NOVEL NEXT Chapter 35 - Chapter 35: Companions
Chapter 35: Companions
From what I gathered from the detailed conversation, it seems that Gisella has grown tired of her current life. Originally, onis seem to have a strong sense of belonging. Even though she left the settlement, Gisella, like everyone else, seemed to strongly desire some form of community. So, when she first came to Savoia, she apparently made an effort to build various relationships. However, as a result, she was deceived and attacked, and eventually stopped getting deeply involved with others. She withdrew, focusing solely on honing her blacksmithing skills without much interaction with others. Initially, it seems she struggled considerably. The city’s blacksmiths were afraid of onis and wouldn’t let her work, and she had no money to buy steel. So she started by picking up scraps of iron around, managing somehow to create inferior products. Without even proper equipment, it was only thanks to the resilience, strength, and regeneration abilities of oni bodies that she somehow got through it. Normally, she would have perished in a month. So for six years, she dedicated herself solely to blacksmithing, and now she’s become a well-known blacksmith in her own right, specializing in blunt weapons, to the mercenaries who frequent her services. As her life became more stable, she apparently began to feel the loneliness again. However, it’s difficult to change a habituated life at this point. While enduring loneliness, she simply continued to forge iron and sell what she made. As a result, despite loving blacksmithing, it seems she could no longer endure living alone any longer.
“You see. I’ve almost been killed several times in Savoia myself.”
“Gisella…”
“But the toughest part was when those oni men in the city didn’t do anything to help, and even attacked me.”
“What are they?”
“That’s why I was so happy when Shiro came out of the settlement.”
“I… was too hungry to do anything…”
“Shiro is hard to understand. If she had told me she was in trouble, I could have helped her as much as she wanted. But she always tries to do her best with a difficult face.”
“Indeed, when I first met Shiro, she looked very serious.”
“Hehe.”
“By the way, I haven’t seen any oni men yet. Are there many in the city?”
“There are few, but quite a few. I think they’re mostly hunting monsters outside the city. They’re stupid, so all they can think about is fighting.”
It’s quite deep-rooted, huh? In the closed settlement, each temperament seemed to fit together well and function socially. However, when they come to the city, their temperaments seem to work against each other and no longer fit well. Well, Shiro apparently didn’t like the rough and violent behavior of male onis even when she was in the settlement. From my perspective, this girl in combat seems like the incarnation of violence, though…
“As for returning to the topic of companions, let’s decide on the final answer tomorrow since we’re drunk now.”
“Yeah.”
“Gu-gu-gu! Gu-gu!”
Kuro, who had been dancing wildly, sensed that something had changed in our atmosphere and returned. She was being applauded heavily by both customers and staff, waving and responding…
We should also listen to Kuro’s opinion about adding Gisella as a companion. I owe my current situation to her, and she has a good intuition too.
“However, since you’ve always been good to Shiro, and if Kuro and Shiro think it’s okay, I think it’s good for Gisella to join us. Having a blacksmith as a companion is reassuring.”
“I think it’s okay. That way, Bonus is less likely to die.”
“Gu-gu! Gu-gu-gu!”
Well, it seems there’s no opposition. But just to be clear:
“However, while I think it’s good for you to join us, it would be troublesome if you left right away.”
“Yeah…”
Yes, there’s only benefits for me to have her as a companion. The problem lies in her being able to leave.
“The truth is, there are many things we want to keep secret. And it’s a matter of life and death if they leak out. Honestly, I don’t mind if Kuro, Shiro, or Pink kill me. They’ve saved my life many times, and well, I like these guys. So, I don’t intend to tell them not to leave. However, I just met Gisella today, so I can’t say that to her. Even if I eventually feel that way.”
“Gu-gu-gu!”
“Bonus~!”
“Shiro, I-I’m gonna be crushed, I’m gonna burst! My insides are gonna spill out–”
Shiro’s grip around me tightens.
I was about to be squeezed until Bonus juice came out.
This girl is really dangerous when she’s drunk.
“Well, not necessarily tomorrow, but I’ll be in this town for a while, so just let me know during that time.”
“Okay… I understand. I’ll think about it again.”
Gisella said to us, staring at us intently, before leaving.
That day, with Shiro and Kuro supporting my staggering self, we returned home, messing around along the way.
Having a drink after so long isn’t so bad.