Informing the Two
By the time I made it back to Oxter again, it was already early morning of the next day.
If I started thinking of anything, I felt like I’d lose my mind so I just brainlessly walked to the forest and then came back.
……the first thing I need to do now is to start preparing to escape Oxter.
If what Alyazi-san said is correct, mu pursuer, the man named Carlo, already knows I’m in Oxter and should be coming after me very soon.
If I run into him, that’ll be the end of the line, so I’ll have to seclude myself in Carlsile forest and devour as many poisonous plants as I can and build up strength.
Also,——including Alyazi-san’s now, I have to raise many different types of Ongneer, gain more skills and then I will kill Carlo.
Having made my plans, I recovered Alyazi-san’s personal items that I left in front of the house, went inside the house, took a shower, and then quietly waited until both of them woke up.
.
Sitting on the chair in our living room, I spent an hour just waiting, and petting Snow who had also sensed my presence and come to me.
While yawing, the first one to come down the stairs was Esta.
“……..huh? Chris-san, you’re awake already?”
“No, things have happened. Let Ralf also come down, then I’ll talk in detail.”
“……..I see. Well he should be up soon so I’ll make breakfast in the meantime if you don’t mind.”
Esta went to the wash basin, brushed her teeth, and then began making breakfast, and after a few minutes.
Ralf also came down the stairs while stretching his body.
“Ooh, you came back safe after all huh! You were late so we were worried you know………hm? Did something happen?”
“Yes, I have something to talk about so sit down and wait.”
Sensing that I wasn’t the same as always, Ralf asked worriedly and I asked him to sit down with me before I started talking.
Esta also came with our breakfast soon enough and seemed ready to listen to whatever I had to say.
“I’ll cut to the chase——late last night, Alyazi-san came to the house.”
“Eh? Alyazi-san? You mean, the same one as the one from [Silver Winged Lion] right?”
“Yes, that one indeed.”
“But why? And so late at night?”
“Yesterday, their party were attacked. By the guy hunting me………he came to tell me that.”
They both seemed relaxed on hearing that.
I suppose they couldn’t even imagine the possibility of the [Silver Winged Lion] losing.
If I hadn’t seen Alyazi-san’s state myself, perhaps I wouldn’t have believed it either.
“Why did he come all the way for just that!? Ah well, I would have liked to meet him again at least! Could have come in the morning!”
“He must have been in a hurry to warn us I imagine. He’s a kind man after all.”
“………..I’m sorry to inform you but things did not go as you are imagining it. The [Silver Winged Lion] lost to that man. The remaining party members sacrificed themselves to let Alyazi-san run away just so he could report that to me. And——after passing that info to me, he too, breathed his last.”
When I told the everything, Ralf just looked stunned as his mouth flapped open and shut but no words came out.
Esta covered her mouth with her hands, also shocked beyond belief.
“Y-you’re lying, right? I mean, we just trained with them a couple days ago!?! They were so strong yet they died…….? Chris!! If this is a joke, it ain’t funny!!”
“This is not a lie. This is reality.”
“Are we certain that they all perished? Is there any chance that at least some of them survived…….there is right!?”
“From what Alyazi-san told me, Joyce was confirmed to be dead. Leon and Janet bought time for Alyazi-san to escape so their status isn’t confirmed but…��….from what I have heard of the killer’s strength, it’s more than likely that they didn’t live.”
“Wha-what the hell………that’s insane! How could a Mithril rank party, so easily lose……..there’s no way that’s possible!!”
Ralf slammed the table, and the dishes on table all shivered from the impact.
As the cutlery shook noisily, I waited until it settled down before I began talking again.
“I was being naïve as well. It’s just one guy, one pursuer, it’ll be fine……..but I forgot that the pursuer is someone skilled enough that the next hero candidate chose him for this job. At the very least, it’d be someone at the same level as a diamond class adventurer.”
“………..th-there’s no way we’d be able to face so-someone like that.”
“Yes. That’s why we will run. That’s the reason why I have called you both here in the first place.”
“Chris!!——are you not mad!!? Getting attacked one-sidedly like this! Constantly being made to move from place to place!! Just running, running, constantly………and now we’ve even lost people we cared for…..!!!”
“—–OF COURSE I’M MAD!! …….I was driven out of my own home, I never stopped being mad ever since I almost died to Klaus!! If I could, I would go to that man and brutally murder him right now but, the reality is that we can’t! So I’ll hold on to this rage——-I’ll let it simmer until the day I can get my revenge. And I’ll do it no matter the cost.”
Emotionally overwhelmed, Ralf could simply grit his teeth and stare at the ground.
If you let your anger control your actions, it’s unlikely you’ll ever make the right decisions.
It is in times like this that we must be calm, and silently build up strength.
To avenge the members of the [Silver Winged Lion] as well.