Chapter 186 : Chapter 186

Chapter 186: Honestly

Ria ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍turned as she felt the strength holding her arm weaken.

The ‍​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍orc called the leader let go and stepped back.

“Kkwek. ‍​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍Do I not have to pretend to eat her?”

“Save ‍​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍that acting skill for a moment. There’s still one chance left outside for you to show off acting like he’s so surprised he falls over.”

Ran ‍​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍walked out from behind the orc and exchanged a bloody, pointless joke with him.

When ‍​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍his gaze turned toward her as she stood there silently, Ria unknowingly clasped her own hand.

“You worked hard. Now we just need to seize the chance to catch that man and knock him out. Ria, go inside and rest. You go out to the riverbank on the other side and wait until the guide arrives.”

Leaving behind a welcome instruction, Ran passed Ria and followed after the guide.

Watching the orc move away in search of the entrance as Ran had said, Ria hesitated for a moment.

She knew in her head that the uncomfortable part was over now, and that, just as he had said, she only had to leave the rest to Ran and the leader.

In the end, Ria turned.

There was just one thing she wanted to ask Ran and confirm right now.

She could hear the answer later too, but for some reason, she felt that if not now, her head would become complicated again.

Or perhaps her head was already overloaded, and she could not think of anything else.

Ria quickened her steps and caught up to Ran and the orc.

“Is something wrong?”

Ran asked, surprised by the force with which Ria followed behind him with a frightening expression.

Ria briefly caught her breath and quickly opened her mouth.

“Ran, can I ask you something?”

Ran looked over Ria, and after confirming there was nothing wrong with her, he began walking again.

“I’ll have to answer while walking. Is that all right?”

Ria answered by following behind him.

“Ask what you want. I’ll answer unless it’s something hard to answer.”

Feeling her tension loosen for some reason at Ran’s light words, Ria opened her mouth.

“Do you remember when I asked you earlier why you brought me along without telling me in advance?”

“Yes, you did.”

“Back then, you told me why you didn’t teach me in advance, but you didn’t answer the rest. Why did you bring me out, of all people?”

“You followed me all the way here because you were curious about that? All of a sudden?”

At his confirming gaze, as if he did not understand, Ria awkwardly nodded.

In truth, this was not what she wanted to ask.

In truth, there were many other things she wanted to ask. Whether making her lure the guide had been a kind of test. Whether she had passed it. And if she had not passed, what would happen then?

But when she faced Ran’s unreadable face, it was not easy to readily bring those questions out of her mouth.

In the end, what came out was the question she had put aside earlier, without hearing the answer to the end.

And she regretted it at once.

She felt as if an answer even harder to hear than the questions she had swallowed would come back.

If he said they had merely needed one of the residents of Lucha Village, and among them, someone obedient......

“That is...... something I apologize for again.”

At the apology that came before the answer, Ria grew anxious and scratched the back of her hand.

“I also intended to make Ria detach herself from the village. Otherwise, I didn’t think Ria would follow us. As you know, there are very few humans in this world who can be trusted.”

At the unexpected content, Ria looked at Ran with startled eyes.

Without saying anything more, he watched the guide, who had found the entrance and rushed outside, then moved toward the entrance.

Ria also followed behind him and continued speaking.

“Then does that mean you trusted me from the beginning? Why? How did you know whether I would side with the Temple or not......?”

Ran, standing at the entrance, turned and looked at Ria.

Now that the darkness had cleared, she could read the emotion on his face.

It was a faint change, but she could be certain of one thing.

He did not understand her in the slightest.

Ran opened his mouth with a face that said he was hearing all kinds of strange things.

“You knew from the beginning that we were strange, didn’t you? In spite of that, you still said you would come with us.”

As if he had heard something insignificant, Ran turned right and moved forward.

“It may be hard to believe now, but I didn’t deceive Ria that thoroughly. Honestly, anyone who looked a little closely could tell that Ratel was hostile to the Temple. Besides, Ria immediately realized that it was Ratel’s doing when you saw that man collapsed in the cabin, didn’t you?”

