NPC - 34

Chapter 34

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Thump, thump, thump.

Hurried footsteps rapidly approached, ringing in my ears. Soon, a hand grasped my right shoulder from behind, and someone swiftly stepped around to face me.

"......!"

Was I always this weak to a pretty face? Upon seeing the stunningly handsome man leaning in close, my stiff body gave a start. Deep blue eyes quietly looked down, scanning me from head to toe.

Though they were the exact same shade as the boy I had seen earlier, their destructive power was on a whole different level. Eyes so breathtakingly blue they could bewitch anyone, regardless of gender. 

It was Derek.

"Are you hurt anywhere?" 

Derek’s hand shifted, coming to rest gently against my forehead. Ever since that day, he seemed to have reached the bizarre conclusion that whenever I acted strangely, it meant I had a fever. In his other hand, he held a bow. As I suspected. The one who had shot that arrow earlier was Derek.

He was surprisingly good with a bow, too. Surely he wasn't better than me, right?

"Ah, I'm... I'm fine." 

My mouth finally managed to form proper words, as if a paralysis had been lifted.

"They're all tied up, sir."

"What should we do with this scum?"

"Hand them over to the village guards and report back."

"Understood!"

The knights who had bound the bandits began dragging them toward the village. The underlings could at least walk on their own two feet, but the bandit leader was being dragged mercilessly across the ground by a fiercely scowling knight. 

He was going to ache all over when he finally woke up.

"......."

After they left, I slowly took in Derek's appearance. He was wearing a blue-dyed tunic, likely to disguise himself as a commoner, with minimal armor protecting only his arms, shoulders, and heart. There was no sign of a family crest anywhere. The only thing of high quality was the highly functional cloak draped over him.

'I thought he said he was going far away... He's still here?'

Just as I was full of questions, his eyes mirrored my curiosity. But perhaps it was just my imagination; there seemed to be a hint of gladness in his gaze. 

...Or was I the one who was glad to see him?

"You don't seem to have a fever." 

His hand, which had been checking my temperature for quite some time, slowly pulled away.

"I did say we would meet again, but I didn't expect it to be this soon."

"Y-yeah, me neither."

"Why are you out here?"

"......."

That was the question I had truly been wanting to ask him. My mouth fell half-open before snapping shut again. No words came out. Instead, only an awkward puff of air escaped my lips.

'Because of your little brother.'

The unspoken words merely echoed in my mind. It wasn't out of some noble desire to prevent a rift between the siblings, nor was it because the young noble boy was just too cute to refuse.

I subtly brushed my hand against the leather pouch hidden inside my coat. Its heavy, bulky weight felt like a warning. Haven't you already been paid off? 

Besides, confessing everything to Derek wouldn't neatly solve the issue anyway. It would just be a pointless waste of time. And no, it was absolutely not because I didn't want to give the money back.

"Are you heading back home? I will escort you to the village."

"No, it's fine! You're busy."

Derek didn't press the issue of my prior silence. Since he was also operating under a secret mission, he likely assumed I had my own complicated circumstances to deal with.

"It's fine. We are in no particular rush."

"......."

They weren't in a rush? Derek seemed rather unenthusiastic about his current mission. Had it been forced upon him? He even had to conceal his identity to do it. 

"Ah~ it's not that..." 

If the conversation continued down this path, Derek would probably drag me right back to the village. I hurriedly began stringing together an excuse.

"Um... I'm actually going on a journey for a while."

"So suddenly?"

"Well, life has a funny way of throwing sudden events at you."

"Where are you going?"

"Uh, well... I'm just planning to wander around here and there."

I did have a specific destination in mind. A place I had resolved to visit at least once for a long time now. My first goal was to see it with my own two eyes. 

However, I hadn't figured out my exact route or where I would stop along the way. I vaguely figured that if I just went wherever my feet took me, I'd end up there sometime within the next two years. After all, I planned to tour every major location that served as a stage in the game.

"For how long?"

"...Pardon?" 

Lost in thought, I hadn't caught his words. Without so much as a frown, he repeated himself. 

"How long do you plan on traveling?"

"Two years."

A sharp glint sparked in Derek's eyes. They were still cold, but there was a strange, unreadable edge to them now. He stared at me intently before asking his next question. 

"You haven't firmly decided on a destination, yet the exact duration is already set in stone?"

"......!"

I walked right into that! That casual question had just been bait on a hook, and I was the fool of a fish that bit it, now helplessly flapping around. 

Unable to hide my fluster, my lips opened and closed like a goldfish. I mentally kicked myself for reacting so obviously. It wasn't even a big deal. So what? It wasn't a crime. Not everyone in the world maps out a flawless, step-by-step itinerary before traveling, right?

I should have kept my cool and calmly deflected.

"......."

"......."

But it was too late. One look at Derek's face told me the milk had already been spilled; there was no taking it back. With his eyes practically brimming with suspicion, no excuse I could conjure up was going to fly.

"...I made a promise not to return for two years." 

I tried to make my tone as breezy as possible. I wanted it to sound like some silly penalty for losing a bet with a friend. I'd rather he just think I was being ridiculous. 

Honestly, wasn't I providing a bit too much customer service here? Yes, I'd been paid a hefty sum, but I really didn't need to go this far to cover for his brother.

