“Uh…?” I piped up from inside basic Zhang’s embrace upon listening to what the sapphire-eyed man stated. The witch?

“Sure.” Basic Emilio answered shortly, nonetheless sustaining his stance.

“Hmm, I am disillusioned. Do I not seem like a witch?” The person tilted his head casually, “ahh~ although these elves instantly began calling me witch the second I got here right here. I suppose us people have fewer imaginations the second we received older, huh?”

“You…” I trailed off, my eyes blinking a number of instances observing him from prime to backside.

“Hello. You are cute once you’re confused. Pretty blinking.” The person winked at me.

At that second, my thoughts instantly raced, making an attempt to piece out the data that we had obtained thus far. A witch? The one who put some kinda curse thingy on the orc chief? The one human apart from us that we fully forgot existed right here?

Dang it! I used to be too targeted on Erenduill, that I fully missed him!

Wait, wait. That, too. He… Was a male, proper? I assumed witches are…?

… Did the orcs ever say it was a ‘she’, although?

I seemed as much as him, and noticed his grin that was directed at me. No, the orcs had by no means explicitly informed us that the witch was a feminine, nor if he was a human. He did have lengthy hair, and his method of dressing was positively androgynous. It was all simply our personal hypothesis.

“The witchie!? I truthfully forgot about you for a second!” I exclaimed whereas elevating my arm, pointing my finger at him. Basic Zhang instantly grabbed my hand, although, and gently pulled it down once more.

“Sure~ That is me. It is okay, individuals’s reminiscences are feeble. We’ll be assembly one another so much, as soon as I add you to my assortment. So don’t be concerned, you positively will not overlook me once more.” The person clapped his fingers collectively in delight.

“No, you are not going to fulfill one another so much,” basic Zhang scoffed, “as a result of I’ve no intention of handing her over.”

I blinked a number of instances once more, and seemed as much as basic Zhang who had an austere, however barely solemn look on his face.

“I—”

“I am sorry, little cub. I need to respect your needs, however this time, I am unable to allow you to go along with him. Or with anybody.” He smiled at me, however it felt a little bit unhappy in comparison with his standard chirpy, goofy grin.

Seeing this new facet of him shocked me, a lot that I made a decision to maintain quiet and simply nodded, whereas clutching onto his torn shirt.

“Are you implying that I’ve to take you all the way down to get her?” The person within the posh clothes tapped his toes on the bottom, as if pondering exhausting about one thing.

“The 2 of us.” Basic Emilio added, which made me excited for some cause. Had he lastly thought of me as a member? Hehe~

“You discuss as if you happen to can take us on,” basic Zhang smirked, however his eyes glinted with such excessive bloodlust and malice alongside along with his murderous mana, I could not assist however curl up a little bit, “I do not suppose you’ll be able to even final 1 minute… No, 30 seconds towards me.”

“Heuk–!” I choked once I sensed an abrupt spike of his mana rising, engulfing me after which every part round me.

Wh-what?

My fingers curled up, crumpling his shirt as I might hear my very own heartbeat getting sooner and sooner.

What was this excessive stress…?

I began gasping for air as I felt as if my imaginative and prescient was beginning to glitch out, and an unknown concern seeped inside me. As sweat trickled down the edges of my brow, I grabbed basic Zhang’s shoulder to maintain myself from falling down, since my legs have been barely succeeding in not giving out.

I attempted to look as much as see his face, however it was too scary to maneuver. Too scary. I might solely shut my eyes tightly as I waited for this to go. C’mon, Chae. You gotta be sturdy. I did not know what precisely this was, however it ought to go. So long as I used to be in a position to endure… Identical to how I had lived thus far. Simply barely enduring every part, outliving the ache and agony as finest as I might, hoping to seek out one thing worthwhile on the finish.

“It is okay.”

… Huh?

Was that basic Zhang’s voice?

‘Pat.’

As I felt his hand gently caressing my hair, I used to be reminded of him. Was this factor his doing? My thoughts went again from that darkish place to right here. Breathe in, breathe out. Slowly however absolutely, I might really feel my respiration began to stabilize.

… Ah, that spooky feeling now felt so small in comparison with the way it was earlier than.

My shoulders slumped down as I felt my physique’s stress began to minimize, and I lastly opened my eyes once more, wanting up.

