Gathering Companions V
As the sun shone brightly in the midday sky, the tranquil starry night faded away, giving way to the dawn when birds began to sing their awakening songs. I made my way back to the small clinic where I had spent the night, clutching skewers, soup, and bread that I had procured from the stalls at the morning market.
This was after I had asked Hermes to make a reservation at the black market yesterday. Aside from the watchful eyes that had been following me, I felt another gaze directed my way. When I turned to investigate, I found a girl, covered in mud and looking quite ragged, in a position as if she were trying to escape but had collapsed instead.
It was impossible to ignore her state, so I asked Stella to relay a message to House Faritia, and I carried the girl to the nearby small clinic. Inside, there was no nurse present, likely due to the clinic’s size, and only a young female doctor was managing things. After a brief examination and a wash, I laid the girl down on one of the clinic’s beds and took it upon myself to look after her.
I had no medical knowledge, so all I could do was replace the melting ice packs and gently wipe the sweat from her face and hands to keep her comfortable.
With that in mind, I set out to buy breakfast for three, considering how the girl would feel when she woke up in the morning. Interestingly, I hadn’t noticed when I brought her in, but it turned out she was a Beast-folk, specifically a very rare Black Lion. It was said to be so rare that one would hardly ever see a Black Lion Beast-folk outside of their village without a guardian present.
In short, it seemed I was getting involved in something troublesome.
“I’m back! How is she?”
“Oh, welcome back! You even bought breakfast for me, didn’t you?”
“Of course.”
“Thank you! That girl just woke up a moment ago. I checked her lightly, and she seems fine with no lingering effects.”
“I see. Is there anything we should be careful about regarding her food?”
“It doesn’t seem like she hasn’t eaten, so I think she’ll be fine. However, if she overeats, she might get a stomachache, so please keep an eye on the portion.”
“Understood… Are you heading somewhere?”
“Yes. It seems we’re low on medicine, so I’m going to restock.”
“Got it. Be careful.”
“Right.”
When I returned to the clinic, the doctor was preparing to leave. I asked about the girl I had laid down and listened to her advice on how to care for her. After seeing the doctor off on her errand, I headed to the room where the girl was resting.
It was the innermost room of the clinic, supposedly set up for hospitalized patients, but given the clinic’s size, it was unlikely they could handle any serious cases. It had been cleaned, but it seemed more like a relic than a functional space.
“…!?”
“Did I startle you? My apologies.”
“…Um…”
“I thought you wouldn’t remember, but it seems you recall some things from before you fainted.”
“!!”
“Don’t worry, I have no intention of digging into it now. I’m curious about your circumstances, but first…”
“…?”
“It’s time for breakfast. We can’t start anything without filling our stomachs, and I’m sure you’re hungry too.”
“…That’s not true.” grumble
“Your stomach disagrees. Here’s your portion. It’s a small amount, but there’s a little extra if you want to take your time and eat.”
“…Yes.”
I chuckled lightly at the girl, who blushed in embarrassment as her stomach growled, and laid out the food I had brought on the table beside her bed. She was able to sit up, and since she had moved when startled, I figured she’d be fine. Indeed, she moved without issue, albeit with a timid demeanor as she cautiously brought the skewers to her mouth.
Watching her eat like a timid cat or a newly rescued puppy, filled with wariness, I too took my time to enjoy my breakfast.
…But why was she so frightened? If it was fear of people or adults, the doctor would have informed me… Could it be related to her attempt to escape?
~~ A Strange Atmosphere During Breakfast ~~
“Phew… Are you full now?”
“…Yes.”
“Good. Now, I have a few questions I’d like to ask.”
“…Yes.”
“Don’t be so scared; I’m not going to eat you. Even if you were trying to kill me, I wouldn’t be bothered by such trivialities.”
“…Um.”
“What is it?”
After finishing our breakfast, I tried to draw out the girl’s story, and she seemed ready to speak. I had intended to ask her who she was first, but it seemed she had something to say.
“Are you… the one they call the Hero?”
“No, that’s not me.”
“!?”
“There’s no need to be so surprised. It’s true that I’m not a Hero; I don’t possess the Holy Sword, nor do I have the Holy Mark that should be floating above my hand.”
“…But, according to what those people said…”
“Hmmm… It seems there’s a heavy situation at play here?”
“…No, I’m fine now. More importantly, I need to find the Hero.”
“Do you think I’ll let you go?”
Upon hearing my denial of being the Hero, the girl looked shocked, then despairing, and finally anxious as she tried to get off the bed to leave. I grabbed her shoulder and gently pushed her back onto the bed, placing my hand on her forehead to keep her from escaping.
“L-Let me go…!”
“Sorry, but that’s not happening. If you tell me about the situation you’re dealing with, I might consider letting you go.”
“No, no… I can’t involve innocent people.”
“You’re already involved. Besides, the fact that you mistook me for a Hero means you must have seen something that made you think so.”
“!! But, we need to hurry!”
“Hmmm, so someone is being held hostage? And it seems like their lives aren’t in immediate danger… more like they’re being taken away?”
“!?”
“Sounds about right. And it doesn’t seem like the captors are just humans… Given your excessive fear, it’s likely that the Demon Race is involved too?”
“…W-Why?”
“Oh, interesting, correct again… I see, so you’re connected to them.”
So that’s it; you’re involved in this…
“Alright, where are the people you want to save?”
“…Huh?”
“There’s no need for unnecessary actions. I’ll save everyone you want to save, and I’ll kill anyone who lays a hand on them.”
“…How?”
“Huh? I’ll kill the Demon Race, and anyone who associates with them. I don’t care what happens to them; letting them live is more harmful than good. If I know where they are, I’ll kill them all. That’s my resolve.”
“…”
Is that why there was a gathering around here? If that’s the case, the Knights Order’s efforts might all be in vain… But if I’m dragged into this mess, I have no choice but to kill them.
My mission to kill the Demon Lord has been nullified, so I’ve lost my reason to stand against the Demon Lord’s Army, but I have no intention of suppressing my desire to eradicate the Demon Race. It’s like exterminating a nest of bees that have made their home in front of my house; I can’t live peacefully knowing that any Demon Race exists within my reach. Therefore, I will kill them all.
“Now, tell me. Normally, I’d demand some sort of reward, but… this time is special. I won’t ask anything of you in return, but I want you to involve me in your situation.”
“…Thank you… ‘It’s still too early to be grateful or to cry. If you want to do that, wait until I’ve finished everything.’ …Ugh!”
“Good response. Now, will you tell me?”
From the circumstances I learned afterward, I would need to apologize to the king, the Knights Order, and Hermes. Now that I’ve calmed down and the blood has cooled in my head, I feel I could have handled things more wisely and gracefully, but given that the Demon Race was involved and there were victims, I’ll just have to accept that I couldn’t remain calm.
It’s true that I should learn to control my temper better, but after over three years of dealing with this, I’ve thrown in the towel on trying to suppress it. Well, at least I’ve improved from the initial rampage that disregarded the early victims, so that’s something.