V2 Chapter 71
“Rain, is what he said true?”
Zarda asked with a frown.
Rain nodded his head with a wry smile. His expression, however, was like a child who did something wrong, and was waiting for scolding. The Lamians around him stared at him with a serious expression, increasing the nervousness he was feeling.
He was currently sitting in front of the table with Zarda, the Monster King whose name seemed to be Arfa sitting on the floor, Lafetti, and lastly Drova acting like a guard. They all look at him with an alarmed expression after they had heard what Arfa, the Monster King had told them about how he and Rain met in the woods.
Rain felt like a criminal who had done something wrong. Of course, for a guilty conscience, he had one. When he and Arfa had arrived in the village, they were greeted by the sight of almost all Lamians armed to teeth as if they were going for another war.
It seems like they were worried and anxious for Rain had not come back in time, and was about to find him themselves. Fortunately, he returned in time and stopped them. Or else they would have flipped the entire Desolate Cave upside-down, and that would be even more troublesome.
When he arrived, he was smothered with worried expressions until he felt he had done something really, really wrong and felt guilty.
“Humans in the Desolate Cave?!”
Zarda said, and her expressions darkened even more.
Lafetti’s hands clenched and a heavy expression appeared on her face. Rain had never seen her so anxious, so angry—though, it seems like she was not angry at him but at something else. But what could that be?
“What did they say to you?” Zarda asked. Her voice low. But somehow, it contained panic and anxiety which Rain couldn't understand why.
“Nothing.”
He was bewildered from their unexpected reactions but he still shook his head.
“In the first place, I didn’t talk to them much. While I was on my run, I caught a sniff of blood, and hurriedly went there. When I arrived, they were already in a very precarious situation. I just couldn’t leave them alone to die. Hence I decided to help them out. I thought I could lead them out of the monsters encirclement, but the number of enemies is far beyond what I expected. Then, sir Arfa came…and you heard what happened next.”
“Are you sure, they didn’t tell you something…anything?” Zarda repeated with a grave voice.
“No, nothing at all. Not like we are in a situation to freely chat at that moment.”
Rain glanced at her, and then to Lafetti, noting their reactions to this was really strange.
Are they hiding something from me? Is what he immediately thought, but when he looks at them, all he saw in their eyes was a tender concern and heartfelt worries. And all his suspicion immediately vanished as if been purified.
There’s no way they would hide anything from me, especially if it was something very important. Whatever could it be.
“You could have died, Rain!!”
At this moment, Lafetti suddenly slammed her hands down on the table, her face full of anger.
“Didn’t I tell you to never put yourself in danger?!”
“I don’t have a choice,”
Rain clenched his fist for a moment, before loosening them and calming down. His expression turned soft, afraid that he would hurt or even offend Lafetti even more.
“They are dying, Lafetti. If I stand by and watch, do nothing and let them be ravaged and slaughtered by those monsters, it would weigh on my conscience! I’m not the type to just watch them die!”
“That is not your problem!”
Lafetti scooted over and stopped in front of him. Her red eyes, moist and redder than normal. She must have been really worried, Rain let out a sigh.
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“They came here, knowing full well how dangerous the place is. They are prepared to die, that is their responsibility, not yours!”
“Even still…I’m a human, Lafetti. I just can’t watch without doing anything. And besides, I’m not so helpless that I could die so easily…compared to before I’m stronger now!”
“Rain, dammit! Listen to me for once!!”
Lafetti grasped his hand and stared at him.
“You can’t trust these people Rain! What if, what if they left you alone when you came to help?! You would have died, surrounded by monsters without help coming in your way! And believe me; they would do it without hesitation to survive! They don’t know you, and you don’t know them. Your life to them is nothing…not any comparison to their lives! They could have made you a decoy for them to be able to successfully escape and survive!”
“I don’t think they will…”
Rain recalled the Knights who were prepared to lay their lives for that beautiful woman. They are honorable, kind and have a strong sense of justice. Even after Monster King; Afra had appeared, they asked him with all their hearts to leave them and take their lady to safety.
Even though they know nothing of him, they still left her life on his hands without any hesitation and was about to throw their lives for them.
They don’t seem to be that wicked.
