Chapter 37

After that, I began to explain my relationship with Maarnas to the leaders of the races.

In the middle of my explanation, Maarnas would often interrupt and start talking wildly, causing the conversation to veer off course each time... but still, I managed to finish what I had to say.

By the time I finished all my explanations, I was utterly exhausted.

Orphe, who seemed to be convinced by my explanation, nodded a few times and then said,

"Interesting. In any case, it means we can leave her management to Crest, right?"

"Right. So, we’ll be taking our leave."

Orphe and Gorga said this unilaterally, as if to avoid getting involved, and fled.

The same goes for Vanya and the others.

All I could do was watch them hastily leave.

Those guys...

Left behind, I was exposed to the intense gazes of Revia and Elise as I looked at Maarnas.

"Maarnas, what do you intend to do from now on?"

"I will serve Lady Crest!"

"So, you’ll be staying in this village, then?"

"I will always be by your side!"

"You don’t have to be there all the time."

"Please rest assured! I will follow you wherever you go!"

That’s not reassuring at all.

...However, it’s not bad that Maarnas is joining us.

As I saw when she attacked Elise earlier, her combat skills are quite high.

There’s no one as reassuring as a companion with such abilities.

"By the way, what’s the situation in the Upper World? I’ve heard it’s quite chaotic."

I had heard a brief summary from Elise, but the situation could have changed since then.

Honestly, I don’t care much about what happens in the Upper World, but if it affects the Lower World, that’s a different story.

For example, if the Upper World is taken over by monsters and uncontrollable monsters start descending to the Lower World, I can’t just ignore everything.

After all, monsters prefer the dense magic of the Lower World and will almost certainly come down here.

"There are many dimensional rifts appearing, and the situation is quite dangerous. It’s said that a single woman from the Duke’s family is handling the response. Her name... is the one who is often with Lady Crest."

"Minu, I believe."

Elise continued Maarnas’s sentence.

At Elise’s words, Maarnas clicked her tongue and continued.

"This Minu is handling it alone, but it seems she can’t manage it by herself. The situation has become even more difficult because someone has abandoned their duty. Someone."

Maarnas glanced at Elise as she said "someone."

Elise crossed her arms and turned away with a huff.

"...That’s pitiful."

When I said that, Elise looked at me intently.

"You’re worried about Minu."

"Of course. Elise, you were involved with her to some extent, weren’t you? Aren’t you worried?"

"My involvement was due to my connection with Crest. I don’t care what happens to Minu herself."

"...I see."

I thought she didn’t have to say it like that... but I remember Elise and Minu weren’t particularly close.

"It’s natural to be more worried about Minu than Elise."

"What are you trying to say?"

"Because Minu was kind to Lady Crest, right? It’s only natural, Lady Crest."

You’re asking a difficult question.

Elise glared sharply at Maarnas.

"Maarnas, please don’t say unnecessary things?"

"I don’t think they’re unnecessary. I’m just saying the truth."

Maarnas glared back defiantly.

Maarnas’s tone is quite harsh when speaking to anyone other than me.

I have a feeling these arguments won’t stop anytime soon...

"Stop fighting, both of you."

"I apologize, Lady Crest!"

Maarnas immediately apologized, and Elise didn’t say anything more, averting her gaze.

"Let’s get back to the topic. You said there are many dimensional rifts in the Upper World, but isn’t there a possibility of the same happening in the Lower World? ...Considering that, we should focus more on defense, right?"

"I think the Lower World is fine, Lady Crest."

Maarnas said this.

"What do you mean?"

Fortunately, I haven’t seen it, but it’s not something that only happens in the Upper World.

As I thought this, Maarnas spoke.

"I heard that the dimensional rifts are being created by the sub-humans in the Lower World. They probably won’t target the Lower World on purpose, right?"

Maarnas’s shocking statement made me and Revia look at her intently.

"I don’t like it, Lady Crest... please don’t look at me with such intense eyes. I’m getting excited. Can I savor Lady Crest’s scent?"

"...About the dimensional rifts you mentioned earlier, what do you mean?"

The sub-humans in the Lower World are creating them.

If that’s true, it’s a serious matter.

I glanced at Revia, but she shook her head.

"I don’t know the details, but when I was in the Upper World, I was approached by sub-humans. They said there’s a resistance group, and their leader is in the Lower World. They plan to attack the Upper World and reclaim the world together... or something like that."

"...You were approached by sub-humans in the Upper World. Do you know who they are?"

Could it be that Ravehardt is behind this?

However, there are certainly a significant number of sub-human slaves in the Upper World.

If they are freed, it would significantly boost the sub-human side’s strength.

"I don’t know the details. I decided to serve only Lady Crest, so I declined."

Can you stop making decisions on your own?

However, if Maarnas’s story is true, the leader of the sub-humans in the Lower World can control the dimensional rifts.

I recalled Ravehardt’s appearance.

...Indeed, with his power, it might be possible.

I remembered his combat skills from that time and was trying to catch up, but I might still be lacking.

I need to become even stronger.

One way to achieve this might be to use Maarnas’s power.

This is a new series. ↓ Please read from the link below!

I was helping with my sister’s dungeon streaming, and I accidentally went on a rampage against an S-rank monster, causing a huge buzz.

https://ncode.syosetu.com/n9783ig/

The dark knight who time-leaped uses future knowledge to go on a rampage—how the exiled underdog rises from the bottom.

https://ncode.syosetu.com/n9795ig/