Chapter 167: Didn’t I Say That I Wasn’t the Protagonist?

“…”

Shien went quiet at the sight of the scene before him.

At this moment, Diere no longer had the same cold and distant atmosphere that she normally exhibited. What replaced it was sorrow, reminiscence, and hate toward something.

The proof is that Diere had at some point pulled out her familiar blade and tightened her grip. Her thin arms shook as if she wanted to stab it into someone’s heart.

Shien could imagine just how powerful the emotions Diere was experiencing right now was.

It made Shien feel like he shouldn’t keep watching.

Thus, Shien got ready to leave.

However, at that moment, Shien felt a number of foreign magic power signatures appear, making him stop.

“Who…!?”

Having the [Enemy Detection] skill, Diere naturally felt the hostility aimed at her. The sorrowful aura around her instantly disappeared and switched back to coldness.

The second after…

“Oh, long time no see.”

Following a sneering voice, a group appeared and surrounded Diere.

The one at the front was someone who looked like a knight, except he was overly gaudily dressed. He looked like more of a rich boy than even Markray. A young nobleman with overweening arrogance with a sword held tightly in his hand.

The other people around seem to all be this nobleman’s guards. Each and every one of them had weapons in hand and an unkindly expression in their eyes as they watched Diere.

Diere coolly took it all in and gave the nobleman an emotionless glance.

The nobleman clicked his tongue and spoke sarcastically.

“I never thought you’d dare to return. And here I thought you’d still be hiding out in the boonies, too scared to return to the capital.”

The nobleman’s spoke with an insulting tone toward Diere, but said tone also carried with it an easily detectable trace of hatred.

That’s right, it’s hatred.

That young nobleman hated Diere. He stared at Diere like he wanted to flay her alive.

Diere didn’t respond to him at all.

Rather, Diere simply spoke like she was already used to being hated.

“… I’m only warning you once. Disappear from here right now.” Diere spoke coldly.

“Me disappear?” That young nobleman practically laughed out of sheer rage and spoke with a venomous tone, “You’re the one who should disappear! You you carry with you the blood of sinners!”

————[Blood of Sinners].

That term made Diere tighten her grip on her blade.

However, Diere didn’t refute him at all. Instead, she just spoke up again while seeming to be forcibly holding back.

“Disappear.”

Diere spoke quietly.

But of course that young nobleman wouldn’t just obey.

“I already said it, you’re the one who’s going to disappear!” The nobleman growled out, “Today, I’ll take revenge for my brother, as well as all those other that your mother killed!”

“Everyone, get her!”

Following the nobleman’s orders, all the guards charged at Diere, weapons in hand.

Diere was instantly struck from all sides in a dangerous looking situation.

Then…

“Buzz!”

The air shook and crimson magic power shone from the blade in Dier’s hands.

Diere had instantly activated the [Magic Sword] skill and slashed out toward the attacking guards.

In that instant, the blade covered in the light from [Magic Sword] flashed forward like a bolt of crimson lightning, making contact with the guards’ weapons.

“Shink!”

With a shattering sound, the weapons in the guards’ hands had all been cut to pieces by Diere’s [Magic Sword].

The attacking guards only noticed a flash of red before all their weapons broke. It greatly shook them and they hurriedly stopped moving.

“What!?”

That young nobleman was also shocked, unable to believe what he just saw.

Diere spoke up again while wielding her [Magic Sword].

“Get lost.”

It was the same cold words as before, but this time, it was laced with killing intent.

“D-damn it…!”

The nobleman’s face warped into a rictus of humiliation and hatred.

But in the view of the blade in Diere’s hand, still shining with the light of [Magic Sword], his eyes showed his fear.

“S-she actually learned [Magic Sword]…! Didn’t she only leave for a year… How did she get so strong…!?”

The young nobleman was utterly shocked. Or rather, he just didn’t want to accept that truth.

But reality is just like that. It’s pointless no matter how much the nobleman refused to accept it.

“Hii…!”

That nobleman let out an undignified yelp and unconsciously took a step back.

Having realized that he couldn’t take Diere, and that he himself was now in danger, the young nobleman finally started thinking about retreating.

However…

“Don’t think it’s all over with just this!” He shouted, “Just wait and see! Someone will definitely deal with you daughter of the sinner!”

With those words, the nobleman ran away with his guards in tow.

Diere watched as those people left, and the [Magic Sword] in her hand slowly faded away.

However, Diere didn’t relax her guard. Instead, she turned to the other side.

“Come out.” Diere spoke, “I know you’re there.”

What answered Diere was mere silence.

Only a bit after did a figure appear.

“Good evening.”

Shien stood before Diere with a somewhat embarrassed look on his face.

Diere didn’t say a thing in response. She just looked at him, which made Shien feel quite the pressure.

“Umm… Howe did you discover me?”

Shien could only embarrassingly throw out a question.

Diere still didn’t respond. She just stared at Shien until he nearly broke before she finally withdrew her gaze.

“When those guards attacked, you were going to come out and help me, right?” Diere spoke with the same flat tone as always, “I discovered you then.”

It looks like Shien’s actions then ended up canceling the effect from [Stealth].

After all, that skill only takes effect when one is hiding. Since Shien was going to charge out, he had already decided to reveal himself then, so the skill naturally deactivated.

“… Wasn’t that me trying to help you?”

Shien started muttering.

“So why are you here?”

Diere instead started her direct interrogation.

“… Would you believe me if I said it’s a coincidence?”

Shien spoke while dryly laughing.

Diere stopped talking for the moment. She just gave Shien a glare and, as if she’s giving up an interrogating him further, turned about and continued looked at the grave before her.

Diere seemed to have whispered something to the grave before turning about and leaving.

Shien hurriedly followed after her, but he didn’t know what to say.

At this moment, Shien started muttering in his mind again.

(Didn’t I say that I wasn’t the protagonist?)

If he was the protagonist, then he should have been able to naturally make conversation with the girl, comfort her, and gotten her to tell him her inner thoughts.

But Shien had no idea how to comfort someone else. He had tons of ways if it’s provoking people though.

Of course, if it’s just those cliched words that he’s seen in novels, it’s not like Shien couldn’t copy them.

But should he really say those things?

Shien was uncertain.