LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 73: Relationship Between Each Individual
“Why… How?”
Like a broken recorder, Ichinose-san repeats the same phrase over and over again. An acquaintance… or perhaps the person she said she was close with? …. This girl? She looks like the type that is the polar opposite of Ichinose-san… hmm, let’s ignore that for now. I should focus on the topic of the dark wolf.
What shall I do? Track it down? If I make a move right now, I can catch up to it. Nishino-kun doesn’t know this, but the dark wolf’s pack has already been virtually decimated by us. Furthermore, the dark wolf itself is in a weakened state as well. It’s the perfect opportunity to kill it.
“Wan!”
Momo has come out of its shadow and is pulling on the hem of my clothes. Momo seems to be in favor of chasing it down. She’s being more aggressive than ever before. It’s decided. We’ll track it down with Momo’s superior sense of smell. Until now, we have been chased around quite a bit. It’s about time we counterattack. Let’s put an end to this here.
“Ichinose-san, we’re going to give chase. Please ride on my back.”
We can travel faster with her on my back. Since Ichinose-san chest doesn’t give off exceptional sensations, I won’t get distracted either. Now, come on.
“….Huh? Ichinose-san?”
There isn’t any reply. What’s up with her? When I look back, I see Ichinose-san still staring at Rikka-chan. So it distracts you to such an extent…. But hey! What is she doing? Ichinose-san shakes off my hands, walks forward with wobbly steps, and opens her mouth.
“Ri—”
I try to stop her, but I don’t make it in time.
“Furu Furu~!”
At that moment, Aka’s clone which was on Ichinose-san’s body clogs her mouth. Then, Momo binds Ichinose-san with her shadow.
“Mu~~~! Mu~~~~!”
“I apologize, please bear with it for a moment.”
Carrying Ichinose-san, I sprint with my maximum speed and leave the area. That was close. We almost got discovered.
“You seem to have met an old acquaintance, but please be patient.”
“…”
“There is a student council member there along with countless other students. To reveal ourselves at this point in time isn’t a wise move.” “…”
“Since you’ve physically seen the person, you should be able to use the ‘Mail’ function. Later on, you can converse with her using that. If you must, you can set up a place where you guys can meet in secret. So please restrain yourself for now.” I try my best to persuade Ichinose-san while I am on the run….
Ah, damn. Talking while sprinting is quite exhausting. My stomach is aching. With the rise in status, I am able to travel at an incredible speed while carrying a girl. But why is it that thing like this hasn’t changed? Blast it. Hmm? Wait a minute. How do we look like right now from the perspective of other people? A man (me) wearing a helmet and carrying a gun (Ichinose-san’s gun), running with ragged breaths while pulling along a beautiful girl who is wrapped in black rope (Momo) and gagged (Aka’s disguise)…
This is bad. There is only one interpretation of this scene. It is totally a case that has to be reported. B-but well, whatever. It’s not like anyone can detect us with all my skills on. I’ve arrived at a location that is quite far away from the school. There shouldn’t be any problem if we’re all the way here. I don’t feel any presence of humans nearby. I undo the restriction on Ichinose-san.
“Puh, ha, ha , ha…”
“I’m sorry for being so rough. However—”
“I’m really sorry!!!”
As soon as she came off my back, she performs a dogeza. What?
“I’m sorry for doing things at my own discretion and inconveniencing Kudou-san. Even though we’re a team…” Her voice is shaking, and she is trying to hold back her tears. Please stop. If a girl cries, it will unconditionally feel like I am in the wrong. So please stop. To begin with, what’s up with her? Her attitude is completely different from just a few minutes ago. Oh, she must have converted back to her normal self after calming down.
“I-it’s okay… I was able to interfere just in time, so there isn’t any need to bow your head.” “I can’t. I’m sorry… really….”
I’m telling you to stop because it makes me feel guilty.
“Why don’t we take a break for a while? There, I see an empty house.”
At our current state, we won’t be able to handle the dark wolf. For the sake of calming her down, we must get some rest. We enter the vacant house.
“Your throat must be dry. Here, have a drink.”
“…”
Taking out a can of coffee from the Item Box, I pass it over to Ichinose-san. It’s a Demitas◯ Premium coffee with a bit of sugar. It’s sweet and delicious. I heard that this coffee is only sold in Tohoku, but I wonder if that’s true.
“Wan!”
“I know, I know. I have your portion as well.”
But you’ll be having water, not coffee. Pouring the water in a pan, I hand it over to Momo. Sitting down, I also take some break. Yup, it’s sweet. I can feel the caffeine and the carbohydrate permeating through my body.
“We should start moving again in a short while. As of now, Momo’s nose should still be able to track the dark wolf.” “Wan!”
Momo gives her approval. Yeah, I’m counting on you. Momo’s face looks so cute when I rub its head.
“…Aren’t you going to ask me anything?”
Ichinose-san questions while fidgeting with the can coffee on her hands.
“About what?”
“You know… about what just transpired…”
I scratch my cheek with my finger.
“Well, it’ll be a lie if I say that I’m not interested…”
Truth be told, I’m VERY curious. Even so—
“I don’t want to strain the relationship that I have right now with Ichinose-san by asking you questions.” “…!”
For the foreseeable future, I want to keep her as a party member and have a smooth relationship. This is her problem, so I don’t have the right to say anything about it. Everyone has secrets that they would want to keep. I am not an exception.
“For that reason, I’ll leave this up to Ichinose-san. You can tell me whenever you feel like it. I’ll wait until that time arrives.” If she wants to tell, she is welcome to do so. If she doesn’t want to do so, she doesn’t have to. I don’t have the right to decide for her, so I’ll just wait.
“…Okay. I’m grateful.”
Hearing my speech, Ichinose-san gives me a subtle smile. She should be fine now.
“Now then, it’s about time. Let’s track down the dark wolf. Are you cool with that?” “Yeah!”
Along with a cheerful reply, Ichinose-san receives the gun. Well then, it’s time to continue on with our search. We shall pursue the dark wolf.
On the other hand, at the school—
“H-huh?”
“What’s wrong, Rikka?”
“It’s nothing. It’s just that… I felt something nostalgic. I know this sounds ridiculous, but I think I heard Nattsun’s voice.” “…You’re kidding, right? There’s just no way she’s here.”
“Exactly… what am I even saying.”
“I’m surprised that you still remember her.”
“That’s a matter of course. I’ll never forget her. After all, she was my closest friend.” “You mean the one you bullied the most. It amazes me that you can say that after cornering her to the point where she quitted school.” “Hahaha, you’re right. It was like that. It was like that. Yup, this conversation ends here. Now, what are we doing next?” “Treatment of the injured and meeting with the exploration team. Let’s go.”
“Yes~ Yes~”
{ You have gained experience. }
{ Skill proficiency has reached a certain level. }
{ Monster Enslavement has increased from LV 5 to LV6. }
{ Familiar Enhancement has increased from LV 3 to LV 4. }
“Chi… to think that none of them has died… Well, who cares. I’ve understood the extent of this guy’s capabilities. The next one will be the real deal.” “Uuuuu…grrrrrr…”
“What is it with your eyes? Are you rebelling against your master? You’re just a dog.” “Gyaun~”
“Ahhi~yahyahya! What’s wrong! I thought you were dissatisfied! Hey! Hey!”
“Gaa…guu…”
“Ha! That’s what you get for going against your master!”
“….”
“The world has become like this and I have obtained this power. I’ll get anything I want. No one will get in my way.”