episode_0023

Amidst Trust and Distrust

“What do you mean, Tess…? Don’t even think about going to Kartun…?”

“Exactly as I said, Zeke. Absolutely do not enter Kartun.”

“Why?! You clearly said you’d talk to them about it back then…”

“…I guess I should explain why I attacked you earlier first. That way… that Saint won’t keep staring at me with those scary eyes…”

“Huh…? Oh.”

As Tess sighed and spoke about Aria, I turned my head to the side and looked at Aria. It was for a fleeting moment, but I definitely saw Aria looking at Tess with a dark expression. She’s looking at me with a gentle smile now… So Tess has been subjected to Aria’s scary gaze all this time, huh…

“Yes. Please tell us, Tess. Why did you attack us earlier?”

“Hold on, let me sit down for a bit… This story will be a bit long.”

“Ah, yes… Huh?”

As Tess tried to sit on my left, Aria extended her arm and blocked Tess. Was she saying that only she could be next to me…? Seeing Aria’s arm, Tess let out a hollow laugh, then went to Aria’s right and sat down there.

“Oh dear… The Black Saint… She’s obsessed with you, Zeke.”

“It’s not obsession. It’s affection!”

Aria, seemingly angered by Tess’s words, retorted that it wasn’t. But from Tess’s and my perspective, it was indeed obsession, what could we do…? At Aria’s reaction, Tess seemed to empathize with my weariness, looked at my face, and let out a hollow laugh.

“Hahaha… R-right.”

“So, Tess. The reason…”

“Ah, right. I need to explain… *Sigh*… Actually, it’s like this. Not long after I returned to Kartun with the other beast-kin slaves… other slave hunters tracked us down.”

“…What did you say?!”

“Alteon is a trade city founded by humans. It’s not strange for them to be there… it’s just something that happened because we didn’t keep it in mind.”

“…. Damn it… I should have known that…”

“You don’t have to dwell on it so much, Zeke. It was something we couldn’t have predicted either. So don’t think it’s your fault.”

“…. Yes. And what happened next…?”

“Just as I was about to tell the villagers your story, I heard from a scout that they were coming to Kartun. So now, in Kartun, a special unit has been formed to hunt the hunters who hunt slaves. I was forcibly incorporated into it.”

“Such a thing…”

“But the criteria for prey is simply ‘humans.’ To that extent, Kartun now treats all humans as enemies, except for Rascal. You probably wouldn’t be safe either. Besides, you haven’t committed a sin against us like Rascal did. We can’t force you to apologize for something you weren’t even involved in.”

“Hehehe… In that case, it’s my turn, Zeke-nim.”

“What?”

“I’ll go and deal with anyone who might distrust even Zeke-nim…”

“Aaaargh!! Aria, stop it!!”

As Aria clenched her golden staff tightly and tried to get up again, I held her back with all my might. Was she saying she’d kill all the beast-kin who might not trust me?! Seeing her tight grip on the golden staff, it certainly seemed so?! But Tess’s expression was also unusual. As Aria gripped the golden staff tightly, Tess’s face turned pale. Did Tess know about Aria?

“Tess, why suddenly…”

“No… I heard from Rascal. That the Black Saint completely annihilated the Robdom gang… He definitely said he saw the bodies… blunt force… She used *that* staff to smash them to death, didn’t she?!”

“Yes~ that’s right! So anyone who obstructs Zeke-nim will have their heads smashed to death with this staff~”

Don’t say that with such a chilling smile, Aria…. At Aria’s chilling declaration, Tess’s face grew even paler. Just how many more people are you going to terrify, Aria…? But as I was worrying, Tess suddenly chuckled and spoke to me.

“Hahahahaha! You’re being protected by a very formidable Saint! I can see with my own eyes that you’ll be able to explore safely!”

“Of course~ I’ll always protect Zeke-nim! Because… I love Zeke-nim!”

“I see… But why do you love Zeke?”

“…. Zeke-nim gave me hope to live. He was the first… and last person to give me such advice.”

“Such advice…?”

“…I gave her some really strange advice when I was drunk.”

“Hmm… But Zeke. Isn’t it true that this Saint is alive today because of you? Whether you meant it or not… the fact that someone lives because of you is reality.”

“…. That’s true, b-but…”

“That’s why I will never leave Zeke-nim’s side!”

“Aargh! W-wait a minute!!”

Aria, seeming happy, pulled me into a hug. Aaaargh! But Aria, did you forget how strong you are?! As I struggled to breathe under the immense pressure, Tess started laughing at the sight. This is not the time to laugh! Help me!!

“Ugh… A-Aria… I… I can’t… breathe…”

“Oh my! S-sorry…”

“*Phew*… *Haaah*… Ah, I can live now…”

“Hahahahaha!! I apologize for saying it was obsession just now! Now that I see it, affection seems right too.”

“Hehehe… Isn’t that right?”

“Tess… Don’t do that…”

“What’s wrong with it, Zeke! Isn’t it good to see this Saint smile!”

“….”

