Survival Notorization

Hm...?

......

I heard you singing. There is no need to hide. I bear you no ill will.

...The headsmen all say that. But in the end, they draw blood.

Headsman? I am afraid I do not understand your wording. I represent the Laterano Notarial Hall——

Shut up! You can't fool me!

I gotcha!

You did not.

Eeh?!

Pardon.

Target escaped out the window. Quick response time.

Environment analyzed. Cured fowl meat, tanning bench, processed animal skins, worked with wooden tools and small knives.

Drop the bow. I am aware of your position, hiding behind the window.

I repeat, I bear you no ill will.

——No way!

Your awareness of your surroundings is impressive.

I'll turn you into a pincushion!

H- he caught it with his hand?

But... what the hell are you?!

As the report states, the heir is fickle, slow to trust, and difficult to communicate with.

......

(I smell blood on him. And he gives me a nasty feeling...)

(Another fella coming to wreck up our homestead? Gross!)

He took the bait!

I see. Another trap. There are trigger mechanisms all over.

Listen up! You walked right into a hunter's trap. If you don't wanna die, hand over your weapons and don't move!

If that will aid communication, I will comply.

Who are you?

I am an executor from the Laterano Notarial Hall, working as executor of this estate. You may call me 'Executor.'

Laterano...?

'Vermeil,' you are the target of my mission.

How do you know my name?

Your name was given by the deceased, Mr Dürrenmatt.

I don't know any Dürrenmatt.

For several reasons, he used a variety of aliases.

Where do you wanna take me?

In the interests of secrecy, I cannot say.

...Grr, you're full of it! You're gonna die here!

I'm not leaving. My mom, my dad, my uncle, my auntie, my friends, my people, they're all, all...

My task is to bring only you.

Shut up! Do you even know where you are?!

I am in a situation in which I am unable to advance my mission.

Hrmph. Anything that walks into this forest is our prey.

The bones you're standing on are all beasts and even worse people.

I understand. The area around this base of operations was full of traps.

Pits, snares, landmines, triggered darts.

Rest assured, I have disarmed them all. The traps were of basic construction, but carried the possibility of injuring the object.

......

Please, come with me.

——! Stay back!

One step closer and I'll shoot you dead!

She escaped again.

Hey, why did you save me?

I'm a hunter too, after all.

How could I look past a respected colleague, short one arm and lying in a pile of her own guts next to a big old tusker?

Hmph... You're no hunter. You can't fool me. I don't smell any dirt on you at all.

Hah. I guess I can't. But when I saw you there, I was moved by how well a little one like you had conquered the wilderness. That's the truth.

What do you mean?

Just saying what comes to mind.

What's the deal with the circle on your head? And the thingies on your back?

Have you never seen a Laterano before, Little One?

Hm?

These are... I guess they're what's left of my homeland I walked away from.

You can't ever clean off the dirt from your hometown.

Maybe you're right. The short of it is, a lot's happened. Come, let's try to get you walking.

Let me put this on you.

This... it's an arm? A metal arm? What a weird thing.

A token of my respect for a child of the wilderness.

You a carpenter? A metalworker?

I learned all sorts of things in my old job.

......

...You saved me, so you can't be bad. I'm gonna need an arm to get my revenge. So thank you.

Revenge, huh...? Well, I can't decide your fate for you.

But when you pull your bowstring with this arm, I hope you'll think about why it is we're alive, besides revenge.

If you don't think enough, you might just end up like me.

I——

I don't want to hear you say 'I live for revenge.' That's too cliche.

...Damn right. Totally played out.

(Laterano... He said he's from Laterano...)

(It couldn't be...)

Ack! That hurts!

It seems Mr Dürrenmatt's assessment was correct.

What?

Damn it, how long have you been hunting me?

Hey! Let me go!

Stop resisting. I cannot hurt you, as you are the heir to this will.

This is a letter from the deceased.

——!!

Why do you continue to resist?

...That's his scent. The letter has the scent of his blood. What did you do to him?!

The journey from Laterano to this place was extremely long. It is not possible that any scent of the deceased remains.

Answer me! Or I'll kill you!

Agh!

First, I believe demonstrating the power differential at hand may aid in communication.

Second, out of respect for you as the heir, I will answer your question.

Mr Dürrenmatt died on the operating table. It was not a peaceful passing. He suffered from an incurable disease.

You——! Let go!

Such was his choice.

Hey! Wh- what are you doing?!

Originium crystals have already pierced the skin. The infection continues to worsen.

None of your business!

If the object insists on rejecting her benefit, according to regulations, I am permitted to abandon the task.

But the client and my superiors issued a subordinating clause. I must execute it.

——What the hell are you trying to do?

'Let Vermeil live.'

As this is a rather broad request, executing it will be quite complicated. It is my hope that you cooperate.

...That's what he asked you to do?

Correct. He sold all of his property, paid a number of additional fees, including those of the Notarial Hall, as well as the costs of your future medical treatment.

But, why? I'm just some girl from the forest...

He wants you to live.

And I'm asking why!

Because he believed you deserve to live.

Now that the last will and testament has been executed, my work here is done.

Wh...! When did you slip this to me——?!

Before we proceed to the next phase, I must hear your reply.

'Do you want to live?'

......

You need only answer: 'Yes,' or 'no.'

Our time is limited.

I——

...So this Rhodes Island place, they can really cure this crazy disease?

Medical science has yet to cure Oripathy. But they may be able to alleviate your suffering.

Considering what you did to the Ursus, I advise against continuing to act alone.

And it just happens that I must go to Rhodes Island on another matter.

Are you asking me to go with you?

I believe that would be most logical.

Hmph. I refuse.

I still have a lot to do before I can leave here. I have to say goodbye to my people.

It is dangerous here. Hatred does not end in compromise.

Hmph... You sure know a lot.

I don't care what you know. Don't get in my way. I can still go to this Rhodes Island place even after I settle everything, can't I?

Allow me to calculate.

What?

I must calculate if I have enough ammunition to deal with those fugitives when they find you again.

Ammunition...? You mean you would go out into the barrens with me?!

In accordance with your answer, you have been marked by the Notarial Hall as having accepted your inheritance.

However, the contents of the will have not been fully executed. I cannot allow you to expose yourself to such danger. This is my duty.

I don't need your help! I'm used to being on my own——

Furthermore, I believe you seek to compromise with me, and then seize the opportunity to escape.

Ugh.

There is no time to waste. Let us depart.

Hey! I didn't say yes! I don't need some outlander to come and... Hey, wait! Where are you going? Do you even know the way?!

Yes.

Watch your feet, there's——

I have disarmed the traps. Come with me.

Aaah——Sooner or later, I'll show you, you weirdo——!