Chapter 16
Chapter 16
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: Respective Thoughts
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Chapter 16
Respective Thoughts
Ceria approached slowly.
I struggled to remain calm.
Even in the jaws of a tiger, you can survive if you keep your wits about you.
In truth, the situation wasn't that dire.
A guy can spend a little time with another girl, right?
However, if that girl—Aruru—was sitting on my lap, it became a different matter entirely.
“……”
Eventually, Ceria sat down across from me.
She had shed her usual gentleness, now radiating an icy chill.
And Aruru, that little vixen, despite having provided the spark for this misunderstanding.
She just kept on nom-nomming, as if it had nothing to do with her.
I didn't toss her aside.
Such an action would only fuel suspicion.
“……”
“……”
Accusation, disappointment, anger, and more.
A myriad of emotions swirled in Ceria’s eyes.
Was it because she thought there might be more to it?
She seemed to be composing herself, waiting for my explanation.
Alright, calm down…
Aruru isn't going to grow up like some other people!
She’s a girl, sure, but she’s forever a kid!
But saying that out loud would likely fall on deaf ears.
I could even foresee the side effect of Aruru bursting into pathetic tears.
Let's think calmly.
How would Jace have handled this situation?
“……”
For some reason, there was no data.
He was so close to perfect that he never created a situation where he could be blamed.
I suppose I had to come up with some excuse.
But one wrong move could provoke her even more.
The moment I misspeak, it's really over.
Perhaps it would be better to act brazenly, as if nothing was wrong.
As I wavered, unable to decide.
Ceria finally drew her sword.
No, she approached with an intensity that felt no different.
Then, she reached a hand toward us.
Her target wasn't me, but Aruru; she grabbed her by the scruff of the neck.
Instead of throwing her, she returned to her seat and placed Aruru on her own lap.
“───??”
Nom, nom.
Even with the change of scenery, Aruru’s appetite remained undiminished.
Ceria, ignoring me, began to closely observe the fox beastkin.
A Hero candidate and a ranker in the top 50.
The difference between them was far greater than one might think.
If they fought, Ceria's defeat was inevitable.
‘Well, that’s not going to happen…’
For now, I decided to just watch.
It would be one thing if they were complete strangers, but they at least knew each other by face.
They had crossed paths occasionally with Jace acting as the intermediary.
Now that the crisis was averted, there probably wouldn't be any major problems.
Hesitantly, haltingly.
Ceria’s hand movements were unnaturally jerky.
Finally, as if she had made a great resolution, she began to feel Aruru over.
It seemed to be a process of determining whether this creature was threatening enough.
Threatening enough to steal her fiancé.
Right, think rationally.
Her species is different, to begin with, and she's just a kid!
As if she had just realized that fact.
Ceria’s expression cleared up considerably.
She then carefully stroked Aruru’s head.
Yeah, you can’t resist that.
You wanted to try it too, didn’t you?
The moment she poked the chubby cheeks.
She melted into a puddle, as if she could die happy.
She had come to see her as nothing more than a living doll.
A moment later.
Ceria spoke gently, her usual demeanor restored.
“I understand. I suppose you need to heal sometimes. I’ll make a special exception for Aruru.”
“……”
I wasn't quite sure what was happening.
But since it was for the best, I just nodded.
Was it because I could finally breathe a sigh of relief?
The sight of the two girls together felt particularly special.
Just watching them brought a sense of peace to my heart.
It was as if the very concept of peace had taken form.
I let myself get lost in that tranquil atmosphere.
Letting go of all my worries, I passed the time at a leisurely pace.
***
Jace was Ceria’s everything.
Ceria lived because he existed.
She had spent her entire life looking at only one man.
A love so pure she wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice herself, let alone devote her life.
For a time, their relationship had been strained.
But she later realized Jace’s true intentions and came to miss him even more.
So when she witnessed that scene, the girl nearly lost her mind.
“───!!”
That’s my exclusive seat.
And some strange girl is sitting there?
Jace is kind to everyone.
He had a tendency to be especially considerate toward women.
That much didn't bother her.
As the scion of a prestigious family, it was natural for him to be considerate of ladies.
However.
This case was on a completely different level.
Her instincts demanded a sword dance.
But Ceria, ever the model noble lady, tried her best to remain calm.
‘There must be a reason…’
She trusted her fiancé.
If she flew into a rage only to find out it was a misunderstanding, she would be the only one to lose.
Let's just watch for a bit.
With that thought, she sat across from Jace.
She had intended to at least hear his excuse, but his demeanor was unusual.
Immense anguish.
It was a look she had never seen before.
The man who was perfect in his self-management was in great distress.
“……”
What on earth was the story here?
Before trying to figure that out, Ceria removed the source of the problem.
She separated Aruru from Jace.
Even if she was an S-Class Hero candidate, she felt not a shred of fear right now.
This vixen…
No, she’s literally half fox. Could she be trying to bewitch my man with her foxy wiles?
The suspicion vanished quickly.
The girl continued what she was doing, oblivious to everything.
“……”
She eats with such gusto.
It was as if the incarnation of gluttony had returned to the world.
To experience what Jace might have felt.
Ceria placed Aruru on her own lap.
The fluffy tail fur.
The soft, squishy texture.
“───!!”
And so, the girl experienced a new world.
It felt as if she had wasted half her life.
She had only ever imagined it, but actually stroking her was absolutely heavenly.
This was acceptable.
There could be nothing more effective for healing.
Suddenly, the details of Jace’s situation came flooding back to her.
How much must he have been suffering?
He had a stubborn streak of not showing it on the outside.
