Chapter 31

Lilina, who appears to have regained her composure, is staring at me intently with her azure eyes. She seems to be harboring quite complex emotions, and her feelings towards me are not yet settled. However, at least I don't sense any hostility. Whether it's surprising or understandable—anyway, it seems we can continue the conversation.

I sit back down in the same seat, exhale, and turn my gaze back to Lilina.

"Are you feeling better now?"

"Yes... Thank you for your concern, Quon."

Lilina nods in response to my words. There is still no trace of hostility in her words. While it's a concern, it's too early for her to reconcile her emotions. She has calmed down after crying and venting her feelings, but this calm is only temporary. Her heart is still in a precarious balance. Imagining a glass held together by surface tension, I wonder if I should encourage her to let out more.

"I think you have a lot you want to say."

"You're being manipulative, aren't you? Well, I won't deny it, though."

Lilina says this with a slight frown, as if slightly exasperated. I've never been called manipulative before. I don't intend to act that way. However, since I'm willing to accept the girl's outburst, I can't really deny it. I can't help but chuckle as I respond.

"You never know how words held back will change later. For the sake of future relationships, it's better to know the other person's true feelings, don't you think?"

"...You sound like a rationalist. But there's no verbal abuse."

"Really? Why not?"

"You respected my father's pride. How could I hurt his pride after that?"

Lilina smiles thinly. Her demeanor is not that of a child but of a woman with a firm sense of pride. I chuckle, realizing I had underestimated her as a child. She probably has a lot she wants to say, like wishing I had come sooner or that there was a way to help. Because she doesn't know the full situation, there are many things she could say. But Lilina has swallowed those words—no, she has transcended them. For her father, who became an undead and was forced into an unwanted battle but never lost his pride.

"...I understand. Then I won't say anything more. In return, I promise to do my best to solve your problem."

"Is that out of a sense of atonement?"

"No, I just want to do it."

I don't feel any guilt. I only fought because he was my opponent and fulfilled his last wish. Feeling guilty would be disrespectful to him.

"I was asked by the Knight Commander to help. Plus, these guys are already willing to cooperate with you."

"Those... um, Kirara, right?"

"Ah, Kirara is fine. It's a name they're not familiar with here."

I keep to myself the thought that they wouldn't be familiar with it there either. There's no need to interject here.

"Originally, we were a separate party. We just happened to fight the demon together. So, you can think of our strategies as different, but I promise to cooperate just as much as they do."

"That's nice, but... why?"

"Regarding us, it's simple. After hearing your story and your situation, we just want to help. As outsiders, we can act on our impulses, and that's the only reason."

Lilina looks slightly confused at Rino's words. As someone close to the noble society, she naturally thinks there are hidden motives and positions behind words. However, many outsiders don't fit that mold. At least for now, we're just playing the game for fun. Lilina remains silent, her gaze wandering, but eventually, she seems to resign herself.

"...I understand. I'll rely on you."

"Sure, I'll take it. So, can I hear your story?"

"Yes. Well, you might have guessed, but I'm being targeted by the Fave family."

"To be precise, I'm being courted by the young master of the Fave family."

I frown at Elsa's explanation. From the looks of it, she's being pursued by a troublesome person who uses their power. Such people are difficult to reason with, as they generally believe everything should go their way. When words don't work, they resort to force.

"So, you're refusing the young master's advances."

"Of course. He used his position to court me and even said that since my father died, he would make me a servant..."

"...When did this happen?"

"Um, about two weeks ago."

I frown at her words. While it's true that Shreid was dead, he was considered missing until then. In other words, news of his death hadn't reached the capital. It's not unreasonable to assume he was declared dead after being missing for a long time, but two weeks isn't that long. So, what made them conclude Shreid was dead? It seems suspicious. I glance at Rino, who seems to share the same doubt.

"...Is something wrong?"

"No, just continue."

Lilina hesitates but continues. "Well, I think that's all they want. They've been coming every day to harass me."

"At least it's just harassment for now... But they haven't resorted to more aggressive methods?"

"This is the Ramburg family's estate, so it's a crime for anyone to enter without permission. So, I've been trying to stay inside as much as possible."

"What about supplies?"

"My neighbor has been helping. But... it seems they're getting impatient. This time, they even brought armed people..."

"Then it seems a confrontation is imminent."

They still care about appearances, but for how long? Their methods will likely be threats or secret kidnappings. Either way, it's bound to get complicated.

"I mentioned the Knight Commander's name earlier, but I also revealed that we're outsiders."

"What? Is that a problem?"

