“Something to cover your face?”
“Yeah. Like a robe or a hooded cloak… something like that.”
Da-eun paused for a moment after hearing my question.
“But, do we really need something like that?”
“What do you mean? Are you saying I shouldn’t hide?”
There’s no way I could let Kana’s cute face be uncovered! If she said something like that, I vowed to kick her in the butt while listening to Da-eun’s words.
“Well, it’s not like you’re wrong, but that’s not what I meant. If you move around a lot, your face is likely to be revealed, right? So wouldn’t it be better to wear something like a mask instead… that’s what I was saying.”
“…Ah.”
That’s true.
It might be more uncomfortable, but if the goal is to cover the face, that would definitely work better.
If the attack that could remove or break the mask was severe enough, I’d be in danger too.
I gave Da-eun a thumbs up for finally saying something helpful, and she giggled, saying “Hehe.”
“I happen to have something good. Want to take a look?”
“You have something good?”
“Wait a second. I definitely put it here… oh, found it!”
Da-eun dug through a box and held something up high.
“It’s a fox mask. I actually think a cat mask would suit you better, but… unfortunately, I don’t have that one. Should I order one now…? Hmm. But looking at this mischievous thing, it does seem more like a fox…”
“Why on earth do you have something like this at home?”
“Well, doing broadcast work makes you buy all sorts of things. Sometimes out of curiosity, or like event goods.”
“…You use this as event goods?”
“Ah…! W-Where did you find this?!”
“It was in the box.”
“I bought this as a punishment item…”
Da-eun hid the bizarre item behind her back and tried to explain herself.
“I absolutely did not buy it because I wanted to. Got it?”
“Yeah. I’ll believe you.”
“I’m not asking you to believe me; it’s the truth… Anyway, do you want to wear this?”
“Is it okay?”
“It’s not like I’m using it anyway. It’s merchandise from an old anime I used to love, but I never wore it because it felt a bit weird.”
“Why?”
“There’s hardly anyone who walks around wearing a mask. It’s usually quiet, and honestly, unless something special is happening, it might as well not exist. Also, it’s not something you’d wear around here. So I just kept it as decor.”
You keep decor in a box?
I felt a tiny question spring up as I took the fox mask.
Clatter.
That was precisely the source of the annoyance now enveloping my face.
I absentmindedly touched my face, only to feel something hard instead of my soft cheeks, so I pulled my hand back down.
It wasn’t uncomfortable for decor, but the stuffiness was still unavoidable.
At least I didn’t have to worry about it blowing away like when wearing a hooded cape.
Back then, I needed to press down the hood to keep it from flying off.
I had to press my hood down tightly.
As I leisurely pondered while watching the swiftly passing scenery.
Before long, my destination came into view.
A desolate ruin.
Stopping like I was about to take flight, I gently landed on the wreckage of a building, and the past scenery faintly overlapped in my mind.
“This looks like the place where the stable used to be.”
And this seems like it was the spot for the bakery.
I had no way of knowing if I was correct or not.
Lost in memories, I wandered between the past.
“……”
In the midst of this.
My footsteps abruptly halted as if caught on something.
Among the usual debris, I spotted something familiar.
“This is….”
I picked it up and let out a short mumble that sounded like a sigh.
Here it is.
This is where I used to live with Dad.
Staring at a piece of the once sturdy front gate that guarded the house, I dropped it onto the ground.
After all, holding onto such things seems a bit silly.
Even without this, there are plenty of memories to recall.
“But still, it’s fascinating. Even after all these years, something like this remains.”
Maybe it’s because it’s made of metal.
Despite having been left to face the elements, it seemed to retain its original shape to some extent.
It was rusted red, though.
Perhaps that piece of the gate traveled here by some means from afar.
But my gut was telling me that this place was my old house.
The surrounding geography was roughly similar.
Yet that was about it.
There was no way in, and even if I got in, there would be nothing there to find.
I already knew quite well that there was nothing left a long time ago.
“…Now that I think about it, I’m a bit angry.”
It’s fine if they destroyed Grasis, but I can’t forgive them for wrecking my house.
…That’s how it is.
Boom!
“Hmm.”
In the midst of kindling the flames of revenge against the unforgivable atrocity, a loud noise struck my ears.
But it wasn’t sudden.
I had already seen people wandering around the area on my way here.
It wouldn’t be a problem if I ran into them, but it would be better to avoid it.
I adjusted my slightly crooked mask and pulled my hood down tightly.
The target was the royal fortress.
…The place that used to be here.
It’s amazing that such a large castle fell so quickly, but at the same time, I also thought, “They could definitely do that.”
