The beast tamer exiled from the hero’s party and the cat eared girl from the strongest race meet
The plan I came up with was actually pretty simple.
If the enemy is kidnapping townspeople, then we just disguise ourselves as townspeople to lure them out…
And when they take the bait, we snatch them up in one clean move.
It was more or less the same tactic I’d used before against that dragon who was impersonating Tania.
We moved to a quarry outside the town.
Back when the town was being built, it seemed a lot of people used to work there.
But now that the construction was complete, visitors were few and far between.
Only the occasional person looking to earn some pocket money would come by.
It was deserted, and with the surrounding trees blocking visibility, it was a perfect spot for someone plotting a kidnapping.
In that place, Iris walked along with Gray at her side.
The impression they gave was like that of a refined young lady touring the quarry with her bodyguard.
"Honestly… even I could have been the decoy."
While I watched from a distance, Tania grumbled beside me.
"You know it can’t be helped. You’re obviously a dragon at first glance… No way would the enemy think of kidnapping a dragon."
"Then why can’t Sora and Luna do it?"
"Sora and Luna are magic specialists… If it came down to brute force, they might not be able to handle it."
In that regard, Iris was perfect.
As long as she kept her wings hidden, she looked like nothing more than a sheltered noblewoman.
Her delicate appearance would probably make the enemy think she was an easy target.
Of course, a young lady wandering a quarry alone would be suspicious, so we had Gray accompany her in the role of bodyguard to make it more convincing.
『Can you hear me, Rain-sama?』
Iris’s voice echoed in my head—must be her magic.
If I remember right… all I have to do is think my response to talk back, right?
『Yeah, I can hear you.』
『What about everyone else?』
『Yup, loud and clear!』
『No problems here either.』
『That’s good to hear. Rain-sama, from your position, how do we look? Any suspicious movement?』
『Nothing yet. But the disguise is perfect—Iris and Gray are pulling off the young-lady-and-bodyguard act flawlessly.』
『Fufu. I was of fairly high status once, after all.』
…Wait, really?
I was a little surprised, but now wasn’t the time to get into that. I pushed the thought aside and continued.
『We’ve only just started fishing. Keep it up for a little while longer.』
『Yes, leave it to me.』
『But don’t push yourself too hard, alright?』
『I understand. I’d hate to worry you again, so I’ll be careful.』
That’s what she says… but Iris, for all her ladylike appearance, has a fearless streak.
Sometimes she’ll take risks with a completely calm face, and that’s what worries me.
Still, with us nearby, I doubted anything too bad would happen.
"Hey, Rain,"
Yuki murmured beside me, eyes on the quarry.
"Have you done a lot of things like this before?"
"Things like this?"
"Sting operations… or monster hunts, item gathering… maybe dungeon explorations."
"Well… depending on the situation, the goals vary, but yeah, I’ve done a bit of everything. Why do you ask?"
"I’m not sure how to put it…"
Yuki gazed into the distance, his profile looking somewhat lonely.
"…I guess I’m jealous."
"Jealous?"
"The truth is, I always admired adventurers."
"Oh? Was there something that inspired that?"
"When I was a kid, I read books about their exploits. Heroes defeating demon lords and saving the world… It’s simple stuff, but as a boy, it really gets your heart racing, you know?"
"I get it. I totally get it."
I used to beg my mom and dad to read me books like that too.
After what happened to my hometown, becoming an adventurer was partly because I had no other way to survive…
But I can’t say I wasn’t influenced by those books they read to me.
I’m sure they played some part.
"That’s why I’m jealous of you, Rain."
"…Yuki…"
"I’m royalty, so I take pride in that, and it’s not like I’m dissatisfied with my life. But… sometimes I wonder if living as an adventurer might be fun in its own way."
"I see…"
I couldn’t claim to truly understand Yuki’s feelings.
I’m not good with words, and I couldn’t think of anything eloquent to say to comfort him.
But still…
"Just hypothetically, you know…"
"Hm?"
"If another chance comes along for us to do some adventurer work like this, I’ll come along."
"…Rain…"
"And next time, it doesn’t have to be some huge incident like this. We could just take on something lighter and more relaxed… Yeah. We could enjoy it in a more easygoing way. That much is no problem at all."
"You think so?"
"I do."
"…"
Yuki closed his eyes.
A few moments passed in quiet thought…
"Yeah, you’re right."
He smiled warmly.
It was a bright, refreshed expression.
If that meant some of his doubts had been lifted, then I was glad…
But I couldn’t say for sure.
At the very least, I could offer my help.
If Yuki ever found himself troubled or lost, I wanted to be there for him.
Not because he was royalty…
…but because he was my friend.
"Rain."
Tania tugged lightly at my sleeve.
"Sorry to interrupt, but… I’m getting a bad feeling."
"Mm, Tania’s right."
"It’s a very unpleasant presence…"
Tania, Luna, and Sora all wore tense expressions.
I still didn’t sense anything…
But if the strongest of our group—three of them, no less—were all feeling uneasy, then there was almost no doubt something was about to happen.
『Iris, can you hear me?』
『Yes, what is it?』
『Tania and the others say they’ve got a bad feeling. What about on your end?』
『Let’s see… Maybe it’s the location, but on our side we… No, this is—』
Her voice wavered with uncertainty, and then—
"What the…?"
A thick mist began to pour in from nowhere, spreading to blanket the entire quarry.
Thank you for the chapter!
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