"C-Captain, are you done hunting?" Lei's voice sound stilted. The man, usually so cold, was actually forcing a nervous smile in Liam's presence. His cheeks looked tense, as if he were straining to appear friendly.
"Wow, look at that. Isn't that deer huge? You're so amazing...!"
Eve, usually gentle yet firm, also offered a stiff smile and nodded rapidly. "Haha... amazing...!"
Seeing Lei, who was always rough with me, act this way left me a bit bewildered. Was the position of captain in Ziert's organization really that dominant?
Liam finally turned toward me, he narrowed his eyes for a moment, as if trying to place me. It took a second before he looked surprised.
"Huh?! Aren't you the lady we rescued earlier?"
I offered a polite smile. "That's right. Thank you so much for saving me."
His smile widened enthusiastically. "It was nothing! It's our duty to help the weak."
The weak. Yeah... objectively speaking, he was right. But why did that sting my pride?
"My name is Liam." He extended his hand-a warm, confident gesture.
I shook it without hesitation. "Kim."
"Nice to meet you, Kim." Liam pumped my hand enthusiastically a few times. "You're welcome to join us. Our organization always welcomes anyone in need of help!"
I glanced at Lei and Eve. Their reactions differed, Lei glared at me with his usual annoyance, while Eve smiled at me just as she always did.
I smiled broadly and withdrew my hand. "Sure. I've actually brought someone else along to join us, too. He's incredibly strong."
"Really?!" Liam's expression lit up with excitement. "Where is he now?"
"He's the bastard who killed all our companions," Lei suddenly interjected.
My jaw tightened. I knew this wouldn't go smoothly, Lei's grudge ran deeper than I had anticipated. Eve wasn't on my side this time either-and understandably so.
So, I have to try and resolve this on my own now, huh?
I felt even more apprehensive because I hadn't received any reaction from Liam yet. Should I check his status?
[Special Skill 'Character Analysis' activated!]
+
[NAME] Liam Verdan
[AGE] 24
[LEVEL] 30 - Swordmaster Class
[STATS]
Strength : 75
Agility : 82
Vitality : 58
Sense : 57
Intelligence : 48
Magic : 38
[ATTRIBUTES]
• Sword Aura
• Iron Will
• Holy Discipline
[SKILLS]
• Sword of Light
• Radiant Slash
• Sword Aura Manifestation
• Guardian's Vow
+
Among the three of them, Liam had the highest level. His abilities also incorporated holy energy, much like Elena's. They would undoubtedly make a perfect combination.
It was a shame that Liam was a character destined to be killed by Kael, especially given his promising abilities. Then again, since when did Kael ever consider such important matters?
"Kim, is that true?" Liam suddenly spoke, startling me. "Is the man you mentioned the person who killed all our companions?"
His voice dropped to a low, cold tone-a stark contrast to how he had sounded before.
I sighed and answered calmly, "Yes, that's true."
I could sense a turbulent aura rising from within him. He must be furious right now-perhaps even more so than Lei.
"Where is that man now?" His gaze pierced right through me.
[Special Skill 'Reader's Protection' activated!]
If not for this skill, I would have been trembling with fear under his stare, and I wouldn't have been able to withstand the pressure of his aura. That didn't mean I was out of options, though.
"That person is someone you know."
Liam was startled, Lei and Eve were, too.
"What did you say? You knows a man named Kael?" Eve asked, looking shocked.
"K-Kael, you said?" Liam's eyes widened.
I gave a faint smirk. "That's right, his name is Kael."
The novel had briefly touched upon their past relationship. After Kael successfully resolved the first Disaster and wiped out the Ziert Organization, he met Liam again for the first time in ages.
They had been comrades who attended the academy together. However, differing principles led them to part ways upon graduation, Kael joined the Holy Fortress Knights, while Liam became the leader of the Ziert Organization -a band of outlaws.
This was one of the reasons I had stopped Kael from killing every single member of the Ziert organization.
