Hara's shoulders could just shrug in dread and surprise.
Wearing a wry smile, she hesitantly turned to the person who scolded her.
"Ah... Ahahaha... So, you were here, Kiezy?"
"What are you saying I am here!? What in the world are you doing!?"
From the hall of the castle's upper floor, Kiezy jumped to the grassland.
"Eh!!!? Were you playing!? No fair! Let me in! Hahaha...!"
Zetra followed with a liveliness ready to pummel someone.
"Ugh... "
I was beat.
I was fed up with these people's naughtiness.
"Casting a barrier so you don't get noticed from the outside, seriously what are you thinking? If I were a bit too late, you could seriously injure each other."
Sauntering gracefully towards us, Kiezy pointed out the danger Hara's putting up a barrier could have caused.
'So the barrier was to cancel the presence of the aura that was passing through it, huh?'
This girl really planned for it.
"Kiezy, this man is dangerous!"
"Enough! Mind your own business. Didn't I tell you to just ignore your surroundings and focus on your duty?"
"But this is duty!"
"..."
Hara, as if having a point, made Kiezy silent.
However, it was not as if Hara was right.
With her countenance being toned with darkness due to solemnity, Kiezy reminded her...
With a voice slowly being delivered in a low serious tone, Kiezy uttered.
"This is not your duty. And you know it. Stop with your foolish emotion-based decision-making. You are not being useful."
("Gulp... ")
Hara could just gulp.
Kiezy was being too terrifying!
"Uhm... "
Without any idea how serious their conversation was, I just volunteered to clarify the situation.
Although I was a bit pissed off at what Hara had done, I still decided to help her out. She could be in some degree of trouble after all.
"Kiezy, sorry. I was the one who suggested the fight. I also requested the barrier so that we don't get disturbed. Sorry."
I mean it's a bit late to say that now. Hara also already said I was dangerous, but... Whatever. Kiezy will probably just think of that as... Hara saw me as unusually powerful so she remarked that I could be a problem. Something like that.
What was important was that I save Hara from her potential trouble. After all, this could be a problem for both of us. Better not to leave her alone for it.
I shifted my sight toward Hara to see what her reaction was after witnessing that forgiving act of mine.
As I was just expecting a surprised awestruck visage, I could just witness a countenance that was like saying... What the heck is this idiot making up? With narrowed eyes and a mouth left faintly opened, Hara could just give me that thought.
"Mr. Yui. don't mind what Hara has done. Understand?"
"Eh!?"
What the heck? As if apologising for her friend's misconduct, Kiezy gave me those words. It's just, why did her mood and tone seem threatening and commanding?
Kiezy has her head facing downward as she talked; her eyes being clouded over through rather intense solemnity.
"Don't mind it, okay?"
She repeated for clarification.
"Y... Yeah... Of course! Why would I? Ahahaha... Aha... "
"Good."
Letting out a heavy sigh, she continued.
"Then! No more careless fighting, okay?"
As if closing the matter in great relief, Kiezy spoke those words with a pure relieved bright smile.
["..."]
Couldn't just let her livening smile go uncared-for, Hara and I, as if in a hurry, could just reassuringly reply in synch.
["Of course! No fighting! No fighting!"]
"Yes. Thank you."
Grateful for our being so readily considerate, Kiezy give us her heartfelt thanks.
Of course, even though the scene looks refreshing, Hara and I could just not help from trembling.
["Y-Yeah... No problem. Ahaha... Aha... "] - was our response.
"So, Mr. Yui, did you like the walk on the castle?"
Completely discarding the matter that just transpired, Kiezy directly asked if I had had a good experience from strolling through the castle.
Oh. She's good now. Sigh... That was a relief.
I'm sorry though. Just after we got out of the library, we didn't go anywhere. We head straight to this training ground. And of course, there was no good experience here.
"Ah... Ahaha... It was fun."
"Is that so!? I'm glad!"
'Yeah. If it was true.'
I could just feel guilty. Well whatever. It's entirely not my fault.
Shifting my sight to Hara...
"...!"
