episode_0069

Cold sweat began to flow down my body, and I couldn’t even control my facial expressions.

The nameless man who was telling me the information he had heard from Camilla seemed to think I was strange.

He opened his mouth with a slightly furrowed brow and a worried expression.

“Master? Why are you doing this?”

“… Hmm, nothing.”

But, as for me, this is all I can say.

In the first place.

If you open your mouth here and say something like, ‘I know that demon,’ and Lucius and Elia happen to hear you, it’s going to be a headache.

I had a feeling that if I told Anonymous that he was someone I had met in the past, something would go wrong.

… and the reason why I can’t tell the anonymous person is more focused on the latter.

Why that.

Didn’t you make a disgusted expression the other day, saying that there was a ‘strange smell’ coming from my body?

Just thinking about it makes my body shiver.

Of course, now that several years have passed, I have probably forgotten that nameless ‘strange smell’… .

“Um… .”

…you forgot, right?

Surely, I forgot.

Just once.

I was in charge of it once, so how could I not remember it?

It’s a strange thing to remember.

After that, I washed my body right away to get rid of the smell, and it doesn’t make sense to remember people by their smell.

I tried to nod my head and convince myself, but…

A feeling of uneasiness continued to swirl throughout my body.

This is because Myeong has shown many out-of-the-ordinary behaviors, such as finding me by smell.

My head was pounding.

In the end, all I can do is pray, ‘I hope that anonymous people forget what that smell is.’

The nameless gaze looking at me narrowed, but I tried to ignore it and stared straight ahead.

…

No matter how anxious I was, our group’s steps did not slow down, and we steadily moved toward our destination.

The huge snow mountain we arrived at like that.

“The magic I felt in the village can be felt from here.”

Elia continued, frowning fiercely.

“… Lucius, I think you’re probably on a different level than the demons I’ve met so far.”

Elia added briefly that it would be better to be a little more careful, carefully caressing the rosary hanging around her neck, and slowly walked to the front of the group.

He tilted his head.

“If you said it’s better to be careful, why is that guy moving to the front?”

I feel a little sorry for Elia though.

Objectively speaking, the one with the lowest fighting power among the group is undoubtedly Elia.

No, Elia’s fighting power would be so insignificant compared to the others that it would be rude to even compare them.

From the beginning.

Lucius is a warrior who carries a huge burden, and I and Mumyeong are warriors who have only wielded swords our entire lives, so there is no way that Elia, who was raised and educated as a saint since birth, can compare to our fighting prowess.

In this relationship between us, regardless of Elia’s wishes, we are the ones protected rather than the ones who protect.

however.

Why are you putting Elia at the forefront?

If something goes wrong, isn’t Elia the one most at risk?

I was puzzled by him, so I tilted my head slightly and expressed my curiosity.

Lucius, who had not shown any expression until now, answered briefly, satisfying my curiosity.

“When it comes to tracking down the demons, no one in the empire can keep up with the saintess.”

“Hmm?”

“And, there’s no way the dirty demon’s attack could reach the saintess.”

I clearly asked the question to an anonymous person, but the answer came from an unexpected person.

Slightly- turn your head and face Lucius.

The corners of Lucius’ mouth, which had previously seemed expressionless, rose slightly, and he seemed quite proud of that fact.

“… Then.”

I have nothing more to say.

He nodded with a trembling expression.

…

Elia, who had been moving her feet without stopping, stopped and looked back.

“… I think this is it.”

“Okay.”

Lucius nodded slightly, pulled out the huge sword on his back, and switched places with Elia.

In front of a huge cave.

The group’s footsteps stopped there.

From there, it seems like a somewhat unpleasant aura, similar to Lily’s, is slowly seeping out.

As Elia said, the demons are definitely here.

The space between the eyebrows naturally narrowed.

So… what should I do from now on… .

I slowly turned my head to look around the group. Everyone except me had stiff expressions, to the point where I didn’t even need to ask if the demon was here.

In particular, the nameless one is furrowing his brows fiercely as if he doesn’t like something.

He tilted his head with a somewhat awkward expression, not fitting in with his group.

…Why is he like that again?

From the beginning, Moo-myeong and I were in a position where we had to pretend to fight and send the demons away when we had the chance.

How can someone who knows this make such a face?

I thought to myself, ‘Are they acting to look as natural as possible?’ but that nameless eyebrow is not something that can be acted on at all.

That frown of truth only comes out when I get caught secretly eating an unknown strawberry.

That’s the kind of frown you have.

He quietly approached the nameless man and poked him in the side.

“Nameless, why are you like that?”

As my body was stabbed, I flinched – Myeong- who trembled slightly, turned his head towards me who had come near him.

He opened his mouth in a low, hushed voice that seemed to be displeased with something, and even had a sense of melancholy.

“… Master.”

“Hmm?”

As I stared into those two eyes, my body began to stiffen and become tense.

Gulp- I swallowed and waited for the anonymous answer.

The color in the nameless eyes began to gradually disappear, and soon they began to take on the color of rotten blood.

“I feel like I’ve smelled something inside the cave before?”

Crazy guy… .

You’re finally able to remember things by smell.

No, but why do you hate it so much?

I think I introduced him as my friend at that time.

There won’t be any problem at all, right…?

Contrary to what I thought.

For some reason, it felt awkward to meet the nameless eyes, so I pouted my lips and opened my mouth while looking away.

“Is that so?”

To make it look as natural as possible.

Hoo- Hoo- When you slowly try to move while blowing a whistle that doesn’t come out.

“First of all… shouldn’t we join them? Let’s go.”

“Master? Where are you going?”

Anonymous put his hand on my shoulder and stopped me.

“Hipp-”

“I just know that we haven’t discussed enough about how to deal with that demon.”

I forced my creaking head to turn and meet the nameless eyes.

The corners of his mouth are strangely turned up.

“What would you like to do?”

Lily, why did you give me this ordeal…?

I felt like crying.

Lucius and Elia are trying to catch and kill the demon, Lily is trying to save the demon somehow, and I have no idea what this damn disciple is thinking.

What on earth does he want me to do?

A deep sigh escaped me.

but.

But that doesn’t mean you can give up and give up.

Shouldn’t misunderstandings be resolved?

He nodded his head, making up his mind.

And, as the anonymous person said, it is also true that there has never been any detailed conversation between us.

Because I have been complacent, I have never communicated clearly.

Could it be that Anonymous also opened his mouth to express that thought?

I waved my hand to create a small barrier so that Lucius and Elia could not hear our conversation, then put my mouth near the nameless man’s ear.

“Our ultimate goal is to somehow make that demon escape.”

“Yes.”

“But, even then, you must not do anything that would make Lucius and Elia suspicious.”

Honestly, I think it will be very difficult.

In some cases, you may have to consider taking sides and giving up one of the two.

With that thought in mind, I spoke with a stern expression on my face.

Myeong closed his eyes for a moment, tilted his head, and continued thinking, then opened his mouth surprisingly simply.

“Then shouldn’t we just beat up that demon tribe moderately?”

“… Hmm?”

What does this mean?

“Didn’t Lily tell the Master to let that demon escape?”

“… Right.”

The corners of the anonymous mouth went up pleasantly.

“It sounds like the status of the demon tribe isn’t that important?”

“… What does that mean?”

“So, if you beat him up with all your might without having to act like you’re acting like one… won’t that demon run away on its own?”

“I don’t think Lily would want to save someone who doesn’t even have the ability to do so,” Anonymous added shortly, then smiled and left me.