Chapter 11: Suspicious

Chapter 11: Suspicious

To start, today is our final hunt—The day Valentina tries to ascend by fighting a monster that's strong enough to make her breakthrough.

But for these past few days... Kevin... That guy, there is this weird feeling around him.

Each time his eyes lingered on Valentina, a palpable desire exuded from him. My body shuddered with repulsion. Having encountered similar individuals in the past, I could effortlessly discern the type of person he was.

|"You should be wary of that knight of yours."| I warned Valentina yesterday.

However, she only disregarded my warnings seeing it as me regretting that I nulled our engagement.

A twinge of annoyance pricked at me from her response, and a fleeting ache in my heart. Yet, swiftly, I shrugged it off. I played my role, spurred by my own disquiet. After all, she's the heroine—I figured she'd emerge unscathed.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

‹ Principles... Morals... ›

Those are what I consider to be the most important things for me to follow. They are the ones that I would die for.

Without them, I'd probably kill myself out of guilt.

I'm not a hero or anything... I'm just trying to be a better person.

And for me to do that in this world— to be able to uphold my principles, what I need is power.

Power to never bend unto something I consider immoral just to survive.

It can either be power, but with no courage, these are just meaningless.

Like I said, I would die just to uphold my principles.

After the sins I have piled up in my past life...

This is a small thing to do for me to suffer.

After all... After the day I saw my mother cry... I promised myself that I'd CHA—

"A girl?"

Suddenly, the voice of a knight resonated at the front. Cutting my thoughts that had been going on for like an eternity while we were walking and searching for beasts.

I then gazed at where the knight halted and followed his back leaving Mary, Valentina, and her maid Christine at my back. After a short walk, I immediately saw a girl who was holding onto a basket with different plants in it. By the looks of it, I could tell she was picking herbs.

To describe:

Her hair was painted in hue Auburn, her figure represented that of an 8-year-old child. With a tanned skin and brown eyes. She, however, looks malnourished. As if she hadn't eaten anything for days.

Seeing her pitiful state, reminded me of the dream I had, the dead eyes of a girl while her brains were scattered flashed before my eyes, prompting me to ponder what I should do.

"..."

Silently, the girl's eyes then confusingly wandered around before her eyes locked onto me.

Despite an inexplicable stunned look upon seeing me, it resembled the reaction one has when encountering someone attractive. Nonetheless, I ignored it as I approached her with the intention of offering assistance.

"What brings a delicate creature like yourself to this dangerous place?"

I coldly spoke exuding dignity.

But the girl before me, after she heard the way I spoke. Her whole body quickly shivered in fear.

"I—I'm Sorry... Please forgive this peasant"

She replied robotically with a bow as her voice quivered.

In response, I slowly walked toward her.

Silence then heavily fell upon us.

And just as I continued to walk.

"Alfonso! Don't you dare touch that child!"

Valentina's voice resonated at the back while I could hear her footsteps rushing toward me.

Despite hearing her though, I continued.

Soon, I halted and bent my knees.

"Are these of any necessity to you?"

I spoke while picking the herbs she seemed to have picked earlier before we arrived.

Handing it over to her, her mouth went agape first before responding "Y-Yes..." in a hushed tone.

"Are you hurt anywhere?"

I continued without my hands stopping from picking up the herbs.

"Not really"

The girl quickly responded, her voice seeming to slowly soften unlike before.

"You're a brave child for going here alone within this dangerous place.

It must have been scary."

"Y-Yes... It was scary..." she replied in a sorrowful tone. Her face, visibly showed that she went through a lot.

When suddenly a growl coming from the girl's stomach echoed in my ears. Prompting the Auburn kid in front of me to look down shyly.

"Are you perhaps hungry?"

I asked before she nodded meekly when she was found out.

—Flick

The sound of my finger flicking resonated as soon as I saw her nod.

"Mary, bring out the food you have carried as my launch and feed this girl"

After I was done picking all the herbs up and putting them in the girl's basket. I slowly stood up and clapped the dirt off my hand.

Before I dignifiedly stated;

"Worry not anymore, for we will protect you"

And before I could notice, the girl before me looked at me in a stunned face. Seemingly in doubt.

"Why are you helping me?"

She questioned.

"What is your name?"

But I decided to ask her too.

"Uhh... My- my name... Is Arianna"

"Arianna...

Because I just want to. No further questions peasant."

I scoffed, not meaning to be rude, though it might have come across that way.

The girl then made a dumbfounded face when she heard me but I shrugged it off immediately when she was finally taken by Mary to eat.

Because of what happened, we decided to take a break from searching for beasts and ate for a while except for me who was going crazy suppressing my disgust.

Meanwhile, the gaze that fell on me became weird.

All of them looked at me in disbelief, I even felt an irk inside me and wanted to slap their undignified faces but decided not to.

"..."

Barely holding on to the urge to puke. For picking up the herbs that commoner touched. I quickly called for Mary without anyone noticing and silently changed my white gloves.

The horrible feeling of disgust toward commoners was so unbearable that I needed to bite my lips just to keep the feelings aside.

Fortunately, after I changed my gloves, the disgusting feeling quickly sat aside.

Sighing in relief as a result.

"Young Lord" A voice of a female quickly followed.

"Shall I not prepare a meal for you?"

Just hearing, her I could immediately tell it was Mary.

"I have no requirement for sustenance at the moment. My appetite has been duly satiated."

I slowly responded.

My answer had truth to it, to be honest. After experiencing and suppressing the disgust inside me earlier, I've lost my appetite to eat. I'm not hungry in the first place since I've eaten fruits earlier before we hunted.

"But my Lord..."

I then cut her off.

"Where is the girl? Arianna should I say"

"She's there eating my lord" Mary quickly replied as she pointed her hand to the girl in an elegant manner.

"Good"

I nodded. However, the sound of my system rang promptly once again.

[Your image of Mary has changed once again]

+20 points

Inwardly stunned, I quickly disregarded it thinking it was a fluke as I decided to approach the girl eating alone.

—Clomp!

—Clomp!

The voice of my footstep resonated and Arianna's eyes locked onto me.

"Full?"

I muttered with a hint of frost in my voice.

"Ye-Yes... This peasant is grateful for your lord's kindness"

After her response, a sense of fulfillment and pride welled up inside me. Probably because of Alfonso's pride but—

I immediately scoffed at it.

"No courtesy is required. If genuine gratitude resides within you, articulate the purpose behind your presence in this perilous forest."

The girl—Arinna then made a sorrowful face after hearing me. Her mouth hesitantly opened and closed but as she was given enough time. She decided to finally speak.

"Uhh...My father..."

"Father?"

"Um, you see, it's 'cause father's really sick that I'm here looking for his medicine."

With her response, my mind instantly felt like I was remembering something important.

Yet despite trying to recall, I needed more time to process it.

And what's worse was that I was interrupted trying to remember something when a loud growl of a beast suddenly exploded from a distance.

—Roar!

With a visible frown on my face, I turned my head to where the sound came from while I could hear Mary's mutter.

"The beasts were trying to look for is here My Lord"

"Sounds like it's fighting something" I followed.

"Yes, for food My Lord"

"Hm..."

Slowly, nodding. I and Mary took the lead when the people around us were alarmed by the growl.

We soon walked toward the path where the sound came from.

With a confident and dignified stride, I held the sword at my waist.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.