Ch-59: Behemoth (1)

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I sighed deeply as I watched Isabella surrounded by a flurry of rapacious wind blades.

I hadn't assumed such a possibility.

"You aren't going to go looking for him like that, right?"

"Huh?"

Judging by the look on her face, my assumption seems to be correct.

Man, did she really thought of going on a journey to find him with nails broken and the soles of her feet bleeding?

Holding back a sigh, I pointed my forefinger at the stairs to the second floor.

"You have seen my teammates, right? Go up and say my name and get yourself healed by a nun named Ophelia. I'll go and get the surplus equipment we have to spare."

"What do you want to do?"

"What do I want to do? Aren't you going to find Mars? I'm not letting myself let you go to find death. Go, get yourself healed."

Isabella narrowed her gaze.

"…for real, what are you up to? Up until now, you have been very resolute on seperating me and Mars, but now you're helping me find him?"

"I still want you to stay away from Mars. But it doesn't seem like that's going to stop you, and you're going to die if you go out like that. And if you die, Mars will blame me. That's a big no-no for me. So, go up, get yourself treated, equip some simple gear, and then come down. I'll tell you the direction in which Mars left only after that."

"…"

Isabella was suspicious, but she knew she wasn't in the right state to do what she wanted, so she choose to go up to the second floor.

After a while, Isabella descended, having herself healed and lightly armed in a leather armor along with a rapier.

"Tell me now. Where did Mars go?"

"The principality to the North. He probably went to the city of Lymar."

"…Are you sure? You are not lying, are you?"

Ferocious swirls manifested around Isabella and intensified by second.

"What would you do if it is a lie? Kill me? Regardless of whether you have that kind of ability, are you confident that you won't be blamed by Mars?"

Isabella bit her lip.

"…if it's a lie, you'll see it yourself."

After saying those words, she left the inn.

I also watched her as she left the inn and the village for the north.

Of course, the direction I gave to Isabella was wrong.

Mars was heading east, to the Kingdom of Carta.

For that reason, the two will not cross each other for the time being.

For the time being…

'I don't know what will happen in the future.'

My plan to make Mars and Isabella walk their separate paths was already in shambles.

Isabella will actively seek Mars, and they may one day meet again.

If that's a happy future for Mars, it's all good and fine.

But.

'If it's a tragedy…'

I might get a little bit pissed with the Goddess.

I sighed and turned my back after Isabella was out of sight. And I was a little surprised.

Because Neria with a horribly pale complexion was leaning against the inn wall.

"Neria, what happened to you? You weren't even in the room… where had you been?"

I knew someone was eavesdropping from in front of the inn, but never thought that it was Neria. Neria was greatly startled by my question and stuttered in between her words.

"Oh, no… that… I didn't mean to overhear… I was just coming… ah, but I couldn't…"

"Are you alright? Well, things have been quite hectic recently. Let's go in and have breakfast. We will leave immediately after dinner."

"Cloud, uh… can't we stay for one more day? I'm not feeling well…"

"Not feeling well? What happened…"

No sooner did I want to ask, than I smelled a strong liquor smell emanating from her.

My brows furrowed intuitively.

"Did you come here after drinking all night long? Even after I said we were going to leave soon?"

"Ah, no, that's because… I, I'm sorry…"

Tears like drops of rain flowed from the corners of her eyes.

"No, come on, don't cry… Ha, it's okay. We are leaving tomorrow, so go in and have a rest."

"Sorry, sorry…"

No matter how many times I explained that it was okay, no matter how many times I asked her what was going on, her tears wouldn't stop.

Neria repeatedly kept muttering that she was sorry.

* * *

– Why didn't you tell him about it earlier?

'I wanted to do it too. But if that happened, Cloud, I was afraid you'll be in danger…'

– What a load of crap.

– And you are protecting him? What are you?

'I'm your childhood friend. I like you. That's why I promised myself to keep you safe.'

– So, at some point, that mentality must have been established. Oh, he's someone on a level lower than me. He is someone I need to protect.

'I… I never thought of you like that.'

Neria denied Cloud's words.

Though he was actually talking to a pink-haired girl she didn't know, she couldn't help but deny it, as if it was her in that position.

