Chapter 197 : To My Dear Liar

The tiger spirit kicked off the air and ran.

It left the lord's castle, left the city of the count's domain, and flew to a field covered in green.

And then it landed lightly on a raised hill.

"...Wow."

I patted the dark blue tiger's back with one hand.

"You're really fast."

If I was wrapped in the wind and ran, this guy was the wind itself.

If I ran as if tearing through the air, this guy ran along the grain, between the wind and the wind.

As if it had truly become a single gust of wind.

It felt as if the wind was also adding its strength to the guy.

The experience of running in the sky, becoming one with the wind, was valuable to me as well.

Is the wind not something that blows from somewhere, but something that flows?

Is it not about tearing through the wind, but about flowing with it?

Like a flowing river.

I realized that the wind also has a path that flows.

A situation where a tickling realization was knocking on my upper dantian.

When you run fast, there are times when you feel a strong resistance from the air.

Until now, I had run while ignoring that resistance as if tearing it apart...

What if I were to gently place my body on the path of the flowing wind instead of just tearing it apart?

If it's possible, wouldn't it be better to make an enemy an ally rather than killing them?

A smile appeared on the Heavenly Demon's lips.

[Oh... quite something.]

Following the flow rather than going against it.

Utility rather than convenience.

Rough, but sometimes gentle.

"...How long are you going to hold on?"

As I was chewing on the realization that had come to me, Hud said in a thorny tone.

I looked at her purple eyes, which resembled the sunset sky, for a moment...

And then I let go of her waist, which I had been holding until then.

"Why are you so prickly? Didn't you sleep well? Did I come at a bad time?"

Hud didn't answer and jumped off the tiger's back.

And then she glared at me, who was staring blankly.

"Aren't you getting off?"

I turned around and conveyed Hud's words.

"Hey, she said to get off. Get off, everyone."

Hud got angry.

"You! Red eyes, you get off."

I hesitated for a moment.

"Can't I sit here a little longer? The ride is good."

Soft and fluffy.

As I touched the tiger's back, this guy turned to me and growled.

Huh. This one doesn't talk. Is he the quiet type?

Hud glared at me with cold eyes.

"Get off."

"Tsk."

I had no choice but to smack my lips in disappointment and get off his back.

'If I had stayed a little longer, I might have figured something out.'

What a shame.

As soon as I got off, Hud suddenly grabbed me by the scruff of my neck and pushed me against a nearby tree.

Thump!

My back hit the tree and leaves fell.

"You, what are you?"

Hud's purple eyes were emitting a blue light.

"How did you know my name? Why do you have the same face as that guy?"

Immediately, Linda's angry shout was heard.

"What are you doing to the devil!"

I could see Shushruta quickly grabbing Linda, who was about to charge.

The tiger strode over and stood between them as if to block them.

Hud didn't even glance at them and glared at me.

"Answer me. Before I kill you."

Grrr—

As if in response, the tiger also looked at me and bared its gruesome teeth.

"...."

I looked at Hud's purple eyes, which were burning like a bonfire, for a moment and then answered her greeting.

"Yes, it's nice to see you too. Have you been well?"

Although I was being held by the scruff of my neck, I still held out my hand, like a man who knows his manners.

Slap!

Hud slapped my hand away.

"Get that hand away."

"...."

I stared at Hud blankly.

"What's your problem?"

"Who are you?"

"Ashuban Sherwood. What are you asking?"

"...Sherwood?"

For a moment, her eyes seemed to flash blue, and then she suddenly pushed her face close enough for our noses to touch and whispered.

Her tone was eerie.

"Don't you dare say that name."

"...Why?"

"Why? Because that guy... is dead."

"Aha."

"So who are you? Who are you to have the same face as that guy? How did you know my name? Why did you come all the way here?"

"You have a lot of questions."

"Answer them one by one. Without leaving anything out."

"Alright. First, that. You asked who I am."

I grinned and replied.

"Ashuban Sherwood. I've come back from hell."

Hud's face contorted.

