“Ah, Ailyn… Then… shall we go to the south gate together? Let’s… let’s hunt and have some fun together. How about a contest? Who catches more? That would be so much fun, right…? Hehe.”
Noah grinned foolishly and made this ridiculous suggestion.
What on earth… does that even mean…
I racked my brain recalling what I had said while holding Noah tight.
I was so excited I just blurted things out… but now that I think back, my face is burning.
Anyway.
When I said not to go alone, it wasn’t meant to suggest teaming up for the hunt… I just wanted to express that someone was worried about him.
Did he take it this way…?
I have no idea.
Still, thanks to Noah’s nonsense, my heated head cooled down appropriately.
After hesitating for a moment, Noah glanced around, then whispered to me.
“Ah, Ailyn. We should probably head to the west gate… the south gate is where the, bald uncle decided to go.”
I turned to see the bald man Noah pointed at.
He winked at me playfully before glaring back at the Erden knights.
The man standing next to him was doing the same, glaring at us while keeping a watchful eye on the knights.
They were the adventurers I had seen once in Alrba.
Particularly eye-catching adventurers.
I broadened my gaze to take a look at the knights.
It seemed they hadn’t definitely recognized me yet, but…
If we stayed here long, Noah would inevitably discover my identity.
For now, though…
I stretched out my hands and tugged on Noah’s cheeks.
“Ubeeee…?”
“Let’s go. Whether it’s the south gate or the west gate, we need to sort things out and discuss after this situation is over.”
“Ah, I understand…”
I released his cheeks and grabbed Noah’s small hand.
It was rough and sticky.
Blood was still seeping out.
Swinging that damaged great sword must have done a number on his hands.
My gut twisted.
I gently stroked the back of Noah’s hand with my finger, infusing divine power.
His rough hand calmed down somewhat.
“Are we leaving now?”
As I got up and held Noah’s hand, the man with the sword turned around and spoke.
“A one-eyed…?”
No, first things first… I needed to gather more details later.
For now, we had to leave the place.
“…Yes. We need to go to the south gate—”
“Ah, Ailyn. The south gate is for the bald uncle, remember…?!”
Noah seemed to want to whisper into my ear, standing on tiptoes to do so, but ended up whispering to my shoulder instead.
“Ahem. We are heading to the west gate.”
“Is that so… then I’ll come with you. That bald guy should be fine.”
The bald man’s forehead flushed with veins.
Then, grasping his halberd, he started to step forward.
“If it weren’t for the little lady here… I would have settled this long ago. Let’s hurry and gather everyone here. By the way, what should we do with those gentlemen over there?”
“For now… we should sort things out, then ask their ‘master.’”
The one-eyed man said, looking at me.
As expected, he had been aware all along.
I had sensed it since he stared at me so intently back in Alrba…
I never imagined he would notice despite the disguise.
“Then let’s do just that. They won’t help us much, as our little lady said. Kuhahaha!”
The bald man burst out laughing loudly as he casually walked toward the south gate.
For someone heading off to fight hundreds of gnolls, he was remarkably light and carefree.
“Well, let’s hurry along.”
“Y-yes. Ailyn. We need to go quickly. This… this place is too dangerous.”
I recalled the ruined landscape I had seen on the map.
We were in a large plaza, so if the gnolls came rushing in at once…
They would undoubtedly swarm from all directions.
If we blocked the entrance as Noah suggested, we might be able to fend them off with greater ease.
“Right, and Noah. Like I said earlier, let’s talk after this is done.”
“Eep… y-yes…”
Noah sulked at my firm tone.
He looked just like a little animal, and I felt like laughing, but… I held it in.
Never again.
I will make sure he never does anything reckless like this alone again.
I gently twisted our joined hands, intertwining my fingers with his.
Noah’s hand twitched, and he looked up at me slightly.
“Ailyn… h-have you calmed down…?”
I wasn’t angry.
It was just a flustered emotion that had sprung up from concern.
But still…
Noah’s reaction was just too cute, and I blurted something out without thinking.
“Do you think I have?”
“Eep… s-sorry… huff-!”
Seeing Noah cover his mouth and bow his head, I recalled the confident voice he had used, telling me to stay home and prepare food for him once.
That bright smile.
That unwavering stride.
I had thought he was just a silly little brother because of the usual clumsy, goofy guy he was…
But his earlier self was pretty impressive.
He really did seem like an adult.
Gently petting Noah’s fidgeting fingers, I couldn’t help but smile faintly.
