Volume 3 Chapter 33 ACT.68 Unfavorable Enemy Territory (IV)
"Could it be that this Reincarnator's cheat isn't just a simple regeneration ability?"
"Yeah, I really think that's likely."
Leone tilted her head, resting a hand thoughtfully on her chin.
In this case, knowing that it's not merely a regeneration ability was incredibly useful information.
When facing a Reincarnator, analyzing and countering their cheat was crucial.
Without understanding the full extent of an opponent's supernatural powers, you couldn't hope to match them in battle.
In fact, Reincarnators had such a singular focus on their cheats that they were practically lacking in other combat skills, nowhere near the level of Rai and the Purge Knights.
That's why, if they could just uncover the true nature of the cheat, there was a good chance of victory.
──At the same time, misidentifying a cheat could lead to deadly consequences.
"That's why you wanted even the slightest clue, right?"
Rai nodded silently in response to Leone's reasoning.
Without this evidence, they might have ended up fighting under a false impression of what the true ability was.
That's exactly why she had even reached out to the drifters to secure help in searching for evidence.
"Also, I wanted to hear what these folks had to say."
"What do you mean by that?"
Rai replied, turning to face the drifters again.
They straightened up in front of him, their expressions serious despite their flushed faces from the drink.
"Recently, it seems like the number of people in the slums has been dropping."
"That's... unusual, isn't it?"
The slum district was a place where those without a home could congregate, and the comings and goings were always chaotic.
If circumstances changed, people would leave without telling anyone, and newcomers could arrive without needing permission.
In fact, it was probably more common for people to pass through than to stay settled.
So, Rai's observation was hardly off the mark.
──But that was merely from an outsider's perspective.
The perspective of those involved, of course, would be different.
"There are a lot of weird people disappearing, you know, Sir Knight."
"Like, some old folks who shouldn't be able to move at all suddenly vanish without a trace, or someone who wasn't carrying any belongings!"
"And then there are all these rumors about strange monsters showing up."
Hearing their complaints, Rai rested his hand on his chin and fell into thought.
"I haven't heard anything like that around town."
Rai had been on his own during the day, separate from Leone.
Although he had intended to gather various information beyond his original goal, he hadn't encountered any of these stories.
It seemed clear to Rai that there was a significant divide between the slums and Proxima City, beyond just wealth.
"At first, I thought maybe a Reincarnator had appeared in the town, so I started looking into it, but there's been nothing strange in the city. Then I decided to check out the slums at night, and──"
"I ended up getting saved from a mugging."
The one continuing Leone's story was a scruffy little man with a crooked spine.
"I still don't quite get why they were attacking people in the slums. What's up with that?"
Leone sighed and absentmindedly brushed back her flaxen hair, deep in thought.
The sight of her effortlessly elegant gesture captivated the men around them.
Annoyed by the attention she was getting, Rai cleared his throat loudly.
With that cough, he shot them a glare, furrowing his brow.
He looked like a snake staring down a frog──or maybe more like a protective brother warding off pesky bugs around his defenseless sister.
"──Hehe."
Seeing Rai like that made Leone smile without thinking.
To her, this kind of youthful response from Rai was incredibly charming.
With the burdens of a Purge Knight pressing down on him since he was only 14, the little boyish traits that remained were endearing to her.
It made her heart swell with affection.
"What's with that face?"
With a pout and a frown, Rai asked Leone, who responded with a bright and cheerful smile.
"I just think you're as cute as always, Rai, don't you?"
To Leone's answer, Rai shot back a look of sheer distaste.
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