Chapter 173 : Chapter 173

Chapter 173: Betrayal

“Kkwek. ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍Cut the half-wit with that sword.”

The ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍moment I finished speaking, someone reacted violently.

“Kkwek!! ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍Don’t say something so absurd!!”

The ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍leader, who had been watching the situation while hiding the half-wit behind him until now, shouted.

“Don’t ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍raise your voice!”

At ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍the same time, Ria lowered her voice and scolded the leader.

“Kkwek. A mere h-human like you......”

A shadow fell over the leader, who had briefly been overwhelmed by her momentum.

It was Ratel, who had picked up the holy object before anyone realized it.

“K-kwek......”

At the force that seemed ready to slice the half-wit’s neck off at any moment, fear appeared on the leader’s face.

I was flustered by the sudden war of nerves.

It was not as if I specifically needed the half-wit’s neck.

Regretting that I should have said from the start that he only needed to get a few drops of blood, I hurriedly opened my mouth.

“Kkwek. Wait. I’m not saying to kill him. Kkwek. We only need to try sprinkling his blood here.”

Four gazes gathered on me.

“Kkwek! You should’ve said that from the beginning!”

“I told you not to shout!”

“Kkwek. You’re louder, you bastard!!”

“I said don’t shout!”

Ignoring the mess the leader and Ria were making, Ratel pointed at the half-wit with his eyes.

At the look asking whether that was really all, I showed him my vanished hand.

That’s enough, so just hurry up and do it.

With a sigh, Ratel tried to pull the half-wit away from the leader.

But this time too, the leader did not hand over the half-wit easily.

“Kkwek. Isn’t it dangerous? Kkwek. That bastard only had his hand cut once too, but look what happened to him.”

At the leader’s sharp point, Ratel’s brow crumpled.

“Wouldn’t it be better to go painlessly like that than die painfully by my hand?”

I said I’m not dying yet.

While the bastard pushed me far away as he pleased and the two of them held another war of nerves, the half-wit, who had been behind the leader, quietly revealed himself.

“Kkwek. You idiot. What are you doing?!”

The leader tried to snatch him and hide him behind his back again, but the half-wit slipped away from his hand and came closer to me.

“K-kwek. If you n-need blood, I’ll give it.”

His speech was clumsy, but his voice was firm.

“Kkwek. You h-helped me.”

The bastard’s dim eyes looked at me without wavering.

“Kkwek. Thanks to you, getting scolded is all over. Kkwek. I’ll help too.”

Honestly, it was difficult for me to know what help the half-wit was talking about.

From beginning to end, I had only been swinging the two orcs around as I pleased.

That did not mean I was in a position to refuse something I could get.

And for once, the leader had closed his mouth.

It would be better to handle this quickly before the bastard changed his mind again.

“Kkwek. Then cut the half-wit’s arm. Kkwek. A few drops of blood will be enough.”

At my urging, Ratel silently made a shallow wound on the half-wit’s arm.

The half-wit watched more quietly than expected as the wound on his arm healed.

The green blood on the tip of the sword fell drop by drop into the black mist.

“......”

“......”

“......”

And to an astonishing degree, nothing happened.

“......This really is the picture Ran imagined, right?”

Breaking through the silence, Ria looked up at me with anxious eyes and asked.

It was rather anticlimactic, but this was the result I had wanted.

“Kkwek. Yes. That just made things somewhat certain. Kkwek. That I’ll be able to come back.”

“That’s really true?!”

Ria, who had raised her voice without realizing it, covered her mouth with a startled face.

“How can you be so sure?”

Ratel asked after throwing the half-wit back to the leader and returning.

“Kkwek. Because everything has a reason and a purpose.”

Perhaps my answer sounded somewhat absurd, because both Ratel and Ria looked as if they were wondering what bullshit I was spouting.

“Kkwek. I mean there’s a reason I’m changing like this, and the power doing this to me has a purpose too. Kkwek. Until it achieves that, I won’t die.”

To be precise, it seemed more accurate to say it would not kill me.

I could not explain at length.

Because it seemed that speaking was also shocking my body, and the speed of decomposition had begun to increase.

Before the plague-like phenomenon climbed up my neck, I quickly opened my mouth.

“Kkwek. I’ll come back. Kkwek. So keep only one thing in mind. Kkwek. You must not kill those orcs until I return.”

After hurriedly finishing my words, I looked at the two to hear their answer.

Unlike Ria, who nodded reluctantly, the protagonist bastard did not even twitch his head until the end, which only fueled my anxiety.

I could clearly see the bastard later keeping his mouth shut like that and then stubbornly acting however he pleased again.

Even if I questioned him later, it was obvious he would insist he had never agreed.

“Kkwek. Wait here. Kkwek. If you wait quietly, I’ll come back soon.”

