【It is truly a pity. The rebellion would have succeeded if not for that outlander.】

【You crazy bastard! Why would you say that out loud...!】

【There's no one here but kids. It's fine, it's fine.】

【Don't you know the saying that a quiet forest is the most dangerous?】

【I said it's fine.】

On a night when sleep eluded her to a bizarre degree, Akata chewed on her lips at the sound of the guards chattering.

She felt resentful and deeply sorrowful. Her ears, which should have been filled with the tranquility of a night where everyone was asleep, were deafened by the screams of her family members who had been executed just hours ago.

【Come to think of it, the outlander is staying at Taposhaka's house, right? Hah, even if he was a rebel, to just hand over the house of the most powerful family next to the Chief so readily. He must really care for that outlander.】

【... The warrior is one thing, but that white furball is said to be a Priestess. With all the village's Priestesses having gone over to the rebellion, it makes sense. Even Katina doesn't have much time left.】

【Is he really planning to take the outlander to Katina?】

【No way...】

Taposhaka was the name of her father. Not only did that detestable outlander cause all of her family to die, but he had also usurped their home.

【I'll kill him. I'm going to kill him.】

The girl bit her lip tightly and vowed revenge.

The ones who meddled in their affairs despite being outlanders and caused her family's death, and Atart who rose to the position of Chief despite beating Sammar unnie half to death. All of them.

【... Still, I think it's a relief that the Chief brought the outlander. Whether he really intends to take him to Katina or whatever.】

【What?】

【No, well. You know too. That Taranba guy... his son was taken hostage today. If it hadn't been for the outlander...】

【Ah...】

【How would a guy who takes kids hostage in a bind act if he succeeded in the rebellion and became Chief?】

【That was unexpected. To think Taposhaka would actually use a child...】

【Even some of the people who supported Taposhaka turned their backs. The kids who were dragged away almost died, after all.】

In the midst of that, the guards jabbered some strange nonsense. It was the ridiculous lie that her father had taken children hostage.

【Bullshit...!】

There was no way her proud father would have done that. He wouldn't have committed such a petty and cowardly act.

Right! The claim that he started a rebellion in the first place was all a lie! Why would her father, who cared for Bigabol more than anyone, start a rebellion?! In the end, it had to be a false charge framed by that detestable Atart for the sake of his own power!

In that manner, the girl dismissed all of the guards' words as a setup and comforted herself. It was the desperate thrashing of a child who lacked the confidence to face the rock bottom of her parents.

【In that regard, I kind of... like the outlander warrior too. It's a bit unfamiliar that he can't speak the language and has fewer hands, but I've never seen a bad guy among those who are kind to kids.】

【Was he?】

【Didn't you see Tuba's youngest daughter playing with a ball? They say the outlander warrior gave it to her so she wouldn't cry. Aside from her, the kids who were taken this time also received little things from him one by one and were playing with them.】

【But if it's something the outlander brought, isn't it an outland item? I feel a bit iffy about it...】

【I felt that way at first too, but watching the kids play with it, it's nothing much. It just looked like a pretty trinket. Some of them were rather fascinating, actually. Is that kind of thing popular in the outlands?】

For the same reason, she refused to listen to the praise about the outlander either. It was all sweet talk from those who had gone over to Atart's side.

Tap, tap.

How long had she been grinding her teeth, unable to sleep like that? A presence could be felt from beyond the prison wall. It was a sound so soft she wouldn't have noticed it if she hadn't leaned her body against the wall.

【Shh. Wait just a little bit.】

The unknown person silenced her and began to scrape the floor.

And around the time the moon passed overhead, the floor right next to the girl heaved.

【Take care of the rest yourself.】

Someone had dug a dog hole for her. Although she would have to dig a little herself to slip out.

【Who are you.】

It might be a trap. Akata suspected that and asked quietly. However, as if the other person had already left, no answer came back.

Then should she just stay like this? No, she didn't want that.

Akata carefully dug out the dirt while keeping an eye on the guards. Her fingernails broke and her skin split in the process of digging the dirt barehanded, but it wasn't serious.

Thanks to the other person handling most of it, it didn't take long either.

The girl quickly slipped out of the prison. The children in the same room? She didn't wake them. If a commotion broke out during the process of waking them, they could be caught by the guards.

