The Great Tiger was cunning, possessing intellect beyond most humans. Therefore, an elaborate and unsophisticated plan was needed: that was why I made a grenade. In the case where the initial volley failed, I prepared this for a surprise attack…
…And now, wind whipping against my skin and time flowing through the world like cold molasses.
Grrrrrr…
The wild beast's bright yellow eyes met my own. This was probably the first time a human had their arm in his mouth.
Craaaaaaack—!
He tried to rip it off, shredding muscle and sinew. However, Strong Will and Iron Man were persistent. In the first place, this method was impossible if not for my characteristics. Enduring, I grabbed his tongue. And then.
—!
The grenade inside his mouth exploded. The extreme heat licked at my arm, and fragments of black steel scattered inside him. But I wasn't done. I used Psychokinesis on the metal fragments in unison with all nineteen wood steel to pierce the tiger's flesh.
Whaaaaack—!
The Great Tiger swung his front legs, moving fast enough to break the sound barrier and sending out a shockwave. I prepared for his next blow. The damage would be massive…
"Humph!"
Something small flew in like a mosquito, taking the blow for me.
"Ugh!"
The mosquito named Lia was sent flying away. But that was enough. The Great Tiger put his paws around my neck once again—
—Clang!
This time, a sword blocked it.
"Phew! I'm not late~!"
Syrio's exhilarated cry spread out. Arriving like a burst of wind, he flashed me a toothy grin.
"Are you okay, Deculein? …Ohh. You don't look okay."
Syrio looked at me from head to toe.
—Grr!
The Great Tiger shook off Syrio's blade in that short moment and sprinted toward the forest.
"Oh wow! I can see the tiger's back?! He's running away?! This is such a rare scene! Hey you, where are you going?!"
Syrio yelled while chasing after the Great Tiger, and another knight arrived from a little farther away.
Step—!
The newcomer halted.
"…"
We remained still, matching each other's silence. But, after a moment, Julie spoke.
"…I heard-"
"Help Syrio. The tiger's injured, so he won't be able to run far."
"…"
Julie, closing her mouth again, nodded. Then, she followed after Syrio's tracks.
…Schwaaaa.
A cool wind blew, and the swaying leaves rustled in the song of nature. I looked at my arm lying on the rocky ground.
"…It was cut off in the end."
Strong Will and Iron Man held out as long as they could, but this must also be the majesty of the Great Tiger. I took the arm and attached it using Duct Tape with the little mana I had left, and then…
"Uhhhh… arghhh… kuhhhhh…."
I glanced over at the young adventurer wriggling on the ground while clasping onto her stomach. That was the price of protecting me using her own body.
"…"
I moved closer to take a good look. There was no external bleeding, but her internal injuries were severe.
"Ughhhhh…!"
I made her pass out by pressing a point around her neck. Then, I used the wood steel to open her abdomen.
Spluuurt—!
Blood spilled out, revealing her burst intestines and torn muscles.
"…You even have the same personality."
I wrapped tape around this reckless child's injury.
*****
An hour later, Lia was blinking away her fatigue while sitting on the ground with Leo. The pursuit of the Great Tiger was still in full swing, but Leo was sent to protect the injured (Lia and Deculein).
"…"
The two children stared at Deculein. He had his arm bitten off by the Great Tiger, but he was amazingly standing straight up, regal as always.
"Are you… alright?"
Lia asked the question, and Leo was also curious. No one had survived being mauled by a Great Tiger to this extent. Lia had been hit in passing, but it was already game over due to the Great Tiger's unique toxin.
"…"
Then, Deculein looked back. Leo and Lia flinched.
"…Oh, this is nothing. It's not too serious. Right, Leo?"
"Yeah."
This was the right time to cut down the sprout called Deculein. Deculein was not a bad person but a villain with no room for a new life. A villain of pure evil who only tormented players.
…But. Today, Lia found a possibility for persuasion. Deculein — of course, it was impossible to conclude that he wasn't a villain still — was by no means the original Deculein.
