Chapter 195 : Chapter 195

Chapter 195: What to Leave Behind

Step, ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍step.

Step, ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍step.

The ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍sound of the ground, frozen by the cold, meeting the soles of my feet was unusually loud.

Maybe ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍it only sounded that way because there were not many people around.

Step, ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍step.

Step, ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍step.

“Hey! Why are you creeping after me?”

The kid walking ahead seemed to feel the same way.

But I had not been trying to secretly tail him, so I had nothing to feel guilty about.

Though it was true that I had followed him after he quietly rose from among the people who had gone to bed early in order to leave at dawn.

“I’m not creeping. I’m following you openly.”

“Does that matter? Why are you following me?”

“Because I have nothing to do. And no place to go, conveniently.”

At my confident answer, the kid’s face immediately crumpled.

“Are you a beggar? Is that why you dress like that?”

The bastard said that while looking at my large, not particularly thick outerwear.

I did not know why he reached that conclusion, but this was a little unfair.

The reason the outerwear I bought on the way from Lucha Village to here was large and thin was to prepare for when I used my ability to change parts of my body into an animal’s.

I never knew when my body hair might bristle however it pleased, so it was more comfortable to wear loose clothes.

And while practicing by changing my body into this and that in order to learn the ability quickly, I did not have much time to feel cold anyway.

“My outer hide is thicker than it looks.”

It was an answer that was honest to some degree, but the bastard seemed to think I was making excuses.

A small trace of pity appeared on his young face.

If the other party’s heart was going to soften, there was no reason for me to stop him.

Pretending not to notice the bastard’s pity, I opened my mouth.

“Are you going home?”

“How did you know that?”

Judging only by the path he was taking, farther and farther away from where people lived, it would have been difficult to infer.

“Where else does a child have to go at this hour besides home?”

Perhaps my words had a point, because the bastard sharply turned his head away and began walking again.

“I’m not a child.”

That sulky remark sounded somehow like permission to follow him, so I followed behind.

Though I would have followed even without such a thing.

The place we arrived at without any particular conversation was indeed a small, old cabin.

From the simplicity with which the bastard had guided me all the way to his house more easily than expected, I felt the gap from the original work.

I thought he had been more wary in the book.

“You stand outside.”

I was relieved that his personality was still foul.

I stuck my foot into the gap of the door that had not closed.

Inside the house, there was a chill that formed when people had not stayed there for a long time.

But what caught my attention more in this cabin were the traces still remaining here and there.

Small traces that appeared when a child lived alone without an adult.

For example, a chair that looked as if it had been picked up from a trash bin, with its backrest missing and footprints left on it.

In a house without even a single table, that alien-looking thing had probably made up for the child’s lack of height when his hands could not reach high places.

As proof, the chair had been placed beneath a high cupboard.

Before he set the chair there, he must have reached blindly several times, because the cupboard handle was slightly broken.

Apart from that, dust on the windows that had not been wiped above a certain height, a torn blanket that had been folded clumsily and not properly organized, and rag pieces where he had somehow tried to stitch the torn parts together with thread were scattered everywhere.

Judging by their condition, they seemed to be things he had used when he had been smaller than now.

When Ratel and the others came here in the novel, everything had already been cleaned up, so it felt as if I were seeing a sequel not shown in the book.

Usually, in such cases, a threat to my life was guaranteed, and situations where I could leisurely look around like now were rare.

That did not mean I felt good.

“What are you looking at like that?”

The brat passed by me and roughly picked up the rag I had been looking at.

A backless chair and a blanket were already slung over the boy’s shoulders.

Even though he spoke roughly, his eyes shook uneasily as he gauged my reaction.

It also looked like he was afraid I might have noticed something.

If he was going to be like that, he should not have let me in from the start.

Feeling uncomfortable at his clumsy behavior, I raised my hand and pointed to the floor.

Several letters, written crookedly here and there, were carved into the floor.

[Amy, Adol]

“......They’re names.”

The voice that came after a brief hesitation was small.

“Your name was Amy?”

At my question, the bastard’s face crumpled at once.

“What are you talking about? Obviously I’m Adol.”

“Why is that obvious? There could be a man named Amy, and there could be a girl named Adol. If your thinking is narrow, you’ll hesitate when flexible responses are needed.”

“......”

The bastard, who had instantly become someone who lived with a narrow view of the world, glared at me.

It had been a joke in its own way, but it seemed it did not land at all.

“Fine, Adol. What are you going to do with those?”

When I gestured with my chin at the armful of things, Adol silently left the house.

The boy settled in one corner of the front yard, crouched down, and took a flint from his arms.

When I stood behind the bastard, who somehow looked pitiful, Adol slowly opened his mouth.

“Amy is my mother’s name. These are the things my mother left before she died. She said I’d need them if I was home alone. I might not come back again, so I’m burning them all. I don’t want them ending up in other people’s hands.”

“Is that why you’re going to hunt the werewolves?”

At my question, the bastard, who had been striking the flints together, raised his head.

Navy-blue eyes covered in rage glared at me.

