Chapter 34

Today, I'll try to post another one by 6 PM, and if things go well, another one late at night. m(__)m

He had only been in the village for a few hours. The next morning, a day after he had returned to the mountains, Kurando found Akari and Yuki-shiro outside the cave, rolling on the ground. Akari looked at Kurando with a questioning gaze, as if wondering if something had happened, while Yuki-shiro, still rolling, gave off a cold vibe, but her tail wagged happily.

Kurando made a face of exasperation.

"Ah, ... probably, there's a Haruhito Saito in the village."

Akari's eyes widened.

"An encounter on the road would be too troublesome, so I fled quickly. I don't know the details, but I did meet Erika Kiritani of 'Dawn's Wing.' Fortunately, she didn't seem to remember me at all."

While talking about Hayato and the others, Kurando felt very reluctant about what was to come.

Suddenly, he noticed that Yuki-shiro, seemingly oblivious to the change in their demeanor, was still rolling on the ground, rubbing her back and looking content.

Kurando envied Yuki-shiro, who seemed to know nothing about the situation, and she continued to roll on the ground, oblivious to his envy.

The two and the one returned to the cave. Compared to the outside, which had become quite warm like early spring, the inside of the cave was cool.

"What do you think he came for?"

Kurando asked Akari, who was sitting by the hearth. Akari furrowed her brow in thought.

"... I think it's because of me, for better or worse."

"What do you mean?"

"Someone heard about my situation and came to help, or to capture me. One of those two. I think the former is more likely, about eight to two. Perhaps Maximus talked to the temple, and the news reached Hayato."

Akari stated that there was a 20% chance that a classmate could be an enemy.

"Classmates coming to help you, that's quite confident, isn't it?"

Kurando said teasingly.

"Please, that's not it. He acts on his own. He helps and protects without asking. It's certainly appreciated, and some children have been saved under his protection, like Erika. But I want to be independent. That's why I accepted Maximus's invitation."

"Hmm. Well, if they were an enemy, I could tell with 'Unstable Map and Detection.' I could buy some time by fleeing deeper into the mountains."

"No, if Hayato were an enemy, 'Unstable Map and Detection' wouldn't react."

Kurando looked puzzled.

"Brave ones don't respond to 'Blessings.'"

"Is that so? ... Hmm? Then, wouldn't the 'Scythe of Truth' be meaningless?"

"I think you would think so. But the answer is no. A brave one who was once severely injured was saved by another brave one's healing blessing. From this, I believe the will to accept or reject the power of a blessing is important, like with life essence magic.

In the case of the 'Scythe of Truth,' if the blessing is not accepted, it becomes just an 'Iron Scythe.' Whether you lie or tell the truth, it has the same killing power as a regular sword or spear."

"I don't know if that's good or bad."

"Not really. If it's just a scythe, it can be easily deflected by a physical barrier. When the 'Scythe of Truth' blessing is fully activated, barriers are meaningless. However, the opponent must be willing to accept the judgment, so it's not for combat."

Kurando looked thoughtful.

"... Does the blessing affect me?"

Whether the 'Blessing' would work on Kurando, who had lost his brave powers, was the issue.

Akari shook her head.

"Probably not. I've never clearly recognized you as an enemy, and you've never truly seen me as an enemy. Overall, you're stronger than me, but since the Ilneek hunt, it has never reacted. I don't know the exact conditions for marking, so I can't say for sure."

"Stop getting my name wrong. If you call me a janitor, I might not remember."

"Sorry."

Probably no one knows the janitor's full name, so it's hard to call him by name.

"Still, an enemy, huh."

Akari's vision wavered.

Kurando had leaped over the hearth and pushed Akari down.

"Huh?"

Akari's voice, a mix of surprise and confusion, was drowned out by Kurando's next action, disappearing into the cave.

Kurando tore the buttons off Akari's shirt and reached into her small, unbraed breasts.