"You, do you think I'm joking—"

Thwack!

I headbutted her forehead.

Hud staggered for a moment, her head ringing, and then she looked at me with her blue, burning eyes.

"You...!"

I snorted and replied nonchalantly.

"What, you brat."

I know it's hard to believe.

But I'm not the type to just take a beating.

This brat. How dare she refuse my greeting?

Tzzzz—

An eerie purple energy rose from the guy.

Grrr!

The dark blue tiger's growl deepened.

Seeing that, a hollow laugh escaped me.

How is this a spirit user who receives the love of nature?

She's a disaster itself.

Hud glared at me with purple energy in her hand.

Her purple eyes were burning blue.

"I'll ask you one last time."

Her voice was frighteningly calm.

"What is your relationship with Ashuban?"

There are people who become colder and calmer the angrier they get, and Hud was one of them.

Judging by her voice, it seemed that her anger had reached the top of her head.

Come to think of it, I had to give this one's butt a good kicking too.

Because she would come and play pranks every time I was training and then run away, disturbing my training.

Is that all?

She was one of the guys who had teased me first when I came back after being beaten up by a noble kid.

I can still hear their jeers in my ears.

'There's a guy who came back after being beaten up by a thirteen-year-old kid?'

'And he said it was the first time he had ever held a sword?'

'This bastard. Is he crying? Is he crying?'

'Giggle, giggle! Cackle, cackle!'

My fists clenched automatically.

'...On the contrary, it's good.'

I decided to provoke the guy even more.

The decision was immediately translated into action.

I shouted.

"Bring it on! You foolish shepherd girl."

Hud looked at me with wide eyes.

"How dare you lie to me? Did this damn noble dare to hang out with lowly people like us with that precious bloodline? Did you play with us? Did you think you could do that just because you're a little smart?"

"...."

"No way! Not a chance! If you really want to, I'll hit you on the head and make you like us. I'll make you feel what it's like to be a fool."

Hud blinked her eyes.

She had an expression of not understanding what I was saying at all.

But that was the same for me, so it wasn't a big problem.

"Do you know what I hate the most? Nobles? No. Liars? Wrong. What I hate the most is a lying noble. You despicable bastard. Receive the iron mace. What, a fallen noble? I'll make you a soft noble from now on."

I kept talking, maintaining the general framework of making her angry.

It was incoherent and had no context, but it was okay.

Because it was enough to make her angry.

"To my dear liar. It's time to pay the price. A fiery bat is perfect for a liar."

"...."

"Child of the sunset, my ass. I'll give you a blue bruise like the sunset sky."

"...!"

"You, Hudmilla Everett. It's no use refusing. It's too late to regret. This place follows the rules of the strong. I'll beat you up with force and drag you away. I'll listen to your excuses after that."

I closed my eyes.

I muttered quietly, holding the hilt of my sword.

"Bring it on, liar. I'll personally teach you the price of lying."

After finishing my preparations and opening my eyes again...

"Huh?"

I couldn't help but be surprised.

Because Hud was on the verge of bursting into tears.

Her tear-filled purple eyes are like amethysts floating on water.

Seeing her crying face, my fighting spirit melted away and disappeared somewhere. The strength in the hand holding the hilt of my sword loosened.

I muttered softly, watching her purple hair fly.

"Eh. This isn't it."

"Ashuban!"

Hud hugged me tightly.

She smelled of fallen leaves.

"It's you! It was you!"

"...Actually, I'm not Ashuban. I'm a man named Ashuban. I have no relationship with Ashuban."

"You were alive! You were alive! How...!"

"I actually killed Ashuban. I'm Ashuban's enemy. Avenge him, girl."

"Ugh! You were alive! I didn't even know!"

"...Let go of me. Let's fight."

"Sob, sob!"

Hud hugged me tightly and burst into tears.

It seemed that she had been collecting her tears all this time, and she showed no signs of stopping.

"Ugh, ugh, ugh, ugh, ugh, ugh, ugh!"

"...."

She's so strong that I can't move.