"Why did you come here?"
"What? Ahh. We are going to Myeolji."
"Myeolji."
"Yes, there's a way to purify Carlos over there."
"…"
The moment Carlos was mentioned, Deculein froze with the unique aura of the Yukline. Lia continued.
"We thought to prepare for dealing with the devil's blood. The key is probably in Myeolji."
He stared at Lia, unmoving. Then, he added with a smirk:
"…You're trying too hard. It's useless."
"Of course!"
Lia nodded. She was convinced again now. Just like how she saw the possibilities for the worst Named Deculein, there was also a possibility in purifying Carlos.
"Tsk."
Suddenly, Deculein clicked his tongue. Lia tilted her head.
"What's wrong?"
"Your face. I don't like it every time I see it."
"…"
She thought she knew the reason why. But it made her upset. Lia bluntly retorted.
"I feel the same way."
Deculein was silent, scowling. Lia quickly added.
"…I'm joking."
He shook his head. Then, he sat leaning against a nearby tree. Like he was about to pass out, he closed his eyes for a moment.
"…"
"…"
The forest suddenly became quiet. Leo whispered.
—…Lia, is he sleeping?
Lia looked at his face. Certainly, he appeared to be sleeping.
"Yup."
Whew—
She felt more comfortable now. Lia let out a sigh and inspected her wounds, but there were no problems. Deculein's opening and suture skills were flawless, and thanks to that first aid, she was already recovering.
"So amazing…"
Who would have thought that Deculein would heal anyone?
"…Wait."
By the way, wasn't Deculein's injury quite serious? How did he treat it so perfectly in that state? Lia looked around the sleeping Deculein. Suddenly, his arm caught her eye.
"Oh."
It was a treatment far from flawless. The tape reattached it, but it was too short, and the bleeding hadn't yet completely stopped.
"…"
Lia, looked at her own very comfortable state and the incomplete state of Deculein in turn, suddenly becoming rigid. He treated her instead of himself in a situation where his mana was limited. His reason was probably…
Lia's heart ached.
"Leo, give me the emergency kit."
"Huh? Oh~, here it is!"
Leo reached out with his bag. Lia went to Deculein with the bandages and herbs.
"…*gulp*."
She was nervous he would suddenly open his eyes and glare at her. She pressed the herbs to Deculein's arm, wrapped the bandage tightly around the wound, then washed off his blood with water…
[Quest Completed: Great Tiger Hunt]
◆Defeat the Demon Tiger of the Altar [Besillita]
◆Acquire rare constitution catalog
The long-awaited quest completion notification popped up in her mind.
*****
…The snow didn't stop falling in the north, to the point that after a few days, it was easy to be fed up with it, without stopping for a single day, falling every hour.
"Epherene."
Epherene was watching the snowstorm outside the window.
"Epherene."
Behind his desk, the Professor sat and watched her.
"Epherene, answer me."
"Oh, what?"
She belatedly came to her senses. Then, Deculein handed over a large envelope.
"Take this. It's a test paper."
"Oh… that's right. Yes, yes, yes…"
Dark circles and tears were smudged around Epherene's eyes.
"Yes…"
It had been three days since Allen was attacked by the tiger. Deculein succeeded in hunting the Great Tiger, but he wasn't able to find Allen's body.
"Pull yourself together."
"…What? Oh… yes."
For Epherene, what happened that day remained as trauma. She was the last one who had seen Allen. If only she hadn't been out of her mind with painkillers…
Baam—!
A fountain pen smacked Epherene in the forehead.
"Ugh!"
"I'll kick you out if you keep doing that."
"Urrghhh…"
"The exam period will take one month starting tomorrow, and you can carry on with your missions at the same time, or not if you don't want to."
"…I will carry on."
Epherene bowed her head as she answered.
"I'll get going now."
She quickly went outside before she cried, and Deculein watched her leave silently.
Thud—!
