NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 138
The surroundings are engulfed in darkness.
If I focus, it seems I can hear the sound of the wind, but it also sounds like dirt falling.
Thinking it might just be the sound of dirt dropping again, this time I could also swear I heard water dripping.
The strange sounds that could induce cognitive dissonance were confusing because I had never heard anything like them before.
Honestly, it was nothing special, but getting kidnapped like this suddenly made everything sound confusing.
In that train of thought, I slowly reflected on the situation I was in.
In coward mode, darkness should be excluded, yet it was filled with pitch-black space all around.
That means this is not darkness but the void (無) itself.
Such phenomena are not something you would see in a place where humans live.
Of course not.
For a human to witness something like this, they’d have to keep up with the expansion rate of the universe and see the end of it, and since that rate exceeds the speed of light, it would be impossible until the end of humanity’s history.
In a nutshell, this meant I was in a space entirely separate from the universe I inhabited.
I could feel the soft, enveloping sensation of something around my arms, and the feeling of something brushing against my cheek.
This must be a space created by that crazy outsider after forcibly kidnapping me, enjoying themselves while doing so.
I looked around.
Everywhere was shrouded in the void; there was nowhere to escape.
The Elite Outsider has the ability to create existence from nothingness.
But what would happen if a human touched that void who lacked such abilities?
Would something cliché happen, like returning to the source of creation?
“My lord. Look here.”
This mischievous dragon of a woman.
With a voice unnecessarily soft, she was lavishly stroking my cheek.
Her expression suggested she felt as if she owned the world just because I called her name once, which annoyed me somehow.
“I’m a bit busy today.”
“I don’t think a man like you, who claims to be busy, should be saying such things.”
“No, I really…”
“Enough!”
The expression that had looked so happy moments ago vanished, and the Dragon Slayer suddenly rose with a face full of anger.
“I cannot accept this! You opened your heart to that weed while being so strict with your own daughter!”
Hmm.
After listening to the Dragon Slayer, I too wondered why I was acting that way.
Just being sulky?
No, it seemed there was a slightly deeper cause.
And I realized what that was.
“…Um, saying this might hurt your feelings.”
“Speak it all! If it’s a reason I can accept, I’ll listen with a smile.”
I took a breath and cautiously brought up the topic.
“First of all.”
“….”
“You have a serious obsession.”
“That weed does too…!”
“And it feels like every time we meet, all you think about is how to devour me.”
“…That, that is.”
“Fiore, at least when I say stop, stops, but you go straight for it.”
“…Ah.”
The once confident Dragon Slayer began to crumble gradually at my words.
Yeah, that seemed to be the crucial difference.
Fiore at least tried to solve things through conversation and appealed to my emotions.
In the end, she managed to convince me and helped me understand my mistakes from the heart.
But the Dragon Slayer is a bit forceful, isn’t she?
A tad scary.
Hmm.
Now that I think about it, I felt like this was indeed the right call.
But did I say it a bit too harshly?
The Dragon Slayer wore a face that looked like she’d burst into tears any moment now.
Thinking just calling her name would end everything led her to realize she couldn’t win over someone else’s heart.
Such common delusions are what those close to divinity tend to have.
“Maybe that’s why the Record Keeper tried to get you to stop too. Because they thought there might be some rejection reaction.”
“…They did say something like that.”
“Right, so stop pouting.”
I slowly patted the Dragon Slayer’s head.
Was she surprised by my actions contradicting my words?
The Dragon Slayer’s eyes widened as she looked up at me.
“My lord. This is…”
“Just because of that, it doesn’t mean I dislike you. What I mean is… I just wish you’d behave a bit slower. I’m sorry too. I’ve acted in ways that could bother you, so this must be how it ended up. I’ll try to hold back my actions from now on.”
That’s right.
I said that, but ultimately the cause lies with me.
It’s not just about blaming the Dragon Slayer; it’s about honestly acknowledging my mistakes as well.
Isn’t that what communication between us is all about?
Hearing my words, the Dragon Slayer’s expression brightened suddenly, and she hugged me tightly.
“After all, you are my lord!”
“H-huff.”
This must have been the first time the Dragon Slayer had such a pure smile.
So cute, I deliberately turned my gaze away.
#
There are hardly any people who use the Library of Rondan.
If you happen to get information there and accidentally read a book containing the outsider’s information, it could lead to immediate mental contamination or death. That’s the biggest reason why.
And in a time where building knowledge could result in death from the slightest mistake, many would rather just work instead.