“NO! Listen, Rain…I’ve seen many people do that. When their lives in danger, they would, without hesitation, throw their comrades into the jaws of monsters for them to be able to escape. This world is not as simple, and kind as you thought it to be. It’s a cruel world out there. Humans can do anything for their own survival and benefits. Sacrifices are but an easy to accomplish, and decided if their lives are endangered.” Lafetti gritted her teeth, and then sigh. She stared at him gently, touched his cheek, brushing away the small dirt with her thumb.
Her fingers are trembling slightly, and the way she looks at him, Rain realized she was extremely shaken. Was she really this worried about him? It’s not like he can easily drop-dead. Though, No matter how many monsters, he has enough confidence to survive and escape with his life.
Lafetti should know that already. He was not the same as people of his level. All this time, eating many monsters and absorbing their powers, he was already almost comparable to a Lv2 even though he was still a Lv1.
“Lafetti, they are chivalric Knights…and they seemed to be really good. They were even prepared to sacrifice their lives for—“
“Rain!!”
Lafetti cried out causing Rain to shut up and winced from the surprise.
Lafetti bit her lips and stared at him, her eyes full of pleading which he had never seen before.
What’s wrong with Lafetti?
“Rain…please, for once, listen to me!! Never, please never meet them again…please!” Lafetti pulled him into her embrace. “You can’t trust them. You heard King Arfa, they are thieves! They tried to steal his treasure, and there can never be good men among thieves! You cannot trust them…please, Rain…promise me!”
Rain sighs and leaned his head against her chest.
“I understand,” Not like he was planning to see them again. Besides, it's better not to be stubborn here, or else this argument will only escalate. He thought. Then, suddenly he then felt another cold hand stroking his head from the back and saw Zarda staring at him with gentle expression.
“I agree with Lafetti, Rain. You can never trust a human… of course, you are different. But not all humans are like you, and you can’t expect them to be…accommodating. Humans will do anything to survive, and you know that. We are just…we are just worried that you will do something you might regret in the future. Sometimes you need to steel your heart. We don’t want anything to happen to you, and we love you so much and you know that. Do you not think our love is enough for you?”
“Of course it is… and besides, it’s not like I approach them for any particular reason. I just wanted to save them, that’s all.”
“And you did… and we are proud of you,” Zarda said with a sweet smile. She leaned down, and planted a kiss on Rain’s crown, “But next time, we just want you to be careful. If you see something, you need to return and tell us first, okay? We got really worried about you.”
“I know… I’m sorry,”
Zarda stared at him with a loving expression. But when she turned towards Lafetti, her expression turned solemn and cold, just like the latter.
“Lafetti, I think Rain is tired, so take him and let him rest. It was a long day," She said while tucking a stray strand of his behind his ear.
“I will. Let’s go Rain,”
Zarda stared at Rain with a smile as he was led by Lafetti out. However, when he was finally gone, her expression returned back to being cold.
“Drova,” she called out.
“I know… this is seriously bad. I expected them to come, but not this soon. I will ask someone to investigate, to know which humans dare to come into this place!”
Drova’s expression turned fierce and full of anger, noises of snapping bones could be heard on her clenched fists.
“And of course, their purpose. And if their purpose is truly him…”
“…leave no one alive,”
A trace of cold glint appeared on Zarda’s eyes, as it narrowed and turned a more brilliant, luminescent red, like the color of blood.
“Understand!”
Drova nodded with a serious expression before turning around and left.
“You are acting overboard for a mere lad, Zarda. I have never seen you so pissed and angry for a long time. You know the consequences that might appear out of this. Although the Desolate Cave is a forbidden land, it doesn’t mean it’s an undefeatable fortress. I have seen the humans, and they don’t seem to be normal people either…perhaps, they are those they refer to as nobles. And surely they have a special purpose to send such impressive people in the Desolate Cave.” Arfa muttered noticing the strange reactions of the Lamians.
“You don’t know how important Rain is to us, Arfa,”
Zarda said as she turned back and stared at the Monster King.
“For him, we would wage war against the humans if needed be.”
“… ….”
The Monster King tilted his lion head, studying his seemed-to-be-foreign old friend.
“Well, although I have so many questions regarding about that obsession. However, you might be wrong. The human lad might not be their purpose at all.”
"...? What do you mean by that?"