As before, Clare followed Rubel to another area for the sake of 'privacy.'
"…"
A considerable distance away from the camp, the two stood facing each other. Clare had her slender arms crossed over her chest, her irritation clear as day from the expression on her face.
"What is it?"
"?"
The aggressive undertone in her voice caught Rubel slightly off guard. One eyebrow rose as he looked at her in confusion.
Clare was usually quiet and reserved, but there was a noticeable edge to her voice this time. It was subtle, yet unmistakable.
Rubel adjusted his round glasses on the bridge of his nose, studying her for a moment.
Something was different.
He couldn't quite put his finger on what it was, but Clare seemed more… emotionally expressive than usual.
Not by much.
Still, for someone like her, even the slightest change was noticeable.
"I'll keep it brief. The Organization has issued new orders." He paused for a moment before continuing. "You are to participate in the hunt and elimination of an Awakened Being."
After saying this, Rubel fell silent, carefully observing her reaction.
Clare didn't react much. Her expression remained largely unchanged, but there was still a subtle shift in her demeanor—one that Rubel hadn't expected to see.
If this had been a week ago, being told that she had been assigned to hunt an Awakened Being would have elicited little more than a cold response from her.
Yet, even now, Clare remained standing there calmly, her silver eyes focused on him.
The change was subtle.
But Rubel noticed it.
A week ago, Clare's thoughts would have been entirely focused on the mission. She would have accepted the order without question, prepared herself, and moved on.
Now, there was something else occupying her mind.
Something—or rather, someone.
And Rubel had a fairly good idea who.
Since meeting Seth and spending time with him, those previously restrained, fiery emotions had become far more stable.
Clare was still quiet and reserved by nature, but the constant anger that had once simmered beneath the surface no longer seemed as overwhelming.
A faint curve appeared at the corners of Rubel's lips. He had noticed the change as well.
He gave a small shrug before continuing.
"The town west of here sent in a request for assistance. The target has already been confirmed to be an Awakened Being."
"!?"
Clare's eyes widened slightly.
This sounds oddly familiar…
Her thoughts immediately went to the conversation she had overheard earlier.
Isn't this the mission Miria was talking about?
Her expression remained mostly composed, but several thoughts began racing through her mind.
Are they sending me on it too?
If so, she would need to tell Seth.
He could then inform Miria that the mission she had been discussing was connected to an actual Organization assignment.
I'll have to tell him.
Various thoughts flowed through Clare's mind as she considered what Rubel had just told her.
"Unfortunately—or fortunately, depending on how you look at it—the target isn't Priscilla."
"…"
Clare remained silent for a moment.
The mention of Priscilla would normally have been enough to stir the anger buried deep within her. Yet, this time, there was no visible reaction.
"If that's all, I'll be going back now. Seth must be waiting for me."
She turned around and was about to walk away when Rubel, who had been carefully observing her, noticed something unexpected.
A small smile had appeared on Clare's face.
It was a faint—almost imperceptible smile, but it was there.
More importantly, it had appeared the moment she mentioned Seth.
Rubel's eyes narrowed slightly behind his glasses.
"You've grown attached to that boy…"
Clare paused.
Rubel's expression remained calm, though there was a knowing look in his eyes.
"I don't have to remind you what's in store for the young man if he stays around you for too long, do I?"
"Although I won't comment on the two of you's relationship, the Organization might not harbor the same goodwill toward it as I do."
She understood what Rubel was insinuating.
If Seth continued to stay by her side, the Organization might eventually see him as a threat. And when that happened, they could either wait for him to be killed because of his association with her—or decide to take matters into their own hands.
The thought alone caused the faint smile on Clare's face to disappear.
She knew almost nothing about Seth's origins or where his strange power came from. She didn't know what he truly was, nor did she know the full extent of his abilities.
But she did know one thing.
Seth was extremely powerful.
He could protect himself.
At least, that's what Clare believed. And yet, knowing that didn't completely ease the unease building within her chest.
Knowing he was capable of protecting himself still wasn't enough to stop Clare's mind from imagining the worst.
