Chapter 175 : Chapter 175

Chapter 175: Long Time No See

My ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍body was hot, and breathing was difficult, as if I had sprinted at full speed over a short distance.

The ‍​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍symptoms themselves were not very different from when I overused my strength.

The ‍​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍only difference was that it was twice as exhausting as usual.

When ‍​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍I pressed my hand to the floor to raise my body, I saw a hand that was no longer green.

Human ‍​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍skin felt unfamiliar, so when I clenched and opened my hand a few times, I felt soft skin, unlike before.

“I ‍​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍didn’t know before, but human bodies really are as weak as tofu.”

As I observed my skin for a moment, I raised my head at the gazes I suddenly felt.

Ratel and Ria, the leader and the half-wit. All four were looking at me with startled faces.

My appearance must have been quite a shock, because all four were frozen, even forgetting to move.

Ria hanging onto Ratel’s arm, Sierra’s Sword in his hand, and on one side, the leader and the half-wit clinging together with terrified faces.

Thanks to that, I felt like I could tell what had been happening until just now without needing an explanation.

The protagonist's bastard had been right on the verge of ignoring my words and causing trouble.

“First, put that down and......”

The words telling him to move away from the two orcs did not continue.

Because Ria, who had thrown Ratel’s arm aside and run over, checked my arms and legs while pouring out a flood of concern.

“Ran! It really is Ran, right?! I’m not seeing things, am I? Are your arms and legs fine now? Is there anywhere that didn’t get made properly?”

“Yes, I’m not an illusion, my arms and legs are fine, and everything came back properly. I’m not missing so much as a fingernail.”

When I raised both hands, only then did the relieved Ria lower her head.

“Ugh...... Please, I’m begging you. Next time, at least tell us before doing something like that.”

Judging by the sound of her sniffling, she was definitely crying.

It was probably right to swallow the words that something similar would happen next time too, and that I could not be certain how much of my will would be mixed into it.

“......At any rate, what matters is that I found out how to get Jing out.”

When I subtly changed the subject, Ria snapped her head up.

“What is it? What do we have to do?”

At her urgent question, I turned my body and looked at Ratel, who had come closer with the holy object in his hand.

Ratel had been standing there with an uncharacteristically blank expression, but when his eyes met mine, he seemed to come back to his senses and returned to his usual emotionless face.

“......Are you sure Jing is alive too?”

At the question that came a beat late, I nodded.

Then I turned around and looked at the black mist that had begun clumping back together.

“Yes, he’s still alive. It seems his limbs are still attached too.”

“Still?”

Yes, still.

Put another way, it meant there was not much time left.

For us, and for those two as well.

Behind Ratel and Ria, I could see the leader and the half-wit.

I walked past Ratel and headed toward the two.

“Kkwek. Wh-what is it!”

The leader, who had been observing me with a doubtful face, asked in a voice full of wariness.

“As you’ve already seen, we don’t have time.”

“Kkwek. What are you talking about? Kkwek. What do I care about how much time you humans have left!”

The leader argued as if he found it absurd.

“You care plenty. Because we have to decide which of you two will become leaders.”

Hostility instantly filled the eyes of the two orcs.

That was understandable.

My words were no different from saying I would kill him to save my companion.

The leader was quick-tempered, but he was not foolish.

The bastard looked back and forth between the half-wit hiding behind him and the three humans who would become his opponents.

Especially after his gaze lingered on Ratel for a long while, the leader quickly acknowledged his defeat.

Not that he obediently listened to me.

“......Kkwek. We just have to not fight.”

“We can force you to.”

At my threat, the leader let out a faint laugh.

“Kkwek. Whatever you do, do you think my body can endure it?”

The leader was right.

The bastard’s body looked even more damaged than the last time I had seen him, and he did not look like he could endure something like torture.

So he has nothing to be afraid of.

But if there was one thing I had gained from accompanying these two orcs for no short time, it was that I had learned what the leader wanted.

This was an advantage for me, and at the same time, a disadvantage.

There was nothing particularly good about sharing time with someone.

I looked at the leader glaring at me rebelliously, and the half-wit holding onto that leader’s shoulder, then opened my mouth.

“I’ll give you time. Decide which of you will become the leader during that time.”

“Kkwek. Where did you hear my words from?! Kkwek. When I know both of us will die anyway, why would I say something like......”

“Only one will die.”

When I corrected him, the two orcs widened their eyes.

“K-kwek. What does that mean?”

“You said threats don’t work. So I’m proposing a deal.”

The leader could not immediately accept my words, which meant breaking the absolute rule the orcs had upheld for so long.

The expectation that had briefly appeared in the leader’s eyes, which had widened with surprise, soon changed into disappointment, then into self-reproach again.

“Kkwek. You foolish human bastard. That isn’t as easy as you say. Kkwek. It’s not something a human can decide as he pleases.”

“Then are you just going to die?”

“Kkwek. I didn’t care when I died anyway.”

“I don’t think so. Or else you don’t know what it means for the leader alone to die.”

I gestured with my eyes toward the half-wit behind him.

“I’m saying one side doesn’t have to lose their memories.”

At the added explanation, the leader’s mouth fell open.

It seemed he finally realized what accepting my proposal meant.

“I’ll give you five minutes. Decide which of you is going to die during that time and come back.”

“Kkwek. You bastard. Not listening to people at all, just like......”

The leader, who had been about to argue in anger, stopped short.

The bastard began studying me with a strange face, but I was not giving him time to admire my face.

“You have nothing to lose anyway, don’t you? All you have to do is become a leader and decide who will die.”

I did not wait for his answer any longer and turned away.

