Sinful Pride - Volume 1 Chapter 26 Scars

“That’s going to leave a scar.” said Koba while while inspecting Keita’s wounds. “You almost lost the eye you know.”

Keita just nodded and let him do his work. The spike that made this wound barely missed his left eye. If it hit, who knows how this battle would have progressed.

“Your left shoulder and arm are already healed…” Koba said with a hint of astonishment. Of course he knew the reason. That black magic power that enveloped Keita had already cured everything. “I can’t really tell where the pain is coming from…” he said.

Keita asked him to take a look at his wounds, since he was in great pain since the end of the battle. At first he thought it might be his wounds but alas that wasn’t it. He kept holding his left temple, to try to relief the pain to no avail. He understood that the pain was most likely the payment for his transformation. Wielding such magic power – without it being divine – was bound to have great repercussions for a human.

“Thanks for looking at me.” Keita said and got up.

“Well, I did promise to.” Koba responded.

He just smiled and left.

It was a cold morning and it looked like it might rain. Everyone was gathered around the fire, keeping warm and eating breakfast. Everyone expect two. Nao and Reika where missing from the circle. Nao was pacing back and forth outside of the woods the camped. He seemed very anxious. Keita approached him and tapped him on the shoulder. Nao smiled brightly when he turned around but his smile immediately faded when he realized it was Keita.

“Shouldn’t she be back by now?” Nao asked. The fear in his voice was as clear as daylight.

Keita didn’t answer. It was the 10th time Nao asked him the same question but he was running out of excuses.

“I should go look for her.” he said when he noticed Keita’s silence.

“You can’t.” Keita urged. “It will be too dangerous to go alone.”

“Reika is alone too!” Nao shouted.

“Yeah, but she is a Ranger. Do Defenders have Skills to hide their magic power or themselves? She is safer alone than you could ever be.” Keita tried to argue logically with Nao.

Nao looked at him with a pained expression.

“I can’t just do nothing…” he said clenching his fists.

Keita just looked at him. Reika was more than a companion to Nao. She was like family. It reminded him the Seven Deadly Sins in a way. They were once a family of his own choosing. He felt worry when they were missing and safety when they fought in same battlefield. That was more than a lifetime ago to Keita. Before Welzour the Dread. He might have felt the same way Nao was feeling right now for the Seven once. Worried sick that one of them might not come back.

“Did you wait long?” Reika asked from behind a tree.

Nao froze. His head has already gone to the worst case scenario a dozen times. He just walked towards Reika and hugged her.

“What took you so long?” he said on the verge of tears.

“There, there.” Reika patted his head as if he was a dog.

“And? How is the situation?” Keita asked. He was also surprised to see Reika. She must have used a Skill to conceal her magic power and sneak up on them on purpose.

“The Orcs are retreating.” she was starting to blush. Nao hadn’t let go of her since the start. “I was getting ready to come back when they all started pouring out of the walls. I was too scared to move.” she continued as she pushed Nao away.

“Couldn’t you just change into an Orc and slip out?” Keita asked.

“Are you an idiot? What if someone tried to talk to me? I don’t know any Orcish words. Besides they were heading to the Demon territories. What would I do if I met a Demon? I would piss my pants that’s what!” she rumpled.

Keita felt his headache getting worse with every word. He did feel bad for Reika. Asking her to go alone to check if the Orcs held their word was putting her in grace danger after all. Keita planned to go himself but Koba forbade him and Anne didn’t seem too thrilled with the idea. She wanted to keep Keita at arms length.

“So no Orcs decided to go raiding villages or anything? No one split form the horde?” Keita interrupted Reika’s speech about Demons and Shape-sifters not being a good match.

“No… I saw a few wolf riders going alone towards the West but they were most likely scouts.” she said after some thought.

Keita breathed out. It felt like he was holding his breath since he woke up. He could finally relax and plan ahead. The Orc invasion was finally over.

The three headed back to camp and told the good news to everyone. Koba made some remarks about their reward and everyone looked in high spirits. It was time to get home. Keita gathered his belongings and was ready to head out.

‘First thing I will need to repair my sword. Or should I just get a new one? Oh and my clothe armor needs some patching. I wonder if I should go to the blacksmith or a tailor for that…’

he heard a voice echoing in his head.

‘Who…’ Keita immediately looked around for sources of magic power but his range of search was greatly reduced due to his condition.

<it’s sloth.=””>the voice in his head responded.</it’s>

Keita relaxed a bit. Sloth never left the Demon Lord’s side and the Demon Lord never left her castle. In the hands of lesser Mages, Spells like Instant Message could never cover such a distance. But with Sloth’s talent and affinity common sense was thrown out of the window. This was not the first time she communicated with him like this.

