Male Lead, Don’t Follow Me! - Chapter 28

The short blue-haired one spoke to me. Since he won’t call me by my name, I’ll refer to you as short blue hair too.

This was my remaining pride.

“I didn’t say I could do it. Don’t regret it.”

“As if I’d go so far as to regret anything.”

He was clearly looking down on me.

I tried to suppress my trembling lips and took a deep breath.

“Ephelia, step back.”

“Kiara, I think we should just go—”

“No, whatever comes out, I’ll show those guys.”

If possible, I hope something comes out that would make them never ask me to use my power again.

It was always a power I didn’t like, but today, I appreciated my insignificant power.

I closed my eyes and tried to imagine something that could purify. I drew out the mana residing in my entire body and concentrated.

“…Wow.”

Along with a gentle breeze, the scent of grass brushed my nose.

“…Why, why? What came out?”

I timidly asked, not daring to open my eyes.

By now, they should have been cursing, so why is everyone silent?

Finally, unable to contain my curiosity, I slightly opened my eyes.

“Crazy…”

Around us, weeds had grown abundantly on the barren land.

The two blue-headed spirits were giggling and sprinkling water on the weeds, finding something hilarious.

“Wow, you’re really amazing.”

I’m sorry, but I think you guys are more amazing. The two of them enjoying this situation seemed quite remarkable.

“Kiara Lowell?”

Amidst their continuous giggling, a voice that shouldn’t be heard reached my ears.

I slowly turned my stiff neck and looked behind.

Across the abundant weeds, Bishwaltz was smiling at me.

“Gasp!”

How did he get here?

Is there something attached to me?

I hurriedly checked my body, but nothing was attached.

Ephelia was equally surprised.

The blue spirits who had been laughing loudly now eyed Bishwaltz warily, looking him up and down.

“What’s this? Something about his tone…”

Exactly like you guys.

I inwardly added to their words, squinting my eyes.

He was calmly standing where I was. I hadn’t sensed any presence, so when did he arrive here?

The male protagonist’s buff is truly unpredictable.

Yes, he’s so nonchalant as if he had expected me to come here.

Moreover, why is Serhin, who’s glaring at me like he wants to kill me, with him again…

My head throbbed, and I quietly hid behind Ephelia.

“Duke Bishwaltz? How did you…”

“Should I call it a coincidence? Well, I came here while investigating.”

His gaze fell on me. The eyes of a growling beast sparkled as if they would bite my nape and shake it to cut off my breath.

‘You don’t have to look at me so murderously; this situation is terrifying enough for me as it is.’

I quietly accepted his piercing glare because I knew what I had done.

“Since we’ve met here, let me ask Lady Kirin. Can you sense it here too?”

“Yes, I can.”

“But really, how did you find us?”

I couldn’t contain my curiosity and asked him.

It’s not like he teleported, ah! With Serhin beside him, it might not be impossible.

“While searching for the strange light power occurring in the Kaibern region, I came here and caught your scent.”

“…Couldn’t you say ‘fragrance’ instead of ‘scent’?”

There’s a bit of a difference in nuance, you know. Why use that word when there are better ones?

“Is there such a thing?”

He didn’t give me a proper explanation.

I lowered my head and sniffed my body discreetly, pretending to smell myself.

‘I only smell good!’

Serhin, who was watching my behavior, couldn’t hold back his laughter and said to me.

“Not the smell from your body, but the fragrance after you use your power. Right now, there’s a strong scent of grass all around.”

“Ah…?”

It made sense that there would be a smell, given that I had made weeds sprout from nothing. I felt inwardly grateful to Serhin for correcting it to ‘fragrance’.

At least you have some sense of consideration.

“Serhin, you’re the Tower Master, right? How is it? They said they could sense black magic.”

“Then perhaps this power was used for purification…”

“Ah, yes…”

I mumbled my words. The result was far from what could be called purification.

“For now, I’ll dispatch others here, so we should head back.”

“You’re not going to investigate further?”

I asked Bishwaltz in surprise.

Having come all this way, shouldn’t you do something? Why are you just leaving?

Did you not come to catch me?

Although I tried to look wary with my eyes narrowed, there was no time to worry about appearances.

I had to survive first.

I didn’t dare to appease Bishwaltz’s intensity right now.

After all, I had fled in the night, so I wasn’t sure if begging would even save me.

‘I should have gone somewhere else!’

Even in this situation, I regretted my choice of location.

It might have been better to go to another country and become a hostage. How much would they grill me when we return, given that I pretended to comply but did something else behind their backs?

“For now, it seems you and I need to have a little talk.”

“Do we have to?”

“I think it would be better to resolve this through conversation.”

I glanced again at the sword at Bishwaltz’s waist. Seeing the handle gleaming in the sunlight snapped me back to reality.

“Yes, people should indeed resolve things through dialogue.”

I nodded hurriedly and gave a bright smile.

It’s useless to call me shallow. To survive, it’s not bad to abandon a bit of pride.

“Kiara, look at this!”

Ephelia, who had been quietly staring at the weeds standing between the two of us for a while, shouted.

She had noticed that the dried-up land was changing little by little.

It was unbelievable. Could it be that it changed due to the power of the water spirits?

“Well, it wasn’t entirely useless.”

Kelpi and Kelpita shrugged towards me.

I blinked and bent down to look at the weeds.

“Did my power really work?”

This insignificant and useless power? Did I receive some kind of buff from being next to the protagonists?

As they said, the shape of the land seemed to have changed a bit.

Not only had it become moist with absorbed water, but the surrounding energy felt a bit clearer.

“Yes, it’s very subtle, but it seems to be purifying little by little.”

“That can’t be.”

The power of purification.

It was something I never expected.

To think that I, who couldn’t even properly contract with spirits, would have such a tremendous power.

Honestly, it was too subtle to go around saying, “I can purify!”

“Why don’t you try it somewhere else?”

“…Me?”

I don’t think that’s a good idea. Who knows what might come out next time. I shook my head, pointing at the weeds.

This, too, wasn’t something I had intended to produce. Even if I had power, I couldn’t control it, nor could I predict it.

“If I make a mistake and create something strange.”

I might die of shame again.

Kelpi and Kelpita would surely tease me. I’m annoyed, but that’s one thing I’m certain of.

“It’s okay. If anything happens, I can clean up after you.”

Serhin was taunting me with a kind face. That statement also means you don’t trust me, right?

But everyone, as if by agreement, stepped away from me a little. They looked at me with a mix of expectation and worry.

“No, wait, why is everyone running away?”

“Well, maintaining an appropriate distance is good for everyone.”

Serhin said to me with a good-natured smile. But I saw the fear subtly reflected in their eyes.