Part 394: Good and Evil

As we moved into the next room—there was a long, endless corridor.

As we walked deeper, the torches (lamp-like fixtures) along the corridor lit up one by one, in rhythm with our steps.

The lighting was neither too dim nor too bright—just right, evoking a shiver down the spine, as if we had become characters in a movie.

Perhaps a little further along the corridor...

A voice echoes through the hallway, accompanied by upbeat background music.

"Peter and I were originally friends.

But one day, Peter started banishing those who had grown up. To create a place for adults, I had no choice but to leave his community.

That's when our rivalry began..."

"I didn't bear any ill will toward that lovely princess.

It was the witches who excluded me that I held resentment against!

Why? Because their jokes were always so gloomy, killing the mood at every party!

So I cursed them—let them sleep in the enchanted forest for a hundred years, where they can keep hosting dull parties forever!"

The first prince was a reckless fool who chose his bride based on the energy of a dance party. That country had no future anyway.

I just wanted to protect my family. Blood ties, that's all.

Cinderella? Of course I didn't trust her. She wasn't even remotely cute—her eyes were filled with fierce hatred and a burning desire for revenge.

That assessment was absolutely spot on. Didn't you see my daughters, their eyes gouged out?

What's scary is that guy, the prince.

He says he'll buy the corpse of Snow White at full price—because she's "beautiful." He's crazy. What does he plan to do with it? Display it in his room? It'll rot eventually. It's scary.

Honestly, it's fine, but come on—Snow White, despite being repeatedly warned by the dwarves, still eats an apple from that suspicious old woman? Is her head even okay?

Now that I think about it, they're actually a perfect match. A foolish girl and a prince who's obsessed with corpses—kind of fitting, don't you think?

I'd like to tell the Red Riding Hood's parent—well, actually, the parent of the original Red Riding Hood—this one point:

Don't send a child alone into a place where man-eating wolves roam.

Besides, wouldn't it be strange for just an old woman to live in such a dangerous place? What if something happened? She's already old enough that just a small fall could be fatal!

Wait... could it be that they deliberately sent her to such a place, waiting for her to die? Was it some kind of plan to eliminate her?

If that's the case, I'm sorry. It was my failure that ruined your plans.

The Eastern Witch was my sister. The only one I had.

And yet, that foreigner—Dorothy, or whatever—just barged in and killed her without a word. What a terrible thing to do.

And just when I thought the story was over, now I'm being targeted by a fraud in the Emerald City, trying to kill me.

And seriously, when someone tells me, "Just kill him if you want to go home," do I really just say okay? Is that girl some kind of assassin back in her original world?

People who give power to fools never end up with good results, really."

As we moved forward, we could hear the bitter complaints of Disney villains echoing through our minds, like a kind of brainwashing.

Both Sozuri and Nanami walked silently, step by step.

Come to think of it, were these two even all that connected to begin with?

T-That's awkward.

Nanami was the one who broke the silence.

She seemed to have turned off her usual《high energy》mode, appearing somewhat downcast as she said,

"I don't know... this is quite a complicated theme for an attraction, huh."

"Yeah. I don't mind stuff like this at all."

"I'm not sure I'd like something like this. I prefer stories that are simpler—like, 'There's a bad guy, so let's all team up and take him down!'"

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

Walking through here, I feel a bit unsteady inside.

What's truly "good," and what's truly "evil"?

The creator of this attraction must be someone with a twisted mind, I bet.

"But then again, maybe this is just how things are these days. In real life, you're far more likely to encounter something resembling the 'evil' from a shonen manga than the other way around."

"Is that so?"

"Even you, Reika-san, have supporters like Mayi-san. That's because there's a certain kind of correctness to her methods."

"I suppose that's true..."

I let out a quiet sigh,

"Hey, Nanami-san. If you're planning to betray me later, I'd appreciate it if you'd confess now."

"...Huh. Am I being suspected?"

"No, not really. I just saw Miyori-san a moment ago, and I thought you might have some thoughts on it."

"I don't."

Nanami looked down, her expression sorrowful.

"Still... I do regret the life I have now. I wasn't really against the idea of chosen people or elitist thinking to begin with."

"Yeah. I heard that from Miyori-san before."

"But my 'chosen people' are just a bit broader in scope. I still believe you're right. It's absolutely wrong to limit the use of the Soul Restoration Machine to just the narrow circle of this community's inner circle."

"Is that so?"

Nodding, I suddenly realized how much lighter I felt.

Amazing, friendship.

When I'm uncertain, you give me so much courage.

At the end of the hallway stood a room containing a multi-bladed sword, placed upon a pedestal just like the legendary Excalibur.

Titled the "Sword of Light," it was astonishingly refined in design for a replica, overwhelming anyone who gazed upon it.

Well, of course—my favorite remains my grandfather's heirloom blade.