He must have expected Raven to dodge without difficulty, and just as he was able to dodge by ducking his head, Dan rushed forward and pushed him.

But is such a shallow figure applicable to someone who has served on active duty for about 150 years?

Raven, who had turned around and spilled the platform just by stepping out a little, looked down at him with indifferent eyes.

"Sorry."

...A dry, falling apple is even more cruel.

Isn't he a weak magician who only relies on a guardian spirit? Raven didn't know where the precarious bleeding body had gone, but Raven moved his hand, ignoring Dan who was hastily hanging himself. Even though the skin scratched by Dan's rough nails was bleeding red, he didn't care.

─Sigh.

A sound more strange than ever rang out.

"......─."

Silence fell.

As if time had stopped, Dan, who had been frozen, hurriedly approached the woman. Because he couldn't walk normally on his own two feet, he came closer as if crawling, holding the limp body in his arms. The arm that was holding his sister trembled.

Dan couldn't understand this situation.

'......Why.'

He slowly caressed her cheek, but instead of receiving a response, her head tilted to the side. Even when he put his hand under her nose, there was no reaction from any living, breathing creature.

'Why.'

Why did things happen like this?

He promised to help. So, he suppressed his frustrated emotions, and even silently waited for the conversation with the guardian spirit to end, but his mouth fell open at the hard-to-accept truth.

"...──."

But all that came out was a faint wind sound that no one could hear.

...Why is he so desperate? Isn't it to save his sister?

Even when his throat was cracked and his vocal cords were damaged, and even when he was faced with a monster with his tongue cut out, didn't he have reason to fight back and persevere? for the sake of his remaining blood relatives?

Dark eyes lost focus and stared into space. Then he looked down at his sister again as he felt the weight on his arm.

'...It wasn't a dream.'

Yes, this is reality. It wasn't a dream, it would have been better if it had been, but the weight of her limp body made me realize the truth.

His tightly closed mouth opened again and began to let out a silent scream. The eyes were already immersed in hopelessness, wavering and full of despair.

"───!"

He's frustrated because this neck can't even make a sound or cry. He feels like he's about to get angry with himself for choosing the wrong person and asking for help. He's angry because he feels angry and frustrated, but the target of this anger is himself.

He lifted his shaking hand and placed it on his neck.

Sharp nails began to scratch at the scar. He didn't stop even though the flesh was falling from the tips of his fingernails and blood was staining him red.

He didn't even feel pain, perhaps because his sense of pain was numbed by the overwhelming emotions.

Scratch. Scratch.

He scratched again and again, and as the blood flowed down his fingers, pooled on my elbow, and fell to the floor, an inappropriate voice interrupted.

"Are you going to die?"

"........"

His voice was extremely clear, without any emotion, his sunken eyes looked heavily at Raven. As if the bloody look in his eyes didn't bother him at all, the crooked man returned the soul-collecting weapon and continued to speak half-heartedly.

"Well, it doesn't matter to me whether you die or not..."

"........"

"You'll have a lot of regrets when you die."

...Now that I think about it, yes. There is this one.

From breaking a promise to killing his sister with a knife, there is someone in front of whom he are definitely at fault. The overwhelming murderous intent changed direction, Raven grinned at that blatant frown.

'Yes, you must regret it.'

Wouldn't it be unfair for him, who personally killed his sister, to die leaving behind a more fundamental cause, a slave trader?

'At first I didn't intend to care, but...'

The reason, dried up by worn-out emotions, was not killed by monsters, and he didn't feel the need to save those who were about to die on their own. Perhaps if the other person was an adult, he would have left as if he really didn't know.

But.

"Because your partner is a kid."

That's where it's worth considering.

A long time ago, the minimum line he set himself to realize that I am out of the scope of "human" and to remain human asks him.

As 'adults', is it really the right thing to pretend not to notice the death of a child?

All adults go through childhood and become adults. Whether positive or negative, all children survive safely and become adults thanks to the influence of many adults.

Unless you become an adult alone without encountering any other adult in the valley, or even if you do, it is a proper adult's duty to be considerate of a child who will be your past and another future.

So, Raven, who defined himself as an "adult" and used "attitude toward children" among the numerous human standards as the standard of humanity, contemplated, and soon drew an answer.

'...I need to stop you.'

Isn't it so sad to lose the opportunity to become an adult? The seemingly large child, who would end up imitating an adult even if he tried his entire life, quietly lowered his bright green eyes and consciously raised the corners of his mouth.

"More than anything, it's not something to do in front of someone for you until the end, is it?"

"......."

About killing such a person, he is still alive and talking big. Dan gritted his teeth and clenched his fists.

When Raven saw it, he tilted his head. It was clear that he was teasing through his grinning lips.

"Your eyes are cutthroat. Why, are you trying to kill me?"

"Your eyes are scary. Are you trying to kill me?"

"........"

"Don't waste your energy on useless things and take the energy out of your eyes. You can't kill me anyway."

Dan's patience ended there.

It's a miracle he's listened to his nonsense until now.

He will definitely kill that bastard and decorate it in front of my sister's grave! Dan just aggressively bared his teeth and charged at Raven.

"I told you so."

─ He was subdued in an instant.

There is no way that a person who goes around alone, hunts monsters, and closes gates would not be able to subdue a minor who attacked him with his bare hands and without a weapon. Raven, who easily blocked Dan, sat down on him, resting his chin on him and giggling.

"You can't kill me."

"──!!"

I'll kill you!!

"Well, it's not just because of this reason."

