Chapter 836 – There Is a Difference Between Relying on Good Intentions and Acting Foolishly
000
Thump!
Aisha was startled by the sudden feeling of her hand being grabbed and looked behind her.
There, Amelia, who seemed to have followed her, was standing there trying to hold her down with a somewhat nervous expression on her face.
And, a little distance away from her, Sasha and Schrödinger were standing with Bourbon, looking at Amelia and Aisha.
As for Aisha, I left it to Amelia, but I wasn’t close enough to get involved in their conversation.
“What happened?”
And, based on Aisha’s expression and reaction, Amelia seemed to expect that she was in a difficult situation to some extent, and she seemed to want to hear the truth from Aisha directly.
And while looking at Amelia like that, Aisha’s pupils shake.
Naturally, her gaze was moving in circles, looking for the crow that was watching her.
But is that fortunate, or should I be nervous?
In Aisha’s field of vision, the crow was not visible.
No matter how fast she walked, there was no way she could shake off the crows that were peering down at her from the sky, so for a moment her hope that Lilim might have done something crossed Aisha’s mind. 〉
But more than that, right now, answering Amelia’s question right in front of her should come first.
As Aisha’s reply delayed, she could see that her eyes were watering with worry as she looked at her, so she couldn’t take too long.
＂Well, that is…＂
However, even if she did that, Aisha seemed to be trying to calm herself down somehow as her voice did not come out easily…
“… Are you okay? Please tell me.”
As if to cut off Aisha’s hesitation, Amelia spoke to her in her gentle voice.
She felt a little embarrassed hearing her story like that from a girl who was several years younger than her.
Before that, she had to ask Amelia one thing.
＂… Amelia is Lilim and her colleagues, right?＂
Amelia couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed by Aisha’s question.
Should I say that she felt like a rock was hit on her head from an unexpected direction?
For Amelia, the existence of Lilim was intertwined in a complex relationship in many ways, so it was not a relationship that could be handled by simply answering ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to an outsider’s question about whether she was a colleague.
＂That thing…＂
Therefore, Amelia stuttered slightly without realizing it, and she had no choice but to hesitate in answering Aisha.
The relationship between Amelia and Lilim?
The reason her mother was imprisoned was Lilim and the group of demons she led, ‘Astarothe’.
No matter how much Cleon’s power brought her back from her demon to her human, even if Amelia forgave her.
It’s impossible to make the past go away, and it would be a lie to say that all resentment has been washed away.
At least, there was a very high possibility that Lilim, not Amelia, thought that way.
And this time, as Amelia’s response to Aisha’s question was delayed, Aisha became anxious whether she had made a mistake.
Is there a bad relationship between Cleon and his party, who seemed like a family with no discord on the surface?
Amelia and Lilim, of course, seemed like opposites on the outside.
Lilim, a clan of dark horses with black hair and a pale and dark aura, is said to be the race of the fallen empire.
Amelia, with her blond hair, blue eyes, and courteous attitude, is a noblewoman no matter how you look at her.
Maybe she just didn’t know it and the two were ‘opposites’?
“Ah, over there. If it’s a question that’s difficult to answer, it’s okay…”
When Aisha said that and tried to cancel her own question, Amelia suddenly came to her senses.
She thought that Aisha might be dealing with something serious, so she followed her.
If this happens, she won’t be able to hear her situation properly.
So, Amelia quickly gathered her shaking heart and answered her.
“─Of course. I think of Lillim as my colleague.”
Amelia said sincerely,
Because, apart from her inability to forgive all of Lilim’s misdeeds, she believes that she has promised to atone for her own sins.
And, along with that, she actually achieved cooperation with Amelia that she would not have been able to do without her companion.
That was to save Da Capo from the barrier that spread across the empire, and—
In order to protect the mansion in Helix, Lila’s hometown.
＂… Yes, I see.＂
＂Huh!?＂
Amelia thought she answered with a slightly confident look on her face, and she answered because she thought that was the answer she wanted.
On the contrary, when she hears Amelia’s answer and sees Aisha’s face become even more worried, she begins to think that she may have answered wrongly.
The truth is, after Aisha heard Amelia’s answer, she thought she had to tell Lilim what he was up to.
The two people remain silent for a moment as if embarrassed by each other’s reactions.
But soon Aisha clenched her fists and her heart also strengthened.
For her, she has the right to at least know about her colleagues’ work.
So, for the sake of both of her people – her self has decided that it’s time for her to stop deceiving her or dodging her questions.
＂… Actually now─＂
That’s how Aisha’s story began, first with her own story.
Amelia also knew about the bad relationship between her and Darwin, having heard about it from Schrödinger and Cleon.
And that Darwin once again appeared in front of Aisha, holding her family hostage and entrusting the medicine to him.
(Aisha herself) shamelessly went to see Cleon for help, but Cleon was out on other matters, so she told Lilim the story.
And, as Lilim heard the story, she came to the conclusion that it was wrong to ask Cleon for help for free, and even asked her to rescue her hostage.
