After talking with Cane, I went to the others and explained to them about his departure. Then I helped along with the others, doing defenses and with cooking lunch.
Afterwards, I got some free time. So I went to the church to see Lury.
Aside from her, there are also other orphaned children in the village. I don't really want to meet them, but I hope with them seeing me, it makes them feel much closer with the new people that came to the village to help them.
Upon entering, the nun at the church quickly approached me on the front door, and I told her I am looking for Lury. She led me towards a room belonging to the children, and we arrived at a single door. The nun opened the door and entered.
"Lury, you have a guest."
The nun said and allowed me to enter. My eyes quickly studied the room as I entered.
This room is slightly better than the rooms at the adventurers Office. It's dirty, but it is still a viable place for living.
There's a table and a chair on the left, and a wardrobe at the corner of the wall facing towards the door.
There is a single bed on the right corner of the room, next to the window placed in the middle of the furthest wall. Standing on the window, I can see Lury was gazing outside the window before we entered. She turned around and quickly noticed that I had entered.
"I will leave you two."
The nun left the room and closed the door. I turned to Lury, but she simply stood there, wearing her usual straight confused face.
"Sorry for barging in. I wanted to see you again, and to apologize for suddenly asking that question."
I said as I pulled the chair and sat down. Lury is still standing by the window, not moving at all. Her face is really confused, so I let out a sigh.
"Here, this is my sign of apology."
I put out a box filled with a cupcake. I was actually saving this for some time later if I needed to, but I realized she would need it more than I do.
I gave the dessert to her, and she can smell the scent of strawberry coming from it. Without any hesitation, she grabbed the box at high speed and sat on the bed. She took a bite on the cupcake and quickly closed her eyes.
I can see tears falling from her eyes.
Somehow I felt guilty, but I know I am not in the wrong. The cupcake might be my best dessert yet, and for a sad girl like her, eating sweets is the only thing that can relieve her from her pain.
The new chief told me she likes sweets, so cupcakes are my best answer for some sweet taste on the tongue.
"How is it?"
"Very delicious!"
She answered happily, and I am very happy about it.
"So… Do you live here, Lury?"
I asked as I gaze around the room.
"You know, the first room I ever had in the kingdom was somewhat like this. Though it might be a little dirtier, but yeah. We are quite in a similar spot."
I can tell from her face that Lury doesn't like it here.
"You are… an adventurer, right?"
She asked shyly, and I answered.
"Yes. Yes, I am."
"Are you… strong?"
She must be old enough to understand these things. So I simply nodded at her.
"Kind of. Why are you asking?"
She suddenly looked down and hesitated to continue. But then she looked up again, and wore a serious face.
"Can you… fight assassins?"
Assassins?
Ah, right. Her parents were murdered by assassins. And she was the first one to find out.
"I can. Why?"
"I want… to avenge my parents."
Hearing that quickly made me realize just how much pain this girl is in. She is merely thirteen, but she already lost her parents. She is in a crazier pain than I thought, and she wanted to feel relieved. And the only way that comes to her mind is… Vengeance.
I stood up from my chair and sat next to her. I hugged her, and did not let her retaliate.
"I know it's difficult. I was separated from my family too."
Hearing that made the girl shocked. She didn't realize that other people were also hurting, and she only thought about herself all this time.
"It is difficult to accept, but you have to, so you can keep moving forward. The only way to survive in this world is to become stronger.
But, getting revenge isn't the answer. If anything, it will only make you feel even more in pain. Killing the assassin won't bring your father and mother back."
Suddenly my warmth becomes a pleasure to her. She replied to my hug and cried.
"What… should I do…?"
"Hmm, I guess… you can start by learning to cook for everyone. I can tell that you are isolating yourself from the others at the church. Right?"
She quickly chuckled while crying. I released my hug from her and handed her a small notebook.
It's a copy of my recipe books. I prepared this before I came here, and I made it just for her.
"With this, you can make cupcakes by yourself."
She took the book and glared back at me.
"You are not staying…?"
"Sadly, I have a whole kingdom to protect. Adventurers are busy, you know?"
I stood back up and got ready to leave. But just when I was about to leave, I quickly felt a presence just outside the window.
