Kiss’s face hardened as he discovered another member of the ant clan between the trees. The fact that there wasn’t just one or two meant they were moving as a group. By now, the other nobles who had participated in the hunting festival were likely also being attacked.
Deus, who had been wiping the blood on his sword against a tree, opened his mouth.
“I heard the leader of the ant clan was a moderate, but did he go senile in the meantime?”
“No, even if he’s the leader, it’s impossible to emit pheromones at a level that enables mind control.”
“…”
“The only one capable of such a thing is Narikeh, the Fifth Guardian of the Primordial Evil.”
Kiss, who had been thinking about something for a moment, gripped the paperweight in his pocket. Narikeh mainly moved through underground passages called ant nests and was skilled at hiding his magic power, so he belonged to the category of Guardians who were difficult to discover. Now that he’d revealed himself, they had to track him immediately.
‘If Ash is alive, he’ll somehow convey the situation through the paperweight. So for now, I’ll go back to where he was…’
Kiss, who had finished his judgment, turned his body toward the cave. Just as he was about to step forward, Kiss stopped short at Erina’s arms embracing his waist. Erina spoke in a resentful voice.
“Don’t go.”
“…”
“If you go to him now, our deal is over.”
Erina, who had become grimy from being soaked in the rain, tightly embraced his waist. Someone’s scream echoed in Kiss’s ears as he quietly watched Erina. It was the screams of other nobles being attacked by the ant clan.
‘One person has to stay, then.’
If he tracked Narikeh together with Deus now, all the nobles who participated in the hunting festival would certainly be in danger from the ant clan. It meant one person had to stay here and sort out the situation.
<So if something bad happens to both Lady Erina and me at the same time… when that happens, you must help Lady Erina without fail. Understand?>
He recalled what Ash had said just before the hunting festival. At first glance, it seemed like words for Erina’s sake, but in the end, those were words for Kiss’s own sake. It was the same as saying that if this kind of situation arose, he should pursue the greater cause without hesitation rather than him.
Normally, he would have agreed with those words and naturally pursued the greater cause. But for some reason, today his feet wouldn’t move easily. Kiss, who had been wiping his wet face, let out a sigh.
‘In many ways, this is… putting me to the test.’
Kiss, who had finished deliberating after much thought, removed Erina’s arms from around his waist. Erina, shocked that Kiss had rejected her, expressed her anger while grinding her teeth.
“Kilius…!”
“Let me look at your ankle, my lady.”
Kiss, who had lowered his body with a calm face, examined Erina’s swollen ankle. Erina’s body flinched at Kiss’s hand wrapping around her swollen ankle. A bright light circled, and soon the throbbing pain disappeared.
Erina, whose expression didn’t soften even though her ankle was healed, bit her lower lip. Kiss, who casually picked up Erina, threw something toward Deus.
“That paperweight is a magical device that changes color when close to Ash. Not only can it share location, but it can also share the situation visible right before your eyes.”
“…”
“Leave traces by letting your magic flow. I’ll chase after you as soon as I sort out the situation here.”
Deus, who had caught the magical device Kiss threw, let out a hollow laugh. Then he spoke as if it left a bitter taste.
“I was going to go anyway.”
“…”
“If one of the two of us has to die, I think Ash would choose me instead of you.”
It was a dejected voice unlike Deus, who always maintained an arrogant attitude. Kiss, who had turned his head expressionlessly, wore a sardonic smile.
“You’re spouting sentimental nonsense so unlike yourself, disgustingly so.”
“Cut me some slack, I’m in a period of declining confidence since I’m in a cold war with Ash lately.”
“You can never understand him. Because you’re trapped in nihilism. But I’m different. I know that nihilism has no power whatsoever. That’s the only thing Ash and I have in common.”
Their gazes met in the rain. Kiss, who had readjusted his hold on Erina, turned his body without hesitation.
“For a greenhorn who hasn’t even properly achieved a single Opening, you sure are good at talking weak.”
The hand of Deus gripping his sword trembled. As Kiss said, all abilities had three stages of power enhancement called ‘Opening.’ Unlike Kiss, who had already completed up to the second Opening, Deus hadn’t achieved any Opening yet. That’s why his heart grew even more impatient.
‘Nihilism…’
Rainwater dripped down Deus’s sharp nose. Something entered Deus’s eyes as he looked up at the sky that had become hazy due to rain clouds. It was definitely the North Star, shining small between the dark clouds. Deus, who couldn’t take his eyes off the star for a while, muttered quietly.
“I can’t continue like this.”