A weightless hand presses down on the back of Dan's struggling head. In direct contrast to the raised corners of the mouth, dry eyes without a trace of laughter looked at the sky.

"Your sister asked me to take care of you."

"...!"

"Ignoring her request because I have no intention of doing so is completely different from you killing me so I can't fulfill that request. I'm sure you wouldn't be so heartless that you would trample on your sister's wishes because you were swayed by your emotions."

...He really wants to kill him. He want to somehow silence that shameless sophistry mouth...

"Rather than that, shouldn't the funeral come first? I don't think you'd want to let your precious family rot in a place like this."

"..."

Even when he tried my best to stop his actions, it had no effect whatsoever, and in a situation where he was easily overpowered, he could feel the clear difference in skill between him and himself. Dan quietly lowered his eyes.

*****

The tomb, which seemed like it would take a long time due to a lack of manpower, was completed faster than expected thanks to Dan's extreme persistence. This would be the end of our relationship. While Dan was collecting the body, Raven, who was killing time by torturing the pursuer he had captured a short distance away, said goodbye as soon as the tomb was completed and left without any regrets...

...That's how a stalker was created.

No, should I say assassin?

[Guardian spirit ??? asks if you are okay.]

"Of course it's okay. This isn't the first time something like this has happened."

sswaeaeaek!

As he twists his body, a bird passes by his chest at an incredibly fast speed. Judging by the unusual sound and speed, if it hits him properly, he will experience a shock similar to being hit by a brick dropped from the 5th floor.

'If I let my guard down, my ribs will be shattered.'

Even if I don't kill him right away, I'm going to be this mean. Is this it?

'After all, the Honja is a crow.'

It makes him cringe every time he see it, but he have no choice but to accept it because of what he did.

He glanced at the crow that was hovering above his head again, looking for an opportunity, and the raven that glanced at Dan, who was following at a distance, walked towards the path he was supposed to take with a nonchalant look on his face.

A nonchalant murmur continued.

"How many resentments and curses have I received so far? What difference will it make if one more of his is added to them?"

[.......]

"More than anything, if I disappear from sight, he will quickly forget me..."

[Guardian spirit ??? asks her what to do with the request she left behind before she died.]

"What can I do? It's a one-sided request and promise made solely by her. I clearly didn't respond. There's no reason to follow through."

But....

I glanced back at Dan, who looked tired from the constant movement. Since he started moving immediately after building the tomb without stopping, his physical strength must have reached its limit.

"...The Fairy King hates humans, so it would be better to get rid of that guy before then."

Because the place he's going to is the territory of the fairies.

he doesn't want to care whether he follows him or not, but that doesn't mean I want to see him die before my eyes. He happened to see a village over there, so if he dropped him there, he wouldn't have to worry too much.

It's not like he's just throwing him away anywhere, it's a village, so he exhausted his last conscience. Raven entered the village without hesitation and moved to find an inn, concentrating on any signs of pursuit.

'...I guess he'll need some money to survive in the future.'

Before entering the inn, he casually dropped his money bag. He felt the crow that had been wandering in the sky snatching it away, but he pretended not to notice and put my hand on the door.

[He says he is worried because Guardian Spirit ??? is so kind.]

"Those who die by my hands will laugh at you for being so kind."

I can make as much money as I want, and there are other methods, but not him.

Ding-

Raven opened the door with a small mutter and smiled brightly at the lady at the inn. Green eyes, which some people find uncomfortable, were hidden between the eyelids.

"Is there a room here? I'd like to stay for just one night..."

"...Ah, welcome, sir! There are plenty of rooms!"

"Do you get magic stones instead of money?"

*****

'...He dropped it on purpose.'

He has to at least pretend to find the money bag by groping his waist for Dan to believe him. What is the point of assuming that there is no money and then taking a chance?

To begin with, it makes no sense that a person who is sensitive enough to pinpoint and stare at exactly where he is even when he is blind would miss the feeling of the weight of his pocket disappearing and the sound of something falling.

Dan, who had been watching the back of the man who gave the magic stone and got the room key on the condition that he not receive any change, was going upstairs, and glanced down at the money bag in his hand.

'I feel bad, but...'

There was no other choice. He stepped into the inn, holding his purse tightly.

'I have no choice but to follow him around.'

He thought about it the whole time he was collecting his sister's body and making the grave.

What should he do now? He can't kill Raven. His words were hateful, but they weren't wrong. There is a difference between Raven ignoring his sister's request and killing him to block even the slightest possibility. He doesn't even think he'll be able to kill him right now.

'I don't know... but I'm sure he's much stronger than me.'

He can't kill him now unless he's stronger. Especially since surprise attacks don't work on him.

"Listen carefully. The Fragment Souls and the Awakened are people who were respected for their very existence because they played an active role in the first Gate incident. The outcome is a little different, but if I had to compare it, it could be seen as similar to the royal family being respected for their mere existence."

"......."

"The fact that you dared to enslave such a being, especially an imperial citizen who is not from a defeated country, is a more serious matter than you think. In particular, the number of Honju is decreasing by the day, so they are treated as more precious, so I need you to come forward and help. If you ask, the Empire will act directly. You will be treated well, and of course, you will be able to take revenge on the slave traders."

Dan glared at Raven, who was giving his final advice about parting, as if it would be engraved in his eyes.

"Of course, you might be tired as you are stepping into a world of semi-nobles. Being a former slave might be holding you back. However, since you escaped before being sold, it would be somewhat absurd to call yourself a complete slave, so it might not be the worst thing. Being a slave and almost being a slave are different."

Who wants to part?