Chapter 97

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It was a day off. As planned, I was going to capture a monster with Diona, Leon, and Sieg.

Incidentally, Iris had thrown a tantrum, insisting on coming along, but considering her safety, she was left waiting at Reinhardt's house.

"I'm sorry for troubling you..."

"Don't worry about it. On the contrary, it's reassuring to have Ms. Laura thinking about things."

The trust Sieg placed in me made me feel a bit uncomfortable. From the single point of discovering the spirit's drinking water, I felt that Sieg and the others had placed somewhat excessive expectations on me. Indeed, finding a new ingredient for concoctions—especially a powerful one—was a considerable achievement, but it was all because I had memories from my previous life. Moreover, I had only provided the opportunity; I would never have found the spirit's drinking water on my own. In short, I couldn't help but feel that the evaluations from others were outpacing my true abilities.

Sensing my vague smile, Diona spoke up from the side. She held a simple hand-drawn map.

"I've already scouted the area. There are likely to be nests of monsters that meet the conditions here and here. By the way, the one on this side is larger, but in terms of the size of the young, they seem about the same. I think they were born at different times."

When asked which one to choose, I was at a loss. Honestly, I couldn't judge which one was better. Would one be more difficult to capture? I didn't want to answer based on a hunch, so I swallowed my pride and asked back.

"...I'm completely clueless about monsters. Which one would be better?"

The one who answered my question without hesitation was Leon, who was standing behind me.

"If the size of the body doesn't change, the one that has grown more might be better. For example, a monster with hard skin is still soft when it's just born. If we want to get closer to the conditions the Demon King requires, the one that has grown more... but, it's a trivial difference in front of the Demon King, I guess."

Leon had a large sword at his waist and was wearing a simple but sturdy armor, giving him the appearance of a seasoned adventurer. I thought he must be quite skilled, given that he was accompanying us as a guard. I nodded vigorously, thinking that a layperson should obediently follow the advice.

"Got it. Then let's go with that one."

Hearing my words, Diona said, "I'll lead the way to the nest," and started walking at the front. This forest near the capital wasn't that deep, and the ground wasn't treacherous. However, of course, monsters were lurking everywhere, so I followed behind Diona, with Sieg and Leon walking on either side of me. The formation clearly said, "We're protecting you," which made me feel a bit uncomfortable.

I had brought a bag with poison and healing potions I had prepared just in case, but I suspected they might not be useful. To ease my tension, Sieg, who was standing next to me, started a conversation.

"It's a good day, isn't it?"

"Y-Yes, really. It would be bad if it rained, as the ground would get slippery."

"Rain makes my hair annoying."

"...Leon, you should cut your bangs. They're too long and messy."

"Sieg is too neat."

Listening to Sieg and Leon, who were talking in a very casual tone, I thought again that they were brothers despite not looking much alike. They had the same build, but were they twins? Including their sister Diona, they were chatting in a very relaxed manner, which seemed out of place for a journey to a monster's nest.

"There it is, in that cave. Since they are nocturnal, they are probably resting in their nest right now."

Saying this, Diona readied her spear. Leon, standing next to her, had a provocative smile on his face. On the other hand, Sieg didn't move from my side. Watching the two who seemed ready to dive into the nest, I asked Sieg.

"I've prepared healing and poison potions, but I'm just in the way, right?"

"Let's wait a little distance away together."

I felt a bit embarrassed but relieved at his words. I watched Diona and Leon's backs as they entered the nest, standing next to Sieg. From here on, I had to leave it to the professionals. It would be a hindrance for a mere alchemist to get involved. I rummaged through my bag to prepare healing potions in case they got injured. Just then, Sieg spoke up.

"Let me thank you again, Ms. Laura. For this and for Iris."

Caught off guard by the sudden topic, I tilted my head in confusion. Sieg smiled wryly and continued.

"Since Iris started learning from you, she seems very happy. The letters she used to write reluctantly are now filled with excitement about what she learned and the conversations she had with you."

"That's... very nice to hear. I still have a lot to improve, though."

Despite my hesitation, I spoke honestly. It was gratifying to know that my junior felt that way.

"---We are planning to welcome Elvira to the village of the Rustu people soon."

Sieg's tone suddenly dropped. I looked at him reflexively at the mention of Elvira, but he wasn't looking at me; he was staring straight ahead. What was he looking at?

"I have no intention of justifying the self-destructive disease. I want to believe that the path we have taken is not wrong, but I also understand that it is not the right one. I will never forget the many sacrifices that have been made."

He paused, then sighed softly and continued, "However..."

"Many of our people still believe that they are the ones who are right. They think of themselves and the hero and their followers as special, looking down on others."

Sieg's expression was like someone confessing a sin, but I thought, somewhat rudely, "It's a common story." In the creative works I had seen in my previous life, there were often races or characters who thought of themselves as special and looked down on others. In reality, the Rustu people were probably special, given their grand mission to save the world from the Demon King. It wasn't strange for them to think of themselves as special. ---But it was a bit unsettling to be told so definitively.

"Embarrassingly, we are so preoccupied with keeping the world going that we cannot save it."

Sieg's tone when he said he couldn't save the world was tinged with self-mockery.

"Ms. Laura will likely visit our village soon. My master has strongly instructed us to welcome you with respect, but... you might find it unpleasant."

His words were enough to suggest that there might be a rift between Reinhardt and other Rustu people. Sieg turned to me and bowed deeply. Then he said,

"I apologize in advance. I'm sorry."

Caught off guard, I hurriedly opened my mouth. I hadn't been treated rudely, and there was no need for him to apologize. Even if the Rustu people were rude, there was no need for Sieg and the others to apologize.

"There's no need to apologize for something that hasn't happened yet..."

"No, in the end, we are just ordinary humans who can do nothing without the hero. Even the power of light can only be used properly by Diona now."

---Perhaps the blood of the Rustu people was thinning. In "Last Brave," Diona's power was set to be particularly strong among her clan, but there was no such setting. However, Sieg's words sounded like most people couldn't use proper power.

"If only we had discarded the pointless pride and traditions of being the Rustu people or the descendants of the hero's followers and joined hands earlier..."

Sieg muttered, almost to himself, in a lower tone than before. His voice was tinged with a barely concealed hatred, making me shiver involuntarily. The Rustu people, given special powers and a mission to defeat the Demon King, seemed to be far from united. Thinking about how much more closed-off their community must be compared to Eme's village, I felt suffocated just imagining it. Sieg might have lost something to the pride and traditions the Rustu people couldn't let go of. His voice was so filled with negative emotions that I couldn't help but speculate.

"Sorry, I'm just complaining."

Sieg smiled wryly, returning to his usual friendly self. I decided that the darkness he had briefly shown was not a place I should intrude upon and smiled vaguely again. I didn't know how to respond, as there was no right answer.

"Please continue to take good care of Iris, Ms. Laura."

I could only nod in response.

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