[Silver Ash] - Become The Strongest In Another World
CHAPTER 166: Secret Act (1)

...****************...

After Barsio's defeat, everyone finally regrouped.

Norman and most of his group are investigating the island.

As for Cryll, he was resting in a relatively shady place with Stella. She is also getting Olivia's help to recover all her injuries. Now she's unconscious, but Noelle's sure she'll wake up soon.

Meanwhile, Noelle .. She was separated from everyone, and chose to sit near the stone and metal debris of the collapsed building around her.

He was alone, or at least that was the situation a few seconds ago.

Until, Anzu came and stood while folding both arms. She with her narrowed eyes looked at Noelle.

"What are you doing here? Anzu's? "

Noelle already had a premonition that Anzu would come to her, but she decided to pretend to know nothing, and asked for a start.

"I should have asked that. Why are you here? And ... What are you really planning? "

Noelle smiled slightly, and looked at Anzu with narrowed eyes.

"I don't understand what you mean. You've been asking that question ever since. I really didn't plan anything here."

"Don't plan anything here, which means you must have another plan somewhere, huh? "

A small laugh came out of Noelle's lips after a moment of snorting.

He now stood up, and turned to Anzu while tilting his head.

"God, can't you think of anything positive about me? "

"Unfortunately that's impossible. When you're involved in a situation, only negative things can be thought of. That's because you've always been like that, Iza."

"Mhmm .. Really? "

While saying that, Noelle turned her face away with a bored expression. He sat back down and picked up a small pebble nearby, and threw it forward.

The pebbles he threw gently smashed into the tree, before finally falling down and bouncing several times on the ground.

"Iza .. Can you tell me the truth? I wouldn't mind if you did a bunch of crazy things behind the scenes. But, I don't want to get involved in that scenario you designed."

" …… I really didn't plan anything here. At least, I didn't plan anything involving you in it. So, you can calm down."

Although faint, the trace of worry on Anzu's face had already slightly disappeared. Her breathing also became more stable after Noelle said that.

" … Is that true? "

Although the calmness had re-filled his face, Anzu still could not help but ask Noelle.

However, the question he asked with anxiety was answered by Noelle in an unexpected way for him.

"Hey, Shion … "

Rather than using Anzu's name to call her, Noelle instead called her by using her name in her previous life—Shion.

" ……… "

Naturally, Anzu realized that he had crossed the line. While reincarnating into this world, Anzu had made a rule for herself, that she should not get too involved with Noelle, as she did in her previous life.

Anzu had heard from Olivia that Noelle would not call a reincarnator by their old name. If he did that, then it would be an important thing.

" … What? "

Anzu cautiously asked. The two ends of his eyebrows were intertwined, and one leg was raised backwards. One of his hands went into his pocket and grasped the marble ball that became his weapon. He was prepared for the worst.

But the attack he had been waiting for never came. Noelle turned to him and showed a hollow expression on her face.

"When did you become like that? If I remember for sure, you're the kind of person who gets excited when something interesting happens around you. Especially, when it comes to criminals and money."

"We're not on earth, Noelle. Don't bring that prejudice you have here. It has been almost 16 years since we were reborn. Do you think everyone still maintains the same attitude? "

Anzu quickly answered. From her voice, Noelle understood that Anzu was really upset.

Noelle understood that, and she couldn't do anything to handle it. So he simply turned his face away while laying his body on the ground, and leaned his head and back on the flat metal rubble behind him.

After that, he also muttered. "In the end, everyone will change, huh … "

Anzu heard what he muttered, but decided not to say or do anything to respond.

He just snorted in annoyance, and said. "As you've heard. I don't want to get involved with all your behind-the-scenes actions anymore. I want to live my life in peace here. You understand that, don't you? "

Without waiting for Noelle's reply, Anzu immediately turned around and walked away, leaving Noelle alone there.

At that moment, Noelle finally muttered in a voice that showed her affection. "If that's how you feel, you shouldn't be in Cryll's rescue. Indirectly ... You have already involved yourself in all these matters … "

No one heard his words. The sentence only reached for empty air, and disappeared along with a gentle gust of wind caressing his body.

...****************...

"Yo, are you able to move? "

Nearly half an hour passed, and Noelle returned to where Cryll was.

Under the still standing tree, he saw the figure of Cryll lying on the grass with Stella sitting beside him.

Not far from them, Noelle could also see the figure of Olivia who was watching the small stream without any expression on her face.

"Thank you thanks to your healing magic, my body has almost recovered. But ... Fuck, this really hurts."

Cryll tries to move, but is soon stopped by a sudden pain that invades his body.

Stella naturally moved to hold her body and make her lie back, but Cryll just smiled a little at her and re-forced himself to get up.

"The stomach is broken, 12 ribs are fractured, the finger bones are broken, the left arm is bent, and more. With that in mind, you intend to make a move? "

Olivia suddenly appeared and spoke while staring at Cryll with her usual cold and lifeless eyes.

"Ughh .. Haven't you healed all my wounds? "

Cryll turned his face away with his trembling body. Until now, he still has not overcome his feelings of disdain for Olivia. Noelle could only smile wryly upon seeing them.

"Noelle and I have healed your wounds, but the pain will still be there. And there's a chance that the wound will return."

Cryll's expression grew paler as Olivia's blank look strengthened on him.

Noelle sees the situation as interesting, but she still has to defuse the situation. Only he can handle Olivia.

