White Ears appeared with a somewhat cute cry.

‘Huh?’

I rubbed my eyes.

So that thing is.

“Eeeeek!”

…A ca-capybara?

From head to bottom, it had a breathtaking log-like body line with a large face and stubby nose.

It was big enough to carry two adults, and its ears were long like a rabbit’s.

Its body was brown, but only the ears were white.

Like a hybrid between a capybara and a rabbit?

It might have been quite cute from afar, but with that bulk glaring at me intensely, it was just creepy.

But the creepiest thing here was the Saint himself.

“I’ll end your life.”

Allen, who muttered lines like a villain, spread dazzling wings made of holy power. Sharp feathers attacked White Ears all at once.

Papapapat!

“Eek!”

Despite its seemingly sluggish body, White Ears dodged nimbly.

Then it immediately rammed into Allen.

Bang!

It was an attack that would have shattered bones if it had hit properly, but Allen blocked it with a barrier at just the right moment.

At the same time, he quickly counterattacked by transforming the shield into a spear.

‘His holy power control is insane…!’

Allen, who had thrown off his gentle face, wasn’t just a berserker but a holy berserker.

“Die!”

“Eeeeek!”

Bang! Boom!

As the intense exchange continued, Allen’s attacks quickly became more violent.

As a result, White Ears’ injuries increased.

“Grrrr…”

Finally, it staggered while bleeding.

Not missing the opportunity, Allen created a massive spear of holy power.

“Feel Imelen’s pain!”

But something felt off.

Allen’s attack was taking time, perhaps intending to end it in one strike.

Yet White Ears neither dodged nor attacked, just sitting there panting.

‘Why is it just watching?’

When the strong light from the holy spear illuminated its figure, I could see the reason.

There was a sharp blade stuck in its short leg.

‘Is that thing injured?’

White Ears looked at the spinning holy spear, which was starting to rotate menacingly, then closed its eyes, seemingly resigned.

Seeing that, I recalled a certain piece of information from the original story.

A tiny detail that I hadn’t paid attention to, thinking it wasn’t important.

“Die…!”

“W-wait!”

“Uwah?”

I pulled Allen back just as he was about to attack.

Allen fell on his bottom as the spear of light forcibly disappeared.

The recoil caused red blood to flow from his nose.

“M-mother… why…”

Allen fainted like a puppet with cut strings.

“I didn’t expect him to faint… Well, that works out. Let him rest.”

Even I think what I’m about to do is a bit crazy.

I approached White Ears, who was sitting down, very slowly.

It was looking at me with confused eyes. However, as I got closer, it became restless and started emanating k*lling intent.

“Eeeeek…”

I hesitated.

‘If I get any closer, it might really kill me.’

Though it looked like a gentle capybara, it was clearly a monster. It could tear my body apart with just a slight gesture.

‘But I also just ruined a precious chance for revenge.’

If you invest in something, you should get returns.

While thinking about how to approach it, I stood up and raised both arms high.

Make yourself look bigger, human!

“…Eek.”

It looked at me with displeasure.

Tch. That didn’t work.

“Ah, right.”

I took off the High Cardinal’s bracelet and dangled it like a rattle.

“Here, delicious holy power. You were chasing this, right? Promise not to kill me if you eat this.”

When I threw the bracelet nearby, White Ears showed interest, sniffing around.

The High Cardinal said it was an heirloom, but who cares. The ancestors would be happy if their belongings saved lives.

“Grrrr…”

It was making incomprehensible sounds while looking at the bracelet.

‘Good. Now’s my chance…’

I crept closer and slowly reached for its knee.

‘Now that I look closer, it’s not just a thorn but seems like a broken blade fragment? Must have stepped in a trap somewhere.’

In a village where monsters appear, there would likely be traps scattered throughout the mountains.

Just as I was carefully about to pull out the blade fragment.

Whoosh.

It suddenly turned its head toward me and started sniffing.

“Grr, sniff…”

Its huge nose blew out hot air.

Afraid I might be eaten any moment, I tried to threaten it.

“Get back…”

Sniff, sniff.

“I’ll count to three. One… two… two and a half… two and three quarters…”

Grr, sniff.

The impudent thing ignored my threats and kept sniffing—there was something inside my clothes.

“…Could you be looking for this?”

I slowly took out the jerky I had hidden in my chest.

The capable maid… was her name Rona? Anyway, she had packed it for me, and though it was travel food, it was top quality suited for noble tastes.

“Here.”

When I threw it, the creature swallowed the jerky in one gulp, having waited for this.

“So this was the answer? Here, eat more.”

It was completely focused on gobbling up all the jerky I poured out.

Taking advantage of that moment, I pulled out the blade fragment from White Ears’ leg in one go.

“Eeeeek!?”

It jumped up and raised its front paw toward me in anger at the sudden pain.

While I froze in fear.

“…Grrrr?”

White Ears checked its leg in confusion, then opened its eyes wide.

Then it looked at me in surprise.

‘It, it worked.’

I showed it the blade fragment that had been tormenting it.

“Who helped you? Hm?”

White Ears looked back and forth between its leg and me, trying to understand the situation.

Finally, it perked up its long ears and started excitedly pressing against me.

“Grrrr. Grrrr.”

Its stubby tail wagged so vigorously that its huge bottom swayed left and right.

Even as I was being pushed around like a twig, I made sure to clarify the situation.

“Who pulled out the thorn and gave you expensive jerky?”

“Grrrr. Grrrrrr.”

“So are you thankful or not?”

“Grrrreek.”

White Ears flopped over in front of me, showing its belly and rolling around.

Seeing it act completely like a gentle dog reminded me once again of a brief conversation from <Marino>.

* * *

A warm spring breeze blew through the open window.

Alensis stopped walking and looked at the spring scenery with unfocused eyes.

Colorful flowers swayed gently, creating waves. A fragrant scent rode the wind and brushed past his nose.

Children’s laughter could be heard from far away.

However, Alensis felt no emotion from any of this.

It felt like he shouldn’t feel any emotion.

Some circuit in his mind had been cut off—his expression was gentle but he felt nothing.

That’s when.

“Who is this person?”

A child’s question was heard from behind.

Ah. Come to think of it, that child had been following.

The last remaining sense of responsibility in Alensis moved him.

Alensis’s eyes grew dim as he looked at the girl in the portrait the child was pointing to.

A girl in her mid-teens with a mischievous smile.

“Imelen. She was a Saint.”

“…The Saint’s sister.”

“That’s right.”

The child’s expression became awkward and couldn’t continue speaking. Seems they had already heard about Imelen.

Alensis gently patted the child’s head.

“It’s okay. I’ve already completed my revenge. The monster that killed Imelen is dead.”

“Is revenge good?”

Alensis thought for a moment.

“No, it’s not good.”

“Then…”

“But it’s not bad either.”

For something that would drive someone to seek revenge, it couldn’t be good whether you took revenge or not.

But one thing was clear.

“Even if I could go back to that time, I would still have taken revenge for my sister.”

“…Really?”

The child’s eyes looking up at him were full of worry. That pure concern he had once desperately missed.

Alensis bent his knee to meet the child’s eyes and smiled.

“Of course. Just one question won’t let go of me.”

“What is it?”

For a moment, Alensis was at a loss for words.

He recalled White Ears, the monster that had been unusually docile at the moment of revenge.

And those deep eyes that didn’t suit a monster.

“…Why would such a gentle creature…”

Really.

“Have eaten Imelen, that’s the question.”