Chapter 42: What might you be doing?

Gonna go start a chapter of No Fatigue after this. I plan to do at least 3 chapters per teaser project and then see how it goes (because I haven’t actually read the projects).
Cleaned this up a bit but will probably come back and improve it later.

What might you be doing?

I feel like an extremely hard-to-talk atmosphere was currently hanging between Aura and I.
With Aura having said such a thing, she seemed to have difficulty facing me.
Being as I was, I was also tense about whether I would be scolded after this.

“………”

“H-heal.”
There was no progress so I decide to finish healing myself first.

“…Th-the things I said just now.. y-you heard it all, right……?

The things just now, probably referred to the ‘I like you’s from not long ago.

“Y-you heard everything.. f-from the beginning, right……?”
“Ah, yeah. I heard it all.”

……I had ended up hearing everything from start to finish.

“I-is that so…… So you heard it……”
“……S-sorry?”

Originally, it was Weiss’s betrayal at fault so I don’t think I was to blame.
Nevertheless, I’m sure that I was also wrong for continuing to play dead for so long, so I still apologise.

“”……””

……However, we can’t just stay like this forever.
All joking aside, it’ll be bad if I don’t catch up to Weiss soon.

“W-well I have to get going soon……”

When I start, Aura suddenly starts moving from her spot.

“U-um, Aura-san, what might you be doing……?”
“Nothing.”

――Then why were you picking up the fallen sword?
And why were you coming here whilst holding that sword?

“C-calm down for now, okay……?”
“……I am calm though?”

――If that’s the case, why did you have teary eyes and a flushed face?
And why were you trembling?

“……Nest should just shut up and stand there silently.”
“R-right.”

I unintentionally obey the command of my own slave, Aura.
……Approaching me with the sword in her hand, Aura once again stabbed me in the place I just healed, her face bright red.

“”………””

Aura and I both just stay silent.
And then a short while passed, Aura gently releases the hilt of the sword and separated from that spot without a word.
I thought she might be in danger by herself, but the place Aura headed to was near the town so I suppose she will be fine.
Since Aura is smart, she ought to be well-informed of the dangerous locations.

“Heal”

After Aura left, I extract the sword that Aura stabbed into my body and heal myself.
I don’t know what the hell she was thinking for a slave to stab her master, but from my point of view, I think it was nicely settled with just this.
I thought she might do something even more violent because it was Aura, so I was honestly relieved.
……Well, I can’t stay here forever.
I reaffixed the cloak that had various holes everywhere, and ran to the town where Weiss was.

――――――[King POV]――――――――――――――――――――――――――

I was in the guild.
Apparently some dangerous monster had appeared, and as the king, I was requested to stay in a room of what was known as the safest place in town ― the guild.
Incidentally, one of the receptionists who was a former adventurer was left behind to guard me just in case.
……I actually wanted to watch the gallant figures of the adventurers fighting for the sake of the town, but it couldn’t be helped with my position as the king.
Nevertheless, I wonder if the [Jet-black Saviour]-sama was also fighting.
If I learn that my true target for coming to this town was there, I plan to head there even if it’s unreasonable.
In that case, I will ignore my position.
If my admired person was there then who on earth would be able to stop me. No, I suppose no one would be able to, or rather I won’t let them.
The time ticked away, little by little.
I didn’t know how long it continued for, but then there was a knock on the door.

“Yes, who might it be?”

The receptionist responds to the knock.

“I came to report about the subjugation, but is that okay?”

……A fair amount of time passed so I suppose the subjugation should be over soon.

“……”

However, the receptionist’s reaction wasn’t very favourable. She was making a sour face.
While I was thinking that, she turns to me and whispers into my ear.

“If it’s a report, usually they make it to the guild master instead of here…… It’s possible it might be an enemy targeting you, your majesty, so please be on your guard……”

I was told to be on guard but in this room, I could only run from place to place……
The receptionist gently opens the door.
There, was a man with clothes stained with blood――

“!!”

Seeing that, the receptionist immediately attacks but that man lightly parries and stabs with a knife he had hidden in a pocket, and flings her away behind him just like that.

“Kukuku…. Good grief, everyone is just too weak. The ones I heard from my superiors didn’t give me much trouble either.”
“Y-your aim is……”
“Sigh…… That again? All I can tell you is it’s an [Order from Above].”

Saying that, the man approaches while pointing the knife towards me.
I know I must escape, but my body doesn’t listen to me.

“Now, it ends here.”

The man says that and swings down his knife――

“…“

I shut my eyes, preparing myself for the pain to come.
However, there was no matter how long I waited. I timidly open my eyes.

 

Wrapped in a tattered black cloak, was [him]――