Above all, if this was a trap, it was enough for her alone to suffer. The children sharing her room were five-year-olds, far too young.

【What do I do now.】

However, now that she was actually out, she didn't know what to do. She stood blankly before vigorously shaking her head.

Escaping alive was a lost cause anyway. The Great Forest at night wouldn't let her go easily.

If so, if she was going to die anyway, she wanted to die after getting revenge at least.

['How would a guy who takes kids hostage in a bind act if he succeeded in the rebellion and became Chief?']

... She had to get revenge for her family.

Akata hurriedly moved from the spot.

【It's a white-necked spider!】

In the process, she also obtained an effective weapon. She snatched up the spider without fear and dismantled its body. The white-necked spider's venom was quite an effective paralyzing poison.

【Those bastards...】

Should she kill Atart, or the outlander? After some thought, Akata chose the latter. It was because the former was too heavily guarded.

If one were to measure the size of her hatred, the one directed at Atart was naturally larger, but she was only given one chance. And it was a chance where her head would fly off the moment she attempted it, regardless of success or failure.

If that was the case, she would rather choose the path where at least one revenge would succeed.

Akata's small feet approached her old house under the cover of night.

Swoosh.

【Is there some problem...】

But right at that timing, someone stepped outside. A black coat that looked like it would melt into the night at any moment, hair color that made one wonder if it was even possible, and crucially, only a single pair of arms.

She had never seen him in person, but it wasn't hard to be certain of his identity. It was the outlander warrior.

【Hnnng, the Chief is the only person in our village who can speak the outlander language.】

【Is he, uh, going for a walk? Should I follow him.】

The outlander warrior distanced himself from the building as if heading somewhere. One of the warriors standing guard at the building tried to follow, but the warrior refused with a hand gesture.

【Damn it, I'll go report this.】

In the end, one of the guards, finding it awkward to either follow the outlander or stay behind, left his post. It was an utmost advantage for the girl.

Wasn't a Priestess relatively easier to kill than a warrior?

【Oops, I shouldn't step on this.】

However, the girl's dream quickly turned into a twig dropped in the forest.

Judging by how the soldier made a fuss just because he took a slight step inside, it seemed that magic had been cast around the building.

【Damn it.】

All the Priestesses had been taken away for treason, so it was probably magic cast by the outlander Priestess.

If this was the case, killing the Priestess was close to impossible. The moment she crossed that line, the guards would notice the anomaly and rush in. And whether the Priestess was sleeping or not, she would wake up and prepare herself.

Then what she should aim for after all was...

Akata's gaze turned toward the departing figure. The possibility was infinitely low, but at the same time, it was high. Because, like an outlander, he was heading into the night forest.

Into that forest full of poisonous insects and all kinds of wild beasts.

【... I can do it.】

She didn't even hope for a surprise attack. All she had to do was make it so the wild beasts could find that warrior.

The girl gritted her teeth and tailed the warrior. Crunch, crunch. In the silence, a very small sound of grass being crushed could be heard.

Screeech.

Right then, something made a sound of scratching a tree. The girl's body lowered reflexively.

Screeech.

The sound occurred at regular intervals. Akata's eyes narrowed, and she placed her hand on the spot where the sound had come from. It was a sword mark.

Why is he leaving marks? She once again entertained the thought that this might be a trap.

However, to say he was leading the girl, the outlander warrior's pace was too unhesitating. Even now, just because she hesitated for a moment, hadn't the gap widened by nearly ten paces?

Akata quickened her steps so as not to lose the warrior.

The distance from the village gradually widened.

【Chief. We have confirmed that Akata is following our guest.】

【Is that so?】

At the time Akata left the village, Atart narrowed his eyes upon hearing his aide's report.

【Yes. Thanks to the warrior among the guests happening to go out for a night walk...】

【How lucky.】

Right. It was truly lucky. Although he thought it wouldn't matter if she failed or succeeded, it still would have been a shame if the child didn't move as she pleased because of the sentries.

Though there was ample justification to punish the child the moment she escaped, using that as an excuse for execution was still hindered by the outlander's threat.

So he had hoped for a more solid excuse to be created...

