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CHAPTER 24: EARN FAVOR WITH THE YOUNG ASSASSIN GIRL TO NAVIGATE THE CRISIS!
"Please, go ahead and ask anything," Souta replied, and the subsequent unfolding was swift.
"First, Master Scholar, where do you come from?"
"I've lost my memories. There's nowhere else for me to return to but here."
"If you did have somewhere else, would you absolutely not be able to tell?"
"Is that your second question?"
"I apologize, it was just a child's babble. Please forget it. The second question is, what are you doing in this village, Master Scholar?"
"I'm teaching about the preparation of medicines to the children. It's called alchemy here, I believe."
"Alchemy... Is it a new field of study popular among the nobles in the capital? If there's time, I'd like to learn more about it."
"Of course, I don't mind at all. That's my job. If you ever visit this village for work again, please take the time to come and hear about it from me."
"Thank you. The third question is, would you be interested in joining us, 'Crystal Night'? We've determined that your knowledge and skills are advanced beyond what's available in the capital. We won't inquire about your identity. If you decide to join us, we can provide facilities in the capital or the territories of the border count where you can freely research alchemy."
Upon hearing about research, it would be a lie to say that Souta wasn't intrigued. However, his desired research could be done here, and he certainly wasn't interested in aiding in killings.
――From my perspective, there's no reason to join. But I don't want to sour this girl's impression of me.
Sota couldn't help but create an apologetic expression. As if he had anticipated this progression, he promptly and courteously responded.
"Thank you for the invitation. I genuinely appreciate your offer, even though I'm sorry to say that I must decline. I express my heartfelt gratitude for the overly generous evaluation. Nui-san, could you please pass on a message to your colleagues?"
Sota spoke fluidly, as if he had practiced this scenario beforehand.
Nui instinctively nodded, caught off guard by Souta's immediate response. Before she could gather her thoughts on how to persuade or probe further, Souta had already finished speaking.
"Ahh."
Nui nodded in reflex and then let out a small sound that seemed to convey regret. This was the first "pause" in their rapid-paced conversation.
――She's around ten years old, right? Yet a child who can engage in such conversations can be troublesome if they become enemies.
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"Hehe, I might request your assistance in the future. Let's work together then, and I believe it will be mutually beneficial."
"…Understood. At the very least, I feel that you are a trustworthy contractual partner. Let's live and meet again someday. Until then... take care of yourself."
After offering a respectful bow, Nui looked briefly at the shadow of the trees behind Souta.
"…Troublesome."
Oddly enough, the quiet muttering that Nui spoke in a voice too soft for Souta to hear was exactly the sentiment he shared.
"Did you say something?"
"N-No. It's nothing. I'll go back quietly now."
Nui shouted loudly as if addressing someone else, then took a step back. Afterward, she removed the red hood that had concealed her features, revealing her tanned skin, black hair, and purple eyes.
"…Did she vanish?"
In an instant, Nui's form vanished from Souta's sight. There was no sound, no presence; he couldn't perceive anything. She had disappeared.
"She's gone... Incredible. I guess that's her specialty, but of course. Live and meet again, live and meet again..."
Souta's tension seemed to dissipate, allowing a smile to grace his face.
――What was that just now? It didn't feel like I was alive. Depending on the situation, she might have used that technique to kill or abduct me.
――But the outcome isn't bad. She deliberately showed me her skills, not paying lip service but indicating that she views me as a potential contract partner.
Souta chuckled to himself.
"I don't want to die, huh..."
――But why did I look in the empty direction? She was definitely on guard, right?
Souta quickly understood the reason.
"Sou-ta-san?"
A soft sensation on his back, followed by the pleasant scent of soap. Hearing the familiar voice, he reflexively relaxed.
――It's her.
"Asugi-san... Don't surprise me like that."
"But you seem quite happy. I'm sorry, I was curious because I saw you talking to a little girl. I was watching from a hidden spot."
"She seems to be one of the officials' companions. She got interested in me when she found out I'm a teacher."
Asugi tilted her head for a moment and then smiled her usual cheerful smile.
"Oh my, you're such a well-liked teacher among the students. Speaking of which, we decided that we should have you teach us how to make soap. Word of mouth only goes so far, right? Do you have any convenient days?"
"I'm available anytime from tomorrow onwards. Choose a day that works for you, Asugi-san."
"Alright!"
Asugi glanced around and then took Souta's hand, leading him along.
――I feel kind of childish.
