Chapter 116
Chapter 116 - Let's Take Care of the Stalkers
The girl named Minaka Raidou that Kazane met in Wombard's market was a『Japanese』person from an eastern country . She was also the daughter of the Raidou samurai family, one of the elite families among the Japanese .
This was a fact the person herself knew, but originally Minaka was a commoner child . However, with the swordsmanship talent she had been exhibiting since a very young age she became an adopted child of the Raidou family .
Because of those circumstances Minaka was strongly obsessed with becoming stronger . The parents who raised Minaka did so affectionately and she had felt their love, but she considered that goal the value of her existence and one she had to achieve at any cost . That was why she sealed her old memories to sever the relationships she had before she became an adopted child, and it might have been unavoidable that she strongly felt that strength was her identity .
And Minaka was now crossing the continent on a training journey . Even the women of a samurai family must be strong . The『Japanese』considered it their national character, and once Minaka turned 15 she was ordered to go on a training journey . She was forbidden to return until she became an adult at 20 . That was a tradition of the Raidou family .
Ever since, Minaka had been traveling alone .
And in the middle of her solitary journey she coincidentally discovered a black dagger that appeared to be some kind of magic sword . At that point Minaka didn't notice that the dagger was haunted by a devil, an incubus of lust .
Minaka never wanted to remember the situation that happened afterwards again . Before she knew it her first time was taken, and not only was she no longer a virgin, she was successively indulging in pleasure with a devil night after night . When she thought about those days her ears turned red in shame . She wondered how things ended up like that . She couldn't believe she never did something about it .
But she was saved by the power of a woman named Louise . Right now she wasn't possessed by a devil, and she was in the middle of improving herself through a foreign country's Grand Tournament .
Yes, everything was how it should be .
(What do they want? Those guys)
Now Minaka was being followed . Although they never came excessively close, she was certain there were multiple people, and she was able to confirm that at least four people were following her .
Minaka could tell that each person's ability was equal to or greater than her own . She particularly sensed indications that the old man with the katana hanging from his waist and the man with the silver armor were similar to the old soldier in Kazane and Louise's party named Jinrai .
Even the other two showed clear signs of being powerful people, and she knew that she would eventually be caught by such skilled people cooperating together, so since she would definitely be finished once she was surrounded she was driven by fear to continue walking .
(Will I be okay if I return to the inn? But once my whereabouts become known they might immediately break in . )
She had no confidence in winning if she were caught . Minaka was impatiently racking her brain for a way to avoid checkmate . If things go on like this, how can I avoid being surrounded?
However, while she was thinking that and walking briskly Minaka didn't the other person that was currently approaching .
**********
Multiple running footsteps resounded in the alley .
「Hey, she disappeared . 」
The target they were following suddenly entered this rarely traveled alley and they followed after her, but no one was there .
「She was noticed, so she ran away?」
The man said, but there were no traces of someone starting to run with all their strength from this place .
「It seems to be different . It appears that she was able to successfully escape through some unknown means . 」
The man with silver armor laughed while saying that .
「Four adult men failed to catch one young girl . It is not a laughing matter . 」
The man with silver armor replied「Sorry」to the man's words .
「But how did she escape?」
Another man said . Originally they were not trying to catch Minaka . However, it seemed like she noticed them, so they followed after her to investigate the circumstances since they didn't understand the situation . And after watching the exchange the old man said「Maybe she was disposed of?」
「You're saying the devil hunting guys did it?」
One of the men looked at the old man and asked, looking vexed . The old man said「That possibility exists . 」
「Tch, has my share declined again?」
「That hasn't been decided yet . 」
That was uttered by the solidly built man wearing silver armor .
「Well, certainly . The connection is weak, and she may have escaped by herself . Arguing here won't solve anything anyway . 」
The man with silver armor nodded to the words of the old man .
「Anyway, with that ability she seems to be different from that『Assassination』group . 」
「Certainly . Wouldn't it be useless to deliberately contact her to send a warning?」
The other two said .
「Well, it should be fine . The competition bracket will soon be settled . For now, shall we leave here separately?」
The men nodded to the old man's words, and without saying anything more they left the scene at slightly staggered intervals .
**********
(Run away? Assassination?)
Kazane had been hiding with Minaka in the alley above the talking men on the second floor wall by using『Wall Walking』and『Invisible』together . 『Invisible』was a skill that lowered the recognition ability of surrounding people . There was less worry of suddenly being noticed if they were in a blind spot .
Once she confirmed that the men were gone Kazane asked Minaka beside her .
「Minaka-san, do you have any ideas?」
To that question Minaka shook her head . She knew nothing at all about those guys .
「I don't know, but . . . . . since they were talking about devil hunters, maybe they thought I was related to them?」
Minaka responded while surprised about Kazane's wall adhering and presence eliminating Skills . Kazane anticipated that reply from Minaka and immediately agreed「It seems like that . 」Unlike Invisible, which applied the effect to anyone she was touching, Wall Walking only applied to Kazane, so Minaka's feet were on a gutter alongside the wall while Kazane was looking down and supporting her .
「It seems that people possessed by devils are being killed, so the things they were talking about are probably related to that . 」
After Kazane spoke Minaka looked at her with a surprised expression .
「People possessed by devils are being killed? No way, are those people…?」
Kazane replied「Maybe?」to Minaka's question . Kazane also didn't know anything beyond what she had heard from Brick .
「I don't know what relation they had to the ones killed, but from what we heard earlier it seems they suspected Minaka-san . 」
「I wouldn't do such a thing . 」
After Minaka's flustered reply Kazane said「That is something to say to those guys!」But of course, after Minaka was pursued she didn't have enough courage to be interrogated by them .
「Maybe they were devil hunters? But saying my share and the rest would then be quite strange things to say, right?」
(If they were devil hunters they wouldn't say『devil hunting guys』in the first place)
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