Chapter 29
Izumi was still sitting on her bed. She had just woken up and was seated there.
In front of her, Rey Renold, Zak, and Yorn sat on chairs while watching her.
At that moment, Izumi was explaining why she had killed those two knights and how she had obtained the artifact they were talking about.
"I already told you before," Izumi said calmly. "I came to this royal city for revenge."
She looked at them one by one.
"And the two knights I killed were among my targets for revenge. Including the two knights who managed to escape."
"Hah?!" Zak immediately stood up from his chair. "You still intend to kill those two knights of mine?! What exactly are you thinking?!"
Izumi looked at him expressionlessly.
"Can you stay quiet while I'm telling my story?"
The room immediately fell silent.
Yorn simply leaned back while thinking.
I've never met a woman with a personality like this.
She doesn't even speak politely to people older than her.
Although now that I think about it... neither do I.
Izumi spoke again.
"Do you want to know the sins they committed against me in Werenty Village?"
No one answered.
"They framed me over and over again."
"Whenever a noble had a problem, all the blame would be placed on me."
"My hands and legs would be tied up, and then I would be whipped."
"Many times, they even harassed me."
Zak froze.
It was difficult for him to believe what he had just heard.
But Izumi continued.
"How many times do you think I went through all of that?"
"Once?"
"Twice?"
"No."
"I've been going through all of that ever since my younger sister was killed."
The atmosphere in the room changed.
"Killed by a noble who took her away by force."
"They said they were going to marry my sister."
"But not long afterward, they brought her corpse back to the village."
"They said my sister died because of a monster."
Izumi smiled faintly.
But the smile felt cold.
"Because of a monster?"
She clenched her fist.
"Her entire body was covered in injuries as if she had been beaten repeatedly with a blunt object."
"Her left leg was broken."
"There were strangulation marks on her neck."
She looked at the three of them.
"What kind of monster could do something like that?"
BOOM!!
An enormous killing intent exploded from Izumi's body.
Rey, Zak, and Yorn immediately stood up from their chairs at the same time.
They instinctively took defensive stances.
Outside the house.
Levil, Messa, and Mei, who were standing guard, instantly felt the aura.
"W-What is that...?" Levil muttered.
Messa swallowed hard.
"That's... killing intent."
Mei shuddered.
"An aura like this..."
"It's exactly like when we encountered a Magic-class monster."
"No..."
"It's even more terrifying."
The three of them froze.
Back inside the room.
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Izumi stared at them with cold eyes.
"I could kill all of you."
"Including the three people standing guard outside."
"But you're not my targets for revenge."
"There are still fifteen more people I have to kill."
"And I will not forgive them."
"Anyone who stands in my way."
"I won't hesitate to kill them."
Yorn felt his back covered in cold sweat.
She can tell that my companions are outside?!
And what kind of killing intent is this?!
Even when fighting Magic-class monsters, I've never felt this much pressure.
How can a girl possess killing intent like this?
Zak had the same thought.
This killing intent...
It's even greater than Master Rey's.
Which means...
She's completely serious about everything she's saying.
Rey slowly raised both hands.
"Rumi."
"Please calm yourself."
"We understand now why you did all of that."
Izumi took a deep breath.
Slowly, the killing intent disappeared.
For some reason.
Every time I remember this body's memories...
My chest hurts.
And my anger becomes difficult to control.
The three of them sat down again.
Zak looked at Izumi.
"But..."
"Can you forgive the two knights of mine who escaped?"
Izumi answered immediately without hesitation.
"Then who is going to pay for their sins?"
"Will you offer your own life to be killed in their place?"
Zak fell silent for a moment.
"I can give you money."
"However much you want."
Izumi immediately shook her head.
"Are you stupid?"
"I don't need something like that."
"What I need is justice."
Zak gritted his teeth.
"Then..."
"I'll exile them."
"I'll strip them of their knight titles."
"So please... will that be enough?"
Rey immediately interrupted.
"For a knight..."
"To have their title stripped away and be exiled from the kingdom..."
"It's like a monster losing all of its power."
Izumi looked at Rey.
"Then will they suffer?"
"The same way I suffered?"
"They tortured me while laughing right in front of my face."
Yorn lowered his head.
If I went through the same thing...
I would do the same thing too.
Zak couldn't answer.
"I will not forgive a single one of the fifteen people on my revenge list."
Zak clenched his fists.
"Fifteen?"
"Are there still other knights who are targets of your revenge?"
"Yes."
"Two more knights."
"They're the ones who killed my parents."
"Because of a false accusation that my parents practiced dark magic."
"They weren't even given a chance to defend themselves."
"My parents were simply killed."
Zak closed his eyes.
"I..."
"I had absolutely no idea they had done something so cruel."
"Or maybe this is my fault."
"Because I trained them."
"And made them knights."
Izumi answered without hesitation.
"Yes."
"This is your fault too."
"Because you failed to properly guide your knights."
Zak remained silent for a long time.
Then he raised his head.
