CH 118

He smiled bitterly as he leaned back on his chair. Mayer valued me higher than even August and Axion? Honestly, I did feel grateful since no one had acknowledged me like this before. But this… This was extreme protectiveness on one hand, and extreme discrimination on the other. I was lost about how I should react. The others could die? It wasn’t right to be happy, but neither could I get angry. As I sat in a daze, Mayer added in a cautious voice, “If you die, hope will be broken. You are… my only hope. That is why…”

I wondered if what he was going through was like enduring a long, stormy, and arduous road, relying on a single candle. Mayer Knox was a man that viewed all humans as hamsters. To use a metaphor for him, he was less human and more of something like a grizzly bear that was at the top of the food chain. Even so, a bear with slumped shoulders was still a bear. As a hamster, the sight of a crestfallen grizzly should strike fear into my heart, not pity. But judging by how my heart was going out to him, it seemed I was blinded by my emotions. I sure was hopeless. Hopeless! Clearly, my eyes were identifying Mayer Knox as Winnie the Pooh. This thing called compassion really got to you… With a heavy sigh, I raised both palms in a gesture of understanding.

“Alright. I won’t misunderstand you. But Captain, I just want to say that continuing to prevent me from going into dungeons isn’t a good choice. This also has to do with the trust toward you as a corps member.”

“You cannot trust me?”

“To be exact, I would question your ability to assign manpower.” This was only natural. No corps member would trust a captain who blatantly tried to prevent them from going into dungeons.

Silence fell between us. We had conversed enough to understand the true feelings hidden in our gazes. Realizing that I was being sincere, Mayer groaned in anguish. Then, instead of giving me an answer, he took a step back and asked a question of his own. “How far do you know regarding the dungeon?”

“I know the type of fellspawn that’ll appear, at least.”

“Wonderful,” Mayer exclaimed quietly. “That will be enough to control any unexpected factors as much as possible and eliminate risks… We can form teams with members who are a little higher leveled.” He didn’t say it outright, but the implication was clear in Mayer’s words—he was going to take me and the special unit to Furka dungeon! I smiled broadly, feeling the impulse to kiss him on the cheek. The joyous moment didn’t last long, though. “Only, August and Robur will be assigned to your unit.”

I had expected August, but even Robur? I had been thinking of choosing someone new since Vegan was going to return to the Red Wolves anyway. But, as Robur’s role overlapped with that of Nova’s, I had never taken her into consideration. I frowned and asked, “…Even Robur? We have Nova and Julieta, so we’re fine without her.”

“How could I entrust you to those greenhorns!” Mayer cried out, his tone suggesting I was being ridiculous. “Put you behind the paper-fragile defense of a level 40? I will not stand for that. It would be safer to hang you on my back!”

“Don’t say something so horrifying!” A cicada on an old tree? A koala baby? Anything would look better than me hanging on Mayer’s back. I trembled, chilled by the thought. “Ugh… I’m getting goosebumps just imagining it. Please never talk figuratively like that ever again.”

“I was not being figura—”

“Stop! Don’t talk!” I interrupted shrilly, deeming that I shouldn’t allow Mayer to speak anymore. I had come for wool, but no matter how I looked at the situation, it seemed likely I would go back shorn. Fine. As they said, better bend than break… I promptly accepted Mayer’s offer. “…Fine. Then I’ll be taking Robur as well. So, you are taking me and the special units to the dungeon, right? You can’t be going back on your words now.”