The moment I finished my final warning to the bastard, I knew another part of my body had turned to powder and scattered.

Because my neck had disappeared, I could not look down, but I could tell from the shock filling the two’s faces.

I saw Ratel and Ria reach their hands toward me.

Whether the tips of their fingers touched me or failed to, I could not tell.

Fortunately or unfortunately, as my vision blurred, my consciousness also began to scatter.

I tried to hold Ria in my fading vision and opened my mouth to make one final sound.

“Kkwek. Hold on just a little longer.”

With Ria’s puzzled face as the last thing I saw, I completely lost consciousness.

***

The moment my scattered consciousness found its place again, I opened my eyes at the feeling of someone crawling over my body.

Contrary to my fear that, in the worst case, I would be forced to watch the process of an orc being made from a person, my surroundings were only quiet.

A somehow familiar squirrel tail, boasting its rich fur, was swaying this way and that.

“Kkwek......”

When I made a sound, my vocal cords moved like a machine creaking after being left unused for a long time.

Thanks to that, the sound did not come out as loudly as I had expected, but the owner of the tail quickly turned and looked at me.

“So you finally woke up, child. It seems you grew quite a bit while I wasn’t looking?”

The furry face raised the corners of its mouth in an irritating way and teased me.

***

El, wearing the most irritating face possible on a squirrel’s face, looked me over this way and that.

“On second look, perhaps you only grew sideways.”

When I gave no particular reaction, the corners of the bastard’s eyes rose slightly.

“You don’t get surprised enough, so teasing you has no flavor.”

Ignoring the bastard’s words, I looked around the empty space where nothing existed.

“Kkwek. Are you the one who dragged me here?”

“Why do you think I dragged you here? I might have followed you in.”

“Kkwek. Don’t play word games. Kkwek. I at least know this isn’t where I’m supposed to be.”

At my irritated answer, El’s smile deepened.

“You always have shockingly quick wits.”

It was not anything as grand as wits.

It was just data gained from my experiences until now.

Ever since entering the cave, Sierra’s remaining power had harassed me like a debt collector, demanding that I keep the promise, but it had not been able to torment me past a certain point.

When that sort of thing repeated several times, I could not help but notice it naturally.

That my opinion was absolutely important to keeping that so-called promise here.

I did not know what kind of activation condition it was, but it meant that the contract bound to that “promise” could not be forcibly carried out unless my consciousness was awake.

In other words, at least wasting time here like this was not what Sierra’s power wanted.

Well, I did not want to waste time here either.

I struggled to raise my body and reached my hand toward the bastard, who had come down from atop me.

“Kkwek. I don’t have the leisure to listen to you. Kkwek. Hurry up and climb on.”

The bastard, who had stopped teasing me, silently looked down at the palm I had extended.

Then he looked up at me with a puzzled face.

“Kkwek. What?”

“Do you not think there is something to resolve first before that?”

I was about to answer that I intended to slowly interrogate him later about how he had called me to a place like this.

That was when the large, rugged green hand I had offered him suddenly entered my eyes.

The squirrel bastard, noticing my gaze fixed on my hand, nodded as if we could finally communicate.

“Yes. The situation was so urgent that you seem to have forgotten for a moment. That can happen. Well, the important thing is that I know a way to return your body to its original state, is it not?”

Now I felt as if I understood where the bastard’s arrogance came from as he stood there, chin raised, looking down at me despite being the size of my foot.

To this squirrel bastard, this was an opportunity that would never come again.

An opportunity to turn the relationship between me and him in his favor.

And the bait he had chosen was the method to turn my body back into a human.

“I will make it so you can return to your original body. So from now on, you will......”

“Kkwek. I don’t need it.”

“You don’t need...... What?”

The bastard, who had been arrogantly trying to present what he wanted, stopped speaking and looked at me.

“Kkwek. Why are you pretending you didn’t hear me? Kkwek. I’m saying I’m not making a deal with you.”

It was exactly as I said.

Returning to being human was not an urgent problem for me.

So I had opened my mouth to warn him that he could not swing the situation around as he pleased, but I had to close it at the bastard’s unexpected reaction.

“You truly don’t mind living in that form, do you?”

The bastard’s face as he said was filled with exhilaration he could not hide.

***

There were a few things one had to be careful of when entering a deal.

Do not reveal every card you hold at once.

No matter how impatient or anxious you are, do not let the other party know it.

Looking at El’s grinning face, I came back to my senses as if the second warning had slapped me across the cheek.

I also realized that I was more shaken right now than I myself thought.

Yes, I had momentarily forgotten that when dealing with that bastard, I always had to begin with the mindset of entering a deal.

Fortunately, my defeat had not been decided yet.

Because I had not yet broken the first warning too.

***

The thousand-year-old squirrel bastard did not stop grinning, as if something amused him so much.

