<Chapter 145>
#16. Hidden Purpose (9)
Melty felt a chill run down his spine at the man’s voice, which was like a quiet whisper. He pulled his body back with all his might, retrieving his hand from the other’s grasp. Wrapping his previously captured wrist with his opposite hand, Melty huddled in the corner. And Johaim didn’t take his eyes off him.
“I thought it was strange.”
Johaim was the first to speak. Despite his brief words, Melty thought the sound of his own pounding heart was quite loud. He hurriedly opened his mouth.
“S-so you spread the Avartia because of that?!”
The voice he deliberately raised trembled unstably. A faint smile appeared at the corners of Johaim’s lips when he realized that Melty’s question was a desperate attempt to divert his attention elsewhere. He obligingly went along with the topic change as Melty wished.
“I didn’t act that way for just one reason. If the Padrian family couldn’t solve it, the blame for the drought would naturally be directed at them. And this incident would also be sufficient punishment for others who only knew how to stand by and watch.”
Melty swallowed dryly as he listened to the calm explanation being offered. The Johaim Kun Sarvie in Melty’s memory was a gentle and affectionate person. But the man in front of him now looked like nothing but a madman.
“Ah. Come to think of it, I should apologize to you, Melty-ssi. It might feel like an excuse, but that wasn’t my instruction at the time. As you know, there need to be a fair number of people who harbor anger toward the Padrian family.”
“…Apology…?”
With a bewildered expression, Melty pointed at himself with his index finger. Johaim laughed out loud at that innocent action and nodded. As Melty maintained a puzzled expression, unable to recall what incident this referred to, Johaim willingly provided the answer with mouthing movements.
“Land…slide? No way! Was that landslide also your doing, Johaim-ssi?!”
Melty’s eyes, which had been narrowed trying to read Johaim’s lips, widened dramatically. In response to his astonished outcry, Johaim made a “Shh-” sound while covering his lips with his index finger. Although Melty felt indignant at the action, which seemed like an attempt to soothe a child, he obediently closed his mouth as the other wanted.
“It wasn’t my intention. After all, we who hate the Padrian family maintain quite an equal relationship.”
“So why did these people in this ‘equal relationship’ do such a thing? I almost died!”
Melty’s face turned pale as he recalled the sudden landslide. If Calix hadn’t used his wits to think of an escape route, he would have surely died buried under the dirt.
“They said they needed confirmation.”
“Confirmation? What kind of confirmation requires causing a landslide…?”
“Confirmation about the relationship between you and him.”
“Huh?”
The words that flowed from Johaim’s mouth this time were also difficult for Melty to understand easily. Johaim smiled gently at Melty, who was making a dumbfounded sound.
“We are all people who have lost someone precious to the Padrian family. So for him to understand our feelings, he needs to experience the same thing.”
“W-what are you saying…?”
“That selfish bastard who only thought about himself his entire life protected you, didn’t he? Thanks to that, it became a sufficiently good answer.”
Melty felt his nerves becoming even sharper at Johaim’s story. Whether it was intentional or a mistake, he couldn’t tell, but what he had just brought up sounded like a death threat.
“Why, why are you doing this to Calix-ssi? Calix-ssi hasn’t done anything wrong.”
Melty murmured with a pale face.
‘What victim in this world would visit their kidnapper just because they wanted to see their face?’
Johaim’s claim was absurd. They were the ones who had done wrong, but they pushed that aside and fervently blamed only Calix. And Melty couldn’t understand such a Johaim.
“You haven’t understood anything I’ve said. Haven’t I told you all the wrongs that bastard has committed? I don’t understand why you’re taking the side of such a heartless and selfish bastard.”
“That’s just it! Your sister did a bad thing, Johaim-ssi. How could someone go to see a person who did something bad to them just because that person wanted to see them! Calix-ssi was only 10 years old at that time!”
With clenched fists, Melty shot back, gaining courage again to raise his voice.
“The heartless and selfish one is you, Johaim-ssi! You lost your younger brother to an epidemic! But…but how could you think of spreading an epidemic?”
Melty’s fists trembled as he remembered Malek lying in bed with a haggard complexion.
“If you don’t pass on the formula for that cure, I’ll…I’ll also lose my family to disease, just like you did!”
Johaim’s shoulders jerked and stiffened at the language shouted with a heart full of resentment. Seeing his eyes shake as if wounded, Melty swallowed dryly and continued speaking, still curled up.
“I know how difficult it was for you after losing your family. But for that reason, do you plan to give the same pain to others? That’s too childish!”
“…Childish?”