From the moment her raven disappeared, and she thought she had the right to know about Lilim’s current situation, she revealed everything she had been holding back.
─After hearing the whole story, Amelia’s expression looked complicated in many ways.
“… As expected, that’s what it was.”
And, as if she had barely accepted the whole story, when Amelia answered like that, Aisha bowed her head to her.
“… Sorry. Because I know what kind of people you are, I originally wasn’t going to talk about it. If that happens… I feel like I’ll be relying on your kindness and goodwill again…”
She had been thinking since she heard from Lilim that it was wrong.
The same thing happened yesterday.
She realized that time was going back, and when she met Cleon afterward, she felt relieved.
It was as if she had a vague belief that Cleon might be able to do something.
However, having someone help you was not something that was taken for granted.
There is a noble will and stubbornness to protect one’s beliefs.
And, it was because there was ‘goodwill’ that could connect all of that.
Lilim’s words that it would be better to stop relying on it were precisely what penetrated Aisha’s conscience.
So, she was confident in agreeing to that.
However, should I say that it is as Aisha worried or as expected.
Amelia said this while holding both of Aisha’s hands and making eye contact with her.
“… I will help too. Where Lilim is heading─ Please tell me about the location of the carriage.”
＂But-＂
She had already made a deal to pay her price to Lilim.
Even if we increase the number of people to carry out the request, the debt that cannot be paid will only pile up.
Besides-
Amelia said earlier that she had come here to serve as Bourbon’s escort.
Is it okay for her to leave the side of such a client?
Thinking like that, Aisha’s eyes turn towards the back – Sasha, Schrödinger, and Bourbon.
Even for them, what he said and Amelia’s voice were enough to be heard.
Then, Amelia herself must have thought that she had been too hasty, so she covered her mouth and looked back at Bourbon with a guilty expression.
“I’m sorry.”
＂Ah-well. Because I know very well that you are that kind of person.”
Bourbon waved her hand as if he didn’t care and responded to Amelia.
When she says ‘that kind of person’, she does not mean ‘an irresponsible person who throws away a request and then moves on to another request.’
I was talking about a person who, when he sees others in trouble, can run away even if he quits important work right now.
Of course, even if Bourbon didn’t care, if Cleon had been here, he might have scolded Amelia on rare occasions.
“Well, I’ve heard the whole situation. It’s not like you can say ‘don’t go’ here. It seems true that the situation there is more urgent.”
When Bourbon spoke while scratching her head, Aisha responded with a puzzled expression.
“Even if you don’t do that…!”
“What Lilim said is half true.”
But then, upon hearing what Sasha was saying to Aisha, Aisha stopped speaking.
“Of course, we adventurers are people who receive a request, receive a promise of reward, and put their lives on the line.”
That was the impression Sasha, who had the second-longest experience as an adventurer after the three members of the original Cleon party, had received from other adventurers she had seen so far.
Someone who wants to raise the request fee in order to receive not one gold coin, but one more copper coin.
Adventurers who lost a companion’s life during an adventure and try to make more money from it.
Certainly—adventurers can be people full of desire in that way.
“But… It’s not strange for adventurers to have good intentions.”
But- that doesn’t mean adventurers aren’t ‘people’.
It meant that becoming a special person does not mean losing all human emotions and becoming blinded by money.
I have heard that there are people who specifically reduce remuneration for clients in difficult circumstances – or that there are people who make excuses and do not accept remuneration at all.
If Cleon had demanded a ‘price’ for everything.
He would not have fought against ‘Jeolgyesu’ and would have run away from all incidents.
Nevertheless, he fought.
There may have been a part of him doing it for his own sake – but there was a value he valued that was even bigger than that.
Relationship with people.
At least, it is a natural human feeling to not want someone you know to be sad.
The goodwill it brings.
That became the driving force for Cleon and themselves.
＂Then why is Lillim…?＂
When Aisha talks as if she doesn’t know, Sasha talks while scratching her cheek.
＂Is that because Lillim is not honest…＂
While saying that, Sasha smiled as if she was troubled.
Because I met quite a few dishonest people.
Because of pride, or─
There are times when I want to make someone realize something.
When Aisha hears those words, she stares at the two in silence for a moment.
＂Amelia.＂
And, when Bourbon calls Amelia’s name, Amelia turns to look at her.
“Go and see.” There were two escorts that I originally asked for. If Schrödinger takes Amelia’s place, that’s fine. As Schrödinger said, the red-light district during the day is safer than other places.”
As Bourbon said that, she smiled as if she was troubled, and Amelia bowed her head to her as if thanking her.
“… Then, let’s go! Lilim may be in danger alone!”
＂… Yes!＂
And, Aisha also nodded her head as if she had shaken off some of her anxiety and worries.
Two people hurriedly running toward the castle gate.
In Aisha’s heart, there was her gratitude toward Cleon and his group – as expected, the realization that she seemed to be playing a fool on them.
At the same time, the mask he had brought out was rattling in his shaking arms.