However, she could not deny Cloud's following words.

-That's why you were more precious than anyone else.

– The feeling of being abandoned by such a precious person… can you envision it?

– First, there is blood in your head. Your face turns red and veins unsightly protrude near your eyes.

– So, do you know what comes out instead of tears? Blood. Tears of blood come out.

– It feels wrenching. It feels like something precious in your chest was being gouged out.

A huge nail was stabbed into Neria's chest.

Each word that Cloud spoke worked as a hammer on the nail.

Her heart broke little by little.

She knew, for sure, that he must have been hurt.

But she didn't think deeply.

—because she was afraid.

Neria was afraid to imagine the great wounds she had inflicted on Cloud, and after she did, she ran away.

While she just thought he'd be able to give her a hug someday again.

But the truth Cloud shoved directly into her head negated her optimism.

– Thak!

The pink-haired girl ran out of the inn in a different attire than she entered. The girl jogged out of village and sprinted towards the forest.

Cloud also came out of the inn and he quietly watched the girl hurry away. It wasn't until about the time the girl was gone that he sighed and turned around, startled to find Neria.

"Neria, what happened to you? You weren't even in the room… where had you been?"

"Ah…"

Neria bit her lips before she could answer something.

What could she say?

Originally, Neria was going to have a conversation with Cloud.

Because she thought that if she divulged her true feelings about what she had kept pressing inside her, she would be able to become close with him as they were before.

But it wasn't so.

Everything was different from her expectations… from her optimism.

In the current situation, what will happen if she told Cloud the truth? How will he take it? Wouldn't that just make the wound all more agonizing?

Could it be that their relationship is beyond repair? It's already ruined?

Could it be that they will fall apart like Mars and that pink-haired girl?

Neria was frightened.

"Oh, no… that… I didn't mean to overhear… I was just coming… ah, but I couldn't…"

So she ran away, once more.

* * *

After prolonging their stay in the village by one additional day, Cloud and his party moved toward the southern part of the Kingdom of Prona.

The destination was the Dukedom of Oler.

Ruled by the Duke and great landowner of the southern region of the Kingdom of Prona.

"Hero Cloud..? P-Please, wait for a minute!"

It was evident that the waitress was calm until he entered the reception room. However, after inspecting his hero's plaque, she hurriedly left the waiting room without masking her agitation.

'I think I've already waited for quite a while. Do I still have to wait longer?'

As it was a sudden visit from his part, there was nothing further to say.

Cloud was about to sip on his tea when he found Eri with a very grim expression on her face.

'Come to think of it, Eri has a bad relationship with her family.'

As far as he remembers, she's an illegitimate daughter, and that was the only reason she was ignored by her family.

'We better get out of this house as soon as possible.'

While Cloud was thinking about it, the waiting room's door opened and a middle-aged man walked in.

With two armed knights escorting him, the man was none other than the ruler of this dukedom.

The duke sat on the central chair, and the knights found their place behind him on his either side.

"When I heard of your arrival from my butler, I doubted my ears for a brief moment, but it's true. Hero Cloud, pleasant to see you here."

"Was my visit that surprising? Duke Oler?"

The duke's eyebrows twitched.

'Did this kid talk to me like that just now?'

The incompetent Hero of the Kingdom of Prona dared to? To him, the Duke of Oler?

Halstion, his knight, who noticed the duke's displeasure, took a step forward and warned Cloud.

"Even if Cloud-sama is a hero, Duke Oler is a great lord with a vast territory and fame to his name, even in the Kingdom of Prona. Please pay attention to proper decorum."

Duke Oler gave a subtle but content expression to the knight's words. Cloud, on the other hand, tilted his head as if in deep doubt. He asked the knight who issued the warning.

"What is your name?"

"Halstion."

"Yes, Sir Halstion. You want to emphasize that I should act more politely in front of the Duke, am I right?"

"That's correct."

"Then let me ask you. What rudeness did I commit in front of the Duke? Did I insult him? Have I dishonored him in any way?"

"The hero did not commit such a great disrespect. You just committed a small breach of etiquette in front of the Duke. I hope you will exalt your words in the future."

