Chapter 29 – Kindred

000

Iona was also a little surprised by Cleon’s low words in response to Galatea’s words.

“You can tell from her appearance that she is of the same clan as you, but… Can you tell that she is a magic swordsman?”

“Yes. I don’t know if she’s awakened or not.”

Somewhere, except for the length of her hair, it looked similar to when Cleon was disguised as a woman.

Black hair that falls neatly down to the top of the neck.

A sharp black eye that guards the surroundings to see if anyone is targeting the owner.

Judging by the short hem of her skirt, she must be a combat agent, escorting her master.

However, her legs and hands were covered with black cloth gloves and stockings.

She seemed like she wouldn’t literally forgive a single exposure except from the neck down.

Iona took out her notebook and looked at it for a moment, then opened her mouth.

“My name is Ruba. Eustes’ attendant and escort. It seems that I have been working for the marquis’ family for quite some time. Truly from a young age.”

Last night’s dream flashes through Cleon’s mind.

“…It’s getting harder to attack that idiot all at once.”

Cleon frowns.

The people surrounding Eustes were probably his party.

The number is five, including Eustace and Ruba.

The other three are guys who reveal money as one.

Seeing how they agreed with Eustes’ words, it was clear that they were also tied to money.

If it were only them, they would have been able to clean it up and replace it.

If Cleon approaches, Ruba will also notice him and be wary.

It would not be positively acceptable for a magic swordsman of the Dark Demon clan to approach a noble son.

“Whoa~ No matter how much I pour out, I’m thirsty for this endless saga of this body. Hey! Colonel the water!”

Even if you’re a braggart, if you come to this level, then you pour out stories that can only come out with admiration.

The image of him hitting a desk with a violent tone and beating people with one jaw was truly a child.

Why is it that all the sons of nobles are like this?

“Brother Eustes. For the sake of the marquis’ family, it’s better to use a slightly polite tone.”

“Courtesy… ? Courtesy is something you only show up in conversations with people of equal rank.”

An employee handing Eustes a glass of water with a slightly uncomfortable expression.

Eustes turns around and puts his hand on the buttocks of the employee who is about to leave.

OK-

Damn!

With a shout, Rubera slapped Eustes on the cheek.

“I’m sorry, Bocchan. There’s a fly bug on your face.”

“Ah oh…?”

Eustes grabs his tingling cheeks and looks at his attendant.

Did he feel intimidated by her eyes looking at him with cold eyes?

The other party watching the scene seemed to be struggling to contain their laughter.

“…The reins.”

“Yes. The Marquis’ arrangement.”

Cleon and Iona had the same evaluation of Rubera.

A bodyguard assigned to protect his immature and reckless son and to protect the reputation of the marquis family.

A certain amount of rudeness would be tolerated by the Marquis, and Eustes was terrified when she raised her voice and glared at him, unable to say anything.

It just dyed my face red and let go of my anger.

After a moment of silence passed between the party, Ruba opened her mouth again.

“It’s time to start requesting soon. Everyone, please follow the strategy.”

“Now, Operation? I didn’t hear.”

“If Eustes-nim stands in the center of the party and commands everyone, the strategy is that we will move accordingly. Please do not step forward.”

Saying that, Ruba turned around and put a large bag on her back.

There must have been a large amount of recovery medicine and adventure tools inside.

There were no priests in Eustes’ party.

Mage, Warrior, and Ranger.

A priest belonging to the Order of the Protection of the Holy Spirit would participate in the party without any discrimination.

“What, what. If it’s a strategy like that, there’s nothing we can do about it. Okay. Then, let’s head for the ‘Living Forest’ right now!”

Eustes and the others vigorously raise their arms.

Iona looked at the scene for a while, then turned to Cleon and opened her mouth.

“Following… Cleon?”

Cleon was no longer there.

Iona sighs and decides to follow them alone.

001

Sasha had been feeling uneasy about unknown sensations since yesterday.

Even when I’m still, my heart gets cramped.

While being fooled by Cleon and mingling with him, even that anxiety disappeared.

When Cleon vacated the house, the smirk and stuffiness came up again.

“Ha…”

Sasha sighed and climbed up the tree.

I thought running around the forest chasing animals or getting caught in the wind would alleviate this feeling a little.

There was no such thing.

I just want Cleon to come back as soon as possible.

The danger zone where the mansion is located.

The monsters inside were certainly dangerous, but I was able to avoid their eyes by walking over the trees or holding my breath.

Most of the monsters in the forest are animals and plants mutated by magical power.

It was Sasha’s idea that there was no need to kill meaninglessly unless requested.

Thump… Thump…

Sasha hurriedly stood up when the tree she climbed on was shaken by something.

Looking down, there was a bear the size of a house.

The ground shook with every step he took.