The door slammed shut. Primienne, who was hugging the heater on the sofa, flinched. When did the Deputy Director sneak in again? Deculein frowned.
"…When are you planning to go?"
Primienne shrugged.
"I still have quite a few things to deal with. Moreover, are you okay Professor?"
"With what?"
"Well, you lost your assistant professor."
"…"
Deculein scowled at Primienne.
"The sightings of the scouts and the witnesses guarding the barrier were clear."
They had all seen the tiger taking Allen, thanks to Primienne's characteristic. She could materialize and embody her thoughts and insert manipulated memories into other people. This was the reason why she was able to become the youngest Deputy Director.
"I'm okay."
Waaaaaaaahhhhh—!
There was the sound of someone crying in the hallway. It was probably Epherene.
"Is that so. That's good to-"
Waaaaaaaahhhhh—!
"That's good to hear."
Primienne nodded.
"Another assistant-"
Waaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh—!
"I didn't think you had another assistant."
I blocked the noise outside using Silence.
"Growth is a companion to loss."
"…Well, that's true. How is the Professor's arm?"
"It has healed enough for me to continue my mission here in the north."
"…"
Primienne looked at his arm with an ambiguous expression. He had recovered quickly.
"…More than that, Professor, are you just going to leave them as they are?"
Primienne pointed outside the window to where the Red Garnet Adventurers had set up camp. Ganesha and Reylie, alongside Leo and Lia, were enjoying the warmth of a campfire.
"There's no reason to restrain them. The Red Garnet Adventurers have immunity, and I don't see the half-blood. But…"
He stopped speaking and handed over a mirror to Primienne. It was a regular hand mirror.
"Give this to the Red Garnet Adventurers and tell them not to throw it away."
"Okay."
She didn't know what his intentions were, but Primienne nodded for now before standing from the sofa.
"Do you have any plans for the Assistant Professor's funeral?"
"…"
Deculein buried his body in his chair. He seemed to be thinking deeply.
"If his body is recovered. We can do it then."
"Hmm… yeah, that is a good plan."
Primienne spoke without an expression, but she was smiling on the inside.
*****
As soon as Primienne left Deculein's office, she joined the adventurers at the campfire.
"He said if his body is recovered, then he would hold a funeral."
It was the standard procedure of a double spy to convey words to each party to earn trust from both.
"Oh…..is that so. He seemed like a sincere guy. He must be like that in reality, too? If he was able to earn the Professor's heart."
Ganesha's eyes were watery. Lia, Leo, and even Reylie were the same. They all looked up at the sky for a moment. Sparkling stars and embers. In there, the bright and innocent wizard's face seemed to flicker.
"Professor Deculein, he's not such a snake~. It's very unexpected."
To change the gloomy mood, Ganesha smirked and muttered under her breath. Lia also smiled a little, and Reylie twisted her lips.
"…Recover the body? Maybe that guy doesn't want to acknowledge it either."
A voice cut in from the other side of the fire. Everyone looked over to see Ihelm holding a bottle of whiskey.
"Well, that's what happens when you lose your disciple. That guy hates losing something or having something taken away…."
Ihelm took a sip of the whiskey and sat in a nearby wooden chair. Then, he looked into the flickering flames.
"…He has to overcome it himself."
Then, Reylie glanced to where Julie was standing behind a tree. She wasn't hiding; she was just standing there. Everyone knew that Julie was there.
"Yes, of course, ~. Moreover, what are you all going to do about the mission~?"
She seemed to hate this gloomy and clammy mood, but when Ganesha was about to shake off the subject…
"Leader Ganesha."
Primienne called out to Ganesha.
"Huh, yes?"
Ganesha replied with a bright smile. Primienne held out the vintage hand mirror.
"This is a gift from Professor Deculein to you."
"…?"
A gift from Deculein? Everyone looked at the gift with surprise. Lia asked on behalf of Ganesha, who was in a daze.
"…A gift? From Deculein, that Professor?"
Primienne nodded flatly.
"That's right. Why, is there a problem?"