LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 84
Raven took a moment to collect himself as he gazed at the distant mountains, then seriously looked back at Yuria.
It was as if he was demanding an explanation for the situation, almost like he was regarding someone else entirely.
However, for Yuria, receiving that look, all she could do was roll her eyes and gauge the atmosphere.
Even if she wanted to explain… what could she do; her body couldn’t speak to begin with.
‘Who’s that over there…? Does he not realize my identity?’
Thinking back, it wasn’t surprising that he hadn’t picked up on it.
Greg was a towering mass of muscle, easily over two meters tall.
Naturally, his coat was also enormous, able to completely cover his head and reach down to his ankles.
Just in case, Yuria tightly tied her fox mask around her waist to keep it out of sight.
Would he recognize her by her hair color? She had curled her hair tightly and hidden it behind her neck where it couldn’t be seen.
It could definitely be said that none of her features gave her away.
No matter how sharp Raven’s intuition was, he wouldn’t pick up on it if she hid herself this well!
Feeling unexpectedly joyful, Yuria stifled a laugh from within her coat and swiftly hid behind Greg.
Honestly, she worried more about potentially being scolded than being discovered as a psychic.
She had said that she couldn’t allow it as long as her eyes were open, but what if they found out she was Yuria?
Truthfully, she had felt a few tears brimming with fright when she had warned him earlier not to follow her.
‘… This pretending to be oblivious is harder than I thought.’
Of course, those thoughts were utterly useless worries.
Raven had already caught on that the person hiding in the coat was Yuria.
It was certainly true that she was wrapped up and had no identifiable features.
However, there was no way to hide her small stature and skinny physique peeking out from beneath the coat.
And the pale skin that peeked out from the hem of the coat, white like glutinous rice cakes.
The look of surprise when he saw her clearly revealed the fact that she was indeed Yuria.
But unlike Yuria’s worries, Raven had no intention of exposing her identity.
He already knew that she was a ghost; he just hadn’t confirmed it yet.
Since Raven wasn’t the type to pry if someone wanted to keep things hidden.
Moreover, he could never have imagined there would be two high-ranking members of the Beastmen Liberation Army present.
If Greg hadn’t made a move risking his life to take one of them down, a fight wouldn’t even have been feasible.
If Yuria hadn’t been around, it was likely the situation would have spiraled out of control, and he would have been grateful for her absence.
‘On top of that, I also had to make it look like a mistake when sending the location to David… It’s probably best to just let things slide for now.’
And he’d warned her firmly not to follow, saying it with enough force to instill fear.
If the truth about her being Yuria came out now, it would be the most awkward moment imaginable.
So, the ghost and Yuria were entirely separate individuals.
He engraved that thought firmly in his mind and looked at Greg, who was wearing a troubled expression.
“…”
“Hold on, I’ll explain. This is…”
“Oh, could it be the ghost Alice met before? I never imagined she had a connection with Greg. What a surprising encounter we have here.”
“Hmm? Ah… that’s right.”
“…?”
Raven subtly signaled to Greg without making it obvious.
The meaning was for him to gloss over the situation here and adjust accordingly.
Fortunately, Greg quickly caught on to the implication.
From his perspective, it felt odd that Raven hadn’t picked up on Yuria.
Could someone with such a keen sense to tell if another was lying really not recognize her with just a coat covering her?
He probably felt it unnecessary to reveal that Yuria was a ghost.
Especially considering psychics could be a dangerous existence that could get caught just by hiding.
Thus, he decided to cooperate in this awkward charade for Yuria.
“I’ve helped him out with one thing and another. When he asked for assistance, he gladly accepted. Thanks to that, I managed to keep my life.”
“Thank goodness. Ghost, I also want to express my gratitude from this side. I nearly lost a precious friend. Truly, thank you.”
“…”
“Is that so? Well, I just did what I had to do.”
Unknowingly oblivious to the fact that Raven already realized, Yuria slowly nodded her head.
After all, she planned to protect Greg no matter what.
But hearing a thank you from the somewhat idolized Raven made her shoulders lift in pride.
“Well then… it seems like we’ve roughly sorted out the situation. Ah, the Beastmen Liberation Army, how bothersome they are to be moving.”
Having deemed that the introductions and situation were sufficiently clarified, Raven rubbed his neck, looking somewhat troubled.
It was indeed true. The Beastmen Liberation Army was a dangerously radical organization from its very ideology.
They dismissed the notion of sacrifices for a greater cause and simply excluded those who didn’t comply.
The fact that they were stirring meant that conflict and war were likely on the horizon.
Having fought enemies in wars to the point of fatigue, Raven couldn’t help but feel exhausted.
“I’ll take care of the aftermath. You guys should leave first to avoid being detected. It would be troublesome if it became known that you’re beastmen.”
