The beast tamer exiled from the hero’s party and the cat eared girl from the strongest race meet
Chapter 397: Discomfort
(TL:By Rafael,valhallatls.blogspot.com)
"Eh, ei!"
Finia swung her right hand to the side, her movements hesitant.
Following the path of her hand, flames erupted, engulfing the approaching monsters.
The flames of the Phoenix Clan were flames of purification.
The malevolent creatures, unworthy of lingering in this world, were reduced to ash without exception.
"I-I did it…!"
Having successfully defeated the monsters, Finia made a small, triumphant fist pump.
Watching her daughter’s behavior, Elfin let out a resigned sigh.
"W-Were you watching, Mother? I really defeated the monsters…"
"Of course, I saw. I hope you'll soon handle monsters of this level with ease… Still, compared to before, when you’d run away at the first sign of them, this is an improvement."
"Ugh… I-I’m sorry…"
"But this time, you defeated them properly. That’s worth praising. Well done."
"A… ah, hehe."
Receiving her mother’s praise, Finia smiled happily.
However, Elfin’s expression quickly turned stern.
"That said, you mustn't be satisfied with such small accomplishments, understand?"
"Um…"
"You are my daughter—the daughter of the Phoenix Clan’s leader. Someday, you must take my place. To do so, you must continue to grow stronger and more capable."
"…Y-Yes."
It was the same conversation as always.
Elfin was strict with her daughter, who was destined to inherit her position.
Though she praised Finia when deserved, she otherwise taught her to be strong, righteous, and capable.
It was a mother’s love, hoping her daughter would grow into a fine leader.
But sometimes, that love weighed heavily on Finia.
She preferred to spend her time peacefully and was not good at leading others.
She wasn’t the type to stand at the forefront. In fact, she believed she was better suited to supporting others.
She had tried to express this to Elfin several times…
"How can you be so timid? You are the next leader. You must stand firm."
Each time, she received a light scolding.
And each time, her heart grew heavier, her mood more somber.
Finia thought to herself:
I’m not cut out to be a leader. I don’t even want to be one.
I just happened to be born as the leader’s daughter.
"Finia, is something wrong?"
"Ah… n-no."
Elfin’s voice brought her back to her senses.
As always, she had been lost in thought about the future as the next leader, trapped in a maze of worries.
"…Can I really do this?"
Finia let out a small, hidden sigh, careful not to let her mother notice.
"Finia, we’re moving on. It’s unthinkable to lose to humans, so stay sharp."
"Y-Yes."
The two of them reached the sixth level.
Their progress was steady, and their results were satisfactory.
Ordinary humans couldn’t hope to match their pace.
But their opponent was a human recognized by Shigure.
If they let their guard down, who knows what might happen?
"I-I have to do my best!"
Finia steeled herself to give it her all.
The unrealistic expectations placed on her were nothing but pressure.
But deep down, she still wanted to meet her mother’s expectations, even if only as a daughter.
"…"
"Mother?"
Finia suddenly noticed something unusual about her mother’s demeanor.
Elfin’s expression was tense and difficult to read.
Had she done something wrong?
She couldn’t think of anything specific, but accidental mistakes weren’t uncommon for her.
Elfin never raised her voice or her hand when angry.
Her anger was calm and subdued.
But that was what made it so frightening to Finia.
It felt like disappointment, as if her mother might one day abandon her entirely…
And so, Finia always found herself trembling with unease.
"Is something... wrong?"
"Finia, are you aware of the monsters that inhabit this dungeon?"
"Eh? Uh, y-yes... sort of."
Despite her timid nature, Finia possessed an extraordinary talent—her memory.
Once she saw something, she almost never forgot it.
No matter how much time passed or how trivial the detail, she could recall it instantly.
"The monster you just defeated... Was it a species native to this dungeon?"
"That’s... Ah!"
Now that she thought about it, it was a monster she’d never seen before.
Realizing this, Finia’s face clouded with curiosity.
"It wasn’t a type of monster that lives in this dungeon, but... w-why?"
"A monster type we weren’t aware of? ...No, that’s impossible. We conducted thorough research before deciding to live here. The likelihood of an unknown monster existing here should be minimal."
"M-maybe it snuck in from outside...?"
"With only one entrance to the dungeon? Are you suggesting it avoided everyone’s eyes and made it all the way to the sixth level?"
"Th-that’s... probably not possible... I’m sorry."
"There’s no need to apologize. Reconsidering even unlikely possibilities can lead to new discoveries. Feel free to speak your mind more openly."
"Y-Yes..."
Even though Elfin encouraged her, Finia felt a twinge of discomfort.
If she could speak her mind so freely, she wouldn’t have this personality in the first place.
She silently wished her mother wouldn’t ask for the impossible.
"But if it didn’t sneak in from outside... could it have naturally formed within the dungeon?"
"It’s not entirely out of the question, but... we’ve lived here for over a hundred years, and I’ve never heard of such a thing happening."
"I-I see..."
"However, it’s not entirely impossible. Yes... perhaps that is the most likely explanation. While we did investigate the dungeon, that was a long time ago. A dungeon is like a living entity. It’s conceivable that certain factors aligned, leading to the birth of a new monster species."
Elfin concluded this matter with little concern, finding it to be a reasonable explanation.
But Finia wasn’t convinced.
On the very day of the race, a new species of monster suddenly appeared?
Could such a convenient coincidence really occur?
"U-um..."
"What is it?"
"Well... I-I was wondering... Couldn’t there be another cause?"
"Another cause? Do you have something in mind, Finia?"
"N-no, not exactly... but, I feel like something doesn’t quite add up... Maybe—just maybe—it was... artificial?"
"Hmm... An interesting idea, but that seems unlikely. Creating a monster artificially isn’t something that can be done. Well, unless it involved some legendary equipment... No, I’m overthinking this."
"I-I see..."
"Now, let’s move on. Losing to humans is simply out of the question."
"R-right!"
…At that moment, had Elfin given more thought to Finia’s suggestion,
they might have avoided the tragedy awaiting them.
However, unaware of what lay ahead, the mother and daughter ventured deeper into the
dungeon— closer to the disaster that awaited them.
TL Note- What's the incoming disaster?
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