"Now, would you like to hear what I think?"

Cloud crossed his arms and relaxed himself on the seat with a brief contemplating expression.

As soon as he finished musing, he opened his arms and said.

"Actually, I don't see the need for that."

Matching the time with Cloud's answer, the aura emitted by the knights made the surroundings freeze. The servants who served them stilled.

On the other hand, Cloud, as well as his party, were unaffected by the knights' aura.

Even if they were the elite knights of the Duke of Oler, they were nothing compared to the intimidation posed by the Minotaur who roamed the depths of the dungeon.

Cloud looked at Halstion and spoke in a flat tone.

"Are the Heroes lower in stature than the Dukes of the Kingdom?"

"…"

Halstion did not answer.

This was no longer just about Cloud, he used the word 'heroes'. If he affirmed to this, not only the three other heroes, but also all the heroes in the continent's history will be drawn into the question.

Seeing Halstion's unwillingness to answer, Cloud asked again.

"You cannot answer. Alright, then I'll change the question. Is Cloud, the Hero of the Kingdom of Prona, lower in stature than Duke Oler?"

Halstion thought he could very well answer that question.

Cloud is a hero, but unlike other heroes, he doesn't have any special achievements.

He comes from a humble origin, and has no supporters.

Compared to the ruler of the southern region of the Kingdom of Prona and his lord, the Duke of Oler, he was inferior.

Halstion, who was loyal to his very core, thought so, and his answer would affirm that.

"Stop."

—had it not been for his lord, the Duke of Oler, to block it himself.

"Duke?"

"Sir Halstion, stop it."

"However…"

"I asked you to stop, right?"

Halstion trembled at Duke Oler's subdued tone.

"My apologies, esteemed duke!"

Halstion immediately bowed his head and backed off. Confirming that his loyal knight had retreated, the Duke of Oler looked at the young hero and smiled.

"Please forgive my knight's rudeness. He's a good guy, but he's still young, so he's full of youthful passion."

"…"

As if this was not the end to it, Cloud didn't answer.

Duke Oler sighed.

Then he lightly bowed his head toward Cloud.

"I apologize on behalf of Sir Halstion for his disrespectful behaviour."

"I accept the apology."

"Thank you."

Cloud continued to sip on his tea. Duke Oler looked at Cloud intently.

'If Halstion had just answered hastily, it would have landed me into great trouble.'

It is true that Cloud has no achievements to his name compared to other heroes. He is a humble commoner and has no support.

But he is a Hero.

A human being chosen by the holy sword crafted by the Goddess Iris herself.

And a Hero representing the Kingdom of Prona.

Then try to tell him that he is inferior to the Duke of Oler.

Of course, the church will surely become hostile to you, meanwhile, other nobles and king who will mistakenly believe that the Duke of Oler is trying to put a hero under his feet may try to contain him.

Great troubles can occur with just a single sentence.

"I think the rumors I heard were true. A lot has changed since the last time I met you, Hero Cloud."

Not long ago, Duke Oler heard of an incident that took place in the Imperial Social Banquet.

According to his sources, Cloud assaulted Gis unilaterally, and that Cloud was later taken away by Imperial Hero, Frillite.

It was a situation hard to believe in itself.

"Well, I've been through a lot. Even if you don't want to, you have to change."

Looking at his relaxed attitude and calm eyes, the duke couldn't help but realize.

Three years had passed, no more was there the incompetent Hero who had his tail lowered at the threat of a knight.

The Hero in front of him was the real deal.

"Let's stop wasting our time on useless things and get back to the point. I heard that the number of beasts and monsters in the duke's estate has increased rapidly. Did you find out the cause?"

"I haven't been able to figure out the exact cause. I'm just guessing it might be the work of a named monster. I found some convincing evidence."

Named monster.

Like boss monsters, even if you kill it, it doesn't truly disappear. Someday, another monster will take over it's place.

"If we are talking about the named monsters, a Behemoth is probably the most powerful. Did you inform the other heroes?"

Duke Oler nodded his head.

"I have already informed the other three Heroes."

You can read fully translated chapters, including the last chapter, for $20.

p(a)treon.com/Daoist02