Aria’s smiling face… I always see it, but is the smile Aria shows me truly from happiness, or is it a way to reassure me or express her love? Hearing Tess’s words, I suddenly felt a pang of doubt. At that moment.

“It’s fine, Tess-nim. I always smile for Zeke-nim.”

“Why?”

“Why, you ask? Because I love Zeke-nim. Every time I see Zeke-nim’s face, my heart fills with happiness. Even though bad things happened before, the moment I saw Zeke-nim’s face, all the pain in my heart vanished. To me, Zeke-nim is a blessing itself.”

“Hahahahaha!! That’s wonderful! Zeke, you have good fortune in meeting people!”

“… H-haha…”

Should I say I have good fortune… or bad fortune…? When it comes to Aria, it seems like a somewhat ambiguous fortune. But it must be a great blessing for Aria to have met me.

“Oh dear… Anyway, I’m sorry, Zeke. Even though I boasted so confidently, I can’t let you two into Kartun after all. Everyone in Kartun distrusts the hunters… no, all humans.”

“…. It’s fine, Tess. It can’t be helped. It was an unexpected turn of events.”

I told Tess it was okay. What else could we do? It would be better than exploring in a grim atmosphere… But then Tess suddenly sighed and frowned. Why is he doing that all of a sudden?

“What’s wrong, Tess?”

“*Sigh*… Actually, there’s another reason why everyone in Kartun distrusts humans. I was wondering if I should tell you this… but I guess it’s the right thing to do.”

“What…? ”

“This was also unexpected… but most of the returned slaves’ mental states are broken. Karina’s mother… my sister-in-law is also in a very bad state right now… In other words, most of the beast-kin returned as invalids.”

…Good heavens. This was also unexpected. No… if I had thought about it enough, I could have predicted this. In short, the distrust of humans among all beast-kin in Kartun is currently at its maximum… As I realized the severity of the situation, Tess sighed and spoke to me.

“*Sigh*… I’m sorry. The village atmosphere isn’t good right now, so I don’t think I can keep my promise to you…”

“As I said again, it’s fine. Still… it’s a relief that everyone is alive.”

“…. You’re truly kind, Zeke. *Inhale*… It’s not enough as a reward, but…”

Tess suddenly began to pull something out of the backpack he was carrying. What on earth was he trying to take out? Tess finally seemed to have found the item, slowly pulling his hand out of the bag. Is that…?

“It looks like a rather old book.”

“Yeah. You like exploring, don’t you? I can’t let you experience the village now, but I hope you’ll be satisfied with this instead. It’s a book containing Kartun’s past.”

“….. Huh?”

“It’s a book containing all of Kartun’s history. And this one is a book with information about this river… When the whispers of distrust grew louder in the village, I brought these from the village library for you, just in case. I’m sorry that this is all I can do…”

…I definitely wanted to see a village inhabited only by other races, not one where humans and other races lived together like Melodian. But what happened can’t be helped. Still, it’s a relief to receive even this.

“Thank you, Tess. It’s a shame, but… this is also part of the charm of travel. Facing unavoidable circumstances.”

“You have a truly broad heart, Zeke. That’s probably why the Saint likes you, isn’t it?”

“Yes… But she has *too* broad a heart, which is a problem! I sometimes wish she had no mercy… I can’t forget the way she ruthlessly cut down the slave traders back then!!”

“…. I’m sorry about that.”

“Hahaha! Zeke, honestly, I still dislike humans, just like the residents of Kartun. But you and Rascal are different. You expressed your hearts to us without deceit. That’s how I immediately knew that you and Rascal are good and trustworthy humans. Rascal offered a sincere apology, and you possess compassion. So, unlike Kartun, I can trust only you and Rascal. Oh… and of course, that Black Saint too. Even if she’s a little scary…”

“Hehehe… I’m only kind to Zeke-nim…! But I’m also kind to the benefactor who saved Zeke-nim, so don’t worry, Tess-nim.”

“…. That’s reassuring. So Zeke. What I want to say is… please definitely return to Kartun later.”

“Huh?”

“Before you return, I’ll definitely turn everyone’s hearts in Kartun. Even if everyone in Kartun doesn’t trust you now, I trust you.”

“I trust you too, Tess.”

“…. Thank you, Zeke. And the reason I trust you is… because you saved Karina and even my sister-in-law. Thank you very much.”

“You’re welcome. Then this book… I’ll just keep it without reading it.”

“Why? You’re curious about Kartun’s history, aren’t you…?”

“I am curious. But I’ll trust you and wait. So…”

I put the book Tess gave me into my backpack and took out my exploration journal. Then I showed Tess the next page, where Alteon’s story was written, and said:

“This page… this page where Kartun’s story will be written, I’ll leave it blank for now. I’ll come back and personally experience everything about Kartun and record it. Because you promised. And the book you gave me… let’s keep it as a token of our friendship. Instead, I’ll read this book with information about the Nergal River thoroughly.”

“Alright… do as you wish. Oh, Zeke! Can you show me your book, by any chance? I’m curious about your exploration records.”

“Of course.”

