152 – Reprimand and the White Flag

Turning into a yellow bullet, Eve slashed apart the approaching monsters.

Our enemies were the deserters of the great march.

They couldn’t even be an opponent for the Strongest Blood Champion.

Flinging away the blood stuck on her blade, Eve turns back to me.

[“You’re safe”…… or so I want to say but…]

Eve’s fur looks quite heavy as it has likely soaked up rain.

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……She was chasing after me under the rain huh.

[As expected, you couldn’t stop staring huh.]

I wasn’t fully convinced that it was her.

However, I had already assumed so.

Eve has an obstinate part in her.

To put it well, she’s quite diligent.

Her sense of responsibility is stronger than others.

These types of people were both good and bad.

However, they’re still better than being an irresponsible person.

That’s what I think.

[I’m sorry…… But it’s my fault that those monsters were called towards us—-]

I raise my hand to tell her to stop.

[I’m already tired of hearing that. You only have to apologize once.]

Loosening up, I let out a smile.

[……Your sense of responsibility is really strong, you know?]

I start walking again.

[Hey, let’s go.]

Eve silently followed.

She looks quite uncomfortable.

This isn’t what’s supposed to happen— or so she had an air around her like that.

[Why…… didn’t you reprimand me?]

[Do you want me to reprimand you?]

[T- That’s not what I mean but……]

[I mean, I’ve already assumed that you would do something like this… And as a result of your arrival, you saved me from that tough situation. Now then…… It’s about to get dark soon. I’d be relying on your assistance in the darkness.]

[……I made landmarks along the way. We shouldn’t get lost on returning back to where Seras and Liz are.]

As expected of her.

[You being here means that you successfully persuaded Seras huh.]

[Your advice was quite helpful.]

[Good for you.]

[Umu…….—–I- It’s not only that……]

Eve turns the conversation back towards what we’re talking earlier.

[You’re really—-]

[“Too kind” huh?]

[N- No…… You’re not a kind man at all. I know that…… However, I feel that you’re a bit too tolerant.]

I exhaled.

[What’s your criteria when you say something about me being too tolerant?]

[C- Criteria……?]

[Based on my criterias, what you did doesn’t deserve any reprimanding.]

Yes.

[That’s all there is to it.]

Eve’s intentions weren’t malicious at all.

……Well, there were some evil people that didn’t have any maliciousness existing in the society.

It’s not that it’s troublesome if an evil person isn’t evil.

Moreover, there’s that.

Eve herself isn’t unaware of her actions.

She’s already being self-conscious and mentally punishing herself.

[There’s no point in reprimanding anyone that’s already aware of their own actions.]

[……Touka.]

[Moreover.]

“Kuku…” I leaked out a small laugh.

[I’m not such an important person that I could reprimand other people about their own actions……]

If you want to reprimand someone, it would be better if you just laugh at it.

Eve paused for a while.

We kept walking back with her quietly following behind me.

The curtain of the night began covering the Demon Zone.

The stuffy smell is sticking on my nose.

There’s also the smell of rain mixed along with the nearby plants.

The cool air after the rain lightly brushes against my skin.

[Is Slei and Pigimaru alright?]

[I think they should be alright but…… I think I’d better have Seras check them out too.]

Eve gently brushed Slei’s body.

[Together with Pigimaru, you protected Touka really well.]

[Pakkyyuuunnii~]

[Let me carry her.]

Eve snatched Slei away from my shoulder.

Moreover…

[……Why are you carrying me too?]

Eve also carried me on her other shoulder.

At first glance, she doesn’t appear to have muscular arms.

However, she still has this physical strength.

I’m amazed yet again.

I’m amazed that she looks quite unaffected even when carrying me.

[Fufu, this is my redeeming feature.]

She said as if she read what’s in my mind.

[I will put you down when a monster comes along our path… Or perhaps, should I rely on your power for dealing with them?]

[Yeah, just leave them to me.]

[Umu, I’ll be relying on you, my lord.]

Did she finally get a grip of her sense of responsibility?

Eve started walking without any hesitation.

Then after a few minutes, she stopped walking.

As if she remembered something.

[Speaking of which, there’s something I think you’d better know.]

[Hmm?]

[While searching for you, I came across a Hero from Another World other than you.]

▽

[——–Kashima and the Takao Sisters huh.]

[That girl named Kashima didn’t say her name herself to me but that’s what they call her.]

Those guys from 2-C.

They really came here.

Their purpose would be…

[—killing Golden-eyed monsters and acquiring experience points huh.]

