Chapter 97 The Resolve Of The Girl And The Boy
A little time ago──
Right after Yumie was kidnapped, the people remaining in the shelter were shaken to their core.
In particular, Thea was in such a state of distress that she looked utterly haggard.
"It's my fault, my fault for not going with her at that time...! Again, it's my fault, Yumie, Yumie...!! Ahhh!!"
"Calm down, Thea!! It's not your fault, and Ms. Yumie will definitely be brought back!! So, please keep it together!!"
For Thea, who was beginning to recover thanks to Yumie, the kidnapping incident that evoked her past trauma felt like a knife brutally reopening her wounds.
If Monica hadn't been there at that moment, Thea's young heart would have shattered beyond repair.
That's how close Thea was to the edge.
"So... do you really not know where the Golden Fox is?"
Watching the two, Monica and Thea, with a heavy heart, Duke Cas asked the restrained Gray once again.
Surrounded by notable figures like Chairman Seius, Lygar, and Jamielee, Gray shook his head slightly.
"I don't know... We had decided on a meeting place, but that's all... I think Caide knows more than I do, but I don't know if he's even informed about the base's location..."
Gray clenched his teeth tightly.
If only he had been able to make up his mind sooner.
After Gray had a brief battle with Coras, he shook off his pursuers and rushed to Yumie... but by that time, she had already been kidnapped.
For the first time in his life, he felt a strong desire to protect something other than himself.
He was unable to achieve it, and he watched his hopes slip through his fingers, leaving him with deep despair and regret.
If only he had more power.
For the first time in his life, Gray was confronted with a sense of powerlessness.
That's it... without Seius's first aid, he was so dismayed by the intense pain his body was in that it was diagnosed that he might have died.
"Is there really nothing we can do!? If we don't figure something out soon, they'll target Yumie next...!!"
"Calm down, Lygar, we're in front of Thea."
Although Seius spoke to soothe the anxious Lygar, he himself could hardly contain the rising killing intent.
No, it wasn't just these two.
Jamielee, the knights of the Belmont family, and even the general beastmen who had gathered from a distance──all were filled with anger thinking of that one girl, trying to brainstorm what could be done.
Just how many people did Yumie have who cared for her?
It had only been about a month since coming to this country.
Gray genuinely admired her for being able to weave so many bonds in such a short time.
And... when he thought that he shared the same feelings as them, he felt his heart swell even in such a moment.
Even if he felt he no longer had the right to be part of that circle.
"I have only one lead, though it might not be much... I've heard that Coras regularly orders flowers."
"Flowers?"
"Yes. It's a citrus-scented, unique flower... it's famous in the empire. I used to wonder why someone who doesn't seem like him enjoy decorating with flowers would do so, but... I heard that in this country, they use the scent of flowers as a guide..."
"So you thought the scent of that flower might be used as a marker for their hideout?"
"...Yes."
Upon hearing this, Seius thought it was a plausible story.
Even if the Golden Fox tribe has abandoned this country, the values and common sense cultivated in this country will not be easily replaced.
It is quite possible that they will be influenced by the customs of Euphemia and set up a familiar "flower landmark" as their base.
If they are hiding the location of their base so that even their allies in the Empire don't know, then it's even worse.
(The problem is, we don't know what that flower smells like.)
If you know the flower, you will be able to locate it even from the faint smell.
However, when it comes to a flower that is completely unknown, it is difficult even for a beastman to perfectly distinguish the scent.
With just the hint of a "distinct citrus scent," it's difficult to distinguish it from the scent of similar flowers that naturally grow in this country.
(I can't afford to spend too much time... what should I do...)
"...Hey"
As Seius was troubled, he saw Thea staggering toward Gray.
With Thea in her current unstable state, it's hard to predict what she might do.
He instinctively tried to stop her, but before he could, she placed her hand on Gray's shoulder and spoke up.
"If we can find that scent... then Yumie is there, right?"
"...There's no doubt, since it was a flower not found in this country."
"Then... I'll search for that flower. Give me the medicine."
Medicine?
Everyone on the scene tilted their heads in confusion.
Ignoring the reactions around her, Thea said something outrageous.
"The medicine you used... for the monster. If you still have it, give it to me. I'll become a monster again... and search for Yumie...!!"
The enhancement of physical functions due to monster factors also affects the 5 senses, including smell and sight.
If the already superior sense of smell of a beastman is further enhanced by monster factors, they might be able to accurately distinguish a flower's scent they've never encountered before.
However, that would mean reverting Thea's body, which had just recovered so much, back to a monstrous state.
"What the hell are you talking about, Thea!? You don't need to do that again! If someone has to, it should be me!! Such dangerous things are what we adults should handle!!"
Lygar immediately offered to take his place, but Gray seemed reluctant to say it and denied it.
"That's not okay..."
"Ah!?"
"Monster factors are not a panacea that will make you stronger right away if you inject them. You have to inject them little by little, let your body get used to them... you have to endure the side effects and the pain of erosion, and do the preliminary work of gradually rebuilding your body. I'm only able to produce that much power because I was forced to use my body in experiments... if you were to inject them right now, you'd just destroy your body."
Unlike normal humans, beastmen don't need to be so careful to get the effect.
But that doesn't mean there's no need for preparation.
In that sense, Thea is perfect.
Already, her body has been infused with factors through repeated experiments, and has adapted.
At one point, she almost transformed into a complete monster and has even engaged in combat.
That area is one that Gray and Caide have studied, and it's a realm that ordinary humans could never reach.
If Thea were to incorporate monster factors again, the chances of gaining the desired power would be high.
"But, if it's Thea... if you do that again, you might never be able to return to a normal body, you know? And yet..."
"So, what?"
The power gained from monster factors and the price for it, Thea understands better than anyone in this world.
Even so, Thea said with a fixed gaze, "So what?"
"I don't need a weak body that can't protect Yumie... As long as Yumie is by my side, I don't care if I'm a monster or a beast...!! So, Gray... give me power...!! "
With a firm resolve reflected in her eyes, Thea, too, steels herself.
She also doesn't want to live with regrets without doing anything.
"Understood. But, it can't be done right now."
No matter how much they hurry, or how well they prepare in advance, crossing the border is not that easy.
Gray himself recognizes that this is because he entered this country illegally with Coras's guidance.
After all, Euphemia exists as an isolated land surrounded by seas and a monster-infested land full of mythical dangers.
"Thea, I'm going to create the perfect factor that will give you the power you desire without causing you any side effects. So, three days... no, just one day will do. Just give me some time!!"
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