They were eyes filled with the same venom that had made him stand up fearlessly to two grown men.

“Yes. My mother died because of the werewolves. So I have to finish them with my own hands.”

Speaking as if making a vow, the bastard kept striking the flints together.

Before long, a small spark finally rose from Adol’s hands.

Adol placed the spark on the dry blanket without hesitation.

I quietly watched the sight of the fire slowly spreading.

I still had not decided whether I should change this moment, which was proceeding according to the original work.

At last, I reached out and picked up the burning blanket.

“What are you doing?!”

The flustered Adol grabbed my arm, but I did not stop until the fire on the blanket had completely gone out.

A small hole had formed in the middle of the wide cloth, but it remained fairly intact.

“Take this with you. If we’re crossing the rocky mountain, you’ll need to prepare for the cold.”

“What are you talking about? This thing is barely big enough to cover my shoulders now. How am I supposed to take something like this?”

Perhaps displeased by my suggestion, the bastard raised his voice.

“Really? Then I’ll take it.”

The bastard, who had been pretending to be cold as if this trash could simply be burned, widened his eyes.

“What? I’d guessed it to some degree since earlier, but are you really insane?”

To show the bastard, who spoke with an absurd face, that my insane suggestion was sincere, I tried to drape his blanket over my outerwear.

“Aaagh!!! Stop!! Give it here!”

Horrified, Adol snatched his blanket back from my hands.

It seemed he had judged that taking it himself was better than letting it end up in the hands of some strange mister.

Since he had been trying to burn it because he did not want it going to someone else, that was natural.

“Damn it. I thought you were a beggar, but you’re a total madman.”

Adol carefully put the cloth into his bag, never stopping his wariness of me.

“I’m not insane, so of course I’d covet something like that. I’m a beggar, so isn’t that natural? So guard it well. There are plenty of bastards who would steal children’s things and use them.”

The bastard looked at me as if something had caught in his throat, then silently began burning the remaining things.

“......What’s your name?”

The bastard, who had become curious about the name of the nosy mister, asked me.

“It’s Ran.”

“Why are you going to kill monsters? There aren’t that many people who succeed.”

“Mona isn’t such an incompetent human. He’ll probably guide us well.”

“I know that too. He’s someone who went out to subjugate monsters many times and succeeded. There are times he came back alive alone too.”

Yes. In the original work as well, he returned to the village alive after this subjugation.

The problem was that he returned alone.

That meant Adol meeting Ratel was originally a story that happened a little later than now.

“This time won’t be like that.”

“What does that mean? Are you saying he’ll fail this time?”

Adol asked in a voice mixed with dissatisfaction and anxiety.

“No, the opposite. This subjugation will succeed. More perfectly than ever before.”

The boy must have thought I was saying something insane again, because he merely nodded.

***

The region estimated to be the werewolves’ habitat was the rocky mountain between Hyre, where Ratel’s group was, and this small village.

The mountain terrain was rugged and an environment where humans could not possibly live, so even if subjugation parties created in the village entered, they could not endure for more than a few days.

Because of that, those who entered the rocky mountain to catch monsters usually met one of three endings.

They never encountered the monsters and saved their lives, were hunted by the monsters, or barely returned alive but lost their minds.

Mona was someone who had surpassed all of those ordinary cases.

A man who had returned alive from werewolf subjugations three times.

His suicide applicants, which had started with a small number of volunteers, had now become a properly sized subjugation party.

That did not mean the nickname suicide volunteer unit had completely disappeared, though.

“Hah, hah, damn it. Are we even going the right way?”

The grumbling of the hulking man at the front could be heard all the way to the middle of the line.

It was no wonder.

They had been climbing the steep rocky mountain behind Mona and Enil since early dawn, and already several hours had passed.

“If it’s hard, either go to the back or shut your mouth. Why is he standing in front and dropping morale like that?”

Adol, who was similarly out of breath, muttered in dissatisfaction.

I laughed quietly at the bastard, who had learned social life well at a young age.

That noisy complaining would end soon anyway.

“Adol, no matter what happens from now on, keep one thing in mind.”

“Wh-what? What is it?”

When I lowered my voice, the bastard’s face grew tense, and he lowered his voice along with me.

“If I collapse, save me first. Take me with you no matter what.”

“......”

At my pointless words, Adol glared at me.

“Is that something you should be saying to me right now? Even I’m staying still like this.”

“This isn’t a request. It’s advice, and a deal. If you save me, I’ll save you too.”

Perhaps he liked my words, because Adol’s face loosened a little.

“What makes you trust a kid like me enough to make that kind of offer?”

“You can do it well enough.”

At my answer filled with certainty, the bastard’s expression changed strangely again.

“......Do you know something?”

It was the moment the child tried to grow the embers of suspicion that had belatedly risen.

“Everyone, stop.”

Mona’s clear voice came from the front.

Adol stretched his neck out beside the line to check what was ahead.

“......What is that?”

“A cave. One we have to pass through.”

I answered without looking ahead.

Because even without looking, I knew the thing blocking the path ahead was the greatest obstacle to destroying the second holy object.