Otome Game no Heroine de Saikyou Survival [WN] - Chapter 162.5
Not weak. But not strong, either. They could not belong to any of the four organizations because they were considered half-assed, and they could not do jobs at the very bottom like the weak because of their useless pride.
They could only live by robbing the weak, and they lived in hiding from the strong.
A dozen or so of them held up clubs of their own making when they saw Ron and Elena with weapons.
“Hey, what are you guys here for?”
“We are looking for a child we know. He’s a beast boy. Have you seen him?”
“I don’t know…just leave when you’re done.”
A middle-aged man of the human race looked away from Elena.
Elena sensed from his demeanor that he knew something. She was about to ask him about it, but Ron stopped her by pulling the hem of her cloak down.
“Let’s go. We don’t want to provoke them.”
“But…”
“It’s okay. It’s probably all right.”
Ron noticed that when [the beast boy] and Elena spoke, several of the residents looked in a certain direction.
“Let’s hurry. They’re probably using us as bait.”
“…”
Gulping at Ron’s words, Elena also quickly headed in that direction, and a short time later, she heard a small child’s voice.
“Naru?”
“Over there!”
Within seconds of the two of them running, they heard the voice of a child they knew well, and there was Naru, climbing up on the rocky ground and throwing stone fragments at several caterpillars.
“–[Water Ball]–!”
Elena quickly released a mass of water, which swept away the caterpillars.
“Ron!”
At the sound of that voice, Ron heads toward the swept away caterpillars, while Elena secures Naru.
“Naru!”
“Big Sis Rena!”
Naru noticed this and hugged Elena as she jumped down from the rocky shore. Relieved that her body was dirty but uninjured, Elena looked into Naru’s eyes as she looked at her.
“I’m glad you’re safe. Why…did you go outside alone?”
“You know, this!”
In response to Elena’s question, Naru proudly shows the red grass that she has stuffed into a sack full of shredded grass.
“You must have some of this, right? I found a lot of them!”
“Naru…”
*Bam.
Elena almost cried at the sight of him, and gave Naru a little slap on the cheek.
“…eh…”
“Don’t make us worry… If you get hurt, everyone will be sad.”
Not knowing what he could and couldn’t do. It was to be expected since he was only three years old, but it was more because there was no adult to teach him about it. Chaco and Noi, who were so busy trying to survive, couldn’t teach him either. So Elena hugged Naru’s little body as hard as she could to tell him.
“I’m really glad you’re safe…. And thank you. You are a fine boy.”
“Nee-chan…I’m sorry.”
Elena did not know if Naru understood. Still, Naru, who felt something, cried out as he hugged her again, and then fell asleep as if he was reassured.
“…Rena, let’s get back soon.”
“Yes. Thank you for waiting for me.”
Elena smiles at Ron, who waited until Naru had calmed down after defeating the caterpillar, and Ron looks away, his mouth slightly twisted.
“…No, it’s obvious.”
“Yes…”
Seeing Ron like that, Elena’s smile becomes a little richer again.
The only thing left to do now was to go back. As the two of them started heading back the way they came, the residents from earlier were standing in a line, blocking the road.
“…What do you want?”
Ron stepped forward as if to protect them and put his hand on the hilt of his sword, while the residents stepped back as if intimidated, and among them, the middle-aged man from earlier stepped forward.
“Oh, you guys are strong, aren’t you? Kill the monsters around here, will you?”
“There are monsters starting to appear in the town as well!”
“I escaped from the town, but I can’t believe there are monsters here, as well!”
“You guys, if you’re strong enough, you can do it!”
“…You people!”
If it was a single person, they could surround him and kill him, but if it was more than one, they would not dare to confront them. So Ron couldn’t help but feel angry at the residents who were saying whatever they wanted while planning to use the children as bait to save their lives.
“Wait, Ron.”
“Rena…?”
For some reason, she felt a chill in her voice and turned around to see a cold smile on Elena’s face as she handed the sleeping Naru to Ron and stepped forward.
“Why do we have to do that?”
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Also check out my other novels: Reincarnated into a Game as the Hero’s Friend, Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear, and A Girl Who Was Told “You Have No Talent” Turned Out To Be A Talented Monster