Volume 5 Chapter 8 I Was Terrified, But...
'...............'
Suddenly, a strange feeling came from Gram.
It wasn't just silence. It felt like he was observing Reed, the man called Reed, very carefully.
"By the way――"
Perhaps because I was focused on Gram, I didn't notice that the man called Reed had come close.
His eyes were fixed straight on Kyunei.
"Such a beautiful lady with an enviable body. May I ask your name?"
"Um, I'm... Kyunei."
It feels like I'm looking at my old self. Reed was breathing heavily as he approached Kyunei.
"Oh, so it has come to this. That's why you wanted to leave quickly."
Mikage put her hand on her face and her head drooped.
"...Could it be that Mikage-san disliked this Reed person?"
"Yeah, I remember feeling the same pressure when we first met, and during our assignments, he always seemed to have ulterior motives."
As we watched with bated breath, Reed relentlessly pressed Kyunei.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Reed. How about spending the night with me?"
It feels like I'm actually seeing myself from a little while ago. I remember when I first met Kyunei, I was similarly straightforward with her. It's a bit nostalgic.
But now isn't the time to reminisce about the past.
'Partner, I know you understand.'
I'm fine. I'm not getting hot-headed yet, and I'll make sure to keep myself in check.
"...I'm sorry. While I have spent a night with someone like you before, I've already decided on someone else in my heart. I can't fulfill your wish."
At first, Kyunei was feeling a bit pressured, but when it comes to communication skills, she's the best among us. She quickly regained her composure and gently declined Reed's offer.
However, Reed persisted.
"Don't say that. Instead, if that's the case, wouldn't it be nice to purposely step out of your usual ways and have a risky but exciting experience with me?"
Reed tried to press Kyunei further and reach out for her, but she put a stop to that.
"Wait a minute."
I intervened between Kyunei and Reed, grabbing the arm he had extended.
"...Oh? What's the deal with interrupting when someone is trying to ask a beautiful girl out?"
His apology for his follower seemed to have disappeared. Instead, with an aggressive attitude, Reed glared at me.
"You're the one who's trying to hit on someone else's girl, aren't you?"
"What did you just say, you bastard?"
Reed looked me up and down with a serious expression.
"You think someone like you...?"
"You're gonna say it twice!? Sorry, I'm not as handsome as you!"
Unable to believe it, Reed turned to Kyunei, who was behind me. Kyunei smiled wryly and nodded, affirming the statement.
"By the way, among those lovers is Aina-sama, who is here with me, so no matter how much you try to talk to her, it's useless."
Just as Mikage added this, Reed was truly shocked.
"Three women with such amazing busts, and they're with this guy..."
"You've been rude since earlier."
I started to understand a little why Mikage disliked Reed. It's impossible for a woman to like a guy with such low morals.
Once again, I felt grateful for the miracle of having Kyunei and the others as my lovers.
"So, in other words,"
Reed suddenly spoke up.
And just like that, the atmosphere changed.
"...If we just get rid of this guy, there won't be any problem if we talk to these cute girls."
Reed said with a smirk, as if he were a fierce predator targeting its prey. Even though he was clearly spouting nonsense, he directed an intimidating look towards me as if that was all that mattered.
But then...
I gritted my teeth.
Even as I faced Reed's fierce smile mixed with killing intent, I glared back strongly and exerted force in the hand gripping his arm.
"--"
"Say it again. Who's going to kill who?"
"You...!"
"Unfortunately, someone seems to be trying to make a move on my lovers, so I can't just let things slide peacefully."
Our gazes locked head-on.
It was like a powder keg ready to explode.
"――Tch."
Reed clicked his tongue and pulled his arm back. I released the hand I had been holding without resisting.
Reed glared at me with annoyance, then turned his back on me and disappeared into the crowd without saying a word. The guy who got punched by Reed and the others hurriedly followed him, leaving this place.
.........................................
"Phew..."
After his figure completely disappeared, I took a deep breath.
"Sorry, Yukina-kun."
"No, it's not Kyunei's fault."
"...Yukina-kun, what's wrong?"
Kyunei looked worried, but I couldn't answer right away. Instead, I looked at my hand that had been holding onto Reed's arm.
When Reed directed that beast-like intimidation at me, I felt like there was something even scarier lurking beneath the surface.
To be honest, I'm glad Reed backed off. If the situation had escalated, it wouldn't have just ended with a simple fight.
"...Reed may not be very active in Arcus, but he's a famous mercenary in the neighboring country. And not in a good way."
Mikage started talking, sympathizing with my situation.
"He may still be stuck at 2nd rank due to his bad behavior, but in terms of pure combat power, Reed has the ability to rival even a 1st rank mercenary."
"1st rank... What does that mean?"
Basically, it means he is one of the best mercenaries in terms of skill. If Mikage, who takes pride in her own combat abilities, is saying this, then it must be true.
"Reed only takes on requests for monster subjugation and not for tasks like gathering or escorting. However, the poor condition of the monsters he delivers to the guild is said to be one of the reasons why he hasn't been promoted to 1st rank."
But on the other hand, it also proves that no matter how many problems he may have, he still demonstrates the skill that the guild recognizes as worthy of 2nd rank.
"The state of the monsters he defeats is so bad that his nickname has become 'Trampling'."
──Reed the Trampling.
That name reverberated deeply within me.
--side other
Reed and his group left Yukina.
"Hey leader, why didn't you beat that jerk? You'd usually do it."
One guy with a bruised face asked Reed. Many people with him had the same question in their minds.
They knew Reed very well. They couldn't understand why he backed down so easily in that situation.
Seeing the puzzled looks from his followers, Reed clicked his tongue, raised his hand casually. The guy with the bruised face flinched, thinking he was about to be punched, but Reed just raised his hand.
The man looked at Reed's arm and opened his eyes wide, saying,
"Leader, your arm..."
"That happened when that jerk grabbed me."
Reed grabbed hold of Yukina's arm, and where he grasped it, a distinct blue-black handprint appeared.
Yukina trembled at the unusual aura lurking within Reed, while Reed himself was amazed at Yukina's hidden strength.
(That guy... seems like more than just a jerk.)
The moment he was grabbed, his arm became completely immobile, as if weighed down by the restraints of a massive mountain.
If he hadn't backed down right then, his arm might have been crushed by sheer force. That's how strong it was.
Of course, he wasn't about to let his arm be crushed without a fight. There were plenty of ways to remove that hand.
But what would have happened if they had continued to fight?
――Neither of them would have come out unscathed.
He had a vague but firm conviction about that.
However, despite knowing it in his head, Reed couldn't suppress the 'heat' swirling within him.
Burned into his mind was Kyunei's glamorous figure. Just looking at her, she seemed like a captivating bundle of charm.
"Nice, nice, I'm getting fired up. The more obstacles there are, the more thrilling it is when you finally get it."
Once again, Reed wore a fierce grin.
His henchmen, watching from the sidelines, just shrugged their shoulders.
――In the end, it was always Reed himself who made the most noise.
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