Chapter 87 - Being Followed and the Starry Sky
By the time they headed home, night had fully settled in.
Since the stagecoaches had already stopped running, they decided to take a delivery carriage, which functioned much like a taxi. However, the shops offering such services in the bustling district were crowded, so they chose to walk to the next block instead.
As they walked along the street, they passed the occasional stumbling drunkard, groups of men walking arm in arm, and women dressed in dazzling attire.
While conversing as usual, Volf suddenly leaned close to Dahlia. Before she could even feel startled, his low voice followed.
"Dahlia, listen closely. I think we’re being followed."
In Volf’s hand, an anti-eavesdropper emitted a faint glow, indicating its activation. Confirming it from the corner of her vision, Dahlia kept her gaze forward as she asked:
"Could it be... a mugging?"
"I’m not sure. I want to say it’s nothing to worry about since there’s only two of them, but it’s best to avoid any danger."
Volf turned toward her with a smile, but the moment he finished speaking, his demeanor shifted.
It seemed like whoever was following them had closed the distance.
"Maybe we should run before it turns into something troublesome."
"Sorry, but I’m not a fast runner. The guard station is... in the opposite direction, isn’t it?"
The street wasn’t entirely deserted; there were still a few passersby. Even if they were confronted, someone might alert the guards.
However, if Volf, a noble from a count’s household, was the target, she worried she’d only slow him down in an escape.
"Forgive me for asking, but will you allow me to carry you?"
"I’m heavy! And I’m tall, too!"
"We’ve just turned a corner, so sorry."
Before she could properly respond, her view shifted.
Before Dahlia could grasp the situation, the scenery behind Volf blurred like a stream.
And in the next instant, her entire field of vision was filled with the starry sky.
"Huh?"
It took her a few seconds to realize that Volf had lifted her into his arms and carried her onto the roof of a two-story building.
"You’re light."
His familiar voice came unexpectedly close, right by her ear.
When she hastily turned her head, she was met with his amused grin.
Before she could say anything, Volf, still holding her, bent his knees slightly.
"Don’t move. If you bite your tongue, it’ll be bad. I’ll keep going until we’re somewhere safe."
Dahlia quickly closed her mouth and nodded repeatedly.
The height made falling a terrifying thought, and she couldn’t quite relax. For now, she held onto his jacket, gripping it lightly.
Volf effortlessly leaped from rooftop to rooftop, carefully ensuring no one was nearby.
He continued checking the surroundings as they moved, eventually descending from a roof to a balcony railing, then finally down to the street.
The floating sensation and the slight impact of landing startled her, but Dahlia felt relieved as her perspective finally returned to ground level.
"Sorry for the sudden move. Are you okay? Not feeling nauseous?"
"I was surprised, but I’m fine. Are you okay, Volf? Did you hurt your shoulders or back?"
"...I’m fine."
He gently set Dahlia down on the ground and looked up at the roof they had descended from.
"There’s no sign of them anymore, but let’s stay cautious for a while. Fights are one thing, but if they use magic or throw knives from close enough, it could get dangerous."
"Fights are dangerous too."
"Do you think I’d lose in a fight while protecting you?"
"I don’t think you’d lose, Volf."
Dahlia answered without hesitation.
With his exceptional body reinforcement magic and the sköll bracelet, there weren’t many who could defeat Volf in a fight.
Still, fights were inherently dangerous. There was always the risk of not being able to hold back appropriately or of innocent bystanders getting involved.
Yet the man stared at her, his eyes wide with surprise, as if taken aback by her immediate response.
"Well, I mean... I just blurted it out, but if it’s a fight with a mage who has long-range attack magic, I’d definitely lose."
"I don’t think it would be called a fight at that point?"
A mage using long-range attack magic in such a context would hardly count as a fight.
Such spells were typically reserved for large-scale drills, wars, or the eradication of vast numbers of monsters.
