The beast tamer exiled from the hero’s party and the cat eared girl from the strongest race meet
“Heh, so you guys are siblings?”
After being led into a building that looked like a guild, Cassion began questioning us.
That said, it wasn’t an interrogation where he dug into every detail.
It was more like small talk—about our relationships and current situation.
For the time being, we decided on a family setup.
I’m the eldest son, Yuki is the second son, and Sora and Luna are twin sisters.
Our parents had died, and our lives were threatened by the hardliners.
That’s why we escaped the castle and came to rely on this town… that was the explanation we gave.
Since it was a story we had just pieced together using the information we’d only just learned, I was nervous, wondering when we might slip up.
“……”
Cassion wore a sharp expression.
Since it was a hastily made-up story, maybe he was suspicious after all…?
As I tensed up,
“There’s no need to be so nervous. Lord Cassion isn’t angry or anything.”
Another demon who brought us tea said that.
“Really?”
“Even though Lord Cassion looks like that, he’s actually a big softie who cries easily. Even now, he’s holding back tears after hearing your story, trying not to let them fall.”
“H-Hey, don’t say unnecessary things!”
Cassion shouted with a red face, while the demon who had served tea left the room with a wry smile.
To reset the mood, Cassion cleared his throat.
At the same time, he subtly wiped at the corner of his eye with his fingertip.
“…Hey, Rain.”
“…This demon, isn’t he just an incredible softhearted fool?”
“…Maybe so.”
I had never imagined there could be such a softhearted demon…
But I didn’t think Cassion was acting.
If this was just an act, then I’d have no choice but to take my hat off to him.
“Still, getting here from the castle must’ve been pretty tough, huh? The monsters around here don’t listen to us. You didn’t get attacked?”
“Ah, well… I’ve got some skill, so I managed somehow.”
I judged it was best not to lie unnecessarily, so I admitted that I was confident in my abilities.
This was demon territory, where our own sense of common sense might not apply.
And just being confronted with the reality of such a gentle demon was already shattering expectations.
If I lied poorly, things could spiral out of control and complicate matters.
So I decided to be as honest as possible.
Of course, there were things I absolutely could not reveal—like the fact that we were human.
“Hmm, hmm.”
After hearing a fair bit of our story, Cassion held a pen in his mouth and sank into thought.
I had no idea what he was thinking, so I couldn’t interrupt.
All we could do was wait.
“Alright.”
After about five minutes, Cassion grinned.
“Thanks for telling me your story.”
“So… what’s going to happen to us?”
“Of course, you can stay in this town.”
I let out a sigh of relief.
“Well, to be honest, there are still some unclear parts…”
“……”
“But my gut tells me you’re not bad people. And I trust my gut. So don’t go betraying that trust, okay?”
“…Thank you.”
Cassion probably didn’t completely trust us.
But he had decided to believe we weren’t evil.
…This was tough.
Cassion was a demon.
But betraying such straightforward trust made my heart ache.
If he were like the demons that had appeared in Horizon, or like Weiss—cold and cruel without a shred of kindness—then I wouldn’t have to feel this conflicted.
…But maybe that’s just selfish thinking.
The truth is, I simply hadn’t known that demons like Cassion even existed.
It was my own lack of knowledge and awareness.
And yet, I had always assumed demons were evil, never once doubting that judgment.
Somewhere along the line, my perspective had grown narrow.
Rescuing the kidnapped people, ruining Altera’s plan—those goals hadn’t changed.
But maybe… it was also necessary to learn what demons really were.
“So, what are you all planning to do from here?”
“Honestly, we only thought about reaching this town, so we haven’t decided on anything specific…”
“I see. In that case, I’ll arrange lodging for you. Don’t worry about money. There’s an inn that cooperates with us for situations like this. It’s not exactly high-class, though, so you’ll have to put up with that.”
“Thank you. If it’s not too selfish, may I ask one more favor?”
“Hm? What is it?”
“Actually, we have three friends, but we got separated along the way… We might be able to reunite somewhere. If that happens…”
“Ah, I get it. If they’re with you, then there’s nothing to worry about. I’ll let the inn know to expect seven people.”
“Thank you very much.”
If we could stay in the town, it might be best to use it as a base of operations.
There were risks, but the returns seemed greater.
That was the judgment I made.
Of course, we’d still need to confirm with Tania and the others. If they opposed, I’d have to give it up.
“Alright, that takes care of the procedures.”
Cassion smiled and offered his hand for a handshake.
“Welcome, to Grunhild—the town ruled by Lord Zillor, the Water King.”
“We’re in your care.”
I shook his hand, and we exchanged smiles.
That hand… was warm.
“B-big trouble!!”
Suddenly, the door burst open.
The same demon who had served tea earlier came rushing in, looking unusually flustered.
“Hey, we still have guests here, you know? That kind of behavior is—”
“I-I apologize. But there’s been a report… A horde of monsters is headed this way!”
“What!?”
It seemed our infiltration had been going smoothly…
But of course, things weren’t going to stay easy for long.
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