NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 157
Finally, I ended up calling out the names of all the Divine Races that were fixated on me, including Paura.
Once I blurted it out, my heart raced wildly, to the point where I started to wonder if this was even okay.
I was quite worried about how I would handle things moving forward.
“…Leydan, you look worried.”
Paura smiled at me as I was lost in thought.
Just a moment ago, I had a truly pitiful expression, but now she seemed to exude confidence, which was oddly comforting.
“…To be honest, it does feel a bit strange.”
“It’s not unreasonable. I knew what kind of situation Leydan was in, so I didn’t want to push my luck… but still.”
Despite what she said, Paura couldn’t stop smiling.
I wondered if she genuinely felt good about it, but upon closer inspection, her expression seemed to suggest something slightly different.
She was giving me a smile that indicated she knew something.
Paura had perfectly mediated the last meal when everyone was gathered, and I couldn’t help but feel a strong sense of trust in her.
“Paura?”
“…Hehe, actually, I had anticipated various positive outcomes for myself.”
Leaning closer as if inviting me, Paura whispered something in my ear.
At first, it sounded very reasonable.
But the moment she finished speaking, I trembled as if I was about to have a seizure.
“What, what do you mean?!”
It was a story I couldn’t possibly accept.
It felt so off to me.
Paura twisted her lips in a way that said she understood my confusion and continued speaking.
“I actually think that as long as I can be with you, Leydan, the order doesn’t really matter. My anxiety came from not knowing how you felt about me, but… hearing what you said this time has given me confidence in this plan.”
“B-but that….”
“Then, Leydan, is there a way you can make everyone happy besides this?”
I wanted to vehemently dispute Paura’s statement, but I could only bite my lip and remain silent.
As she said, I couldn’t think of a more effective way.
No matter how hard I tried to think it through, in the end, someone would end up getting hurt.
I had no choice but to follow Paura’s suggestion, as I couldn’t let even one person get hurt because of me.
“…Well, as a way to create a world without pain, it’s a perfect solution, but I’m not sure if it’s morally right.”
“If it can make everyone happy, wouldn’t that be the right thing to do?”
Seeing the cook smile as she said that made me feel a mix of exasperation and resignation.
I really wondered if it was okay to solve things this way.
I glanced over at Bell, who seemed to be happily agreeing with Paura’s words, only letting out a huff of joy.
That made me smile and I gently patted Bell on the head, but she just looked up at me with a face full of questions.
“Woof?”
“Don’t you have a real name? I’ll call you that if you tell me.”
At my words, Bell tilted her head in confusion and then shook it vigorously.
“It’s fine as Bell!”
“Huh?”
“It’s a name my friend gave me, so it doesn’t matter!”
Doesn’t matter?
If you’re close enough to someone to get a name, it must be something special.
“You should cherish the name your friend gave you.”
“I like Bell more!”
Saying that, Bell beamed with delight.
“And I learned that Bell means ‘beautiful’!”
“…?”
Wait, did she really have a language tutor?
Before, I had thought it was a joke when I said I didn’t know much about Bell, but it’s a term you wouldn’t know without proper research.
There could only be one person who might have told her such things.
Apta.
I had told her to maintain the balance of the world, and now she’s even teaching dog language.
It made me wonder how someone so lazy could be in charge of maintaining the world.
“I’m curious though, what did that friend name you?”
“Shenok Geroyaah!”
Shenok Geroyaah.
As I pondered the meaning of that phrase, a sigh escaped my lips.
So far, the Outsiders had generally been named with words related to their assigned concepts.
Well, this was only a small part of what I learned from the Saint.
At the very least, I could tell that those two words did not suit the alias of Watcher at all.
“Bell.”
“Woof?”
“Was that friend who named you Apta?”
“Woof!”
It felt like someone had just jolted me awake.
So, that’s why Bell had been so happy to meet Apta the first time.
