Chapter 9: On the Boundary Between Humans and Monsters (2)
I stood transfixed, taking in the scene unfolding before my eyes.
White hair, black pupils. A girl with an unearthly beauty soared freely through the sky.
And then, in an instant, a large prey was cleaved in two.
So cleanly. With just a single stroke of her blade.
Yet, what truly unsettled wasn't such an overwhelming display of force.
I saw that girl sobbing. A girl crying sorrowfully all alone.
Why would she be crying? After skillfully hunting down her prey. One would think she'd be overjoyed, yet here she was, engulfed in sadness.
I couldn't understand.
But if there was one thing I could be sure of:
'...Lien?'
This girl, she's the reason I ca here.
Just like with Siel before. In such circumstances, to encounter a girl of such a unique appearance, crying and suffering alone, it couldn't possibly be a coincidence.
It wasn't chance, but fate. A eting that was ant to be.
But the problem was.
'...What should I do?'
I knew there had to be a story behind that appearance and her tears.
But I lacked the eloquence of a protagonist. I had no experience in consoling a crying child.
In the original story, the protagonist would have sohow comforted her, healed her trauma, and resolved the issues she harbored.
But I was at a loss. Even up to the mont I revealed myself to the girl, I had no clue how I should act.
Yet,
"Don't co any closer... I told you not to co..."
I knew the crying child's plea was a lie. She wanted soone by her side. It was unmistakable.
Therefore, I slowly approached the girl.
Step by step, gently.
And then,
"What on earth do you think you're doing?"
I embraced her.
She questioned in return.
But contrary to her words, she made no attempt to leave my embrace.
It was as if she was searching for sothing to cling to.
As if she desperately needed soone to lean on, her hands trembled as she weakly grasped onto .
I was not accustod to such situations. It was to be expected. How many could truly say they've been in such a position?
Yet, despite it all, I couldn't bring myself to let go of those small, trembling hands that clung to so precariously.
So, I hugged her over and over again as she shed tears.
Telling her it would be okay, that crying would make it better, spouting such clumsy reassurances.
Ti simply flowed on endlessly like this.
Gradually, the girl's sorrow began to fade.
It's amazing.
Just the re presence of soone, just letting them know you're there, can heal a person's sorrow like this.
I found myself gazing up at the sky, lost in thought.
For a mont, I rembered my mother who had once done the sa for .
Not that I particularly wanted to return to my original world to reunite with the family I left behind.
After all, it's been over a decade since both my mother and father passed away. Their faces are now a blur.
It's just, perhaps the night sky was so beautiful, and I got lost in its beauty.
Feeling just a little, a very slight sense of longing.
*****
The Might of the emperor suppresses the energy of ■ flesh demon ■.
Such an incomprehensible ssage flashed briefly before my eyes.
It disappears almost instantaneously, barely giving a mont to read, let alone understand it.
Curious if this ant my status window had been restored, I tried various things, but to no avail. Only a ssage about resetting so pathway appeared, leaving with no response.
Eventually, I shifted my focus away from the status window to more pressing matters.
"Yo-you. Who exactly are you? Why did you do this all of a sudden?"
The girl rambled on in a fluster.
Thinking about it, her reaction was entirely justified.
Overwheld by the mont, and perhaps reminded of a childhood mory, I had impulsively embraced her. Reflecting on it, it was indeed madness.
For a stranger to force his way towards a woman screaming for him to stay away and to embrace her without consent.
This is downright criminal.
It must have been an impulsive act driven by the vitality of a healthy body.
This characteristic viciously manipulated , a person with common sense and a strong sense of ethics, and led to engage in such strange behavior.
"Wh-Who are you, exactly? You didn't cast so kind of seduction spell on , did you? Are you a warlock or sothing?"
But what's done is done and cannot be undone.
Nor is it a situation where I can simply apologize.
To do so would be to publicly declare that there was a foul intention behind that embrace.
As soone who had to gain the girl's trust, there was nothing worse than that.
Thus, I pointed boldly to the sky.
"Do I look like a grand sorcerer to you, capable of casting a seduction spell lasting over 3 hours without a wand?"
What rose in the sky was the sun.
A beautiful sunrise that made one ponder whether it should be captured in a photograph.
In other words, this girl had been clinging to for hours on end.
Considering all she had vented while crying, it seed understandable that she had so much to let out. But this was admittedly a bit too much.
"...That, that's..."
Another sun seed to rise in the sky.
Of course, there's only one sun in this world, so the other must be soone's face, blushing as if it might burst at any mont.
She must have realized the absurdity of complaining now, after she had spent 3 hours, or perhaps even longer, pouring out her troubles to .
I concluded by pointing to my clothes.
The girl could no longer et my gaze.
Her face flushed, she focused on sothing seemingly fascinating on the ground.
It was perhaps inevitable.
My clothes were as if I had been ditating under a waterfall.
