Chapter 24
Chapter 24
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: Constellation Gallery EP.23
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"Looks like they didn't come, since you can't understand what I'm saying."
Unexpected. I figured they'd send contracts right away after seeing me raise Tulip.
'Maybe just in case I don't make her a companion, they're watching my actions to gauge the situation first?'
I turned my head.
"Tulip."
"Yes?"
"Grab as much as you want of whatever you feel like eating. We're not coming back here."
"Okay! Just a sec! Let me finish this!"
Tulip started moving quickly.
I watched what she was doing, and she was handing out antidotes to the people.
"Drink it all down."
"C-can we really drink this?"
"The arrows were poisoned. It's the antidote, so take it."
I watched the scene for a moment and suddenly felt a sense of dissonance.
"What? It was safe to drink? Then why didn't I get any?!"
Tulip turned to me and blinked.
"Mister, yours wasn't the antidote."
"Right? Almost felt jealous for nothing."
That aside, showing kindness is fine, but isn't she giving away too much of our limited medicine?
I don't like that sort of thing, but there was no need to say it out loud here.
Tulip is still a kid who hasn't even reached adulthood.
So it's not strange for her to get swayed by pointless emotions, but I'll have to tell her quietly later.
I averted my gaze.
Just as I was about to look around the mart for a bag suitable for carrying food...
"W-wait a minute."
A hand clinging to my leg.
I looked down at the hand gripping one of my legs.
It was the woman I'd sent to gather food.
Her trembling fingers and the pitiful sight of her clinging with all her might.
"......"
She grew increasingly anxious as I said nothing, her expression twisting.
"I-I did as you said and gathered food and waited..."
Gathered food and waited?
Really?
"I clearly told you to prove your usefulness. What did you prove? You were just waiting in line with the other women."
"N-no, that's not... I..."
"I told you to run if the situation turned threatening. So what did you do?"
There was plenty of food here.
Lots of men with strength too.
If she set aside her pride and submitted, she could live much safer than outside.
"Wasn't that what you were thinking?"
She couldn't continue speaking.
"I don't think badly of that."
Acting calculatingly to survive is human instinct. I would've done the same, and I'll probably do it again.
"If you can survive that way, you should."
I pried her hand off.
"But that's not the kind of usefulness I want."
She flinched and looked up at me.
"And I'm not looking for usefulness from that old man sleeping over there either."
"I-I'll prove it! I don't know where you're going, but I really know these roads well! I can be your guide! Just one week! No, even one day—try traveling with me and then decide?"
A guide, huh.
"......For now, find a bag to put the food in."
The woman looked dazed for a moment, then quickly nodded with a recovered expression.
Taking advantage of the gap as she started moving to prove her worth, a man with patchy stubble quietly approached and spoke.
"You fought with a sword even though you had a gun."
A low, steady voice.
He glanced at my hand, then met my eyes again.
"The guns don't work on those things?"
The questions didn't end there.
"And charging in without any hesitation was weird too. Do you know their weaknesses? Or for some reason..."
The man's gaze quietly scanned my body.
Then he added lowly.
"You have no weaknesses."
"......"
"Your strange abilities too. What the hell are you?"
I stared at him blankly.
He'd judged this much in such a short time?
There was no shake in the guy's eyes.
Quick thinking. Clear analysis. Confident questioning.
"You know, you're pretty threatening yourself."
I smiled.
"Is showing off that sharp analysis on purpose to gain my trust? If so, sorry, but wrong approach."
"What?"
Stab—
A knife plunged into his side.
From beside him, where the knife had stabbed in an instant, came a trembling laugh.
"Ha, haha..."
The hand gripping the knife belonged to the ferret-like guy.
"You... you bastard..."
The stubble man's face flushed red and purple with rage.
The ferret trembled but twisted the wrist holding the knife viciously.
"While things were chaotic earlier, it wasn't just about fighting."
I spoke calmly.
"I casually mentioned that if you killed him, I'd let you live. Looks like you've finally made up your mind."
"Y-you'll spare me now, right?"
The ferret looked at me with a forced grin, trembling.
His eyes shook. The instinct to live was plain on his face.
"I saw your humanity just fine."
I replied curtly.
"Means you'll kill anyone as needed from now on too."
