Volume 7 Chapter 32 Moruru's Breakdown
According to Moruru's story, the one who appeared was Alkei, the alchemist.
"Ugh, Windy, right? She was throwing wine bottles at us in a narrow alleyway, and I couldn't even move my hands or feet... Moruru was so scared, I ran away...!"
Moruru spoke, tears streaming down her face like pearls. I said, "Yeah, that was scary," and hugged Moruru, patting her on the back.
As for Windy, she's currently recovering in bed. I used the Anahata Chakra and Sahasrara Chakra combination to heal them, so they should be fine once they rest and recover.
Well, it's not like our opponent was weak. Our opponent was Platinum's partner, naturally a gold-rank. Last time, we took advantage of Alkei's weakness and created a situation that was tough for her.
In my opinion, 'Oath' doesn't treat humans who are only strong in certain situations as partners.
She's probably extremely powerful in those situations, but have weaknesses that make her evaluable. That's why she's valuable and can't be replaced.
I sensed that Moruru had calmed down, so I gently let her go.
"Moruru, I have a lot of things to do from now on. I have to go help Ridge, and since you came back directly here, 'Oath' probably knows about this hideout."
"―――! Ah, M-Moruru is sorry, I'm sorry..."
"Ah, it's okay. I heard that the location of this hideout can be changed somehow. It's like a special magic that lets us change the exit while keeping the interior the same."
Roman had already started negotiating with the owner of this inn. I was told recently that this inn has a special magic that allows us to change the exit while keeping the interior the same.
I thought the entrance and exit were pretty sloppy, but it makes sense now. So, if Moruru's return means that the current entrance has been exposed, we can deal with it.
"Wade-kun, Moruru-chan, this inn is finally safe now. We've changed the entrance location and all..."
I felt curious, so I opened the entrance door. Until now, it was facing the main street, but now it's connected to a back alley. The dark, almost dayless atmosphere envelops the back alley in front of the entrance.
"This is perfect. We'll have fewer chances to use carriages from now on."
I closed the door. I gave Roman a thumbs-up while turning back to Moruru.
"Anyway, I'm going to search for Ridge now. If 'Oath' camp has taken her, the search will be tough. The more people we have, the better."
"I'll definitely help you, Wade-kun. I, who am loved by God, will assist you!"
"Yeah, thanks, Roman. So..."
"Your reaction is pretty lukewarm, isn't it..."
I said to Moruru.
"Anyway, Will you help too?"
"...Huh?"
I smiled at Moruru, who looked puzzled.
"I've heard you've been training hard with Echidna lately. I think it's about time you're counted as a fighting force, Moruru. Echidna always praises you, doesn't she?"
"..."
"Of course, you can say no if you're scared. You've just had a terrifying experience. But if you're more regretful than scared..."
I held out my hand to Moruru.
"Take my hand. Moruru, you're an ancient dragon. You're not a weak, helpless creature. Above all, you're my child. What do you say, Moruru? Can you stand up?"
Moruru's face stiffened, and then she wiped away her tears, looking at me with strong eyes.
"I'll do it! Moruru will search for Ridge... Moruru is no longer a weak child! Echidna-sensei also praises me!"
"Yeah, that's right. You've got plenty of spirit. Then―――."
I smiled brightly.
"We need to check if you have the minimum required strength, though."
"...Huh?"
"I heard the story, Echidna."
When I turned around, Echidna, Moruru's teacher, said with a hint of embarrassment, "My student is saying all sorts of things, and it's getting on my nerves."
I simply talked about what's going to happen from now on.
"For now, today, we'll search for any clues we can find, but if we don't find anything in a few days, we'll lose even the testimony of the people involved. If Moruru has a role to play, it'll be then."
"Hmm, you're not going to rush into it, are you?"
"That's right. If we get caught, it'll be like the saying 'the thief who stole the thief.' First, we'll search with members who are certain not to get caught, and if that doesn't work, we'll ask Moruru for help. So, let's get ready for that beforehand."
"Get ready, huh?"
"Yeah. Just get ready to the point where you can handle a simple fight with me."
When Moruru heard that, she trembled with fear. Echidna's eyes widened, and she whispered, "Is it that serious?"
"P-papa...?"
"Don't worry, Moruru. I'll just have a light fight with you, and we'll see if you can handle it. If you're okay with that, even if you're up against a strong enemy, you should be able to escape."
Moruru looked at me with a pale face. Echidna also had a difficult expression, thinking deeply.
"What's the deadline?"
"Three days. We should be able to track them down for sure within that time, and I won't have any time to waste."
"Otherwise, if we let that period pass, we'll be in trouble, and we'll have no choice but to rely on Moruru. That's the situation, right? I understand. Then, let's do it."
"!?"
Moruru, who had been so confident just a moment ago, was now shaking like a leaf, looking back and forth between me and Echidna.
"Alright, I'll leave it to you. Roman, let's go. I've already heard the details from Moruru. We'll gather all the information we can within the time limit."
"Yeah, let's do that."
"Echidna, make sure to train Moruru well. Even if it's just a short time, so..."
"...Yeah, it's a big responsibility. I can't let Moruru get killed by her own parent."
"P-papa... ."
"Moruru."
I gently grasped Moruru's trembling hand, which was welling up with tears.
"You're a strong kid. Even though you've been through a scary experience, you're willing to stand up again just because I asked you if you could. That's truly a strong spirit."
"U, but..."
"Relax. There are only a handful of people in the world who are stronger than me. If you can surpass me, then Moruru won't have to fear for her life from others. You have value in doing so."
"...Uh, yeah..."
Moruru was trembling with fear, but she swallowed her emotions and nodded. She then looked at me with a strong gaze.
"I understand... Moruru will do her best. I won't let Papa kill me, I'll become strong enough."
"Ah, do your best. I'm looking forward to it in 3 days."
Well, of course, there's also a possibility that Roman and I might easily find out about it. If that happens, we'll just have to deal with it normally.
In any case, since our enemies aren't to be underestimated, if we slack off during the internal assessment, the worst-case scenario could happen. That's something I won't forgive. So, I have to seriously see if Moruru can become strong or not.
I acknowledged Moruru's determination and stood up. Then, I took Roman with me and said, "Alright, let's go!" as we left the entrance.
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