I wanted to see them reunited, just like in the old days.
"Leave me alone," Liam said, turning abruptly and walking out of the tent. Even in that brief moment, I could see the sorrow and pain etched on his face.
"Captain!" Lei moved to follow him but was immediately stopped by Eve.
"Let the Captain be."
She was right. Liam needed time to come to terms with Kael's return. Kael likely needed the same-which explained why he hadn't shown his face since earlier.
That guy... he's such a tsundere.
"The more I think about it, the more suspicious you seem." Lei shot me a look of open hostility. "How do you know the Captain is acquainted with that killer?"
"Why should I tell you?" I retorted, matching his cold tone.
"You...!" Lei readied himself to punch me again, but as usual, Eve stepped in to stop him.
"Please, stop. I'm exhausted." Eve let out a long, heavy sigh. "Kim, I'm sorry for constantly suspecting you. But we're in a precarious position right now."
I offered a faint smile. Eve's personality was the polar opposite of Lei's-it was hard to believe they were in the same squad.
"Evelynn Lawyen, twenty-one years old, you joined the organization at eighteen. You weren't accepted into the academy due to the cost. You joined the Ziert Organization because you admired Liam, who saved you from an attack by some lecherous old men, right?"
Eve's eyes widened, and she covered her gaping mouth with both hands. Unconsciously, she took a slow step backward. "H-how...?"
Lei glared at me, clearly furious. "That's nonsense. Don't listen to her, Eve. That kind of information is easy to dig up."
"W-who exactly are you?"
"I can't explain everything, but one of my abilities is information gathering."
I wasn't wrong, though I wasn't entirely right, either.
"Believe me, the second disaster we're about to face might not be the strongest, but we need to start building up our strength right now."
There were only ten disasters in total, yet the monsters involved far exceeded the limits of human capability. Even Kael couldn't resolve them all on his own. They were truly worthy of the name Disaster.
My goal was to resolve every single one of them and secure a happy ending. "Do you have any information about the upcoming disaster?" Eve asked.
"Yeah. I'll explain it later."
Eve smiled, something that took me by surprise. "Alright."
Lei sighed. "Why did I have to tag along with this idiot?"
That bastard...!
[Eve's current trust in you is 20%]
....?!
"By the way, it's getting late." Eve looked out of the tent. "Shouldn't we get dinner ready?"
"Yeah, you're right."
.....
...
It was a quiet night, the evening breeze swept across the grass, carrying a biting chill. Kael sat alone in the middle of the meadow. He wiped his sword with slow, rhythmic movements, as if the blade were the only thing in his life that still made sense.
"So, it really is you."
That familiar voice drew his attention. Kael turned his head, his gaze remained unchanged-cold and sharp.
"Liam."
Liam gave a wry smile. "It's been a long time, Kael. I never expected to run into you here."
Kael's expression didn't waver, and he returned his focus to the blade he was cleaning. "Seeing you like this... it seems you haven't heard the news from your surviving companions."
Liam sighed. "About you killing all my companions?"
Kael remained silent.
"I don't know. I'm not sure if I should be angry or not. Maybe the bond I share with you is stronger than the one I had with my fallen companions." Liam smiled bitterly, his eyes shifting to the sword in Kael's hand.
"Where is that relic the academy gave you?"
"I threw it away."
"What—Pfft..." Liam let out a short laugh. "You haven't changed a bit."
Kael remained silent once more.
"What are you going to do now?" Liam asked.
Kael stood up and turned to face Liam. His expression remained unchanged. "Nothing will change. My goal stays the same."
"Killing to become the strongest?" Liam's gaze sharpened slightly.
"I can't just kill people at will anymore." Kael looked away, his brow furrowing in annoyance. He would never admit that he had entered into a contract with a woman-and was now bound to obey her.
"Damn contract..." he muttered under his breath.
"Contract?" Liam raised his eyebrows in confusion.
Kael sighed in exasperation. "Forget it. I'm going hunting."
Without another word, Kael walked away.