ALL NOVEL Ch10 - Night Shift
Chapter 10: Night Shift
Luca and Lena stand facing each other, with Lily in between. They are about to form an escape pact through the Fairy Contract.
In a voice only fairies can hear, Lily chants the spell like a song. Then, a large, dome-shaped magic circle appears, enveloping everyone. This ensures that none of the contract details leak outside.
The jewel slimes seem captivated by the dreamlike scene, trembling with delight in Lena’s arms.
“From now on, we will establish a fairy contract.”
“Yes!”
Luca and Lena respond in unison, gazing at Lily. Still struggling with her speech, Lily looks nervous as she must smoothly recite an unprecedentedly long text for the contract. The tips of her pointed ears have turned red.
“Um… The pact we are making today is a promise that we will work together to escape from the Galalajure Kingdom and that we will never betray each other. The contract parties are Luka Tias and Lena. The [Fairy Contract] is an absolute vow that cannot be broken… So, please be careful with your words and declare your oath. Please state the contract details, Luka Tias.”
“To escape from the Galalajure Kingdom, I will cooperate with Lena and her familiar and will never betray you. I will spare no power I possess for our escape. After we have fled the country, I will not take any actions that may be detrimental to you.”
Luca’s exemplary words of restriction resounded throughout the dome. It was an advantageous contract for Lena and the others, leaving no room for dissatisfaction.
“…Got it! Now, next… Miss Lena.”
“Yes! To escape from the Galalajure Kingdom, I will work hard in cooperation with Luka! I will not betray him, nor will we try to escape on our own. We will escape together. Also, I promise not to cry until we are safe.”
Lena’s declaration, mimicking the teacher’s words, included an extra clause. Not crying? That would be better during the escape. Though the sudden addition surprised the four of them, they decided to continue.
“Huh!? …Understood. Just don’t push yourself, okay? We’ve confirmed each other’s contract details. Shall we proceed with the approval?”
“Yes, please!”
“【Fairy Contract】! …The contract has been established!”
After confirming the contents of the oath, Lily activated the approval fairy magic.
The magic circle shimmered more vividly, illuminating a dim corner of the forest. The magic transformed into cascading light, half of which was absorbed into Luca and the other half into Lena. Thus, the contract was etched into their souls.
The slimes happily bounced around, leaping as high as Lena’s head.
On the wrists of the two who completed the contract, small contract marks in the shape of lilies emerged. This was a sign that the soul writing had been completed, and it was said to disappear when the contract was successfully fulfilled.
“Wow…! So cute. Is the lily motif of the contract mark your original design, Lily?”
Lena asked cheerfully, drawing attention to Lily. She was still remarkably observant of the details.
“Yes! …My master gave me the name Lily, so I decided to design the contract mark with flowers. Cute things are definitely the way to go, right?”
“Yes, it’s really cute and wonderful, and I’m so happy about the reason behind it! Girls love designs like this.”
“…Hehe♪”
“…I hate to interrupt your excitement, but don’t forget that this ‘cute’ mark is also on me. For a guy, that’s usually a bit of an accident.
…Anyway, let’s move to a different location. It seems that several monsters are approaching, probably due to the magic being more flashy than I expected. I think we should give up on this place and search for a new sleeping spot.*”
“Oh no! We need to hide quickly!”
“Okay!”
The group decided to move a bit further in search of a new resting place. Since they had initially been looking for a location with fewer monsters, they should be able to find a new resting point without having to walk too far.
As they walked, Lena was impressed that no tears could come out when she tried to cry. It seems she decided to borrow the power of magic to refrain from tears for a while, thinking that it was a good idea not to be discovered by the enemy through crying. She was delighted that her tearfulness had been cured!
Luca watched her with a rather indifferent expression. …What was the significance of his intelligence [51]? No, in a way, it might have been a correct judgment, so maybe he was smart? After pondering, he concluded that there was no answer to this, so it was okay.
The familiars innocently chimed in, “That’s great, isn’t it! Good for you!” Their master surely lightened the atmosphere, as expected!
While their comrades had grown stronger and their overall combat power increased, the situation was still not good. If they didn’t tell some amusing stories, the mood would inevitably become heavy. A bit of naturalness was a good essence for their journey.
To escape the country, they still had to cross two small villages and clear the border checkpoint. During that time, evading pursuers was essential. The surroundings were a danger zone filled with wild beasts, and they couldn’t let their guard down…
(Now, how should we plan our escape?) Luca kept a calm expression while thinking of multiple patterns in his mind.
