Chapter 119
Rezé was shivering inside a box.
"Keke, Miss Rezé. What are you doing here?"
"Well, that... I, I was trying to get in, but you, you seemed to be taking a stance to attack..."
Hmm, so it was because of me?
But usually, in this situation, one would either dodge, run away, or make their presence known with their voice.
Didn't you choose one of those three?
Choosing to cower in fear instead.
Too timid, even for timidity.
"Please come in. Be bold when you enter next time."
"Ye, yes... So, sorry..."
Rezé, greatly shrunken, headed towards the training ground.
Hmm, it really did seem a bit crumpled.
It looked like a considerable amount of energy had been drained while facing me in a kind of power struggle.
‘Come to think of it, I haven't seen her for four days.’
What had she been doing all by herself during that time?
"Oh, where have you been all this time? I couldn't even catch a glimpse of you no matter how much I searched."
"So, sorry. The surveillance was so intense... I had, had no choice but to roam around."
Rezé, what do you mean by roaming around?
"Ye, yesterday there was this strange person, and... I missed the timing to speak."
I see. So, you've been following us for four days? But we didn't see you even once?
There was a real stalker here?
"Are, are you both okay?"
"Well, we survived against a high-level demon, so I guess we're okay?"
"That's, that's a relief! Really a relief!"
Rezé started to sob, wiping her eyes with her sleeve.
In the process, her curtain-like bangs were pushed back, and for a moment, her eyes were visible.
They were pure and clear, without a single blemish.
Just like mine.
"Here, take this... It's a get-well-soon gift. I couldn't bring it before..."
"What. I don't need something like this."
But contrary to her words, Luna's hands were honest.
She roughly tore open the paper bag Rezé handed over.
And what Luna held in her hand was...
"...Carrots?"
Carrots, indeed.
The contents of my paper bag were the same.
There were three stout carrots inside.
"Ah, they're fresh carrots I just picked this morning! I, I planted them myself..."
Rezé's voice gradually trailed off.
Is it common to give carrots as a get-well-soon gift?
I pondered for a moment, considering the norms of a fantasy world.
But judging by Luna's expression, it didn't seem like a conventional act.
Well, what can be done? It's a gift, after all, and a get-well-soon gift at that.
I took a bite of the carrot.
Crunch-.
"Keke, contrary to its looks, it's delicious."
"Re, really? It's a carrot from the Kisan region. Though small, it has high sugar content and grows enough to be eaten within a month, making it highly productive. It's also cheap because of that. And also..."
I see.
So, she doesn't stutter when talking about something she likes?
Ugh-.
Behind me, Luna, who was eating a carrot, gagged and sent me a signal for help.
I lightly ignored it. Luna doesn't eat carrots normally anyway.
‘You have to eat a variety to grow tall.’
Rezé, extolling the virtues of carrots.
Suddenly, she shrank and crouched down.
Then she ended up completely buried inside the box.
"What's wrong all of a sudden? Are you hurt?"
"So, sorry..."
"Uh? Sorry for what?"
"I, I ran away alone... I'm so sorry..."
Sob sob.
Rezé began to drip tiny tears like chicken droppings.
‘She must be feeling guilty for running away alone.’
It's possible to act as if nothing happened and naturally be together again.
Just put on a mask of shamelessness.
But Rezé was too young for that.
"So, sorry. I'll, I'll just go. To think of rejoining after abandoning you all..."
"..."
"I, I'm better off alone. Th, thank you for everything."
"Lies."
Suddenly, Luna cut off Rezé's words.
"You were lonely, weren't you? You're afraid of being lonely in the future..."
You're afraid of that.
I could tell. That was.
Luna's 'experience'.
"So don't think about going anywhere. You're welcome to stay until you make a new friend."
"Bu, but... I abandoned everyone and ra, ran away..."
"Don't worry about it. It was a high-level demon. Anyone in that situation would have done the same."
"Luna and the others didn't do that..."
That was true.
Rodelin, Alex, Raymon, Yuridia.
None of them feared fighting the demon and willingly joined the battle.
They were 'heroes'.
Scratching her head, Luna continued.
"Well, that's because we're weird. So don't worry about it at all. Really."
Sob.
"And thanks to you, we could win, right? To pierce through with one arrow... Your archery skills are impressive."
"Hehe..."
Only then did a small smile appear on Rezé's face.
Still sniffing her nose, though.
‘Impressive archery skills...’
Just as Luna said.
I recalled the fight against Bineus.
‘With one arrow, she pierced through Bineus's eye.’
Thanks to that, I could finish casting [Demon Slave].
Seeing the spec of 100% accuracy right before my eyes, I felt a bit greedy.
Though not a tank, a ranged dealer would eventually be needed.
And if that ranged dealer's accuracy is 100%?
If properly nurtured, they could wield an unfair power.
But.
‘The coward trait is the problem. If it weren't for that, I'd welcome her as a companion.’
It's impossible to welcome someone who runs away when targeted as a companion.
I was about to sigh in regret when.
‘Huh? Wait a minute...’
Recalling the day's battle, I realized something was off.
‘Why didn't she run away?’
Rezé was unconscious when Bineus fell from the sky.
