Chapter 7: Ciella is scary, Part 2

It was the evening of the third day since the merchant caravan departed from Bagus that Kairin began to mingle with the adventurers.

On the first day, due to her late arrival and the ensuing commotion, they couldn’t talk much, and the gathering dispersed.

However, the next day, since she joined the gathering as the sun began to set, the conversation started with her present from the beginning.

Ciella was going crazy watching this unfold.

“So, what happened then?”

“Well… I swung my greatsword, and…”

The burly man who had first confronted Kairin with his sword yesterday flinched whenever she interjected, but he naturally continued the conversation.

Although he stuttered a bit due to Kairin’s overly friendly demeanor, she was undeniably beautiful if you ignored her suspicious aura, so the other adventurers gradually warmed up to her.

Beauty is always a plus when it comes to familiarity.

“Lynn, don’t keep interrupting~ Our party leader is a bit of a scaredy-cat. He might actually faint if you surprise him. Hahaha!”

Moreover, thanks to Ray’s jokes that gradually eased the tense atmosphere from yesterday, everyone’s guard was slowly coming down.

However, that was only for those who couldn’t see.

Ciella, who could still see the strange magical energy emanating from Kairin’s bag, couldn’t shake off her fear.

The magical energy, darker than any darkness she had ever seen, had grown even darker overnight.

Like a snake whose venom intensifies with hunger.

While everyone else was enjoying the increasingly friendly atmosphere, Ciella couldn’t let her guard down.

Meanwhile, events that deepened her suspicion continued to occur.

“Lynn, you’re a general goods merchant, but you’re part of the caravan? Are you planning to join Wilfred?”

“No, not really. I know Hans, so I’m learning to ride as an apprentice stablehand… oh, there he is. Hans~?”

Kairin answered Ray’s question casually and then smiled brightly at the passing stablehand.

The stablehand flinched momentarily at her smile but returned it. A flicker of unease crossed his face.

The other adventurers didn’t notice anything strange, but Ciella’s sharp eyes caught it.

“Excuse me for a moment~”

Saying that, Kairin quietly stood up and slowly approached Hans.

Feeling uneasy, Ciella also quietly stood up and followed Kairin.

She securely fastened the dagger at her waist, in case her magic ran out, and tightly gripped her staff in both hands.

“Huh? Ciella? Where are…”

smack!

Kalt, who had tried to stop Ciella, questioning her actions, felt a sharp pain in his thigh as he was about to stand up and collapsed back down.

He turned his head and saw Ray looking at him with a dissatisfied expression.

“What was that for…? Damn, your hand is spicy…”

“Kalt, you don’t understand what it means when a girl quietly disappears like that?”

Does she think I’m an idiot? Kalt wanted to retort, but knowing she would hit him again, he calmed himself down and asked.

“What does it mean?”

“I don’t know either.”

“Then why did you hit me…?”

“Just because!”

Kalt, who had expected a serious answer, was infuriated by her nonsensical reply.

She had drugged him with a strange potion and slept with him at the inn. And now, she was acting like this.

smack!

“Ow!”

Seeing Ray clutching her head, Kalt resolved to put her in her place.

Kairin stopped Hans, who had been checking on the horses, and led him to a secluded spot.

Ciella quietly followed them from behind. At least, she thought she was being quiet.

rustle, rustle.

The sounds of grass and leaves crunching under her feet were lost on the tense Ciella. She was focused solely on following Kairin.

However, at some point, Ciella started to fall behind, and the dim light of the forest obscured Kairin from her view.

Ciella chased after her, her breathing growing ragged.

It was okay if she couldn’t see them. They would eventually stop, and the terrifying magical energy emanating from Kairin wouldn’t disappear.

But her stamina was reaching its limit.

T-Too fast…!

Ciella, despite her best efforts, couldn’t close the distance and concluded that Kairin was simply too fast.

Of course, this was wrong, as even the physically weak Hans was keeping up with Kairin. The real reason was Ciella’s lack of physical fitness.

After chasing them for a while, until her legs felt like jelly, Ciella finally saw a place where the magical energy was concentrated. A sign that they had stopped. Ciella finally caught her breath and slowly approached them.

Following the moonlight filtering through the trees, she found a small clearing. The moonlight illuminated their faces.

“Hans.”

Kairin spoke, and Hans flinched.

I knew it! Ciella thought, quietly listening in.

“Are you going to keep acting like this?”

“I-I’m sorry… I…”

Hans, despite being older and Kairin’s superior as a stablehand, spoke to her respectfully.

“People are getting suspicious. Should I tell them? I know where your family lives.”

“N-Not that…!”

And finally, Kairin’s words and demeanor were clearly threatening, even if there were mitigating circumstances. It was actual blackmail.

From Ciella’s perspective, Kairin was threatening the innocent stablehand, Hans, by holding his family hostage.

I found it…! Finally…!

Ciella silently retreated, celebrating internally.

And Kairin’s glowing red eyes followed her.

“You think Lynn is suspicious?”

Nod, nod.

Ciella vigorously nodded at Ray’s question, her green hair whipping around and hitting Ray in the face.

Ray and Ciella were in charge of reconnaissance today, so Ciella quietly approached Ray and reported her findings about Kairin.

She had considered telling the party leader, but the timid man didn’t seem like he’d be of much help, and she couldn’t talk while Kairin was sitting on the coachman’s seat during the day.

So, she decided to tell Ray, who at least seemed to listen seriously during their reconnaissance shifts, when Kairin wasn’t around.

“Hmm… maybe it’s a misunderstanding? She looks incredibly suspicious, but… she’s not a bad person… I can vouch for her; I’ve been with her for two weeks.”

However, Ray, who had spent the most time with Kairin among the adventurers, dismissed Ciella’s concerns.

“Did something happen that made you suspicious?”

Of course! The terrifying magical energy I saw with my magic sight, and the scene I witnessed yesterday…!

Ciella was about to tell Ray about her findings when a thought crossed her mind.

What if it’s really a misunderstanding?

Honestly, even if she had just spoken up, it would have been dismissed as Ciella being overly cautious. But her indiscriminate suspicion of everyone had affected her own judgment.

Just one more… Just one more piece of decisive evidence… then Ray will believe me.

“Nothing?”

At Ray’s question, Ciella just lowered her head.

A hand rested on her head.

“Ciella, I told you before, you shouldn’t be so suspicious of everyone. I don’t know what happened, but…”

It had been so long since she felt such warmth. Ciella hesitated for a moment, then pushed Ray’s hand away as usual.

“You still don’t trust me completely. Well, this much is enough for now. We have time.”

Ray smiled and headed towards the campfire where the other adventurers were gathered. We can build trust slowly.

Too suspicious… am I?

Ciella reflected on her behavior, admitting that she might have been too cautious.

“Kalt!!! Who are you so close to?!”

Smack!

You told me not to be suspicious… Seeing Ray grab Kalt by the collar for merely talking to a female adventurer, Ciella pushed the thought away.

It was better to be suspicious after all.