The Sleeping Devil

Vol. 1 - Chapter 18 - Hermes' Diagnosis

I felt like I heard something dangerous.

"What was that? Killing people? With words?"

"Um, is that really okay?"

"Huh? What? You mean the story about trying to kill someone? It was a bit risky from a Beriard perspective, but in reality, it just messed me up a little, so it's fine."

Oops? Something doesn't seem to be aligning here.

That phrase "from a Beriard perspective" is a red flag.

There are laws of the country, laws of the Marquisate of Beriard, and even rules within the Beriard family, and they conveniently use each of them as it suits them.

"At that time, Didier had just finished the baptismal ceremony, I think. It was probably just a test to see how far his emotions could swing, but people around him were quite worried."

"Yes, that's right. After all, if you don't know the limits, nothing will begin, right?"

"Please don't casually talk about attempted murder in a nostalgic tone like an old childhood mishap, and please don't let it become a lifelong habit."

As Sheriel was feeling exhausted by the conversation about antisocial memories, Hermes calmly composed his expression.

"Then, let's diagnose Sheriel while giving a lesson on human emotions. Both of you, please sit comfortably."

Tea was prepared for three people, and after moistening their throats lightly, a scent of rare flowers filled the air.

They exhaled with a sigh, sinking into the plush armchairs that felt like their bodies were being enveloped, imitating Didier.

"One day, a demon appeared and demanded that you give up half of your subjects, threatening to destroy your territory if you refused. Even if you fought alone, you couldn't win. Even if the entire Beriard clan fought, it would end in a draw. The clan would be wiped out. Didier, what would you do?"

"Do they have to be Beriard subjects?"

"What if they said it could be people from other territories?"

"If it were me, I would gather all the criminals in the kingdom. That way, it would probably amount to about half of my own subjects."

"Hmm. In the kingdom, there are territories where even minor offenders are imprisoned, but what if it was a poor child who lost their parents, stole bread because they were hungry? Would you include them in that group?"

"Determining the punishment for people from other territories is not within our scope. If you have mercy on that child, the country should show compassion. The responsibility lies with that territory or the country."

"Why aren't slaves included?"

"Because slaves are valuable laborers with contracts. If they're criminals, it saves the cost of managing prisons and doesn't leave any guilt on the remaining people. Besides, it instills the consciousness of "it's better not to do bad things." It's a response that suits Didier.

I was surprised by his unexpectedly rational way of thinking. I thought he would say something like, "Just give up about half of the subjects."

In this way, the lesson on human emotions begins by teaching the rules of being human, and then proceeds in the form of continuous questioning and answering.

They learn to consider what they want and how they should behave as Beriards.

They delve into the questions of "why," "how," and "how it should be," gradually eliminating the discrepancies with the world. The training aims to develop the ability to reflexively exhibit "correct" behavior.

It is more akin to brainwashing than a moral lesson.

They acquire the behavior of being a person so as not to cause harm to others.

They call this process "assimilation."

Hermes remained silent for a while, organizing his thoughts, and then returned to the first question, asking Didier, "What if it was only Beriard subjects?"

After pondering for a moment, Didier answered smoothly.

"I would leave Sheriel behind and fight with the entire clan. Sheriel won't be of any help in battle anyway, and as long as Sheriel is there, the Beriard family will not die out. Even if we were to lose, if we go that far, the subjects would probably come to accept it."

My lord...!

Sheriel's heart throbbed with excitement. It seemed as if what he had promised to protect on that day was not a lie.

"I see, leave Sheriel behind. What about Sheriel?"

"Well, uh, let's see... I will go and ask the demon for the reason. If it's for food, I'll propose alternative provisions in exchange. If it's not urgent, I might negotiate to provide death row inmates every year."

"Installment payments for alternatives, huh? Why negotiate with a demon?"

"The demon might have circumstances beyond our control, right? Even nobles won't be able to sustain themselves if they lose half their subjects... A-also, I don't want my family to die."

Hermes covered his face with his palm and looked up at the sky.

Oh, no...? I boldly mentioned my family, but perhaps Grandfather has heard that I am not the true daughter of the Beriard family.

I stole a glance at the motionless Didier beside me, who for some reason had the same rigid posture as Hermes.

"I see, that's fine."

Hermes returned to his original posture as if nothing had happened and resumed the questioning.

While touching upon memories from their past lives, they repeated several fairy tale-like exchanges of questions and answers.

These exchanges seemed to confirm priorities.

Whether to leave parents or children.

Whether to preserve the country or the people.