And they were probably dragged into that great march.

I feel a bit awkward about dragging Kashima into that.

However, she should be safe if she’s together with the Takao Sisters.

[Touka, what in the world is that girl named Hijiri Takao?]

[Even if you ask me that…]

[That girl isn’t normal at all.]

[……Well, I agree with that.]

The Takao Sisters.

Those twins were different from the other students of 2-C.

Even Kirihara and his lackeys were consciously ignoring them.

Even that lustful Zakurogi kept a distance away from those sisters.

……Well, Zakurogi may have some interest towards those sisters in another kind of way.

They’re untouchable beings.

I can’t understand their personalities.

I could still somehow understand the younger sister, Itsuki.

However, the older sister Hijiri……

It’s as if I couldn’t grasp the emotions hidden within her heart.

[I didn’t refuse conversing with them and I think I established a normal conversation with them. Although their expressions are a little hard to read, the contents of our conversation itself were well-organized…… That’s my impression with them.]

[From what I hear about you, they look decent enough of a human.]

[That’s right. However—-]

[It feels like you’re not talking with a “Human” huh?]

[Y- Yes…… That’s what I felt.]

It’s just a guess but…

Takao Hijiri may be lacking some emotions.

It may also be that other pattern of simply just being someone who isn’t good at expressing their emotions.

I didn’t interact with Takao Hijiri that much back in our previous world.

I know that she was ranked high in the school’s bishoujo rankings.

One time, Oyamada tried to make fun of the older Takao using this ranking.

However, the older Takao treated it as unimportant just as usual.

“I think that people who were fond of ranking like this are better off with a matching appeal that’s popular in the public. Of course, they should only gather people who want to do something like this.”

“Those types who don’t have any interest in oneself” is one thing he’s trying to say.

[Even so…]

The fact that Kashima and the Takao Sisters were in the Demon Zone means…

[—that the other guys naturally came here too.]

Kirihara Takuto.

Oyamada Shougo.

Yasu Tomohiro.

Sogou Ayaka.

That’s only If no one among them has fallen yet…

[………………..]

There’s also 2-C’s Ikusaba Asagi.

She’s a different vector of a dangerous type compared with Kirihara.

Anyway, Eve was blessed that they’re the ones she encountered.

What could have happened if she encountered Kirihara or Oyamada instead?

I slightly talked with Eve about the students of 2-C.

[Acknowledged. I should be careful around Kirihara, Oyamada, Yasu and Ikusaba, right?]

[Also, if that woman named Ikusaba Asagi gets really sullen about being called “Ikusaba”, you should just call her “Asagi”……It would be another thing if you purposely want to agitate her and make her lose her composure though.]

[What about that one named Sogou?]

[She’s not a bad person…… I guess I’m kind of indebted to her.]

[Understood, I’ll remember her.]

Anyway, there’s no need to get in contact with them for now.

Especially if the Goddess accompanied them.

The Forbidden Spell that would be my countermeasure against that ability that nullifies my Abnormal State Skill.

I still haven’t acquired that yet.

Until I get my hand on that, “Mimori Touka” must be dead.

The Heroes of 2-C.

I’ve already anticipated that they would become hindrances for my revenge towards the Goddess…

No matter how I look at it, the probability of coming into conflicts with them isn’t low.

[Your decision of not giving my name to the older Takao was right.]

[Hijiri is a woman skillful with her words…… I’m quite anxious while talking with her.]

[She’s probably going to be troublesome if she were to become our enemy.]

[Mhmm, you also thought like that, Touka?]

[But well, there are also other people that I don’t want to turn into an enemy……]

Compared to those other people, I feel like she’ll be much easier to fight against.

[So there’s someone who makes you say that much?]

I look up to the sky.

[Yeah.]

My uncle and my aunt.

If they were to become my enemy, I don’t know how to fight them.

I don’t think I could even fight them.

[Against those people, I could only unconditionally raise the white flag.]

▽

On the way, we came across several monsters.

However, we just easily dealt with them.

And like this, we arrived near that cave where Seras and Liz were in.

[We somehow managed to get here.]

There’s the corpse of a monster laying near the cave.

This isn’t a monster that Eve and I dealt with.

There were arrow wounds between the eyebrows of the fallen corpse.

I exchange glances with Eve.

[It must be Seras.]

[Umu.]

Looking at the slashes on the corpse, Eve growls.

[Excellent sword-handling… In order to avoid the danger of this monster calling out its friends, she made sure to aim at its throat to prevent it from letting out its voice.]

