Chapter 179: [Roy] Guard Event
[A/N: At the end of every month, I’ll be mentioning the Top 3 Golden Ticket donators and the Top 5 Power Stone donators in the Author’s Note! Thank you all for the support! ❤️]
I was walking with Rushi, Seirin, and Renne to send Konru home.
Konru’s house was apparently on the middle slope of the third street, so that was where we were heading.
"Roy..."
"Yeah, I see it."
We hadn’t felt any gazes since leaving the Fiera Dormitory, but as soon as we entered the third street, a disgusting gaze hit us.
It wasn’t just me who felt it—everyone felt it.
Rushi, walking beside me, scanned the surroundings with only her eyes and reported in a small voice that she couldn’t find anything.
Konru walked behind me, and Seirin and Renne walked beside her.
They also reported in small voices behind me that they couldn’t find the source of the gaze.
...Could there really be situations where so many people were on high alert and still couldn’t confirm the presence?
At this point I had to assume it was the skill.
Every time I glanced back at Konru, who was trembling in fear, I couldn’t understand why she was doing this.
I had intended to stay calm like the teacher told me, but my heart was getting hotter and I could feel it myself.
...Indeed, staying calm is hard, isn’t it, Raide-sensei.
I muttered that to myself and smiled wryly, then immediately steeled my nerves and began watching for the person sending the gaze not to approach.
The person sending the gaze hadn’t made contact yet, so I was relieved, but there was a disgusting feeling of putting off the danger.
When Konru said in a small voice, "I can see the house..." the person who had been sending the gaze moved.
They were clearly approaching, and the direction was clear.
I stepped out in front of everyone and visually confirmed the approaching man’s figure.
At the same moment, Konru behind me whispered in surprise.
"Bee-chan...?"
"Who is it?"
"He’s my... childhood friend."
A childhood friend? That guy had been sending such disgusting gazes?
I took my longsword out of the magic bag as a precaution and stood waiting until the man got close enough to hear me speak.
The man’s appearance was adventurer-like, but he wasn’t properly dressed or groomed, so he would be mistaken for a thief anyway.
When the man got close enough for his voice to reach us, he glared at me with an angry face and said,
"What are you?! Stay away from Konru!"
"...I want to know why you were watching her so much in advance."
"What do you have to do with that?!"
"Konru-san is my friend. It’s only natural to worry as a friend, isn’t it?"
The man spat on the ground irritably at my words and pulled a longsword out of the magic bag.
Konru let out a small scream, and while Seirin and Renne comforted her, she slowly backed away.
I observed the man’s situation as calmly as possible—I hadn’t seen him in action much.
The grip on the sword was sloppy; if he drew it, it would probably fly out of his hand.
"Bee-chan, stop! Why are you doing this?!"
"Shut up! You should’ve just become mine quietly!"
"...What are you saying?"
With all my courage, I tried to stop the childhood friend, but the man shouted loudly to deny it.
I didn’t understand what he was saying at all.
If I had understood, I could have predicted that my emotions would come out like when I met Groog.
Unaware of my feelings, the man smirked while reaching for his weapon and said with disgusting laughter.
"The girl who was your childhood friend—you can do whatever you want with her now."
...Ah, this man can only be stopped by fighting.
Suddenly I remembered what I had talked about with the teacher in the bath yesterday, and I accepted that this was exactly what it was.
If I killed the man while fighting, Konru might hate me.
If I let him go, it was obvious that other women besides Konru would suffer.
No matter which result I chose, it would wound my heart.
I glanced only at Rushi and the others behind me and smiled slightly.
I’ve made up my mind... Raide-sensei.
If I couldn’t endure it, it might be pathetic, but I’ll rely on Rushi and the others.
I drew the longsword’s blade from the sheath faster than the man, directing the intimidating resolve I had made and said,
"If you direct hostility any further, I will treat you as an enemy."
"If I treat you as an enemy, what then?! ...GyaAAAAAHHHH!!!"
"Too late."
The moment the man reacted to my words and tried to draw his weapon, I used the skill [Tyrable].
I cut off his weapon-holding hand and his non-escaping leg at the same time.
The man dropped his weapon and thrashed on the ground in pain, and I could confirm blood coming from the wound, so it wasn’t an act.
Even in this situation, my head was completely calm.
Even though he had shown hostility, why had this man been so leisurely?
From the teacher’s teachings and the back I had seen, his movements looked like those of an amateur to me.
Probably he had thought I was just a student who couldn’t do anything. But we had the teacher in our year.
Would he really panic at a little intimidation...?
I approached the man, who was thrashing on the ground, with careful steps to deliver the final blow.
I had doubts about the teacher killing hostile people, but it was only now, in the same situation, that I understood.
If I let this man escape or he was released by the soldiers, he might come for revenge.
If that happened, my precious people would be in danger.
Then I would cut off that danger right here and now.
I pressed the tip of my sword to the man’s neck and said in a voice as cold as I could make it.
"...Do you have anything left to say?"
"Help me! Please help meeee!!"
"That’s impossible. Then..."
"Stop it."
Just as I was about to stab, a voice stopped me.
At the same time, the hand holding the longsword was strongly grabbed by someone and stopped.
When I turned my face sideways, one of Erika-san’s guards, smiling wryly, was holding my hand.
"Haa, I didn’t think you’d get to say that to Roy-san too?"
"Erika-san? Why are you here...?"
"Raide-san said maybe it was dangerous. More importantly, draw your sword. The soldiers are already on their way."
"But..."
"So that harm doesn’t reach you and the others again, I’ve told the soldiers firmly. So, please stop."
Erika-san smiled wryly and glanced at my back.
When I looked back as if pulled by her, Rushi and the others were protecting Konru with worried expressions.
The moment I saw Rushi and the others, the tension disappeared and I felt exhausted, so I smiled wryly.
While sheathing the longsword and pulling the blade back, I bowed to Erika-san and said,
"Thank you for stopping me."
’Fufu, that look of not quite accepting it. You’ve become even more like Raide-san."
"...Why does that make me happy?"
"That’s because I respect you that much. More importantly, please take care of Rushi and the others."
"Yeah, yeah."
The man, because of what Erika-san’s guard adventurer did, looked completely limp.
Maybe it was too much blood flowing...
When I saw the patrol soldiers running toward us from a distance, I let out a sigh of relief.
When I approached Rushi and the others, I checked their bodies for injuries and laughed wryly.
I thought of Raide-sensei, who was troubled by worrying about him, and indeed this was a bit of a trouble... I laughed to myself.
Konru’s condition was unexpectedly calm, and she thanked Seirin and Renne for their help.
...Although I wanted to say something.
Instead of worrying you, it’s a forced overnight party... What exactly does that mean?