CH 88

"Phew... ...... I guess we've made it this far........"

Me, Deanna, Ellen, and two of the monsters left the place without being noticed just as the soldiers were rushing into the mansion of Marein Kondroy.

Of course, Fara, Asuna and Chris are aware of this.

To begin with, this is neither the Empire nor Bardia territory.

Making a fuss in such a place could cause all sorts of problems.

The strong opposition would not come to the fore because of Norris's fall from power.

Even so, if I show an opening, there will always be someone who will try to drag me down.

Ellen responded to my words and asked me a question along with her reply.

"Yes, that's right. We've come a long way from the mansion, you know. But why did Tia-sama give the order not to kill them in the first place?"

"Yes.　It's easy. To protect everyone."

"...... What do you mean?"

Ellen tilted her head at my answer.

So I began to explain.

First of all, this is the country of Renalute and I and Deanna are outsiders from another nation.

If these outsiders messed with the royalty in the country, it would naturally become an issue of international concern.

Even if I was a thug, if I was hired by the royal family, it could become a problem depending on what the royal family who hired me had to say.

Especially, I am not well regarded by some people in this country.

If I were to cause any casualties, they would take it upon themselves to blame me.

Besides, I am sure that some of the gangsters have family members.

If a person points a weapon at a person, he or she may be killed.

I think that is true.

But even if it is fine between the two parties involved, the people around them may not be convinced.

It is like saying "mercy is not good for others".

Of course, I myself have a strong desire not to take "human life" so easily.

When I explained this to Ellen, she said in disgust.

'Hah,...... your thoughts are noble,......, but you should also think about all the people who support you,........ Not everyone around Tia-sama is like Diana and Asuna, right?"

"I agree. I'm sorry too this time."

Nodding at Ellen's words, I looked at Deanna.

The Iron Mask that Deanna defeated was also adapting to Deanna's movements, albeit little by little.

If the fight had gone on longer, she might have been injured.

I apologized to Deanna, feeling sorry again for the thoughtless part I had played in my actions.

"I'm sorry I pushed you too hard, Deanna."

".. Tia-sama, you, as our master, do not need to apologize to us. , Tia, as the master. If you are wrong about that, I will admonish you."

Deanna looked me in the eye gently but powerfully and spun the words.

"But this time it is different. Tia-sama acted for the betterment of her own territory, considering the connection between country and country. As a knight, it is an honor to walk the path with such a master.""

I listened to Deanna's words in silence.

"...... And there will come a time, someday, when Tia-sama will have to make a really tough decision. ....... What you will need at that time is a firm conviction. I think this was a good opportunity for me to learn that. ......I apologize for my impoliteness. I am sorry."

When she finished, she bowed her head to me.

".... No, it's okay. Thank you Deanna. ...... but I don't want to make such a harsh judgment."

I replied with a wry smile, and Deanna tightened her expression and said in a dignified voice

'......Excuse my admonition. Tia, you are not allowed to say 'I don't want to'. You will be in a position where you "have to" eventually. You are the one who decided to do this. You may reflect on it, but you must not regret it. No matter how painful it is, you must look forward. That is the position you will be in in the future."

I'm not allowed to say 'I don't want to do it,' Tia-sama. The most important thing is that you You are the one who decided to "do" this time. You may reflect on it, but you must not regret it. No matter how painful it is, you must look forward. That is the position you will have to take in the future.

'...... I understand. That's right. I just had you say that to me a while ago, but Deanna keeps helping me out. ......'

I felt Deanna's words stick very deeply in my chest.

I have memories of a previous life, but that world was not peaceful.

It was a world where people rarely thought about human life.

I still have that feeling.

But this world is different.

Even though this world is very similar to the game I played in my previous life, it is still a reality where people live and die.

It is a world where one mistake can result in death.

It is certain that the weight of life is lighter than in the world I remember from my previous life.

But even so, I do not want to take a life for nothing.

With this in mind, I spontaneously muttered to myself.

"I was so happy to hear that you are interested in this. ...... How can I help protect human life?"

Deanna rolled her eyes a little at my words, but immediately responded.

"If that is the case, then you should be stronger than anyone else so that you can take good care of people."

Deanna gently spun her words as if admonishing me.

"Of course, strength is not just one thing. If you hone your strength in martial arts, strategy, politics, and financial power, you will eventually find the path that you are aiming for."

"..I see, I see. I'm not going to be bothered by it. I'm going to try my best to become stronger just as Deanna said."

I smiled and replied to Deanna, she looked at me and smiled.

At that moment, Ellen nodded and entered the conversation.

'Mm-hmm, I see. Rid -sama intends to push the envelope even further, doesn't he?"

'Don't talk about ......  me like  iam insane."

"No, no, I was just wondering if your real name is "Rid", ...... Tia?　It's a very boyish name, isn't it?'

Ellen's words made me think, "Oh⁉" and I looked at Deanna.

"Yes, Deanna had called me "Rid" just now.'

Deanna turned her face to the side and refused to make eye contact with me.

I had intended to keep it a secret, but I was caught off-guard and was in a headlock.

Ellen and the two monsters looked at me with a puzzled look on their faces.