“…Hey, as expected, the living forest. There are monsters like that…”

Probably the head of this area.

It is one of the monsters that maintain order in the living forest.

The next moment, an arrow flew in from somewhere and pierced the body of the leader.

Grasp! When the blood spurted out from the arrow that pierced the thick hide, the leader immediately widened his eyes and roared loudly.

[KrrrrAA!!]

A cry that sounds like your eardrums will burst.

If the next arrow, this time flying into the boss’s eye-

Another arrow flies exactly at that arrow and knocks it down.

Seeing that figure, the boss flinched and looked up.

There, Sasha was looking at the other hunter who attacked the boss with the mark in her eye shining.

Wearing a green cloak and hood.

A hunter glaring at Sasha with an arrow hanging from the longbow in his hand.

The leader looked at it for a moment and then turned back.

Then, the hunter moves to pursue the leader, but Sasha blocks the path by aiming an arrow at him.

“…”

For a while, silence flowed between the two.

The first to move was the hunter.

Quickly, he fires two arrows at the same time and fires them at Sasha.

One of the arrows, flying along a snake-like trajectory, got stuck in Sasha’s hat and the other in a place she barely lifted her foot to avoid.

However, due to the impact, the branch on which Sasha was standing was broken, and she stumbled and fell from the spot.

Sasha quickly drew a dagger from her waist and threw it at the hunter.

The hunter lightly moved his body to the right to dodge the dagger.

Arrows flying in succession at the same speed as the daggers grazed his cheeks.

Thud!

With a scream, Sasha fell to the ground.

I fell, but my legs hurt as much as I was camping in a tall tree.

Wiping the blood from his cheek with his hand, the hunter also came down from the tree and looked at Sasha-

He took off the hood he was wearing.

Hair like sunset. Green eyes. Still, a sober impression.

Seeing the hunter’s appearance, Sasha’s face turns blue.

“…You. You’re the same people.”

The hunter speaks quietly.

In his eyes, the imprint of a hunter like Sasha’s was shining.

‘Descendants of Ruben’

A small hunting tribe far from the city Sasha used to base.

The fact that the name Sasha is not her real name.

And knowing what he did there.

She was a fact that only Cleon knew about her, except for her own person.

“Why are women of the same tribe out of town? Only men who have gone through trials can come out to the outside world…”

The man tilts his head quietly and thinks about Sasha’s true identity.

But she eventually raised the corners of her mouth and smiled knowingly.

“Ah. I see. Are you a fugitive?”

“…Quit…!”

Sasha somehow gets up on the spot and sheds her magic on her leg in order to get away.

Strengthening her body isn’t her specialty, but she knows her tricks.

“Recently, when I went back to the village after a long time, it was noisy. There was a woman who disappeared after slaughter more than 20 marangs…”

The man quietly claps his hands and praises Sasha for her achievements.

“Your skills are amazing. Even the elders were looking for you with their eyes wide open. They say you should bring them in and have a baby before you get older… “

“No!”

Sasha raises her cry of rejection and aims her bow at the man.

“You have no hesitation in aiming your bow at people.”

“You… Are not human. They claim to be the descendants of the hunting god, but live like animals…”

“Haha. In the natural world, the rule of thumb is strong. In that sense, you are the medicine, and I am the river… Is it okay to aim the bow like that?”

Next moment. A man throws a dagger from his waist.

Sasha’s imprint shines, reads its trajectory, and moves her body-

The ensuing arrow traps her paralyzed leg.

“-Ah-uh…!”

In an instant, blood gushed out and pain burst out.

If Layla hadn’t strengthened her legs with her magic, her ankles might have been pierced.

“It’s an application of what you did. Covering the arrow’s trajectory with a dagger is a good idea. I broke into a cold sweat too.”

The man quietly walks towards Sasha.

A rope was in his hand at some point.

“But you have a weak heart. You have no qualms about aiming your bow at people, but do you feel remorse about taking their lives?”

“…No…! Don’t come near me!”

Sasha raises her last remaining dagger and aims it at the man. The man then stopped on the spot and took out his butcher knife.

“I have to cut the tendon so I can’t resist…”

Sasha’s dagger breaks when that vicious blade swings. The next target was her arm.

“Mana Shock!”

The next moment, black lightning from behind pierces the hunter’s cloak and strikes him directly.

Although the hunter drops his slaughter knife at the sensation of his body being paralyzed.

The cloak must have cushioned the shock, so I rolled over and protected myself from the slash that followed.

“Miss Cleon…!”

After releasing Polymorph, Cleon stood in front of Sasha and grabbed the sword.

The man clicked his tongue and inspected his cape for the hole.

“What is it? Is that guy’s owner?”

“…No, I-“

Then, when Sasha felt Sasha gripping the hem of Cleon’s cloak, Cleon turned around slightly.

