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As expected, the sound of something being cut or cut rang out. The monster's scream pierced his eardrums and the strong smell of blood filled him.

However, nothing touched his body. Instead, there is a gentle hand placed on his head and a deep, friendly voice.

"[I'll finish it soon, so hang in there.]"

It's then followed by a series of tag and slaughter.

As if he wouldn't forgive even a single monster, a man with black hair and blue eyes the same color as Raven was scouring around and taking down monsters.

Sometimes, as soon as he went too far, monsters lurking somewhere rushed towards the two seemingly defenseless people, but every time, this unknown man appeared like a ghost, slaughtered them, and then disappeared. Let alone monsters, there wasn't even a drop of blood.

Literally a 'ghost-like' skill.

Dan, who had been watching all of this blankly over Raven's shoulder, woke up belatedly and shaken.

Now is not the time to be distracted.

"...──!"

"Ah."

Raven, who had almost lost him due to his sudden struggle, reflexively wrapped his arms tightly around him, as if oppressing him.

...He guess now he's starting to feel like it's true. He understands that he's scared, but if he go out here alone, he'll die 100 times.

"Calm down."

For someone who wants to live like that, to die right in front of me and no one else?

"Calm down. Are you planning on dying here?"

That is not entirely true.

The cry of a monster rakes down his eardrum violently. His sensitive sense of flight caused irritation at the moment due to his blocked vision, but Raven, who had been using words a few times, quickly closed his mouth because he could not become an ugly adult who was threatening a child.

'...Damned.'

Other measures are needed because the situation will not calm down easily.

For a moment, he thinks about hitting him in the back of the head and knocking him out, but then he decides that it would be wrong to use force on someone who wasn't even an adult.

Of course, it would be comfortable to just close your eyes and faint. However, he can't cross the minimum line he set himself to remain a human being in a situation where he had lived a long life and his dull emotions and dull discernment were destroying humanity.

So what should he do?

'This is why I don't like children.'

Raven smirked and began to comfort the other by hugging him. The surprising thing is that he knew very well what to say to the scared child in this situation.

This is what a young human being who came into the world and met a proper adult and protector for the first time heard from the guardian spirit and then said to his first disciple and other disciples after that.

Filter out negative emotions such as bitterness or irritation, gather only the most gentle and warm emotions, and open his mouth gently. A statement he never thought he would make again came out of my mouth now.

"Shh, it's okay."

You don't have to be anxious.

"Monsters won't be able to reach you."

I will take responsibility for your safety.

"Just close your eyes for a moment. It will be over soon."

Dan stopped moving in shock at the voice that seemed to contain only the purest affection in the world. Feelings of impatience subside, and the narrowed field of vision opens up.

Only then did he think of a very easy way to communicate his thoughts effectively.

"...Huh?"

As if he was frustrated, he took Raven's hand and lowered it. Raven obediently gave his palm away and was startled by the feel of his cold fingers touching it.

For Dan, the fear of monsters was on the back burner from the beginning. What he wanted to convey was nothing else...

- Please help me.

"You..."

There was silence.

Raven, who was staring at his palm for a moment, seemed to come to his senses belatedly and uttered the words he couldn't finish. A low, calm voice rang out.

"...You can't speak."

Rather, please help me.

Now that he thinks about it, when he first found him... He was too desperate to simply survive the monster. It's as if there's some kind of mission...

'.......'

Cloudy gray eyes looked at where the child would be.

...The eye color changed, or a person appeared out of thin air. He just asked for help without mentioning anything about this, such as slaying a monster with a sword that he didn't have. It must mean that they are desperate and earnest.

"First of all... what's your name?"

- Dan.

"Yes, Dan."

There is a part where he can roughly get a feel for it. he stretched out his hand. After feeling for the likely location of the child's face, he lowered himself a little to find the neck. Dan stiffened when the hand touched his neck. At the same time, Raven's expression hardened.

...I hoped not.

"Wait... wait a minute. Shall we try this?"

"......."

"I have something to check."

He tapped his mouth with his finger as if asking for Dan's permission. Dan, who had been hesitant, opens his mouth as if he is reminded of his position of having to ask for help. His finger slipped into the gap.

"As expected..."

"......."

"You're a runaway slave."

The child's reaction, which included a lumpy scar on his neck and a severed tongue, as well as his body stiffening as soon as another person's touch touched his neck, was clearly due to fear.

'Slave...'

Raven smiled wryly at the unfamiliar word.

No matter how much the country blocks it, if there are people who need it, it will always exist in the shadows. Slaves were like that. The only slaves that each country officially allows are criminals and nobles of defeated countries, but how can that be maintained as is?

There are many people who want slaves, but the number is extremely small.

Slave traders, who were blinded by the amount offered by those who wanted to save slaves even by paying a premium, began raiding private homes, kidnapping innocent people, and selling them. It was not difficult to guess that this guy in front of me was also one of those victims.

"I heard that slaves, useless men of an ambiguous age who don't have particularly special looks, have damaged tongues and vocal cords and use them to exploit labor. I heard it's impossible to ask for help anywhere because they don't know how to write... ."