【Even if she's smart, a kid is still a kid.】

【... That is true.】

【To bite the bait exactly as it is without a single doubt.】

The moment she targeted the guest, the justification was overflowing. However, Atart hoped for even more while he was at it.

Atart's eight eyes narrowed.

【It would be the best picture if she died by the guest's hand like this.】

The proposal to spare the children was merely something he threw out to gently reel the guest in. It was partly to look after his own reputation and there were a few profitable things to gain from it, but the biggest reason was to find out just how far the guest was willing to go for the children.

If he knew that the guest was someone who would readily extend a hand to children doomed to die by guilt by association, he would be able to exploit him much more.

['Know your place.']

But what was this current state of affairs?

【... Damn it.】

Atart uselessly rubbed the back of his neck at the voice that gave him a chill just from recalling it.

How dare he. How dare he threaten him. None other than him. Himself, the highest authority in this place.

['The only reason you are alive right now is purely because you first made a proposal I desired.']

However, despite the displeasure surging up like madness, he didn't have the confidence to make a move. It was because there was not a single speck of a lie in the words the guest had put forth.

['It is merely that I did not wish to needlessly dirty my sword with blood.']

Right. Because he possessed the skill to be called the tribe's greatest warrior, he could be even more certain. If that man decided to antagonize them, there wouldn't be a single way for him to fight back.

A sprout and a tree, a torch and the sun. The gap between them was as severe as a pebble and a great mountain, meaning resistance was absolutely impossible.

BAM.

【Sammar! Bring Sammar... Ah, is he dead? Useless fool.】

So please, he hoped that the escaped child would crash that man's mood to the rock bottom.

He didn't even hope for the child to kill that man. He hadn't let her loose with that intention in the first place anyway.

【Then it can't be helped.】

He merely hoped she would present him with displeasure. To make him dirty his hands with a child's blood despite his fondness for children, and to make him feel even the slightest bit of displeasure from it.

Because shockingly, the only revenge he could exact on a target he couldn't defy was something like that.

【You'll just have to get hit instead.】

However, there was also no need to carry along any remaining resentment.

Indeed, if the opponent was too strong to take his anger out on, he could just pick someone weaker than the target of his anger and take it out on them instead.

【Clench your teeth.】

Thus, he grabbed the hair of his aide, who had been dripping with cold sweat since earlier. As if what he had been waiting for had arrived, the aide squeezed his eyes shut and bit his lip.

SMACK, SMACK, SMACK!

【... He's started again.】

【Keep quiet. Unless you want to get hit too.】

【... Lord Atart is an excellent leader, but at times like this... I really can understand why Sammar made that choice.】

The sound of the beating went on for quite a long time. However, because there were only accomplices for whom being bystanders had become part of daily life, the night passed without any disturbance.

【He's gone too far...】

Meanwhile, Akata found herself in a bit of a predicament. Although she had lived in this forest all her life, she didn't yet have the experience to effortlessly navigate the night forest.

She could still find her way back if she retraced the marks the outlander warrior left behind, but...

The girl looked back. The dense woodland blocked out most of the moonlight and starlight, making it incredibly dark.

Akata's Adam's apple bobbed.

【Damn it, just how far is he going...】

As the forest deepened further, it also became difficult to see her target.

Not to mention she had long since lost the sound of his footsteps, so if he hadn't left marks, following him would have been impossible too.

The girl bit her lip in nervousness.

Swoooosh.

Then for a moment, she heard the sound of a waterfall. Her mental map then went to work. It was a place the girl knew.

【Is it that way?】

How did the outlander know about the waterfall to come here? With that thought, Akata put strength into her steps.

The trees opened up a bit and she finally saw the warrior she had lost sight of. He was sitting on a rock near the waterfall.

There are a lot of wild beasts near the water. While nervously clenching and unclenching her fists, Akata quietly approached the outlander.

Swoooosh.

The sound of the waterfall gradually drew closer.

Sob.

Faintly, it was the reverberation of the waterfall mixed with the sound of crying.

【...?】

And when only a few meters remained between her and the warrior. Akata saw a sight she could never have imagined.

"I want to go home."

He was crying, that outlander.

"Please, please send me home..."

Amidst the pouring moonlight, he was weeping so sorrowfully, his tear streaks undeniably clear.