Nobility or commoners.

Money or power.

Law or love.

There are no correct answers. They are forced to think.

"Sheriel, can you still vividly remember your memories from your past life?"

"I don't remember things from when I was little, but if I trace back, I can remember them in reasonable detail."

Strangely enough, even classmates from elementary school who had been forgotten as adults could be remembered one by one by tracing back, including good friends and classroom scenes.

The content learned in class. Information casually flowing through social media. Documentaries from a certain video streaming service that had been playing in the background.

If one could recall what they learned about something and where they learned it, most of the details could be extracted.

She somehow imagined a database index, where information would click and connect. Each memory seemed to be organized as related tables.

Therefore, she didn't know what she didn't know. It seemed obvious, but it felt strange now.

As she was pondering about such things, Hermes' calm voice brought her back to reality.

"Some children are born with memories from their past lives."

"Is that so!? That's why Father didn't seem so surprised."

"However, usually, they only vaguely remember names, the atmosphere of that place, and occupations, and by the age of three, it disappears. I consider this to be like the remnants of the previous life's fragrance, but Sheriel might be in a state where it has been completely imprinted."

"Is that... alright?"

"I don't know. This is the first case like this. But that's precisely why it's fascinating."

Hermes, with the face of a researcher, clasped his hands together and stared at Sheriel as if observing her.

"If there's a problem, it would be the mind. Even with just memories from the previous life, there should be too much information for an infant's brain... "

"Ah, when I was a baby... As I repeated dreams, my thoughts gradually became clearer, and there was a period when I could understand that they were dreams or about myself. Maybe that's when my capacity increased...?"

I wonder if Grandfather will understand...

Back then, my head was buzzing, and I could feel the blood rushing through it, generating a heat-like sensation.

My body temperature would rise to the point of sweating if I moved, and my thoughts would raise the temperature.

I thought it was because I was a baby, but now that I think about it...

"Hmm, it's quite a plausible story. Beriard's education is theoretically the same... Ah, maybe it was because of Beriard that it was okay. While a normal brain wouldn't be able to endure it, Beriards can gradually increase the amount of information. We have 'gaps' in our abilities."

"Gaps...?"

Somehow, it all made sense.

Those who inherit the "curse" of this castle, living here, rapidly accumulate knowledge with extraordinary thinking ability and memory from early childhood.

That's what makes them geniuses, and Sheriel was no exception.

From the bottom of her heart, she felt relieved that she was born as a Beriard, thinking that if she didn't have that, her brain might have burned out.

It's dangerous, though. It's a little difficult to communicate.

"Is there anything else that concerns you in terms of your mental state?"

"I sometimes feel uncertain about whether I'm a child or an adult and confused about my own existence and position."

Perhaps due to understanding and relief, something like the sediment of a stifled heart that she couldn't even tell Didier came out of her mouth smoothly.

Hermes, without feeling uneasy, rather deepened his voice as if he wanted to emphasize his expertise.

"Do you understand what distinguishes a child from an adult?"

"Is it the presence or absence of knowledge and self-control?"

"No. Once you undergo the Coming of Age ceremony, you become an adult. Until the age where parental protection is necessary, regardless of being a member of the Beriard family, everyone is considered a child. Higher levels of growth may occur early, but until sixteen, when the manipulation of magic is unstable, they are regarded as children."

Both Didier and I were left speechless by the unexpectedly simple answer.

"However, the maturity of the mind varies among individuals. Those who bear the Beriard curse acquire a lot of knowledge early on. But when it comes to mental maturity, it's different for each person. If anything, there may be more individuals who continue to pursue their interests like children. Sergio is a good example. Don't become like him; it's bothersome for everyone around."

I have a vague understanding.

The image of Sergio, who, despite having knowledge and self-control, relentlessly pursues what he loves like a boy, came to mind.

Then Hermes continued speaking.

"Sheriel... Although she has high thinking ability and adult memories, she probably falls behind Didier in terms of academic knowledge. It seems she has had some opportunities to interact with people, but in her previous life, was she a commoner? Her values as a noble are appropriate for her age. She unconsciously avoids difficult things by thinking that she has never experienced hardships or setbacks. She's just good at compartmentalizing. In other words, she has a tendency to escape. She dedicates herself to what she likes---like a craftsman pursuing one or two things with moderate confidence and discarding the rest. However, it's not deep. Therefore, even when combining her memories from past lives, her level of mental maturity is not very high. Do you disagree?"

"H-How do you know all that...?"

It's terrifying... Just by answering a few questions and engaging in a conversation, he understood so much.