“Th-that was just something I said as a joke. And when the priests took Ratel away from the village, I could only watch. I didn’t think I had to help Ratel escape. Looking back now, everything about it was unfair......”

“When that bastard openly provokes people like that, you can leave him alone. When a situation where he really has to risk his life comes, he actually gets quieter, so you need to be more careful then.”

He was not some troublemaking puppy, so what kind of fussy warning was that?

Ria pulled herself back together as her mind tried to become distracted, drawn in by words she could not simply ignore.

“No, that’s not what matters. Even if Ratel really is in danger, I might betray everyone.”

“I don’t know what answer you’ve been wanting to hear since earlier, but there was no one who could replace Ria right now. Like I said, there are very few people in this world who can be trusted.”

“So I’m also......”

At Ria’s attitude as she hesitated, unable to accept it easily, Ran frowned.

“Ria doesn’t know yet, but there are many people who hate us. Especially Jing. By now, countless Abalan people who don’t even know his face are probably talking about him. Mainly debating how much more horribly he should have died.”

“Jing? Why Jing, of all people......?”

Ria, who did not yet know Jing’s identity, asked blankly, but perhaps having no intention of explaining even that, Ran changed the subject.

“What I mean is, not a single one of those people would think Ratel was ‘taken’ by the Temple. Likewise, there wouldn’t be anyone who would say we should save him.”

“......”

Having lost her words, Ria blankly followed Ran as he stepped outside the cave.

“Besides that, Ria has many uses. That’s why I forced things a little and brought you along, but from now on, there will be fewer cases of deceiving you this way. ......I can’t guarantee there will be none at all.”

It was embarrassing and honest.

He was so honest that he even added a warning that he might deceive her again, but that light confession actually made Ria’s heart feel at ease.

Because it felt like he was merely reciting the truth, as if everything really was nothing special.

***

Why is she not saying anything?

Ria, who had suddenly followed me with a frightening face and poured out questions, quietly raised her head and looked at the sun that had not fully set yet.

Unlike how she had looked somewhat uneasy, she seemed to have regained stability, so that was fortunate. But what had she wanted to say in the end?

Surely she isn’t going to say there are any number of people who can replace her, so she’ll go back now, right?

I could not drag her by force, but there was no one else I could find either.

Is her desperation lacking because Idan didn’t die after all?

Or maybe she felt it was too burdensome.

I slowed my steps and narrowed the distance with Ria, who was far too quiet compared to a moment ago.

“You don’t have to feel burdened by the word betrayal. Among us, there isn’t anyone who hasn’t betrayed each other at least once anyway. We’ve all hit each other in the back of the head at least once.”

Especially me. For me, it had not been once, but dozens of times, but I held my tongue here.

It would be troublesome if she thought I was someone who could not be trusted at all.

As expected, humans could not live completely honestly.

“At any rate, there is still time before the sun sets, so tell us once you’ve made up your mind.”

Even as I thought that speaking more probably would not make Ria open her mouth, the guide was diligently moving forward.

As befitted a human who had done the work of guiding people down the path of death, the bastard was finding the path where the orc waited very well.

By the time the bastard finally arrived at the riverbank, the leader was also waiting for the guide by the river.

Soon, the man’s scream upon encountering the leader rang through the forest.

At the same time, Ria, who had been silently following behind, also opened her mouth.

“I understand now. Why you specifically told me to lure the guide.”

At the sudden voice from behind, I turned around, and Ria continued while staring at me.

“It was a final chance, right? A chance to pull my foot out here and run away.”

She was right, but only if we assumed the most unlikely case.

The case where Ria refused to go with us.

“Ria is not a fugitive yet. Even if you part ways with us, you won’t be able to return to the village where you used to live, but at least you can avoid being chased.”

The moment I finished speaking, Ria suddenly stepped forward.

Then she charged straight toward the guide.

What is this all of a sudden?

The leader, who had been waiting for my signal as he approached the guide at the riverbank, also saw Ria rushing in at a terrifying speed and looked at me in surprise, but I did not know what Ria’s sudden action meant either.

