CH 59

“Haa… haa… haa….”

Spontaneously, I left the room.

Many things happened today and my heart was in a mess. My mind was in disorder, my body wouldn’t move as I wanted it to, and I ended up hesitant to do what I wanted to.

When I saw Kitsune-kun depressed because Finia and Lulu were taken away by that so called hero or something, I didn’t feel anything at all. Ah, he’s depressed, that was all I thought. That was why I didn’t say anything and behaved as I used to be.

And yet, even though I wanted to kiss and taste Kitsune-kun, ever since the battle with that white person, my body had been acting strange.

When I was about to touch Kitsune-kun, somehow I ended up hesitating. Even though I’d been able to hug him very easily up until now, this time I couldn’t even think up a way to do it.

When I talked with Kitsune-kun, my heart would beat faster and faster. Even though the night hadn’t come yet, my face was burning, and I felt as if my heart was being tormented as if being pressed by something. My body, just what happened to it? I was a bit scared.

Even before, even though Kitsune-kun had especially said that I could kiss him twice, when I closed up my face to his, my heart suddenly beat unbearably fast. My face turned hot, I felt I’d go crazy if I kiss him there, and somehow I couldn’t bear to stay beside him any longer.

That was why I ran away. Jumping out of the bed, I opened the door and immediately rushed out to the hallway.

Even though I didn’t move that excessively, my breathing was in disorder. My heart wouldn’t calm down. My face was very hot as if it would melt at any given moment. What was it? I didn’t know… this murky and painful feeling… that stirred up my heart… I didn’t know it at all.

“Uu… I don’t get it….”

My mind was filled by Kitsune-kun. What’s happening to me, I wonder?

In the end, I passed the night by running around at my wits’ end because of the thought of Kitsune and the unbearable murky and painful feeling I felt.

And then that day, I couldn’t feel an ounce of desire that have been accompanying me ever since I was born.

◇　◇　◇

When Leila-chan left, I fell asleep once again, and now, the next morning, I wake up.

My body is a bit heavy, but this time I can move and straighten my body up, and when I turn around, I can see neither Rishe-chan nor Leila-chan in the room.

Well, Rishe-chan’s sword and luggages are still there, so perhaps she’s taking a bath or something, but I just don’t know where Leila-chan is.

For now, I get off the bed while thinking so.

“Mm, mm~…! Haa… well then….”

After stretching my body, I check my current condition. The remaining fatigue, it should all dissappear if I rest for a bit more.

My limbs are all movable, even my internals that received quite an injury from Apostle-chan’s attack, thanks to “Near-death experience” I can somewhat move easily without it hindering me. I haven’t perfectly healed yet but it should be enough to go through the usual daily activity.

The real check is starting from here. Producing miasma with “Miasma manipulation” like Leila-chan usualy does, I mold it into a knife. It doesn’t break when I try swinging it, and it looks sharper than the normal sword around. I realized it when I tried creating a knife yesterday. Since the miasma moves as I imagine it to, it’s pretty easy to control.

Next, I try to scatter the miasma around the room. Then, even when I close my eyes, I can somewhat understand what’s there inside the room. Chair, bed, Rishe-chan’s sword, as well as the vase beside the window.

I don’t know the color or the pattern on it, but I can understand its form.

So this is the sensoring ability of the miasma, huh. Just like what Leila-chan said.

“Umm… if I ask Leila-chan I think I’ll be able to understand it more, but this ability sure is convenint.”

Extinguishing the miasma, I mutter so.

This time, I try to activate “Demon-eye of foresight”. It seems like this ability arbitrarily activated yesterday, but when I’m conscious, it’s possible for me to activate as well as deactivate it.

Upon looking at the mirror, I can see that the iris will turn into jade green when the skill is activated, but when the skill isn’t activated, the iris will be red similarly like Leila-chan’s. Either way, after regaining my left eye, either it when I activate the demon eye or not, seems like it’s already decided that I’d have odd eyes (heterochromia).

Yup, don’t I look a bit cool like this?

I might be called as a chuunibyo or the like, but in this world there’s no one who knows that term aside from the fake hero after all, so honestly speaking, I do think I look cool this way. I even secretly thought that Leila-chan’s red eyes were cool.

“Fufufu, that means even appearance-wise I’ve grown, huh.”

Saying so, I float a satisfied smile.

“Ah… Kitsune, morning.”

“Hmm? Rishe-chan, morning!”

Then, opening the door, Rishe-chan returns with her hair wet.

As I thought, seems like she just took a bath. When I see her gently trimming up her wet hair with a towel, as expected, she looks somewhat erotic.

However, her eyes are somewhat red. Did she rub it too strong? Or perhaps, did she cry?

“…your left eye, looks like it’s been healed.”

“Yeah, this and that happened when you were fainted, you see.”

“I see… when I was fainted, huh.”

When I say so, it feels as if Rishe-chan somewhat self-deprecates herself.

I incline my head in wonder what happens to her, but Rishe-chan only sad-lookingly hang her head. What happens? She doesn’t look well, doesn’t it make me kinda worried.

“…say, Kitsune, why did you take me along with you?”

“Eh?”

