Kays Translations

Chapter 343- Putting it all together

“Phew..."

Thanks to the use of stealth, I was able to arrive at the inn without being spotted by anyone in particular since then.

After deactivating the stealth, I entered the inn and was immediately guided to the fourth floor, as if the innkeeper had recognized my face.

"......! ..."

“...hmm?"

As I grabbed the doorknob, ready to open it with a bit of enthusiasm, I noticed that there was some commotion inside. However, the soundproofing seemed to be quite effective because I couldn't make out what they were saying.

"...Onii-chan!!!”

“Uh-oh...!"

“Ah...I’m sorry."

With my grip on the doorknob, the door suddenly opened with such force that I was almost dragged forward by the door. I managed to use my reflexes to quickly remove my hand from the doorknob, so I didn't fall over.

“Ah! Onii-chan? Are you all right? What happened!”

“Um...let me come inside for now?"

If we were to talk in the hallway, the people on the floor below would hear us. So even if I want to talk about what happened, I have to go inside the room first.

“Ah..."

Once inside the room, I somehow understood the situation.

"Carina, thank you for sticking to what I told you to do.”

“Ha, yes."

First, what caught my eye was the sight of Carina sitting there, looking a bit teary-eyed and flustered. Shana was sitting nearby. Judging from the presence of another chair nearby, it seemed that Sophie and Shana had been pressing Carina with questions.

It must have been quite challenging to hide anything from Shana, who can read minds.

"I already ordered Carina not to tell you guys anything. If you've been blaming her or anything like that, please apologize to her."

"I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too."

"Oh, no, I understand your feelings, and it's okay,"

Carina replied.

Sophie and Shana obediently bowed their heads and apologized.

"So, Onii-chan, who were you with and what were you doing in the back alley?"

Sophie asked as soon as she apologized. Don't tell me you apologized quickly because you wanted to hear my story as soon as possible?

"Alright, I'll tell you.”

As I lay on the bed, I explained the conversation I had with Ryu, making sure that Elira, who was listening attentively, could hear as well. By the way, I kept quiet about the dream Ryu mentioned at the end since it wasn't relevant to the tournament and I hadn't fully processed it myself.

"I see... So that's what happened,"

Sophie responded.

"Yeah."

I nodded.

The four of them listened attentively without interrupting me until the end.

"I understand that you went alone to prevent unnecessary conflict,but if there's a possibility it could be a trap, please contact us immediately so we can come to your aid!"

“Sorry about that."

I apologized, acknowledging that it would have been better to do so, but I might still act the same way if faced with a similar situation. That's because, since I can't initiate contact with Ryu, I can't afford to miss an opportunity if she reaches out to me. It would be disappointing if I couldn't meet her because I took too long to inform Sophie and the others, and they became suspicious.

Ryu and Im can see me, but they can't hear my voice.

"To summarize the conversation, it seems that the demons aren't united in their beliefs. At the very least, Im and Ryu appear to have different thoughts."

"What do you mean?"

"If we assume that what Ryu said is the truth from her heart, then Im would be the culprit who sent the demons to us."

"Oh, I see."

Im had mentioned that Ryu asked her to eliminate the five demons who were coming after me. Based on today's conversation, it doesn't seem likely that Ryu would say something like that. So, it implies that Im was lying about what Ryu said. Was it Im's own decision to do that?

“Huh? Come to think of it, Ryu didn't tell me about those five demon......”

“The most likely theory is that she knew and kept quiet about it, but it is also possible that Ryu did not know that you killed the demons, Onii-chan.”

She may have known that I killed the demons and kept quiet to minimize the possibility of a conflict.

"But is it possible for her to not be seen?"

"If Im specifically targeted moments when Ryu couldn't afford to keep an eye on you, then it's possible. I don't think she's constantly watching you like a stalker. For example, she probably wouldn't be watching when she entered the Beastman Kingdom or when she was making preparations."

Indeed, as Sophie pointed out, when I think about it, there are likely more moments when she isn't watching. It's not unthinkable for Im to take advantage of those times to manipulate the demons.

"Hmm..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

Ultimately, all we've learned is that we have no idea what Im is thinking in terms of the demon situation. What is she aiming for with her actions?

“Well... just knowing the purpose of the demon’s participation makes the tournament a lot easier!”

“Ah, yes!”

We don't have enough information to understand the demons completely. It's pointless to keep pondering over what we don't know. I should be grateful to Carina for changing the topic.

From the discussion with Ryu this time, we did learn the purpose of the demons participating in the tournament. Just knowing that will make security measures much easier.

"We should talk to Bequa and the others about it tomorrow."

"Yes, definitely!"

If I bring up this topic, I'll probably be taken to the royal castle again tomorrow, won't I?

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