"I am responsible for them."
"So what if..."
"You can take my life."
"But you must forgive all of the knights involved."
"ZAK!!"
Rey immediately stood up.
"Have you lost your mind?!"
"Old man!!"
Yorn was equally shocked.
"Are you serious?!"
However, Izumi only gave a short answer.
"No."
"I won't gain anything from killing you."
"I don't hate you."
"And you're not one of my revenge targets."
Zak lowered his head.
"I see..."
"Even my life isn't enough to pay for their sins."
Meanwhile...
At the inn.
Nera had just woken up.
"Yaaawn..."
Lily had already gotten up earlier.
She was even prepared to leave.
"Morning."
"Yeah, morning."
Welly was still asleep.
Nera looked toward Izumi's bed.
"Huh?"
"Did Rumi not come back last night?"
Lily shrugged.
"No idea."
"The last time we saw her was before we went to the hot spring bath, right?"
"Umm... yeah."
Deep down, Nera felt worried.
Where did Rumi go?
Will she come back?
We haven't even had the chance to ask why she killed those two knights.
There are still so many things I want to know about her.
"Nera, I'm heading out."
"Where are you going?"
"I want to visit Fern's alchemist shop."
"Oh, be careful."
"Yeah."
Not long afterward, Nera went downstairs to take a bath.
Inside the bathroom.
She slowly removed her clothes.
Picked up a wooden dipper.
Then poured water over her body.
Her long blue hair appeared even brighter after being soaked with water.
"Aaaah..."
"Why is morning water always so cold?"
"That's why I don't really like taking baths in the morning."
Several hours later.
Nera returned to the room.
Welly had just finished bathing.
"Nera."
"Hm?"
"Do you think we can go deeper into the dungeon this time?"
Welly blinked.
"Why all of a sudden?"
"I don't know."
"I just want to become stronger."
Welly thought for a moment.
"In that case..."
"Instead of hunting monsters in the dungeon."
"Wouldn't it be better to hunt monsters directly outside?"
Suddenly, the door opened.
Creeeak.
"Morning, everyone!"
Berin entered with a smile.
He showed his adventurer card.
"You activated your adventurer card again?"
"Yep."
"From now on, I want to be an adventurer again."
"Why all of a sudden?"
"I don't know."
"I want to go on adventures with Rumi."
"Besides..."
"By the way, where is Rumi?"
"My father said she left last night and hasn't returned."
Berin showed a worried expression.
"She didn't leave us, right?"
Nera smiled faintly.
"No."
"She won't leave us."
"I'm sure of it."
Nera remembered the first time she met Izumi.
From now on, we're friends.
She still remembered those words clearly.
Even when they first met...
Izumi immediately considered her a friend.
"Oh right."
Welly looked at Berin.
"We're going monster hunting now."
"To the dungeon?"
"No."
"We're going to the forest."
"EEHH?!"
Berin was immediately shocked.
"You're going to hunt monsters directly?"
"Yes."
"It's the fastest way to become stronger."
"But that's usually done by Players!"
"We're only adventurers!"
"If we want to get stronger, we should go to the dungeon!"
"We can get Adventure Tokens there!"
Nera nodded.
"But we can't get Loot Drops."
"That's true..."
"If we kill monsters in the real world."
"We still have a chance of getting Loot Drops."
"That's true."
Welly then asked.
"So?"
"Are we really going to the forest?"
"Are you sure?"
Berin looked hesitant.
"The monsters in the forest are random."
"We could die even if we encounter a Class B monster."
"Let alone a Class A."
"Meanwhile, dungeons are safer because the difficulty increases gradually."
Nera nodded.
"I know."
"That's why we need Scrolls of Speed."
"Epic-class Scrolls of Speed?"
Nera and Welly immediately fell silent.
"..."
"..."
"What?"
"I don't have that much money."
"I can only afford two Normal-class Scrolls of Speed."
"If we want to escape from a Class A monster."
"We need at least an Epic-class Scroll of Speed."
Nera sighed.
"Then let's just pray we don't run into a Class A monster."
Welly nodded.
"You also have me."
"I can use Speed Magic."
"It's equivalent to a Rare-class Scroll of Speed."
"It gives a 2.5x speed buff."
"Because I'm a Support."
"That's true."
"But it consumes a lot of mana."
"I can only cast it about three times."
"That's enough for the three of us."
"The duration is only five minutes though."
"Unlike Scrolls."
"The higher the class, the longer the duration."
"An Epic-class Scroll of Speed can even last for an hour."
Welly took out two small bottles.
"I also have two Rare-class Mana Potions."
"These can restore mana instantly."
"They're expensive."
"But if we're truly cornered."
"I'll use them."
"I see."
Berin still looked hesitant.
"So?"
"Are we really going to the forest?"
Nera and Welly nodded at the same time.
"Umm..."
"Alright then."
"Let's leave now."
"Are we going to spend the night in the forest?"
"Yes."
"We'll stay there."
"For at least two days."
"After that, we'll come back."