Ch.116116. Rejection

First of all, it was a statement that naturally drew a sigh. The Republic of Clark wasn’t a place one could just enter as they pleased.

From the perspective of the Verdi family guarding the north, it would be like opening and closing the border at our whim.

Findenai seemed to read my thoughts and deliberately lowered her voice.

“I’ll go secretly. Without the head of the family or Deia knowing.”

“It’s amusing that you think I would permit it.”

When I responded conservatively with my arms crossed, Findenai awkwardly scratched the back of her head.

“Well, if my master tells me not to go, I won’t. But it seems like something troubling is happening over there.”

“…Explain.”

The fact that Findenai, who despised the Republic so intensely, was saying she wanted to visit again already meant something unusual was happening.

Anxiety swept over me along with my curiosity.

But surprisingly, Findenai questioned me instead.

“Huh? Are you interested in our affairs?”

“…”

I kept my mouth shut without bothering to answer, urging her to continue. Findenai stroked her neck as she replied.

“In the Republic of Clark, there are several resistance groups besides our Scrap Dealers. The largest among them is a group called the Dog Traders.”

Dog Traders?

As my eyebrow twitched slightly, Findenai added with a smirk.

“Their leader resembles a Doberman. You’ll know what I mean when you see him.”

“So you’re going to meet them.”

I probed, as I could roughly guess the story without hearing more. Findenai nodded.

“We’ve received information that the Dog Traders have been gathering resistance members recently. I don’t know what they’re planning, but I need to go check it out.”

“…”

“I’m not going to do anything rash. It won’t take long to go and come back anyway.”

At those words, I fell into contemplation. Even in the game, stories about the Republic of Clark were mentioned vaguely, like some Neapolitan urban legend.

But even after seeing the game’s ending, I never heard anything about the Republic’s leadership or system being overthrown.

I felt quite uneasy, but looking at Findenai’s expression, I sensed she would be restless if I forbade her from going.

“I’ll give you one week.”

“Huh?”

“Exactly one week from now, I’ll be returning to the academy. Come back before then.”

“That’s really tight.”

“If it’s impossible, I won’t let you go.”

“I didn’t say it was impossible.”

Findenai grinned and removed the white frills she was wearing on her head.

“Besides, you have a part of my soul, don’t you?”

“You remembered.”

“Of course.”

When I first took Findenai as a maid, I made a contract to possess part of her soul.

Given her recent behavior, I thought she would have forgotten about it, but surprisingly, she remembered.

At that time, my abilities as a Spiritmaster were lacking, so I proceeded with the contract with Findenai’s consent.

Looking back now, it seemed quite sloppy. Both the spell formula and the way of handling mana appeared to be nothing more than that of a beginner.

“Since I only have a week, time is tight. I’ll leave right away.”

With those words, Findenai turned around. She had acted like it was no big deal when talking to me, but the aura emanating from her back was quite fierce.

Not Findenai the maid.

But the leader of the resistance.

The head of the Scrap Dealers.

She was returning to being the wolf who had crossed the northern mountains.

As I silently watched her, I hesitated briefly before speaking.

“When you go.”

“Hmm?”

Findenai turned her head slightly. In response to her look that seemed to ask if I had anything more to say, I blurted out without thinking.

“Don’t smoke too much tobacco. The Republic’s tobacco is harsh, and if the smell gets on you, it’ll be hard to be around you.”

At those words, Findenai’s blood-red eyes widened momentarily, then she grinned.

“Want me to bring back souvenirs? Heat inducers and perforated condoms are specialties there. I think the master would like them?”

It was a truly vulgar joke.

But that was the end of our conversation.

Findenai left me for a while, and I unintentionally found myself waiting for her return.

After releasing the wolf, I returned to the mansion.

Since I didn’t have anything particular to do, I was planning to rest, but strangely, Findenai’s expression kept bothering me.

I knew she hadn’t told me everything, and she probably judged that it would be beneficial for me not to know.

But it still bothered me.

The next five years would proceed according to the game’s content.

I knew the Republic of Clark wouldn’t undergo any changes during that time, so I hoped the resistance wouldn’t make any unnecessary moves.

‘She’s not a character who would die here anyway.’

Originally, in the game’s content, this would be Aria’s first-year summer vacation—a period when the game was gradually shedding its beginner feel.

Findenai wouldn’t even have appeared in the story at this point, so she wouldn’t lose her life here.

Just then, I noticed Scrap Dealer members chopping with axes in the mansion garden. I thought they might be cutting firewood in summer, but they seemed to be boisterously showing off their strength to each other.

“Heave-ho!”

“M-Master!”

“You’re here!”

The one chopping with an axe was showing off his biceps, but upon seeing me, he bowed his head hurriedly like the other members.

Their leader Findenai was currently crossing the border, yet they were here like this?

“I heard there’s been some strange movement in the Republic of Clark recently.”

“Ah, that’s right.”

