Chapter 24
Chapter 24
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: It Got Through
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My thoughts got through.
I beckoned the server for more wine, then fixed Kane with a look that said to explain properly.
"You've got plenty of money and items."
Kane refilled his glass, swirled it, and spoke in his usual even tone before taking a sip.
"But if you go around using them freely to get from place to place and solve problems, it's no different from raising livestock. That's not the true strength you want."
"So?"
I listened with interest, sampled the sweet dessert wine, and got another piece of Luna's bread.
"Then it might be good to impose some restrictions in everyday situations."
"Alright, fine. Give me an example, Kane."
"Don't step in until I ask for your help."
His words left a sour taste in my mouth.
What a joke. For real.
Him asking for help?
Even if the situation went straight to hell and flying spaghetti monsters descended from the sky, would this guy ever say that to me?
"I don't think that's a good benchmark."
"Why not."
"First, put one hand over your heart."
Despite his cool expression, Kane was still young and innocent enough to follow my instruction literally, placing his hand on his chest.
"Then ask yourself if you have a conscience, you jerk. Do you really think there'll ever come a moment when you'd say that to me?"
His hand slowly slid down from his chest.
"...Why wouldn't I think it might?"
That... that sheer audacity.
I stared at Kane, who was questioning me right back, then turned to Luna.
"Do you think he'd ever ask me for help, Luna?"
"Uh... no."
She couldn't even say it decisively.
Luna had been about to order a mini apple pie but froze, glancing at me nervously before adding two more.
Yeah, might as well go for three if we're having them.
"Anyway, waiting for those words to come out of your mouth is a hard no."
I stood my fork upright like a knife, sliced through the crisp crust to drop a piece, stabbed it, popped it in my mouth, and wagged the fork side to side.
"Fine. We'll scrap the condition about me saying 'help' first. But."
Kane eyed his apple pie for a moment before cutting off a bite-sized piece and putting it in his mouth, eyes closing briefly.
"I only want support at an appropriate level."
If Kane had yielded a step, I should do the same.
His autonomy was important from the start, after all.
I nodded as I chewed.
"Deal. But if I think you're being too stubborn, I'll do whatever I want."
Kane agreed with a casual "sure" to my threat, while Luna, having already devoured her pie, sneaked a glance at me.
"If you want something, Luna, speak up."
"I... want... lots of support."
Music to my ears.
"Alright, hit me with it."
Her face lit up at my words. She grabbed the menu, flipped through it eagerly, and jabbed at something with her finger.
"This... anchovy pudding... I wanna try it."
"No."
Why'd that come up?
I turned serious and shut it down flat. Luna's ears drooped slightly.
But no means no.
Sure, the anchovy pudding here might be tasty, but I wasn't in the mood for that kind of adventure.
"Cheers!"
"You gotta spend big when you've scored big, right?"
We ate and drank moderately while chatting, and before we knew it, night had deepened.
The surroundings had shifted from restaurant to tavern vibe. I stood, debating whether to head upstairs to our rooms.
"You little shit, who do you think you are!"
Splash!
A glass of booze suddenly flew toward me and Luna.
'Shield!'
I reflexively activated my shield and yanked Luna toward me. The glass bounced straight up in front of my nose, only for Kane to catch it with his sheathed sword.
"Better head up to the rooms."
"Urgh... yeah......"
Kane must have used his sheathed sword to flick the flying glass upward and catch it on the way down.
He casually shifted it to the table with just a flick of his wrist when someone staggering drunk approached.
"Oh dear, sorry about that. One of our group's had a bit too much to drink—hic—!"
The guy himself was far from sober—one eye half-lidded, the other hand wobbling a full beer glass precariously.
He sloshed beer onto the floor with every unsteady step.
"Humans......"
"Hey, that's speciesism."
He came close, bowing repeatedly in apology. Luna and I waved it off, but Kane's sharp gaze didn't soften.
"Drop the glare and let's head up."
Bellies full and the excitement worn off, fatigue hit hard. I rubbed my neck, heading for the stairs, when Kane glanced back.
"What now."
"Nothing."
Suspicious, protagonist......
I eyed Kane, shook my head once, and kept walking.
* * *
'One of them......'
'Sleeping soundly......'
Even amid the raucous noise, Kane pinpointed the voice.
'Definitely that guy from earlier.'
The unease he'd felt since the glass flew.
Kane yawned as he grabbed Adelrian, who was heading for the end room of the three adjacent ones they'd booked, and shoved him into the middle one he'd planned to take.
"Huh? Why the sudden switch."
"Who knows."
Adelrian's face showed mild confusion, but he seemed to brush it off as nothing—or maybe just exhaustion—and entered the middle room without protest. Kane gave Luna a subtle nod.
"Young master... sleep well......"
"You too, Luna. Get some rest."
After ushering Adelrian in, Kane turned his head, lips brushing Luna's large ear as he whispered low.
"You won't need a full night's sleep tonight."
"Uh... why?"
"Bad feeling."
If nothing happened, great.
If Luna rode with him tomorrow, she could catch a nap en route despite the sleep deficit.
If something did happen, at least there'd be a shield to protect Adelrian while he moved.
'That brain of his... whatever. But that body? Can't rely on it.'
