Lefille made an inhuman noise when the man died, while Suimei lowered his face.
… And finally, the kneeling Lefille stood and turned her back towards Suimei. The direction she was facing—
“... Hey, Lefille?”
Suimei asked, but Lefille kept her back towards him for some reason, and uttered words of apology.
“I am sorry, Suimei-kun.”
“Sorry about what, what are you going to do? Why are you facing that way?”
“Do you even need to ask…”
Isn’t that obvious— No, it was indeed something anyone could work out. Because right now, she was facing in a direction of a road they had never taken before.
In the end, Lefille seemed to have made up her mind. She turned towards Suimei, and stated her resolve with determination.
“Suimei-kun, I will be rescuing the people from the caravan.”
“Rescue them? Are you serious?”
“Yes, I have no plans on making jokes.”
“You are going even though you don’t even know where exactly the caravan is!?”
“They are probably along the mountain path. Even if they deviate from the route, it wouldn’t be for too far.”
“But there was no way of telling if they are still alive!”
“That’s right. But someone might still be alive. That’s why—”
That’s why she was going, in order help them, and performed a rescue that could only be said to be reckless. However, she mustn’t, she absolutely mustn’t go there, because—
“Do you understand!? This is the trap of the Mazoku to lure you over!”
“A trap, huh?”
“Yes! They are a bunch that assault people without a second thought! Will they allow someone who is heavily injured to run away!? If you go, you will definitely find Rajas waiting for you!”
That’s correct, this is a trap. An evil trap to bait Lefille, with the knowledge that she will rush over to save the caravan. They allowed this man on the verge of death to escape because they knew how Lefille will react after meeting him.
It was a coincidence that this adventurer came to this place in the secluded forest, but the chances that he was released as bait was high. It wouldn’t be a surprise to find Rajas waiting for Lefille when she rushed over to rescue the caravan.
However, Lefille didn’t listen to what Suimei said, the girl answered in a calm tone.
“... Probably.”
“What do you mean by probably… You should know this is true, Lefille!”
“Yes, that’s true. It’s like you said. I understand how reckless this is.”
“In that case…!!”
“However!! ... Even so, I still want to save everyone! Because of me, everyone is in danger! All because of me! That’s why!”
Lefille’s emotions burst forth as she faced Suimei who couldn’t accept her actions. It was probably the anxiety that had been accumulating in her heart all this while. Her feelings of wanting to help others and the thinking that she had to go were conveyed in her words. But she was just beating herself up too much over this.
“Like I told you, it’s not Lefille’s fault…”
“No, this is my fault. You said it just now right? This man only appeared here because of the trap the Mazoku laid out for me. Rajas only did this because I hid my tracks.”
“That… But even if you go, you will just die in vain!”
That was the truth. The opponent’s ambush wasn’t something so simple. It was a plan made in mind for the enemy that would be coming. For the one who jumps in, it would definitely be at a disadvantage.
That’s why Suimei refuse to give in, and tried to talk Lefille, whose back was towards him, out of this.
“Lefille! Think over it carefully! Calm down and think it through!”
But Lefille didn’t turn back—
“Lefille!! Come back!! You know in your heart it’s true!”
“......”
“Lefille!! Didn’t you say you mustn’t die!? To keep the power of the spirits from dying out! In that case—”
When Suimei was saying that, Lefille who was enduring silently spoke.
“What do you…”
“Hmm?”
“What do you understand about me!!”
“— Ugh!?”
The girl yelled from the bottom of her heart to stop Suimei. She then poured out the feelings in her heart like a torrent.
“You are telling me to pretend I didn’t see that even after all that!? I abandoned the people most dear to me! Even my closest family! Even so, you still want me to throw the people who got into danger because of me away!?”
Lefille’s words reverberated in Suimei’s ears and heart.
Is this thought and feelings weighing down her heart all this while? No one could help her from the pain, no one could save her. She couldn’t restrain her thoughts and screamed, because she earnestly wished to save these people. If that was so, what would Suimei have to do to calm her out of control emotions?
“So I just need to keep running!? Keep ignoring others and leave them to die!? Because I have to cherish my own life!? My thinking resulted in people losing their lives! This kind of thing… I have enough of this!”
Lefille seemed to be roaring at the mercilessness of the world. It was the cry of a girl who couldn’t vent all this while. That’s right, because she had been betraying her emotions, her self reproach became even more painful. It was even more so, if the feelings she ha