Chapter 337: Rifa's Ability
(TL:By Rafael,valhallatls.blogspot.com)
After we finished resupplying, we set out towards Kagune.
Our journey's purpose is to repair the legendary equipment, the "Comet Sword."
Considering Chiffon's mission, we want to hurry as much as possible...
However, using a carriage would be meaningless if Sora and Luna, who are necessary for the repair, become exhausted.
Though it would take time, we chose to proceed slowly but surely.
While being cautious of monster attacks... or sometimes driving them away, we walked along the road heading east.
――――――――――
The first night after we resumed our journey.
We decided to camp in a clearing a little ways off the road.
We started a fire and set up a simple tent to shield us from the rain.
Then we prepared our meal and ate together around the campfire.
"Well, we're going to sleep now."
"Yeah. Leave the watch to us."
"Okay, thanks. Good night."
"Good night."
"Good night."
Chiffon and the others disappeared into one of the two tents.
First, it was our turn to keep watch.
Chiffon and the others would take the second half.
Since leaving Krios, we had been rotating this way.
Mixing members across party lines for watch duty might improve coordination...
But since this was a temporary party, thinking about the future was pointless.
Prioritizing safety, it was better to pair up with familiar partners, leading to the current arrangement.
"Ugh... We have watch duty again today. It's so boring."
"Luna, you mustn’t say such things."
"Nyo-nyo-nyooo."
"Grrrr."
Luna laughed slyly, teasing Sora who had stuttered.
"But I agree that it’s boring."
"Even Tania..."
"Well, we’ve never been attacked by monsters at night."
"Yeah, that’s true."
During the day, we prioritized speed over caution, so sometimes we were attacked by monsters.
But it was different at night.
We were always on high alert, wary of monsters lurking in the darkness.
Multiple top-tier species were keeping watch.
No monster would be foolish enough to charge into such a situation.
As a result, night watches were mostly uneventful.
"But we must stay vigilant, as we could be attacked when we let our guard down. Let’s keep a proper watch."
"Got it. I won’t let my guard down again."
"Again? So, you let your guard down before?"
Sora, who was listening closely, asked curiously.
Tania looked caught off guard.
"N-nothing."
"I’m curious."
"I’m also curious."
"There’s no way I’d ever let my guard down. Impossible."
"But seriously, did you, Kanade?"
"I'm curious."
"Nya~. Actually..."
"Kanade! If you say anything weird, I won’t forgive you!"
While everyone chatted happily, Rifa quietly drank her warm soup.
She sipped her soup, sighed contentedly, and took another sip.
She looked like a small animal, and it was soothing to watch.
"Oh, right."
Suddenly remembering something, Rifa put her cup on the ground.
Then she looked at me and asked,
"I have something to ask you, Rain."
"Hm? Something to ask?"
"You made a contract with me, right?"
"Yeah, I did. We made a contract."
Ah, I see. I kind of get where this is going like the time with Tina.
"This is a nostalgic topic."
"Nostalgic?"
"When we made the contract, I also asked Rain what abilities he gained from it."
"I'm really curious. If the abilities gained are useless, I’ll be disappointed."
"I understand that feeling! I was anxious until my abilities were revealed too."
The last part about being anxious made no sense.
"How did you confirm it?"
"...What was it again?"
"We tried various things, and after some time, we figured it out."
"But we can’t do that right now."
Since we were in the middle of camping, we didn't want to make too much noise.
It might attract monsters, and it would be bad for Chiffon and the others who were sleeping.
"Too bad."
Rifa said "too bad" without a disappointed expression.
She wasn't very expressive, but...
I had a feeling that she genuinely felt disappointed, even though we hadn’t known each other long.
If possible, I wanted to meet her expectations...
Now, what should I do?
"Gruuu...!"
At that moment, the dog we had previously tamed and had waiting nearby stood up and let out a low growl.
It bared its teeth, glaring at a bush a short distance away.
"Before revealing Rifa's ability, it looks like we need to deal with some monsters first."
It wasn't likely to be a passerby or a regular animal.
The dog would only show such hostility towards a monster.
Or perhaps a bandit or a wild beast... either way, it was an enemy.
"Preemptive strike."
Rifa bit her thumb, generating bullets from the flowing blood.
She spread them over a wide area and then fired them at high speed.
The blood bullets pierced the bushes and struck something lurking within.
"Gigii!?"
We heard the cry of a monster.
That must have been an orc.
Attacking us despite our numbers was a foolish move.
Well, orcs aren't known for their intelligence, so it's not surprising.
"Kanade and Tania, together. Sora and Luna, continue to keep watch around us. Rifa, Nina, and Tina, be ready to provide support if needed."
After giving these instructions, I headed towards the bushes.
We needed to confirm whether the monster was defeated.
I circled around to get a better view of the bushes.
At that moment...
"Gyah!"
One surviving orc charged at me with a club.
It might have thought it was catching me off guard, but I was ready for an attack at any moment.
Staying calm, I confronted the orc...
"Gii!?"
Suddenly, the orc stopped moving.
It seemed to be paralyzed, barely able to move its fingers, and collapsed to the ground.
"What the...?"
This unexpected situation caught even me off guard.
Startled, I paused for a moment.
Wary of a possible trap, I observed the surroundings, but there were no signs of danger.
I took the opportunity to finish off the orc and collected the magic stone.
"Nyaa... Rain, what just happened?"
"That orc suddenly couldn't move, right? Or rather, it seemed paralyzed."
"I'm not sure myself..."
Puzzled, I returned to the group.
After confirming that the surroundings were safe, I explained what had happened.
"...So, that's what happened."
"Rain, congratulations."
For some reason, Rifa congratulated me.
"I think that’s the ability you gained from our contract."
"Really? But I don't really understand what happened..."
"I think the power you gained is a magic eye."
"Nyaa... A magic eye? Like the kind that can paralyze or charm someone just by looking at them?"
"Yes, that magic eye."
"Seriously?"
That's an incredibly powerful ability.
"I'm a rare type among the demon tribe, a vampire. Some vampires have magic eyes. So, I think Rain gained a magic eye. Although I don't have one."
"I see."
A magic eye.
With this new ability, what will I be able to do? What will I accomplish?
I want to think about it carefully.
TL Note- Magic eyes similar to the power of a certain ninja clan...Rasen..
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