She could just shrug as she noticed I was scowling behind her.
'This girl... She's running for it. Just after I helped her out. Sigh... "
Well, whatever. At least she gave me a somewhat my-bad and I'm-counting-on-you smile.
Kiezy was occupied at attending me which gave Hara the chance to just sneak out and finally slip away. On Kiezy's part, she was probably being too attentive to me so that I just let Hara go from whatever horrible deeds she had done.
'Arghh... I really don't mind that though... '
Kiezy and I began moving around as we talked while the two (Hara and Zetra) began arguing in the background.
...
The two of us then just talked through the night, with Kiezy doing her best so that I spare Hara and me making up stories of how we ended up on the training ground, so that Kiezy wouldn't discover what really happened, although it feels like she already knows.
Chatters could be heard echoing in the timidity of the night as we go on continuing this obvious charade.
["Yeah, this place was built so that..." "Oh, really? I see, that's why..." "The trees here are beautiful and well-placed. The designer really gave it some thought." "Oh, come to think of it, even though the castle, the greeneries here aren't poor in presence. They really made a good work."]
'Sigh... Seriously what are we even doing?'
Oh, well. It is also still early. I think I should just have a natural conversation with her. Maybe I was just being too absorbed in it too much. After all, I feel like she was being natural. I feel bad talking with her without being sincere.
...
Back to our normal days, I just continued carrying out my duty.
About a month or so has passed since then.
"Aaaahh...!"
On the castle's battlements, I had my arms leaned over. With the refreshing cool wind of the night, I couldn't just help but to feel relaxed.
"Yawn...!"
Didn't think that watching over a kingdom in secret would be this fun. To think that carrying such responsibility will be this pleasing.
I was like watching over my own world I created. Haha... As if...
"Awwww... Is this the kingdom they're talking about? What a waste of time. This doesn't even need a reconnaissance. Why not devour this now?"
"...!?"
Out of nowhere, a voice began to be heard through the silent place. Resonating along the chilly concretes.
When I turned my sight to the source of the voice...
"Gasp! Who are you!?"
I could just suddenly leap backwards as I got deeply surprised.
A person with a gigantic scythe was standing ominously on top of the battlement.
They could be identified as wearing a cloak but... With its rather gaseous traits...
"Aura?"
I could just conclude that this fiend is extremely dangerous.
An aura manipulation of this level...
"Oh? You can tell? It's so much effort changing and carrying things so I just decided to do this. Actually, I was told to be more cautious, but... You see I hate being too vigilant."
Their voice can't be determined whether it's that of a man or a woman. Their voice was twisted to the point that it was almost otherworldly!
I was just attentively observing the person so that I won't miss whenever they start moving when...
Shiiing...
A light of sheen from a sharp object flashes behind me.
"...!?"
I draw my sword without second thought.
CHIIING!!!
We clash weapons!
"Ack...!"
I could just grimace.
'Intangible ruler was it? How could I fight this person without using my power to some extent!?'
This was what I could just think of as my arms were shaking, overwhelmed by the force I was struggling to block.
"Oh!?"
Feeling amused, the fiend leapt back.
"You. You're restraining yourself?"
"...!?"
"Ahahahaha... And I even made sure that strike would've sliced you in half in no time. To think you will survive and that while holding yourself back. Aren't you a special one?"
"..."
'Who the heck is this person?'
"Well then. I will do you a favour by taking your life with a bit of my power. Expect a big one coming."
That should've been my line but this fiend has beat me to it.
As the fiend raised their arm letting the flow of strength freely accumulate on it, a sudden presence entered the scene.
To the fiend's left side, directed to the head, a bright slim sword was shifting at an enormous speed.
"You're not hiding your presence very well!"
Yelled the interrupter as she let the sword slash in full swing.
The fiend could just dodge.
...
I was surprised by the sudden interruption.
Seeing that refined silky black hair as it flows down magnificently to her back, I recognised it was...
"Hara?"
"Are you okay Mr. Yui?"
"Oh, oh, what an interesting opponent. Ahahahaha...!"
And just right after, the two have arrived.
"You guys... "