He nodded at the man.

“Maybe it already had an owner… It’s value has gone down.”

“Are you crazy?”

“There’s nothing you can’t say in front of your face. Please respect the minority culture.”

The man laughed at Cleon’s direct speech and shrugged his shoulders.

“This is Mikacia Lufenwolf. Shall I hear your name, master of my own people?”

“…”

“The people in the city are all rude.”

Cleon frowns at the man’s words, but decides that there is no point in dealing with him and tells his story.

“Get out of here.”

“It’s scary. Are you going to cut me down with that demonic sword? Like a hero named Alvein?”

Cleon widened his eyes at Mikasia’s words and added strength to the hand holding the sword.

“… Do you know. What are you doing?”

“As you can see, I’m a hunter. I was asked to do so, because a precious son will come here, so clean it up in advance and make it ‘safe’ to some extent. “

“Some idiot made a request like that… “

Cleon thought that far and remembered the idiot he saw in the city a while ago.

In the middle, I sensed Sasha’s danger and ran out, so I didn’t listen to her words…

“Are you Eustes’ mercenary?”

“Eustes…? Ah. That idiot? No, I work with that father, Marquis Hughes. Even a poor son is precious.”

Mikasia shrugs and turns away.

“But it’s a different story if you’re here. I don’t think I can beat you head-on.”

“…Do you think we’ll keep the store?”

“If you were alone, it would have been impossible. I’m glad I had a good chunk of luggage.”

The next moment, Mikasia sets up an arrow of magic and fires it toward the sky.

In those eyes, the imprint of a hunter emitting an intense light came to mind.

“Meteor shower in the blue sky.”

Eventually, the arrows spread out into dozens and hundreds of branches and rained down towards the place where Cleon was and its surroundings.

Cleon looks at it and spreads a wall of magic to protect himself and Sasha.

Fortunately, the power of each arrow is not enough to pierce the wall.

It was his intention to hold onto Cleon until he escaped.

…When the rain of arrows stopped for nearly a minute

Mikasia was no longer there.

“…”

Cleon looks around for a while, then turns around when he hears a ‘thump’ from behind.

“Sasha! Wake up!”

Is it because of the relaxation and bleeding? Carrying the unconscious Sasha on his back, Cleon ran towards the mansion.

002

Sasha woke up in a room in the mansion.

Quon opened his eyes while casting a healing spell beside him.

And next to him was Cleon.

“I’m glad you opened your eyes.”

Quon smiles and heals Sasha’s wounds.

Sasha looked at Quon and Cleon in silence for a moment, then pulled the blanket up to her face.

“… I’m sorry. Because of me.”

And he was talking quietly with the blanket wrapped around him.

Quon looks at Sasha, then looks up at Cleon, who is quietly standing next to him.

Then, Cleon sighed and spoke.

“You don’t have to apologize. However, there are guys like that in the city, so you just have to be a little careful when you go out.”

Cleon’s own consolation. Sasha is still wrapped in the blanket.

“…I now know why my heart has been tight since yesterday. The thing I fear the most has come close.”

“So yesterday was a bit strange…”

At Cleon’s words, Sasha slightly lowered the blanket and looked up at him with only her eyes visible.

“…Are you bothered?”

“No. I don’t. I just understand why.”

As the power of the hunter’s imprint grew stronger, Sasha’s animalistic sixth sense was also manifested.

It must have been something strange after being hit by the magician’s magic eye before.

Although it was not a problem to increase the necessary abilities as a hunter.

The side effects were problematic.

The hunter’s imprint is one of the powers of Ruben, the god of hunting.

When you start to draw out the power of the imprint, the connection with Ruben gets stronger.

Eventually, he transforms humans into ‘beasts’ like Ruben.

No one in the village told me what the beast was.

They all just blur their faces and are reluctant to speak.

“…Layla will make the medicine. You don’t know what kind of poison the arrowhead might contain, so let’s drink it and get a good night’s sleep.”

At Quon’s words, Sasha thought for a moment and then shook her head.

“Cleon, I have a favor to ask you.”

“…Request?”

“Please seal the imprint on my eye. Using the connection between Cleon-san and me, how much freedom can I manipulate my body?”

Cleon is silent for a moment at Sasha’s words.

Cleon knew what she meant by these words.

An act that lowers one’s value as a hunter.

Probably, she doesn’t want to go with Mikasia even if she dies.

If that’s what she wants…

Cleon also needed to take responsibility.

“…Okay. But we don’t have much time, so the procedure will be short. Let’s do the formal sealing later.”

Saying so, Cleon turned to Quon.

Quon read his intentions, nodded his head, and quietly left the room.

And Cleon begins to take off the clothes on his body.

Feeling the throb of the imprint of dominion silently responding above your heart.

Sasha let go of her body her.