36 – Prey chases prey (1)
“Are you feeling very uncomfortable, Captain Saunders?”
Handing me some fragrant honey tea, the village head sat down.
With a face that looks quite bright.
When I first met you, it seemed like a dark shadow was covering you.
It seemed lighter now.
“I don’t hate it, but… I’m not sure.
Sometimes he seems like a good person, sometimes he looks bad…”
“I see.
I won’t ask you to understand, but I still want you to know that he has no bad intentions.
I was very nervous because of the demons,
Because it is a place where things come and go, there are quite a few people who come with bad intentions.”
Put some cooled tea into your mouth,
The leader continued his words.
“I told you that I am the acting village head.
Of course, the leader of the Saunders Guard abbreviates it because he doesn’t want to complicate things…
Actually, you just took on my husband’s position for a short time.
When I was attacked by a demon, maybe I was eroded by energy, or my wounds didn’t heal…”
He tapped his glass with the tip of his fingernail for a moment, tick, tick, then lowered his head,
When he heard it again, he drew an arc with slightly wet eyes.
“Thanks to you, his condition has improved a lot.
I don’t know how to thank you.”
I thought there might only be bad things in adventure.
Receiving gratitude like this also reminded me that there were definitely good memories.
It was fun to make someone happy and see that smile right before my eyes.
Even if it is wet with tears,
Because joy was joy.
“I’m sorry. As the village head, I shouldn’t show myself like this.
So, this is about chimera –
I thought it would not be enough to just have one person accompanying me, so I invited one more adventurer.
He is the one who often chases down demons and kills them.
I think it will probably be of great help.”
My heart skipped a little at those words.
A real ‘colleague’, not a mother.
Is now the moment when I meet someone with whom I can have a new adventure?
“Ah, I guess you came at the right time.”
The door is knocked,
Opens,
This person appeared in the gap with light steps.
“Hello, Chief. I am in charge of the search for Chimera…”
That person was so familiar,
Another person who remained in my memory for a long time, no –
“Hello…?”
With a dog’s tail,
An adventurer with shiny blonde hair and wearing leather armor.
This was the same beastman who approached me from the first day, saying he was interested in hunting demons.
“Chief, this person – “
“He’s quite a celebrity, do you recognize him?
This is Wizard Russell, who saved people and exterminated demons.”
Mr. Lee, who made the introduction for me.
Then he suddenly noticed the exchange of glances between us and raised his eyebrows slightly.
“Oh, you two. Are you by any chance spherical?”
“I’ve met you on the street before.”
I was the one who answered that question first,
Then a golden woman with her tail fluttering.
She was buzzing with a different feeling than her mother’s, so I thought she looked pretty good, but-
“Ugh!”
I couldn’t help but let out a sad sigh as I saw him holding on to it so tightly and not letting go.
The bright red face was quite funny,
At the same time, there was something strange about his unwillingness to make eye contact with me.
“Hmm? Mr. Luterrier. Is there anything strange?”
Ruterrier.
Is that that person’s name?
“No, that’s… Ugh –
I don’t know if I can go with you.”
For some reason, it seemed like everyone who faced me lowered their heads.
The fact that everyone seemed to be trying desperately not to show their faces kept making me wonder if there was a problem with me.
However, even when caught, the tip of the tail fluttering was an interesting sight.
Should I say it feels like a dog excited to meet a person?
Ah, is it rude to think like this?
“Why are you like that? Aren’t you someone who is recognized for your assisting skills wherever you go?”
“That – “
And before the words are over,
Before I could even organize my thoughts,
As if to shake it all up, someone knocked on the door.
Lightly,
But clearly.
From Noble mtl dot com
“Oh, I understand there are no more guests scheduled to come…”
When the chief disappeared before my eyes and reappeared –
There was something casting a long shadow over his head.
“Mr. Russell? It looks like a colleague is visiting you?”
I was puzzled for a moment by those words, but then I was surprised by the familiar face that appeared.
That’s right –
“Hello everyone,
It’s called a tutuère.”
Once again disguised as a human,
Because my mother appeared in front of people.
***
“Byeong…!”
A sharp scream passed my ears for a moment.
I looked around in surprise at that, but no one opened their mouth.
But…
The tip of Mr. Luterrier’s tail no longer wags,
I was very concerned that my face wasn’t even red.
“Russell… Is the story over?”
