75. Rumors about an unknown adventurer (3)

3 months later.

Vice-captain.

The voice lingered in my mind, soft and sure, like the sound of a bell coming from far away. Maxim Appart realized that he was dreaming.

However, since the dreams he has been having lately are not something that he can wake up from by wanting to wake up, Maxim answered in his head instead of his unopened mouth.

Yes Christine.

Vice-captain, what are you doing today?

training.

Maxim broke down and answered coldly. The landscape seemed foggy. Maxim wanted to close his eyes. However, in the dream, I couldn’t close my eyes.

what kind of training?

Is there more to my training besides swinging a sword?

The voices were getting closer and further away. Maxim didn’t know whether to hold on to the receding voice or let it go.

Vice-captain.

Her blonde hair, like sunlight, shimmered in front of her eyes. Maxim faced her figure in pain as if his chest was being ripped open with a knife.

Vice-captain.

yes.

please don’t look for me

The fog thickened. Christine disappeared behind a thick veil of mist, like sea fogs rushing into the port of dawn.

“…Well.”

Maxim blinked. It felt as if a snake had clamped down on my head. Maxim lay in bed for a long time and then got up.

“Damn it.”

The body wasn’t too heavy. It was only an illusion of the head that it was difficult to control the body. Maxim squeezed his hand and began to circulate blood.

Three months have passed since that day. Maxim decided not to think about change any more. When I take off my jacket, the temperature that touches my skin is chilly. Maxim moved slowly.

“Whoa…”

Only the palm of his left hand touched the cold floor. Maxim got up after finishing the unknown number of push-ups. As he loosened his wrist again, Maxim could sense a familiar presence from outside the cabin.

rattle.

The door is open. Maxim, who had just picked up his coat, met Naira’s eyes with a slightly displeased expression.

“Ah, Master.”

“Oh, damn. What is a greeting to a teacher I see in a few days, you stupid disciple?”

puck.

“100 million.”

A heavy bag of gold coins flew into Maxim’s head and stuck. The reunion between the teacher and the teacher after a few days could not be said to be very friendly. Looking at Maxim holding his head, Naira clicked her tongue.

“What did you do well? Quickly put on your clothes and sit down.”

Maxim picked up the bag of gold coins, put it on the table, and hurriedly put the jacket on his head. Naira first pulled out a chair in front of the table and sat cross-legged.

“…Have you been well?”

“Hurry up say hello. All right, boy.”

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Naira waved Maxim’s hand and accepted it. As Maxim sat across from him with a half-assed look on his face, Naira immediately started talking.

“There have been several attempts in the past.”

Maxim understood at once what that ‘attempt’ meant.

“They weren’t bad at all. There was no one who knew how to use an aura.”

“…The family name is pretty good too.”

Maxim replied bitterly and with a guilty heart. Seeing Maxim’s reaction, Naira snorted.

“If you’re going to react so tepidly, don’t ask for help in the first place.”

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Naira said that and glared at Maxim.

“It is my will to help you now. It’s my entertainment, it’s my whim. I have no intention of stopping just because you worry about me more.”

Chin, Naira’s hand gripped the bottom of Maxim’s chin. Maxim couldn’t say what he wanted to say, and he had no choice but to look into Naira’s blue eyes. Naira stared into Maxim’s eyes, let go of Maxim, as if his mind was relieved, and said in a voice filled with laughter.

“It’s fortunate that the cute taste still remains.”

Maxim rubbed his chin and looked at Naira with a complicated expression.

“Well, shall we get to the point?”

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Naira tapped the desk lightly with her fist as if she had become a judge.

“Subjugating Banshee, to me, it’s like going for a walk, but it’s classified as a pretty difficult mission.”

Even though he had killed five Banshee casually, and even five old Banshees, he was calm as if he had done something natural.

“Thanks to that, I should have stayed by the lake for a few more days to avoid suspicion. It seemed like it would take four months if I went back right away to finish the subjugation in one day.”

It was a voice full of displeasure.

“Well, thanks to that, I was able to lure them out.”

“Did you lure the assassins on purpose?”

“I couldn’t go there first, so I acted carelessly. Like you, I try muttering to myself like an idiot, and swinging my sword meaninglessly alone.”

At those harsh words, Maxim smiled stiffly. Naira continued talking while watching Maxim’s sweaty reaction as if she was enjoying it.

