Right now, Ilya felt strange. She was being carried on the back of a man she had just met — the same man who, minutes ago, had nearly chopped off her head. If someone asked Ilya if she was scared, she would vigorously nod.
The man had killed so many people in a matter of seconds; that alone demonstrated how strong he was. For Ilya, that strength was both impressive and terrifying. What unsettled her even more, though, was how he had disposed of everyone and now acted as if nothing had happened. Her only source of comfort was the presence of the girl walking beside him.
From Ilya's perspective, the girl beside her was the only "normal" person she had encountered since being forcibly brought to this place. Unlike the others, she still seemed to have her wits about her. As these thoughts ran through Ilya's mind, she noticed the girl looking at her. Then, a gentle and welcoming smile appeared on the girl's lips, and Ilya couldn't help but smile back.
Interestingly, the girl seemed surprised by Ilya's smile. Her face turned red, and she quickly turned her head away, avoiding Ilya's gaze. The situation left Ilya puzzled, but she chose to ignore it, not wanting to bother the girl. Plus, the thought of what the man might do if he found her annoying made her uneasy. So, Ilya decided to remain silent.
After a few more minutes of walking, they reached a small lake. Ilya was intrigued because she knew they hadn't explored the area to find this place. In fact, Ilya's former group had been following them practically since the beginning, which meant they hadn't had time to properly explore the region. This made her even more perplexed about how they knew about the existence of that lake.
While still trying to make sense of the situation, the man suddenly made a sharp move. Startled, Ilya instinctively clung to him as if her life depended on it. Her body trembled slightly, something she couldn't control — it was an involuntary reaction to fear. She just hoped the man wouldn't notice.
As she waited apprehensively for the man's next actions, Ilya kept her eyes tightly closed, expecting the worst. A minute passed, and to her surprise, nothing happened. Slowly, doubt began to creep into her mind.
Hesitantly, she gradually opened her eyes and looked ahead. All she could see was the man's back. Something had changed. She realized the way he held her now was also different — there was an unexpected gentleness in his movements.
Although he had been careful with her from the start, now he seemed even more attentive, almost protective. Ilya realized he had surely noticed her fear, which made her feel a wave of shame. Even though, from her perspective, he was scary, there was no denying he was being kind, even knowing she was part of the group that wanted to kill them.
This realization left her confused and a little embarrassed. After all, despite the fear he gave her with his brutal strength, there was something about him that made her feel protected.
"Don't worry. Noah may seem intimidating, but he's actually very kind... at least, I think he is"
While Ilya was lost in her thoughts, the girl beside her spoke again. Though her words sounded like an assertion, there was something in her tone that suggested uncertainty. The girl's expression conveyed a mix of conviction and doubt, which left Ilya even more puzzled. But the thought that stood out most in Ilya's mind at that moment was,
(So his name is Noah... kind of unexpected for him to have such a cute name, considering he killed people and is acting like he doesn't care)
Putting her thoughts aside, Ilya simply nodded at the girl's words before starting to descend. Now on the ground, she could better observe her surroundings. The place was relatively open, and the grass under her feet was comforting. The small lake added a serene touch to the environment.
Ilya thought this would be a good place to set up camp while they completed the hunting mission. Turning her gaze back to Noah and the girl, Ilya suddenly noticed the presence of a little girl beside them. She watched as Noah stroked the girl's head, his face beaming with a tender smile.
(So he can make that kind of expression too...) Thought Ilya, watching the trio from afar.
***
The night fell quickly, and we decided not to go out for more hunts that day. With so many events happening, I thought it wise for us to rest as much as possible. The new girl, Ilya — whose name I found out through Ellen — seemed to have not hunted anything so far.
It appeared she didn't possess any attacking skills or techniques; on the contrary, her special power seemed to be focused mainly on healing. I confess I felt a mix of excitement and gratitude upon hearing this. Perhaps Ilya didn't realize it, as she seemed discouraged when revealing her power, but it was incredibly useful.
In fact, I dare say she was like a crystalline diamond shining among stones of silver and copper. In other words, her presence was so special that I would readily grant any request from her to join our group. However, for some reason, she seems afraid of me.
Well, honestly, I don't blame her. I mean, I can't be proud of our first encounter. From her perspective, I probably seemed like some kind of bloodthirsty maniac or something. Honestly, I just hope her opinion of me changes over time. I need her to see me more favorably.
Even though it was an equal exchange, while she healed us, I would protect her at any cost. At the moment, it was the only resource I could offer in return for her power. Oh, by the way, Noelle discovered this place while using her [Precognition]. In terms of exploration, Noelle was proving considerably more effective than me.