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Chapter 71 – part 1

On the same day.

Returning to the inn, I immediately knocked on Lilith’s room door.

「…What’s wrong, Lute?」

Surprised by the sudden night visit and my serious expression, Lilith swallowed her breath.

「I have an important matter.」

「Hmm? An important matter?」

I nodded and said,

「There’s someone I want to crush. No, there’s someone I absolutely must crush. Will you cooperate?」

In response to my words, Lilith responded with a bewildered smile.

「Lute?」

「Hmm?」

「You don’t need to ask me.」

「Don’t need to ask?」

「…Just give me orders, Lute. I don’t have any words other than ‘yes’ for you. In extreme cases, if it’s really necessary for you, even if you were to tell me to die, I would gladly die for you.」

I chuckled at Lilith’s truly characteristic response.

And so, I entered Lilith’s room, and the strategy meeting began.

☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

「…Put Liz in an orphanage?」

Just a moment ago, Lilith claimed not to have any words other than ‘yes,’ but suddenly, she seemed dissatisfied.

「It’s just a temporary evacuation. It should be easy if we use the Guild Master old man’s connections, right? I want Lilith to be the escort until Liz is safely delivered to the destination.」

「…I ask again. Why do we have to leave Liz at an orphanage?」

I shrugged my shoulders as if saying, “Oh well.”

「I explained, didn’t I? Things are getting complicated with Cordelia involved. In the worst-case scenario, it might turn into a full-blown fight. If it becomes a hero-related skirmish, it will go far beyond the dimension of Liz being involved in the matter of people being abducted and she could be in danger. Rather than keeping her in the midst of it, it’s better to leave her with the Guild Master old man, have him protect her from a distance like a distant fire.」

「I’ve received the explanation. However, I can’t agree.」

「What do you mean?」

Without hiding her displeasure, Lilith spoke bluntly.

「I said earlier that if it truly is something necessary for Lute, there is no answer other than ‘yes.’ But…」

「But?」

「I can’t see the necessity. Why does Liz have to do something sneaky and hide? Despite the potential danger to Liz by not keeping her close?」

「So, it’s because of Cordelia that things are getting complicated. The worst-case scenario involves discussions about the hero’s reputation. Things can easily become exaggerated.」

「…That is Cordelia Allston’s situation, and it’s not something truly necessary for Lute. I can’t see the need to prioritize Cordelia Allston and prepare for the situation.」

No good, it’s not going well.

With her face completely red, Lilith seems to be in a state of complete anger.

Lilith seems to feel anger due to the anxiety that by keeping Liz away from her, she might be in danger.

This situation has arisen from my concern for Cordelia… Well, thinking about it that way, Lilith’s anger is somewhat understandable.

No, but if I leave Liz close to the side of the involved parties in what I am trying to do, it will immediately become a matter of Liz being targeted by someone, somewhere in the future.

Lilith can usually protect herself alone, but Liz is not like that.

So, in this case, the Guild Master old man has to protect her with all his might.

「…Lute? Is this an order? A request? If it’s an order, just say it’s an order. If you do, I will follow.」

After a brief moment of thought, I sighed and said,

「It’s a request. Please cooperate.」

「…If it’s not an order but a request, the circumstances are different. I have my own thoughts on this.」

「Hey… Lilith?」

Lilith glared at me and, gritting her teeth, said,

「…What is Cordelia Allston to Lute? I can accept treating Liz in that way to some extent. Liz’s relationship with you is shallow, so it’s inevitable that she’ll be looked down upon.」

「…」

「But Liz is very important to me. Hey, Lute? The person I want to cherish very much… what is that person to you?」

「…」

「Hey, I’ve been silent about it all this time. But I can’t help but ask this time. What am I to Lute?」

「The answer to that question is on hold. Hey, Lilith? I’m thinking about it in my own way. I don’t want to talk about assumptions, and explanations after everything is settled… Is that not okay? Forty-eight hours is enough time in terms of time. I’ll definitely settle the conversation to a point where you’ll also be satisfied. Trust me.」

Biting her lip, Lilith shook her head.

