Cloney’s golden eyes captured the scene. Duke Yuma effortlessly obliterating three top-tier vampires in an instant.
Seeing Yuma suddenly leave the inn without a word, she felt something was clearly amiss and decided to follow.
If something was wrong, she was determined to help Yuma in any way she could. But she couldn’t.
“…Nothing.”
The aura emitted by the three vampires was overwhelmingly ferocious. They had enough magical power to wipe her out with just a flick of their hands.
Yet, to Yuma, they were nothing more than moths to a flame, willingly burning their wings and vanishing.
Yuma effortlessly deflected their brutal attacks, the vampires crumbling under the weight of their own assaults.
“…No way.”
Yuma was already an overwhelmingly radiant being.
A being so resplendent that he didn’t even need a humble lantern like her.
A desire stronger than any moment she had experienced welled up from deep inside. A desire to grow stronger.
“I don’t want to be discarded.”
*
The eyes of Cat-Folk Swordswoman Hestia were brimming with tears.
“Waaaaah! Please save me!”
Yuma observed Hestia closely with [Search Eye].
[Lv.67] Hestia
Race: Cat-Folk
Alignment: Good
Class: Swordsman
Level: Intermediate Sword Expert
She was a prodigy.
On a completely different level than Yuma.
Yuma slowly opened his mouth.
“I won’t kill you. Be quiet.”
“R-really?”
“Yeah.”
Hestia sniffled and stopped crying.
“Really, you won’t kill me?”
“If I don’t. Are you going to spread the word all over town?”
At Yuma’s words, Hestia shook her head vigorously.
“Absolutely! I’ll keep quiet until my grave!”
“Okay.”
Yuma nodded casually.
‘Anyway.’
The word would get out anyway. Even if the Cat-Folk swordswoman in front of him didn’t spread it, someone would have witnessed his battle just now. Yuma thought.
He had become quite a notable figure in this world. And the three vampires he just killed were no small fry either.
“I’m leaving.”
Yuma took slow steps forward.
He was curious about why this Cat-Folk, Hestia, was roaming about, just like in the inn. But more than that, he desperately needed to rest his weary body.
Smack!
But Hestia stood in front of Yuma once again.
“P-please help me!”
Yuma furrowed his pretty brows.
“What are you talking about?”
“My little brother is missing! Uh, he’s not my real brother, just someone I hang out with. He just disappeared overnight!”
Yuma sighed.
“Slow down and tell me in more detail.”
Hestia’s eyes widened.
“I know it sounds crazy, but I think a dragon has kidnapped him! And it seems that there have been more missing person cases in the Count’s territory since last year.”
“A dragon?”
“Yep! Cat-Folk have a pretty keen sense of smell compared to others. Especially when it comes to sniffing out the scent of non-human races. I’m telling you, there’s definitely a dragon in this Count’s territory.”
Dragon.
Yuma took a moment to collect his thoughts.
“I’m not crazy! I’m not a crazy cat lady!”
“Shut up.”
“Okay!”
Yuma didn’t outright think of the crimson-haired Cat-Folk girl, Hestia, as crazy.
The fact that Cat-Folk have an incredible sense of smell is already established in ‘Loop Blood’.
Hestia couldn’t hold it in any longer and blurted out.
“This is my theory. I think Count Rubelt has some connection to the dragon. It feels like he’s controlling the town to avoid any talk of disappearances through the knights!”
Yuma recalled something Hestia said.
“Now that you mention it…”
How would a typical Count welcome him?
It was a bit embarrassing to say himself, but objectively, he’d become quite a bigshot in this world.
A normal Count wouldn’t escort him to an inn; they’d probably invite him to the Count’s residence from day one.
They would be eager to befriend him.
Even if he were a noble from the First Prince Schwarze’s faction, they’d still try hard to befriend him. There’s nothing wrong with preparing backup plans for emergencies.
“That’s a pretty plausible hypothesis.”
Whether it’s a dragon or a disappearance, it seemed clear that Count Rubelt was hiding something.
If there was a dragon within Count Rubelt’s territory, it was definitely worth investigating. Dragons typically had a wealth of knowledge.
Yuma felt it would be useful to find out information regarding what he needed. And also information about the ‘Sword Master with Blue Hair’.
Knowing even just one of those would lead to a decent outcome.
Yuma stared at Hestia.
“Come back tomorrow morning. In front of the inn. Help me find out whether there’s a dragon or not.”
“She helps me out.”