"It's too hard to keep looking away anymore..."

She was the one who really wanted to cry.

"Don't leave me in this kind of world..."

Silver tears constantly streamed down his pale face. Even as his bare hand, stripped of its glove, continuously wiped them away and scrubbed them with the back of his hand, they did not stop.

"It's too hard, Mom. I am. I really..."

Except, he sobbed as if the world were coming to an end. Just as she had wailed after losing her parents, that outlander also cried, choked with sobs like someone who had lost everything.

"I don't want to survive by killing others..."

His incomprehensible words were truly poignant.

"No matter how I look at it, this is reality, so how can I kill a person..."

Though she hadn't wanted it, seeing her enemy's rock bottom brought about a very strange feeling.

At the sorrow that was vividly transmitted, the resentment of 'What right does someone like you have to cry?' intersected with an inescapable sense of pity.

However, even so.

That outlander was her enemy. The person who caused her parents to die.

['That Taranba guy... his son was taken hostage today. If it hadn't been for the outlander...']

He was the person who killed her parents.

['Even some of the people who supported Taposhaka turned their backs. The kids who were dragged away almost died, after all.']

Her parents...

No. It's all bullshit.

The girl braced her wavering resolve and gripped the stone knives she had prepared on her way here. Two of the five knives were coated in the white poison spider's venom, so if she did this right, she could kill that outlander.

Swoosh.

However, it seemed that focusing too much on her target was the problem. By the time she noticed the presence, it was already too late.

ROAAAAAR!

【Aaaah!】

A leopard pounced on the girl. She barely managed to avoid getting bitten on the back of her neck, but her middle forearm was bitten. It felt like her arm was going to be ripped off.

【Let go, let go!】

The girl subconsciously flailed all her arms and the stone knives in her grasp wildly. It was useless. The eyes of the leopard biting her forearm gleamed fiercely, and the teeth piercing her skin and the claws scratching her as it pinned her body down hurt so much.

She wondered if this was what death felt like.

SLASH!

In that instant, along with a fierce gust of wind, the leopard shaking her body halted its movements. It went beyond halting and even collapsed to the side.

The splattered blood soaked the entirety of her face, warmly heating her body.

"Are you hurt...!"

It hurts, it hurts so much. The girl wailed loudly at the pain she was experiencing for the first time. Then, a language whose meaning she didn't know began to soothe her. Yes, it was a soothing comfort.

"Hold on just a little longer. I'll take you back to the village."

Clumsy, affectionate, and gentle.

"You're bleeding too much... I'm going to tie your arm, so stay still for just a bit. You mustn't move."

Detestable.

Akata felt her body being lifted. And she felt his coldly cooled embrace coming into contact with half of her body.

It was truly humiliating. The reason the girl stood in this place was to kill this man, but she had actually failed to kill him and was receiving his help instead.

And the fact that the embrace she was held in resembled her father's to a sickening degree.

"Hold on just a bit."

What made her even more furious was that the words whispered in her ear were bringing her relief. She was finding solace in her enemy's gentleness, and her fear of death was lessening.

Just like when she was held in her father's arms.

【I don't want this...】

She didn't want that. She was in a position of having received help, but she still didn't want it. Even if he helped her like this, even if he acted gently, in the end, he was the person who killed all of her parents and siblings.

"...!"

Akata swung all the arms she could swing. She thought that since the outlander only had two arms, he would at least get hit by one.

However, with one grazing his cheek and one grazing his shoulder, it ended with her being immediately flung away. Her body rolled on the ground.

Ah. So even a surprise attack like this didn't work on true warriors. So strong warriors could cope with a surprise attack even with a small number of arms.

The girl became more agonized by the sense of defeat that she couldn't even succeed at this, rather than the pain of rolling on the ground. It felt like helplessness and unfairness were dominating her entire body.

But at the same time, she didn't want it to end like this. She grabbed stones and pieces of wood to replace the stone knives she had dropped when she was thrown.

"Ah!"

She was determined to vent her anger, even if it meant throwing and hitting him with them.

"It's dangerous!"

But strangely, the person who had suffered her attack approached her first. That wasn't all. He pulled her into his embrace even though he should know that she attacked him.

Why?

No, the reason didn't matter.

