133 – 5. Witch Moon (9)

5. Witch’s Moon – Faded Memories (2)

As I descended the stairs in Grace’s arms, all eyes in the hall were fixed on me. Damn, there are still plenty of guests left. I just begged him to come down on the way, and I covered my face with both hands.

Unlike me, who struggled with shame, Grace walked across the hall with a confident gait like a runner carrying the torch, brought me to a table with two people, and even seated me in a chair. Seeing us like that, Mira and Alphonse raised their thumbs up on their own, and Grace looked embarrassed but somehow proud. When did you get hit so well? Mira asked with a grin.

“How do you feel?”

“I want to die.”

Do you know how it feels for a man to be treated like a rug by a woman lighter than himself? His strength is several times stronger than mine, so I can’t resist. To be honest, it was quite comfortable while being held. It feels like you are riding on a sturdy conveyor belt. It seemed like he could understand why women were attracted to a man who lifted them up. Still, shame is shameful. Mira said in a slightly apologetic tone.

“But if you don’t do this, you won’t be able to come out well in your room these days. I was thinking about how to pull it out, but someone said that I could pull it out by force without worrying.”

I immediately looked up at the green-skinned giant. Alphonse looked down at me in a manly low voice and let out a big breath.

“Listen, Jean.”

“I am listening.”

“Not one or two people are worried about your condition these days. Everyone sitting here, the lady in charge, and the inn family too.”

I listened to him and turned to the counter. The hem of the light blue dress disappears in a hurry towards the kitchen. When I turned my head again, he spoke in a calm voice. His protruding teeth were lit up, giving off a stern atmosphere, but his eyes were serious.

“Everyone said it was right after returning from the capital. What happened when you fought that demon?”

“…… No.”

“Did you die once and come back to life, did you have the trauma of being afraid of the outside world?”

I shook my head. He said it right away, as if he already knew it wasn’t. I honestly had no idea that this big fellow was so eloquent.

“If you are not afraid of people or outside, what is the problem? Even I know what’s going on with you.”

I was silent. I raised my head and looked around. Mira and Grace look at me from either side. Eyes of different colors grabbed me.

“Now you are acting like a beast shrunk in a den. The eyes of those frightened, not knowing when a predator might attack their nest.”

I was stabbed to the point and strained my eyes to glare at him, but the strong warrior was not at all intimidated by my petty threats.

“They are still cowering in their nests even after winter. It’s not something anyone can solve.”

“… ….”

“If you want to deny it, if you want to claim that you have no problems and that you are in the same condition as before, prove it yourself. But if that’s impossible and there really is a problem that can’t be solved alone.”

He said forcefully, clenching his molars once.

“Tell me. That is the duty of fellow colleagues.”

A moment of silence fell. Not only the table on our side, but also the customers around us were already concentrating on the conversation. There must have never been a scene where this large half-orc poured out long words toward someone like now.

That’s an indisputable theory. While I was still pondering in my head, a long, thin hand covered the back of my hand. When I looked up, Grace was looking at me with her transparent eyes resembling the sky.

“Jin. If something really happened, could you please tell me, or at least your colleagues?”

“… ….”

“No matter what it is, we will do our best to solve it together. Just like you did for me, I am always ready to go out for you. Even if the opponent is an evil demon or evil spirit. Always.”

This is a very strange word. But she is such a human being. A woman who lives by her own vows, always keeping her words once spoken. So that word will never lie. Mira also moved to her seat next to me.

“Me too. If I leave you alone like you always did and you get better…… I can wait forever.”

Her purple eyes were slightly watery and shimmering.

“But, it’s not. Jin, it just keeps getting worse.”

“… ….”

“I have no idea what kind of nightmares I am having or what I am thinking about all day. If I see you now…… It reminds me of me when Master died. Frustrated, giving up, continuing to deny reality…….”

“Camilla.”

“To me like that, you came. To me who gave up everything and put it down, you came. So, let me reach out to you too.”

I looked around at the three people surrounding me. Everyone’s eyes are full of confidence that if it’s for me, we can overcome any hardship or adversity together.

But…… Nonetheless, I know Even those who are very strong, even my comrades who have a much stronger body and stronger mind than me, the fact that if she sees her, she will eventually collapse.

The fact that she would eventually be defeated without using her hands or feet in the face of an existence that condensed the magic of the whole world, the unknown, and the beyond the veil. When that moment arrives, I will ruthlessly abandon them. They would have to cut off all their ties so far, and run away thoroughly, far, far away, so that her grip would never target them. It is enough for me alone to be eroded into that purgatory. This inn and Celine. Everyone should not go against her.

So there’s no way I can ever say that. Because to the witch, human memory and knowledge are evidence that is well laid out on the table. I forcibly twisted the corner of her mouth.

“I’m really fine. Thank you for your concern.”

“Jin… ….”

I deliberately asked curtly, slightly ignoring her pitiful gaze.

“So, what’s the matter? I heard from Grace, that there was a letter or something?”

“…… Here.”

Mira reluctantly pushed her paper folded in half at me with her long fingers. I thought it was from the guild, so I looked for the seal on the edge of the stationery, but no matter how many times I checked, it was just high-end regular stationery.