For a brief moment, she pictured Seth surrounded by a group of Claymores, unable to escape their pursuit.
The thought sent a sudden jolt of emotion through her.
Clare clenched her fist at her side, her fingers tightening until her knuckles turned pale.
With her back turned toward Rubel, he couldn't see the deep frown that had settled across her face.
She bit down lightly on her lower lip, trying to push the unpleasant thoughts from her mind.
"Seth… is strong."
Her voice was quiet, almost as though she were trying to convince herself.
"He won't die… I'll protect him."
The last words were barely more than a whisper.
Clare didn't allow herself to dwell on the thought any longer. She turned away and began walking back toward the camp, her steps quicker than before.
Rubel remained where he was, watching her disappear between the trees.
For several moments, he said nothing.
Then his brow furrowed slightly.
"Was that Clare?"
He had expected Clare to be concerned about the Organization's intentions.
He hadn't expected her to look genuinely afraid at the possibility of Seth being harmed.
Something had definitely changed.
They barely knew each other for a week.
And Rubel wasn't entirely sure whether that change would prove beneficial—or become a serious problem for her in the future.
Sighing, Rubel adjusted his glasses, his eyes gleaming faintly behind the lenses.
"…Is she really that attached?"
He remained silent for a moment, watching the direction Clare had disappeared.
"This might not bode well for her in the long run."
Despite his words, there was no real concern in his voice. Instead, there was a hint of curiosity.
"Although…"
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
"This could work in her favor."
If Seth truly managed to reach Clare's heart, perhaps she would finally have something—or rather, someone—worth living for.
For as long as Rubel had known her, Clare had been driven almost entirely by her desire for revenge.
She had willingly placed herself in danger time and time again, seemingly without much concern for whether she survived.
Her abilities as an offensive claymore said plenty.
But now, that was beginning to change.
If Seth manages to reach her heart, perhaps that girl might finally stop throwing her life away.
Rubel pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.
"I had planned to use this opportunity to explain Awakened Beings to her…"
He paused, then shrugged.
"Well, she'll be learning sooner or later."
There was no point worrying about it now.
His attention shifted back toward the camp.
"As for the Organization's decision to send these four on this mission…"
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"I'll continue to keep watch."
With no reason to linger any longer, Rubel turned and began walking away, quickly disappearing into the forest.
—
Back at the camp~
The crackling of the campfire filled the quiet night.
Seth sat near the flames, his attention only partially focused on the fire as he waited for Clare to return.
Snap.
The sound of a twig breaking caught his attention.
Eyes shifting from the fire, Seth glanced over to the trees and saw Clare emerging from the shadows.
His eyes followed her as she approached the camp, catching sight of the frown on her face that made Seth wonder what went down.
Clare didn't say anything.
She simply walked over and sat down right beside him bumping shoulders.
Seth glanced at her.
She didn't acknowledge him.
Instead, Clare stared silently into the crackling flames, her expression unreadable.
"…"
Neither of them spoke.
The silence between them stretched as the fire continued to crackle, occasionally sending a few sparks drifting into the night.
Seth eventually glanced at her again.
Okay… this is getting weird.
He wasn't sure whether she was upset, worried, or simply lost in thought.
Considering Rubel had just taken her away from the camp for a private conversation, Seth was naturally curious about what the old man had told her.
Finally, unable to hold back his curiosity any longer, he turned toward her.
"So…"
Clare remained silent.
"Was it another mi—"
"…I'll protect you…"
"Huh?"
Seth was caught completely off guard by the soft words, his question dying in his throat.
He turned toward her.
"Did you… just say you'll protect me?"
He leaned slightly closer, as though he wasn't entirely sure he'd heard her correctly.
"I'll protect you."
Clare repeated herself, this time a little louder and with complete certainty.
I heard you the first time.
Seth stared at her for a moment.
Then his expression slowly became confused.
"What do you mean by that?"
Clare remained silent.
"Am I gonna die?"
He scratched the back of his head, a nervous laugh escaping him.
