Dark Fantasy: Super Coward Mode

“Phahaha! Really? Ah, that’s such a Tanton-style way of fighting! Going beyond just violently violating the bodies of Outsiders, now you’re trying to steal their hearts too?”

“…Wow, how do you even speak like that? That’s seriously a skill.”

“Thanks! I hear that a lot. Hehe.”

Agartha’s ability to take even sarcastic comments as compliments was enough to make my jaw drop in bewilderment.

During the roughly captured process of subduing the Dragon Slayer, I had pushed the horn and knocked her over, but suddenly she stiffened as if something had malfunctioned and just took off.

And that was the reaction I got.

Suddenly, the reaction of the Dragon Slayer when I grabbed her horn came to mind. Was her attempt to take me with her not merely a kidnapping but an agreement to my unintended proposal?

So she did that… that sort of thing to me.

Seriously, how can a Dragon Slayer in this rom-com fantasy just say yes after being taken once? No way could someone just happily accept that…!

“If that’s how fast you flew off, it must have been quite a kick, huh? They say that if a dragon encounters someone who meets the conditions it thinks of, it will accept them even on the first meeting.”

Conditions they think of?

In short, they’ll accept you if you’re close to their ideal type, right?

Yet the more I think about it, I can’t remember anything about me being close to that ideal type for the Dragon Slayer.

I really don’t get it.

Since I had spoken contrary to what had really happened, it seemed like Agartha was only planning to tease me further based on that story.

Hmm.

All things considered, it’s better this way.

Imagining saying, “I grabbed the horn and blushed immediately upon agreeing to it,” I didn’t even want to envision how horribly I would be mocked for it.

“…How on earth do you find out such information?”

“Sometimes there are mystics who don’t care about their own lives.”

…It felt like seeing a scientist who casually tasted something, only to find out it was sweet and accidentally created a breakthrough.

Of course, in this case, someone did something they were told not to and ended up with good results, but the mystics that Agartha was talking about…

They were the dragons who couldn’t be matched even with the boosted physical abilities gained from a cook’s meal, so I wouldn’t really want to imagine the horrifying tragedy they might have experienced, hoping for their peace in the afterlife.

Now that I had learned this information, I wondered what kind of face I should wear when I face the Dragon Slayer in the future.

I wanted to call the cook for some Korean food after a long time, but since the whistle I had used to contact all Outsiders would also definitely call the Dragon Slayer, I felt quite burdened.

Should I just not call her?

I thought I heard the cook’s voice dripping with disappointment from somewhere, but with the Dragon Slayer coming, the pressure was too much.

“Seems like a privileged worry to have, but you should probably call that idiot as soon as possible.”

I frowned at the suddenly appearing Gardener’s words.

Why are you rushing me to call the Dragon Slayer instead?

“I mean, remember the last time? The Record Keeper wreaked havoc too. That means they have enough power to anchor themselves in the Human World for at least a little while whenever they set their mind to it. But if you don’t keep calling someone who’s head over heels for you, what do you think will happen?”

The Gardener was speaking some eerily calm yet frightening words.

…Why does it sound so familiar?

Like in some cartoon where someone with crazy eyes gradually approaches me and then hugs me tight, kidnapping me right to their hideout, you know?

Still, isn’t it ridiculous to think the Dragon Slayer would do that?

How long has it been since we met?

…No way, right? Really?

“Just be careful. …Unless I do it first…”

Huh? What did you just say?

“…Never mind, you idiot. I’m going to sleep.”

The Gardener suddenly grumbled and fell silent.

I still didn’t get why they kept mumbling to themselves.

Seeing them not stating anything openly probably meant it was something I didn’t need to know.

Anyway, either way, it seems the Dragon Slayer must be called.

Ugh, this is already terrifying.

Of course, it probably wouldn’t happen, but anything is better than the ‘confinement, kidnapping, draining, obsessive capturing’ situation that could happen at any moment.

“Tanton?”

“Ah, yes.”

“You looked lost in thought, so I wondered if something was wrong.”

With Agartha’s call, I finally snapped back to reality.

Ugh.

I really don’t know how reality can be scarier and more horrifying than fiction.

“Is that all the information you wanted to know?”

“Yes, for now.”

“Hehe, I’m glad to hear you’ve resolved that. Your visits are always welcome, so please drop by regularly!”

I couldn’t help but scoff at Agartha’s playful tone.

What even was that?

“If you’re always welcome, but you don’t even know where I am, what good is that?”

“Ah, that’s true. But if I tell you where I am, it might endanger you too.”

Seriously, where the hell is this place?

I was thinking of putting out the urgent fire and maybe investigating once I leveled up in my Knight position.