They were wrinkled and tattered here and there from her strong grip, and the shoulder area was completely soaked with tears.
"......Sorry."
Lien spoke in a barely audible voice.
Her face swollen, her eyes red and unable to look directly in the eye due to sha. The way she offered her apology was endearingly awkward.
"Don't worry about it too much. It's natural to feel overwheld sotis. I'm not particularly bothered."
Sohow, the situation was resolved.
And then......
A slightly awkward exchange of glances followed.
I had a pretty good idea why Lien was hesitating and diverting her gaze from mine.
It was only natural.
Objectively speaking, I must seem incredibly suspicious.
An outsider who suddenly appears in a place where one is hiding. Soone who approaches with an unsettling familiarity.
To any observer, I'd look like the hidden mastermind.
The very embodint of a villain with ulterior motives.
Yet, the girl's silence likely stems from gratitude for what transpired earlier.
She's just ordinarily honest and inherently kind.
I felt a resurgence of sympathy for her.
"If there's anything you want to ask, go ahead."
With that, I took the initiative to speak to Lien.
After so hesitation, Lien posed her question.
"Why did you co to this remote mountain?"
"I just happened to pass by. Is this a place I'm not allowed to enter?"
"Not exactly, but..."
It's clear she remains unconvinced.
And understandably so. I wouldn't buy such an excuse either.
But that's okay.
I have the perfect alibi.
"Besides, if I had any ill intentions, I wouldn't have spent hours holding you. There would be no reason for to initiate a conversation with you."
Lien's face, which had just cald down, flushed again. She averted her gaze from mine and nodded, her face still red.
It seems she's sowhat convinced.
"Now, isn't it my turn to ask?"
"......Huh?"
"So, you can ask anything you want, but I'm not allowed to ask anything? Well, if that's the case, there's nothing I can do."
Suddenly, the girl beca visibly flustered, rambling off excuses.
That wasn't her intention, she said. That I could ask anything I wanted. That she wasn't trying to interrogate , and if it ca across that way, she was sorry.
This transparency was different from Siel's in its own unique way.
She's straightforward in nature, unable to hide anything, with every emotion plainly visible on her face.
If Siel spoke exactly what was on her mind, this one seed like she'd give away everything with just her expressions, even if she tried to lie.
She's amusing to tease, with such vivid reactions.
But now wasn't the ti to be concerned with such things.
"What you said earlier, what does it all an?"
The situation this girl was in turned out to be more serious than I had thought.
I had assud Lien was forcibly taken by the people of so cult village, a misunderstanding due to the sparse information in the spoiler post.
But from her tearful complaints, it turns out she was born a mber of this village.
Moreover, it appears that Lien's stepfather is the one trying to kill her.
"Why would your dad want to kill you?"
"Because... I was born wrong."
An incomprehensible explanation.
Seeing my puzzled expression, the girl seed to realize I hadn't fully grasped the situation and continued her explanation in her own way.
Hmm...
It is quite extre. I can sowhat understand why her fanatical father would deem her a 'Star of Heavenly Slaughter.'
But... is that really such a problem?
I understand possessing a talent for killing and sotis losing consciousness in a frenzy of bloodlust.
But still.
"Is that really such a grave issue?"
I had a hunch about why the girl exhibited such symptoms.
It's simple.
Considering the characteristics of my healthy body, one could deduce the reason.
The 'Weakness Insight' trait always includes the text about easily identifying others' weaknesses.
When the ga beca reality, it might have led to a side effect where eting people always triggered a perception of their vulnerabilities.
Given her straightforward nature, it's plausible for a protagonist's ally character like her to have a low-grade 'Frenzy' passive.
The text indicating excitent in combat could lead to being swayed by such influences.
"But... I almost killed you."
"But you didn't, did you?"
"A slight mistake, and I could have."
"But you didn't kill . That's what matters."
Lien still wore a look of incomprehension.
So, I continued, locking eyes with her.
"People can't choose the traits they're born with."
It's a simple truth.
No one chooses the circumstances of their birth.
Just because Lien has a dangerous disposition doesn't an it justifies her father's wish to end her life.
"That's why what really matters is how you choose to live your life. You chose not to kill . Isn't that enough?"
"......But still."
Yet, Lien seed unconvinced.
So, I said with a playful smile, "If you ever lose control again, just like before, I'll be there to hold you. Don't worry."
Her face turned bright red.
Indeed, she's amusing to tease.
Such a lively reaction.
As I smiled at her response, I suddenly frowned.
"Lien."
Before us unfolded an unusual scene, naturally bringing an ominous premonition.
"That's not so traditional ritual of your village, is it?"
She turned to look at my indication.
Instantly, Lien's complexion turned ashen.
Rising smoke.
The village ablaze.
The terrible screams of people could be heard if one listened closely.
The situation was clear.
The Empire had found this place.
Today, they intended to erase a tribe from the face of the world.
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