"No, stop!"

Akari's arm swung with a force uncharacteristic of a woman, striking Kurando's cheek.

However, Kurando, seemingly unfazed, unbuckled Akari's belt and inserted his hand.

"No, stop!"

"---So, how about it?"

Just before his hand reached a dangerous area, Kurando's usual mocking, nonchalant voice, which he didn't intend to be, reached Akari's ears, who was desperately resisting.

"Is it red?"

Akari, as prompted, rechecked the 'Unstable Map and Detection.'

There was nothing but the black dot representing herself.

This meant that the former brave one was also unaffected by the blessing.

Unless a brave one who deeply accepted Akari's ability and saw her as an enemy existed, further verification was impossible. In fact, it was better to assume that the ability wouldn't react if a brave one became an enemy.

"No, it's not."

So, Kurando casually returned to the other side of the hearth.

"I think there's a way to do it, that was too much."

Akari looked at Kurando with a sharp, cold gaze, as if she were looking at the filth she hated most in the world.

"Is that so? Even if you know it's not an enemy, the instinctive level of danger for a woman... "

Kurando looked at Akari's lower abdomen.

"W-What are you looking at?"

"Well, that's the point. Forgive me."

"It's a crime. This isn't a manga, it can't be excused with 'Oh, it's just a scene.' I won't forgive it."

Kurando made a face.

"What's that face? It makes it seem like it's my fault."

"Well, for me, it's a matter of life and death. Forgive me."

Kurando bowed deeply.

Whether a 'Brave' could harm the 'Summoner' with a 'Blessing' would significantly change Kurando's approach.

Akari, now understanding the reason, found it hard to blame him.

"... It's fine. This time, we're even. I'll forgive you."

"Sorry."

"Alright, but I'm not sure if the blessing is completely ineffective on braves. There seem to be loopholes, and Hayato was testing them, more for self-defense against betrayal."

"So, I don't want to be killed by him, so I'll stay in the mountains for a while."

Yuki-shiro yawned behind him but perked up at the mention of staying in the mountains.

"Killed? Really?"

Akari, who had calmed down and changed clothes, was subtly keeping her distance from Kurando, perhaps as a silent protest.

"Because he's a one-star brave, he's a hero among braves."

"Huh, really? ... It might be a special clause."

Kurando looked at Akari, as if he didn't know.

"... When you become a hunter, you're supposed to receive an explanation."

"Maximus didn't say anything like that."

"Ah, Maximus. In that case, it can't be helped. The special clause is a special privilege for hunters who defeat specially designated disaster species, which are monsters or beasts recognized by the association as particularly harmful to humans. Simply put, if you defeat a dragon or giant monster attacking a city, you get a special rank increase. Hayato reaching that level in less than two years means he might have defeated a dragon attacking a city. I heard a rumor about it before."

"... A dragon, really?"

"Yes. But they rarely appear outside of disaster species, at most wyverns."

"I see. So, Hayato is that kind of person, a hero among braves and in his country. If a summoner who has lost their power appears, and the scandal of losing power leaks, he might come to kill. Of course, no one would believe a wanderer like me, and I can't prove I stole, so they wouldn't believe it."

"... I don't want that to happen, but it can't be denied."

Since gaining her ability, Akari had become more sensitive to human malice. She knew people could easily betray each other depending on the situation. They were not braves, just people, and there was no denying it.

"Well, I'll stay with Yuki-shiro for a while."

"That's fine. If Hayato is here, Maximus might return soon."

Kurando leaned against Yuki-shiro.

Yuki-shiro, looking annoyed, bared her teeth but her tail wagged happily.

Five days later, early in the morning, Maximus returned, leading several female hunters.

Maximus, receiving Kurando's sharp, cold, almost hostile gaze, and Yuki-shiro growling behind Kurando, said, "Scum."