"Do I have a target on my back or something?"
Clare shook her head.
"I don't know."
Clare clenched her fist in her lap, her expression becoming more determined.
"But I'll protect you."
She turned to face him.
They were already close, their shoulders touching. Since Seth had leaned toward her moments earlier, their faces were now only a few centimeters apart.
Green and blue eyes met.
Clare's eyes held a quiet determination, while Seth's were filled with confusion—and something else he couldn't quite hide.
She's so close!
Seth's thoughts immediately went into overdrive.
Wait a second.
That's a confession, right?!
That's totally a confession!
He glanced at Clare's serious expression.
My first girlfriend?!
His imagination immediately started running wild.
She confessed first! I don't even have to do anything!
He had to fight the urge to celebrate.
Calm down, Seth. Act normal.
He took a slow breath.
You're acting normal.
His face was already beginning to turn red as he desperately tried to maintain a straight expression.
I'm actually going to have a girlfriend.
The thought alone nearly made him short-circuit.
One of the most beautiful girls he had ever been around had just said something straight out of a romance movie—and then told him she would protect him.
Seth was absolutely on cloud nine.
There's no way this isn't a confession.
Still, he quickly forced himself to calm down before his imagination could run any further.
He leaned back, putting some distance between them, and cleared his throat.
"W-where is this coming from?"
He glanced at her, trying—and failing—to hide his embarrassment.
"Aren't you going to explain yourself?"
Clare's determined expression slowly shifted into confusion. She tilted her head slightly, an unspoken question seeming to form above her head.
Seth's reaction was strange.
She had never seen him make such an expression before.
The usually confident and composed look on his face had completely fallen apart, replaced by obvious embarrassment.
For some reason, seeing him like this caused a strange flutter in her chest.
She stared at him for another moment.
Then, without really thinking about it, she quietly said,
"Cute."
"PFF—!"
Seth immediately turned away, covering his mouth as he struggled to suppress the sound that escaped him.
She called me cute.
His face was practically burning.
"D-don't call me cute! I'm manly and cool!"
Who are you calling cute!? Don't you see? I'm clearly handsome!
His face was practically steaming.
Make no mistake, if anyone thought Seth was a level-headed individual when it came to situations like this, they would be sorely mistaken.
The truth was that Seth had absolutely no experience when it came to romance. He had been a virgin in his previous life, and he was still one now. Outside of his family and a few classmates, he had barely interacted with girls on a personal level.
And now, one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen was sitting right beside him, casually calling him cute.
To make matters worse, Clare easily ranked among the top five most beautiful women he had ever encountered—even surpassing all of the plastic celebrities he'd seen in his previous world.
Naturally, his brain was struggling to process the situation.
Seth took a slow breath, forcing himself to calm down.
He straightened his posture and tried to put on a serious expression.
Unfortunately, the slight redness on his face wasn't going anywhere.
"…I'm cool," he muttered under his breath, almost as though he needed to remind himself.
Clare simply stared at him.
Seth avoided her gaze.
Why is she still looking at me?!
He was one second away from turning into a puddle.
"W-where is this coming from? Saying you'll protect me? Shouldn't I be the one saying that?"
"Mmm…"
Clare tilted her head slightly, considering his question.
"Every time I think about you dying, I feel this tightness in my chest."
She pressed a hand lightly against her chest, her expression becoming faintly troubled.
"It's unpleasant."
"…"
Seth froze.
For several seconds, absolutely nothing happened behind his eyes.
BOOM.
His imagination began running wild.
Well, she didn't actually say love, but that was clearly what she meant.
Right?
Obviously.
There was no other explanation.
She thinks I'm cute.
And now she's saying her chest feels tight whenever she thinks about me dying.
Seth's eyes slowly widened.
I'm in.
His entire expression lit up.
I'm totally in.
He imagined a future.
A peaceful future.
He and Clare were walking through a beautiful field, holding hands as the sun set behind them.
They were smiling.
She was smiling.
Actually smiling.
Then somehow the scene changed.
