"Since you came all this way, why rush to leave?"
Watching the dark figure vanish toward the mouth of the alley at high speed, Haimer shook his head lightly.
Deep down, he felt a long-forgotten itch rise again.
It was the kind of feeling a hunter, silent for far too long, would get when he finally caught the scent of an interesting beast while wandering a forest out of sheer boredom.
Of course, seeing Amou and the others grow today had been gratifying.
But as the god who had once made even the gods of Heaven keep their eyes on him,
Haimer still had that warlike streak running through his bones, one that could never truly be washed away.
And besides, the fact that the other party had managed to avoid even Tsukuyo's ears meant her concealment skills were exceptionally refined.
Swish
At that thought, the silver spear in Haimer's hand spun deftly around his fingers.
The spear tip sliced through the air, letting out a low, mournful hum.
"Though I do feel a little sorry for the diligent Captain Shakti, who only just left."
"But, now that someone has finally taken the initiative to come find me…"
"if I just let her run like this…"
"I probably won't be able to sleep tonight."
…
At the same time, in a deep alley several dozen meters away,
Tap, tap, tap,
Rapid but light footsteps rang out with unusual clarity in the silent night.
A small figure was darting through the tangled shadows between buildings at full speed.
That person was wrapped in a dark green cloak, the large hood hiding most of her face and revealing only a sliver of pale skin.
It was the elf who had used taking out the trash as an excuse to leave the tavern and never returned.
Ryuu Lion.
Only now, there was none of the awkwardness she had shown as a waitress at The Hostess of Fertility.
In its place was a sharpness that made the heart tighten.
She raced close to the wall.
Her breathing was suppressed to the absolute limit, every heartbeat made to blend into the surrounding shadows.
But, she needed to go faster.
"I've been noticed…"
Ryuu bit down lightly and glanced back at the black night behind her.
There was no one in sight.
And yet, as a warrior who had spent countless times walking the line between life and death, the prickling sensation at her back had not faded in the slightest.
If anything, it was growing stronger.
"How is that possible…"
Even while maintaining her speed, Ryuu's mind rapidly replayed everything that had happened.
From the very moment that black-haired god stepped into the tavern, Syr's reaction had been off.
She had never seen an expression like that on Syr's face before.
That was why she had only intended to observe from a distance, to confirm what kind of person this suddenly appeared god was, find out where he was staying, and then leave.
But she had never expected that black-haired god's senses would be this sharp.
Even from that far away, he had still managed to lock onto her hiding place with perfect accuracy.
…
At that thought, Ryuu's heart sank.
It was hard to believe.
After all, she had once been a member of the Astraea Familia, and now she was the wanted adventurer known as Gale.
Over the years, in order to avenge her slaughtered comrades and drag every last remnant of the damned Evilus faction out of the gutters for execution, she had become a revenant that existed for revenge alone. In countless brushes with death, she had refined her ability to conceal her presence until it had nearly become instinct itself.
Even against a Level 5 first-class adventurer, unless the other side deliberately activated a wide-range detection skill, it should have been impossible for them to pinpoint her from dozens of meters away while she hid in a perfect blind spot.
Not to mention, the place she had been hiding just now was a dead corner swallowed completely by the shadows of two buildings, where even moonlight could not reach.
Thinking that, Ryuu did not dare relax.
She quickly confirmed her bearings.
This was the high-end residential district of North Main Street. The terrain was too open and not suitable for shaking off pursuit.
She had to head southeast.
Toward Daedalus Street.
The slums there were complicated, full of crisscrossing alleys like a labyrinth. It was the area she knew best.
As long as she made it there, even a Level 5 adventurer would not catch her easily.
Having made up her mind, Ryuu accelerated again.
Ahead was a complicated four-way intersection.
If she turned left, the slums leading toward Daedalus Street would be right there.
As long as she got in,
However, Ryuu pushed off with the tip of her foot and forcibly turned left.
Then her pupils shrank violently.
…
She twisted her waist and retreated at once, taking up a defensive stance in one smooth motion.
Because at the mouth of the alley ahead, a slender figure was already leaning against the wall, a silver spear hanging in his hand.
Haimer.
He looked as though he had been waiting there for quite some time.
Even his breathing was perfectly steady.
"How is that possible…"
Ryuu's voice came out dry.
She was certain she had not slowed down even a little just now.
And this route was one she knew best.
How had this god managed it?
"Surprised?"
As if seeing straight through her thoughts, Haimer straightened from the wall, tapped the ground lightly with the tip of his spear, and let out a quiet laugh.
"When I first descended to the Lower World, I was so bored that I spent my time wandering through the streets and alleys of this city."
"Which paths are dead ends, which ones are shortcuts, where is good for an ambush, where is best for escape…"
"I know all of it by heart."
"Especially if someone wants to shake off a tail without alerting the patrols."
"This place is a point they have to pass through."
"So I took a smaller route in advance and came here first."
"And since the route the elf lady chose was the same as the one I guessed…"
"then let's talk."
With that, Haimer stood upright. He spun the spear in a neat flourish, then lowered the tip diagonally toward the ground.
That lazy air around him instantly sharpened a little.
"I'm curious."
"Elf lady."
"From the moment I left the tavern with the others, your deliberately hidden gaze never seemed to leave me."
"And the emotions in that gaze were quite complicated."
His voice carried a probing edge as he stopped five steps away from Ryuu.
That distance was neither too far nor too close.
One more step forward would have triggered her guard.
It was very much a warning line.
"If it were merely simple malice or greed, I would probably have treated the elf lady like trash and disposed of her directly."
"But…"
Haimer tilted his head slightly. His deep eyes seemed capable of piercing through Ryuu's disguise and looking straight into her soul.
"What feels strange to me is that what you give off isn't really hostility."
"It feels more like anxiety."
"There's even a kind of urgency, as though you desperately want to confirm something."
"I've only been in the Lower World for a little over a month. I don't believe I've had the time to provoke anyone."
"And this should be our first meeting, shouldn't it?"
"So, could the elf lady tell me the reason?"
"What exactly is it that you were so desperate to confirm from me?"
Of course, Haimer knew very well who it was Ryuu cared about.
He was asking while already knowing the answer.
But this question still had to come from his own mouth.
…
As for the reason?
Ryuu's breathing hitched.
Was she supposed to tell him that because Syr had shown unusual concern toward him, she had come tailing him like a startled bird just to see whether he was some dangerous element?
That absolutely would not do.
The moment she said it, Syr would truly be dragged into this.
And if this god really did mean no harm, what if exposing it like that only made him take an interest in Syr instead?
She needed an excuse.
At that thought, Ryuu's mind began racing.
She had to come up with a reasonable excuse, one that would leave Syr completely out of it.
"I…"
"Stop."
However, before Ryuu could find a suitable lie and speak it aloud, Haimer cut her off first.
"Elf lady."
"Do not lie in front of a god."
"I won't use divine power to punish you."
"But even without using divine power, for a god to tell apart the clumsy lies of children in the Lower World is still a very simple thing."