“Had been you spooked? Sorry. I am scary generally, huh?” And there he was, me with an expression that was new to me. If I used to be to explain it in a single phrase, it will be… Blue.

I bit my lip and inhaled, “… It is okay.” I replied with a smile.

As I stated that, my hand reached out to the touch his face, however then, I hesitated on the final second and determined to tug my hand again down once more. He stared at me, seemingly observing my each motion and expression with a mixture of fear and… One thing blue.

I sighed, “I used to be a bit shocked, however as soon as I knew that it was you, my concern was gone. You are alright, don’t be concerned,” I fist-bumped his chest as a substitute, making an attempt to raise up the temper once more.

As an alternative of answering, he simply raised his eyebrows as his attractive lips parted. Huh? I did not count on this response.

“What? Are you shocked that I am not intimidated by you~?” I teased him and snickered. The truth that he was behaving like this received me nervous. Uh, what would cheer him up? Wait, what did he even like? … Ah, I knew so little about him, and about Jeanne and Emi, too. Even Dmitri, Wolf, Owen, and the others… Simply once I thought I used to be getting nearer, one thing like this jogged my memory that I used to be not that vital of their lives.

“… Sure.” Basic Zhang nodded.

“Huh?”

“Sure.”

‘Faucet.’

Uh!??

My whole physique froze as he abruptly dropped his head down, and plopped it on my proper shoulder.

“U-um… Hey, eel?” I attempted calling for him, however there was no reply. Heck, I did not know what to do on this scenario! My fingers have been nonetheless frozen within the air, and my physique was as stiff as raw pasta.

“Uh…” I seemed round me, and located that the unusual man was not there, not leaving any type of traces. In the meantime, basic Emilio had handed out on the chilly, exhausting ground.

I used to be about to leap to verify on him, however then, this one white-haired basic was getting me nervous, too. This was the primary time I had seen him this… Dejected?

‘Pat, pat.’

“There, there. I… I am undecided what the issue is, however… In the event you want relaxation or if it is advisable to vent, I might help…” I meekly stated whereas caressing his spiky hair. Was that the best factor to do?

My gaze went down, making an attempt to verify on his expression once more, however alas, I could not see something as he had already burrowed his face deep into my shoulder.

“… Little cub.”

“Ah! Sure?” I shortly responded once I lastly heard his voice once more. Lastly, discuss to me, please. I used to be hecking clueless on cheering somebody up.

For a number of seconds, there wasn’t any response. I might solely really feel his comfortable respiration towards my neck. Abruptly, a comfortable sigh escaped his lips.

“Tee-hee! Nothing! Did you see that? That witch ran away~ He should’ve been so scared~” Basic Zhang abruptly received up once more, however this time his standard grin was adorned on his face, as if nothing occurred… Truly, no. This smile was nonetheless a bit off.

“Huh? Did you hit your head or one thing? Do you will have a number of personalities?” I raised one eyebrow in confusion.

“Nope~ Anyway, that witch is gone now. I used to be cool, proper? Now allow us to—”

“Cease it.” I frowned in annoyance.

“Huh~?” He tilted his head, nonetheless maintaining that smile plastered on his face.

“Cease performing like that. Doing that will not make me brush issues off immediately,” I pinched each of his cheeks and pulled them down, “simply be upset if you wish to be upset. In the event you proceed to behave like that, you are even creepier than once you have been doing no matter it was along with your mana.”

His eyes went extensive as he simply stood there with out transferring or saying something, and we simply exchanged eye contact for a number of seconds.

“Ahem,” lastly, I cracked below the awkwardness, “in any case, I would favor it if you happen to’re, uh, extra clear? Even when it means leaking your killing intent like earlier than. It is higher than you making an attempt so clearly to look unbothered.”

I seemed away to the ground for a bit, earlier than peeking again at him, who had but to react, “however that is simply my opinion. You are free to do no matter you please.”

I sighed and facepalmed myself. Haa, what the heck did I simply do? I spoke as if I knew every part about him, when in actual fact, I most likely solely knew lower than one p.c. I have to’ve come throughout as obnoxious. Ugh…

“Little cub…”

He lastly spoke, making my ears perk up and my face flushing pink from the sudden wave of embarrassment and realization. Gah, I used to be performing so bizarre, too!

“… Thanks.”

Huh?

I blinked a number of instances in confusion once more, once I realized that…

… He was hugging me?