Adelrian's reflexes weren't terrible, but they weren't great either. Kane didn't count on him jumping up mid-sleep to respond.
That's why he placed Adelrian's room between his and Luna's.
Kane entered the outermost room against the outer wall and scanned it.
"One window."
He lightly tapped the wall toward Adelrian's room.
Solid enough to break through in an emergency.
He drew the curtains, leaving just a sliver open, and used the faint moonlight filtering through to open a book from his pack.
'No idea why he handed this over so readily.'
A thin, titleless book.
It was one Adelrian had pulled from his shelf long ago, saying it was fine to take—and it turned out to be Adelrian's own diary.
Flip.
Pages glowed white in the moonlight, turning slowly one by one.
The downstairs tavern had quieted; silence reigned, broken only by distant owl hoots.
He'd planned to pass the dawn like this if nothing happened, but as Kane skimmed the diary, his eyes slowly lifted.
Thud!
The book snapped shut, slicing the silence.
Kane gripped the sword Adelrian had given him tight, moved silently to lean against the wall by the window.
"Don't even breathe loud."
"He said only one of their crew gets the blade treatment anyway. And kids? Probably dreaming of bottles by now, right?"
"That golden-haired prick who looks like a smug gigolo? Half-kill him—he's the one who fingered our girl."
"Heard they shelled out some cash to pull from the guard post?"
Cackling voices.
Too faint for ordinary ears even pressed to the wall, but clear as day to Kane, a mana user.
'As expected.'
The glass that flew as if aimed.
He'd seemed drunk, yet stepped avoiding every spill on the floor.
That had triggered Kane's unease.
Who worries about their shoe soles while stumbling drunk?
'And the blood scent.'
No way to fully mask it after just a rinse or two and faking heavy drinking.
"Heard they said the end room when booking."
"If not, just beat 'em all till they're veggies."
A scraping sound came from the window.
Dulled, probably wrapped in bandages to muffle metal, but that was.
'A grapple.'
Kane peered out cautiously through the curtain gap.
Two black-painted hooks, gleaming faintly in moonlight, hung on the window frame.
"A real... ambush..."
Luna, with her sharp hearing, hadn't slept thanks to Kane's warning. She slipped into the room and took position opposite him, hiding her body.
"Together."
Short and low, no more needed.
Luna nodded understanding. Then—
Creak—
The window inched open. Someone gripped the sill, head poking in—Kane seized their collar and yanked them inside.
"Guh!"
A choked yelp.
Before it could carry, he slammed them down, mounted, pinned the throat with his knee, and clamped a hand over the mouth.
Thwack!
The follower, unaware the first had been dragged in, climbed in and got drop-kicked by Luna before reacting—neck snapping back as the body toppled slowly.
"Ah... if he's dead......!"
"Looked hopeless already."
"No...!"
Luna grabbed the falling body, dragged it in, and grumbled at Kane's remark while eyeing the lolling head.
"Guh... urk...!"
Wasn't the knee on the windpipe more likely to kill?
Kane met Luna's glare as he held the mouth shut on the man pinned beneath him.
"What now."
"Don't... think killing's... okay......"
It was routine on the plains. Catch criminals, kill them, bury.
But not here.
"Young master... would find it a hassle......"
In the black mage's secret dungeon, dozens died daily.
Sacrificed in experiments, neither dead nor alive, begging Kane with tiny hands for mercy—he'd granted it often.
'But no sulfur pits here.'
Kane and Luna were in sync.
Knock out, don't kill.
Kane, new to this, twisted the man's neck with practiced ease until he went limp, then hoisted him over his shoulder.
"Drop him at the guard post."
"I... wanna sleep now......"
Luna slung the other limp body over Kane's shoulder, yawned into her hand, and rubbed her eyes.
* * *
The bed felt oddly uncomfortable, so I pulled out a blanket from my subspace and covered up—finally drifted off.
Curling up like a burrito kept out the noise too.
"Still, slept pretty well."
Luna woke me, but I was up first, peering out the window. The unfamiliar view instead of the usual training grounds really drove home that we'd left.
Knock knock—
"Yeah, I'm up. Gimme a sec."
That timid, cautious knock was 100% Luna.
I replied leisurely, stowed the used bedding back in my subspace, and got up.
"Young master... sleep well... last night?"
Stretching as I emerged, everyone was up and greeting me at the door.
No big racket last night, slept soundly? I nodded—then locked eyes with Kane's odd stare.
Luna once.
Kane once.
"What'd you two do last night?"
The vibe was off.
Kane just narrowed his brow slightly at my question; Luna jolted.
"N-Nothing... slept... fine......"
"Nothing at all."
No, something definitely happened.
What? Tucked me in and then you two... what?
As we headed downstairs, my suspicious side-eye got an indignant sniff from Kane, who looked away, while Luna fidgeted before piping up.
"Breakfast... what'll... you have......?"
No way they spent the night trash-talking me......
I'll let it slide for now. But I'm watching. I pointed at my eyes, then jabbed a finger at Luna, then Kane.
"What's on the breakfast menu?"
"I saw... sandwiches... and beef stew?"
"Sounds tasty."
I smacked my lips with a grin. The tension eased a bit, and Luna beamed.
"I'll take both."