BXBX NOVEL Chapter 55 - Volume 4
Rumors of my elder sisters.
From Elmer’s words, it seems like the residents and mercenaries here all gave skeptical looks towards this sudden party of [Heroes].
When such a huge event happens, many self-proclaimed Heroes appear among the young people of the countryside, and for the towns near the Daemon King territory, it almost seems like a travelling bard.
But, well, even if one didn’t have the recognition of the Shiguresu Royal Family, it was entirely possible to call yourself the [Hero of Shiguresu]. It’s the [Freedom] of the thick-skinned.
“When they first came, they went hunting in the [Forest of Monsters] and brought back materials. But after they created problems for the mercenary soldiers who cooperated with the hunters for the materials, and the mercenary groups complained. I heard that they’d given the group a word of warning.”
“……I understand how you feel.”
Those people are the types who cause problems for others easily.
They’re people who’ve read too many fantasy novels. You’re free to hunt monsters, but if you hunted around this town, you needed to receive a request from the local lord, and needed to get along well with the local hunters who paid their tax dues to the country……
“So, what happened to that self-proclaimed Hero?”
“To tell the truth, that Hero, shouted out that the dish called [Tempura] was invented by Shiguresu, and seriously injured eight mercenaries while laughing, especially that magician girl who did a pretty terrible thing with her fire magic. I heard that they’d been chased off by the military police and headed towards the Daemon King’s territory.”
“…………”
Again, what did you do this time, elder sister………
Cruel things with fire magic… it would be awkward if I don’t cast 【Recovery】 on those still in the hospital.
But, to think, [Tempura] is in this world, huh…… I thought that they were things like fritters, but there’s just something magical about it having the same name.
Tempura…… why did you shout out the name of the dish?
While I thought about that, Elmer poured the fruit wine into my glass personally, with an implicating smile appeared on his face.
“Those criminals… the magician girl said something interesting.”
“Well, what was it?”
Finally, Elmer-san stopped talking about that Hero. He said the magic-user, so that’s definitely my elder sisters.
“The rumor that Princess Yurushia of Taterudo, was an evil being that had sold her soul to the Daemons.”
“Heeehhh……”
Did she notice anything…? I hope that it’s just slander, but if she noticed, then it’s about time for me to [Harvest] her.
“Did you know that, Lucia-san?”
“Know what?”
“Princess Yurushia seems to be beautiful princess with golden hair, called the Golden Princess.”
“I see…”
At those words, the aristocrat’s smile that I had stuck to my face, deepened in pleasure.
This person noticed…… I wonder how many people behind the scenes here know.
The facial expressions dropped from Noa and Nia, and at the same time, the [Presence] and [Killing Intent] that I had been suppressing began to run off me like a lava wave.
My Killing Intent has neither hostility nor malice. It’s a Demon’s [Intent] that planted pure [Terror] into the people in the building.
“W-wait a moment, Yu-…… rushia-sama…”
Elmer-san immediately threw on his nobleman’s smile and stood up, kneeling before me at my seat.
“What are you going to do…?”
“Please forgive me. I am not your adversary. I only meant to convey to you that a hostile fool was lurking about…… and I, felt a little bit mischievous.”
As he paled, Elmer-san looked at me seriously.
“……Well, it’ll be alright.”
If he had been a few seconds slower with his apology, Noa and Nia might have already begun the slaughter.
If it was Tina, she’d be filling the blood oceans by now, and if it was Fannie, the soul collection might have already ended.
As I retracted my Killing Intent, Elmer-san breathed out in relief while wiping away his sweat.
“Still… as expected of the legendary [Saint of the Holy Kingdom]. I’d heard rumors, but that was……”
Ah, as expected it was resolved simply with [As expected of the Holy Saint-sama].
It’s strange…… the only one who had realized it was my elder sister-sama.
“Elmer-san, please, stand. It’s strange if you keep kneeling to a simple traveler.”
The other people who didn’t know the circumstances were all tilting their heads in puzzlement, drinking to warm themselves back up, or making an uproar.
It’s not like letting out my Killing Intent is my favorite pastime …… It’s true, you know? The rats that had run off in terror had all been caught by Noa by now.
Well, it was actually the attendants that had thought of the whole thing.
Now that we’d smoked them all out I changed my thoughts back to normal, I didn’t want my true nature to be exposed.
“No, I have been impolite. From here on, my mercenary group shall become your eyes and hands and feet. I, without fail, shall pledge my loyalty to the beautiful Princess.”
As Elmer-san said that, he touched his lips to the back of my hand.
Another worshipper has appeared……
I wonder if this delicious fruit wine is also an [Offering].
But this Elmer-san, although I like him quite a bit, my heart didn’t start thumping like when Noel kissed my hand.
Even if I looked at him closely, he didn’t make me afraid of his gaze as much as Rick did.
……Why was that?
After becoming a Demon, human beings feel just like other animals.
I love Father-sama and Mother-sama who gave my soul a name, and I worried about getting along with other human beings, but I thought this was because of the [Me] that was in the Dream World.