“…Really?”
Hestia swallowed hard.
“Yeah, really. But my interest lies solely with the Dragon. Whether you can find your sister in the process is something you’ll have to handle.”
“Okay.”
Hestia nodded vigorously.
It was unthinkable to directly question Count Rubelt, but she felt that the man in front of her could pull it off.
If she dug into this situation, she would surely be able to find her sister.
Hestia felt certain of that.
“So, I just need to go to the inn tomorrow morning, right?”
“Yep.”
“Wait! Can you tell me your name…?”
Hestia boldly asked while feeling oddly nervous.
“Yuma.”
“…Yuma! I’m Hestia!”
Hestia sparkled her green eyes and extended her right hand boldly. Yuma nonchalantly accepted her handshake.
After ending the conversation with Hestia, Yuma slowly walked toward the inn, dragging his weary body along.
To Hestia’s eyes, he seemed like some kind of monster, walking gracefully and nobly even after an intense battle.
Yuma opened the inn’s door. He spotted a somewhat familiar face on the first floor.
It was Cloney.
“What are you doing out here?”
Cloney’s two golden eyes fixed on Yuma.
“…I was worried because you hadn’t come back in.”
“If it were a big deal, I would’ve said something before going out. Just go inside and rest.”
Cloney lowered her head.
Seeing Yuma brush off the top-tier vampires they had just faced as “not a big deal” made her feel inadequate.
‘If it were a small kingdom, just their presence would have them trembling in fear.’
How could she not feel inadequate seeing Yuma, who had fought a force capable of making an entire nation tremble, brushing it aside like it was nothing?
“…Why am I such a useless help? Not to you, nor to the princess.”
Yuma looked at Cloney.
“Everyone sometimes thinks they’re worthless. Those who don’t avoid that thought and face it head-on will eventually find their light.”
It wasn’t just a comfort.
Saying this to someone with a growth potential of an 8-circle archmage wasn’t a consolation; it was closer to a solid truth.
Cloney gazed at Yuma with wide eyes.
“Did you also have a worthless time, Yuma?”
“My situation isn’t that great now either.”
Cloney let out a small laugh. No matter how she heard it, it only sounded like excessive humility.
Cloney opened the door to the inn room and felt a certain way today.
She had the urge to shake off all the complicated emotions cluttering her heart.
So instead of heading to her own room, she fixed her gaze on Duke Yuma.
“Have you ever felt troubled that I’m the daughter of a witch?”
Yuma looked at Cloney again and slowly opened his mouth.
“No.”
He really didn’t.
Inside [Loop Blood], the witch folk all had their stories. There were reasons they became witches.
Of course, he had mercilessly killed them all.
“And whether your mother is a witch or not doesn’t matter.”
The more important reason was this.
“Cloney, you are just you.”
If someone who seemed like the main character of this world was tied down by such trivial matters, it wouldn’t do.
That was merely what Yuma thought.
“So stop overthinking and grow up.”
Cloney smiled with her eyes at Yuma’s words and spoke softly.
“…Yes, Duke Yuma.”
And then she went into her room.
Cloney lay on her bed. For the first time in a long time, her mother’s voice came to her mind. The voice she had desperately wanted to forget.
– Cloney, Cloney. No matter what happens, you just have to live as Cloney. Got it?
That kind and gentle voice.
The warm hugs were so sweet. It must have been so hard when she ended up alone.
That night, Cloney was able to slip into the deepest sleep she had experienced in a while.
She had a wonderfully clear sleep where she didn’t have any nightmares or dreams.
*
Duke Yuma stepped outside the inn.
“….”
He noticed a Cat-Folk girl leaning against a tree, dozing off.
More precisely, an adorable Cat-Folk girl hiding her cat ears under a robe.
Yuma gave Hestia’s shoulder a little nudge.
Hestia’s eyes shot wide open, filled with annoyance.
“Who the heck!?”
Her eyes wide open like saucers.
The one her glare fell upon was a man with dark gray hair and transparent blue eyes.
“…What a lovely morning! Isn’t it, Duke Yuma!”
The annoyance in her eyes had melted away in an instant.
‘What a perfect example of a tough exterior but soft interior.’
She managed her anger very well.
He didn’t feel any irritation at all. It was quite cute.
“Don’t speak so formally. For now, we’re heading to the guards. Lead the way.”
“Y-Yes! Duke Yuma!”
Hestia nodded vigorously, jumping up from her spot with energy.
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