Chapter 284 The Hunt Begins (2/2)
”Heh, it's a bit painful to compare myself to her.” she said, suddenly getting up and sitting next to Lino, leaning against his side. ”While I'm far, far, far stronger than she can probably even imagine... look at us. I'm crippled because my family decided to, at least for now, sever their ties with me... and then there's her. Going strong.”
”... strength comes in myriad of ways, after all.” Lino said, smiling faintly. ”She just happens to have the heart of a lion, while you're more like a rabbit.”
”Timid?”
”Fluffy as all hell.”
”... oh fuck you...”
”Ha ha ha,” Lino laughed freely, throwing his arm around her shoulder. ”It's true that Lucky's strong, but... in your heart of hearts, do you really want to have gone through the same things she did in order to achieve her strength?”
”...”
”Don't be envious of others' strength lest you're willing to walk in their shoes,” he said, cracking a faint smile. ”It goes both ways, you know?”
”Oh? Do share your wisdom, the sagacious one!”
”Eh, mock all you want,” Lino said, stroking his chin. ”But I indeed am one sagacious motherfucker.”
”... oh god...”
”You're both quite different,” he said after a short pause. ”In make and perception. She'd struggled most of her life just to survive, while you'd struggled to hide who you are from the world. Those two roads enriched you with different kinds of strengths; neither is more valuable than the other... just different.”
”...”
”You both, really, should just band together and be jealous of me, actually,” he suddenly said as Hannah groaned audibly. ”I posses both your strengths, but not your weaknesses. In short, I'm absolute perfection.”
”... you're just an idiot,” she chuckled faintly. ”But one so adorable it's hard to stay mad at. ”
”I am indeed quite adorable.”
”What now?” she asked suddenly.
”... now we turn to our task at hand,” Lino replied. ”To, perhaps, find you a new home.”
”... the Order?”
”Hm,” Lino nodded. ”You'll first have to meet with Val, though, to make preparations.”
”Preparations for what?” she asked curiously.
”Well, she'd decided to build us an army,” Lino said. ”And, though I vehemently disagreed--”
”--sure you did. Go on.”
”--she insisted she do it. I simply had no heart to say no.”
”Of course you didn't.”
”From the tone of your voice I'm sensing so little faith it's literally breaking my soul.” Lino said.
”You're imagining things.” Hannah replied.
”Even my imagination isn't that vivid.”
”You're selling yourself short here, of all places.”
”... ah, whatever.” Lino shrugged. ”Anyway, since you claimed to be a grand ruler, I've appointed you to co-assist her in forming our own Chaotic Order Legion!”
”... you didn't actually name it that, right?”
”What? I think it's a grand name!”
”It's a lame name is what it is.” Hannah said.
”Go suck a dick.”
”Hey!! Fuck you!” she suddenly shot up to her feet, red in cheeks. ”I told you, I only did it 'cause you begged me for three days!! Never again, you hear?! I'll never do it again!!”
”... eh?” Lino watched in confusion as she stormed away, taking a while until he finally connected the dots, his lips cracking into a warm smile. ”I suppose I should go and prepare for the hunt,” he sighed, glancing up at the moon one last time. ”It's certainly going to be a few busy months from now on...”