Chapter 98 of 100

Chapter 98

6 min read1,543 words

"Well? Are you feeling better now?"

"Not at all! I was just about to finish the fight properly!"

In the end, Rona, who had secured her place in Aldis's bedroom, answered with a pout. The owner of the room, who had sat down on the bed, saw a golden beast lying lazily on its head on a round table, perched on a chair.

"You don't need to win since she's not an enemy."

"That's exactly why the hierarchy should be clearly established."

Rona lifted her head and argued back. Whether it was a habit as a beast or just Rona's personal quirk, her eyes showed dissatisfaction.

However, even if Rona harbored grievances, it would be troublesome if she fought seriously just to gauge the other's strength. Both Rona and Nere were important to Aldis. Since Rona would be acting alongside Aldis, it was necessary to have Nere's presence accepted.

"I told you to hold back, didn't I?"

"Ugh... yeah, but..."

When reminded, Rona looked down awkwardly.

"Nere is taking care of the house and the twins while I'm away. There's no one else I can trust with the twins, given her skills. If Rona were to injure Nere or drive her away, it would be a problem for me."

This world is too harsh on twins. If you're going to abandon them, that's one thing, but if not, someone needs to take care of them. Since Aldis can't be with them all the time, the person needs to be able to take care of children, have the strength to eliminate dangers, and accept the existence of the twins.

"Of course, if you're willing to stay here and take care of the twins, that's a different story."

The only people Aldis knew who could take care of the twins were Nere and the members of the 'Morning Star of White Night.'

Of course, Aldis knew Rona's capabilities and temperament well. If Rona agreed, he could entrust the twins to her. Unfortunately, Rona is not the type to stay in one place for long.

"No way. That would be boring."

As expected, Rona immediately rejected the idea.

"Then, you'll have to endure. Nere was the one who initiated the challenge, but from what I saw, you were the one who attacked first."

In the forest, it was Rona who exuded an aggressive aura, and Nere only responded to the challenge.

"Boo."

With no words to retort, Rona pouted and spoke about what she felt during the fight.

"Who is that girl? She seemed quite battle-hardened despite being weak."

The difference in strength between Rona and Nere was clear. In terms of physical strength, endurance, and magic power, Rona was overwhelmingly superior.

However, Rona, due to her personality, doesn't often use tricks. The sticky magic and the thread-like magic that entangled limbs, which she used during the mock battle when they met again, were unusual for her. That's why Aldis was caught off guard.

On the other hand, Nere is skilled in combat. She is adept at timing her attacks, spacing, and combining her moves to achieve significant effects with minimal effort. It's clear that she is battle-hardened, and in terms of technique, she might be better than Rona.

"Well, I heard she used to be a mercenary before meeting me... but I can sense that there's more to her than that."

But if asked who Nere really is, Aldis could only say he doesn't know.

Aldis and Nere don't interfere with each other's past. Though it's not a formal agreement, there's an unspoken understanding between them.

He doesn't know her origins or her purpose. But at least in terms of strength, Nere is one of the few who can stand alongside Aldis in battle, aside from Rona.

"Let me tell you, in this world, Nere is considered quite strong. Don't judge by the standards of your world."

"Eh, her?"

Rona looked at her doubtfully. Aldis, understanding her skepticism, continued.

"I've seen many mercenaries and soldiers over the past year, and among them, Nere stands out. The soldiers here are pretty bad. If there were three Nedyros, they could destroy a country or two."

"Three Nedyros to destroy a country? That... sounds a bit too weak, doesn't it?"

Nedyro is the name of a carnivorous beast in the world where Aldis and Rona came from. Known for their strong breeding and adaptability, they appear everywhere, regardless of climate or terrain, and are common six-legged beasts. Their skin is as hard as metal armor, their front claws can easily slice through steel shields, and they can breathe fire. Their middle claws carry a paralyzing poison. But that's all.

If you can channel magic into a weapon, the hardness of their skin is not a problem, and you can avoid their fire and poison. That's why Nedyros are often used to gauge the strength of new recruits. Defeating one in a one-on-one fight is a benchmark for a mercenary to be considered competent. In that sense, they might be like Despair in this world.

But that's just a relative position. If Nedyros appeared in this world, even one would likely be classified as a disaster-level monster.

In their original world, Aldis had fought and defeated many Nedyros. As a seasoned fighter, he wouldn't struggle against them. For Aldis, fighting monsters and beasts considered dangerous in this world is like hunting small herbivores. Being praised for his strength makes him feel awkward and complex.

"They're not weak; they're just normal here. You'll understand if you stay for a while. Nere is the exception."

"Then, what? You're not troubled by this state, Al?"

Even as a boy, Aldis is confident he could eliminate five Nedyros alone. Compared to Nedyros, even the notorious Despair of the Grasslands is a minor threat.

"Yeah, in terms of combat. In that sense, I was lucky."

"What do you mean?"

"If it were the other way around, it would be a disaster. We wouldn't last a day in a world where disaster-level beasts roam everywhere."

"Ah, I see."

Rona, now convinced, asked Aldis to confirm the strength of her opponent from earlier.

"But, she could probably defeat three Nedyros, right?"

"Yeah, no problem."

Indeed, Nere could have handled the Grinder in Tria alone. At that time, Nere was supporting Aldis, but she wouldn't have fallen behind to a monster of that level.

"If what Al says is true, she's not normal in this world, right?"

Indeed, she is not normal. Even the well-known mercenaries of the 'Morning Star of White Night' in Tria, the second-largest city of the Nagrass Kingdom, are not as strong as her. Nere's strength is clearly exceptional.

"Who is she?"

"Who knows."

Rona's question was met with a short answer.

"Who knows? If you're going to leave her in charge, you should be more interested."

Aldis glanced at one of the four swords leaning against the bed.

He had told Nere everything he learned from Marida about the incident in Reiting. But that didn't include information about Aldis's past.

At the same time, there were things Aldis hadn't told Nere. The red sword he and Kiril discovered in the forest ruins. The Nere-like phantom that appeared from the red sword at the end of the Reiting defense. Marida said Nere's hair was needed to calm the red sword, but she didn't know why. She only knew it was necessary because she saw it in a dream.

A Nere-like woman appeared as a phantom from the red sword wrapped in Nere's hair. It was hard to consider this a mere coincidence.

Aldis hesitated to tell Nere about what he saw, and the moment passed.

Aldis quickly returned his gaze to Rona's face.

"I am interested, but I have my own secrets. It's too much to ask to reveal everything about myself while keeping my own secrets."

"...Do you have no intention of telling her anything?"

"Not at the moment. So, I won't question her identity either."

"Can you trust her?"

"I do."

Aldis's answer, "I do" rather than "I can," strongly reflected his resolve.

"...Alright. If Al says so, I won't say anything more. If she betrays you, I'll just tear her throat out."

After saying this in a light tone, Rona yawned, curled up, and fell asleep.

"Who is she..."

Lying on the bed and looking at the ceiling, Aldis muttered to himself.

If Nere were to reveal her identity, that would be one thing, but in his current state, Aldis didn't have the luxury to pry into others' identities.

Thanks to reuniting with Rona, Aldis had learned a few things. But there were still many unanswered questions. Why is he not dead? Why is he in the form of a boy? Why was he transported to a different world?