Chapter 36

My darkened reason returned, and the situation started to become clear.

And I could recognize what I had just done.

Oh, Laydan Tanton, good heavens.

You've gone and done something insane.

You madman.

To make such a crazy decision to save an Outer God in this situation!

And in front of the Hunter, no less!

But even though my reason had returned, I didn't feel like letting go of the Hunter's gun.

"...Human?"

The younger Outer God sister looked at me, trembling as if terrified.

Aish, if I saved you by shattering my reputation, shouldn't you run away quickly?!

I gave a signal to run away quickly by moving my chin slightly, trying not to be noticed by the Hunter.

"...Damn you!"

In the end, I lost my grip due to the Hunter's strength, and the Hunter immediately aimed the revolver forward.

Fortunately, did they understand my signal?

Before the Hunter could properly aim the gun at the younger Outer God sister, she created a clumsy car, and quickly left the place while holding her older sister in her arms.

"Damn it...!"

The Hunter cursed and belatedly walked forward towards the Outer Gods while firing his revolver, but those Outer Gods were outlaws of the blizzard who wouldn't lose in speed.

Moreover, to disrupt his concentration, the younger sister raised her voice.

"Thank you! I'll definitely repay this favor!"

A thank you message only I could hear.

"Ugh!"

But this note of gratitude was an area-of-effect technique that caused mental interference for someone else.

She probably chose this clever method, remembering that she could talk to me without problems.

Even for the Hunter who could withstand most mental interference, it was inevitable that his concentration would be disrupted by a voice of that volume.

The muzzle of the gun lost focus, shook, and fell to the ground.

It was over.

Because these outlaws are free beings in this harsh environment, it wouldn't have been easy even for the Hunter to hit the girls quickly escaping.

As this whole process ended, a silence fell that felt like it was choking my throat.

I felt like I wanted to crawl into a mouse hole if I could, and all sorts of thoughts flooded my mind.

Should I say something to the Hunter?

Should I explain what the flute's ability is?

But wouldn't that be no different from making excuses belatedly?

In the end, what I expected happened.

Thwack!

The Hunter's fist struck my cheek.

"Ugh!"

With a feeling like my brain was shaking, I fell to the ground, and I quickly heard the sound of snow being stepped on as the Hunter approached me.

Before I could come to my senses, the Hunter roughly pushed my shoulder, then grabbed my collar and pulled me close.

Anger was burning in the Hunter's eyes.

"...Do you know what you've just done?"

The Hunter's voice, which started in a calm tone, began to rasp with anger towards the end.

"You've essentially released a lion that killed humans because you felt sorry for it!"

He berated me with a loud voice full of anger.

The Hunter exhaled rough breaths uncharacteristic of him, as if he still hadn't calmed down, but his gaze never left me.

But there was nothing I could do in response to the Hunter's reaction.

I could only watch silently as the Hunter raged.

"How long do I have to keep understanding your ridiculous goodwill? That thing in your pocket, and those Outer Gods you saved by snatching my gun without even thinking your wrist might fly off!"

But the Hunter expressed his emotions in a way I never expected.

The Hunter was speaking at length.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Hunter... but..."

"I don't know what you saw and felt. You must have something special like my sense of smell. But I can say one thing for certain."

The Hunter said with eyes blazing like fire.

"No matter what you say, their very existence harms humans. Laydan Tanton, are you saying those Outer Gods with sob stories are more important than humans?"

It might look like he's just angry normally, but maybe because I've seen the Hunter for a long time.

I could tell that this current state was far from normal.

After all, the Hunter had only shown such an emotional side briefly when talking about his past in the detention cell.

"You could have died with just a moment of carelessness!"

Only then did I properly meet the Hunter's gaze.

Pupils greatly constricted with anger, and pupils trembling more violently than anger alone could cause.

It was a look of not wanting to lose anything more.

Perhaps it reminded him of his past self.

The Hunter nervously aimed his revolver at my forehead.

"If you keep acting like that, someday you'll be backstabbed by an Outer God and die. If you're going to die such a pathetic death, you might as well die by my hand!"

The Hunter's finger started to tense as if about to pull the trigger.

I closed my eyes quietly and sank into thought.

What meaning is there in what I've done?

As the Gardener said, they might be beings without proper education because they never had a proper family.

So even if I save them now, will they stop doing these things?

I couldn't even be certain of that.

Whose side am I on to be doing this?

What was my original goal?

Wasn't it to defeat all the bosses in this world and reach the game's ending?

Is what I'm doing now an action that's getting closer to my goal?

Or is it just an action swayed by emotion?

Not everyone could be happy.

But are such foolish beings, mixed with a lack of communication and education, really deserving of death?

I reached the conclusion that I'm currently too incompetent to solve this.

What if I had become stronger and could have resolved the situation before the Hunter arrived?

Wouldn't things have not gotten so complicated?

Trying to take care of two incompatible things was greed for me right now.

So I absolutely had to become stronger.

I felt I wanted to become strong enough to protect both of them.

By any means necessary, just like how the Hunter gritted his teeth and tried to become stronger to take revenge on Outer Gods, I had to become like that too.

After organizing my thoughts, I could see the Hunter's eyes filled with emotion.

It was the moment when the Hunter was building up a fierce momentum while aiming at my head.

"...?"

The Hunter showed a bewildered expression and turned his head to the side.

The Immortal Woman was there.

Holding the Hunter's wrist.

"What are you doing."

"You again..."

"I asked what you're doing."

The Immortal Woman's voice was unusually low, unlike her usual self.