That thought crossed his mind, but he didn't really mind it, going along with her actions.
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Then, Asugi linked her arm with Souta's.
"Souta-san, this is a dangerous place. After all, it's a village involved in drug production. It's a village that doesn't exist on maps."
"Yes... I'm aware."
The two of them walked along the path towards home as the evening started to set in.
"Please be careful. This village is more precarious than you might think."
"I realized that today."
"Please don't die. You don't want to die, right?"
"Yes. Asugi-san, um..."
Asugi placed her index finger on Souta's lips and winked.
"It's not like Souta-san is a bad person."
"Is that so?"
"Even today, if I had come to pick you up earlier, it would have been better. I don't like being alone, so I feel like I need to protect you."
"Protect me?"
Despite piercing through Souta's unfamiliarity, Asugi realized her own recklessness and started speaking quickly.
"Huh? Oh! No, it's nothing... well, not really! Um, it's kind of like protecting a family, well, no, I'm not sure if I can just put Souta-san into that category without permission, but, well... for Ayahi's future, I want you to be there, teacher!"
Souta answered with a voice that clearly conveyed his anxiety.
"But Asugi-san, please don't do anything dangerous either. I can't protect you if I'm not there."
"Y-Yes!"
Souta understood that Asugi was moved. He had a faint idea of the reason behind it. However, he pretended to play it cool, putting on a worried expression.
"I feel sad when my family gets hurt."
That evening's dinner was so extravagant that Souta forgot about making ramen.
Seeing that, Ayahi looked genuinely bothered and went to spend the night at her friend's house.
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**＊**
After finishing dinner and having a moderate amount of sake with Asugi, Souta returned to his cabin. The goddess was sitting in a chair, looking a bit discontented.
"Welcome back, Souta. I was watching, you know. Why were you getting all flustered with that little girl? With your power, you could easily handle someone like her."
"Seriously?"
The goddess let out a sigh. The distinctive scent of her cigarette smoke spread through the cabin.
――Seems like she's in a bit of a mood today. This must be her cigarette for when she's in a bad mood.
"And what's with you, getting all mushy about being protected?"
Souta chuckled awkwardly.
"I still don't fully understand how to use my abilities. I have no choice but to be protected. Besides, what should I do if I'm attacked again?"
"When you sense danger, your body will automatically counterattack. If you want to win, you can win."
"That's not helpful. If I don't know what I can do, I won't be able to gauge my strength properly. What matters is how you win. You know that, right? So, what's the fighting capacity of Nui and Asugi?"
"... You're making excuses again. I get it. I'll tell you then."
With that, she immediately took out a pair of glasses from somewhere, put them on, and raised them slightly to make them shine.
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"First, that little spy girl. She just combined light magic with martial arts to disappear right in front of you. Her physical skills are quite impressive for a human, but the magic itself is low-tier. Once you catch her, she's not much of a threat. Next, that sloppy elf woman you've been taking care of. She looks carefree, but she's actually a high-level sorceress. Elves don't age much, and even if they grow old, they don't die as long as they keep training. She's probably specialized in wind magic. Her physical abilities are also quite high, so she probably won't even get a scratch from that girl's attacking knives. She can sense the flow of gas molecules and air movement, so a surprise attack is likely impossible. It's a terrible match for the little girl."
"That sounds like something out of a fantasy novel. But there's logic to it."
The goddess laughed at Souta's remark.
"On the other hand, you can fill the surroundings with poison without any magical warning. If you focus on someone close by, you might even be able to replace the contents of their blood with sulfuric acid. It's not magic after all. You've been practicing detoxing repeatedly for the past few days, so you're probably at an A-rank level, right? You can do that much."
"Um... where's the logic in that? It's just using chemicals as weapons, not science."
The goddess pointed her finger at Souta.
"You're the one who's all about logic and rules! Your resistance to poison and disease is different in nature from the other skills you have. You're borrowing a part of the goddess's functions! And I'll say it again, your resistance to poison has been evolving as something separate from what I initially gave you! You're strong! Accept it!"
Saying that, the goddess gave Souta's back a forceful pat.
――She still seems a bit moody. This is it.
"Oh, right. I have to go help you in the underground of the capital."
"Hmph... Fine, as long as you understand. I'll be waiting."
With a satisfied smile, the goddess vanished from Souta's sight in the blink of an eye.
――Alright! Jealousy avoided!
He let out the biggest sigh of relief he had all day.
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