“Ever since you took me along, what have I done for our comrades? … Weren’t I unable to do anything at all? I fully understand that Finia and Leila are strong… but, Finia and Lulu were taken away before my own eyes, even the mask, not to mention taking it back, I couldn’t even move at all. And yet, I was immediately fainted by that surprise attack… and when I woke up, you and Leila had somehow dealt with it… I sure am pathetic!”

Rishe-chan says so as if condemning herself.

Come to think of it, she surely wasn’t very helpful at all, huh. Well, if we go that way then since I never participated in any battle then, I think Rishe-chan was say more helpful in the previous guard request, though.

And yet here it appears that she’s doubting whether she’s necessary for us or not. To be unable to fight the enemies before her for her comrades, perhaps that was very mortifying for her.

Well, not that I care though.

“Well, surely you weren’t very helpful, even power-wise, yours is quite inferior than Finia-chan’s and Leila-chan’s, and unlike Lulu-chan, you aren’t my family or anything. So honestly speaking, it doesn’t look like there’s any necessity for you to be with us.”

“Ugh… I’ve understood it but listening to you saying it so bluntly is still a bit….”

“But you see, Rishe-chan, I’m not choosing my comrades based on necessity.”

Honestly speaking, the thought about worrying simply because you’re weak, like how Rishe-chan does, has never crossed my mind. It’s okay to be weak, however you ought to keep on struggling to stay alive.

For that sake I’d even go up againtst the fake here, I’d even go subjugate the demon lord if I need to. I won’t even hesitate to take care of Leila-chan, even fighting against that apostle-chan isn’t something I’m afraid of.

“I don’t know your idea regarding comradery, but as far as I’m concerned, I want to rely on you. Is that not good enough?”

That’s why, I won’t discard her simply because she’s weak, comrade isn’t about whether they’re necessary or not, after all. In this party, there’s no one who’s weaker than me, after all.

Comrade is someone you could entrust your life to. If I must choose between the Rishe-chan who possess prowess equaling that of the fake hero, or the Rishe-chan who isn’t that strong but has spent a week working together with us, I’d choose the later.

I don’t need someone who posses only power.

“…umm, got it.”

“It hasn’t even been a week ever since we became comades. Let’s do our best from now on.”

“You’re right… yeah, let’s do our best.”

Rishe-chan shows a somewhat strained smile. I hope that could encourage her, but well, it’s all depending on Rishe-chan herself, though.

Well then, it’s about the time for us to move. Well, I think we need to search Leila-chan first, though.

◇　◇　◇

Looking at Kitsune’s back that was leaving the room, I took my sword and my luggage and then left the room as well.

Walking behind him, I held a strong respect and admiration toward him.

Initially, I was in a dire situation where I couldn’t see any possibility to be able to become a knight and was abandoned by my own father and everyone else, and at that time Kitsune saved me. Well, rather than saving me, it was more like he showed me another possibility, nonetheless I was grateful to him.

The observation ability that could perceive the reason why I couldn’t swing my sword in only two hours, something that I’d never realized in those two years of time, also the courage to stand against someone who’s way stronger than him. He even could put mental pressure on the hero who was clreay way stronger than him.

Those strength were originated from his exceptional emotional strength as well as the courage that won’t falter even before an overwhelming enemy.

Right now he was avaricely seeking any means possible to get stronger so that he could take Finia and Lulu back, but just a moment before, he didn’t have any such a thought at all.

And yet, he’d never ran away from fight.

He was exactly like what my father said, not fighting power, he possessed a different kind of power.

“Hmmhmmhmm~….”

Kitsune walked while humming. Seems like he was quite in a good mood.

It hadn’t been that long ever since I became his comrade, but in that short amount of time, quite a number of great affairs had happened. The encounter with Leila, the fight with the hero, and then that mysterious attack.

—in all of it, I didn’t do anything useful at all.

I personally didn’t know what happened in the case with Leila, but in the case with the hero and that mysterious attack, Kitsune was always the one who stood at the most front and received serious injuries in result.

Even though we were comrades, I ended up hesitant when I stood up before the strong. Even though prowess-wise, I was supposed to be stronger than him.

“Say Kitsune, what are we going to do from now on?”

“Hmm? Ah, umm, well, for the time being, let’s leave this country first. Seems like there’s a country that’s perfect for me.”

“I see….”

While walking through the hallway, we exchange such conversation. Unable to continue the conversation, in the end we were being silent again.

Kitsune said that he didn’t choose comrade based on necessity. For him, it seems like he didn’t particularly neeed some powerful comrades. He said that comrade was someone he could entrus his back to.

Thus, even someone who couldn’t fight like me, he said that he wanted to rely on me, and asked if that wasn’t a good enough reason to be a comrade.

“…Kitsune.”

“Hmm? What’s up, Rishe-chan?”

Those words, permeated my heart.

If that’s the case, if he said that he wanted to rely on me, then I had to be stronger. In order to face against the hero, I’d to be stronger than anyone.

“I’ll definitely become stronger, I promise you.”

Therefore, just watch me, Kitsune. I’d definitely live up to your expectation. I failed to be a knight, but I promised you in the name of my sword.

Definitely, I’d be stronger.

“Eh, what’s into you so suddenly? It’s kinda scary, though.”

Please don’t spoil the mood like that. Why must you always did that…  good grief.