Moreover, it's quite shocking...

"This is my research. However, the presence of the curse is still unclear. Continue to learn about human nature."

Ugh... I see, I'm completely inadequate... I thought that earning a decent amount of money, living comfortably, and surrounding myself with hobbies would make for a happy life. But my level of maturity is low... I-I understand... It's like, it hits the mark so accurately. Ah, I really wish I could just forget about my memories from past lives. I didn't want to realize it now.

Sheriel felt an impulse of shame that made her want to dig a hole, especially since she thought she was living well.

"Grandfather, you're being a bit too harsh. Sheriel is barely hanging on."

"Hmm? Surprisingly, she has no resistance, doesn't she?"

No, it's good that I know now.

After all, I'm still five years old. Yes, just five years old!

I mean, I'm a renowned five-year-old prodigy. If I were from an ordinary family, I would have been revered as a child genius or even a saint.

Yes, yes. I still think I'm quite exceptional for a five-year-old.

"Oh, she's fighting back. Are you okay, Sheriel?"

"Y-Yes, somehow."

The lesson ended here, and they prepared meringues and sweet potatoes, once again entering tea time.

"Hermes-sama, you're truly amazing. I feel like I've been reborn today."

"Have you come to dislike me?"

"No, not at all! It feels refreshing to be told outright that I'm a child."

I definitely suffered quite a blow, but I feel like my vague existence has finally gained some clarity.

Because everyone feels anxious when they don't understand themselves.

"I see, well... that's good."

"Hermes-sama, these sweets. They're called meringues, and I had them made based on memories from my past life. Please try them if you'd like."

While Hermes remained fixated on the meringues, he fell silent.

Even though he showed interest in past lives, perhaps he's only interested in matters of the heart.

Feeling a little disappointed, Sheriel found herself at a loss with what to do with the meringues she offered.

"Sheriel, why don't you call him Grandfather?"

"Grandfather...?"

Didier whispered to Sheriel , and although she was bewildered, she voiced it out.

In response, Hermes once again looked up at the sky.

"Mmmmm!"

"Grandfather? Grandfather?"

"...Having a grandchild is nice."

Suddenly?

"Grandfather really loves little children."

"Hey, Didier, stop phrasing it like that. While other people's children might be interesting as research subjects, they don't evoke much emotion. Beriard's children are special. Especially as a direct grandchild."

I was surprised...

"Will you acknowledge me as your grandchild, Grandfather?"

"Of course. I didn't expect you to be this adorable, so I was slightly taken aback."

"That's a relief... Even with this hair color."

Feeling relieved to be acknowledged and embarrassed by the straightforward praise, Sheriel's cheeks grew warm.

She unintentionally let slip self-deprecating words.

...Ah, this is how it is.

When it comes to things she lacks confidence in or feels self-conscious about, she dislikes being pointed out by others and proactively mentions them as a defensive measure.

"I'm not very interested in magic. I won't think any less of Sheriel even if she lacks magical power. Besides, if she's Claude's child, she's no different from my grandchild."

"Did you already know?"

"You can tell by looking at Sergio and Dior. Moreover, Sheriel's eyes resemble Claude's."

My biological father... I haven't thought much about it, but my parents also exist in this world.

Sheriel, who had parents in her past life, felt a strange sensation. She doesn't yearn for them, nor does she feel like they are strangers. The same goes for Sergio and Dior.

"Grandfather, these are the sweets Sheriel came up with. Are you interested in trying food from a different world?"

"Ah, that's right. Let me have some."

When Didier offered the sweets, Hermes accepted them without any suspicion.

"Oh, this is delicious. Was the culture of sweets developed in the previous world?"

"Yes, it was a world with a rich culinary culture. Since magic didn't exist, I'm not sure about other differences yet."

"I see, it's good to make use of what you have. However, it's better not to casually talk about your past life. We don't know how the conversation might spread."

"Yes, I will be careful."

Surprisingly, the conversation with Hermes took off, and despite just meeting today, they were able to become quite familiar with each other.

Perhaps Didier gave up on pretending, as he has returned to his usual nonchalant self. In other words, he's frivolous, carefree, and a brother who can't be underestimated, always thinking of his sister.

"Am I the only one left out again? Why is it that my father, who just arrived today, is getting along so well?"

"Children unconsciously sense adult thoughts."

"Hmm, Father seems to know everything."

Huh?

On the way to the expanded dining hall with the newly added family members.

Sergio, who appeared out of nowhere, furrowed his brows with a melancholic expression.