Having found a new resting place, Lena and the slimes entered a state of rest. Luca and Lily, who could see well in the dark, took turns keeping watch.
Luca relaxed his shoulders, gazing blankly into the distance with unfocused eyes. Despite this state, he was still thoroughly searching for threats. When he wanted to notice all changes around him, a hazy perspective like this was the most effective. If he concentrated on just one point, even slight changes in others would surprisingly slip his mind.
Glancing sideways, Luca turned to look at the soundly sleeping Lena. Surrounded by slimes and fairies, she was sleeping soundly in a makeshift bed inside a magic bag, without making a sound. She must have been extremely tired.
(She’ll have to walk a lot again tomorrow, so I especially want her to rest well since she lacks stamina. It’s more helpful that she’s sleeping like this than if I was considerate and she later collapsed.)
While thinking about this, his purple eyes gazed deeply into her soul, peering into everything without restraint.
From her status values and lifestyle preferences to her basic personality and memories of living in her strange hometown filled with iron buildings, which looked nothing like the forest, all of it was there.
Even deeper… As expected, there was quietly existing in Lena the remnant of an incredible talent that had likely begun to sprout due to the “other world.” …
Ruka frowned unconsciously while glaring at the “remnants.”
(This child is good-natured and has no ambition whatsoever… If all she desires is to live a normal life, perhaps it’s for the best that the bud has withered. It would have been better if the seeds had never been sown in the first place… I’m sorry.)
He fixed his gaze on Lena, lost in thought…
This meant that, to those around him, it would seem like Ruka was glaring at Lena herself.
Suddenly, a flying knee strike from Lily, who had stealthily approached Ruka from behind, exploded into action. A dull thud echoed through the forest.
“Ow!”
The kick from the 50 cm long fairy was quite painful, even for an adult man.
“What are you glaring at my master for…? You’ll make her angry, you know?”
“I’m already being scolded before any warning, Lily. What’s that about?”
“Hmm. Just making excuses.”
“Is that really an excuse?”
Lily had apparently come to enforce discipline, using even illusions like a security guard. She flapped her wings in dissatisfaction and perched on a flower blooming right next to Ruka. Despite their appearance, fairies are generally as light as dandelion fluff, so the flower’s stem didn’t even tremble.
She stared intently at Ruka, seemingly trying to show off that she was seeing him through Fairy Eye. He awkwardly averted his gaze.
The fairy’s face lit up with a triumphant smile!
Skill Acquired! Lily’s Victory!
“See? Being watched like this isn’t a pleasant experience, is it? My master would definitely dislike having everything seen too. You can turn off your [Magical Eye], right? So stop glaring.”
Ruka was taken aback by Lily’s words, his eyes wide in surprise. They hadn’t shared the fact that they could turn the Magical Eye on and off with anyone in Lena’s group.
…A fleeting thought of Lena’s extraordinary [☆7 Gift] crossed his mind. He unconsciously sighed in admiration.
It seemed that while the excessively potent blessings unique to otherworlders had withered away, the gifts that had been bestowed as a bonus were extraordinary in their own right. It might even be enhancing the effects of the gifts of the tamed creatures. What is that? That’s amazing…
Ruka pressed his hand to his temple, wearing an expression that conveyed his complicated feelings.
“Wow, I’m in trouble. Is it possible that I’ve class-changed, and the effect of [Mind’s Eye] has increased too…? Lily. Could it be thanks to my master’s gift? …Ugh, I’m sorry, I’m really sorry!”
“…Apologizing now is too late!”
“I’m sorry…!”
Lily was angry with Ruka, who was having difficulty apologizing sincerely! She seemed quite short-tempered.
With a horde of wild insects tamed by the skill [Charm] trailing behind her, she glared at the teacher head-on…! The intimidation factor was through the roof! Mainly due to the swarm of insects behind her, which was quite terrifying. The buzzing was unbearable.
…Seeing Ruka unusually flustered, Lily seemed slightly dissatisfied but decided to forgive him. Though she pouted, she snapped her fingers to disperse the swarm of insects.
“I’ve worked up quite a sweat…” Ruka muttered in exasperation. He wasn’t particularly afraid of insects, but that was just too much. Impossible.
Lily tilted her head and curiously asked him.
“…Having seen my master through [Mind’s Eye], don’t we understand him better than anyone else? With your [Magical Eye], you should be able to see the purity of his soul. …Yet you’re still on guard?”
“!”
…It really is difficult when both of us have [Mind’s Eye]. Ruka involuntarily smiled wryly.
