Ch. 258
Even now, as we walked through the square—and even while we were dancing—people would brush past me and then veer away with unnatural speed.
It seemed they recognized me even without Undine at my side. As expected, radiant beauty isn’t something people forget easily.
They say you can’t hide a sneeze or beauty. Being beautiful is exhausting.
“Don’t worry. There were no fatalities.”
That alone was enough for Ash to understand.
He didn’t look particularly surprised. He only gave a small nod, as if he’d expected it.
“Which means something happened in the meantime.”
“It was a minor problem.”
“Seeing people flee like they’ve spotted a fire, it looks like you solved it with force. Did you think before you acted?”
He sounded like a mother asking if I’d washed my hands after coming back inside.
Ash always thought my lack of patience made everything worse.
He wasn’t wrong.
“Ash, do you know what happens when you live your life walking on eggshells? You keep living your life walking on eggshells. If you don’t do what you want once in a while, you’ll forget how forever.”
“Geenie? For you, it’s not once in a while, but—”
“Shh.”
“Always—”
I pressed a finger to Ash’s lips and cut him off.
“Shh. Big sis knows everything without you having to say it.”
[That Master has no conscience?]
Rai, who had wandered over at some point, sidled right up next to Ash and acted flippant.
That little brat. I’m your master.
“Rai was with you, so I guess you got into a fight.”
Rai usually looked like a gentle puppy, but when he felt threatened, a savage, wild edge surfaced. That made him a pretty effective guard.
As long as his presence wasn’t swallowed up by a crowd as huge as the one earlier.
“Um… technically, it wasn’t a fight.”
“You can’t just beat someone up for bumping into your shoulder, Geenie.”
“It wasn’t like that!”
“Did someone step on your foot?”
“……Hey. Is that how you look at the woman you love? And why are you assuming I’m the perpetrator!”
‘Even if I do have a criminal record of about a hundred offenses!’
Ash looked at me with worried, pitiful eyes, but I knew his pity wasn’t aimed at me.
“But you’re so powerful that even a playful tap could kill someone.”
“I’m the victim!”
“Geenie? The angrier you get, the more you should think, ‘That’s not a person, it’s a frog,’ and be gentle—”
“It’s true! I was just standing there when some drunk came up behind me, started panting on the back of my neck, and groped my arm! His belly fat touched my back. I thought I was going to puke……”
Remembering it again sent fresh goosebumps crawling over me. I scowled as I grumbled, then immediately clamped my mouth shut when I saw Ash’s expression.
For a moment, his face turned so rigid it felt inorganic. He looked… scary.
“……I told you I didn’t kill him! I know I can kill someone with a light tap, so I’m careful in my own way!”
“It’s not that……”
After that brief hardening, Ash went pale, as if the shock finally hit him. He covered his mouth with one hand.
“I’m sorry. Geenie, I had no idea, and I was only worried you might have hurt someone… To only worry about that.”
“Well, I do have a record. And I’m a habitual offender.”
“What did you do to that drunk?”
His face was blank, but his eyes—usually so warm when they looked at me—were missing that warmth.
I knew he wasn’t angry at me.
“I hit him lightly, just a little lightly, and he passed out.”
“……Why lightly!”
“You told me to treat him like a frog! You’re the one who sings about life being precious!”
“I’m glad you listened to me, but that kind of… that kind of man…”
I never thought I’d live to see the day Ash was disappointed I hadn’t killed someone.
‘Live long enough and you see everything.’
“Where is that bastard.”
“The entrance I came through was… that one?”
[No. The one next to it!]
“Ah, that one. He should be along that entrance. Go about three blocks and you’ll find a soaking wet guy slumped under a tree. That is, if he hasn’t woken up and left already.”
The square had entrances on all sides, and I needed Rai’s help just to figure out which one I’d come through.
It wasn’t the first or second time I’d gotten lost.
“Wait… Can you stay here with Rai for just a moment?”
“Where are you going?”
“I’ll be right back.”
He held both my hands tightly as he spoke, as if he hated leaving me. I didn’t even need to touch him deliberately to read his thoughts.
Figuring out what Ash was about to do was as easy as breathing.
– ‘I’ll cut off that filthy wrist… No. I shouldn’t do that. I’ll sever his tendons, throw him into the most wretched prison, and make sure he never gets out—not even in death.’
– ‘Rather than letting him wander around like this, I should sever the tendons in his ankles and hang him upside down… and should I cut that off too so he can’t use it?’
Anyway, Ash has a lenient side.
Even with a rage I didn’t expect surging inside him, the punishments he imagined were still on the mild side.
It would be far simpler to just cut off the wrist than go through the trouble of severing tendons.
“Go on.”
I sent Ash off with a light heart, thinking idly about how I’d managed to live so stifled without the Tears of Truth.
—
The drinks being handed out at the festival were a weak fruit wine.
Made from wild strawberries, it had a sharp, tart bite, and maybe because of the honey, the aftertaste turned sweet and sticky. It suited my palate, so I finished my first glass quickly and started sipping my second.