There were children.
A lot of children.
Seth stared at them.
"One, two, three…" He started counting.
"…Ninety-eight, ninety-nine…"
He slowly turned toward Clare.
"One hundred?"
Clare tilted her head.
Seth's face became red.
One hundred children?!
His imagination immediately cut to the two of them happily skipping through an open field while a small army of children followed behind them.
"Daddy!"
"Mommy!"
"Daddy!"
"Mommy!"
"Why are there so many of you?!"
He nearly fell over.
Get a grip, Seth!
He chided himself internally.
You're getting ahead of yourself!
One step at a time!
First girlfriend at a time.
Then dating.
Then holding hands.
Then—
Hold the brakes!
He shook his head.
Clare watched as various emotions shifted on his face.
"Are you alright?"
"Never been better."
He answered swiftly.
She stared at him.
"Your face is red."
"It's the fire."
"The fire isn't that close."
"I don't know, don't underestimate these fires. It's a very powerful fire."
"…"
Clare stared at him with the composed expression.
Seth looked away.
I wanna die.
Meanwhile, Clare continued speaking adding more fuel to the fire.
"I don't understand it."
Seth's ears perked up.
"What?"
"When I'm near you…"
She paused, searching for the right words.
"I feel more at peace. It's as if… I'm with Teresa."
Seth's heart raced.
More at peace.
His imagination nearly started acting up again.
That means she feels safe with me.
She trusts me.
She likes being around me.
Clare looked down at her hands. Palms smooth as though she never held a sword—much less killing man-eating monsters.
"Before meeting you, I thought about Priscilla constantly. About becoming stronger. About killing her. It's all that was on my mind."
Her fingers slowly tightened.
"But when I'm with you, I barely think about them anymore."
She met his eyes once more.
"I don't know why."
Seth listened.
For once, he didn't interrupt.
"It's strange," Clare continued. "I can sit beside you without thinking about anything."
She looked into the fire.
"My body relaxes on its own. I can just… sit. "
Seth's chest warmed.
She really does like me.
He was practically floating now.
I'm actually going to have a girlfriend.
"That's why what Rubel told me worries me."
Seth blinked.
"What did he say?"
"The Organization. He warned me that if you stay around me for too long, they may decide you're a problem."
Seth's expression hardened.
"What kind of problem?"
"From what I know… if a human actively gets in the way of a mission, aids a deserter or poses risk to mission controls."
She paused.
"They could come after you."
Seth's eyes narrowed.
Clare continued.
"I don't know how many they would send," Her voice became quieter, "But I do know that they'd be more than I can handle."
She looked directly at him.
"And I don't want them to kill you."
Seth remained silent.
"So that's what this was about."
"Yes."
His hand moved to his chin.
"So it's not a confession."
Clare tilted her head.
"A confession?"
"Nothing."
He looked away and sighed heavily, rubbing his face.
"Forget I said anything."
"I don't understand."
"It's better that way."
Clare stared at him for another moment before returning her attention to the fire.
"I meant what I said."
Seth's eyebrow raised as he looked at her.
"What?"
"I'll protect you."
She spoke with absolute certainty.
"Even if the Organization comes after you."
Seth stared at her.
A small smile appeared on his face.
"Clare."
She looked at him.
"You really don't have to worry about me that much."
"Why?"
"Because…"
He leaned back slightly.
"I can protect myself."
Clare's expression didn't change.
"I know."
"Then why—"
"But I still want to protect you."
"…You're making this really difficult, you know."
"What is?"
"Nothing."
Seth stared into the fire.
I was so close to becoming a hundred-children father.
He grumbled internally.
"Anything else the geezer said? Any mission?"
Clare perked up.
"That's right. I've been added to a hit squad tasked with hunting an awakened being. And guess what…"
Chapter 31 end.
—————————————————————-
I'm back bitches!! Spent a lot of effort and time for this chapter so enjoy. Don't know if I got the personalities right cause I mostly forgot about the past chapters and I might've butchered Seth's personality here but oh well.