I tried to call you by name as if you were familiar,
Words left out for a long time while observing the opinions of people around me.
Mom’s voice contained strength.
…The force that is trying to drag me out of this place.
“I haven’t finished greeting my co-worker yet.
If you have time, let’s have some tea together – “
“Hmm.”
A sigh made loudly as if to be heard.
It was okay after I got used to her mother’s eyes, but
Her mother’s eyes were too sharp,
When facing someone else, it would turn scary.
Why does that moment when wild dogs growl and foam at the mouth overlap with my current mother?
“I think we’ve saved enough people with just the two of us, but…
I don’t understand why they add more people ‘unnecessarily’.
A young wizard with a bright future,
And one lineman.
That was enough to kill three demons.”
“I think I need to be a little more careful with this request.
That’s none other than… To check whether the chimera is alive or dead.”
“It’s about life or death.”
Mom snorted and looked at me for a moment, then twitched her mouth.
And then he immediately turned his fierce eyes towards Mr. Luterrier.
“Hi-kyung.”
The sight of her shaking her legs as if she was going to collapse at any moment looked so dangerous that I thought I had to rush out and help her.
The gaze was aimed precisely like a sharp sword.
“If that’s the case, I think the two of us can do it well.
A cancer trembling in a corner like that…
If I take a bunch of luggage with me, what difference will it make?”
As she continued speaking while keeping her gaze fixed,
Her face became more and more stiff, and it seemed as if she did not know how to smile.
When she was with me, the corners of her mouth, which were always curved, became stiff and straight.
“Well, still – “
“Chief.”
Mom lightly sat down and held a teacup.
Gracefully crossing her long legs that were wrapped around me, I swallowed her honey tea that I couldn’t even touch her mouth.
“I don’t prefer long conversations.
I don’t like spending a lot of time on things with obvious results.”
The situation was getting worse.
And, the picture of the adventure I had drawn was completely crumpled.
With the hands of her mother and no one else.
I had to stop it.
“Well, Madame Tutuère…”
Carefully lift her hand and steal her gaze,
I saw a bright warmth radiating from my frozen face.
The change was very instantaneous.
The spread of hostility is being withdrawn,
The darkness that had swallowed everyone disappeared without a trace.
“Yes, Russell.”
“I think it’s okay to go with three people.”
But before I could finish speaking, her mother’s eyes were filled with confusion.
At the same time, her hand, which had been gently placed on her knee, wrinkled the cloth.
“What do you mean – “
“They say this job is very dangerous, so I don’t think it would be a bad idea to get help from an expert.
And also… I want to meet a lot of new people.”
I had no intention of breaking the third rule, but I also had no intention of missing out on a new opportunity.
Going on an adventure with someone.
I went out to have a variety of experiences and to see a wider world.
Before I knew it, I was strangely being swayed by her mother.
I was able to realize that only now.
Pretending to be weak and sad in front of my eyes,
It was not acceptable for me to show my teeth and scare those who approached me.
Even though nothing has happened yet,
Even though they were not trying to harm me,
It was completely unacceptable to come out like this.
I did it for the future adventure.
“Lutherrier here… Mr.?
This person asked me last time if I would like to go hunt down demons with him.
Unlike others who arbitrarily extended their arms and threatened – very politely.
I think it’s okay, but what about Madame Tutuère?”
Strongly, that’s how I pushed.
Without a single pause in my speech, I looked into those black eyes.
“…Well, run…”
Why are you looking at me like that?
You said it was for my journey, but why did you talk as if you were so shocked by my decision?
I couldn’t bear to look into my eyes any longer, and I ended up sighing when I saw him lower his head like everyone else.
“Chief,
Mr. Luterrier,
Wait a moment… Is it okay if I talk to Madame Tutuère?
I’m so sorry…!”
So I grabbed the dragon’s wrist and left the house,
Her mother was dragged into an alley where people could not see.
I barely got up and couldn’t even properly apologize to the two who placed their hands on my chest.
“Mom.”
That’s why I couldn’t help but be even more disappointed with the dragon in front of me.
For whom did you decide to go on an adventure?
I couldn’t help but get angry at that blank face that seemed to have forgotten why I was helping people.
“Why did you do that?”
Even if tears come to my eyes,
Even if your body trembles,
I had no intention of forgiving this time with hugs and warmth.
If I don’t get angry now, my adventures will go astray in the future.
Slay her…. in bed 🗿