Those who only thought of their own safety probably ran away as soon as something happened, right?
It’s a shame to throw away a life for those royals.
Finding where the royal castle used to stand wasn’t hard at all.
It was a road I had traveled countless times.
I could probably get there with my eyes closed, exaggerating a bit.
I could find my way there.
Once upon a time, I used to find it unbearable to walk this road.
“Heh.”
Walking on the ruined path, I felt surprisingly cheerful and began to hum a little tune.
With a light heart, my steps naturally lightened, and I skipped over the debris.
Thud!
As my foot hit the ground, a dull sound echoed.
“Grrr….”
“Oh, it wasn’t the ground.”
Why on earth was it lying there?
A monster, frothing at the mouth, was sprawled out.
There was a tiny footprint stamped right on its head.
“If you die from that, it’s gonna look like I’m heavy.”
So, get up already.
“Oooh.”
The fallen monster staggered to its feet. Its eyes were hazy as if it still didn’t know what had happened to it.
“You can go back to sleep now.”
Swish.
The monster’s neck flew off into the sky.
Having proven that I’m not heavy, I really have no reason to hang around you.
To sacrifice its life to prove my innocence… How noble.
“…”
“…”
After a brief moment of silence, when I lifted my head, I locked eyes with a person staring intently at me.
Although I couldn’t see their face from such a distance, I recognized who it was.
“…Great Sword Peep?”
Its real name was Yuki.
Of course, this isn’t her real name, either…
“What a coincidence running into you in a place like this.”
But knowing I saw Yuki didn’t warrant any dramatic reaction on my part.
If it were Da-eun, that would be different.
I had only taught her a little, and I mean a little.
Besides, it would be kind of funny to greet someone who thinks I’m dead, right?
So, I’d just pretend not to see her and move on.
Snap—
But contrary to my wishes, Yuki didn’t avert her gaze from me.
On the contrary, she was staring even more intently.
‘…Did she notice me?’
I had that thought but—
‘No way.’
I shrugged it off as just my imagination.
I heard Da-eun mention that I was a notorious raid boss in ‘Silia Online,’ but still, didn’t I put on an impressive exit as an NPC in the end?
Plod.
In the midst of sorting out my thoughts, Yuki began to approach me, step by step, slowly.
‘She probably won’t recognize me anyway.’
Just as I thought to ignore the approaching Yuki and hasten my pace, she’d somehow closed the distance and spoke to me.
“Master.”
“…!”
I flinched at the unexpected words.
‘…Oh no.’
I quickly realized my mistake and put on a defeated expression.
Thank goodness I was wearing a mask; otherwise, my flustered expression would have been clear.
“You’re definitely the master.”
Bang!
Yuki’s confident voice delivered the final blow.
Shaking my head repeatedly, I really felt like she already had her mind made up.
“No, that’s not true?”
Nod.
“Then tell me.”
Shake.
“You’re the master.”
Shake shake shake!
“Hmm.”
Yuki paused her probing with my desperate head shakes.
She stroked her chin, seemingly deep in thought, then suddenly placed her hand on the great sword.
Whoosh—!
She swung the absurdly large great sword without a hint of hesitation.
The sword whooshed through the air.
If I hadn’t stepped back, that great sword would’ve swept right through my face instead of the empty space.
“…Ha.”
I let out a hollow laugh in disbelief.
Swinging a great sword at a person out of the blue?
And judging by her precise aim and the strength behind that swing, she wasn’t just fooling around.
Had an average person taken that hit, the outcome would have been decided right then and there.
If you didn’t block it, you’d be dead; if you did block it, your arm would be crushed; and dodging was out of the question due to its speed.
Such an unreasonable blow.
“…You really have talent.”
To grow this much in such a short time is impressive.
Even with the system’s blessing, that must’ve been no easy feat.
But that’s that—
“I can’t let this slide.”
She attacked me, so she deserves a punishment, right?
Grrr—
I pulled my right foot back and spun my body.
At the same time, I flicked my left foot off the ground lightly, and my body lifted off into the air.
Then came the kick.
My legs were far too short to reach Yuki, but besides the graceful arc, the kick split the air.
Just like Yuki’s great sword had done moments ago.
However, the outcome wasn’t the same.
“What are you—?!”
Wham!
Yuki’s body lifted off the ground as she watched me from several steps away.
Bang!
Crash!
She flew sideways like she’d been hit by a cart and crashed into some debris.
That loud noise sounded like it could cause some serious damage.
“Not my problem, right?”
They attacked first, after all.
I shrugged and tapped the ground lightly with my foot.
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