Chapter 50
Chapter 50
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 50
Chapter Title: Words Can Be Shackles or Salvation (10)
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Words can become shackles or salvation.
The Scarlett Party moved along leisurely now that their urgent business was done.
They were walking about halfway across the plains heading from the capital Carmen to Hasler.
"Phew~ The designated request went off without a hitch. The trolls are cleared. And Ron's back in one piece."
"Mm. Feels good."
Arna stretched her arms wide as she spoke, and Jerome nodded in agreement.
With all their burdens lifted at once, their hearts felt lighter than ever.
Scarlett felt the same.
"Yawwwn~ Kinda sleepy. Should we pitch a tent and catch a nap?"
How carefree did you have to be to yawn with your mouth wide open like that?
The Scarlett Party strolled toward Hasler in total peace.
But then, something happened that put them on high alert.
Dudududu─
"...!!"
"Everyone, battle positions!"
Suddenly, far in the distance, something came charging toward them with tremendous momentum.
At an absurd speed. Kicking up a massive dust cloud.
'What is that? Troll remnants...? Nah, no way. Jenny said she took care of them all.'
'Even if any survived, they wouldn't come this far...'
'Another anomaly?'
Harboring such thoughts, the Scarlett Party gripped their weapons and assumed stances.
Veteran S-rank party, indeed.
Their response time was on another level.
Tudududu─
Soon, the source of the massive dust cloud hurtling toward them came into view.
It halted!
As if it had spotted them.
Something whose shape was hidden within the dust cloud.
But its presence was viciously palpable.
'...Whoa, that's insane. Way stronger than Scarlett...!'
'Mana like this... Never felt anything like it.'
As everyone tensed up.
Scarlett felt a strange sense of familiarity with the mana.
"...Huh? No way, this is...?"
And at that moment.
Someone burst through the dust cloud.
"Scarlett sis!"
Beaming as if she knew Scarlett well, she came toddling over.
Red hair like Scarlett's, tied in twin tails on both sides—a cute girl.
But her aura felt several times stronger than Scarlett's, who prided herself as top-tier among S-rank adventurers.
That look, with that absurd presence.
As far as Scarlett knew, only one person fit.
"J-Jenny?"
It was her little sister, Jenny Harkur.
"Wh-what?!"
"Jenny... as in, your little sister?"
Only then did the party members realize their huge misunderstanding and lower their weapons, relaxing their stances.
'Phew... Thank goodness. Thought we might have to fight a monster with that kind of mana.'
Arna sighed in relief at avoiding a fight anyone could see they'd lose.
'Jenny Harkur... Yeah, the rising star hero, right? Are all heroes like that...?'
Ron shook his head at the thought.
He'd thought the same when he first saw Scarlett, but heroes clearly weren't all like that.
Guess Jenny was special among heroes, just like Scarlett.
That's what he figured.
'If every hero in this world was that strong, demons and troll lords would've gone extinct ages ago.'
The Harkur family, through and through.
How were all three siblings so extraordinary?
Even Sain, the closest to normal, was a genius in politics, economics, and academics.
Scarlett was a cut above other heroes.
Jenny took it even further, an overwhelming presence among heroes.
Made you wonder if it was something etched into their bloodline.
"So, where are you headed? Shouldn't you be in Hasler?"
Just the other day before leaving the capital, Scarlett had heard Jenny had taken care of the trolls.
So shouldn't she be in Hasler right now?
'Why is that Kane-oppa clingy guy...'
She'd just reunited with Kane after so long, and now he was heading back to the capital already?
Scarlett couldn't make sense of it.
"Ah, something came up I need to handle urgently."
"Urgently?"
Scarlett tilted her head as if to ask what, and Jenny grinned.
"Yeah. I'm quitting as hero and gonna be an adventurer in Hasler too."
"Ah, I see~ Wait, what?!"
Scarlett had nodded casually for a split second before her eyes bulged in shock.
"No, what do you...?"
Quitting to stay by Kane's side?
Scarlett was utterly flustered by Jenny's sudden announcement.
For the bold Scarlett, who rarely got rattled, to react like this.
But the party members thought it natural.
Jenny's words were that shocking.
'Quitting as hero? What does that even mean?'
'Is being a hero something you just... drop like that...?'
As everyone reeled in confusion, Jenny shrugged at their reactions and continued.
"Kane-oppa said I don't have to be a hero if it's too hard. So I'm quitting to be an adventurer."
"...Hmm."
From Jenny's words, Scarlett roughly pieced it together.
