-Vol 4: To The North Pole!-

-Unreasonable Woman!-

Before Natasha introduced herself, Kenshin had already known it due to his system. Although he felt a little guilty for stealing her skills, that was only for a second or two. His Replication skill gives him the ability to possess what he didn’t have, and others have, if he didn’t use it properly, he would rather die in a ditch.

Kenshin knew that from now on he might face more and more powerful enemies, for that his strength needs to rise. Aside from a higher level or stats, a variety of skills could also make a change of tides on a battlefield. He wasn’t like those chivalrous heroes who would think for an hour before using a skill like Replication. In his mind, if the skill was powerful and useful then steal it, if not, then leave it. And all the three skills of Natasha was powerful and useful, as such he didn’t think twice before copying it.

Including these three skills, Kenshin’s skill list had surpassed number 20. As it stands, probably he would be the only one in this world with this many skills. If used properly, he could probably defeat anyone under a certain range of powers. For example, with his current stats and skills, he could give a good fight to a level 150 Hunter, but couldn’t defeat him. It was totally out of his league to defeat a level 150 hunter before he reaches level 100.

“We are on the way to return to the camp. The way we were going earlier has for some reason blocked by a huge snow storm. While we tried to change the direction, a woman came and ordered us to return to the camp. She seemed to be a higher up official. Obeying her orders we were returning but got ambushed by that bear over there. after killing it while paying some price, we got surrounded by these shameless bastards.” Natasha chattered nonstop as she explained the situation to Kenshin.

‘So they already started to take this seriously. That’s good.’ Kenshin nodded his head in appreciation. The more alert the higher-ups were, safer the world would be.

‘She told something about being blocked by a snowstorm if my guess is right then a pentagram must be hidden there. And of course, a cloaked person guarding it. But why does this woman looking at me like this?’ while being immersed in his monologue, he noticed the starry-eyed gaze of Natasha. It made him a little self-conscious.

“What?” he couldn’t help but ask.

“nothing, just having a good look at your face. Don’t mind me.” Natasha’s answer nearly made him face plant to the ground.

“I will mind, you know! It is my face you are looking at, so I will definitely mind, you know!”

“…”

The staring didn’t stop. Having no way to counter her attitude, Kenshin decided to ignore it for now.

“You better take him and return to the camp as soon as possible. It should be a day’s travel from here if you follow along this way.” Kenshin said as he pointed his thumb finger to his back. After that, he didn’t waste any time and started walking in the direction where these two came from. As for the six Gilgamesh Guild’s Hunters, they had long lost their consciousness after enduring Kenshin’s pressure for a few seconds. He didn’t pay them any heed, small-time figures like them were bound to cross his path every now and then.

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He couldn’t just kill them randomly. Besides the probability of him meeting them again was pretty low, so there was no need to worry.

A few minutes walk later,

“Why are you following me?” Kenshin couldn’t help but ask out of frustration. The moment he left the place, this woman, Natasha was following like a lost puppy. Her eyes were still glittering as if she was seeing her idol.

“Just because!”

“No! No! lady, you can’t just follow a random stranger with a reason like ‘just because’ you know!” Kenshin said exasperatedly. Not only it was irritating, but also dangerous to be followed by an unknown person. Kenshin didn’t want to take any risks.

“Reason! Well, I like you!! Is it enough?”

“No!” Kenshin flatly denied.

“But its true you know. I liked you the first time I saw you in that office. Your face, your attitude, and also power, I liked everything about you. Especially that time when our Divison Leader put her pressure on everyone but only you remained standing until the end. You are so cool at that time!!” Natasha gushed with blushing cheeks.

“Eh! Really?” Now even Kenshin was moved after listening to her praises. Which man won’t be moved when getting praised by a beautiful woman? Natasha, with her punk-ish look, had a unique charm to her. She was beautiful, to begin with, with all these add-ons like piercings and all, her beauty factor had increased several folds.

If not for her young age, she would have been a ravishing beauty.

“Of course!” Natasha nodded.

“Wait! You still haven’t told me why you are following me.”

“So annoying! Why don’t you believe me?”

“Lady, if a random guy follows you and says that it’s because he likes you when asked, would you believe him?”

“Hell no! I would kick his balls and send the creep flying with a punch!” her answer made Kenshin close his legs on instinct.

“See! Even you won’t believe it. Then why do you think I would believe it?”

“That’s because we are not strangers. We have already met back in office, haven’t we? I have even shown you my middle finger.”

“So you remember that! Then why do you think I would believe it if you say that you like me out of the blue?”

“That’s because I am ready to prove it with action.”

“Is that so!” after that Kenshin stopped talking and started to increase his pace slowly. Natasha also followed behind him, trying her hardest to catch up. At first, it was not a problem to keep up with him, but as he increased his speed slowly, she found increasingly difficult to catch up to him.

It was not long before she started to use all her energy just so that she could keep up with him. But never she complained once, which was the opposite of what she was dressing in. Like a shadow, she tailed him without making a noise.

Every now and then, when Kenshin would look back, she would give him a smirk, as if saying that she could keep up no problem, even though she was huffing and puffing. It impressed Kenshin very much, but he never stopped. And also never slowed down his speed.

Several minutes later when he stopped and look back, he found her lying face down on the snow, breathing hard.

Sigh* “Damn! Why I am so kind?” complaining to himself, he walked back to her and lifted her for a piggyback ride. Then he started walking north to where she lost her consciousness. A few minutes later, he reached the same area where he met her first.

This whole time, he was walking in a circle around that area, and she didn’t even realized it. But Kenshin had to give it to her, she was one hell of a determined and unreasonable woman, try as he might, he couldn’t bring himself to hate her at all.

On the contrary, he started to like her a little.