Chapter 99

99

"Busy?"

"......Oh, no. I'm fine. Um... just wait a moment. I'll go and get you something to drink."

No, forget it.

But why do you look so surprised?

'You're making me embarrassed.'

I approached him hesitantly and held out the flower I had picked.

First, I'll try to win his favor with a gift.

"Flower? Is it a gift?"

"Uh-huh."

"......I see. Thank you, Sherina."

Deschar Clown carefully took the flower with his thick, rough hands.

Then, he pulled out the flower in the nearby vase and threw it into the trash, placing the one I gave him in the vase.

"Bored, so you came?"

After staring at the discarded flower, I lifted my head at his voice.

"Um, no. I went to the market with Sir Hoy. Can I go again?"

As soon as I finished speaking, a shadow fell over Deschar Clown's face.

"......To the market? If you need something, I can buy it for you. Or maybe we can go with Grandpa later?"

"No, I'll go with Chaser."

As I shook my head, a hint of difficulty appeared on his face.

He gazed at the vase I had given him, stroking the petals a few times before letting out a deep sigh.

Then he slowly shook his head.

"That might be difficult. I'm worried about letting you go after what happened recently."

He explained carefully, as if trying to persuade me.

"How about we set a day later? Sharent is busy with guests today, so it might be hard to find time."

He was more resolute than I expected.

Deschar Clown, who had heard about the recent incident, had been so angry that he had almost broken the marble table.

"What the hell is the knight order doing to let such problems keep happening!"

His voice still rang in my ears, making them ring.

The table, which had cracked and collapsed in front of me due to his punches, was still vivid in my mind.

He had just been angry on my behalf, striking the long table in front of the sofa a few times, wondering how such a thing could happen.

But the fact that he was angry for me......

It was very......

Thinking about it, I slowly shook my head.

'No.'

I shouldn't have such thoughts.

I'll do what I can in my position.

"I have to go today."

It's something I can only get today.

As far as I know, today is the day the black market opens once a month here.

It's not a place I can bring anyone to.

When I spoke firmly, Deschar Clown slowly shook his head with a troubled expression.

"......Grandpa, Mie."

Honestly, the wall is higher than I thought.

I didn't expect this, thinking it would be the easiest.

'I thought it would be easier than Sharent Clown.'

"......Do you, hate me?"

Deschar Clown's voice seemed to tremble slightly.

"Sherina, Sherina. Kid?"

I didn't turn around.

Although I had a last hope, Deschar Clown didn't come to stop me in the end.

It seems I couldn't get his permission to go out officially.

'Now there's only one way left.'

I have to sneak out.

I'll think about it when Chaser comes back.

I didn't really want to go alone.

Now that I realize Asmodeus is after me, it would be foolish to move alone.

"......You're in trouble, Sherina."

When I returned to the room, Chaser was muttering gloomily with a very tired face.

His exhausted expression suggested he had been quite troubled by the knight order.

Looking at him sprawled out on the floor, I thought he looked like a lazy guard dog.

'Does he live quite faithfully, unexpectedly?'

While thinking, Chaser, who had been rolling on the floor, spoke.

"How could you say such things without thinking, knowing that something happened to the young lady? They said absolutely not to let you go out."

"Is that so?"

"Hmm, isn't it?"

Chaser asked with a mischievous smile and curious eyes.

His lips, curved attractively, showed his anticipation.

"Should I kill everyone and go out?"

He said with a voice full of anticipation.

"......What?"

"Ah, not everyone. The leader said Sherina is weak and gets lonely easily. So, he said she needs someone until she joins us."

Hearing Chaser's words, I looked at him with confusion.

'Join?'

Join with me? What loneliness?

What have they discussed among themselves?

"Hmm, what should I do?"

Chaser, without any concern, was seriously considering how many people to kill and how to escape the mansion.

"Then, just the necessary number. The gatekeeper and a few knights blocking our way?"

Chaser seemed to have decided on a suitable number and asked me.

His serious face showed no hint of playfulness.

He looked like a very mischievous troublemaker.

A troublemaker who still didn't know his limits.

"Menlain, did that rock not say he wouldn't give it to you?"

"Sherina, Sherina."

Chaser's playful face turned cold. He repeated my name twice, as if trying to control his anger.

Then, his face twisted like a demon, and he reached out to grab my neck.

Though he didn't grip it tightly, the threatening aura was enough to make me shiver.

"I want to tear that bastard to pieces, so I just forget most of what he said."

Chaser growled viciously.

His menacing tone made me unable to continue speaking.

I thought his anger was justified, and I wasn't in a position to comment on it.

"I don't want you to mention that bastard in front of me."

Chaser slowly raised his hand from my neck and pressed it firmly against my cheek.

"You're ours now. We belong to you, and you belong to us. We protect you, and you protect us."

Right?

His red eyes asked me.

Since the blessing had been extended to both of us, I couldn't back out now, so I nodded silently at his strange words.

His face, which had been twisted viciously, returned to normal as if nothing had happened.

He took his hand off me, took a few awkward steps back, and shook his body lightly.

"And the leader said it's okay to kill a few people as long as it's not too noticeable to protect you."

His voice and atmosphere were the same as usual.

"......I'll use magic."

"Ah, magic! Oh, you're a genius?"

I'm not a genius; you're the fool.

"Where are you going?"

"To the black market."

I took out a mana stone from the subspace with him.

Come to think of it, I didn't even tell Sharent Clown that the bracelet was broken.

I'll tell him when I come back.

This time, I'll write a proper letter.

I took out a sketchbook and a crayon from the desk.

I want to use a pen, but my fingers aren't delicate enough to hold one yet.

I clenched my fist and lined up several pages of the sketchbook.

This time, my goal is to fit four letters on one page of the sketchbook.

Holding a red crayon to make the letters visible, I tried to control the size of the writing as much as possible.

First, I'll fit in four letters......

I'm going to the market.

Hmm, let's make it three letters.

Going, tonight

I'll be

back.

The letters were still large and crooked, but they fit the number I had expected.

I laid out the messy, dirty sketchbook with satisfaction.

'Hmm, a bit lacking.'

After thinking, I tore a few more pages and moved the crayon.

Follow

don't, Sa

Ah, I made a mistake.

I drew a straight red line over 'Sa'.

I wrote it wrong. It's not Sharent.

Uncle.

Phew, done.

With my hands full of red dye, I wiped them on the sketchbook.

When I extended my hand, Chaser, who had been kneeling beside me watching, placed his hand on my palm.

His natural movement surprised me a bit.

'Open the hidden path beneath the inviolable land, transcend time with the binding oath of the constrained space.'

I closed my eyes and slowly recited the spell.

When I opened my eyes again, the scenery had changed.