At that moment, a hand came up and grabbed my collar.

As Raven pauses, something flies towards his head. He quickly tilted his head to the side and narrowly avoided it, not missing the sound of wings fluttering past his ears.

"This...!"

He roughly let go of Dan's collar, as if pushing him and grabbed Dan, who was trying to retreat. Raven's eyes widened slightly as if he was facing an unexpected situation as he held on to the struggling child's wrist and started walking.

Something threateningly flew in at an odd time. When he heard the sound, it was assumed to be a type of bird that was not very large, and Dan acted as if he had anticipated the bird's movements.

Raven knew these characteristics well.

"'Jogahonju'...?"

"!"

Those whose parts of the soul fell off and formed the shape of an animal. The spirit that took the shape of an animal is called a 'Soul Fragment', and the main body is called 'Sculpture Spirit' (jogahonju) and 'honju' for short.

Since it was originally a single soul, it shares all senses such as sight and hearing, and its power is also considerable because it operates directly with the soul. Therefore, when the Gate incident first occurred, most of those who were active were Jogahonju.

Even though he knew that it would have broken his neck or smashed his head, instead of getting angry, Raven focused on the other side.

"I thought most of them were gone now, but to see them here is a bit surprising."

In the aftermath of the first Gate incident, 'Jogahonju' became a symbolic entity.

Those who are treated like heroes just by their existence. In particular, in the current situation where the number of newly born Jogahonju is decreasing over time, they will try to treat them as precious no matter the form of sculptural marriages, but it is quite absurd that such a person was held as a slave.

"...Don't be so guarded."

Although he doesn't have any good feelings towards Honju, he isn't so rotten that he would treat a child carelessly.

Tup!

Raven overpowered the bird by pressing it to the floor like catching a fly. He swallowed a sigh and patted the frozen guy on the back.

"First of all, I'm glad you know how to write. You were hiding both the fact that you knew how to write and the fact that you are a Jogahonju, right?"

"......."

If they knew that he knew how to write, he wouldn't be here in front of me alive like this.

An escaped slave becomes a knife used to catch illegal slave traders. There was no way they could leave the person who would be the witness to arrest them alive with both hands intact.

...But there is no response. He tilted his head to one side.

"Oh, my treatment will not change just because you are a slave, so don't worry about that. In the first place, I don't care about the other person's status."

"......."

"......."

Still unresponsive. Is he still on guard?

Well, trying to relax the boundaries is a stupid thing to do. It's the wrong direction. This isn't about relaxing the boundaries...

"...So, did you ask for help?"

Only then does Dan raise his head. Raven, who is watching him with keen senses, raises his hand and turns his eyes toward Dan's face as if he is waiting.

The crow that was forced to the ground escaped and flew into the sky.

"I'll help you."

"......!"

The situation was discovered a long time ago.

Dan's desperate steps may not have a specific destination but rather he is trying to find someone to ask for help. A request for help from a runaway slave would be to hide him, rescue a precious person still enslaved there, or help a slave escape with him because of his condition. very bad.

"Let's talk then."

"........"

"Huh?"

Because he's weak against immature children, and he's weak against the victims of the Gate. From the moment this guy asked for help, the answer was decided. Dan, who was hesitant, slowly nodded. Raven's fingers rested on his palm as he sighed as if the tension had been relieved.

-Your name?

"I don't have a name, just call me Raven. I've heard your name before so I'll skip it. How old are you?"

At first glance, it seems like he just shed his youthful style. From the feeling of contact, it could be seen that his bone structure was still immature. Raven raised her other hand and traced Dan's face.

"About 17? 18? I think it's around that."

- 17.

"As expected."

He is young.

'A young Honju...'

It's been a long time since he's seen someone. Oh, it's been a long time since he's been in hiding for 10 years.

It's an age when you want to show off and show off if you have something special that's different from others, but it's amazing that you've managed to hide it until now.

He lifted the hand that was touching his face and lightly pressed Dan's head.

"...?"

"You're young, but you used your courage. You worked hard."

Not only does it mean that he knows how to write, but especially if he got caught as a Honju, it wouldn't have been a good thing.

Because of the nature of the Jogahonju, when one dies, the other dies along with the other, you can't move if you just fill the sculpture spirit with a bomb. It's like giving them your heart.

'So in the past, there was a perception that a Honju was suitable as a slave.'

Well, it's a past that no one knows about now.

'It must have been easy to hide because the Honju is a new kind.'

It would have been quite easy to escape. Is it a good thing if you're lucky? Unless it's a strong beast form, a very small or common animal form of sculpture is better.

It was about the size of a regular bird. Unless it's attacked by some wild natural enemies, there's not much to worry about.

'... someone suffered from the white snow fox being a sculpture spirit.'

It's weak to use for combat, it can't infiltrate somewhere, and it's noticeable when you carry it around, so it's like letting everyone know that it's a weakness.

I envy you. Raven, who had been thinking badly, suddenly hardened his expression due to a lot of pain in his heart.

...It wasn't the pain that was the problem, but the hot liquid that was trying to reflux.

Probably a reddish, fishy liquid.