Chapter 406: Slight Interlude - The one other partner
“Woah…what’s that?”
A night with no visible stars.
A night where presences were creeping here and there.
A night of eat or be eaten.
A night for the people that desire power.
It is the kind of time I like.
For the eyes of hyumans, this darkness must be literal pitch black; a time of fear.
Turning on a light, have people guard in shifts, and wait for dawn.
Yet, that woman that instantly killed those tasty-looking crabs, Haku, used this darkness to separate from the group.
It made me curious.
I also secretly part from the side of my master that is sleeping soundly.
If it were the usual pact relationship between tamer and demonic beast, my movements would be discovered by master.
There’s also the matter of the magic power cost and all that.
But right now my master is an airhead fourth rate.
Putting it bluntly, we are in a relationship where I can do as I please.
If I wanted to, I could easily use my own magic power to make it so I cause no burden to master.
But…BUT…
Even if he is like that, he is still my master.
And so, it bothers me…
That so-called Taming Guild and the presence of that woman.
Haku Mokuren.
She gives out a slight scent of tamer like my master.
Her knowledge and fighting capabilities are far different from Master, and each movement of hers carries grace.
Honestly speaking, if she were my master, I wouldn’t have a single complaint.
Probably…if I were to get into a serious fight against her, she would be able to put up a good fight…no, that’s just me acting tough.
Haku is far stronger than me.
That’s why the mysterious action of that woman, whose name has been etched vividly in my mind in a different meaning from Boss, bothered me quite a lot.
And then, what I saw when I was stealthily tailing her was unbelievable.
By the way, my body is big, but I am actually also good at silent and flexible movements.
Well, you could call it a necessary ability as a resident of the forest.
“…This is troubling. Leaving aside the long lifespan, to think you would have this much loyalty too. Even if I have told you it is already plenty enough…you won’t listen to me, huh.” (Haku)
The words of Haku Mokuren.
It was a completely different atmosphere, as if she had aged there.
“There’s already no binding or anything forcing you. I am a half-baked person who doesn’t have the resolve to continue carrying many like Azu-san. Seriously, geez…” (Haku)
What was responding with gestures was a white snake that was far bigger than me.
To the point that, the first time I saw it, I thought it was a dragon.
Even though the d.a.m.n thing is moving, there’s no sound.
Even its presence, if I don’t stare at it intently, I feel like I would lose sight of it. A clearly stronger being than me.
This snake b.a.s.t.a.r.d…is stronger than the leader.
I see, Boss, so this is the wasteland.
‘I don’t think it will be as boring as you think’, I finally understand the meaning of those carefree words whispered by Boss.
“The time we met, it took you your all just to wrap yourself around my arm, and yet, here you are now, the boss of a family that has a grandchild as big as you. It is not easy to maintain your influential rights in the wasteland, and yet, you are still stubbornly keeping that casual verbal promise of ours…huh.” (Haku)
This must be the demonic beast that serves under Haku.
I don’t think I will ever step into the shadow of Haku even if I were to work hard together with Baretta for a lifetime.
There’s no such unrefined thing like a pact through a Skill or any forceful means between these two.
Partners.
Or maybe a family bond that surpa.s.ses blood.
Or the loyalty of a knight pledged to their lord.
…Sh*t, that sounds nice.
It heats me up.
Even if at first it comes from the relationship between pact and control.
Fighting together and eventually becoming partners.
……
Good grief.
Will I at some point in time also hold c.r.a.p like respect and affection towards Master just like that snake b.a.s.t.a.r.d there?
Having gotten a peek of the ideal relationship between a tamer and their demonic beast, I suddenly ended up getting serious.
Even though it is already about to reach the hour mark, Master isn’t reacting at all and is most likely sound asleep. Good grief, he is hopeless.
Bir was the one who said ‘it is true that we haven’t even begun yet’.
Yeah, that’s right.
Being shown something like this, I have no choice but to agree.
The relationship between me and Master simply hasn’t even started yet.
For now, I will have him properly raise his level and cla.s.s.
And then, my name! I will have him change it to a decent one!
I honestly didn’t think about my name at all until recently, but it will be a problem when my name spreads.
Like maybe Magoroku, or Kanemitsu sounds good.
Also…right, Kabuto is hard to say no to, too.
No…that would overlap with Tiara in a way.
Then there’s the need for a few more tweaks.
I return while erasing my presence.
Mamonos and demonic beasts attacked me on the way, wanting to make a meal out of me, but I kindly and silently slaughtered them all.
The bunch that move at night in packs are normally not that strong.
The strongest ones are the ones that move in daytime alone without caring.
Just like that white snake that barely had any presence despite its giant body.
Boss, Haku, that white snake…and Leader too, huh.
Just how many times will my ranking of the strongest have to be updated?
Right, my name.
If I change my name from Tiara to Kabuto, I feel like they will just tell me I switched my name to the male version.
Then how about a.s.sociating it with my red fighting spirit?
Red Cap?
Red h.e.l.l?
Red Kabuto?
Nothing is clicking.
Oh well, people like Bir might unexpectedly have a good naming sense.
When the time comes, it might not be a bad idea to get some suggestions.
“A demonic beast that would be willing to go as far as sacrificing their lives for the other, huh. Ain’t that nice, Haku. It means you are that level of tamer, huh. Train my airheaded Master real good. So that at one point, I will be able to look back at these times and find them funny.” (Tiara)
Not like his current pathetic self that’s making me fight in the frontlines while he goes on and on talking about the decorte line and all that c.r.a.p.
I feel like even if there’s 10 paths for the future, Baretta has killed around 4 or 9 after all.
At the very least, I have seen the potential of this thing called tamer, so when I caught sight of Master, I sighed with a wry smile mixed in, and then sat as I closed my eyes.