‘He’d just fixed his dantian, only to be thwarted at every turn…’
He must have been having a harder time than anyone.
Ceria blamed herself rather than Jace.
For a moment, her heart ached.
She hadn't properly understood her fiancé's anguish.
Recognizing that, her perspective broadened infinitely.
Now she understood.
His plan to bring Aruru in to fight against his enemies…
The idea itself wasn't bad.
It felt a little unexpected, but the situation now was completely different from before.
“I understand. I suppose you need to heal sometimes. I’ll make a special exception for Aruru.”
With that, Ceria settled her heart.
Any other girl would have been a problem, but with Aruru, there was nothing to worry about.
She was fatally cute, but in the end, that was all, so it was fine.
‘It was an obvious fact…’
In her agitation, she had failed to realize it.
It was a great relief that reason had triumphed over instinct.
Aruru would be a great source of strength for Jace.
She was a little jealous that her role had been taken, but…
‘If she's cute, does anything else matter?’
Just petting her was enough to heal both body and mind.
The girl was overjoyed at the thought of making frequent use of her from now on.
***
Foxes are canids.
Thus, when Aruru is happy, she wags her tail.
She had finally secured a meal ticket.
She had endured hard days due to the beastkin trait of being hungry no matter how much she ate, but now she could rest easy.
Jace was the heir to the Crodain Family.
She didn't understand all of human culture yet, but she knew what she needed to know.
A so-called rich young master.
A capable person who could easily cover her food expenses.
Aruru defined Jace in a very simple and clear way.
Nom, nom.
So there was no need to be timid.
No matter how much she ate, he didn't scold her; instead, he gave her a warm smile.
She seemed to have chosen the right person.
In fact, beastkin had keen senses, enough to grasp a person's disposition.
From Aruru's perspective, humans were a bit… peculiar.
Selfish, you could say.
Most of them harbored ill intentions.
She could feel that every single one of their actions was calculated.
She couldn't understand it at first, but after some time, she just came to accept it.
Just as her stereotype of humans was solidifying.
Aruru met Jace, and it made her tilt her head.
He was different, truly different.
Unlike most humans, he approached her with an unadorned sincerity.
So there are people like this in the world.
It was so surprising that she became interested.
Besides the few other non-human races.
This place was filled with nothing but humans, so she had very few people to open up to and talk with.
In that sense, Jace was the best conversation partner.
They hadn't actually spent much time together, but he had somehow become a rather precious connection.
That's how it was supposed to be…
But when Jace’s dantian was broken, everything went wrong.
She wanted to help, but even the humans were helpless.
It's okay. He'll surely get back on his feet soon.
Trusting in him, she thought that time would solve everything.
However.
Jace only continued to break down more severely.
Soon, he reached a point of no return.
At that time, Aruru felt a sense of loss she couldn't describe.
An aching chest and a heart growing empty.
The void Jace left was much larger than she had thought.
It was so shocking that she lost her appetite for a while.
She tried to forget.
It was regrettable, but she tried to think of it as a fleeting connection.
She tried to put it behind her, but then a miracle happened.
Jace’s return.
Everyone was paying attention to his every move.
She had been waiting endlessly for that moment.
But when it came to actually visiting him, she felt a little shameless.
She hadn't been there for him when he was struggling.
The problem was that she had believed he would naturally overcome it, being such a remarkable person.
“……”
No, it's not too late even now.
Jace’s power is much weaker than before.
He was being targeted from all sides and would need someone's help.
Just then, the spirits she had attached to him delivered good news.
Aruru immediately ran to him and cautiously moved her lips.
“Were you… looking for me?”
As she watched with inner anxiety.
He soon stroked her head just like he used to.
Then, as if he had been waiting, he spoke with a determined expression.
“Yes, I was.”
That single phrase made her feel like she could fly.
If he extended a hand, she was ready to take it.
She wanted to look after him so he would never go down the wrong path again.
Perhaps because she thought of the concept of "looking after."
She suddenly missed her younger siblings back home.
Right. Since I've made up my mind, I should take proper care of him.
‘It might be nice to play the big sister role for the first time in a while, too…’
At that moment, her unique beastkin mischievousness welled up.
What would it feel like to have Jace call her 'Big Sis'?
“Sister?”
“Not ‘Sister.’ ‘Big Sis’.”
“B-Big Sis…”
An overwhelming thrill.
It was indeed a heartwarming sound.
Something felt subtly different, but Aruru didn't pay it much mind.
She was just grateful that he was relying on her.
The girl was utterly content to be able to continue their precious bond.
***
[S-Class Spirit Master Aruru has become an ally!]
It would have felt natural even if such a message had appeared.
The process of winning her over had ended smoothly.
[Main Quest Complete]
[Recruit a Hero Candidate (1/10)]
[Reward: +30,000 Achievement Points]
Hmm, was there a quest like that?
Feels like it's just throwing these out on the fly.
And what does (1/10) mean?
Don't tell me I have to recruit all ten?
A sudden thought occurred to me…
You, you're plotting to make me a Hero, aren't you?
Flinch.
The system window vanished as if fleeing.
I was just probing, but I hit the mark.
I should have known when it started handing out points so freely…
“……”
Well, the flow wasn't bad.
I had obtained a body with the greatest potential.
And I had plenty of room to grow stronger with achievement points.
I also knew a thing or two about the Demon King's Army's weaknesses, so the basic conditions were more than sufficient.
In truth, there was no guarantee that things would work out well if I just ignored it all.
In that case, it might be better for me to decide the future myself.
First, I need to focus on training.
Once I'm strong enough, I'll decide on a direction then.
To survive in this world, I spared no effort in my training again today.