… I didn’t know where to start with that little plan, but one thing was certain: calling Bell by that name probably wasn’t a good idea.
Even if she looked like a dog, openly calling her that seemed a bit odd.
Wait a second.
Does this mean I have essentially been calling her name that from the start?
Bell treats the name I gave her as if it’s her real name.
If that’s the case…
Suddenly, I felt a chill as I looked at Bell.
What a delightful little creature she is, holding my hands with both paws, rubbing her face against me, and purring happily.
What if, just what if…
When other Divine Races were anxious about not being able to hear their names, how did Bell feel?
Was she acting like a dog on purpose?
If she was pretending all along, orchestrating this to make sure I would name her…?
If this cute act was all a concept and design…
If she was innocently cuddling up to me, all the while grinning deviously inside…
“Woof?”
Noticing I was staring at her, Bell blinked and looked back at me.
…No.
That seems like such an overreaction.
If that were the case, there would have been some unnatural signs by now, but isn’t Bell still acting like a dog?
The other Divine Races around us wouldn’t have missed that either.
Just look at Paura.
Even now, she observes Bell’s cuteness with a warm smile on her face.
Instead of wasting time on strange thoughts, I should focus on how to take down the Giant of the Snow Mountain.
#
Before Paura returned to her original world, I embraced her one last time.
It seemed I could finally do so freely. The strength with which she hugged me revealed how much she had been holding back until now.
In the past, I might have said something weird like “Heehee, Mama,” in this situation.
Of course, it was still a bit troublesome, given that something heavy kept touching me.
“Phew, that’s enough! I’m fully charged with Leydan energy now!”
“…Ahem.”
Hearing her say that in such a cozy voice made me a little embarrassed.
What’s with ‘Leydan energy’?
What’s wrong with me?
“Then I’ll be going now. … Sorry for making you go through all this today, Leydan.”
“Going through it? I’m just sitting here with my mouth hanging open.”
At my words, Paura chuckled humorously.
“Take care, Bell.”
“Woof! We didn’t take a walk!”
“Hehe, Bell?”
As Paura petted Bell’s head, she looked up at her.
“Woof?”
“Let’s allow Leydan to rest today, okay? He worked hard.”
“Whew, a walk….”
“If you wait just a bit, they say they’ll take you for a walk four times longer next time!”
“Woooof?! In that case, I can wait!”
With that, Bell dashed around me excitedly.
Yes, four times.
Hmm.
Maybe when it’s time to sweep up those bandits, I should bring Bell along.
I could probably just shout, “Bell! Go step on that one!”
“Then I’ll take my leave, Leydan. See you next time.”
“Human! Bye bye!”
With that, the two finally disappeared from the Human World.
Hoo.
A sigh escaped me involuntarily.
It felt like a storm had just passed through.
Now that those two were gone, I was very acutely aware of what exactly I had done.
How would I handle the upcoming aftermath?
Should I just hide with Oko when she comes back to life?
…Now that would be something only a rogue would do.
My head was spinning.
For now, I should return to the Knights Headquarters and send a return report.
#
Upon arriving at the Knights Headquarters, I noticed the Knight Commander and Deputy Director were deeply engaged in a serious discussion, unlike their usual selves.
Typically, it was traditional to catch them engaged in some embarrassing activity when entering the headquarters.
“Commander, Deputy Director.”
“Oh, Tanton. You’re here.”
The Deputy Director noticed me first while the Knight Commander focused intently on a piece of paper.
“Deputy Director? What are you looking at right now?”
“Oh, Tanton. You should join the operation as well.”
As the Deputy Director said that, the Knight Commander nodded in agreement, pointing at her and acknowledging the idea.
“That’s a good idea, Deputy Director. That way, we’ll eliminate quite a few variables.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“I’ll explain it simply.”
From the Deputy Director’s mouth, I heard about something decidedly unusual.
“The Hunter Followers have started to actively cooperate with the Candles.”