Episode 13.15

Two people trudged along in the middle of the night.

A step of Lecan's trot covers quite a distance due to his stature and leg's length, however. Hence Eda ends up having to half jog all the way, yet she's keeping up with his pace without looking tired in the slightest.

"That door and gate really took me by surprise."

"I see."

"Must've been some crazy firepower."

"I see."

"I didn't know Lecan is getting called <Overlord in Black>."

"I see."

"You've been saying the same thing for a while, you know?"

Lecan's responses came out a bit haphazard since he had been focusing on something else.

"Want some bread."

"Ah, I do, I do! I'm so famished."

Lecan handed over a piece of bread to Eda and took another for himself.

"A bit hard in the mouth."

"Well, it's a long shelf life kind."

"You got, a jerky?"

"Sure do."

The two munched on bread and jerky while walking together.

"I'm impressed you didn't kill Prado-san in the end."

"Yeah."

The reason why is mostly because doing so would bring nothing but trouble. That's the important point to Lecan.

Had he killed Prado, he would also need to kill everyone who would come for revenge. On top of the difficulty of exterminating all without missing one, crushing a noble house would put him at odds with the town lord.

Leaving Prado alive and making him and Goncourt House swear to never mess with Lecan and Eda again will ultimately be a less of a pain.

That's what Lecan thought.

There's also one other thing that pushed Lecan toward that decision.

"Well, Prado-san is Norma-san's grandpa after all."

"Yea."

Norma would likely be sad if Prado died.

It would be harder for Lecan and Eda to show their faces around Norma.

It's not like that didn't count.

"And also, Kanner-san."

"Hum?"

"You didn't kill Kanner-san either."

"Yea."

"Lecan. You like that kind of persons, don't you."

Kanner is a logical man. Lecan doesn't hate that kind of men.

"Lecan, you really live however you like."

"Yea."

"Lecan."

"Hum?"

"Thank you for coming to my rescue."

"Yea."

"But how did you know I was in that mansion anyway?"

"I didn't know."

"Eh?"

"Goncourt House just happened to be the first place I checked."

"So, so then. What if I wasn't there after all you did?"

"I would go check the temple next."

"And if I wasn't there either?"

"I would go home and wait until you got back."

"Lecan."

"Hum?"

"You're unbelievable."

"For sure."

Eda rummaged her breast pocket grabbing something and then she held out a small pouch.

"Here, take this."

"Hum?"

Opening the pouch, there are familiar-looking small pebbles inside.

"Aren't these <Rainbow Pebbles of Happiness>?"

"Un."

<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka.com >

"But they're your treasure."

"Un. So I'm not giving them. I'm just letting you hang on to them."

They're her parents' keepsakes, not something she would readily entrust to others.

Knowing the feelings behind her handing them to Lecan, he couldn't decline her.

"Cause I think you need them."

"Is that so. Very well, I'll keep them safe with me."

"Un."

Lecan carefully put the pebbles deep inside his <Storage>.

Mysteriously, he could feel warmness deep in his chest.

"Guess we'll have to postpone going to the dungeon."

"Eeh?"

"Hey, what's with that reaction. Lecan, don't tell me you're planning to go straight to the dungeon after this?"

"What's wrong with that."

"Of course we can't. Norma-san has no idea what happened today, does she?"

"She wouldn't know."

"She would try to come up with plans, and make moves for your sake while being kept in the dark."

"Well, I guess."

"Not 'guess', she definitely would. Don't you feel bad for her?"

"I might."

"Then you can't make her go through that. We're going to Norma's house first thing in the morning and explain to her what happened today. Dungeon diving will come after, okay."

"...."

"Got it?"

"Got it."

It's a good thing that Eda is now capable of concern.

But her past concern-less self was much easier to handle. That's for sure.

(Now then.)

(This is a good spot.)

Lecan halted all of a sudden.

"Eda."

"Eh?"

"Sorry, you go on ahead."

"Eeeh? Let's go back home together."

"There are times when a man needs to be alone."

"Ooh, are you gonna take a standing piss?"

"Listen to me and go."

"'Kaaay."

Eda kept turning around and waving back as she left.

Once Eda has gone far enough, someone emerges out of darkness behind Lecan.

It's Jinga.

Lecan knew that someone had been tailing them ever since they went out of Goncourt house.

As well as the fact that it was someone pretty skilled.

However, he never would have guessed that it was Jinga.

"My gratitudes for your consideration."

"Impressive bloodlust there, Jinga."

Jinga drew a sword hanging on his waist.

He's equipped with a leather breastplate.

Looking closer, he's also got a light gauntlet-like thing on his left hand.

"I, knight Jinga Tauer, challenge you, adventurer Lecan-dono, to a duel."