“Hmm. It’s an unconscious action on my part, and I don’t really want to be that way… I’ve lived a life where trusting others didn’t come easily. Somewhere along the way, I’ve been unconsciously looking for flaws in her humanity. It’s awful of me, especially since I was the one who insisted on having her cooperate. But it seems that my stubborn experiences from these nineteen years have stuck with me.
If I could trust someone as innocently as her, that would be great. But in this world, it seems far too dangerous… The light of her soul is so dazzling that it’s almost blinding.”
Upon hearing Ruka’s words, Lily puffed out her chest for some reason. Her initial intelligence was only [4]. She only heard what she wanted to hear.
“…! We’ll protect my master. Even in this dangerous state, it’s okay! Her soul is incredibly pure. It’s the duty of the tamed creatures to ensure that it doesn’t get clouded!
Hmph. To recognize such goodness… I’ll acknowledge you… comrade!”
“Hmm… That’s a difficult response to give… For now, I’m glad that you’ve regained your good spirits, Lily. Lena is amazing. Despite having walked a tough life as someone from the original world, she searches for joyful moments and lives grateful for her happiness. I truly want to emulate that.”
“…Is it free to just think that?”
“Yeah. I want to emulate her, but practically speaking, I wouldn’t want to be like that.”
“That’s annoying…!”
“I know.”
Luka’s wordplay, which was quite annoying, was causing Lily to feel slightly irritated again. If he keeps teasing her, those insects might come back, you know, teacher!
Ruka, however, seemed to have moved past all of that. His usual calm expression had long since returned. In front of Fairy Eye, pretending to be someone he wasn’t was pointless. So he decided not to care!
Well, if he weren’t so tough-skinned, he probably wouldn’t have been able to maintain a sound mind in this decaying country.
…
“…You refer to it as ‘this world’ when talking about my master. …Why is that?”
Lily asked, hesitating, with a troubled expression.
Ruka seemed to have predicted that he might be asked this question. He stared at the fairy in front of him with a serious expression.
“!”
“(Can you hear me?)”
“What’s this…”
“(Don’t say it out loud. Just think the words in your head. They’ll reach me. It’s one of the added effects of my [☆7 Magical Eye] gift, the ability to ‘telepathize,’ okay?)”
“(…That’s cheating!)”
“(Exactly! You’re doing well!)”
Higher-ranked gifts can sometimes have special effects added to them, just like Lily’s [Fairy Contract]. It seems that [Telepathy] is one of Ruka’s magical eye’s special effects. It’s incredibly convenient.
…He had thought there might be something still hidden, but to have such a skill! Lily pouted again.
He wished that all useful powers would be disclosed for emergencies.
Ruka again apologized with an apologetic tone.
“(This [Telepathy] absolutely requires eye contact with the other person. So it’s not suited for combat situations where you can’t afford to relax, and it’s more for secret conversations… But it’s also one of my lifelines. So it’s a little scary that it could be known since we haven’t made a fairy contract yet.)”
“(Even though you can see everything about your master… you’re still a sly one. …You’re not just cautious; you’re scared.)”
“You can see all of Master’s abilities, yet you’re still so unfair. … It’s not that you’re cautious; you’re just scared.”
“Yeah, sorry about that. I also have an ability called ‘Trade,’ but I’ll explain that tomorrow. For now, let’s talk about Lena’s ‘world.’ It might be better not to discuss this too much outside of telepathy.”
“Why not…?”
“I don’t want her to be recognized as an ‘otherworlder’ in this world. If she gets an unnecessary title, it might make her a target again. It’s better to avoid that possibility, right?”
Lily’s big eyes widened. The idea of another world, an otherworlder—what an incredible notion.
“So… there really is another world. Are you from there, Master?”
“Yeah. Since you’re saying ‘so,’ it seems you’ve had your suspicions too. Lena’s soul has a goodness that is almost unimaginable for a human in this world. Plus, her past is clearly odd, so I’m sure of it.”
“When she was tamed, she showed you the [illusion] she desired the most… It was an unfamiliar gray landscape. Very detailed, very real, and not at all like Rana-shu.”
“Is that so? She must really miss her homeland. That’s only natural.
I don’t know how to return her to her original world, nor can I do anything to help her right now. For the time being, I have to make sure she doesn’t escape from this Gararajure Kingdom. We should keep her otherworldly status a secret from others as much as possible… I’ll warn Lena about it later.”
“…Mm! Let’s do our best!”