"Basically, it means we can take action, but if they do, we can't complain. If they report that we were disrespected by outsiders, they might send a force immediately."

"Wait, you mean they might already be here!?"

"The possibility is quite high."

For now, it's just a guess, but the likelihood of an attack is high. It's better to be prepared. Looking outside, I see a high wall. Climbing it would be difficult.

"How many entrances does this house have?"

"Two: the front gate and the back gate."

"Then we can defend two points. Kirara, you and the others split into pairs and guard the gates."

"That's fine, but what about Quon?"

"I'll stay here for now. If the enemy comes, call me from your friend list, and I'll come to your aid."

"...Understood.蓟, come with me!"

"Then Rino and I will go to the back gate... Quon, please take care of things here."

I watch the Kirara and the others hurry out, exhale, and think about the earlier question. The young master's claim about Shreid's death. If it was just a lie, that's one thing, but if he knew...

"...Lilina, I forgot one thing. I'll give this to you."

Lilina looks at the holy symbol of the Admina faith I hand her.

"This... is the holy symbol of the Admina faith?"

"It's a memento from your father. It protected him from the demon's control. The sword and armor had to be returned to the Knights, but you should keep this."

"Thank you..."

The girl hugs the holy symbol with a soft voice and turns her back. I don't try to see her expression; she probably doesn't want to be seen. I sigh and move to the window to check the outside. I can see Kirara and蓟 near the front gate, but no one else is around. I hope it's just a false alarm, but if it isn't, how long should we keep watch? We can't stay here forever, but if an attack happens while we're logged out, that's a problem. We might need to take the initiative, but as I ponder this, Lumina floats in front of me.

"What's up, Lumina?"

"――――!"

The fairy, with a determined look, points at Lilina, who is still facing away, shoulders trembling. Lumina seems worried about her.

"Hmm... I understand. Stay with her. Protect her if anything happens."

"――――!"

Lumina nods and rushes to Lilina's side. She circles around her, showing concern, and then stops in front of her, doing something I can't see clearly. She seems to be trying to pet her head, but her hands are too small to do much more than touch.

"...Hehe"

"――――?"

It seems to have some effect. Lilina smiles and extends her hand, and Lumina lands on it. Despite her strong guard, Lumina is quite friendly. She'll likely be a comfort to Lilina. For now, I'll leave her to Lumina and focus on the potential attack. If there are demons involved, the holy symbol might offer some protection, even if it's just a small comfort.

(But if demons are involved, what's their goal?)

Demons, like the undead, have boundless hostility towards humans. It's hard to imagine them cooperating with humans. If the young master got information from demons, that would make sense, but if humans face Romperia, they'll be crushed instantly. The demons have no reason to cooperate with humans. They'd rather destroy them outright.

(Probably just a lie, then.)

Still, I'll keep it in mind as a possibility. It's foolish to narrow down the possibilities before the facts are clear. The facts will become clear based on the actions of the other side. For now, I need some movement to understand the situation.

"―Quon! An armed group is approaching!"

Lumina's voice echoed through the friend chat at that moment. I smile, understanding the change in situation, and jump out the window.

"Lumina! Take care of Lilina!"

I run towards the front gate. I wonder what we'll face—smiling at the prospect of battle, I prepare myself.

■Avatar Name: Quon

■Gender: Male

■Race: Human

■Level: 13

■Status (Remaining Status Points: 0)

STR: 16

VIT: 14

INT: 16

MND: 14

AGI: 12

DEX: 12

■Skills

Weapon Skill: 《Sword: Lv.13》

Magic Skill: 《Enhancement Magic: Lv.10》

Set Skill: 《Dead Point Strike: Lv.11》

《MP Auto Recovery: Lv.6》

《Plundering Sword: Lv.8》

《Identification: Lv.10》

《Sword of Life: Lv.9》

《Sword of Demon Slaying: Lv.4》

《Tame: Lv.3》

《HP Auto Recovery: Lv.5》

Sub Skill: 《Mining: Lv.1》

Title Skill: 《Fairy's Blessing》

■Current SP: 8

■Monster Name: Lumina

■Gender: Female

■Race: Fairy

■Level: 7

■Status (Remaining Status Points: 0)

STR: 4

VIT: 7

INT: 22

MND: 16

AGI: 14

DEX: 9

■Skills

Weapon Skill: None

Magic Skill: 《Light Magic》

Skill: 《Light Attribute Enhancement》

《Flight》

《Magic Resistance: Medium》

《MP Auto Recovery》

Title Skill: 《Fairy Queen's Follower》