The thought of someone using long-range magic on Volf seemed utterly absurd—unless he somehow turned into an actual demon lord.
As these thoughts spiraled in her mind, Volf exhaled lightly.
"Recently, there have been cases where people deliberately injure both legs of their victims to make it hard for them to move, steal their belongings, and flee. Since the injured victim would prioritize calling for a doctor or a priest, it makes it harder for the culprits to be chased."
"That’s awful..."
It was an unimaginably cruel method.
While the capital's public safety was generally good, it was impossible to eliminate crime entirely. The shopping districts, in particular, demanded extra caution.
"This time, it might be because of me. There are people who seem to want to know what I’m up to, and I’ve been followed before. It hasn’t happened recently, but maybe it’s happening again."
"No, I think it’s most likely about money. Please don’t worry about it. And, though it's quite a bit delayed, thank you for helping me earlier."
“Thanks to the sköll bracelet, I feel like it was more of your doing than mine."
Volf gave a wry smile as he quietly extended his left hand.
"I know this is impolite, but I’m still worried. Would you mind holding hands with me until we reach the delivery carriage station?"
"Um, yes, please do."
When they clasped hands, they walked quickly through the sparsely populated alley.
Although the sky was likely filled with stars, she didn’t have the leeway to look up.
The stars she had seen earlier from the rooftop were breathtakingly beautiful.
Someday, it might be nice to watch the night sky together from the tower’s rooftop, Dahlia thought—until she snapped out of it in alarm.
Here Volf was, focused on keeping them safe, and she was daydreaming about something so frivolous.
She needed to stay alert and keep walking.
After crossing a few more streets without incident, they finally arrived at the carriage station.
"Dahlia, are you heading out tomorrow?"
"No, I’m planning to spend the whole day working at the tower."
"In that case, would it be alright if I sent someone from my house to check on your safety tomorrow morning? I wish I were free, but we have joint exercises at the Chivalric Order."
"Of course, please do."
Dahlia could tell that dismissing Volf’s concerns as overthinking wouldn’t deter him. This time, she decided to accept his help graciously.
His guarded demeanor made it clear he was still tense and on edge.
"If you need anything—supplies or shopping—don’t hesitate to let the person I send know. The day after tomorrow, I’ll arrange for a carriage to pick you up in front of the tower. It’s better to be safe, considering the company’s matters too."
"Understood. I’ll book a carriage for coming and going for a while."
When Dahlia nodded earnestly, Volf responded with a composed smile.
・・・・・・・
Volf adjusted his pace to match Dahlia’s brisk steps and activated body enhancement to monitor the surrounding sounds.
Though it strained his ears to sort through the noise, he planned to keep at it until they boarded the carriage.
He had first noticed something off when they left the store and began walking while talking.
There was no killing intent, but he sensed a faint presence directed at him and Dahlia. The moment he felt it, he had activated his body enhancement magic.
By amplifying his "hearing," Volf could discern footsteps without needing to turn around. He subtly adjusted his walking speed several times to confirm.
There were two sets of footsteps that seemed to be tailing them.
Considering that the pursuers weren’t speaking to each other, the possibility of it being a robbery or targeting Dahlia as a woman was low.
At one point, he heard the clink of heavy metal, likely indicating the presence of a dagger or perhaps iron plating hidden beneath their sleeves.
Apologizing to Dahlia, Volf had decided to prioritize safety and leaped to the rooftop while carrying her the moment they turned the corner.
He had prepared himself to face her anger, but it seemed she understood the urgency of the situation and let it slide. For that, he felt deeply relieved.
Though they appeared to no longer be followed, the reason behind the tailing still weighed on his mind.
The most plausible explanation—that it was a grudge related to his past interactions with women—left a bitter taste in his mouth.
What infuriated him more was that he’d allowed Dahlia to feel fear, and he lacked the power to resolve the situation immediately.
The only solace he found was in the soft warmth resting gently in his hand.
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