"Since you've come, why be in such a rush to leave?"
Haimer looked at the black shadow that swiftly vanished at the entrance of the alley and gently shook his head.
His heart, however, felt a long-absent itch.
This feeling.
It was like a hunter who had been silent for a long time, finally catching the scent of an exciting beast during a boring patrol of the forest.
Although today, seeing the growth of Amou Kirukiru and the other children was certainly gratifying.
However.
As a God who once made the entire pantheon in the Heavens look sideways in awe.
In Haimer's bones.
There ultimately flowed a militant factor that could never be washed away.
Moreover.
The fact that the opponent was able to evade Tsukuyo's ears indicated that their concealment skills were exceptionally superb.
"Whoosh—"
Thinking of this, the silver long spear in Haimer's hand twirled deftly between his fingers.
The spear tip sliced through the air.
It emitted a low, deep whimper.
"Although I feel very sorry for Captain Shakti, who was so dutiful and just left."
"After all, Captain Shakti had only just walked away on her front foot."
"But..."
"It's rare for someone to come knocking on my door on their own initiative."
"If I were to just let them run away like this..."
"I'm afraid I would suffer from insomnia tonight."
*
At the same time.
In a deep, secluded alley tens of meters away.
Tap, tap, tap—
Rapid and light footsteps sounded exceptionally clear in the silent night.
A petite figure was shuttling at high speed through the intricate shadows of the buildings.
The person was wrapped in a dark green cloak, a large hood covering most of their face, revealing only a section of fair skin.
It was precisely the Elf who had used the excuse of dumping trash in the tavern earlier and had been slow to return.
——Ryu Lion.
However.
The current her had long lost the clumsiness she displayed as a waitress of the [Hostess of Fertility].
Replacing it.
Was a sharp intensity that made one's heart palpitate.
She sprinted closely along the base of the walls.
Her breathing was deliberately suppressed to the limit; every heartbeat seemed to merge as one with the surrounding shadows.
But.
The speed needed to be even faster.
"I've been discovered..."
Ryu gritted her teeth, glancing back at the pitch-black night behind her.
Although there was no one in her line of sight.
However.
As a warrior who had crawled and rolled on the line of life and death countless times.
That prickly sensation, like thorns on her back, had not diminished in the slightest.
On the contrary.
It was becoming stronger and stronger.
"How is this possible..."
While maintaining high-speed movement, Ryu swiftly replayed the scenes from earlier in her mind.
Because from the moment that black-haired God stepped into the tavern.
Syr's reaction had been off.
She had never seen such an expression on Syr's face before.
Therefore.
In order to figure it out.
To find out exactly what background this strange God who had suddenly popped up possessed.
She had originally only intended to observe from a distance, confirm his lodging point, and then withdraw.
But she hadn't expected.
That the black-haired God's perception would be keen to such an extent.
Separated by such a long distance.
He was actually able to precisely lock onto her hiding in the dark.
"..."
Thinking of this, Ryu's heart sank.
Her mind was filled with disbelief.
After all.
As a former member of the [Astraea Familia], and now the 「Gale」 wanted by the Guild.
Over these years.
In order to avenge her companions who had died miserable deaths.
——To drag those damned remnants of the Dark Faction out of the gutter one by one and execute them.
She had transformed into a demon of vengeance existing only for revenge. wandering on the edge of life and death countless times, she had long honed her skills of concealing her presence to a peak that was nearly instinctual.
Even if facing a Lv.5 First-Class Adventurer.
As long as the opponent didn't deliberately activate that kind of wide-range sensory skill.
It should be impossible to precisely capture her hiding in an absolute blind spot from tens of meters away.
Not to mention.
The position she was in just now.
Was a dead angle completely swallowed by the shadows of two buildings, where not even moonlight could shine!
Thinking of this.
Ryu dared not be careless.
She quickly identified her orientation.
This was the high-class residential area of the North Main Street; the terrain was open and unfavorable for shaking off pursuit.
She had to go southeast.