***

Moving away from the two orcs, I watched the black mist clump together.

According to Ria, when I had come through the mist, it had not looked very different from that.

She had said the black shape took on a human form, and then I came out from within it.

The image I imagined was similar to the way the birth of an orc had been described in the book.

I looked down at the hand that had returned to a human form.

It uses roughly the same principle, so......

While I was lost in thought, a large shadow fell over my hand.

“What happened inside?”

At the sudden question, I raised my head.

“It wasn’t anything worth calling an incident.”

Though in the middle, a thousand-year-old squirrel had stolen me away, spouted all sorts of bizarre things, and I had made a somewhat unfair deal with the bastard.

“Nothing happened, but you suddenly came back with a way to save one of those two bastards?”

“When did I say nothing happened? I said it wasn’t anything worth calling an incident. It wasn’t that big of a deal.”

When I vaguely glossed over my answer, the bastard glared at me with a displeased face.

“What about Ria?”

When I changed the subject while pretending not to see his gaze, Ratel pointed with his chin toward one corner.

Ria, pale-faced, was leaning against the wall and resting.

Though saying she was half-fainted might have been more accurate.

“Well, she did go through too much. She was probably barely standing, and then she even had to stop some Godzilla rampaging around.”

“What’s a Godzilla?”

“......There’s something like that.”

Ratel narrowed his eyes, as if he did not know exactly what Godzilla was, but understood roughly that it was an insult.

“What, punk? If you have time to glare, leave the holy object to me and go check on Ria. Tell her we don’t know what will happen to the island if we destroy the holy object, so she needs to run fast if things go wrong.”

When I held out my hand, the bastard placed Sierra’s Sword on top of my hand with an uncomfortable face.

When I raised my head because it was unexpected that he obeyed me more meekly than I thought, my eyes met the bastard’s as he glared at me with a displeased expression.

Anyone watching would think he was cutting off one of his own arms and handing it over.

He must be thinking again that I might be plotting some nonsense.

Even so, the way he handed over the holy object without complaint made me more uncomfortable instead.

“If you don’t trust me, just say it openly. Everyone already knows your paranoia is terminal.”

“What changes if I say it? You won’t teach me what happened anyway.”

That was true.

When I nodded and obediently acknowledged it, Ratel’s face crumpled.

It was a face that openly revealed what he was thinking: What kind of shameless bastard is this?

“I don’t say things out loud unless they’re necessary.”

“Do you know that using what kind of person you are as an excuse and not even thinking of changing is extremely cowardly?”

It was a correct statement that made me want to punch him once.

Because it was correct, there was nothing in particular I could refute.

“Fine. This cowardly human will keep living this way, so you don’t need to know the cowardly human’s inner thoughts either. Whatever the case, I......”

“Won’t do anything bad to me.”

The bastard cut me off and completed my sentence, then tapped his chin as if thinking about something.

“Well, it doesn’t matter. I think I have a rough idea of what’s in your head now too.”

Wondering if that meant he had discovered I had just thought I wanted to punch him once, I stiffened my face, and the corner of the bastard’s mouth rose wickedly.

“What are you, a prophet? If you can see so clearly inside my head, then from now on, even when I keep my mouth shut, just let it pass.”

“Yes. That’s why I’m letting it pass now.”

Ratel answered lightly and gestured with his eyes behind him toward the leader and the half-wit, who had put their heads together at a distance.

“Because even I know that what you gave those bastards wasn’t time to decide the leader, but time to say goodbye.”

After leaving only what he had to say in an indifferent voice, the bastard headed toward Ria without hesitation. I glared at the back of his head for a moment, then turned my head back toward the black mist.

As expected, there’s nothing good about spending too much time together with people.

***

In the center of the burrow, the leader glared at the humans with suspicious eyes.

Fortunately, one of them seemed to have no leisure to care about this side, and the remaining two seemed too busy talking among themselves.

After confirming that no one was paying attention to him or the half-wit, the leader quickly opened his mouth.

“Kkwek. There’s no need to listen to what those human bastards say. Kkwek. We’ll look for a chance and run away.”

At the plan he spat out like rapid fire, the half-wit’s eyes shone as he nodded.

“Kkwek. L-let’s run away. Kkwek. I like that too.”

At the half-wit’s agreement, the leader raised the corner of his mouth in satisfaction and lowered his voice again.

“Kkwek. Over there, that brown-haired human has no strength right now. Kkwek. If you take her hostage, the other two bastards won’t be able to do anything until we run away.”

“Kkwek. We w-won’t take her with us. Kkwek. That human is a cherished human. Kkwek. Let’s l-let her go midway.”

The leader quietly looked at the half-wit, who was offering his opinion with an uncomfortable expression, then soon nodded.

“Kkwek. Fine. Kkwek. Then while I draw those bastards’ eyes, you quickly go and grab that human.”

“Kkwek! G-got it!”

The leader followed the half-wit with his eyes as the bastard hurriedly rose.

In truth, the plan did not matter at all.

Because neither side of it would come true.

The leader briefly stopped the half-wit, who was about to run out.

“Kkwek. Be careful. Kkwek. If it looks dangerous, you must run away no matter what.”

He thought it was excessive worry for something as simple as grabbing one human, but the half-wit did not dislike the leader’s excessive concern.

“Kkwek! Got it! Kkwek. L-leader, be careful too!”

“Kkwek. I have nothing left to be careful about.”

After deliberately scolding the half-wit, who answered with a bright face, the leader gripped his sword tightly.

And the moment the half-wit fully turned his body, the leader struck down the back of his neck.

The half-wit collapsed without even screaming.