“So let’s do this. If you want to see me, want to buy information, or if you’re in a situation where even the knight brigade can’t protect you, just come back to this market and clap your hands. I’ll understand the meaning based on the order of how slow you are.”

“Not a bad idea.”

“You can come at night and clap your hands… Sure, if you’re okay with a swollen face, I’ll show up.”

“Now that’s true devotion. I like it.”

“Hehe.”

With that statement, Agartha finished her drink and got up from her seat.

“Well then, I’ll be off now. Just because I have some free time doesn’t mean I don’t have work today. Oh, right. Hunter, he seems to be doing well lately.”

“Yeah, there was a bit of friction between us recently, but I think he’s managing just fine.”

“Hunter is quite the stickler for principles. If you try to act a little freely, he’s like ‘so reckless! If that’s how you want to be, do it alone!’ Isn’t he more sensitive than even me, a girl?”

“Could he actually be a woman?”

With my one joke, both Agartha and I burst into laughter.

It was such a ridiculous premise after all.

Surely that manly man couldn’t be a woman, could he?

If such a twist actually happened, my image of the Outsider Slayer in my heart would utterly collapse, and the shock would be overwhelming.

“Whoa, at this rate, we’ll be here all day. Tanton, I really enjoy how well you listen to me. How about you quit the Knight Brigade and come work with us? I can place you well.”

“…No thanks, oh Thief. Just hurry up to the top spot and help me out when you can.”

“Tsk, what a shame. Anyway, I had a great time today!”

Agartha waved coolly as she left.

She really is such a noisy person, I thought.

As I quietly stared at the remaining drink, someone approached me.

“Did you have fun?”

“Too low level to hang with you, Master. So I came back.”

After hearing Asti’s words, it felt like the cries of babies erupted everywhere.

Ah.

Looks like there was trouble again.

The ominous feeling of a bad event made the hair on the back of my neck stand up, so I quickly got up.

“…Let’s talk about this when we get back to the branch.”

“…Is the ‘soul’ being summoned in your room this time?”

“Stop talking nonsense and follow me quickly!”

I hurriedly dashed to settle the bill at the store and then fled outside.

I was able to escape from the mob of mothers that had been rushing toward me at the last moment.

#

After quickly running to the branch, my earlier intention to scold Asti faded, so I only gave her a light reprimand.

…Just to clarify, it wasn’t any kind of such act.

I genuinely wanted to lecture Asti.

“Just stay inside the branch for now. I still have things to do.”

“Yes, Master.”

Seeing Asti respond dutifully as she went inside made me sigh.

Alright.

What should I do from here?

Based on the information I got from Agartha, it seemed that many people pretending to be maids like Asti are still around.

And murders were already continuing as well.

But there really wasn’t much I could do about it.

The scale of the matter was far greater than I thought, so even if I lived to be old, I wouldn’t be able to solve this issue.

In that case…

Should I really be borrowing the power of the knights?

If I just ask the Deputy Director to focus on cracking down on the illegal slave trade, wouldn’t that be enough?

That way, at least I could solve the immediate problem, right?

…It seemed that checking out some books in the library would be necessary to gather detailed information on this issue.

Sigh, digging through books is such a hassle; I don’t really want to do it.

Asti would have been able to tell me directly, but I couldn’t figure out if she was evading the topic or was under some sort of censorship, so she hadn’t been able to complete her explanation.

Fine, let’s look it up.

Maybe I could gather some hints about the Record Keeper too.

With that thought, I began to pivot my body toward the library.

“T-Tanton-kun!”

Suddenly hearing the branch chief’s voice caused me to stop in my tracks.

“Chief.”

“Glad to see it’s just the child you were with. I thought you’d already left for another place.”

The Chief looked unusually troubled, which was unlike them.

What on earth is going on?

“Come with me. It’s faster to see it for yourself than to explain.”

That’s how I followed the Chief.

#

The place the Chief guided me to was the detention center where I had previously been locked up with Agartha and the Hunter.

Wow, I didn’t even know this place still existed.

The memories coming back stirred a rather pleasant feeling inside me.

But what exactly was the reason I was supposed to see here?

“Here.”

The Chief pointed at a cell with a person inside.

Who the hell is this person that it’s so important for me to see?

I thought to lean in to get a better look.

“Ahh, Oh Watcher! Is it finally the person you mentioned that has arrived?”

With that somewhat deranged voice and unnecessarily desperate expression.

Somehow, I felt like I’d seen this person before.

“Is that you, Tanton?”

Somehow, this old man knew my name.

It was the same cultist I had seen when dragged to the Knights by the underground jail.

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