* * *
I checked my pocket once more while following behind Narikeh. Fortunately, the paperweight I’d brought just in case was still in my pocket. I glanced at Narikeh, who was humming a tune as if pleased to have obtained a new queen ant. I swallowed dry saliva with a face clearly showing signs of tension.
‘Kiss will definitely notice that the Fifth Guardian has appeared. If I can’t subdue Narikeh right now, I need to at least inform them of Narikeh’s location.’
That was also why I had risked my life to flatter him, saying I wanted to become Narikeh’s female. Because perhaps this was a chance to obtain the fifth Summoning Seal. Insects swarmed around Narikeh walking ahead.
Befitting his alias ‘Insect King,’ he who dominated all insects could use pheromones to mind control any insect. Not only insects, but insect beastmen as well. Just as I was looking distastefully at the centipede crawling up Narikeh’s wrist, Narikeh, who had been walking ahead, stopped.
“You’re annoyingly slow. If you’re a female, act like a female and match my stride. Is that difficult?”
“…I apologize, Narikeh-nim’s legs are so long that it’s difficult for my short legs to keep up.”
“Hmm.”
That was the second ‘hmm.’ Based on my guess, Narikeh probably made that sound when he was in a good mood. Narikeh, whose mood improved again as if he’d never been irritated, came closer.
“When I first saw you, you were just so-so, but the more I look, the more I like your face.”
“…”
“I want to take you to the nest quickly and make you do all sorts of things. As you said, the wenches I brought before died quickly. As if being locked in a nest full of cockroaches for about a day is such a big deal, tsk.”
I hesitated and stepped back at Narikeh’s action of bending down to check my face. No matter how much I tried to act like I liked him, I just couldn’t get used to that disgusting ant face. Narikeh, who had been tilting his head at my appearance, obviously terrified, stroked his chin and muttered.
“Aha, are you scared of this appearance?”
“N-not at all. How could I be scared of beautiful Narikeh-nim’s appearance?”
“Shut up, don’t carelessly evaluate my outer appearance.”
Which tune should I dance to exactly? I lowered my gaze at Narikeh’s atmosphere, which had become murderous again as if he’d never been in a good mood.
Just as I was unnecessarily picking at a hangnail next to my nail to lessen my fear, thousands of butterflies that flew from who knows where covered Narikeh’s face. My body froze at the bizarre scene that seemed like something from a cult film. The butterflies’ green wings fluttered as if tempting.
“Normally I don’t easily reveal this face, but…”
The green butterflies that had been gnawing away at Narikeh’s face flew up all at once as if they’d finished feasting. What appeared after the butterflies cleared was a handsome man with dark green hair that reached down to his waist.
A large scar across the center of his face and glowing green eyes. And the slightly upturned corners of his eyes gave a brutal and fierce feeling. At my surprised expression, Narikeh smiled wickedly.
“Females consider what’s visible important, you see. Well, having such foolish and irrational aspects is what makes them females.”
“…”
“How about it, would this face be acceptable?”
By the way, does this bastard not know how to make sentences without the word ‘female’ in them? I forcibly suppressed the rising nausea and smiled awkwardly. Then I covered my mouth with both hands as if moved.
“I like it very much. I’m holding back the urge to kiss you right now.”
“Hmm.”
“Since you’ve shown me such kindness for my inadequate self, I also feel the desire to serve Narikeh-nim passionately. But how much farther is it to the ant nest where I’ll be staying?”
Seeing torches installed here and there on the walls, this cave probably seemed to be one of hundreds of passages the ant clan used to come and go.
We seemed to have walked inside the cave for about an hour. There was no way to know when exactly we’d arrive at our destination. Narikeh, who had turned and started walking again, answered.
“We’re almost there now. Oh, and I’m asking just in case.”
“Yes, Narikeh-nim.”
“You don’t have experience with men other than me, right? I don’t touch wenches who aren’t virgins.”
I stopped short without realizing it at the question Narikeh threw. Because countless nights I’d rolled around with the Zebron brothers flashed through my mind.
Narikeh’s face, who had turned his head as if puzzled at my appearance not answering, gradually became fiercer. After taking a deep breath, I placed both hands on my chest. Then I shouted with tears welling up as if the mere fact of being asked such a question was insulting enough.
“H-how could you ask such an insensitive question…! I’ve carefully saved even the common kiss to offer to Narikeh-nim…”
“Hmm.”
“Of course I’m a virgin. You don’t need to worry about that at all.”
Narikeh, whose mood had improved again, hummed a tune as he walked. I also followed with an expressionless face as if I’d never had tears welling up. I couldn’t shake the thought that he was simpler than expected.
