I often wondered why Daniel constantly insisted on doing ‘the right thing’. The reason why he attacked me when I first met him was because he thought I was a rampaging Demon and stopping me was ‘the right thing’ to do. Then he chose to help me go back to the Netherworld because it was ‘the right thing’… although he has not really been too helpful so far.
And the whole situation with stopping [Cultists] and saving Rachel— while all helping us with furthering that goal— all played some part in getting some of ‘the right thing’ done.
When I found out he was a [Hero], I assumed it had something to do with his Class. Or maybe he felt like it was necessary to live up to his Class. But now I realized that neither of that was the case.
The reason why he wanted to do ‘the right thing’ every single time was simple: it felt good.
I swayed my head back and forth with alacrity as Daniel, Sophia, and Cless stared at me from across the campfire. I had help set it up for them with my magic, impressing the two Silvers with my fire creation Skill before they began to do the usual Human thing of eating.
undefinedNo one had really said anything throughout the dinner. Sophia and Cless were still awed by the speech I had given them earlier and hadn’t said much all day. Meanwhile, Daniel tried to tease me into eating some food and I made sure to show my discontent with his joke by punching him.
Lightly.
Unfortunately, it seemed like a Human’s nether region was really their weak point, since he hadn’t been saying much since then.
Maybe I should apologize, I thought, tilting my head up to look at the stars above. Nope. He definitely deserved it, I decided not a moment after.
If getting hit down there was what a Human hated the most, then eating was what I hated the most. It physically made me sick. My body rejected it all.
Once the meal was finished, Daniel retired to bed with a whimper and Cless followed soon after. It left Sophia and I around the campfire, and the Human woman wanted me to go to sleep.
“I’ll keep watch. I promise. I’m a [Hunter]. I’m good at spotting things.”
“I can do it! Just sleep and get your [Rest] up! I’ll wake you all up in the morning when it’s time to leave!”
She hesitated, raising an eyebrow at me.
“Don’t you need to sleep too?”
I smiled, not replying to that comment.
“Just sleep!”
I gently pushed her to her bedroll and patted her on the shoulder. I gave her a reassuring thumbs up and created a fire sickle.
“Or else you won’t be able to do your tracking thing-y well!”
Sophia grimaced and slowly went to lie down, tucking herself into her bedroll without another word of protest. I smiled, looking over all the peacefully sleeping Humans.
I shook my head, a sense of happiness surging through me. Not only could I practice refining my Skills as Saffron told me to, it…
It feels good doing the right thing.
“We’ve arrived.”
Sophia spoke quietly, not even turning to face the two Gold Ranks standing to her side. Before them lay the vast, sprawling landscape of the Motharis Mountain Range. The undulating crests dug deeply into the ground yet built itself up to touch the clouds above.
It was a wondrous sight; one which Sophia would have usually taken a moment to absorb, if not for the eyes she felt were stabbing into her back. Ever since she and Cless had tried to lose Salvos and Daniel, they had begun watching them like hawks— eyeing their every move with needle-like precision.
It was almost scary. But what was even scarier than that was the casual threats the silver haired woman kept giving them. Especially on the first night after their failed escape attempt. Sophia had tried to get the two Gold Ranks to sleep while she did the night shift. She had been planning to wake Cless up and leave with him, but Salvos caught on to her plan.
And the threat she made…
The silver haired woman stood under the blue moonlight, curling her lips up into a dangerous smile. She ignored Sophia’s question, almost uncaring of what the Silver Rank thought of her.
Fire— blue fire— came to life on the palm of her hands, creating a small scythe that shone eerily in the night. Wisps of flame caught itself on the grass below, not setting it alight, but leaving behind a faint glow.
Salvos raised the weapon menacingly as Sophia felt a bead of sweat trickle down her forehead.
“Just sleep.”
She spoke with finality in her voice. There was no argument to be made here, the [Centinel Hunter] knew it. If she tried to push back now, her head would roll on the ground—
“Or else…”
Sophia obeyed, not even wanting to hear what would happen to her if she did not listen. And despite lying in bed for the next six hours, she was certain she did not catch a wink of sleep that night.
And now, Sophia was tired. She was exhausted and afraid. And while these feelings drew her attention away from the grand sight before her, the last emotion she felt running through her body was more than enough to distract her from everything else. That was—
Anger.
She watched as Salvos and Daniel started ahead, beginning their ascent up the first hill of the Motharis Mountain Range. The silver haired woman craned her neck, turning back and looking down at Sophia who had not moved an inch.
“Are you coming?”
The [Centinel Hunter] hesitated. Does she think me that weak? That such threats will work on me?!
Sophia and Cless were both almost Gold Rank. What was more— they were experienced in adventuring and surviving. To think they would be herded around like foolish children.
“C-coming.”
She bit back and insult and followed after them, walking beside Cless as the [Mage] closed his eyes, beginning to cast his first tracking spell.
He was not using his Skill just yet. [Scry Direction] was powerful— especially so for someone at his level. And yet, it was not perfect. Once he activated it, it would only last a day. So if the Skill ended and they were not close enough for Sophia to pinpoint where Gabriel was… they would have to wait week before Cless could use the Skill again.
For now, simple tracking spells worked just fine. Plus, Sophia could help out too.
“Look. Footprints.”
She observed. It might have sounded like such an obvious statement to make at first, but…
“Mixed between horse hooves and wagon tracks. Most people who pass through this road would either be hoping to cut through to or from the Helbir Plains. They would prioritize speed above all else. Only adventurers or madmen would travel on foot. And those three sets of footprints are about a month old, around the same time Gabriel Viechester.”
“Give me a moment, let me see if I can determine which one best fits Gabriel’s description.”
Cless began casting a spell as Salvos turned around and walked up to them. She cocked her head.
“What is he doing?”
“Using a simple spell to determine the age of the people who walked through here. He can’t do it for every single person that went through, which was why I picked out the three best candidates for him to use it on.”
“How do you know Gabriel went through here?”
“Besides this being the most common path to enter the Motharis Mountain Range from?”
Sophia raised an eyebrow to imply the answer. Salvos did not respond.
“We don’t.”
“Huh.”
The silver haired woman showed no change of face. But Sophia could sense the judgement coming from her. The pretentiousness that exuded the unsaid words of ‘is this really all you can do, rely on chance?’ and that pissed her off even more.
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