"N-no way!"
"Ah, don't worry too much."
I waved it off.
"I don't plan on doing anything to you."
Relief flashed across his face.
"But you see..."
I nodded toward the stubble man.
He gritted his teeth, grabbing the guy's wrist with a shaking hand.
And pulled out the knife embedded in his own body.
"You'll have to face him now."
The ferret's face went pale.
"B-bro! W-wait, let's talk this out...!"
Stab!!
The sharp knife tip pierced deep into the ferret's nape.
"Guh... ugh...!"
Pulled out again, blood sprayed.
The ferret's eyes shook wildly.
And soon, his limp body collapsed to the floor.
I silently watched the scene.
"......"
The stubble man stood with difficulty.
Blood still dripped from his hand, and he didn't seem to have the strength left to swing at me.
He looked up at me.
And murmured quietly.
"......Is that enough now?"
I chuckled shortly.
"Yeah."
The stubble man glanced down at the fallen corpse, then dropped the bloody knife from his hand.
And slowly rummaged in his pocket.
"Fuck... no cigarettes left."
At that, I quietly summoned a cigarette.
Tore open a pack of Boru, opened the box, and took out one cigarette.
'Store the rest in inventory.'
I handed the remaining cigarette in my hand to him.
"Wanna smoke one?"
"......Devil bastard."
He muttered a curse softly and took the cigarette.
Pulled out a lighter from his pocket, lit it, and inhaled deeply.
Tap, tap.
He shook off the ash with his fingers and quietly exhaled smoke.
I watched him for a moment, then spoke.
"Want me to heal you?"
He snickered.
His expression said it all.
"This bastard plans to tease me to the end."
"So, heal you or not?"
"Fuck off."
He spat roughly.
I nodded as if I'd expected that.
The guy was biting down on the cigarette, blood flowing.
The blood smeared on his lips looked like stained lipstick.
"I raised that guy."
He muttered lowly.
"Dumb as he was, he knew exactly how to stab. Right in the kidney. Fatal spot that keeps you from breathing deep. Healing my ass."
I smiled and said.
"You said it yourself. What are these weird abilities?"
His gaze turned back to me.
I continued calmly.
"If you want, I might be able to heal you."
I turned my head to look at Tulip.
"That kid over there, she's a doctor."
He stared at me without a word.
And finally spoke.
"Nah."
Low and firm voice.
"I have no intention of reaching out to you guys."
"Yeah, that's why I planned to deal with you."
I continued slowly.
"Your face full of genuine rage even after the old man died. If I could gauge a loyal guy like you, you'd be the most reliable force."
At my words, he narrowed his eyes.
"But now I'm your enemy."
His stubbled face twisted.
"You'll bow in front, and the moment a chance comes, you'll take my head to avenge the old man you served."
"......"
"Can't leave a seed that might return as an unknown threat, right?"
That wasn't all, though.
When I pulled out my gun, he sized up the situation without useless words and guided me inside.
Calm enough facing ghouls that it was hard to believe it was his first time, and he even proposed an alliance.
A man who quickly distinguishes gain from loss and prioritizes what's important.
One who doesn't lose reason to anger and isn't submissive.
Leaving him here would definitely make him a big threat later.
'He might grow faster than me and quickly build a strong group.'
The guy let out a hollow laugh like he was vomiting blood.
"You're right."
"Yeah?"
"Instead of pledging loyalty for sparing me, I'd stand by your side waiting for the chance to drown you."
He inhaled the cigarette deeply once more.
His hand trembled faintly.
But his eyes didn't waver.
"Still, thanks to you, I get to smoke one on the way out."
"Even if you're going, a cigarette's fine."
"What the fuck is that shit."
I smiled.
"Done with the cigarette?"
He slightly raised the fingers holding it in reply.
"Then, for your honesty, I'll send you off painlessly."
I slowly drew my gun.
He watched me quietly.
"Can't have you surviving by any chance, got it?"
"......Yeah, do it."
He closed his eyes.
I raised the gun to his forehead.
Bang!!
A single gunshot rang out.
His body fell straight back. Blood spread across the floor.
In that instant, the mart fell silent.
I lowered the gun and silently looked down at the corpse.
'......Guess I should be glad a guy like this is just now facing ghouls for the first time.'