The girl instinctively knew for certain that this would be her last chance. Her mind, soaked in rage, was in too much of a hurry to satisfy its own temper rather than observe her opponent and her surroundings.

【Die, die!】

The first knife dug in between his chest and his shoulder.

【Diiie!!】

The second and third blades plunged down toward his heart. The knives, merely fashioned from broken stones, did not dig sharply into his flesh, but they forcibly tore through the leather nonetheless.

BOOM!

In an instant, a tremendous roar and a strong gust of wind struck her ears.

【...?】

Her head turned reflexively.

"Keugh."

And then.

"Keuhuk."

What was presumed to have tried to swallow her.

"A-Are you hurt."

A massive anaconda.

"Any, where?"

Was seen lying dead with a huge hole in the back of its neck.

"Cough."

The blood coughed up by the person holding her soaked the girl's shoulder.

['In that regard, I kind of... like the outlander warrior too. It's a bit unfamiliar that he can't speak the language and has fewer hands, but I've never seen a bad guy among those who are kind to kids.']

Ah, Dad.

You told me to repay grudges twofold, and favors tenfold. What should I do in a time like this?

"Cough."

Wow. This kid, seriously. She's got good aim.

I walked on while harboring such useless thoughts. After I saved the kid who attacked me from another beast's assault, she stopped resisting any further.

Thanks to that, it was much easier to move.

"Keugh."

The problem was that my head kept spinning as blood continued to flow.

I obstinately moved my steps, even while thinking that I had come out too far for nothing.

The stabbed areas continuously bled along with a dull pain, but I didn't have the confidence to treat them. The bandages I was already wearing underneath were handling the compression and hemostasis... and there were no potions or anything else here.

It wasn't like I had any medical knowledge to treat stab wounds either.

【Why, why...】

Meanwhile, the kid held in my arms kept muttering. It seemed she was somewhat in shock.

She must find it somewhat astonishing that I rescued her and am taking her back despite being attacked.

Yeah. Honestly, I kind of feel like a pushover myself.

But what can I do. How could I abandon a child who's merely a middle schooler at best.

"It's, fine."

I don't know what made the kid attack me. But seeing as she stopped ambushing me after I saved her... I feel like, maybe just this much is enough.

Because she was furious about something, because she just couldn't bear it. She probably had no choice but to act even while knowing this was wrong.

Kids this age have a hard time stopping before they try it, right? All the more so when there isn't even a guardian around to stop them in a situation like that.

Therefore...

"It's fine."

Even if you committed an emotional mistake, you're a child who can realize it was wrong and stop.

I forgive you.

Just as I once set the house on fire while cooking, and broke someone else's head with a baseball while playing baseball, but still grew up to be an adult like this thanks to the tolerance and consideration of the adults who had suffered harm.

I too will forgive you simply because I'm an adult, and for the sole reason that you're capable of crying out of guilt.

So it's fine. It's really fine.

I don't resent you.

"So do not cry."

【Why, why...】

"Do not cry, child..."

I walked while comforting the child held in my arms. My vision was even dizzier, but I could still walk.

【Ah, the village is...】

Then very faintly, I saw a scarlet light that couldn't be missed even with my blurred vision. It was probably a torch.

Did that mean we had arrived at the village? Ah, thank goodness. Even tracing back my marks was difficult, so I had left it halfway to luck.

It worked out somehow.

【Just a little, we just have to go a little further...】

But... I can't walk anymore. My 1-time death nullification skill has already been used too...

【A-Ah, no! We're, we're almost there!】

Ah. My last step, my last step absolutely refuses to stretch out.

I ultimately went thud, and dropped to my knees.

【I-I was wrong. I was wrong, so...】

Mmm. Am I going to die like this. Am I going to retry for the first time?

Hah. I really don't want to retry...

【S-Somebody help!】

Ah.

Still, it's a relief that the kid is okay.

【Someone's hurt!! Over here, someone, someone is!!】

It's truly a relief...

【Please!!】

In an instant, my vision plummeted.

I thought I faintly saw a white ceiling and the faces of my family.

「I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry...」

Damn it, it did this last time and now this time too. The fastening has come loose.

「I'm so sorry...」

Things have become bothersome because of the seal.