*
“Ailyn!”
As soon as I called out, a spear shot from Ailyn’s fingertips.
It pierced straight through a gnoll’s head.
I didn’t stop moving and pressed forward.
I grabbed the gnoll’s head that I had kicked away and stood up.
Drawing out the dagger from my waist, I shoved it right into its brow.
Releasing my grip from the dagger, I swiftly drew my great sword.
Next to me, a gnoll reloading its crossbow had its side blown open.
I could feel my weapon’s grip about to shatter.
I had four daggers left.
Shockingly, about thirty gnolls were still standing.
I glanced over at Ruchi, who was swinging his sword next to me.
He still looked perfectly fine.
If only… if only my great sword was intact…
I swung at a gnoll’s head rushing at me.
With a THUD like breaking a watermelon, the brains splattered all over my face.
“Ugh…! Ptooey…”
Can I afford to slow down a bit now…?
I stuck my great sword into the ground and leaned against it.
Breathing in, I tried to widen my perception.
The pain in my head felt like it was going to explode.
More than before.
But I kept expanding it.
Images of the ruins filled my mind.
Knights scattered on the ground, some still standing and fighting fiercely.
Knights in the central plaza administering first aid.
Heinzel, who had single-handedly dealt with a hundred gnolls.
And.
Carpen, who remained silent.
“Thank goodness…”
During my brief check, Ruchi had taken down another twenty gnolls.
I can do this too.
It was the weapons that were inadequate.
He must be using a really good weapon.
So annoying…
I just wish I had a great sword made from good materials…
I sulked, stabbing the floor angrily while Ailyn approached me.
“Phew… we’re almost done.”
“Yes, yes.”
I retrieved the great sword I had been jabbing at the ground and strapped it back to my waist.
Ruchi would take care of the rest, I thought, but just then he finished off the last gnoll.
“Good job, Noah. Really…”
Ailyn’s hand patted my head.
“My, my hair is dirty…”
I pulled my head back.
“Be quiet and come here.”
Ailyn drew me close.
I couldn’t refuse her touch, considering I felt guilty about what I’d done to her…
“If it gets all tangled and bloodied, it will be difficult to wash later. If I’m not careful, I might have to SNIP it all off, you know?”
“U-uhm…”
It wouldn’t matter if it got cut…
But having it hurt when I wash my hair sounds awful, so I decided to stay still.
Just as the tangles were getting sorted out, Ruchi came closer.
“Everything here is sorted out, so let’s head to the plaza… no, wait. We should just call the bald guy over here.”
Ruchi took up position and swung his sword to the south.
Immediately, an AURORA rose along the path of the swing.
“W-what just…?!”
Along with Ailyn’s shocked voice, a flag at the south gate got severed.
“Alright, he should come this way on his own now, so let’s sit back and relax. With three of us against him alone, it’s only fitting he comes to us, right? Hehe.”
Ruchi nonchalantly plopped down on a gnoll corpse as if it were a chair.
Ailyn was frozen in that spot, and I found myself recalling old memories as I stared at the severed flag.
That was just now Ruchi’s unique ability.
I can’t remember the name, but I remember the effect very well.
A power that cuts through what is visible regardless of distance.
It wasn’t exactly like a sword aura but more like connecting spaces… or something along those lines.
Of course, the fuel for it was costly, so he couldn’t use it too often.
But seeing it in action… it was incredibly cool.
Seriously… really badass.
“Did I just… uh, did I see that wrong…?”
See, even Ailyn is all dazed.
I was about to answer Ailyn, who had stopped moving while detangling my hair and staring into space.
But words stuck in my throat, and I couldn’t speak.
And I was also… incredibly… super sleepy…
“Um, ahem. Noah, you should get your head together—”
Even though I was clearly gripping the hilt of my sword, Ailyn’s figure didn’t register in my mind.
Her voice started to fade away.
Ah, I don’t know.
I just want to lie down. I’m so tired…
I relaxed my body and let gravity guide me down.
With a THUD, I could feel the hard ground beneath me.
The great sword… ah, I’m still holding it tight.
I was definitely gripping the great sword, but the scenery I could sense was blurry.
I had overexerted myself back when I broke down that wall…
“No—stay awake—w-what do I do—”
I could hear Ailyn’s voice in my ears, but…
Is she telling me to stay awake?
She should say I won’t die or something…
But no response came.
My throat felt tight, and I couldn’t say anything…
Ah… this is bad.