Keita kept silent. He had no desire to talk with Sloth. Out of all the Seven, he butted heads with Sloth and Greed the most. Her demeanor as the Demon Lord’s only guard always made him loose control. As for Greed, well his arrogance was the most problematic quality. He hated the way he acted so arrogant when he was weaker than him. Of course all these where in the past. Now he felt no hatred for his past companions. Unfortunately, they were enemies now and as Wrath demonstrated they would rather turn him back into a Demon than kill him. That was something that Keita could never accept. He had a new life now. A better one. He had no desire to go back to the way he was.

“Keita we are going.” he heard the others called to him and nodded. He didn’t feel like telling them about Sloth so he planned to speak to her as he walked.

Just as Keita was thinking all of these, he notice that Sloth hasn’t said a word for over a minute. He thought that the spell was broken but soon realized what happened.

‘You idiot! Did you fall asleep?’ he shouted inside his head.

<ah, pride,=”” good=”” morning…=””>Sloth responded.</ah,>

‘Good morning my ass! What the hell do you want?’

<ah, that’s=”” right.=”” why=”” aren’t=”” you=”” coming=”” back?=”” i=”” heard=”” from=”” wrath.=””>Sloth said in her sleepy voice. <ah, also=”” why=”” did=”” you=”” fight=”” with=”” wrath?=”” she=”” was=”” in=”” a=”” horrible=”” state=”” when=”” mama=”” teleported=”” her=”” back.=”” mean=”” to=”” you?=””>she continued.</ah,></ah,>

‘That’s why… That’s why I don’t like talking with her.’ he thought as he breathed in to calm down.

‘I don’t want to come back. As why I fought with Wrath, you should ask her that.’ Keita decided to give this as he answer. It was no use trying to explain difficult stuff to Sloth. As long as they have nothing to do with magic that is.

Sloth responded. There was sadness in her voice.

or not?

‘Wait wait wait!’ Keita urged. ‘Do you have nothing else to say?’

Sloth thought hard.

‘…’

‘…’

‘Thanks. I’m glad you are alive too Sloth.’ he responded.

Sloth said proudly. <ah, by=”” the=”” way,=”” can’t=”” you=”” visit=”” even=”” if=”” it’s=”” for=”” a=”” while?=”” i=”” am=”” sure=”” mama=”” would=”” be=”” happy.?=””>she added.</ah,>

‘I am afraid I can’t Sloth. And you shouldn’t call the Demon Lord Mama in front of others. We talked about this remember?> Keita has changed. Just talking a few words with Sloth made him forget everything for a while. She was once again his baby sister, the one that never really grew up. This was a side of him that he has forgotten ever existed.

Sloth said stubbornly. she added.

Keita was lost for words. Sloth was like a child at times. Most of the time really. Keita fought against her when he rebelled but she didn’t seem to even remember. She didn’t even consider him an enemy even after she saw Wrath’s state.

Sloth insisted on asking. Keita just kept silent.

Sloth said in the verge of tears.

‘When did she say that?’ Keita asked. He had no recollection of Envy speaking these words.

she stopped.

Keita didn’t need to hear the rest. So this was what Wrath wanted to tell him. These were Envy’s last moments. Keita looked at the sky deep in thought. Did she hate him for leaving them this way? Did she curse him with her dying breath? Why was she fighting a Half-dragon in the first place? She might be one of the Seven but her strength was the lowest of them all. She was supposed to be a strategist, a tactician. Not some foot soldier, to be cleaved in two by a Half-dragon. What came over?

‘I am sorry Sloth. I really can’t come back.’ Keita wanted to end this conversation as soon as possible. He had no desire to dwell in his past any more than this. If he did, he wouldn’t be able to move forwards.

Sloth said.

‘You shouldn’t keep secrets from the Demon Lord…’ Keita said reluctantly. It was true that concealing his presence from the Demon Lord would be in his advantage but he shouldn’t let others bear his burden. She was going to figure out things eventually anyway.

Sloth said.

‘Sloth…’ Keita didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. ‘Take care’

Keita forcibly ended the Spell. He would only hurt Sloth further if they talked. He scratched his out of frustration.

“Ouch!” he felt something sharp tearing his finger as he scratched. There was a drop of blood coming from his finger.

‘What is that? A pebble?’ he thought as he frisked through his hair to find said object.

When he did it wouldn’t come out. It was impended in his head.

‘What is this?’ he started to get anxious, as he felt the object with his fingers.

A small horn was coming out of his left temple.