Had he not been trying to threaten me with the method to return me to human form?

Had I missed something because I was in a hurry?

But even if I racked my brain, there was no way to know the bastard’s intent right now.

“There is no need to make such a frightening face. It is true that I know a way to turn you back into a human.”

He said it as if to reassure me, but once I cooled my head, something stood out.

Eyes full of anticipation, sparkling as if trying to probe me.

What the hell does it matter to him whether I return to being human?

“Kkwek. You won’t gain anything good if I return to my original body either. Kkwek. Then you lose the last chance to show yourself in front of Ratel too.”

“Last chance?”

El asked back, still wearing a smile at the corner of his mouth.

“Kkwek. Ratel will need Imperial Family blood in the future too, and all you need is to prove that you can fill that role. Kkwek. If Jing is saved with your help, Ratel won’t just kill you.”

This also meant that if the bastard let Jing die, he would never be able to show himself before Ratel again.

That was how much Jing meant to Ratel.

If that squirrel bastard had seen Ratel when he heard that Jing had been eaten, he would not have felt like playing word games like this.

“That would be troublesome, but......”

The bastard muttered with a face that looked not the slightest bit troubled.

“By the way, it seems you people care quite a bit about the Piteos child. To my eyes, he doesn’t seem all that special.”

“Kkwek. Are you jealous because the protagonist follows someone who doesn’t seem all that special?”

Perhaps my words were funny, because the squirrel bastard let out a small laugh.

“No, no. Yes, there is nothing to be done about one’s heart being drawn to someone. There is no need to worry too much. The Piteos child has not died yet.”

“Kkwek. Do you know what happened to Jing?”

The moment I spat it out, I realized I had made another mistake.

I realized that urgency had seeped into my question, and the bastard realized it too.

His smile grew deeper.

A brightly smiling squirrel. It was a sight where grotesqueness overcame cuteness.

“Haha. By the way, among all the forms of you I have seen so far, I think this one suits you best. That strange way of speaking is amusing too.”

“Kkwek. If you want, I can let you hear as much of it as you like. Kkwek. As long as you go outside and destroy the holy object.”

I did not react to the bastard’s teasing, but perhaps seeing me in a hurry was enjoyable enough, because El finally scampered up onto my palm.

“If it is the Piteos child, he is still alive. Though he is experiencing pain close to death. Ah, of course, he has not become an orc either.”

After tapping my palm several times with his tail, the bastard tossed that out as if it were nothing.

He had not died, and he had not become an orc either.

At the relief that we had escaped the worst-case scenario, I let out a relieved sigh.

Watching me, El smiled gently and continued.

“But it is also true that there is not much time left. Before long, his entire body will decompose and be used as nutrients to make an orc. Perhaps it is already half complete.”

“Kkwek. Anyone listening would think you desperately want that to happen.”

“There is no way that is true, you ungrateful child. I am actually on my way back after helping that Piteos child you all cannot live without enduring until now. If not for me, he would have decomposed long ago and been used as nutrients to create an orc.”

As if this alone was sincere, the bastard arrogantly lifted his chin and boasted.

It did not seem to be a lie.

If so, it meant the bastard did not have absolutely no intention of saving Jing.

What the hell do you want?

When I looked at him with that question, the bastard opened his mouth.

“You seem to want to go out quickly and save that child of the Piteos Family, but before that, there remains something you must do.”

El raised a finger with a face that looked as if he was having the time of his life.

“First, I will return you to your original body.”

“Kkwek. Do you want me to return to being human, or do you want me not to return?”

“What are you saying? Of course I want you to return. Even if it is you, surely you cannot live in that state for the rest of your life.”

The bastard spoke as if he were granting some great generosity while forcing something on me that I had not even asked for.

Judging by how relaxed he was, one thing seemed certain.

“Kkwek. It seems you’re certain you’ll still have some use even if I return to my original body. Do you think my half-blood cannot destroy the holy object?”

Contrary to my expectation that he would immediately say I was right and reveal that he had the upper hand, El tapped his chin as if pondering something.

Though he still could not control the corners of his mouth, which remained raised.

“That is probably not it. You are quite fortunate, after all.”

There was no way.

This time, the bastard said something fairly funny.

“Kkwek. If I were truly fortunate, I wouldn’t have met you in the first place.”

For the first time, the smile disappeared from El’s face, but only for a moment.

It did not seem the bastard had particularly expected sympathy or pity from me either.

Or perhaps his joy was too great compared to that small wound.

The bastard, having erased the negative emotion in an instant, smiled again.

“You will soon know that I am right. You only have to endure a little longer.”

“Kkwek. What else are you telling me to wait for?”

At my irritated question, the bastard lifted his right hand.

Then his finger pointed at empty air where nothing could be seen.

“The moon has just risen outside.”