On the trees, a person is watching us.
I formed a mad grin immediately.
"Well, sadly I will have to leave tonight. You can learn how to cook with the nuns. I'm sure they will teach you."
"B-But…"
I was about to turn and head to the door, but she pinched my clothes while hugging her bear doll.
"D-Don't leave…"
My heart ached really badly as my eyes opened wide. She said that while looking down shyly, but I can tell the worry on her face.
She is worried that something like this may happen again. She is worried that the people closest to her will get harmed again.
I can't allow that. I also have some bad feelings about this whole situation, with the king bowing in the letter and all, and I have thought about the things that I could do to avoid any future incidents.
So… this is my only chance…
To make that decision.
I turned around and kneeled down. Then I patted her head while my other hand took out an item.
Veneo will kill me for this…
"If you need me, just press this."
She took the item and quickly studied it.
It's a signal transmitter tool. It was a technology that Xyphon came up with that can send a signal to anyone else within more than a hundred kilometers radius. Meaning that it can even detect signals from one kingdom to another.
Veneo gave it to me not that long ago, and this item was supposed to be a very important item that will be used in the war, but I just gave her the one that got transmitted straight to me instead of other people. It's just to calm her down.
"If you press this button, I will know. Only press at emergencies, because I am a busy person. Okay? I will come here in a flash."
Hearing that, she glared back at the item. With that thing in her hands, I can tell if the village gets harmed or something. At least now I have a backup plan that can solve my uneasy feeling.
I turned away and left the room, leaving Lury alone inside. I placed my hand on my mouth while trying to keep the tears in. Then I took a deep breath and let it out.
Now, then… Time to grab the stalker.
Outside, the assassin that murdered Lury's parents is still lurking in the trees. He is using the binoculars to study Lury's movements from the window. All of the sudden, Lury closed the curtains, making the assassins couldn't see anything.
"What the hell?"
He took a peek at the binoculars again, and suddenly his view became dark. He took off the binoculars on his eyes, only to find a foot is merely inches away from his face.
BAKKK!!!!
The assassin got thrown back really far from the powerful kick, but he managed to land on the ground. He looked up to see, but the person who kicked him was really good at hiding their presence.
"So, you were the one who killed the chief and his wife?"
A voice called from within the trees. It's a female voice.
"Show yourself, coward!!"
"Oh, you asked."
Suddenly a voice was heard next to his left ear. He immediately turned around and swiped his dagger, but I already leaped away.
Evil laughs can be heard in the trees as I leap from branches to branches at high speed. I can tell that the assassin became more and more afraid, but he must not let himself get captured.
So, he turned the dagger to himself.
SRESHH!!!
The dagger was supposed to stab him in the chest, but it was stopped when it stabbed my left hand instead.
"Auch! That hurts!"
How utterly despicable.
Assassins… they have been taught to always take their own lives whenever they are spotted or in a dangerous situation. Two years ago when I faced that assassin, he killed himself just because I cornered him, to protect the information that he had with him.
After that experience… I have learned.
Assassins… tend to take their own lives whenever they are cornered.
I got you, bitch. I'll heal you with Emperor tier healing magic if I have to.
Seeing that I sacrificed my hand to save him from suiciding, his eyes opened wide as he moved his hand for a punch, but I flipped my body and kicked him with my right foot.
This time, the kick is far more powerful.
BAARRRR!!!!
The sound of an explosion can be heard all the way from the village. Fran and the others went to check it out, while Lury opened her curtains again to see the cloud of smoke coming from the forest.
When Fran arrived on the crater, she could only let out a sigh as the assassin got knocked out on the ground.
"If you found the assassin, wouldn't it be easier to call us first?"
"Huh? That wouldn't be fun."
I said to Fran as I moved in to pick the assassin up for questioning.
At least now, Lury can breathe normally, knowing that the murderer of her parents has been captured.
.
.
.
After the battle, Fran turned her gaze at my bleeding hand. I am being so calm about everything that I didn't realize I was wounded.
"Your hand."
Fran said, and I quickly looked at it.
Oya. The dagger was poisonous.
"... Ouch…"