My shoulder is getting wet at an uncontrollable rate.

The Heavenly Demon let out a small laugh.

[It's a good sight, disciple. To make a woman cry.]

"...Be quiet."

At that moment, I heard the sound of running, and then.

—Ah! There it is!

—It smells good!

—Found it!

I was attacked by the spirits who had finally chased me here.

Of course, while being held by Hud.

I muttered, being crushed by a spirit user and her spirits.

"...I'm going crazy."

***

Hud let go of me only after a long time had passed.

She asked me what had happened with a swollen face, and I explained it briefly. I decided to tell her the details on the way.

"...Hmm. I see."

Although she didn't seem to have fully understood, she nodded her head as if it was okay since I was alive.

Meanwhile, I had to make a great effort to focus on my explanation.

Because these damn spirits kept disturbing me.

A guy who kept rubbing his body against me, a guy who sat on my shoulder and rubbed his head against the back of my neck, a guy who had made a nest on my head as if it were his, a guy who kept sniffing me, a guy who kept pushing his head into my hand as if asking to be petted, a guy who got on my lap and purred, and so on.

In the end, I couldn't stand it and shouted, chasing the guys away.

"Damn it! Get lost!"

The startled guys quickly moved away, and then they returned to their original state after a while.

"No, why are these guys like this? Is there honey on my body or something?"

As I was pushing away the deer that was sneakily pushing its head, Hud looked at me with wide eyes.

"You, can you see them?"

I frowned.

"Can I see them? They're so noisy."

Hud's face became even more dumbfounded.

"...You can even hear them?"

"They keep chattering about something. I can't live because it's so noisy."

Hud pointed at the squirrel sitting on my shoulder and asked.

"What is he saying?"

"He keeps chattering about making a contract."

Hud's mouth dropped open.

"...It's real?"

Am I the only one who can see and hear them?

I asked Shushruta, who had been sitting next to me with a displeased face until then.

"Shushruta."

"What."

"You really can't see anything? You can't hear anything either?"

"Hmm..."

Shushruta squinted her eyes and looked at my shoulder, and then she replied.

"Now that I keep looking, I think I can see something faintly... But I can't hear anything."

Hud looked at Shushruta with a slightly surprised face.

"You can see them?"

Shushruta glanced at Hud with a displeased face and answered.

"I said it's faint, like seeing a ghost."

"Just being able to see them like that means you have some talent."

As expected, a round, jet-black bird was sitting on Shushruta's head, tilting its head.

It was a tit that looked like a black cotton ball.

Hud looked at the top of Shushruta's head and muttered.

"She might make a contract soon."

Shushruta frowned openly.

"What did you say?"

And then she fumbled with her head.

The black tit hopped around, avoiding Shushruta's hand.

I watched the scene and asked Hud.

"Isn't that a spirit you have a contract with?"

Hud shook her head.

"There are also spirits that just follow you around without a contract. That one is one of them."

"Aha."

I turned my gaze to Linda, who was looking at Shushruta with a foolish expression.

"Linda. Do you see anything?"

Linda shook her head with a blank face.

"I can't see anything. I don't know what you're talking about..."

And then Linda, who had become sullen by herself, scribbled on the ground with her finger.

Hud said.

"That's normal. You guys are the strange ones."

Hud looked at me.

"You especially."

"What about me?"

"You suddenly came back alive and you're full of the energy of nature. To the point where you're getting all the attention of the spirits."

"Me?"

"Yeah. That's why these guys were chasing you."

"Hmm."

Is it because of my internal energy?

I thought that the mana circulating in the bodies of other guys was different in nature, but now I see that it was closer to this.

So that's why I suddenly started seeing the spirits I couldn't see before.

Hud looked at me.

"You don't want to make a contract?"

"A contract?"

Hud nodded her head.

And then she scanned the spirits gathered around me with her eyes and said.

"I think you could make a contract right now if you wanted to."

...A contract with a spirit?

My ears perked up.

The Heavenly Demon is stuffed in my head, Chapter 198

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