“On the second day, they showed up. If they had had the chance to watch me hunting banshee for 10 seconds, they wouldn’t have come out recklessly.”

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Naira pulled out a well-folded bibliography and placed it on the table.

“There wasn’t much I could find out. Funny enough, it looks like you’ve been ordered to prioritize capture alive. In order not to kill him, I was rather leaving my swordsman power.”

Maxim opened the bibliography. The owner of the Benning family, but actually used family members, not commissioned by a foreigner of the family.

“…the Benning family…”

“I didn’t try to scoop it up, but I guess you were really sure that you were the one carrying out the subjugation with the adventurer’s nameplate. It was probably a real capture operation.”

Maxim’s eyes went cold.

“Perhaps after I kept you alive, did you call me the girl, Theodora? You must have tried to make him move the way he wanted.”

Maxim had to sharpen his teeth.

“The royal palace has already changed greetings according to my taste, and now most of the guards have been replaced with members of their own families. But why would they want to capture you alive rather than leave you alone or get rid of you?”

“…Theodora.”

“It must be a burden on the Benning family to turn around completely ignoring it. A pretty influential person?”

Maxim rubbed his eyes. Naira said, looking down at Maxim.

“…I asked when I brought you back then.”

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Naira’s fingertips rested on Maxim’s bowed head.

“What do you want?”

wobbly legs. Sorcerers appeared. Christine disappears and rain suddenly starts to fall.

Maxim clenched his fists as he recalled that time.

“And you answered.”

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Naira’s voice was soft, but firm.

“I will get it back. I won’t lose.”

Those words remained in Maxim’s head like a headstone on a grave. The cold sunken eyes began to glow with murderous intent.

“…Yeah.”

“Don’t hesitate.”

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Naira lifted Maxim’s head. Maxim’s hair, which had grown quite long, fluttered in the recoil.

“I hate halfway endings the most.”

—

There are two reasons why Naira wore a long sword and pretended to be Maxim.

First, it was to find out if the Benning family was still trying to find Maxim’s whereabouts.

“I told you this, so pass it on.”

The Bening family’s obsession with the goal of Count Leon, to be precise, exceeded expectations. Benning’s men tried to abduct Naira from the shadows many times as she acted as an adventurer.

“You better give up on this. Count Benning will probably be looking for you until you die of old age.”

“That is good news.”

He frowned, saying he was tired.

“Because I can catch it by the tail and follow it whenever I want.”

and that second.

“About that tail problem,”

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Naira rested her chin on her chin and tapped her chin with her finger.

“It’s like your eyes are widening.”

“…If so?”

“Not the eyes that keep watch on me and the bastards I send from Benning once in a while.”

Against Maxim’s puzzled face, Naira spread her index finger.

“curiosity.”

“…”

“That guy is interested in being useful.”

Maxim recalled the word unofficial mission.

“Are you the nemesis of the nobles?”

“That’s right. However, it seems that not all of those who expressed such interest belong to one group.”

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Naira’s eyes narrowed. The perfectly blue wall was projecting all things. The elf’s voice was weighing humans on a scale. Maxim looked into Naira’s eyes as if he were standing on a plate of scales.

“Tell me. What should I do?”

“There will be contact first.”

Maxim opened his mouth.

“The other aristocrats aren’t blind either, they know that the Bening family is relentlessly trying to track someone down. If it’s an unknown adventurer whose rumors have spread in the adventurer’s guild, they’ll be even more interested.”

“Are you saying that Wang Dao would be able to act like that in the current situation where he was practically eaten by the Bening family?”

To Naira’s question, Maxim answered straight away.

“On the surface, he couldn’t move, so he said he would find an adventurer’s guild. It’s not like the royal family’s policy to keep adventurers in check is coming out one after another.”

There was something like confidence in Maxim’s voice. Naira asked Maxim, raising one corner of her mouth as if she was interested.

“You are sure.”

“…After officially becoming a knight, for a year, I had to chase after high-ranking nobles. I know what they want and how they act.”

Maxim replied calmly.

“Okay, then, assuming I even get contact with the nobles, what next?”

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Naira’s fingers rubbed the table.

“What next?”

Maxim looked down at his hands. Clench your fists tightly, then slowly open them. Close your eyes and contemplate your body.

can move can fight

That was the conclusion Maxim had reached.

“After that, I will do it.”

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Naira sighed and laughed. The blue eyes with that smile were asking Maxim if he could really do it.