I handed Tess the exploration journal containing my records so far. While Aria and I enjoyed fishing, Tess seemed fascinated by the book’s contents, making sounds of admiration. Then he closed the book and handed it back to me.

“It’s truly fascinating. That Saint is the last Saint of a place called Esrad, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“I understand why that Saint likes you so much. You’re definitely a good person, Zeke. You’re pure and compassionate to the point that our beast-kin should emulate you.”

“Is that so…? I don’t think…”

“Even humble! You possess an innate good character. Don’t forget, Zeke. There will never be an empty spot by your side.”

“Well… there isn’t one right now, is there?”

“Oh my… Hehehe…”

“Hahahahahaha!!”

As I pointed at Aria, Aria and Tess simultaneously started laughing. Honestly, with just Aria, the spot is already too full… Could anyone else even sit by my side…? Thinking about that, I too started to laugh. But then, somewhere, the sound of a door opening was heard.

“!!”

“Ka… Karina…”

Tess and I were momentarily startled as we saw Karina walking towards us from the hut with a dark expression. Karina was sad, but we were laughing like this, and in that chilling atmosphere, our mouths snapped shut.

“Ka… Karina… I’m… I’m sorry! We laughed too loudly, didn’t we?… A-aren’t we, Zeke?”

“Y-yes, I suppose so… Sorry, Kari…”

“It’s fine.”

Karina walked over with her head bowed and stood in front of the bucket containing the fish I had caught. Then she took out a fish from the bucket and began to eat it raw. Aria, seeing Karina eat the fish I had just caught without asking for permission, glared at Karina with a chilling expression. Damn, what do I do about this atmosphere…?

“R-right, eat that and get some strength…”

“I hate humans. I also hate the beast-kin who look down on me… and I hate the humans who despise me. Now I understand. That the reason they looked down on me wasn’t my gender.”

“Oh… yeah… You’ve been through a lot, haven’t you…? At such a young age…”

She had indeed suffered a lot… Being enslaved at a young age, her mother becoming a slave trying to find her, and now the returned slaves in Kartun being invalids—these were all overwhelmingly shocking experiences and news that Karina could barely endure.

“Yeah. Everyone despised me. They kept whipping me, and dragged me away when I lost strength. That’s why I couldn’t trust humans at all.”

“….”

“Still… even so…”

“Hm?”

Karina, who had thrown the leftover fish bones into the river, suddenly lifted her head and grabbed my arm with both hands. As Karina lifted her head, I saw that her face was filled not with sadness and despair, but with a smile.

“Zeke Hyung, Aria Noona, even Uncle 20 Mana. Everyone was kind to me. They asked me if the food was delicious, they bought me food… they bought me a water bottle… they did many things. It wasn’t just giving me gifts… sleeping together with Hyung and Noona, eating meals together… I couldn’t trust all humans, but I started to trust Hyung and Noona.”

“Karina…”

“I still can’t trust all humans. But if it’s Hyung and Noona… I can trust you! Hyung, you absolutely have to come visit again! Until then, I’ll help Uncle to change Kartun so that you can be trusted, even if it’s impossible for all humans!”

“Oh my~ To make such a promise… Karina, you’re a benefactor to Zeke-nim.”

“Hehe…? Uh… Noona, this is…”

Karina, who had been smiling with her eyes closed, opened her eyes to look at the object Aria had placed in her hand. It was a ring adorned with a beautiful blue stone.

“You helped me save Zeke-nim, didn’t you? This is your reward for that. It’s a ring I bought in Alteon previously. … If you don’t cherish it… I’ll consider it a betrayal of Zeke-nim…!”

“Ugh… y-yeah… I’ll cherish it, Noona… R-really.”

“Haha. I don’t want to break this atmosphere of Karina laughing… But listen, Zeke. You two should probably get out of here quickly.”

“Huh?”

“I sense people. It seems the hunter special forces are coming. If those guys see you two, who are human, things will get awkward. If you go straight to the right from here, you can head towards Pallen Forest without being noticed by the beast-kin. Hurry up!”

Ah, damn it…. Come to think of it, we were still near Kartun!! At Tess’s warning, Aria and I quickly packed our belongings. Pallen Forest, huh… It’s certainly our next destination… If we just visit the ruins there, it’ll be as good as having explored most of the Magrion region. Having finished preparing to leave again, we quickly started heading towards Pallen Forest. And then.

“Aria Noona! Even though I was scared of you, I won’t forget how kind you were to me as much as possible! Zeke Hyung! Make sure to show me that exploration journal later!”

“…. Alright! Stay healthy, Karina!! You stay healthy too!!”

“Indeed!! Next time, specifically, look forward to it, Zeke!! I’ll make sure you can experience the customs of Kartun that you were curious about!”

“Then see you next time!! Everyone!!”

If there’s a wound, it needs time to heal. Kartun is currently taking that time. If I were to go carelessly, the wound would only deepen. Therefore, it is right to make a promise of reunion and leave like this for now. Leaving the Nergal River, I couldn’t forget Karina’s and Tess’s laughter.