「You came again.」
Amelia was already used to the fed-up look on Kurou’s face as well as his cold gaze.
She arrived right in front of Kurou and just like yesterday, bowed her head.
Due to Akira’s command, Yoru did not go off on his own and he was already sitting down, looking on, wondering if Amelia appealing to Kurou and Kurou ignoring her was going to continue. However, Kurou was a little different today.
Yoru had expected Amelia to be humiliated, but those expectations were quickly shattered.
「Sorry, but I have to do some work as a blacksmith today, so I’ll be in the smithy the entire day. You must have a lot of free time if you’re going to stay like that the entire time, right? Go make me lunch and bring it over. You can use the ingredients in the house to make the food.」
In other words, she was basically an errand girl.
Noticing Yoru’s stare, Kurou revealed a nasty grin.
「You’ll just be hindrance if you stood there, so I thought I’d have you do some chores. I think it’s a good idea.」
After saying that, Kurou took a lump of metal and a monster part, and immediately went into the smithy next door.
Yoru let out a sigh.
『What will you do, Miss Amelia.』
When Yoru looked up, he saw Amelia was holding a purple-looking carrot in her hand.
In her other hand, she was holding a kitchen knife that she had gotten from who knew where in a backhand grip.
Even Yoru widened his eyes in surprise.
『Wa, wait a minute. What is Miss Amelia trying to do?』
「What, you ask, I can’t decide on what I should make, so for now, I’m going to cut up the vegetables.」
As Amelia was saying that with her head cocked to the side, Yoru confiscated the kitchen knife that she was holding so dangerously, just to be on the safe side.
He couldn’t imagine what Kurou would do if Amelia made a mess, or worse, broke the things in the house.
Also, if Amelia was injured under Yoru’s watch, just imagining the look on Akira’s face scared him.
『Miss Amelia, before you cut the vegetables, did you wash them with water first? There is sand on this. Also, you need to peel the skin off as well.』
Yoru needed to make sure that Amelia did not do any cooking.
No, letting the obstinate Kurou eat the strange food that Miss Amelia made and having that make up for all the humiliation that she had suffered until now would be entertaining as well.
Thinking up to there, Yoru shook his head.
If she really made something strange and he actually got sick from that, it could be imagined that Akira would be troubled.
Amelia was washing the vegetables while under the watchful eyes of Yoru, who perched himself on top of her head. A thought just occurred to her and so she couldn’t help but ask Yoru about it.
「Which reminds me, what is the relationship between Kurou and Yoru?」
At that moment, Yoru seemed like he was about to fall because she had tilted her head upwards a little, and in a hurry, he clung onto the Amelia.
『Let’s see, it’s a bit of a long story, is that ok with you? Though it’s not really that important.』
Looking at the vegetables that Amelia was washing, Yoru made up his mind on what to make.
He started talking as he showed her how to make it.
『That was probably a hundred years ago? Although it was the demon king-sama’s order, I regret that I had rampaged in the beastmen territory. The mission didn’t require me to cause so much damage that I would earn the nickname ‘Adorea’s Nightmare’ in the process.』
—
He had gone to the memorial monument in the form of a black cat.
Even he did not know why he had gone there.
He just thought, I’m sorry.
That was when he met Kurou.
When Yoru had arrived at the hill leading to the monument, there was already someone there.
In front of the monument was a black cat beastman who was sitting there with a lost look on his face while calling out someone’s name.
Thinking that he was the bereaved family of the people that he had killed, Yoru quietly hid within the shade of a tree.
「Oi, ‘Adorea’s Nightmare’, you’re there, aren’t you?」
Yoru wondered if it was just a coincidence, but the person did not say anything else besides that, so he slowly came out of the shade.
As Yoru was examining the look on his face, the black cat beastman was looking back at him.