We step into the cave.

Then, Slei let out a short cry.

[——Slei-dono?]

Seras appears with her sword in her hand.

[T- Touka-do——]

The voice of the High Elf quickly changes its tone.

That’s what I thought but…

[———–Touka-dono…… I’m glad that you’re fine.]

The tone of her voice quickly fades.

She has already regained her calmness and is keeping her silence.

……It appears that she’s controlling her happiness from showing.

Turning into the cave, Seras started beckoning someone.

From the inner parts of the cave, Liz shows up.

[Big Sister…… Touka-sama……]

There’s a warm expression of relief on her face.

However, Liz turned pale as she put her hand over her mouth.

[Suu-chan……]

Getting down from Eve’s shoulder, I spoke.

[Seras, could you examine Slei?]

▽

Finished with her treatment, Seras approaches and sits next to me.

[Is Slei fine?]

[There isn’t any danger for her life anymore.]

[I see.]

That’s good.

It seems that Pigimaru is just awfully tired.

He will be fine after taking some rest.

[As expected, you’re accustomed to taking care of horses huh?]

[It’s because I’ve been in touch with them since I was a child. Slei-dono may be a bit different from normal horses, but it seems that she’s the same as them until her second form.]

I also had Seras treat my wounds.

My shoulder is being bandaged right now.

[Can heal your wounds, possesses an extensive amount of knowledge…… Can use the power of the spirits, knows swordsmanship, really good at horse-riding…… I don’t know what to say…]

Seras looks down.

Her expression is quite dark.

[……………………..I’m quite a boring High Elf though.]

Because I said too much, I couldn’t do anything but grimace.

[Why are you still worried about something like that……]

[What do you think I should do so that I could become an interesting High Elf?]

[No…… Even if you want to become an interesting High Elf, looking at the future where you turn out that way is kind of complicated……]

Her brows turning into a frown, Seras shoulders drops down.

[You’re saying it’s because of my natural temperament…… Is it because I’m not originally that interesting?]

[No, it’s just that I’m saying you could handle different things.]

I exhaled.

I poke Seras on her forehead.

[………….?]

[You’ve been off-point in quite a strange way, you know?]

[As I thought, I must have been off-topic huh.]

[You’re quick-witted and you’re also quite smart……]

Seras’ blue eyes show her surprise.

She also looks a little happy from what she heard.

[Do you really think so, Touka-dono?]

The tone of her voice sounds strange.

She looks quite glad?

[If you weren’t even aware of your own good points, you may just end up looking sarcastic to others.]

Seras wryly smiled.

[……I remembered being told something similar back at the Royal Palace.]

A reticent nuance.

I see.

This must be that so-called “witty conversation” which you commonly use in social circles, right?

[I’m quite confident that I will be able to deal with serious discussions and ceremonies but…… it feels quite difficult for me when it comes to casual conversations.]

[Couldn’t you just talk with them like how you usually do with those serious discussions?]

Based on who you’re talking to, you would act as a fake persona of yourself.

If you can’t do something like that, you might easily get tired when you go to places like that.

[……Well, I’m grateful that Seras is like that.]

[Is it fine for me to stay this way?]

[Interesting conversations weren’t the only means of communicating with others.]

Embarrassed, Seras smiles.

[Umu…… I suppose I could agree to that, but is it really alright?]

“Funnn……” A smile curved up on my mouth.

[Do you think I’m just deceiving you?]

With her thin fingers, Seras scratches her white cheeks.

[…….A little bit.]

I pointed at Seras’ lap.

From the hem of her clothing, her thighs were peeking out a bit.

Currently, my coat was placed on her lap.

Somewhere while I’m in battle today, some areas have been ripped.

Placed beside her thighs were simple sewing tools used to sew my coat.

[There’s some people who could sew and some who couldn’t. Sewing is impossible for me. However, do you think someone is worthless since he couldn’t do something like that?]

[Of course not.]

[That’s how it is.]

[——–Ah.]

[No matter what you think, I’m thankful that you’re here with us.]

[……………Yes, thank you very much.]

Then…

[Alright.]

Moderately excited, Seras picked up the needle and thread.

She then started cheerfully sewing.

Did she feel better when I praised her ability to sew earlier?

A calm relaxed smile appeared on her thin cherry blossom-colored lips.

………………………

Is this that homely ambience that I’ve heard before?

Stern.

Tolerant.

Seras Ashrain.

[…………………….]

Those two qualities of this High Elf may possibly be a superb balance that could coexist within herself.