I left the simple tavern to Noa and Nia, and strolled out into the city alone at night.
My footsteps naturally became faster.
I was going somewhere without permission.
“……I want to see you…”
The moment I entered a deserted back alley…… I took off my traveler’s clothes, and flew off into the night sky of the city as the 【Golden Beast】.
＊
Nyaa……
“…Eh, a cat?”
Noel, who was swinging his sword alone in the field, stopped as the cat appeared suddenly.
A very beautiful, golden-haired cat.
Reminding him of the girl that had a similar color, Noel smiled involuntarily.
“Hmm… come here.”
Sheathing his sword and squatting down, although the golden cat seemed to hesitate at Noel’s outstretched hand, it approached.
“Uwaa… how cute.”
Instinctively remarking out loudly at the elegance of the cat, the cat’s eyes suddenly widened and it backed off a step.
“S-sorry, did I scare you…? I wonder what I did……”
Although he didn’t intend to feed it, when he took out the dried seafood as a substitute for snacks, that cat licked the finger of the right hand that he’d presented to it.
“……How friendly. Are you someone’s pet? There’s a ribbon on you.”
The golden cat put both of its front legs on Noel’s knee and gazed at the boy with bright red eyes.
“Where is your owner? Did you get lost?”
While he gently stroked its chin, the cat narrowed its eyes in comfort, and at that state Noel stretched out his arms timidly, and softy lifted the cat up.
“Where are you from… you look familiar.”
As he closed his eyes, he thought of that beautiful golden-haired girl.
One that he’d admired since his childhood, and was aware that she was an important person, a girl that he wanted to stand by.
Although she crawled into people hearts as soon as she arrived, if one reached out to her, she would escape and get away from them like a cat.
He wanted her to be happier than anyone else. …… But he didn’t want to hand her to anyone.
Did his feelings reach her…? He wondered if she would realize them someday.
When the cat licked the cheeks of the boy who seemed a little lonely, Noel smiled with joy and rubbed his cheeks on the cat.
“You’re kind… If you don’t know how to get home, will you sleep in my bed?”
Thinking that the cat wouldn’t understand him, when he touched his nose to the cat’s, the cat was suddenly surprised and slipped through Noel’s hands, and took several steps back.
“Ah…”
While suffering more damage than he’d thought as the warmth was lost from his hands and the feeling of loss set in, Noel smiled at the cat.
“Do you have a place to go home to…?”
The golden cat quietly looked at Noel who said this to it……
And with a *nyaa*, it disappeared into the darkness.
Nyaa……
“………”
Roderick, who was reading a book by the light of the fireplace in the guest room of the local lord’s residence, noticed a cat coming in from an opened window.
He gazed at the cat silently, but given that his eyes went a little bit wide, he might have been somewhat surprised, too.
It was a beautiful cat with a coat that reminded him of someone.
The moment that he met eyes with the cat, he wondered if that girl had appeared in front of him.
Remembering that wild, unnatural girl, Roderick’s mouth molded into a faint smile, and then silently tapped his knees with a *tap-tap*.
“Come over here.”
From that silent, commanding appeal, the cat pulled back for an instant, then descended from the window, putting its front legs on his knees.
“………”
*Pon-Pon*… it also tapped on Roderick’s knees.
The golden cat leaked out a sigh like a human, got on his knees obediently, rolled over, and lay down.
He was speechless. He didn’t pamper it, either.
For some reason, in front of that slowly-weakening fire of the fireplace, a boy and a cat curled up together in gentle warmth.
It seemed, at least, that he could only be gentle when someone was by his side.
In the beginning, he had only gone to see a younger child that had become his relative.
He didn’t have any interest in her, thinking that she would turn a curious eye to him like children of the same age, or be frightened.
He ended up meeting a beautiful girl that looked like a doll that first time, who wasn’t frightened by Roderick, who touched him like he was any other child, and covered him with a clumsy flower garland.
Her appearance was cold like a [Doll], but on the inside was an outrageous girl.
For the first time outside of his family, he spoke with someone as an equal. Only that young girl stood next to him meeting his gaze.
That flower garland from his memory was still hanging up as a decoration in Roderick’s room.
Roderick gently stroked the back of the cat that curled into a ball on his knees.
Was this awfully docile cat being kept by someone in this house? While his hands stroked her back, the cat twisted its body in ticklishness, and looked up at Roderick with red eyes like rubies.
“………”
He didn’t say anything. The cat didn’t purr.
When he put his finger close to the nose of the cat that watched him quietly, the golden cat play-bit down on his fingertip a little strongly, and leaped off of Roderick’s knee.
“……ah”
At Roderick that leaked out a voice for the first time, the cat, gave a *nyaa*… and leaped out of the open window.
Roderick, who had stiffened with his hands outstretched, looked at his hands that still held the warmth of the cat, and sensing a certain meaning, gave a big sigh.
“……I wanted to get to know you……”