「…But, I still can’t agree.」

「I will definitely make it fit where it should. Everyone will be satisfied, so don’t worry.」

「…Understood. I’ll go to the Guild Master’s place now and leave Liz there.」

However… Lilith said while glaring at me,

「I currently harbor some distrust towards Lute. It’s something that should never… no, absolutely cannot happen within me. I want you to seriously consider the meaning of that.」

「Yeah, I understand.」

☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

Twelve hours later.

The time is 5:00 in the morning, precisely when the sun has just risen.

Having stayed at the inn and finished writing, I walked to the main road to send a letter by fast horse.

It was a hastily written letter addressed to various parties.

「Thirty-six hours left…」

Returning to the inn and lying on the bed, I looked up at the ceiling.

I should barely make it in time. Now, it’s a matter of how much pressure I can put on them…

And right there, a strange smell wafted into my room.

「…」

The source of the smell was from outside the door.

Opening the door, I was speechless.

「Cordelia’s uncle… went this far.」

A crow’s carcass, stewed in spoiled milk, was scattered there.

An unpleasant smell filled the air, and a sour sensation rose up to my throat.

「Probably meant as a threat.」

The deadline is supposed to be forty-eight hours.

This is probably a warning that doesn’t allow even a minute of delay beyond the forty-eight hours.

Well, I can’t just leave the floor like this.

I asked the innkeeper for a mop, rags, and a bucket.

Of course, I slipped a few silver coins into the innkeeper’s hand as compensation for the trouble.

「Well… I guess this will do.」

If Lilith sees this state, it might become troublesome.

She’s generally calm and silent, but honestly, Lilith has an instant boiling water boiler aspect to her.

In Lilith’s case, being raised by the dragon who is like a foster parent instilled a sense of pride. While it’s not necessarily a bad thing, her threshold for what she can tolerate and what she can’t is higher than most people, making her quite difficult to live with.

While I was cleaning the floor, thinking about such things…

「I’ve finished my work and left Liz in the care of someone. By the way, Lute? What are you doing? Why are you doing something like a servant?」

「The most troublesome person saw the most troublesome moment.」

Regarding the object of cleaning, given Lilith’s intelligence… it seems she instantly grasped all the underlying circumstances.

「…」

「…This is unlike you. Truly… unlike you.」

「…」

「Why are you staying silent?」

「…」

「Lute? Your power is unparalleled. Why should you fear a mere trading company or a border nation? You have the power. The power to push through your whims. If justice is on our side… I won’t stop you from exercising that power.」

「That’s why I’m telling you, right?」

「…Cordelia Allston?」

Just saying that, Lilith sighed deeply—truly deeply.

「Lute has his own thoughts. But I have things I want to express.」

At that point, Lilith grabbed the collar of my shirt.

「Hey… Lilith?」

「Those who possess power bear responsibility just by having it. The responsibility that comes with Lute’s extraordinary power… Is that really okay? There are countless things you can do, and you have the power to push through your whims. With that in mind, I ask. Is it really—okay?」

「Hey, Lilith?」

「…What?」

After a pause, I freed myself from Lilith’s right hand gripping my collar.

「Just be quiet for a moment.」

To my words, infused with a slight sense of anger, Lilith looked down.

No, Lilith noticeably shrank back.

To be honest, I don’t want to use an authoritarian tone with someone I care about so much.

But, between me and her, our relationship isn’t that shallow.

Regarding this matter, Lilith should eventually understand in the end.

「Lute? Why go to such lengths…?」

「I have my own thoughts. Do you need more than that for an answer?」

「………………Hey, Lute?」

「Hmm?」

Lilith seemed to be pondering something, then shook her head.

「…Can I believe you? Really… Can I believe you?」

There’s a slight hint of uneasiness in Lilith’s expression.

Lilith, who can almost be considered my devout follower, is probably directing doubt towards me for the first time.

As if shaking off her own emotions, Lilith presented her head to me.

Without saying a word, I gently stroked Lilith’s head.

「You don’t have to worry about anything. I’ll handle everything.」

「Yeah.」

With just that, Lilith narrowed her eyes, relaxed all the muscles in her body, and leaned on me, trusting me with her weight.