Volume 8 Chapter 6 So Anyway, Just the Two of Us
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
When they got back from the shipyard to Boit’s shop, Cianie and the others were already home.
The moment Boit yelled, “We’re back!” into the doorway, a flurry of footsteps came thumping from deeper inside the house.
”Welcome baaack!”
”Ohh, hey, were you being a good girl, Nora?”
A small girl darted into view. For a second, it looked like she was going to leap straight into her father’s arms, but right before she reached him, she stopped short with a little squeak of her shoes.
”Did you actually do your job, though?”
She puffed her chest out all of a sudden, striking a comically bossy pose.
”‘Course I did. Nothing that’d make you embarrassed or anything, promise.”
Boit answered like he’d done this a hundred times, tossing out the words with practiced ease.
Apparently this was just how this father-daughter duo worked. Nora stood there with her hands planted firmly on her hips, every inch the sharp and fearless little guardian of the house. Maybe that was what she had to be, with no mother around to hold things together.
Boit scratched his cheek, looking half put-upon, half secretly proud. For a supposed crook, he’d ended up with a surprisingly good kid.
”Welcome back,” Cianie said from behind Nora. “Did you manage to get them on our side?”
”Yeah. Actually, I kinda dumped the whole plan on ’em. Pretty sure the fancy politician guy’ll figure it out from here.”
”Really?”
Her eyes blinked wide. She must have expected they’d be fighting side by side with Klock. She’d spent her whole life acting as a Brave Knight, always taking the lead, always the one out front. This time, though, they were moving in disguise as civilians. They wouldn’t be the ones center stage—it would be all about quiet work in the shadows.
”A whole-town escape, huh,” she murmured.
”If they really mean to feed Humans to Monsters, we’ve gotta hurry,” Boit said.
The men they’d met earlier came to mind—the shipyard owner and the captain of the town guard. Boit had roped them in on the spot, introducing them as pieces of the escape plan before they even knew what hit them.
”If the townsfolk rise up together and run… I don’t think it’s a bad plan,” the guard captain had said. “I’ll take the idea back and report it. We’ll see what they say.”
The shipyard owner was mostly just there for his wide local network—Boit had pulled him in on a whim—but the captain could actually fight. The guard, after all, were basically soldiers. If word of the plan spread through them, not only would it rally people, but if trouble hit, they might even be willing to fight. Boit had probably counted on that.
”So, uh, when you say you’ll ‘report,’ you mean to the town mayor?” Klock had asked. “I saw fishmen at the town hall, so I figured the mayor had been captured or something. That’s why I thought maybe the soldiers could take over leading things.”
They did need fighters, sure—but what they really needed now was a leader. If Cianie could openly call herself a hero, she could be that, but right now she was just a warrior. They needed someone else to hold the banner.
”…When you say ‘soldiers,’ you mean me?” the captain had replied with a wry smile. “Our guard’s made of regular citizens. You’re visiting from the cities, aren’t you? In Basselow maybe, but out here in the countryside, guards are just locals.”
So they weren’t professional troops at all—just normal people. Cianie had assumed “captain of the guard” meant state-backed military like in the Royal Capital Rocetta of Crotopone, but it seemed Klock had misunderstood.
”Well, in any case, I’ll bring it to the legal director. I can’t decide alone, but I can get it to the right desk. I’ll report it and ask for instructions,” the captain had said.
”…Legal director?” Klock had asked, eyebrows scrunching.
”Ah, you probably wouldn’t know. He’s part of the government’s judicial committee—basically, a really important guy.”
So he did have the pull to get it in front of someone in power. Still, something about that set off alarms in Klock’s head.
”Huh… a standing committee member? So not local, like an actual national legislator, here in this tiny town? Is he the town mayor?”
”No, not the mayor,” the captain had answered, shaking his head. “He’s part of the Federationist bloc—the Parliamentary League for Promotion of Democracy. He just happened to be visiting when all this started, and got stuck here.”
”I see. So… he owns some estate or has authority over this town? Wouldn’t it be better to tell the mayor, then?”
”Well, sure, normally we’d go to the mayor,” the captain said. “But since a legislator’s here, we should tell him too. It’ll get to the mayor either way.”
So apparently the legislator outranked the mayor. But that raised more doubts. This country had surrendered; a Federation parliament member shouldn’t have any authority anymore.
The town’s real authority should be the mayor. If the parliament—supposedly disbanded—was still throwing its weight around, that could easily spark trouble. Unless, maybe, the mayor had also been appointed by the state and lost power when the country surrendered, just like the legislators had.
Everything had been a mess even before the war—nobles and legislators and lords all tangled up in shifting reforms toward democracy—then the war came, the state surrendered, and now no one even knew who held what power anymore.
”…Wait, how do you even know about the standing committee? Are you part of the government or something?” the captain had asked, peering at Klock.
”Nah. Just heard it somewhere,” Klock had said quickly.