Toward the direction of Daedalus Street.
The terrain of the slums over there was complex, with alleys crisscrossing like a labyrinth; it was the place she was most familiar with.
As long as she entered there.
Even a Lv.5 Adventurer shouldn't think of catching her easily.
Making up her mind.
The pace beneath Ryu's feet accelerated.
Ahead was a complex intersection.
A left turn would lead to the slums of Daedalus Street.
As long as she entered there...
However.
Ryu tapped her toes, forcefully twisting her body toward the left side.
"?!!"
But when she saw the figure ahead clearly.
Ryu's pupils constricted violently.
...
She forcibly twisted her waist, retreating backward, and quickly assumed a defensive stance.
Because at the entrance of the alley ahead.
A slender figure was already leaning against the wall, holding a silver long spear in his hand.
——Haimer.
He looked as if he had been waiting there for a long time.
Even his breathing wasn't disordered in the slightest.
"How is this possible..."
Ryu's voice was somewhat dry.
She was confident that her speed just now definitely hadn't slowed down.
And she was the one most familiar with this route.
How did this God do it?
"Are you surprised?"
Haimer seemed to see through Ryu's thoughts. He lifted the spear and straightened his body, tapping the spear gently on the ground as he spoke with a light chuckle.
"During the time when I first descended to the Lower World, because I was too bored, I would occasionally spend a little time wandering around the streets and alleys of this city."
"Where the dead ends are, where the shortcuts are, where it is suitable for ambush, where it is suitable for escape..."
"I know it all clearly."
"Especially if one wants to shake off a tail without alerting the patrol team."
"This place is a must-pass location."
"So I took a small path ahead of time and came here."
"Since the route Miss Elf thought of was the same as I guessed."
"Then let us have a talk."
Having said that.
Haimer stood straight, twirling a beautiful flower pattern with the spear in his hand, then pointed the spear tip diagonally at the ground.
That originally languid temperament suddenly became slightly sharper.
"I am very curious."
"Miss Elf."
"From the moment the others and I left the tavern."
"The gaze you deliberately hid seems to have never left me."
"And the emotions contained within that gaze were extremely complex."
Haimer's voice carried a trace of probing as he stopped five steps away from Ryu.
This distance.
Could be said to be neither far nor near.
One step further forward would trigger Ryu's defenses.
It could be considered a warning line.
"If it were simply malice, or greed, I would probably treat Miss Elf directly as trash to be disposed of."
"But..."
Haimer tilted his head, those deep eyes seeming capable of piercing through the disguise on Ryu's face and looking straight into her soul.
"What makes me feel strange is that the feeling Miss Elf gives me is more like a kind of anxiety?"
"There is even a sense of urgency to confirm something."
"I acknowledge that I have only been in the Lower World for a month, and I haven't had time to provoke anyone."
"And this should be the first time Miss Elf and I are meeting, right?"
"So."
"Could Miss Elf tell me the reason?"
"What is the thing that Miss Elf urgently wants to confirm from me?"
Haimer naturally knew clearly who the person Ryu cared about was, asking despite knowing the answer.
However.
It was better for this question to be spoken by his own mouth.
"..."
As for the reason?
Ryu's breath hitched.
Could she tell him that it was because Syr showed abnormal attention to him, so she followed him like a frightened bird to confirm if he was a dangerous element?
That was absolutely not okay.
Once she said it, it would actually drag Syr into this.
If this God truly had no malice, but because she pointed this out, he developed an interest in Syr, what then?
She had to find an excuse.
Thinking of this, Ryu's brain spun rapidly.
She needed a reasonable excuse that could extract Syr from the situation.
"I..."
"Stop—"
However.
Before Ryu could extract a suitable excuse and speak.
Haimer interrupted Ryu in advance.
"Miss Elf."
"Do not lie in front of a God."
"Although I will not use Divine Power to bring down Divine Punishment upon you."
"But as a God, even without using Divine Power, it is still extremely simple to distinguish the clumsy lies of a child from the Lower World."
____
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