019. Hunting Competition (7)
Kyle glanced around and then confidently stated in a feigned voice.
“After some time passes, everything will melt and be fine.”
“….”
It seemed highly unlikely, but Owen decided not to argue.
There seemed to be no point in debating it.
Instead, she brought up the question that had been on her mind.
“But, it costs a lot of money to restore the forest. So where does that money come from?”
The North was practically in winter for three out of the four seasons, making it difficult to harvest crops.
To think that they needed to find money to purchase dozens, even hundreds of mana stones in such a place.
It was quite a challenging task.
“Isn’t that obvious?”
“…?”
“You could get it by selling demon corpses. Demon corpses are valuable, you know.”
That’s right, indeed.
After hearing Kyle’s words, Owen could recall the setting of ＜Empire’s Flower＞.
In the original work, demon corpses were very expensive and precious.
This was because demon fur and skin were valuable materials for high-quality clothing, and because gems were embedded in demon cores.
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Furthermore, demon meat and bones were used to make feed for livestock without the need for waste.
Surprisingly, demons were a useful species in many ways.
“…Wait. So, it wouldn’t be a problem if I used that ability, right?”
After listening up to this point, Owen became skeptical of Kyle’s earlier argument.
Surely Kyle had mentioned that a lot of mana stones were needed to restore the land that had lost its vitality.
And he had also said that a lot of money was needed to purchase mana stones.
But if they could obtain a huge amount of money by selling the corpses of the numerous demons they had killed, then there should be no reason to worry about the high costs.
With a puzzled expression, Owen asked, and Kyle blinked silently before replying.
“…Is that so?”
“…”
This guy.
Owen swallowed the curse that rose to his throat.
“If you weren’t the main character, I would have punched you by now.”
Reminding himself that Kyle was the main character, he controlled his emotions.
Despite being severely flawed in appearance and having exceptional abilities.
Seeing this flaw, he decided to think of him as human.
Owen sighed as he rose from his seat.
“Let’s head back to headquarters in a bit.”
Due to their repeated hunting in the Abyss, the number of demons they had hunted was already comparable to that of others.
So, it was about time to head back to headquarters after a few more rounds.
“Already?”
However, from Kyle’s perspective, who usually enjoyed hunting for quite a long time, it was not something he could easily accept.
Perhaps it was because he spent his days doing paperwork and research in the tower, only coming out into the world twice a year.
And there was hardly any place to use mana and magic unless it was at this time.
Plus, there was hardly any other mage who could handle and confront the tower’s magic.
“I have a promise.”
In response to Kyle’s question, Owen curtly replied.
Kyle seemed puzzled by his answer.
“A promise? You?”
Owen nodded his head in disbelief at Kyle’s tone, which seemed to completely disregard him.
“Yeah. A promise.”
“You don’t have many friends, do you?”
In response to Kyle’s question, Owen slowly replied.
It was true that he didn’t have many friends, but hearing it like this didn’t feel pleasant.
“…It’s not wrong, but it feels a bit unpleasant.”
“You said it yourself. Anyway, who is it? The person you made a promise with.”
At Kyle’s question, Owen turned his gaze elsewhere and pursed his lips slowly.
“…A confusing person.”
At Owen’s response, Kyle narrowed his eyes.
“A confusing person…? What does that mean?”
“It’s just that… they’re like that.”
Explaining it would be long and complicated.
Expressing all my thoughts and feelings about Lucia and making them clear was a difficult task.
As Owen exhaled and replied, Kyle narrowed his eyes even more.
Looking at Kyle like that, Owen let out a faint laugh.
“You’ll soon find out yourself. That person will show up. Or maybe you’ll realize it on your own.”
Owen added with a gentle touch to his chin.
Kyle’s expression became even more peculiar.
“What are you saying? Speak so I can understand.”
Struggling to follow the incomprehensible flow of words, Kyle demanded an explanation.
However, Owen responded with a smirk instead of an explanation.
“It would be cheating if I told you now.”
There was no other choice.
Because revealing the answer now would truly be cheating.
And the supporting male lead, Owen, would surely realize even without this word being spoken.
The moment he laid eyes on the female lead, Bella, he would feel fate.
And in that instant, he would come to understand what love truly is.
“Cheating? What on earth is that strange talk about…”
But to Kyle at this moment, everything sounded like nonsensical gibberish.
As Kyle was getting frustrated and trying to continue speaking.
A rustling sound was heard from one side, followed by a voice echoing.
“Ah. Finally found you.”
At the sound of breathing coming from a place where there should be no sign of life, the gazes of the two involuntarily turned towards it.
When the gazes of the two met that place, the person standing there smiled and spoke.
“I’ve been searching for quite a while. For people.”
Silver hair that seemed crafted from the moon.
And clear silver eyes as if holding the moonlight.