She would have regained consciousness during our battle, and since the fight lasted long, she had plenty of time to flee.
Yet, Rezé chose to hide in the forest, watching the battle, and even shot an arrow.
Just from making eye contact, a child who shrinks away attacked a high-level demon?
‘...There’s something.’
Intuition struck me. An intuition that there was something hidden about Rezé.
I pushed the puzzle pieces about the character Rezé to one side.
Hmm, it’s empty. There’s too little information.
‘I should stay with her for a while to figure it out.’
Research on the character. Fortunately, it’s one of my specialties.
Rezé, look forward to it.
From your feet to the tip of your head, every nook and cranny, even your mind, I’ll thoroughly explore.
"Hee, eek?"
Did she sense something? Rezé trembled.
"Huh? What’s wrong?"
"So, something... feels ominously..."
Rezé slipped back into the box.
Luna looked at me, her gaze turning sour.
"What did you do now? You pervert."
To become a pervert just by imagination.
I was unjustly accused.
***
Late evening.
We were currently eating in a corner of the dining hall.
It was also the first time eating with Rezé.
But Rezé was nowhere to be seen at the table.
No matter how much I looked around, except for Luna sitting next to me, there was no one.
Where is Rezé, you ask?
Over there, in the corner, eating inside a box.
That’s right, inside a ‘dining hall box.’
‘Well, it... looks perfectly hidden from view, so it doesn’t seem odd at first glance.’
But isn’t it strange, both logically and psychologically?
What’s strange, you ask?
Let’s describe what Rezé is doing in words.
Because sitting at a dining hall chair and eating would mean making eye contact with people, which is uncomfortable, she goes to a corner of the dining hall and eats inside a dining hall box.
...Does that make sense? Just sit at a dining hall chair and eat.
She ate in the dining hall.
Clean and nice! Why on earth go to the trouble of crawling into a box after coming all the way to the dining hall!?
Well, it’s better than eating in the bathroom, but...
Tap tap!
Luna tapped my tray with her fork.
"Hey, stop staring. It’s making her uncomfortable."
"Keke, do you understand such behavior?"
"People are different. Didn’t I say earlier? From Rezé’s perspective, we might be the ones who are abnormal."
"Your tolerance is too high. It could have a negative impact on Miss Rezé. Continuously coddling her might mean she’ll never make friends."
"Well, she’ll improve little by little. We can help her. Right?"
A surprisingly mature response came out. Hard to believe it’s coming from Luna.
‘If only she didn’t pick out the carrots, she’d be quite a wonderful kid.’
Tonight’s dinner menu was curry filled with meat.
But my curry was filled with carrots.
Because Luna had been picking out the carrots from her curry and tossing them onto my plate.
So, what was in front of me was not curry but rather carrot rice with a hint of curry flavor.
I was eating this bittersweet carrot rice.
"Huh? What’s this? Carrot rice? Is there such a thing? Looks tasty..."
A boy muttered as he passed by us.
Immediately, I used the [Information Window] skill.
After days of searching for a new ally, my body reacted automatically.
Hmm, the boy had a decent spec.
Given his unknown name, he seemed like a minor extra.
Wandering around alone late at night was fine.
He was within my scope of recruitment.
"Keke, there’s no such menu, but I think I can make it for you. I just received some tasty carrots as a gift."
"Oh, really? Then I’ll bring the curry right away... Aaack! Pervert!"
The boy who saw my face screamed and ran out of the dining hall.
Calling someone a pervert just by looking at their face. Such a rude child.
"Why would he say something like that?"
"You’re asking because you don’t know? Your face is practically screaming pervert."
Is that so? Then someone should have erased it earlier.
But no matter how much I looked in the mirror, such words were not written.
Only my handsome face was there.
"Hehe, idiot. You believe that?"
"The one calling someone an idiot is the real idiot."
"What? But you’ve been quite proactive lately? What wind blew to make you start talking like this? You want to make new friends too?"
I nodded lightly.
Well, I need allies more than friends.
‘Finding a tank... is really hard.’
My image has improved, but only compared to before.
People still avoid me.
Hard to even talk to someone, let alone find an ally.
It was driving me crazy.
‘Well, it’s fine. Soon enough, a bunch of usable tanks will come flooding in.’
People will soon be dispatched from the Holy Kingdom to Annwood Academy.
Lérang, who made a contract with the demon sword.
This news reached the Holy Kingdom, and eager to influence the empire, they expressed their intention to dispatch a priest.
‘The pretext is the protection of the students and exchange.’
Was it in consideration of the empire’s gaze?
The children being dispatched to Annwood Academy are all around our age.
Meaning they are 15 to 17 years old.
‘The demon's shard and the attack of the Four Heavenly Kings. It’s quite different from the game...’
The dispatch will happen nonetheless.
So, I’ll find a tank then.
Supporting characters who could become allies are already sorted out.
If I hook one of them, somehow it will work out.
"Kekeke."
"Why, why is he like that?"
"Leave him. Trying to understand a pervert’s thoughts is not exactly a good idea."
"I see. I learned something new!"
Luna, Rezé.
I wish they both would just go away.
--TL Notes--
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