Though Lily had been frowning at the incredible story, she quickly switched her mood and gracefully soared into the night sky, starting to dance. Her blue wings sparkled in tune with her uplifted spirit.
—A rare fairy dance by a candidate for royalty, becoming a legend in its own right.
It enchanted the hearts of all who watched and gently healed them. The eerie scenery of the forest transformed into something beautifully dreamlike before anyone noticed.
Ruka smiled warmly and called out softly to dancing Lily.
“If you shine too brightly, monsters will spot you!”
“How rude…!”
It seemed that the grace of the former royalty was absent in Ruka. Such things were unnecessary for someone as practical as him.
Offended, Lily landed petulantly on a flower. Ruka chuckled and offered a bit of encouragement.
“That dance you just did wouldn’t stand out much during the day. I think Lena would be happy if you showed it to her. She’d definitely be moved.”
“Will she… praise me?”
“Of course.”
Lily instantly brightened, her cheeks flushing with joy. She was quite simple.
“You all really love Master, don’t you? You’ve only known him for a few days, right?”
Ruka asked, his expression filled with curiosity.
“Time doesn’t matter. The familiar contract is something very special for monsters, you know? It creates a warm bond between us and our Master. We can feel that Lena trusts us absolutely. Monsters generally live alone, feeling lonely and dying that way unless they become a demon. Once we know the kindness of a hand that pets us… we can’t live without that person anymore. It’s that special and… we love him!”
With a dreamy look, Lily spoke happily.
Ruka listened, genuinely impressed by the content of her words.
The rare job of ‘Monster Tamer.’ Perhaps the special skill [Familiar Contract] has an exquisite pleasure effect on familiars that humans cannot fully understand.
(Well, it might be that Lena is Master, making the ‘contract’ feel so comfortable. Where else can you find a master who indulges their familiar to such an extent…?) He couldn’t help but chuckle.
He found himself getting lost in thought, but suddenly snapped back to reality, looking up sharply at Lily.
“Lily…! Use your [illusion] skill to cover and hide us all.”
“!?”
There wasn’t even time to respond. Sensing the atmosphere, Lily quickly used her enhanced [illusion] skill to envelop everyone. With this, they shouldn’t be recognized by the surrounding area. What had Ruka discovered?
When their eyes met, he sent a mental message through “telepathy” with a slightly tense expression.
“Shhh,” he said, pressing a finger to his lips. It seemed speaking out loud was not a good idea.
“(…I felt a presence searching through this forest with my [remote viewing] skill. I think it’s pursuers. After a while, they’ll likely change their search point… So let’s stay quiet for now. It might be my half-sister. The rough and wild use of magic probably belongs to her.
To even bring out a princess, the kingdom must really want to prevent us from escaping. …I guess we’ll have to work hard to escape starting tomorrow.)”
“(!…You mean that outrageous princess you were talking about?)”
“Exactly. I’m glad you remembered. …They’re already on the move.”
Ruka and Lily exchanged glances and let out small sighs of relief. Even with the use of the [illusion] skill, they were tense about whether they could remain undetected.
Ruka, surveying the surroundings sharply, spoke to Lily again.
“It seems like they’re just aimlessly searching, so they won’t be coming back to the same spot too soon. I think it’s best to rest here for the night. There don’t seem to be any monsters nearby.”
“…Mm. Understood.”
“I’ll stay awake until morning, just in case. You don’t have to take turns, so sleep until morning, okay? I’ll wake you if anything happens. I’ll ask you to take the night watch again tomorrow.”
“Okay!”
“…Tomorrow, we have to get out of this forest and move forward.”
They couldn’t keep hiding nearby forever; sooner or later, the pursuers would catch up and capture them.
Fortunately, Danatsera was close to the border, so they should be able to reach the checkpoint in a few days. They needed to create distance while deceiving their pursuers and successfully escape.
How to get through the checkpoint… They could only wait and see how things would play out at that moment. Having been a sheltered prince, Ruka had never directly witnessed the security at the gate. Even if he came up with a plan without prior knowledge, it would be a waste of thinking time if it couldn’t be executed on-site.
While considering different directions, he would try to think of it if he had the time.
“…Good night.”
Lily quietly snuggled up to Lena and began to sleep. She lay facing away from Ruka and seemed to be breathing softly already, not expecting a response.
“Good night.”
With a wry smile at the sight, Ruka murmured softly, not directing it at anyone in particular. A gentle breeze brushed against his cheek, slightly swaying his unkempt blonde hair.
His purple eyes no longer gazed into Lena’s soul but were simply lost in the faint darkness of the forest.