Chapter 305 Inside the Pocke (2/2)
”What?” Hannah asked.
”Everyone, meet Rothar!” Lino chuckled as a figure suddenly materialized next to him; Rothar looked nothing like a noble image of a Devil Seya had in mind. He was rugged, tired-looking, wearing barely any clothes, and too terrified to even look at Lino.
”L-lord Empyrean...” Rothar quickly bowed toward Lino.
”Ha ha ha, enough with the formalities,” though Lino said that, both Seya and Hannah could see that ego growing, causing them to click their tongues. ”Khm, anyway, my friend here had an idea that might work.”
”... f-friend?” Seya's brows twitched; after all, what part of that looked like friendship?! It more looked like a dog who was repeatedly beaten by his master to the point the poor thing forgot how to bark and bite.
”What is it?” Hannah asked with interest.
”I can shove you two into the Dimensional Pocket while we're traveling.” Lino said. ”And take you out once I find appropriate shelter!”
”.....” Hannah suddenly planted a palm onto her forehead, not because Lino's plan was stupid, but because it was so basic she nearly cried because she didn't think of it. After all, Dimensional Pockets capable of storing living things were so rare to the point that Hannah actually forgot Lino was in possession of one.
”Huh? Won't we suffocate inside?!” Seya exclaimed.
”Eh? Where do you think I dragged this poor piece of sh--I mean my friend from?” Lino pointed at Rothar. ”Don't worry, you'll be just fine. I mean, you'll be bored out of your fucking minds, but at least you'll be warm!”
”Hey! No cursing!” Hannah exclaimed. ”She's still just a child!”
”... she tried to kill me like four times since I've sat down.” Lino said. ”I think that pretty much disqualifies her from being a kid.”
”... ah, whatever. Yeah, let's do that. Wait -- what if you get found out alone?” Hannah asked in the end. ”Wouldn't that pretty much nullify our need to be here in the first place?”
”Heh, don't worry. Although Ataxia is largely useless here, he's not that useless...”
”Hey...” a robotic voice chimed inside Lino's mind, but the latter simply ignored it.
”Anyway, you two ladies have nothing to worry about! Get inside of me and warm yourselves up!”
”Ewww...” both Hannah and Seya exclaimed at the same time, though they obediently entered the Dimensional Pocket; the latter was, for each, a small room with absolutely nothing else inside. At least, though, it was warm.
”So? Why are you still outside?” Lino asked Rothar who was currently squirming next to Lino, seemingly wishing to ask something.
”Uh, oh, umm... L-lord Empyrean... d-do you think... y-you could let us... go home? I-I promise we've learned our lesson!”
”Eh, not just yet,” Lino shrugged. ”I've still got some uses for you. Don't worry, I promised I wouldn't kill you guys, and that I'd let you go eventually. I'm a man of my word, after all!”
”Y-yes...”
”Now get back inside before I change my mind.”
”Y-yes!!”
Lino quickly found himself sitting alone inside the cave, entering deep thought. There were too many things he had to do, but, in the end, all of them could wait. There was a good reason why he chose to largely withdraw from the world for a few years, and there was no need to stir the hornet's nest just yet. Completing the mission came as a first, though, inside Lino's mind, 'completing the mission' most-likely carried very different connotations than what the old man had in mind...