“Yes, childish! I… my brother…”
Melty’s eyes quickly became moist. Looking sideways at Melty who was sniffling behind the bars, Johaim had a complex expression.
“Was it you who harmed Durasen-ssi too? Why did you do that? Durasen-ssi also lost his family to the epidemic.”
“After the epidemic, he closed the doors to his mansion. In the end, some of the many people who survived the epidemic had to die of starvation. So that…”
“And that makes it justified? By what right do you judge what’s right and wrong for people? Even the Beast God doesn’t do that!”
“……”
Faced with Melty’s angry outcry, Johaim was at a loss for words. Despite never having considered this aspect before, he became confused because of Melty’s outcry. Looking at Johaim’s complicated expression, Melty vigorously rubbed his eyes with his sleeve.
“Do you know how wicked it is to think that because you suffered, everyone else should experience the same thing?”
A pained sound escaped from deep in Johaim’s throat at Melty’s outcry filled with resentment. Undoubtedly, he had been right and justified before talking with Melty. But after hearing his criticism, strangely, his mind quickly became confused.
“Are you making excuses for the Padrian family?”
“…It’s not necessarily for Calix-ssi that I’m saying this. This is just wrong.”
Mumbling in a subdued voice, Melty gathered his breath. Momentarily confused by Melty’s words, Johaim quickly regained his composure.
“The Padrian family is not as good as you think. They monopolize medicinal herbs and thereby neglect people’s deaths.”
Seeing him recite what he had said before with only slight changes in content, Melty shook his head from side to side with a nauseated expression. He already knew from several conversations that Johaim disliked the Padrian family, but he hadn’t known that he would be so adamant.
“…So you decided to kill people?”
“It’s not just the Padrian family who turned away from death, or the Botenta family who shirked their responsibility that are guilty. There’s no need to specifically save those who have given up on thinking for themselves, are swayed by others’ words, and easily point fingers at their benefactors.”
Realizing that there was no use in provoking him further with more words, Melty maintained silence. Looking at Melty who was huddled tightly in the corner, Johaim continued in a subdued voice.
“I see my siblings every day.”
Melty’s eyes widened at his matter-of-fact statement. Letting out a chuckle, Johaim continued in a slow tone.
“I haven’t forgotten them once since they died. If my youngest sibling were alive… perhaps they would have been similar to you, Melty-ssi.”
Looking into his eyes tinged with memories, Melty realized what Johaim had meant when he said that he was “special” to him. Johaim slowly extended his hand and stroked the iron bars.
“We’re all stuck in that time, but the root cause of all this has forgotten everything and is living happily. Don’t you think that’s unfair?”
There were no words that could answer his question, which seemed to already have a predetermined answer. Melty had no intention of giving the answer he wanted. Watching Melty who stubbornly kept his mouth shut, Johaim laughed softly.
“It’s okay. Maybe not right now, but later, you’ll be able to understand, Melty-ssi.”
“…Your siblings wouldn’t want this.”
“That doesn’t matter either. Because I want it.”
Johaim pulled back his body that had been close to the iron bars. Melty, who had been carefully observing his movements, tensed his body and asked a question.
“…Are you going to kill me?”
Johaim frowned at Melty’s question, asked in a trembling voice.
“Why do you say that?”
“You said it yourself. Everyone here has lost precious family members to the Padrian family…”
Realizing why Melty had said such a thing from his mumbled response, Johaim laughed out loud.
“Haha. If it weren’t for you, Melty-ssi, perhaps. Originally, surviving after losing someone precious… that alone is painful enough. But I told you, didn’t I? That you’re special.”
Johaim added an explanation in a gentle tone.
“We have no intention of taking out our anger on others. When Calix dies, the cruel Padrian family line will also end. That’s what we want.”
It didn’t make any sense at all that he would say such a thing after already driving countless people to death through drought and epidemic. Despite being completely inconsistent, Johaim didn’t seem to notice.
“The reason I brought you here was partly because the Padrian territory covered in epidemic would be dangerous, but… it was also to deliver some of the pain we’ve experienced to that bastard.”
He really was out of his mind.
Rubbing his face with a dry hand, Melty looked up at Johaim. He now knew well how dangerous it was to let things pass vaguely. To get a clear answer, Melty asked once more.
“I want a clear answer. Will you really not harm me?”
Johaim’s gaze, which had been looking at Melty’s face, briefly swept over his stomach. Even that was enough to make Melty feel his hair stand on end, and he wrapped both arms around his stomach. Watching him like that, Johaim said with a bright smile.
“Yes. Of course. We won’t harm you, Melty-ssi.”