There were snacks laid out too, though they were cheap.
I wondered what anyone got out of giving this stuff away for free, but then I noticed the merchant group sponsoring the food had their name stamped on every bowl.
“Geenie!”
I was picking at this and that when I heard my name. I turned to see Chad and Akia heading over.
I acknowledged them with a slight lift of my chin.
“Not dancing anymore?”
“No, I got dizzy, so I’m taking a break.”
“Have some snacks. Those round ones are pretty good.”
I spoke with my mouth full, so my words came out slurred.
“Where’s Ash?”
“He went somewhere for a bit. He’ll be back soon.”
As they drew closer, I could feel the awkward air settling over us.
They’d come because being alone together made them uncomfortable.
Akia, in particular, kept darting glances at me, checking my reaction.
“Th-that person next to you… is he someone you know?”
“Huh?”
“Next to you……”
I followed her cautious gesture and turned my head.
Who in the world—?
“……Uwaaah!”
[Gyaaaak!]
“What the—fuck!”
It’s Rovenin!
The surprise ripped a scream out of me, followed immediately by a curse.
Rai, horrified to find Rovenin standing right beside him, launched into the air. Only after that did he belatedly pretend to be on guard.
[You scared me! I didn’t even know you were— I mean, I knew! Of course I did!]
[Shut up, you fraud. You’re disqualified as a guard!]
[Master, you didn’t know either!]
‘People of the town! There’s a monster here!’
‘And a crazy one at that—someone who could boil an ogre into soup and still have leftovers!’
‘Danger level: disaster. Combined with me, a cataclysm.’
“You know him?” Chad asked suspiciously as he moved to my side.
Fortunately—or unfortunately—Rovenin was wearing a hood and a mask that covered his entire body.
Only his peculiar golden eyes were visible. The pitch-black mask covered his face up to his nose, the kind thieves use. Effective, sure, but it also made him look even more suspicious.
It would be hard for anyone to see him standing there like a ghost and realize he was Rovenin Fedri.
Even that clueless man apparently knew enough to hide his identity.
“To say I don’t know him… is too late. Do I… know him…?”
Ugh. I don’t want to admit it.
“Hey.”
“……”
“Hey! What’s your deal.”
When I openly showed my displeasure, Chad puffed up his massive frame and became fully wary of Rovenin.
But Rovenin wasn’t the type to deal with the weak.
He just stood there in silence, staring straight at me.
“What’s with you! This guy is pissing me off. He keeps ignoring me!”
“He’s always like that.”
“When someone talks to you, you should answer!”
Of course, Rovenin’s standard for “weak” was absurdly high.
Chad was strong enough to rank in the top three among the people in this square.
He might even be the strongest, aside from me and Rovenin.
“I have something to say.”
“I don’t.”
Ugh, I hate this.
It’s annoying enough that Rovenin showed up, but now he’s talking to me. Today must be cursed.
“It’s difficult here, so follow me.”
His voice was terribly low, with no inflection—like it crawled across the floor and into my ear.
The fact that I’d learned the sound of his voice at all made my skin crawl.
“Ha. How absurd. If you tell me to follow, I’m supposed to follow?”
“……”
“Don’t be so clueless and interrupt a date. Piss off.”
I wasn’t the least bit curious why Rovenin would go out of his way to find me, and why he’d chosen Ash’s absence to do it. I’d rather dunk my face in a bowl of water than do what he said.
“……Doesn’t he resemble Lord Fedri? Look. His eye color is—”
“All right! Let’s go. Where should we go?”
I am a Water Spirit Mage.
A bowl of water is nothing to fear.
“But… Geenie, will you be all right alone?” Akia asked.
Akia was smart.
Quick-witted, pretty, and kind—enough that I felt a little jealous Chad had her. Chad, being Chad, had no idea what was happening.
“I’m fine. He’s suspicious and dangerous, sure, but I don’t think he’s going to kill me right here and now.”
“……What?”
Rovenin, apparently done waiting, had already started walking ahead.
He jerked his neck toward a spot, gesturing for me to follow. After confirming the direction, I patted Akia’s shoulder. She looked pale.
“Really. I’m fine. I’ll be back soon.”
“Can’t you go with Chad?”
“The weak just get in the way.”
“Hey! The weak guy who can hear you is offended!”
“As I thought, that person is—”
“Don’t think any further. Just go dance with Chad. Nothing will happen.”
Except me getting irritated, that is.
I smiled lazily and retied the loosened ribbon on Akia’s chest into a neat bow.
Then, leaving the worried Akia and Chad behind, I headed after Rovenin.
If Ash found out Rovenin and I had disappeared together, he might cough up blood from worry, so I needed to hurry.
[Don’t worry, Master! Even if a fight breaks out! You have the reliable Rai with you!]
[Right! I’m feeling better now, too! If things get rough, let’s call Endairon!]
[……Master! You’ll die if you do that! I told you I’m here!]
[I believe in you, Endairon!]