“That’s… certainly not incorrect.”
“I have fixer authority here, so just don’t worry.”
But he still had to do his part.
Raven stated that he would handle everything that had just happened in his role as a fixer.
After all, Belmont was a human city where beastmen couldn’t simply wander around freely.
If either Greg or Karen were identified, it would inevitably lead to complications.
There was a chance they could end up entangled as suspects, years being stuck in Belmont, so it was better for both to remain completely unrelated.
“I had foreseen this, so I secured a hideout in advance. Hide there for now, and then take the train to Night Haven. It shouldn’t be too late.”
“…Thank you. I will never forget this favor.”
“Thank you, Raven.”
“If I’m to be thanked, how about a meal in Night Haven?”
“Hmm, I’ll think about it.”
Greg nodded deeply to Raven, as if he was determined to repay the favor one day.
To think he’d be willing to help to this extent. “Benefactor” fell short of describing it.
With that, Greg, Karen, and Yuria left Raven behind at the scene.
In a way, it was an excessive burden placed on Raven, but Yuria didn’t worry about him too much.
With the intense traces of magic at the scene, he would surely deduce that it was the work of a magician.
And the werewolf fur scattered here and there would provide evidence that the culprit was a beastman.
The commotion of the long-dormant activities of the Beastmen Liberation Army would likely cause some noise, and Raven would soon be released to return to Night Haven.
‘Even accounting for that, this won’t be an easy task. Truly, he’s incredibly lenient to his own people.’
As Yuria quietly followed behind Greg, she couldn’t help but smile.
He did things so casually that she felt there was no way she could dislike him.
But now that he was safely back, it would likely be a distant connection.
That fact felt somewhat freeing yet left her with a strange sense of longing.
As if he could hear her thoughts, Greg suddenly turned to her as they quietly approached the hideout.
“…Hmm, by the way. I don’t think I properly greeted you. It’s been a while, Yuria. Has it been just a month?”
“…!”
A month, what do you mean? It’s been longer!
Yuria peeked her face out of the coat she had wrapped tightly around herself and glared at Greg like an angry bird.
But what she had forgotten was that she still wasn’t wearing the mask she had put aside earlier.
Karen, walking alongside Greg, gasped in shock, her eyes wide.
She was completely mesmerized by Yuria’s devastatingly beautiful face upon first meeting her.
So much so that it could open the eyes of an Arachne observing objects magnified hundreds of times.
“Wow… how can a face be so perfectly like a work of art…! Ouch!”
“…Yuria, you forgot your mask.”
“…? …!”
Yuria’s eyes widened at the sight of Karen, who seemed quite painfully bumped against the wall.
Realizing she had indeed forgotten her mask, she quickly ducked back into her coat.
But now that she had been revealed, was it even necessary to hide? There was no one around anyway.
She thought about this and slowly peeked her face out from beneath the coat once more.
Seeing that Yuria had no intention of hiding her face anymore, Greg slightly averted his gaze and addressed the front.
“I meant to return after a month, but as you can see, I got caught up in some unpleasant matters.”
“…”
“I never intended to make you angry. I’m really sorry.”
Yuria’s brows furrowed as she saw Greg not even looking at her.
What kind of attitude is this for someone apologizing? Does he want to avoid eye contact?
In truth, Yuria wasn’t actually angry about the delay.
Considering the circumstances, he was pursued by two monstrous beings, akin to Raven.
It was quite an impressive feat that he had managed to evade danger for this long.
However, regardless, his attitude of speaking while gazing into the air felt sufficient to make her lips pout. Didn’t we consider ourselves close?
Did Greg sense Yuria’s hurt feelings?
He bowed his head apologetically again and spoke calmly.
“Please understand not being able to look at your face… Honestly, it’s too burdensome for me as someone who reads emotions. It would be close to mental contamination for someone with deep artistic appreciation.”
“…?!”
Wait, is that really the case?
With a shocked expression, Yuria looked towards Karen, walking beside Greg.
She was glancing in awe, stealing glances again and again as if she couldn’t believe such a face existed in reality.
Okay, she knew her face was pretty cute, but… is it really that surprising?
Feeling at a loss on how to interpret their reactions, Yuria’s gaze wandered left and right.
After a moment, she hid her face back deep within her coat, put on her fox mask, and popped back out once more.
Now that it seemed things were better, Greg’s gaze shifted towards Yuria.
Almost simultaneously, they both let out small chuckles and extended their palms towards each other.
*Slap.*
Greg and Yuria’s palms met.
If the last time was a farewell to promise their next meeting, this was a greeting of joy at reunion.
The ruckus of the long half-day finally drew to a close.
Man, when I get home, I’ll collapse without even realizing it. Yuria thought quietly.