As a result, the library, essentially deserted, had only the Record Keeper sitting at the desk, diligently reading piles of books.
The Record Keeper was there as part of their duty but felt quite satisfied with being in that library.
The time spent reading alone like this was rather calming and healing.
Having learned mysticism, even if they read a book by the outsider, they could avoid mental contamination, so isn’t that like hitting the jackpot?
It truly felt like a space made for the Saint, themselves.
But from some point onward, I wondered.
Tap, tap.
It wasn’t particularly loud, but it was enough of a sound to catch the Saint’s attention.
The Saint discreetly glanced at the owner of the footsteps, trying not to give away her spying.
While they were dressed far more modestly than before, the outfit still exuded femininity.
For instance, a tight black top with a loose coat draped over it.
They wore baggy pants, but the line of their thighs was still blatantly visible.
Is that person really the Hunter I know? the Saint thought.
…The one who transformed them like this must be Sir Tanton.
The Saint inwardly thought Leydan Tanton was formidable all over again.
The reason the Saint was paying attention was partly due to the reckless comment she made before. Since the person hadn’t pressed the matter, it made her feel somewhat intimidated.
Though now they appeared more feminine, their underlying potency hadn’t changed.
In fact, it might be even scarier that she, free from Rondan’s laws, possesses a power potentially stronger than Sir Tanton.
Moreover, curiosity grew as days passed about how she was growing stronger.
It seemed like only the weapons were changing, and her physical abilities were improving slightly.
The strength of the Hunter was something unknown even to outsiders.
It appeared absurd that she was growing stronger without any plot justification, leaving the Saint at a loss.
“Ugh, there’s no information here I like.”
Muttering, the Hunter moved closer to the Saint.
The Saint could only hope for the Hunter to go elsewhere, yet she sighed when the Hunter finally took a seat in front of her.
“Are you just pretending to be the victim after glaring at me so openly?”
“Cough, cough! It’s unusual for anyone besides Sir Tanton to visit this library, so it can’t be helped that I’m concerned.”
“That was quite a displeasing glare, though.”
The Saint cleared her throat, pretending not to notice, while the Hunter maintained her stone-cold face.
Seeing the Hunter speak like that left the Saint dumbfounded.
So, she decided to give it a timid jab.
“…That’s not something a Hunter should say, is it?”
Looking utterly oblivious, the Hunter tilted her head in confusion.
The Saint shook her head in disbelief at the Hunter’s actions.
“That’s something you’d do to Sir Tanton.”
“That is an act for the sake of mankind. Right now, that crazy man is moving for humanity, but with so many alluring outsiders around, who knows what’ll happen?”
“To say that trying to forcibly overpower that person who sacrifices so much for humanity is for the good of humankind—that’s a viewpoint I’ve never heard of.”
The Saint cast a suspicious glance at the Hunter.
The Hunter frowned disapprovingly, but the Saint didn’t stop voicing her thoughts.
“Is that truly your intention?”
“What intention?”
“Do you approach Sir Tanton solely with those so-called pro-human intentions?”
The Saint looked at the Hunter with a desperate heart.
When Sir Tanton isn’t present, the Hunter manages herself to some degree.
But thinking about the outfit she wore the last time with Sir Tanton…
Yes.
From the Saint’s point of view, there seemed to be some hidden intention behind that behavior.
And she had an inkling of what that intention might be.
But the Hunter merely stared back at the Saint indifferently and jumped up from her seat, delivering a swift smack to the back of her head.
“Ugh!”
“Instead of spouting nonsense, just tell me about a readable book.”
“…Ugh, try looking over there. There should be a book called ‘A History of Hunters.’ but it’s probably a bit worn out and hard to find.”
“Hmm.”
The Hunter silently walked over to the area the Saint had guided her toward.
The Saint sighed at this sight.
Watching the Hunter cleverly concoct excuses.
But while the Hunter searched for the book, she was mulling over the Saint’s words.
“…Another intention, huh.”
Thinking along those lines, the Hunter finally found the book the Saint had mentioned and began reading it, discovering an intriguing piece of information.
“…The origin of all hunters was indeed the center of the empire?”
The Hunter pondered this while getting lost in thought.
Since she’d decided to acquire information on Hunters, she would have to visit the place mentioned in this book.
The center of the empire.
That feels quite far from here, and it seemed that it would be quite a long journey ahead.
It appeared there was a reason for her to leave Rondan for a while.