Maximus had broken the promise not to tell anyone, and it didn't matter if he was called childish or told to listen. He trusted Maximus, and Kurando knew that. But trusting and being angry about being betrayed were two different things.

"Just listen. It's for Akari."

"... There were other ways. It's too risky for me and ... Yuki-shiro."

Kurando's interest in Maximus visibly waned, his expression becoming blank, as if all emotion had drained from him.

It wasn't like a wild animal. It was more like the anger of a venomous insect or a vengeful spirit.

"You're too young to have such an expression."

Her voice softened the tension.

A figure stepped forward from behind Maximus.

The speaker was a slender, elegant old woman, her back straight, the only one not wearing leather armor, but a slim, deep green robe.

Most notably, her ears were long and pointed. She was an elf.

She was so beautiful that Kurando, usually expressionless, wondered what she would have looked like fifty years ago.

"I pressured Maximus. But I have no intention of threatening your life."

"Your presence alone is a threat. Who are you?"

"I apologize. I am Ophelia, the overseer of the 'Attendants of the Moon Goddess.' I have a longer name, but Ophelia is fine."

"... I'm Kurando. What is it, Ophelia?"

Kurando's tone returned to a more formal one.

He found it difficult to address the much older Ophelia informally, and he had lost the opportunity to vent his anger.

He felt he needed to be polite, not because of her position, but because of the aura she exuded.

"One is to protect and guard Miss Akari, who is scheduled to receive the 'Judgment of Truth' in a few days. The other is ... you. The one who lives with the white phantom, Ilneek. It's like a myth, isn't it? That's why I asked Maximus to guide me, despite my age."

Kurando glared at Maximus, who looked away.

"Ah, to see such a scene in my lifetime, it's a long life indeed."

Ophelia looked at Yuki-shiro, who was growling protectively next to Kurando, with a gentle gaze.

Yuki-shiro, uncomfortable with the unfamiliar gaze, stopped growling and hid behind Kurando.

Ophelia smiled even more, as if she had seen something delightful.

Kurando looked at Maximus.

"Well, whatever this 'Attendant of the Moon Goddess' is, I'm off the hook, right?"

"No, that's the thing..."

Maximus scratched his head uncomfortably.

"Would it be too much to ask to camp around here for a while?"

Ophelia said, taking over for the hesitant Maximus.

Kurando's eyes turned sharp again.

"The 'Judgment of Truth' team hasn't arrived yet. The judgment will take place in Salehad, a special case for a brave in distress, but they are priests, not like us, and it takes time to move. During this time, there might be people with ill intentions toward Akari. So, I'm asking for your hospitality for safety. Plus—"

Ophelia looked at the female hunters behind her.

"The women behind me are indeed hunters. Some have low ranks, but they are skilled. However, they are also women who have fled to the goddess. The goddess is a virgin and dislikes men, which is why this place is a refuge for women."

"I'm sorry, but I don't know what a 'Attendant of the Moon Goddess' is."

Ophelia, though told she was unknown, didn't seem offended.

"You don't need to be so formal. The 'Attendants of the Moon Goddess' are women who live with the Moon Goddess, the goddess of hunting. If they don't return to the secular world, they continue their hunting life. Men are forbidden because the goddess is a virgin and dislikes men, but thanks to that, this place can be a refuge for women."

"Oh, so they're women with issues."

One of the women flinched under Kurando's gaze.

"Because of this, it's more convenient here than in the village. Of course, we won't reveal anything about you."

Kurando, realizing it was too late to hide the information, gave up.

There was no way to completely hide the information without killing everyone.

"... Maximus is a beast, and I'm a man. Is that okay?"

"Hey, that's not fair. I'm just playing with a pretty lady."

Akari's gaze at Maximus was icy.

Ophelia, surprised, said, "Maximus is fine, but you are a man, aren't you? I don't understand why I thought you weren't."

"... Forget it."

Ophelia, still puzzled, tilted her head.

"...