「Long time no see, thanks for taking care of me at the demon king’s castle. Don’t even think about hiding from me using your magic.」
Then, Yoru finally realized that, this beastman was part of the hero’s party who had come before the demon king, and had barely escaped with his life when he got wounded on his own accord.
「Don’t worry, you did not kill my younger sister.」
He muttered that as he looked up at the monument, his eyes red from crying.
Since Kurou had no killing intent towards him, Yoru walked up and came next to Kurou, looking up at the monument as well.
『What is the meaning of this?』
「They were killed. They were all beastmen, moveover, by the royal family.」
Yoru gasped, when Kurou said those words in an emotionless voice.
「That day, I was aiding the ships and carriages that were helping the citizens escape from the calamity that Adorea got caught in. My younger sister almost got on the ship.」
Kurou clenched his fist tightly, so tight that his nails bit into his palm, making it bleed.
「Even so, the idiot royal said, ‘Your aniki is a hero of the hero’s party, so have him protect you,’ and then kicked my sister off the ship and got on himself.」
A growl leaked out through his clenched teeth.
Those eyes were different from when he was at the demon king’s castle, it was overflowing with a thirst for vengeance and sorrow.
「I, was in Ul at the time. I did not make it in time. …in the end, my younger sister was trapped under a building and died. You are not, him. He killed his own countrymen.」
Drop after drop, tears fell down from his dark eyes onto the ground, staining it.
Yoru stared fixedly up at the monument.
Even so, it didn’t change the fact that Kurou’s younger sister had died because he had gone on a rampage.
A lot of people died as well, because he had gone along with his instincts.
「I will go after my younger sister’s enemy. It may take a while, but I will do so without fail.」
『As you wish』
During the battle at the demon king’s castle, because Kurou and the hero had persevered until the end, they had received severe injuries as well.
Yoru wouldn’t lose if it were one vs. one, but even so, he wouldn’t want to go up against Kurou who was obsessed with getting revenge.
He gave a short reply and as he was looking up at the monument, Kurou had disappeared before he realized it.
「You came again.」
Amelia was already used to the fed-up look on Kurou’s face as well as his cold gaze.
She arrived right in front of Kurou and just like yesterday, bowed her head.
Due to Akira’s command, Yoru did not go off on his own and he was already sitting down, looking on, wondering if Amelia appealing to Kurou and Kurou ignoring her was going to continue. However, Kurou was a little different today.
Yoru had expected Amelia to be humiliated, but those expectations were quickly shattered.
「Sorry, but I have to do some work as a blacksmith today, so I’ll be in the smithy the entire day. You must have a lot of free time if you’re going to stay like that the entire time, right? Go make me lunch and bring it over. You can use the ingredients in the house to make the food.」
In other words, she was basically an errand girl.
Noticing Yoru’s stare, Kurou revealed a nasty grin.
「You’ll just be hindrance if you stood there, so I thought I’d have you do some chores. I think it’s a good idea.」
After saying that, Kurou took a lump of metal and a monster part, and immediately went into the smithy next door.
Yoru let out a sigh.
『What will you do, Miss Amelia.』
When Yoru looked up, he saw Amelia was holding a purple-looking carrot in her hand.
In her other hand, she was holding a kitchen knife that she had gotten from who knew where in a backhand grip.
Even Yoru widened his eyes in surprise.
『Wa, wait a minute. What is Miss Amelia trying to do?』
「What, you ask, I can’t decide on what I should make, so for now, I’m going to cut up the vegetables.」
As Amelia was saying that with her head cocked to the side, Yoru confiscated the kitchen knife that she was holding so dangerously, just to be on the safe side.
He couldn’t imagine what Kurou would do if Amelia made a mess, or worse, broke the things in the house.
Also, if Amelia was injured under Yoru’s watch, just imagining the look on Akira’s face scared him.
『Miss Amelia, before you cut the vegetables, did you wash them with water first? There is sand on this. Also, you need to peel the skin off as well.』
Yoru needed to make sure that Amelia did not do any cooking.
