「You shielded me, but… is this blood okay? 」
「There’s no poison in my blood.」
「Got it.」
I’m still gripped around the torso, held firmly… but thinking calmly, this person is technically part of the group that came to kidnap me, right?
If I escape now, won’t that be dangerous for her?
Even so, I have no right to refuse right now, and once again I’m used as a shield, thrust out toward the thing that looks like Noie.
「If you want to live, do something about it. You’re her husband, aren’t you?」
「You’re the one who should do something. You wanted to fight, didn’t you?」
「……I’m not really good at magics and the likes.」
She says that so casually, like revealing a weakness.
「How am I supposed to stop attacks I can’t punch? Seriously.」
Wait, I take it back.
She’ll fight if she can punch.
But this is bad. Really bad.
It hurts… and the bleeding is getting worse.
「Noie. Let’s stop now, okay?」
「Ahaha… ahahahahaha…」
「I get it. Noie is a strong girl.」
「Ahaha… am I strong?」
「Yeah, you’re strong. Really strong.」
「Really? Stronger than Camieu, Glodia, and Airurose?」
「Yeah. Probably.」
「Liar! There’s no way I could beat those monsters!」
I don’t know who they are.
Who even are those people?
She glares at me with a ruthless look she never shows.
That isn’t Noie.
Even with a blank face, she would never make eyes like that.
Eyes? Wait…
「Noie. Where are your usual eyes? Those beautiful red-black ones?」
「……」
She doesn’t answer.
She just looks frightened and takes a step back, then another.
Her eyes, usually red-black, are now completely black, like a typical Japanese’s.
Is that it?
Is this the key to solving the mystery?
「Noie’s eyes… they’re beautiful. I love that color.」
「Lies… those eyes are cursed. Those eyes are….」
「They’re Noie’s beautiful eyes. The pretty color I love so much.」
「……」
Her movements stop completely.
Then, the ogre lowers me to the ground.
My legs won’t hold my weight when they touch down… I stumble forward a few steps and collapse.
But I don’t hit the ground face-first.
「Thank you, Noie.」
「……」
She catches me unconsciously.
「……I’m Fashi. The cursed one.」
「Doesn’t matter. You’re still 『Noie』. Right?」
「……Yes.」
Her voice is flat, exactly the tone I always hear.
「Arg-sama.」
「Hmm?」
「……I’m sorry.」
「I forgive you since you apologized.」
I reach up with my right hand and touch her head.
My palm meets a firm sensation.
Her ahoge is back.
「I’m sorry.」
「It’s okay.」
She rubs my head gently, and I try to stand on my shaking legs.
For a moment she tries to stop me, but noticing my effort, she reluctantly lends her support.
The fully recovered ogre glares at us.
「Jeez… I heard you were a monster, but you’re a completely different breed of freak.」
「No. I think you’re quite the monster yourself.」
「……Buzzkill. My motivation’s gone.」
The body that seemed swollen earlier deflates back to normal.
Even so, she’s still easily over three meters tall.
Plenty monstrous.
「I’m Tricia the ogre. In the Empire, they call me 『Dragon Slayer』.」
「I’m Argusta from Univance, and this is my wife Noie.」
「Hmph! I don’t know if you’re just clueless or have nerves of steel… but you might actually be a bigger deal than I thought.」
「No. If possible, I’d like to retire to the countryside and live quietly.」
Thinking my seriousness was a joke, the ogre lets out a booming 「Gahaha」 and walks straight toward us without fear.
「Next time, let’s fight fair and square, Univance’s Dragon Slayer.」
「……」
Noie’s ahoge is puffed up to bursting.
She looks ready to pounce any second.
But she doesn’t move.
She can’t.
Now that she’s back to normal, she’s once again my gentle, proud wife.
If she lets go of my hand right now, I’ll collapse for sure.
Then she rummages around and pulls out a memo, sticking it to my forehead.
「An annoying extra got in the way, but today was decently fun. So here’s your reward.」
「What’s this?」
「……The child disappearance cases. Looks like the suspect.」
She turns on her heel and walks away.
「I’m an ogre. A human-eating ogre who doesn’t eat people. Thanks to that, my comrades shunned me… so I beat them all down in frustration and ended up their ruler.」
「……」
「If I’m going to eat humans, roasted lamb would taste way better anyway.」
Her massive figure rustles into the trees and disappears.
「Arg-sama!!」
「I’m fine.」
The tension just snapped and my knees gave out, that’s all.
Noie desperately supports me, then simply scoops me up in her arms.
「Going back.」
「Yeah.」
Carried in her arms as she starts running, I let out a long breath.
Ahaha… still just tastes like blood.
Is this okay?
Normally she’d sprint at full speed, but today she’s running at a normal pace.
At least I won’t pass out like this.
But… with this much pain, maybe passing out would be kinder.
「Noie.」
「Yes?」
「You can hurry.」
「……No.」
「Why not?」
I glance from the memo in my right hand to her face… and understand.
She can’t see ahead through the tears.
Big drops keep spilling from her eyes with no sign of stopping.
「Then I’ll leave it to Noie.」
「……Yes.」
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