Probably Kane had told her to become a hero for her own sake, so she did.
But it looked too tough, so he said it was okay to quit. Something like that.
Well, she wasn't sure of the details since she'd left home at 15.
"Mm, alright then."
Scarlett nodded as if she'd accepted it.
The party members were stunned all over again.
'She bought that just like that?'
'Bought what? Because Kane said it's fine?'
A being outside all norms, following words to the letter. Even convincing Scarlett.
A human controlling two monsters.
Wasn't that ridiculous?
They'd met him once already and knew who he was, what he was like.
But what kind of person was he, really? The party members grew confused.
#
"Achoo!"
Ugh, a random sneeze out of nowhere.
Someone talking about me?
"...A-are you okay?"
Then, someone offered a handkerchief from behind.
Turning around, there was Miss Rin Pacific, holding it out shyly.
"Ah, I'm fine. No snot or anything."
"O-okay..."
I politely declined, and she withdrew it with a dejected look.
...What? Felt just like a puppy rejected after bringing its owner a toy.
If she had ears or a tail, they'd be drooping.
Here's the situation.
It started the day after I first rescued her—Miss Rin began following me around like gum.
Today was exploration day 4.
Meaning she'd been sticking to me like this for three full days already.
Like a puppy trailing its owner.
Or a chick that just found its mother hen.
At least she slept in her own tent... but she clung right beside me during marsh exploration, breaks, even meals.
Heh... What gives? Does she only trust me since I saved her?
To be precise, I just helped—Captain Hans actually saved her.
I vented to Captain Hans when she finally left at bedtime.
"Looks like Miss Rin really took a liking to you, Kane. Heh heh. Quite the popular one."
"......"
I got the classic old man's delighted chuckle at someone else's romance.
Is this guy nuts?
She was a first-year at the academy until recently.
16 years old—16!
Adult or not, she's a total newbie.
I'm 25.
What's with this age gap? Who're you pairing me with?
"......"
Come to think of it, it reminded me of the late Marquis Harkur trying to pair me with Jenny or Scarlett.
Fine, Scarlett aside—Jenny's only 6 years younger? No, wait.
A father doing that?
Anyway, both feel like little sisters to me—no such thoughts.
...Though yeah, they're both definitely pretty.
Same with Rin.
Beautiful woman, sure—but romance? That's a crime.
More than that, she hasn't even told me her name or backstory herself.
Of course, I know it's Rin Pacific and can guess what happened.
But her opening up versus me knowing already? Big difference.
So even though she's following me, I don't know if she fully trusts me yet.
Actually, when she first arrived at base camp, I did ask her name.
Obviously—you need identity to decide on helping.
Normally, I wouldn't know it.
Worried about saying it in front of others, I cleared everyone out and asked alone.
She didn't answer, naturally.
Of course not.
She knows her situation.
Say "Rin Pacific," and people scatter or chase her off—that's what she'd think.
Well... so I decided to wait until she tells me herself.
Better than prying—let them come forward.
"Um..."
As I thought that while eating lunch at base camp, Rin approached me.
"Yes? What is it?"
What? More food?
No, what she said was far heavier and more serious.
"I want to talk about why I'm here."
Finally ready to open up herself.
I was definitely curious.
I knew the name and situation, but not why she'd come all the way to Ode Marsh.
"Actually, my name is..."
She glanced at me nervously, trailing off.
Makes sense—she's worried.
Will I flip? Can she trust me?
Well... I'm fully prepared, but for her, it takes huge courage.
Still, feels pretty good.
Means she trusts me enough to share that.
Good call putting up with her sticking like gum for three days.
Honestly, having someone tag along feels familiar anyway.
At the marquis's, it was Jenny.
At the academy, accusatory voices clung like gum.
Hm, way better than academy days.
As my thoughts wandered, she seemed to steel herself, nodding and speaking up.
"My name is Rin Pacific. Now, just Rin."
"......"
I gave the obligatory surprised look.
Just "Rin," huh...
The pain of being abandoned by parents.
Honestly, I don't fully get it.
I was an orphan too, but abandoned before I could talk or remember.
But the horror of being left utterly alone in the world? I know that intimately.
Lived in that agony until the late Marquis Harkur found and took me in.
That's why, maybe.
Seeing my old self in her.
Makes me care more, want to help.
Want to save her.
...Yeah, like the late Marquis Harkur did for me—the one I respect most.
I want to be salvation for someone.
"And at the academy..."
Her story continued.
Some parts I expected.
Others caught me off guard.