TBV | Chapter 003 – Memento Novels

Chapter 003

Chapter 3. The Gratitude of a Mouse

The Curse of Ruin, born alongside Calix and rooted in his soul, was now eagerly waiting for the chance to break free from its host’s confinement and engulf the world.

His execution was set for three days later.

That meant only three days remained until the world would truly be destroyed.

Calix gritted his teeth and gave a small shake of his head.

‘No. I absolutely cannot let that happen.’

Suddenly, the moment he regained consciousness a year ago flashed through his mind.

He could still clearly see her pink hair fluttering like flower petals. Her golden eyes, sparkling like stars, were vivid. He remembered perfectly the brilliant storm of Holy Power swirling around her.

‘…Someone like her might be able to do it.’

Having power strong enough to restore him to his senses, she might even be capable of purifying the Curse of Ruin itself.

‘If I can just endure safely while her Holy Power purifies the entirety of the curse…’

However, his soul had been deeply entangled with the curse, becoming one with it, a long time ago.

Thus, the moment he was exposed to the Holy Power, his soul would likely be torn to shreds. Alternatively, there was the possibility of being consumed by the curse again.

He paused mid-thought, considering the various scenarios.

‘Good grief. It’s not just failing to repay a debt, but practically extorting her for all the money she has.’

Self-mocking his shamelessness, he straightened his back and raised his head.

Even if the destined fate of this world was nothing but ruin, he couldn’t perish so helplessly.

‘I have to try until the very end, whether I succeed or not.’

He clenched his fists with all his strength.

Crack.

As soon as he exerted even a slight force, hairline cracks spread across all the Mana-sealing restraints shackled to his arms and legs.

This was because the mere Mana restraints couldn’t restrict the ‘Curse of Ruin’ itself.

He gathered his strength again and offered a thin smile.

‘Fortunately, escaping before the execution won’t be a problem.’

It was obvious he would be recaptured soon, but he didn’t care.

It would be enough if he could just buy time until the Saintess regained consciousness.

* * *

“Hey. Here’s your meal for today.”

The guard, who showed up as usual, tossed water and bread through the iron bars of the cell.

I skillfully dodged the bread as it fell over my head.

The guard clicked his tongue in disappointment and muttered,

“Agh. Missed.”

It seemed that hitting the mouse inside the cell with bread was his small source of amusement.

This gloomy guard! The guy’s character is already pitch-black, judging by the fact that he constantly reeks of strong alcohol despite being young!

For context, yesterday, I was foolishly standing still and got hit on the head by one of those huge, brick-hard bread lumps.

That incident must have killed a hundred of my brain cells.

Damn it. My brain is already peanut-sized.

I wanted to glare at the guard to take revenge for yesterday, but he had already left the front of the cell.

Thump-thump.

His footsteps faded until they couldn’t be heard at all.

Then, the final villain, who had been sitting still like an ancient tree stump, slowly reached out an arm.

He picked up the bread rolling on the filthy cell floor and brushed off the dirt and dust.

And, as he had done every day, he offered the entire loaf to me.

“…Eat.”

I had eagerly accepted and eaten it on the first day I awoke in the mouse body, and yesterday, but today was different.

I stood up on my hind legs and made an X sign with my front paws.

“Squeak!” (I’m fine!)

Then, I spread my tiny fingers and pointed at him.

“Squeak!” (You eat it!)

Calix Neferto, who had been intently watching my display, slowly tilted his head.

“…Are you telling me to eat it?”

Delighted that my body language had been successfully communicated, I gave a big nod.

His eyes narrowed subtly, and a chilly voice leaked out from between his thin lips.

“It seems you understand human speech.”

“…”

Oops. I got so excited that I was understood, I made a mistake.

As I flinched and swallowed dryly, the villain thrust his face right up to mine.

“You. What are you?”

“…”

I exercised my right to remain silent, but he was persistent.

“Answer me. Even if you cannot speak, you can nod, can’t you? Are you a monster who borrowed a mouse’s body to approach me? Or someone’s familiar?”

His large hand approached silently, like a viper.

It was clear that if he caught me with that hand, I would face a terrible fate.

So, I chose the solution whose effectiveness has been proudly acknowledged throughout history:

The thirty-six stratagems, running away.

Purrr.

I swiftly moved my feet and slipped out between the iron bars of the cell.

He tried to follow me but was neatly blocked by the bars.

It was due to his unnecessarily large physique.

While he frowned in obvious displeasure, I stuck out my tongue with an utterly condescending expression.

Ha-ha. Idiot. Go on a diet.

And I diligently ran down the dark prison corridor.

