Chapter 9

Kyle failed to kick Ariena out the next day, and the day after that, either.

Every time he opened the door to throw her out, Ariena would light a new campfire in the lobby.

And so, the third night of her stay on Monster Island arrived.

“Today is the last day. We’ll patrol just for today, and tomorrow, you’re going home.”

After patrolling with Kyle, Ariena had gotten hungry again.

She went to the dining table to grab a late-night snack, but before she could even pick up her spoon, the glasses resting on the bridge of her nose grew warm.

Huh? But I’m not scared at all right now.

When she raised her head, she saw a fluffy little chick sitting where Kyle had been.

The Kyle chick was busily pecking at its grain feed.

[Danger detected! Child Filtering has begun!]

Danger? Where?

[Your glasses work even when there’s danger that Tunteuni hasn’t noticed!]

That’s strange. There’s nothing dangerous here at all. The Kyle chick is super-duper nice.

Ariena stared intently at the chick through her glasses.

There was something else strange, too.

The chick seemed to be getting a little smaller than it had been before.

And it kept coughing, as though it were cold.

I made a fire earlier to warm him up, so why does he keep coughing?

Ariena quickly came up with a solution.

Daddy had told her that chicks could die easily if they couldn’t regulate their body temperature.

That was why, on cold days, you had to hold them tightly to keep them warm. Her father had even demonstrated it for her.

Whenever he did, the chicks that had been looking weak and listless would quickly regain their energy.

The cold Kyle chick might die soon! No!

Ariena cautiously reached out toward Kyle.

“C-can I touch you just a widdle bit?”

“What? A-are you crazy? Absolutely not.”

But something was strange.

Although he said he didn’t want her to stroke him, every time Ariena spoke, she heard a soft sound, as though something were chirping and purring.

That’s the sound of liking it! That’s what chicks sound like when they want someone to pet them.

Ariena was terribly confused about whether she should trust the signals animals gave her or the signals humans gave her.

“But why can’t I pet you?”

“My body must not come into contact with anyone outside my family.”

“Why?”

It was because having someone nearby when his power went berserk would put them in danger.

However, Kyle decided to make something up for this tiny little girl who thought going berserk meant fireworks.

He lowered his voice ominously, as though he were about to reveal one of the greatest secrets in the world.

“If your body touches someone else’s, even a little, you have to marry them.”

“Gasp!”

“But do you even know what marriage is?”

“Yes!”

“Hmph. Judging by your face, I don’t think you do. Marriage is… Never mind. Forget it. It’s not the name of a dog, you know? Now, move aside.”

Kyle swept his hair back as though he were trying to look cool, then continued eating.

But in Ariena’s eyes, he was still nothing more than a little chick.

Kyle strutted along, his bright yellow feathers puffing up like those of a ferocious beast.

Meanwhile, Ariena’s thoughts had grown considerably more complicated.

Marriage is forbidden, but this is a big problem! How am I supposed to help the Kyle chick?

Kyle, who had no idea what was going through her mind, raised his chin haughtily, as though he were about to evolve into a rooster any day now.

“I’m feeling generous, so I’ll explain it to you. Marriage is…”

After Kyle gave her an extremely solemn explanation of what marriage meant, Ariena somehow ended up looking rather dejected.

“What’s wrong with you?”

“Nuffin’. I was just thinking about whether I should get married.”

What is with this kid?

Even while he had been explaining marriage, she had looked strangely uninterested.

“I never said I’d marry you.”

“Gasp…”

Ariena blinked at him as though she had just learned something for the very first time in her life.

Kyle swung his dangling legs and continued speaking.

“…Anyway, I have absolutely no expectations when it comes to marriage, family, or any of that nonsense. …But, you know.”

He continued swinging his legs and rested his chin on his hand.

He was doing a perfect job of pretending to be completely indifferent, but the curiosity glimmering in his eyes as he secretly watched Ariena was impossible to hide.

“You have a family outside, don’t you? What’s family like?”

“…”

“I’m not particularly curious or anything. I’m just asking.”

“Actually, I don’t remember everyfing.”

“…”

“But family is… they smile at you. A whole, whole lot.”

“Family… is when they smile at you.”

Kyle repeated her words, as though engraving them into his heart.

“Yeees. When Mommy smiles, the whole world sparkles and becomes… super bright.”

Is that what family is?

Perhaps it had been like that once.

Long ago, at some point…

Kyle gazed absentmindedly at the crown of Ariena’s head.

But he had no time to dwell on it.

Thump.

A sharp pain struck his heart.

Kyle pressed his hand firmly against the spot where the pain was gathering.

For some reason, the pain seemed worse than usual. Almost as bad as it had been when he first arrived on this island.

It felt as though something were clawing at his insides, then slicing them apart piece by piece.

It kept happening whenever he looked at this little brat.

“W-well, fine. Go to bed now. It’s late, so I’m letting you sleep here. Get up early tomorrow and leave.”

Ignoring Ariena’s dejected expression, he briefly went to his room. When he returned, he tossed her a set of pajamas that looked soft at a glance and muttered,

“And these are mine. Wear them if you want. I don’t care.”

“Wow!”

“If you don’t like them, then don’t wear them.”

Ariena eagerly accepted the pajamas.

“I wike them! Then, good night!”

She nodded enthusiastically, left the kitchen, and went into the room next door.

“Sleep well or don’t. Whatever.”

Kyle answered her so quietly that she could barely hear him.

But that was enough for Ariena.

Thank goodness. I think we’ve gotten a widdle closer!

At this rate, we might become even closer tomorrow!

Ariena bravely changed into the pajamas all by herself. With clumsy fingers, she carefully fastened every button before plopping down onto the bed.

Perhaps because the pajamas didn’t fit her properly and she hadn’t even washed up, she couldn’t fall asleep.

But it was strange. This island was crawling with monsters, yet she felt much more comfortable here than she ever had at Count Rheinfeld’s estate.

Maybe it’s because I can find Mommy and Daddy! And the Kyle chick is a widdle cute, too.

Ariena clenched both fists and punched the air enthusiastically.

There was just one thing bothering her.

The Kyle chick had seemed strangely weak and sickly for a while now.

Other than that, everything was perfect.

Meanwhile, after sending Ariena to the room next to his, Kyle dropped heavily onto his bed.

He rubbed his chin, sinking into deep thought.

It’s been happening for a while now…

His fingertips felt strangely as though they were burning.

This is a sign that something’s wrong.

After thinking carefully, Kyle stood up and peered intently through the window.

BANG!

KABOOM!

A gigantic monster was approaching the mansion, shaking the ground with every step.

W-why is this happening all of a sudden?!

The situation felt unnaturally contrived.

It was almost as though someone had deliberately released the monster.

It had snow-white skin, horns growing from its head, and an appearance resembling a cross between an orc and a human. It was a type of monster Kyle had never seen here before.

It feels murderous… as though it came here specifically to kill someone.

Without the barrier, he needed to prepare to deal with it immediately.

Normally, Kyle would have grabbed his sword and rushed outside without hesitation, tearing the monster limb from limb.

Even an orc, though troublesome, wasn’t particularly difficult for him to defeat.

But there was a problem.

The pain around his heart had become so severe that it was difficult to move.

It felt as though someone were stabbing into him with a knife, or as though lava were boiling inside his body.

It’s almost as though the flames of my power are stirring.

The moment Kyle realized this, his face turned deathly pale.

The truth was that ice wasn’t Kyle’s primary ability.

It was fire.

A fire he must never show anyone—a fire he hated more than anything, even within himself.