makoto)
“…Okay.” (Levi)
“In the first place, the root of all this was me bringing you to Lorel. That’s why, I don’t plan on giving you that heavy of a punishment, and no matter how the discussion rolls, I won’t be bending on that part. Sorry that it won’t be as you want, Levi.” (Makoto)
“I…It was thanks to meeting that woman in Lorel that I managed to find the path leading to becoming a Leviathan. There’s no need to reduce the penalty because of that!!” (Levi)
“Levi, go around and properly apologize to the people that you feel apologetic about, not as a punishment you have to perform, but with your own words -including what you should do from now on and what you want to do. Reconcile with the people that you have caused trouble to, okay?” (Makoto)
“…Uh… Okay.” (Levi)
“Now then, I will decide what punishment you will be getting later. Maybe you will be suspended from participating in the Asora Rankings for a number of years, do manual labour in the sea utilizing your racial abilities, become a helper in the cooking of Mio, or a helper of Tomoe in her tea or ceramic art -I would say it would be around that.” (Makoto)
“Uhm…Waka-sama…” (Levi)
“What?” (Makoto)
“Aside from the labour at sea, there were some really worrisome punishments lined up for me there, you know.” (Levi)
“It is true that it was possible to fix it, but it is also true that you messed up. There wouldn’t be any point if it didn’t feel like a chore to you to some extent, right? By the way, I may be talking about labour, but it is not like I am thinking about anything related to violence, okay?” (Makoto)
“…”
“It will be decided by tonight. I was thinking about cheering you up a bit if you were a bit too down here, but I am glad to see that you have recovered more than I expected. Well, see ya. Let’s meet again, and next time, outside of a prison cell, Levi.” (Makoto)
It is okay to ask about the traits of a Leviathan at another time.
Her appearance hasn’t changed, but she might be able to transform into an incredible form.
It would be pretty cool if she could transform into a snake dragon comparable to that of Tomoe.
While I was thinking that, I contacted Sari, who is on standby at the port city, that I will be going there soon.