* * *

If he thought I was running out of the prison to find the Second Prince, the Holy Knight, and the Magic Tower Master faction, he was greatly mistaken.

I was pretty good at my own language, if nothing else.

Which is to say, I’m good at knowing my place.

Currently, I am a mouse with no remarkable qualities besides being disgustingly ugly.

The status window is gone, and the Holy Power that sent the final villain flying with one hit has also vanished without a trace.

My remaining means of attack are nothing but my rice-grain-sized front teeth and millet-sized claws.

With this, I cannot deliver the hammer of justice to the people who used and discarded me.

At best, I might manage to leave a few scratches on their handsome faces.

‘But world destruction is a different story.’

I stopped my steps with a knowing smile and hid my presence.

The target was three meters ahead.

“Hee-hee-hee. Did you see that? Not a peep when I threw the water bowl?”

The gloomy guard took a swig of strong distilled liquor and boasted, exhaling cigar smoke.

Another guard chuckled and replied,

“Of course, I saw it. Wow, when else would we get to do this to his highness, the noble Prince?”

“Oh, please. What prince? He’s a man stripped of his succession rights.”

“Besides, he’s a guy whose neck is going to be chopped off tomorrow anyway.”

“Kha-ha-ha. That’s true.”

The guards gathered together cackled, turning the sealed corridor of the underground prison into a raccoon den.

‘Oh. They’re even providing a smoke screen themselves. Thank you.’

I brought my front paws together, offering my profound gratitude and condolences to the foolish guards with a short bow.

And suppressing my presence, I carefully advanced.

My target, a key bundle, jingled while hanging from the guard’s waist.

The already heavily drunk guards were too busy laughing and chatting to notice my approach.

I cautiously climbed the wall and bit down hard on the leather key string with my sturdy front teeth.

It must have been quite frayed already, as the leather snapped instantly with a single bite.

I quickly maneuvered my body in mid-air and snatched the key bundle before it hit the floor.

Then I spun once and landed on the stone floor of the prison corridor.

Thump.

It was a perfect landing—no staggering, no loud noise.

Ah. Even as a mouse, I am perfect. So cool. So thrilling. Always the best.

After savoring the pride for a very brief moment, I casually slipped away, leaving the foolish guards behind.

* * *

“Squeak!”

I immediately returned to the villain’s cell and proudly presented the key bundle before him.

“…”

The villain alternated glances between me and the keys I had brought, his eyes thick with suspicion.

I pretended to be an ordinary mouse merely repaying a kindness, acting completely ignorant.

Why, didn’t the swallow in the Hungbu tale, after its leg was fixed, casually toss a gourd seed?

So, it wouldn’t be too strange for a mouse, who was fed some bread, to casually toss the cheat code for prison escape.

‘Yup. That’s right.’

But this villain, perhaps having been deceived his entire life, still couldn’t hide his skepticism.

“Bringing me the prison keys in exchange for two loaves of bread. And of all days, the day before the execution.”

His amethyst eyes scrutinized me closely, detail by detail.

“Suspiciously coincidental.”

But I was brazen.

‘So what if it’s suspicious, you jerk!’

Do you want to linger here, suspecting me, only to have your neck chopped off?

Are you, like, a suicide worshipper?

I snorted with contempt and glared at him.

“Hah.”

The villain let out a hollow laugh, his expression one of disbelief.

Perhaps slightly irritated by the tiny mouse nagging him right in front of his face, he stared at me and slowly raised one hand.

I braced myself, ready to flee through the iron bars at any moment.

I couldn’t forget. He was originally a lunatic who had no regard for anything, and now he was a complete psycho who was hit in the head with a bat and went slightly mad!

However, contrary to my assumptions, his languid hand grabbed the key bundle on the floor.

“…But it would be impolite not to accept what is given.”

He offered an unsolicited excuse and began carefully unlocking the Mana-sealing restraints.

See? He was going to take it anyway, acting reluctant just to be difficult.

While snorting to myself (I only did it internally, just in case), the corner of my mouth lifted in anticipation.

Calix Neferto.

The final villain who led the world to the brink of ruin, the final boss who drove a transmigrator with a status window to the ultimate crisis.

Unleashing this savage person back into the world would be the ultimate revenge against the ones who betrayed me.

The moment he is freed, he will plunge this world back into the abyss of destruction.

That’s right. He is the biological weapon that will destroy the salvation I achieved, on my behalf, without a trace!

I feel a little sorry for those who will be unfairly caught up in the world’s destruction, but what can be done?

Trusting and following trashy people like the Second Prince, the Holy Knight, and the Magic Tower Master is a sin, if anything.