The beast tamer exiled from the hero’s party and the cat eared girl from the strongest race meet
“Hmm…”
On the rooftop of our new home, I spread out a map of the Central Continent.
At the center of the continent is the royal capital.
South of that lies Horizon.
And surrounding it are several cities, towns, and villages.
“Rain, what are you doing?”
“Oh, Kanade. Just thinking about something.”
“Thinking? About food?”
“That too, but not this time. I’ve been racking my brain trying to figure out where the demons’ base might be… I’m sure it exists somewhere, but I can’t pinpoint it.”
Monica and Mona.
Arios and the others.
And then there’s this demon named Rhys, who I haven’t seen yet but is clearly behind a series of incidents.
They’re probably somewhere on the Central Continent.
Even if they have teleportation artifacts, traveling back and forth from the Western Continent would be a huge hassle.
And it wouldn’t allow them to move quickly in an emergency.
That’s why I think they have a base somewhere on the Central Continent…
“...This is tough.”
“Nyaa, even Rain doesn’t know? Can’t you do something with your crazy tamer abilities?”
“I’m getting used to being called crazy… Well, anyway. There are animals suited for tracking down hideouts, but if they use teleportation artifacts, it gets tricky.”
For example, I could use a dog to track them by scent.
But if they teleport mid-route, the trail is cut off, and following them becomes nearly impossible.
“We’ve been on the back foot this whole time. I’d really like to go on the offensive for once.”
“Are you planning to fight the demons like Chiffon?”
“I don’t have a strong sense of duty like she does… But I can’t just leave Monica and Arios alone.”
They might cause another incident.
And more people could end up in tears.
Someone has to stop them.
And if I have the power to do that, I want to do whatever I can.
Well… ultimately, I’m not fighting for some grand cause like saving the world.
I just want to protect the people important to me…
And to do that, I want to eliminate the threat.
In the end, it’s all just selfishness.
“But still, I think that kind of Rain is really great. And, um… I-I like you.”
“O-oh… I see…”
“……”
“……”
Embarrassed, we both fall silent.
I’ll need to properly think about how to respond to Kanade and the others.
There’s so much I have to do…
“Nyan?”
Suddenly, Kanade tilted her head.
Her gaze was directed outside the house.
“Rain, looks like we have guests.”
Following her gaze, I spotted two figures.
One was a man around my age.
The other looked to be in his thirties.
Both dressed like adventurers.
“Guests, huh…”
I paused my thinking about the enemy base and left the rooftop.
“Ah, Rain, good timing. We’ve got visitors~”
Tina said that as I arrived in the living room.
“Sorry to intrude.”
“Hey there.”
A polite greeting and a casual one.
I bowed my head in return.
“Hello. I’m Rain Shroud. This is my companion Kanade, and that’s Tina.”
“Nice to meet you~”
“Nice to meetcha~”
“Nice to meet you. My name’s Yuki.”
“I’m Yuki’s bodyguard, Grey Saga. Pleasure to meet you.”
After exchanging simple introductions, we sat on the facing sofa.
Kanade sat beside me, and Tina brewed tea for everyone.
Hmm?
Yuki didn’t mention a family name…
I wonder if there’s a reason for that?
“These two seem to have something they want to ask of you, Rain,” Tina said. “They were introduced by the Adventurer’s Guild and came all the way here.”
“I see… And what is it you want to ask?”
“Before that, there's a bit of a confidential matter to discuss. Sorry, young ladies, but could you two step out for a moment?”
As expected, there’s something going on behind the scenes.
But…
“I’m afraid that’s not possible.”
“What?”
“Kanade and Tina are my important companions. If you’re asking me to keep secrets from them, then I’m afraid I can’t accept your request.”
“It’s an important matter. If it leaks out, it could cause serious problems.”
“I trust them. That’s why I want them to stay here with me.”
“Still, that’s—”
“Grey, let’s not push it any further,” Yuki cut in.
At that, Grey looked visibly troubled.
It seemed the hierarchy between them placed Yuki above Grey.
“To say you can’t trust the people Shroud trusts is the same as insulting him. If he says it’s safe with his companions, then we should believe in his words.”
“I get what you’re saying, but... young master, you’re too naive. There are people in this world who smile like saints while sending others straight to hell.”
“It’s okay. I don’t know why, but I feel like I can trust Shroud.”
“Do you have any basis for that?”
“Just a gut feeling.”
“Sigh… Once you’ve made up your mind like this, there’s no changing it. Fine. I’ll go along with you, young master.”
In the end, Grey relented.
At first glance, Yuki had seemed meek and mild.
But it looks like I was wrong about him.
He may look calm on the outside, but he has a firm core and the strength to express and stand by his convictions.
“Huh?”
Suddenly, something about Yuki’s demeanor felt familiar to me.
Like I’d seen it somewhere before…
But this is our first time meeting… right?
“My apologies.”
“Don’t worry about it,” I said.
“Thank you. I appreciate it.”
Yuki smiled gently…
Then his expression turned serious and focused.
“Allow me to properly introduce myself. My name is Yuki… Yuki van Rollreeze. I’m the son of the reigning king, and the first prince of the kingdom.”
Thank you for the chapter!
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