The beast tamer exiled from the hero’s party and the cat eared girl from the strongest race meet
After finishing our meal, Kanade and I headed to the inn where Chiffon was staying.
Apparently, it was something she didn't want anyone else to overhear.
"There, that should do it."
As soon as she entered the room, Chiffon locked the door.
She seemed extremely wary of anyone listening in on our conversation.
Just what was this about?
I couldn't help but grow tense.
I swallowed nervously...
"Ah."
Grrrrr...
Kanade's stomach let out a loud growl.
"...Um."
"...Should I go buy you something to eat?"
"Please don't look at me like that! And besides, I'm fine!"
Blushing bright red, Kanade trembled in embarrassment as she protested.
Still, thanks to her, all the tension in the room disappeared.
I felt a little bad since she was so embarrassed, but I was grateful.
"Well then, let's talk."
Chiffon's demeanor had changed as well.
A moment ago, she had seemed burdened by something, but now that feeling was gone.
That was probably thanks to Kanade too.
Without doing anything in particular, just her presence alone could brighten the atmosphere.
That, too, was one of Kanade's talents.
"Um..."
Chiffon wore an uncertain expression.
She had said she wanted to talk, but it seemed she wasn't sure where to begin.
After a brief silence, she finally spoke.
"There's no point beating around the bush, so I'll get straight to it. We're currently carrying out a certain mission."
"A certain mission?"
"...We've been ordered to eliminate the former Hero's party."
"What!?"
The shock hit me on two levels.
For one, I never imagined Chiffon would be the one assigned to deal with Arios and the others.
The former Hero's party versus the new Hero's party.
What would happen if those two groups clashed?
I didn't even want to imagine the outcome.
The other thing...
Chiffon had used the word "eliminate."
That meant capturing them wasn't the objective.
"Why has it come to that?"
"At first, I thought it had nothing to do with us. Our ultimate goal is to defeat the Demon King. There shouldn't have been any reason for us to get involved with the former Hero's party... or so we thought. But after hearing your report, Rain, everything changed."
"My report... Ah, I see."
During the incident on the Northern Continent, Lin and Monica had been operating behind the scenes.
Although we ultimately stopped their plans...
Lin had transformed into a demon and attacked us.
If Arios and the others were simply on the run, committing petty crimes here and there, there would be no need for Chiffon to get involved.
Eventually, the knights or adventurers would catch them.
But what if...
They became demons like Lin?
At that point, ordinary knights and adventurers wouldn't stand a chance.
You'd need an A-Rank adventurer...
One of the strongest races...
Or...
A Hero.
"The report that Miss Lin became a demon was a huge shock. What if the remaining members become demons too? And what if they start rampaging across the world?"
"...Just imagining it is enough to make me dizzy."
"Nyaa... the damage would be unimaginable."
"Exactly. That's why we concluded we couldn't leave things alone any longer. We have to resolve this as quickly as possible. And so..."
"Your party received orders to eliminate Arios and the others... is that it?"
"Correct, Rain."
Only a Hero could stand against another Hero.
The logic wasn't wrong...
But still...
To be dragged into a conflict between fellow humans...
Chiffon probably wasn't happy about it.
Even so, she didn't let those feelings show.
She had accepted it as the duty of a Hero.
She had become strong.
Compared to before, it wasn't just her strength that had grown—her heart had become much stronger as well.
At that moment, Chiffon almost seemed to shine.
"Why did you come to Horizon?"
"There was a reported sighting of Mina nearby."
"Mina...?"
"It's not confirmed yet. But we don't have any other leads, so we decided to come to Horizon for the time being."
"I see."
I understood the situation now.
"So when you said you wanted my help..."
"I'm sorry. Ideally, this is something we should handle ourselves. But if you and your companions are with us, we'd feel so much more confident."
"Hehehe."
Being told she was dependable made Kanade beam with delight.
Her tail bounced happily behind her.
"I know we shouldn't drag you into this. But this mission absolutely cannot fail. What if Miss Mina, Mr. Aggath... or Mr. Arios were to become demons? What if it happened in the middle of a city?"
"...The casualties would be catastrophic."
"Exactly. That's why we can't afford to be picky about our methods. Before the worst happens, we have to stop them no matter what."
The determination in Chiffon's voice was unmistakable.
If necessary, she would cut down Arios and the others without hesitation.
I could feel her resolve.
"I know I'm asking something selfish. But I..."
"All right. I'll help."
"As the new Hero, I absolutely have to resolve this incident... Huh?"
Chiffon blinked in surprise.
"What did you just say?"
"'I'll help.'"
"R-Really?"
"Why are you the one who's surprised?"
"Nyaa, shouldn't you be happy instead?"
Kanade and I laughed together.
"B-But... I never thought you'd actually agree to something like this..."
"Of course I will. You're my friend, Chiffon. If you're in trouble, I want to help."
"...Rain..."
"Besides... I'm not exactly uninvolved in all of this."
If the people we're dealing with are Arios and the others...
Then it's a different story.
His descent into madness began because of me...
Now that I knew what was happening, there was no way I could simply stand by and do nothing.
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