A cursive handwriting with narrow spacing between letters, presumably belonging to a woman. The elegant handwriting, as if the years had melted, gave me not-so-welcome news.

“To the East Side Adventure Guild and the leader of the blue adventure party,” Jin -nim, I am Kalia, who runs a pub that is a song of Siren in Eastside Middle Road. How have you been? I am… ….』

As soon as I saw the first paragraph, I immediately frowned. Rather than hate it, it’s rather embarrassing. I never imagined that I would receive a letter from the president of a competitor, not even a guild. Why is this person me? With my doubts in my head, I quickly skipped through the greetings asking how I was doing.

“I think I was worried that the last time was neglected…. 』

What is this long? This woman, since the last time I dined with Alicia at her inn, her attitude towards me has changed completely. I understand, but I still can’t get used to it. When I finally got to the point, I slightly crumpled the letter.

『Recently, some of the guests staying at our inn are suffering from terrible nightmares. This is not a coincidence, and it is occurring one after another from guests who use the same floor or the same adjoining rooms, and as symptoms, they suffer from insomnia and complain of headaches and nausea.”

I crumpled the paper again. After all, the main point was that kind of thing.

『As you know, our inn is always trying to provide the best service, but it is very unfortunate that something like this is happening. Although the security has been somewhat strengthened at the expense of the culprit, the culprit has not been caught, and the possibility of a shapeless monster is raised, so I consulted with the guild. He said…… 』

In the letter, there was really no other alternative, risking shame, embarrassing, but the nuance was strongly felt. I’m a little curious about what kind of expression he had when he wrote this letter. Of course, it also proves that she is desperate. No matter how much money it cost to open the business in the early days, it will be the end if even rumors spread on this floor.

『Probably the guild will contact you, but I sent a messenger before that, despite the rudeness of my urgency, so if you see this letter, please visit our inn as soon as possible. I will bear all the transportation expenses and various travel expenses, so please listen to me like this…….』

After that, it was a repetition of Calia’s earnest ejaculation, so I closed the letter. And I meet the eyes that naturally flock to me. Said Grace.

“My colleagues recommended it, so I read it once, but I heard from a colleague before that there is a spell that causes nightmares.”

“Right. Bard or Wizard…… Even a sorcerer could use it.”

Of course, I can’t write yet. You can practice through the magic books, but it hasn’t been that long since slots have bloomed yet. I didn’t train at all after that. A wizard like Zenith should be able to use it without difficulty.

“However, looking at the letter, it seems that quite a number of guests have been affected, but this is not a spell that can be cast on many people at random just because you have good skills. You must designate one person.”

“Ah… ….”

“Perhaps it is more likely to be a monster, as Calia said… ….”

I stopped talking and crumpled the letter, lost in thought. It’s a nightmare What I learned from the witch was knowledge of magic, but it wasn’t that I mastered all kinds of monsters. Although I wear an adventurer plate, I am still ignorant of the ecology of monsters, except for some series, unlike Mira or Grace, let alone Alphonse.

“It might be some kind of undead or demon.”

“It is very likely.”

I reflexively responded, and Grace nodded. Then, looking around at everyone, he fixed his eyes on me and said in a pleading tone.

“Would you mind if I accompany you?”

“Are you Grace?”

“Yes.”

She said, placing her hand on her own greaves.

“Even though I have such a body, I can’t just leave the devil hiding among the citizens.”

I nodded without thinking. In fact, as long as Grace participates in any quest, she will become the strongest force in the party. When she subdued the demon, she already witnessed that power in front of her eyes. Moreover, it can be said that the more evil the opponent is, the more necessary her power is.

“Of course, this is the first time I’ve done an investigation like this, so there are many shortcomings, but… ….”

“No, what are you saying?”

I was trying to put her modesty in, but I suddenly realized her strangeness and looked at everyone. Rather, why did it naturally become a flow of acceptance? Looking around stupidly, I met Mira’s comfortable smile with a dainty smile. I got hit again

“…… Is it a request?”

At that time, I felt a presence behind my back. I looked up and saw Celine hugging her tray with her slightly dissatisfied face, looking down at me. Because of her large breasts, the area around her mouth was hidden from view. She said.

“Can I stop being an adventurer?”

“Hey, Celine.”

“As expected, something happened in the capital. So now it has become like this. Still going out to do something like a request again? Rather… ….”

“Celine.”

Alphonse cut off Celine’s words, which were pouring out all at once, in a low voice. As she met those black eyes, her inner side of Celine shook.

“Don’t worry. Jin is not such a weak man.”

Seeing that Celine’s expression was about to collapse for a moment, I quickly opened her letter and quickly calmed her down by telling her that it was not dangerous and that we were just going to check out her inn in her city for a while. Before long, Celine quietly puckered her mouth, then quickly turned her head and strode away from her.

“…… I don’t know! Do as you will!”

I sighed. I have to reconcile with her quickly, but how come it seems to go against each other every time?

I nodded her head. No matter how it seems to be this way every time, it’s a decision. Pitch black…… No, it was the 3rd quest I performed as an adventurer.

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