"......."

Derek simply stared at me in silence. Given that there wasn't a trace of disdain or exasperation in his eyes, my little act clearly hadn't worked. I probably should have been anxious about that, but strangely, I felt a weird sense of relief instead.

'...Hm?'

Just then, over his shoulder, I saw his men hurrying back from their task. Perfect timing. This was my chance to change the subject. 

"Ah, your knights are returning."

"How did you know they were knights?"

"I'm observant enough for that at least~ They're the same knights who frequented our inn, aren't they?" 

Did he really think I wouldn't recognize faces I'd seen that many times? Especially that Knight Commander; his intimidating aura was impossible to forget even if I tried. 

Since they were back and the situation was resolved, it was time for me to make my exit.

"Well... I'm not sure what it is you're doing, but I wish you success on your mission..." 

I began, leading up to a suggestion that we go our separate ways. I couldn't believe I was saying something so stiff. It sounded like the kind of farewell you'd give a business partner after concluding a dry meeting. 

To spout such a cliché line... Wasn't there a more sophisticated way to say goodbye?

"Let's travel together."

"...Pardon?" 

Right as I was trying to drum up a smoother farewell, Derek abruptly cut me off.

"Wh-where to?"

"Didn't you say you cannot return for two years? We are in a similar situation."

"Uh...?"

"...Huh?!" 

The newly arrived knights gasped, their faces mirroring my shock.

"N-no! That's quite alright!" 

Naturally, I rejected the offer instantly. Who exactly did he think was the reason I was kicked out of my home to wander the land in the first place?

"There is no need to decline. We have to travel all over the kingdom regardless."

"......!"

The moment he said that, it clicked. I suddenly knew exactly what Derek's secret mission was. It was actually a fairly crucial plotline in the game. Granted, since it belonged to the protagonist's rival, it was mostly dealt with off-screen...

I discreetly sized up his group. Derek had a grand total of five knights under his command. 

Excluding the burly Knight Commander with the large scar on his face, that left four. It was an absurdly small number for the task at hand, but they all possessed imposing builds and looked incredibly formidable. 

'I suppose you'd call them an elite squad?'

"We have no time to stand around. Let's head out."

"Huh? Hang on a second!" 

While I had been silently processing this, Derek had already naturally started walking ahead as if my joining them was a foregone conclusion. 

I scrambled after him in a panic.

"N-no, I'm telling you! I'm traveling alone!"

"......."

Derek paused and glanced back at me in silence. He didn't tell me to go, nor did he tell me I couldn't. Instead, he simply took a half-step back and extended an arm, gesturing for me to take the lead. 

If you want to go alone, be my guest. We'll just walk behind you. 

He didn't utter a single syllable, yet his intentions couldn't have been louder.

'Now that I think about it... he's surprisingly stubborn, isn't he?'

This was the same guy who would drag me out late at night to exterminate monsters, no matter my protests. Unable to step past him, I was left standing there, staring blankly at Derek in defeat.

"......."

"There isn't an issue, is there? Our paths align regardless. Since you cannot return for two years anyway, it would be far safer for you to travel with us."

'He makes a fair point.' 

I almost found myself nodding along in agreement. 

Since we were heading to the same next village anyway, what was the harm in tagging along for a bit? Besides, if we ran into any monsters, having these knights around would make the journey a breeze. 

'...A breeze?'

The moment that thought crossed my mind, it was like a bucket of cold water had been dumped over my head.

Derek was a major supporting character. The protagonist's primary rival, no less. There was absolutely no way his journey was going to be "a breeze." Walking alongside him was tantamount to waving goodbye to a peaceful, comfortable life. This wouldn't make things easier; it would be the start of unending hardships. 

However, my past experiences with him had already taught me that he wasn't the type to take 'no' for an answer.

"......."

Pretending to nervously gauge the reactions of the knights beside him, I spoke up. 

"But I think your knights would be uncomfortable with this."

"He speaks the truth, Captain. It's not as if we're going on a pleasure trip, are we?" 

I nodded vigorously. Exactly, exactly. You're not going on vacation, so why drag me along? Honestly, if it were a pleasure trip, I'd have happily tagged along!

"Exactly. If he ends up dragging us down..."

"Furthermore, how is she supposed to endure the journey looking so frail?"

"Won't a monster swallow him whole in one bite?"

"......."

A wave of sheer annoyance bubbled up at their ensuing comments, but I firmly bit my tongue. Were they blind? Did they not just see me take down that bandit group all by myself?! But I had to be careful. The moment I pointed that out, it could easily be twisted into me proving my worth to join them.

"......."

"Then, we shall simply put him to the test."

"T-test?"

"To see whether he is truly as weak as he looks."

"Hmm. A test, you say..."

Suddenly, the conversation had veered off in a wildly bizarre direction. What do you mean, test? Hello, is anyone going to ask for my opinion?! 

I hurriedly spoke up. 

"Excuse me, but I have no intention of joining you."

"Very well! If he can pass a test, I shall voice no further objections."

"Nor will I."

"Then I have no complaints either."

"It's settled."

"No, hey... hold on."

I, the actual person involved here, have zero desire to go with you! 

Are you guys completely ignoring me right now?!