Me, the Weakest Member of the Hero’s Party? I’m the Villain Though? - Chapter 102
We had disappeared after falling off the cliff in the snow mountains, so it was possible they might search for us for a while and then leave. But Kyle shook his head firmly.
“I know our companions well. They won’t abandon us.”
As expected of the hero’s party, it seemed they really did trust and believe in each other.
“Alright, then I guess all we can do is sit and wait.”
With no other good options, I dropped down onto the floor. The insulation magic on my clothes seemed to be wearing off, because I was starting to feel cold. I crossed my arms and curled myself up as small as possible.
“Are you cold?”
“I’m fine.”
I tried to act like I wasn’t cold, but Kyle didn’t believe me. He sat down right next to me, his knee pressed against mine. Feeling his warmth, some of the tension eased.
“You must be tired, so lie down and get some sleep. Don’t worry about anything else.”
Kyle gestured toward the freezing floor. Then he took off the cloak draped over his shoulders and spread it out on the ground.
“If you lie on this, it’ll be better than lying directly on the cold floor.”
Kyle patted the thick cloak with his palm. No matter how large the cloak was, it was far too small for two grown men to lie on.
“I have a cloak too.”
“You need to use that to cover yourself, otherwise you’ll freeze. And when it’s this cold, we have to stay close and keep warm with each other’s body heat.”
I didn’t really like the idea, but when I thought about it, everything he said made sense. So in the end, I did as he suggested.
I took off my cloak and handed it to him, then lay down on the cloak spread across the floor. Kyle naturally lay down beside me and covered us with my cloak like a blanket.
“Better, right?”
We were pressed completely against each other, but just as he said, the cold eased considerably.
I glanced sideways at Kyle beside me, and our eyes suddenly met at close range. I didn’t know why he had turned to face me, but our faces were so close our noses could almost touch, and I flinched in surprise.
“What? Do you have something to say?”
Kyle asked, his eyes curving slightly. His face was so close that I tried to turn my head away, but he caught my cheek and turned my face back.
“Why are you smiling?”
I asked irritably at his sudden strange behavior. But the smile on Kyle’s face disappeared instantly, and his expression turned serious.
“Actually, there’s something I want to ask you.”
His words came out of nowhere, and I didn’t know how to respond, so I just blinked.
“I still believe what you said, that you haven’t lied to me. So answer honestly. What exactly is that crow you were talking to?”
The first thought that came to mind when I heard that was, ‘When?’
There had been several moments when he could have noticed me talking with Larry. When had Kyle figured it out?
For now, I had to answer his question, so I searched for a suitable excuse. But before I could come up with a perfect explanation, the first excuse that came to mind slipped out on its own.
“…It’s a bird I used to raise.”
“You kept a bird? And it’s a crow?”
Once I had said it, even if the excuse was weak, I had to push it firmly. Backtracking now would only make it more suspicious.
“It’s not unusual for mages to keep birds as familiars. If you don’t believe me, you can ask Gerard later.”
As far as I remembered, mages kept birds. They carried letters and things like that.
“I seem to have tamed it back when I was a Great Sage, but I don’t remember the details very well.”
“I see. Introduce me sometime. I’m really curious about the bird you raised, Lysian.”
“I’ll let you meet it soon.”
I imagined Kyle and Larry talking to each other. Somehow it seemed fitting, but also ominous. Larry would have to be as good at making excuses as I was.
“I’ve been curious about it for a while, so I’m glad I finally asked. Thanks for answering honestly, Lysian.”
Kyle said softly as he placed his hand gently on my shoulder.