”I see. My apologies,” the man had said. “Anyway, thank you for bringing this to me. Knowing their horrifying goal is already a big deal.”
And just like that, the talk had ended. They’d seemed only half convinced about the proposal anyway—probably they’d just report it up and follow orders. Meaning unless the legislator gave them the answer, Klock and the others wouldn’t even know how to move.
”In that case,” Klock had said, “could you tell us if they approve it? We can’t exactly put up posters or something, but we can quietly spread word and make it easier to slip past the Demon Lord’s Army.”
”I understand. If it’s approved, I’ll ask for your help,” the captain had said. “Until then, please, keep things quiet.”
Boit had just stood there, unreadable, while the shipyard owner muttered and looked thoroughly left out. And that had been that. The discussion had zipped along fast, only to hit a wall because they had to wait for the bigwig to weigh in.
”Hey, Boit,” the owner had said at last, voice low. “If they really are about to feed us to Monsters, should we really just be sitting around like this?”
”Who knows,” Boit had said with a shrug. “For now, yeah.”
The two old men had hunched their heads together, and all that was left was to explain everything to Cianie and wait. If they’d gotten it in front of someone in public office, then that was as far as they could push it. Their original goal—getting the mayor to raise a flag—was technically done, even if it was indirect. Now all they could do was wait and hope the escape plan got picked up. It was going to be a frustrating wait.
”…And that’s how it went,” Klock finished now, dragging himself back to the present. “Left it all to them.”
”I see,” Cianie said softly.
She slipped her hand into his with a quiet smile. It had only been an hour or so since they’d last seen each other, but the way she did it made it feel like they were about to go on a date or something, not sitting in the middle of a crisis with the Demon Lord’s Army already on the move.
”We’ll hang back and watch. The government types are showing up now, so best to keep our distance,” Klock added.
”…Do you think they’ll really handle it?” she asked.
”No clue. Either way, we can’t stick our noses in.”
”…Yeah. We’re not heroes anymore.”
They had to hide that part of themselves. It kept the meddling and obligations away, let them move unseen—but it also left them completely out of the loop when things like this happened.
Just a pair of civilians, eavesdropping and passing rumors along. Until things actually started moving, there wasn’t much they could do.
”Hey. No flirting in front of Nora,” Boit grumbled suddenly.
His brows were drawn down, and from the side, little Nora was staring at them with round, fascinated eyes.
”Seriously, dragging her into all this nonsense…” Boit muttered. “If anything happens to her, I’ll—”
”Yeah yeah, quit whining. I’ll make sure she’s safe. You’ll feel better having someone strong around anyway,” Klock cut in lazily.
”Maybe. Don’t need it, though.”
Boit didn’t even try to hide how bored he looked. After all his years as a Merchant, slipping past random Monsters was nothing to him. If it were fighting the Demon Lord’s Army, sure—but for just running away, having an elite bodyguard around wasn’t exactly tempting.
Boit didn’t even bother trying to hide how bored he looked.
After years of work as a Merchant, slipping past stray Monsters was nothing to him. Fighting the Demon Lord’s Army would be one thing, but for simply running away, the idea of some elite bodyguard tagging along didn’t exactly seem appealing.
On the Human Continent, where Monsters were rare, hiring adventurers as guards only really happened in certain places. Over time, adventurers had gone out of their way to hunt down dangerous beasts just to make money, and because of that, Monster attacks in Federation territory had grown few and far between.
”…Boit. You’ve heard that the country’s core government surrendered, right?” Klock asked quietly.
”Hm? Oh, yeah, something like that,” Boit replied offhandedly.
”It’s real. And because of it, Federation territory’s about three times more lawless than usual. If you step outside town, you should worry about bandits before anything else.”
”Ohh? That so, huh.”
His reply came light and playful, like he wasn’t even listening. His face said as much—he didn’t believe a word.
”And the Demon Lord’s Army is dragging whole swarms of Monsters around. There might even be some let loose already. If you’re not sticking with a group, it’s seriously risky.”
”Yeah yeah, no need to tell me to be careful. I know,” Boit said, flapping his hand at them like they were pesky pigeons.
It was supposed to be serious advice, but he brushed it off like a joke, lips twisting. Then, as if to say get lost already, he shooed them again, turned on his heel, and stomped off toward the back of the shop, heavy boots thudding against the wooden floor.
”Hey, Boit!! If the guard captain contacts you, tell us too!! …Is he even listening? Whatever. Let’s just head to the inn. I’m beat,” Klock called after him.
”Okay. It’s still early though. You don’t wanna go anywhere?” Cianie asked as they stepped outside.
”…Go on a date while keeping an eye out for soldiers?”
It wasn’t the clean wrap-up he’d hoped for, but he decided to call it a day. They’d done what they could. All that was left was to wait.