No, letting the obstinate Kurou eat the strange food that Miss Amelia made and having that make up for all the humiliation that she had suffered until now would be entertaining as well.
Thinking up to there, Yoru shook his head.
If she really made something strange and he actually got sick from that, it could be imagined that Akira would be troubled.
Amelia was washing the vegetables while under the watchful eyes of Yoru, who perched himself on top of her head. A thought just occurred to her and so she couldn’t help but ask Yoru about it.
「Which reminds me, what is the relationship between Kurou and Yoru?」
At that moment, Yoru seemed like he was about to fall because she had tilted her head upwards a little, and in a hurry, he clung onto the Amelia.
『Let’s see, it’s a bit of a long story, is that ok with you? Though it’s not really that important.』
Looking at the vegetables that Amelia was washing, Yoru made up his mind on what to make.
He started talking as he showed her how to make it.
『That was probably a hundred years ago? Although it was the demon king-sama’s order, I regret that I had rampaged in the beastmen territory. The mission didn’t require me to cause so much damage that I would earn the nickname ‘Adorea’s Nightmare’ in the process.』
—
He had gone to the memorial monument in the form of a black cat.
Even he did not know why he had gone there.
He just thought, I’m sorry.
That was when he met Kurou.
When Yoru had arrived at the hill leading to the monument, there was already someone there.
In front of the monument was a black cat beastman who was sitting there with a lost look on his face while calling out someone’s name.
Thinking that he was the bereaved family of the people that he had killed, Yoru quietly hid within the shade of a tree.
「Oi, ‘Adorea’s Nightmare’, you’re there, aren’t you?」
Yoru wondered if it was just a coincidence, but the person did not say anything else besides that, so he slowly came out of the shade.
As Yoru was examining the look on his face, the black cat beastman was looking back at him.
「Long time no see, thanks for taking care of me at the demon king’s castle. Don’t even think about hiding from me using your magic.」
Then, Yoru finally realized that, this beastman was part of the hero’s party who had come before the demon king, and had barely escaped with his life when he got wounded on his own accord.
「Don’t worry, you did not kill my younger sister.」
He muttered that as he looked up at the monument, his eyes red from crying.
Since Kurou had no killing intent towards him, Yoru walked up and came next to Kurou, looking up at the monument as well.
『What is the meaning of this?』
「They were killed. They were all beastmen, moveover, by the royal family.」
Yoru gasped, when Kurou said those words in an emotionless voice.
「That day, I was aiding the ships and carriages that were helping the citizens escape from the calamity that Adorea got caught in. My younger sister almost got on the ship.」
Kurou clenched his fist tightly, so tight that his nails bit into his palm, making it bleed.
「Even so, the idiot royal said, ‘Your aniki is a hero of the hero’s party, so have him protect you,’ and then kicked my sister off the ship and got on himself.」
A growl leaked out through his clenched teeth.
Those eyes were different from when he was at the demon king’s castle, it was overflowing with a thirst for vengeance and sorrow.
「I, was in Ul at the time. I did not make it in time. …in the end, my younger sister was trapped under a building and died. You are not, him. He killed his own countrymen.」
Drop after drop, tears fell down from his dark eyes onto the ground, staining it.
Yoru stared fixedly up at the monument.
Even so, it didn’t change the fact that Kurou’s younger sister had died because he had gone on a rampage.
A lot of people died as well, because he had gone along with his instincts.
「I will go after my younger sister’s enemy. It may take a while, but I will do so without fail.」
『As you wish』
During the battle at the demon king’s castle, because Kurou and the hero had persevered until the end, they had received severe injuries as well.
Yoru wouldn’t lose if it were one vs. one, but even so, he wouldn’t want to go up against Kurou who was obsessed with getting revenge.
He gave a short reply and as he was looking up at the monument, Kurou had disappeared before he realized it.