An appearance that perfectly embodied the description in the novel.
The female lead of ＜Empire’s Flower＞, Bella Taylor.
She was standing there.
‘Bella…?’
As a fan of the original work, Owen naturally immediately recognized her identity.
Silver hair, silver eyes.
The appearance that was exactly like the cover illustration brought to life.
Her appearance clearly revealed her identity.
And Kyle asked, “Who are you?”
His expression was puzzled.
As if wondering why an ordinary person had come this far.
‘…Wasn’t he supposed to fall for Bella at first sight?’
Owen felt a bit perplexed.
But instead of deeply pondering, he waited for Bella’s response.
The most problematic thing here was not Kyle’s reaction but the sudden appearance of Bella.
This wasn’t just a minor deviation from the original work; it was a complete destruction of the original.
“Oh, I got lost…”
As Bella answered, Kyle looked bewildered.
“Lost…?”
His expression seemed to question how someone could end up here even if they were lost.
Owen also couldn’t help but agree.
While in the original work, Bella awakening was due to being chased by debt collectors and mistakenly stepping into the forest…
It wasn’t the abyss.
No, before that.
It should have happened in the ‘Foggy Forest’ of the Taylor Viscount’s territory, not in the ‘Eye Forest’ of the Ceres Marquis’s territory.
“Yes…”
Kyle’s reaction of disbelief seemed to have hurt Bella.
Bella lowered her head and cautiously replied.
As Kyle seemed almost on the verge of tears, he started to stammer out words that were completely contrary.
Owen watched their exchange and pondered seriously whether he should step aside, considering their situation.
He should have stopped as Bella had initiated the conversation with me.
“Um, do you happen to know the way out of this forest?”
It was strange that she asked me instead of Kyle, with whom she was just talking, but Owen simply nodded.
Upon Bella’s question, Owen gestured towards Kyle and spoke.
“This friend here will take you.”
“Me, me?”
Kyle asked in a fluster, but Owen shamelessly nodded.
“Yeah. I mentioned I have an appointment.”
Having a promise with Lucia, he couldn’t spare time for Bella. If they arrived at headquarters together, Lucia would naturally not be pleased. He could avoid her gaze and arrive, but he didn’t want to hide the truth from Lucia.
With a supporting lead next to him, there was no need for me to go out of my way.
“…Yeah, that’s right.”
In response to Owen’s words, Kyle nodded in agreement. He took a short breath and spoke to Bella.
“Come this way. There are horses in the central area, so we can ride together.”
Ignoring Bella’s gaze turning towards him, Kyle looked at Owen again.
“Aren’t you coming?”
In response to her puzzled reaction, Owen curtly replied.
“I still have things to do.”
Owen’s voice was endlessly indifferent. His eyes went beyond indifference to being cold.
Bella stiffened under his cold, dark eyes.
Kyle interjected, “Why is he so cold? His words are quite blunt. Don’t take it to heart, he’s known to be that way.”
Despite Kyle’s reassurance, Bella remained resolute. Kyle exhaled shortly and brought up another topic to change the mood.
“More importantly, how did you manage to come here? It must not have been easy in the forest teeming with demons.”
After Kyle asked the question, Bella’s gaze moved away from Owen. She looked at Kyle and pursed her lips.
“I gained a strange power.”
“A strange power, you say?”
“Yes.”
Bella nodded, then conjured up a white aura from her hands.
“When the demons were about to attack me, I gained this power.”
“…”
Owen, who had been silently listening to Bella, remained silent.
‘I was afraid this would happen.’
It seemed like the original plot was twisting as expected.
‘Is it because of me?’
There was only one reason why the original plot was twisting. Because I made things happen that shouldn’t have.
Like hanging out with Lucia, becoming friends with Kyle.
‘But that has nothing to do with Bella.’
Perhaps it was just a simple butterfly effect.
Or maybe it was for some other reason.
‘…It’s a headache.’
As Owen furrowed his brow and sighed, Kyle, with wide eyes, muttered in surprise.
“Power, huh.”
“Power?”
Bella looked at Kyle with a puzzled expression.
“Yes. The power of light is called power. However… you said you faced demons with this?”
“Yes….”
“…That’s amazing.”
Kyle muttered as if finding it hard to believe.
His reaction was expected.
It had been centuries since people were unable to use power helplessly.
But suddenly, someone claiming to have faced demons with power appeared.
It was unbelievable.
“It’s true.”
Bella spoke out, sounding unjust at Kyle’s reaction.
Her position was understandable as well.
She was truly a saint who appeared after 200 years, capable of using power helplessly.
“…If what you say is true.”
Owen listened quietly to the conversation of the two and then slowly opened his mouth.
Both Kyle and Bella turned to look at him.
“Kyle, we might need to check the ‘distortion’ you mentioned.”