Perhaps because it wasn't an action done with positive intent, the Hunter frowned as he looked at the Immortal Woman.

The Immortal Woman's usually blank expression had disappeared, and she was facing the Hunter with sharp eyes.

"I don't remember my name, or what just happened."

Bang!

As soon as she finished speaking, something like a red aura began to swirl around the Immortal Woman's body, and a crater formed with her at the center.

The Hunter's hand was already turning black as if the blood wasn't circulating, about to burst.

"Ugh...!"

"But I remember that he tried to give me warm and delicious food. And above all."

The Immortal Woman, whose eyes were now covered with a red aura, stared at the Hunter with empty eyes.

"I can't stand the sight of someone threatening to kill people."

Even though she must have clearly seen him trying to kill Outer Gods, the Immortal Woman was trying to protect me.

What on earth is this woman?

From coming back to life even after eating the Chef's food, to bursting people's bodies as if warming up when dealing with the Candles.

Now it seemed like flames were enveloping her entire body.

My brow furrowed involuntarily at this overwhelming aura I had never seen before.

Was it thanks to the mental stability of the Super Chicken Mod?

I could calmly observe this scene, but if I were to face this fire directly, the survival instinct alarm warning of possible crushing would probably be ringing madly.

Even I, who was just glancing at it now, felt this way, but the Hunter was facing it head-on.

But the Hunter didn't yield at all, rather glaring as if having a battle of wills with the Immortal Woman.

Does it mean that even if his wrist might break, his conviction can't be broken?

If left like this, it was clear they would continue until the Hunter's wrist broke.

In the end, to mediate the situation, I reached out first.

"Let go."

The hand I grabbed was not the Hunter's, but the Immortal Woman's.

"He's trying to kill you?"

"He's my comrade. It'll be fine."

Only then did the Immortal Woman release the Hunter's arm.

"...Tch."

The Hunter irritably put down my collar first.

There was a burnt handprint on his forearm.

How on earth is such a technique possible?

"...It's a shameless thing to say, but... let's go back quickly. Everyone's cold, right?"

Upon hearing my words, the gazes of the Hunter and the Immortal Woman turned to me and then simultaneously shifted to the sky.

Are they checking their current position once more while looking at the falling blizzard?

We were in the middle of a blizzard.

Fighting in a place like this would only result in one's own body growing cold.

The Hunter, who is more cold-headed than me, would know that fact better.

The Hunter quietly walked forward first.

I smiled sadly, understanding his intention.

"...Thank you."

"There won't be a next time. So I hope you won't do such idiotic things in front of me again."

The Hunter said irritably and was still glaring at the Immortal Woman with a wary stance, but.

"Huh? What's this? Is it edible?"

...The person in question had quickly returned to her original state and was making strange noises while looking at the traces of the Outer God's injuries.

There was bewilderment in the Hunter's eyes as well.

"...Is she oblivious?"

"Hmm? Who are you? You're wearing an unusual outfit."

"So she's brainless."

The Hunter grabbed his forehead with an irritated sigh, as if his head was starting to throb.

***

Despite various incidents, we walked towards Rondan through the blizzard in a somewhat calmer atmosphere.

I thought we still had a long way to go, but.

"This is right in front of Rondan."

"?"

I felt deflated the moment I heard the Hunter's words.

We really had almost arrived.

Ria had been showing the correct path after all.

Indeed, after walking just a bit more, the light of the hearth, Rondan's symbol, began to appear, and finally we were able to reach Rondan's castle wall.

"Ugh, we finally arrived!!!"

I stretched and shouted loudly, feeling the tension leave my entire body, but the Hunter glanced at me with a look like he was seeing a strange person.

No, I'm just that happy, what can I do?

I really thought I was going to become an international, no, an imperial lost child.

Thinking that, as we went to the castle gate, we saw two gatekeeper knights and another figure.

That figure approached the Hunter, who was walking in the lead, first.

"You're safe."

"It wasn't that far."

"Did you catch the Outer God?"

"No, it got away. It was faster than I thought."

The Hunter naturally explained as if he had 'lost' the Outer God.

It seemed he was trying to just bury what had happened.

Like when he thought Agartha had died, I felt sorry for always being looked after.

The figure who had spoken to the Hunter tilted their head and twisted their lips.

"Well, I suppose it's not easy to detect Outer Gods outside the blizzard..."

The voice, tone, and somewhat wrinkly movements.

All of these things immediately revealed who this person was.

Just as I was about to greet them first, that person looked towards us.

"By the way, who are these companions...?"

That person's words suddenly cut off, and their pupils began to shake wildly.

It didn't take long for those eyes to become moist, and tears began to pour out.

"Ah, hello, Ms. Muyeon. Long time no..."

I tried to greet first to avoid an awkward atmosphere, but my words were cut off by the impact of a body tackling me.

"Ugh!"

"You're, a, live! Waaaaaah!"

Muyeon, who couldn't speak properly due to her sobbing, hugged me tightly and shouted.

I was surprised by the sudden closeness and the soft, rounded feeling through the armor, but I felt solemn thinking about how much she must have worried.

I guess it's okay to give her some time to calm down.

After a while, Muyeon, who had been crying loudly, glanced slightly at the Immortal Woman beside me.

Suddenly, Muyeon's body, which had frozen in place, slowly began to tremble, and then turned pale.

Would that be the expression if one saw the soul of a dead person?

"Kni, knininini."

"Kni?"

"Kni, Knight Commander!"

...What did you say?