They left Boit’s shop behind. When Cianie suddenly glanced back, Klock followed her eyes and saw Nora waving at them from the doorway. Unlike her grumpy dad, the girl was surprisingly friendly. Probably took after her mother—she must’ve been a graceful woman.
Cianie led the way to the inn, and as soon as they stepped in, the man behind the counter greeted them with a broad smile. He looked genuinely happy. Apparently, they were the first new guests in five days—the only people staying here now were others stranded in the town.
Their room turned out to be surprisingly nice. Klock dropped onto the bed with a heavy thump, sinking into the mattress. It felt like a shame that a place this good was sitting empty. What was the Demon Lord’s Army even doing, anyway.
Cianie sat down beside him, close enough that their shoulders touched. When he flopped onto his back, she followed his motion exactly, lying down next to him and curling into his side.
”At last,” she murmured, “we can relax. Just the two of us.”
It sounded like something you’d say on a secret vacation. If this really had been just a trip, he probably would’ve planned something more date-like.
”Would’ve been nice to eat something good at least,” he said. “Not that we came here to sightsee.”
”Think all the restaurants are already closed? …If not, I’ll cook you anything you want when we’re back.”
Not take him somewhere—she’d cook it herself. The most girlish Brave Knight in human history, apparently. She could hold the world’s fate in one hand and his stomach in the other.
”Who’s better at cooking, you or Suzette?”
”…She makes it prettier, and her menu’s bigger…”
Suzette was a professional maid. Comparing her to Cianie was just cruel, even if Cianie could do almost anything.
She puffed her cheeks in mock annoyance at the jab, and Klock couldn’t help a grin. Normally her face showed nothing, so the fact that she was making an effort meant she was doing it on purpose—trying to show she was sulking.
Her hand, the same hand that could seize anything in this world with ease, slid quietly over to him. Fingers slipped under his shirt, brushing over his stomach, chest, then up to his neck. It wasn’t just teasing. It was like she was scolding his mean words, asking for gentleness, all at once.
Her gaze stabbed straight through him. Say you’re sorry. Say you need me. Her silence said all of it.
He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her in. Their lips met, soft, and he held her tight.
No words now. Just the brush of her fingers trailing across him, the lightest tickle like she was trying to make him squirm. Maybe it was mischief. Maybe it was just her way of asking to be close.
A shiver ran through him. He couldn’t ignore it. He rolled, pinning her down, catching her wrists to stop her teasing hands, and looked down into her eyes.
”Klock,” she said, a small smile playing on her lips, “you always like being on top, huh.”
”Do I?”
She said it the instant he moved over her, like she’d already read his next motion. Maybe she had. Maybe he really did always fall into the same flow without thinking.
”Yeah. It’s like… you’re trying to make me learn that I belong to you.”
”You hate it?”
”No,” she whispered, lifting her leg around his waist. “Teach me more.”
Her body opened to him, welcoming, asking to be reminded whose girl she was.
”Klock… you can hold me tighter if you want.”
So that was it. She just wanted to feel more loved. More needed.
Cianie, Elna, Meina—they all seemed to have that streak. Suzette too, even if she never said it outright. Maybe he’d just gathered too many girls around him. Even if they accepted it, they’d still want to feel like they mattered. If he didn’t try harder to keep them close, resentment would build up. This was her way of saying so.
Whatever their original mission had been, coming back to the Human Continent had given them something else—a rare moment alone together. And Cianie, of all people, probably wanted that time to be fully theirs.
”…Tomorrow, wanna just wander around? Not like we’ve got anything to do.”
”Mm. Sure. A little stroll date,” she said softly.
He kissed her again, pulling her close, letting their breaths mix. And as he sank into her warmth, he let the world—the desperate, broken world—fade away for just a while.
Notes:
• Cianie – A noble girl with a fluffy white and light blue dress, indicating her high status. She has a hesitant and flustered personality but is kind and courteous. Her relationship with Klock begins as an accidental encounter and develops into a romantic interest. She has a fiancé but expresses feelings for Klock, complicating their relationship.
• Boit – A merchant involved in human trafficking, with a villainous face and a loud, obnoxious voice. He is pragmatic and willing to help Klock escape the country in exchange for something. His relationship with Klock is business-like, though both are aware of each other’s illicit activities.
• Rocetta – The royal capital of the Kingdom of Crotopone, where the knight barracks are located.
• Suzette – The older maid from Viscount Fennec. The head maid at the Viscount Fennec’s villa. She is confident, clear-spoken, and professional.
• Meina – She is a golden-haired catgirl employee of the beastman (Larana the cat woman) Inn, appeared performing fellatio, desperate and tear-streaked, with an inexperienced yet earnest approach to her work.
• Elna – Female. A young apprentice mage. Her appearance is that of a child with white hair reaching her shoulders. She wears a black hooded mantle with strange patterns. Her relationship is as an apprentice to Hermine, the Great Mage. Her power involves advanced magic, including spatial teleportation. Her combat style is magical, and she is described as childish and easily provoked.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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