Her intention was revealed immediately.

WHACK!!!

The moment she entered the guide’s range, Ria swung her fist without the slightest hesitation.

The fist, thrown with all the resentment she had built up and Jing’s teachings bundled tightly together, struck the guide squarely in the philtrum.

The guide collapsed without even being able to scream.

Two front teeth that flew from his mouth rolled along the riverbank with the guide’s body, then were soon swept away by the water.

Ria, who lowered her fist while breathing hard, turned back to look at me as I approached her, her face much more relieved.

“You said you’d think it over until the sun sets.”

“I just finished.”

Ria, answering as if it were nothing, dusted off her hands and smiled.

Her expression had not been good all along. As expected, it seemed she had wanted to hit the guide once.

“He seems unconscious anyway, so hit him as much as you like. Since you’ve already hit him once.”

When I added that I could leave the spot altogether, Ria burst into laughter.

“It’s all right. That just now made things clear.”

What became clear?

When I frowned because I did not understand, Ria looked at me with laughter still remaining on her face.

“Why I followed you people even though we’d only met a few days ago.”

Ria, convinced on her own, lightly lifted the guide and dragged him out of the river like luggage.

***

“He was hit in the philtrum, yet his molars came out too.”

Jing, who was checking whether the unconscious guide had died or not, muttered.

“Well, teeth are only necessary for living people, aren’t they? He doesn’t have many days left to chew food anyway.”

Ratel, who had dragged the knights out of the cave, set them down on either side of the guide and spoke.

“K-kwek. Are all these bastards going to die?”

The half-wit...... no, the idiot, who had been watching us gather the three unconscious men, asked in surprise.

“Yes. The bastards those two serve don’t want it revealed that there was noise around the management of the holy object.”

There was no way humans who hated exceptions and loose lips would take that risk just to keep a single guide alive.

“Kkwek. D-do these two have to die too?”

The idiot’s voice, as he pointed at the two knights, was tinged with confusion.

“Why? Do you not want them to die?”

“Kkwek......”

At my question, the bastard could not answer readily and glanced at the leader.

At the sight of the tactless idiot, who could not even tell a white lie and say no, a sigh eventually escaped the leader’s mouth.

“......Kkwek. Leave the two of them.”

He said it as if he had no choice, but it was not something I could decide.

“What do you want to do? You two were the ones who nearly died at those men’s hands.”

When I turned back and asked Jing and Ria, unlike Jing, who was relatively calm, Ria stiffened her expression.

“I do not mind. They do not seem likely to regain their senses anyway, so perhaps leaving them as they are would be more painful than death.”

“I...... don’t mind either. Whichever way it goes, those two won’t be able to stretch their legs and live comfortably.”

The moment Ria’s rigid voice expressed permission, the half-wit’s expression brightened immediately.

“Kkwek. Then w-we’ll keep them for a while.”

Perhaps afraid we would take back our words, the bastard quickly dragged the two knights away from the riverbank.

“Well, then all that’s left is to send this one person off the island. What method exactly are you planning to use?”

Jing asked while looking back and forth between the guide left lonely on his own and the distant land.

“I’ve never properly told you what ability I have, have I?”

“That is...... true. Is it related to this situation?”

I looked in order at Jing asking with a confused face, Ria wearing a similarly curious expression, and Ratel standing a few steps away with a sullen face, then approached the water’s edge and dipped my hand into it.

There were several lakes in the Imperial Forest too.

As if a royal forest naturally had to be that way, thanks to all kinds of animals from across the world being gathered there indiscriminately, I knew a few animals that did not stop moving even in cold weather.

For example, otters that did not even hibernate.

Calling them was not difficult, but doing it in front of other people felt somehow awkward.

By the time my hand submerged in the river felt numb, I took a deep breath and opened my mouth.

“If any of you can help, gather here. It’s a matter of moving one human.”

“Who are you speaking to?”

Jing asked in confusion, but there was no need for me to open my mouth.

Because the splashing sound of water, the approaching bubbles, and the three animals that emerged from within them answered in my stead.