“Are you saying you don’t need a teacher anymore?”

“…what do you mean?”

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Naira saw Maxim talking as if he was sad. Maxim let out a long sigh.

“If you go beyond that, you might get caught.”

“I don’t really care.”

“The hiding people will be a little uncomfortable.”

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Naira laughed and continued to tease Maxim.

“Maxim, who was like a child, has grown up a lot. You know how to talk back to the master’s words.”

“I don’t remember having such a mischievous teacher.”

Par, Naira burst into laughter again.

“Yeah, that’s right.”

silence. Maxim returned his gaze to Naira, who was looking at him.

“Are you feeling okay? What about the wounds?”

“The wounds are fine. Almost all of the demonic energy has been driven out.”

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Naira’s eyebrows furrowed at Magira’s words. A dissatisfied voice leaked from the mouth that was expressing genuine displeasure.

“Who would have known that the Mage Tower would be independently researching black magic?”

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Naira caressed Maxim’s arm.

“But on the other hand, you might think you’ve figured out one of their cards.”

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Naira recalled the witch who had turned into a shadow and burrowed into the ground before disappearing. Although he claims to have taken care of it before he was seen, there’s no guarantee he won’t get caught.

“…That would be the same here, too.”

Bright sunlight streamed into the room through the windows.

“Are you okay?”

“I am full and overflowing just by helping me this far.”

In Maxim’s words, there was a wish that you would no longer be involved. Naira recognized the metaphor and changed her expression to one of benign.

“Do you remember the first time I saw you?”

“Are you talking about when Master was active as an adventurer…?”

“I was more of a herbalist than an adventurer.”

“Where is a herbalist that strong?”

Then, in the woods, when Maxim encountered a grizzly, Naira knocked down a red bear that was attacking Maxim. That experience as a boy became a lesson deeply etched into his bones, and he occasionally appeared in Maxim’s dreams.

“What a great thing to do, that young bastard out in the woods by himself.”

“…Why are you suddenly recalling memories?”

Maxim replied bluntly. As if even Maxim’s reaction was amusing, Naira covered her mouth and smiled.

“If you have more time accumulated than time to accumulate, you will too.”

“You say it as if you are. You’re going to live a lot longer than me.”

“Did you catch it?”

He spits out his words like a sage, and then leans back in his chair with an expression that is no different from that of Maxim’s age. Maxim, who tried to read the true meaning of that expression, gave up and buried his face in his arms.

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Naira’s palm rested on top of Maxim’s bowed head. Maksim, who flinched and tried to stand up, was firmly pushed away by Naira. Maxim had to keep silent as Naira stroked her hair in a funny way.

“Aww, you pathetic disciple.”

Maxim’s expression shifted at his teacher’s affectionate words. It was a mixture of joy, guilt, anger, and self-loathing.

“Don’t make that face.”

“Promise me, Master.”

“Well, when things are done as you said, you want me to leave now?”

Perhaps because the words he wanted to say were intercepted, Maxim closed his mouth immediately.

“Even if you don’t worry too much, I was about to fall right in. I don’t want to complicate things any more.”

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Naira let out a small sigh.

“This is the limit of what I can do.”

drew a line In my mind, I wanted to go further. I didn’t want to see the only disciple I’d made over a long period of time wandering in grief.

“After this, it’s all up to you.”

That’s why I say it more strongly.

“It’s your choice, it’s your way. Won’t you regret it?”

“I’m trying to think about what I can get back in time for regret.”

Missing Christine. Theodora, who would have been left alone with the Knights. Can it be said that Marion was protected? Maxim bit his lower lip.

“…yes.”

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Naira saw Maxim’s expression. And he didn’t say anything more.

Silence passed between Naira and Maxim for a while. It was a silence that was not awkward, lost in each other’s thoughts.

“Look at the sword.”

“Yeah?”

Maxim’s eyes widened. Naira shook her head as she watched Maxim react as if she had heard something she hadn’t heard.

“Why are you reacting like that?”

“No… I think it’s been a while since Master said that.”

“I’m your teacher, so why do you do it all over again?”

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Naira stood up from her seat. Maxim’s gaze followed the rising Naira up. Her light green blonde hair, bathed in direct sunlight, shimmered. Naira Maxim looked down and said playfully in her flawless voice.

“I am hungry, Maxim.”

“…Yes, Master.”