“We heard the resistance leaders are gathering for some kind of meeting.”

“It’s because the Purge members have been so active.”

The reason the Scrap Dealers were staying here after crossing the border was because the Republic’s Purge members had been actively hunting down resistance groups.

“But our leader isn’t attending this time?”

“Right, she never really cared about other resistance groups anyway.”

“By the way, where did she go?”

I couldn’t help but be momentarily stunned by the Scrap Dealer members’ questions. I had naturally assumed Findenai would have told them before leaving, but had she actually departed alone without saying anything to her members?

“…I sent her on an errand.”

“Hehe, please be gentle with our leader.”

“She may look tough, but she’s a virgin.”

“Though she’s excellent at chopping off men’s genitals with an axe!”

I could only remain silent as the members boasted about strange things.

The more I observed, the more I realized what a central figure Findenai was to them, and how they were like family.

That’s why I didn’t reveal Findenai’s solo action.

‘That’s enough.’

She said she’d return in a week, so she should manage well on her own.

I could only hope the mountain god would watch over her path.

“Ah.”

As I entered the mansion, I happened to make eye contact with Deia who was passing by. She seemed to have quite a hangover from yesterday’s drinking session, clutching her throbbing head with a grimace.

But upon seeing me, she abruptly turned and hurried off in another direction.

“Shit, shit, shit. I must be crazy, how could I with a guy like that…!”

She muttered to herself as she left. As her brother, I wondered if I should follow and ask her what was wrong, but decided against it.

I knew from experience that it was best not to disturb Deia when she was in such a bad mood.

After Deia left, I headed to my room. I was just planning to read a book and sort out my complicated thoughts.

Just then, the Dark Spiritmaster was waiting for me in the corridor.

[Finally, you’re here! There’s an uninvited guest in your room right now!]

“…An uninvited guest?”

[Aria Rius. Remember she said she brought some kind of gift?]

Right, now that I think about it, Aria’s energy last night was unusual. Not that of an ordinary girl, but one that carried death.

She had an aura similar to Dante’s Black Mages.

[I would have been thrilled, but… it doesn’t seem like a gift you’d appreciate.]

“…Sigh.”

I had a pretty good idea what kind of gift it was, so I took a deep breath and placed my hand on the doorknob.

[Still, be gentle with her. Okay? She’s just trying to impress you.]

“That’s the problem.”

I flung the door open to find Aria Rius standing there with a tense expression.

She had placed a blunt greatsword on the floor, from which the screams of evil spirits were overflowing.

“The Devouring Sword, Duatein.”

The moment I saw the sword and named it, Aria clapped her hands in surprise.

“That’s right! As expected of Professor! You’re amazing!”

This was quite a rare item as well.

Though not a unique item like the Spirit Stone or Holy Grail, it was just below that tier but with overpowered performance.

I thought again that she wasn’t a returnee for nothing, collecting all these good equipment.

“What did you feed it?”

Since the weapon’s nature changed depending on what it consumed, I deliberately asked even though I already knew.

Aria answered with a bright smile.

“Souls! And it devoured two of Dante’s Black Mages!”

[Th-That is impressive.]

The Dark Spiritmaster, having faced Dante’s Black Mage Dina, understood the weight of this statement.

Of course, she had struggled because of the constraint to protect the monsters, but still, Dina had simultaneously faced both Findenai and the Dark Spiritmaster.

Executing Black Mages of that caliber—not just one but two—was indeed an achievement worth praising.

Duatein had developed a malevolent mouth that was screaming violently, and with each scream, the aura of Black Mages emanated strongly.

“It might be difficult for you to use this sword directly. You should extract the souls and use them! That way, Professor, you can become much stronger!”

“…”

“I only gave you one Spirit Stone, but you’ve already become so much stronger. I was really surprised! As expected, Professor is the best. In the previous cycle, you were just unlucky. Unable to spread your talent widely…!”

“Aria.”

As I looked at the girl who seemed like she would continue her praise like a fanatic if left alone, I felt my emotions grow cold without realizing it.

As my gaze lowered, I felt as if a sharp knife had been thrust into a corner of my heart.

She was the girl I had played directly.

At that time, all I could do in the game was retry, but I was fully immersed.

The girl who had traveled with me through this world, seeing all the endings together.

The girl who had sacrificed herself for everyone and shouted about trivial but beautiful emotions like friendship and love with her companions.

“P-Professor?”

Now she was calling me with a flushed, excited voice, trying to catch her breath.

Fear welled up in me that I might never see that innocent, pure smile again.

Without realizing it, I placed my hand on Aria’s shoulder.

“Never again.”

“…Pardon?”

“Never again take someone’s life for my sake.”

“…”

The emotion disappeared from Aria’s eyes, which had been filled with expectation of praise.

With a voice that matched Norsweden’s cold wave, deep and sticky darkness whose depths couldn’t be seen.

“I can’t do that, Professor.”

Aria rejected my request.