Noelle walked over to Olivia and patted her head several times, making Olivia instantly soften her expression.

"Well, you don't have to worry about that. I'll take care of this guy if anything happens. You can rest now" Noelle said as she stroked Olivia's head.

"Mhmm~ If that's what Noelle says~"

Olivia's face seemed to be melting, the expression that formed on her face was now like someone who was in a spoiled fashion.

"That's .. By the way, Noelle .. There's something I need to talk to you about."

Cryll's voice sounded awkward. She really didn't want to interrupt Noelle's time with Olivia, but this was important, so she had to talk to Noelle about it right away.

"What is that about? "

Noelle asked without taking her eyes off Olivia.

In response to that, Cryll simply smiled wryly, and continued his words.

"I don't know if it's important or not, but . I think I should talk to you about this. And ... You know … "

Cryll glanced at Stella and Olivia. Noelle naturally understood her intention, and she stopped her previously moving hand from stroking Olivia.

With a warm smile on her face, Noelle said to Olivia. "Sorry, can you leave us both here? "

Olivia's face lost her smile, She returned to her previous expression.

Without saying anything, he turned to look at Stella and nodded, before finally leaving.

"Call me if anything happens" Noelle said as she watched Olivia's back slowly move away.

Stella was still sitting next to Cryll. He looks conflicted when he has to leave Cryll in such a state.

Cryll said nothing to convince her, and just stared at Stella.

Even so, that's enough. Stella understood what she wanted, and reluctantly got up from her sitting position.

Stella then walks away leaving Noelle and Cryll, following Olivia's figure who has disappeared behind the rubble.

"So, what do you want to talk about? "

As soon as the two girls' whereabouts had drifted away, Noelle immediately began a conversation with a question.

Without further ado, and immediately let out a question in a flat voice.

"Well, I wanted to talk about this from the beginning. But I didn't get it because we were facing this Barsio bastard."

" … Then? "

It was faint, but Noelle could feel the change in Cryll's tone of voice. The atmosphere around him also slowly changed. As if, Cryll had raised his vigilance and looked at Noelle with various prejudices.

He without saying anything immediately took out a piece of paper that had been tangled, and gave it to Noelle.

"The person on this poster, Souris .. That's you, isn't it? "

...****************...

Since when did he keep suspicion of her? Perhaps, it was much longer than he thought.

Everything felt normal when they first met. Run missions together, play some silly games, and create riots in some places. Everything they do together makes them like a pair of friends who have known each other for a long time.

One day, it was a normal day. He carries out his mission, and goes to rest in a bar in a town.

It was raining that day, so he chose to take shelter while taking a break. But, he actually met her.

"You ... Which of those tournaments, huh? "

A man who looked the same age as her appeared. Its appearance is quite striking and attracts the attention of many people, especially among women.

Her hair was white, and her skin was pale. His face is handsome, but it will look feminine if someone notices him up close. Maybe that's what they call androgynous facial features.

In appearance, of course, it would be natural if he was approached by women. He wore a black piercing on his ear, and all the attributes of his clothes also looked quite luxurious despite being inconspicuous.

At that moment, his body and clothes were slightly wet. Maybe because he was walking under a rain-water stub.

He approached Cryll, and saw the empty chair before him.

Cryll was sitting at a table for two. It was right next to the window, so the two people sitting there could see the scenery outside.

Cryll was a little curious when he saw the person, but he immediately sensed it after the memories of the tournament flashed in his head.

"You ... Who won the tournament .. If it's not wrong, your name is Noelle Lynneheim, right? "

He himself was an adventurer who followed the tournament, so it was natural for him to recognize that person—Noelle.

"Yes, and I believe that you are Cryll Light, the son of the Light knight family."

Cryll immediately narrowed his eyes.

He did use the name Light behind his name, but he never told anyone about the fact that he was one of the sons of the honorable knight family.

It was natural for a noble to have a surname, even if the noble in question was only a minor noble like a royal knight.

"Can I sit here? I want to ask you a few things."

" … Sure."

Cryll hesitates a little, but eventually accepts Noelle's request to sit there.

"You don't need to feel that alert. I just want to interact normally like two ordinary teenagers."

There's no way he'll believe it.

For a long time, Cryll did have a negative view of everyone who came to him. It was not without reason, but rather because of a 'trauma' of the past.

Putting all that aside, from the beginning he had never trusted Noelle. And Cryll is also convinced that Noelle also has the same thoughts as him.

However, at first, Cryll has the impression that he and Noelle are quite similar in some ways.

But, that resemblance is what makes Cryll believe that he and Noelle could not possibly be familiar.

Although in reality, deep down, Cryll wants to be normal friends with Noelle, a man who is her age. If that could happen, then Noelle would be the first male friend she had.

"By the way, congratulations on your win at the tournament."

To erase the awkward atmosphere she felt, Cryll started the conversation by giving Noelle a congratulatory greeting.

Noelle smiled and accepted the remark after she finished all the drinks she had brought.

"I'll take it with pleasure" Noelle said.

Cryll no longer knows what to say Noelle. From the beginning, he never had any idea that he and Noelle would have a conversation like this. So he couldn't prepare a proper dialogue.

But, all those short conversations, would bring about a huge change to his life.

From then on, strange things started to happen.

He often gets the faint feeling that he just dreamed something, but he can't remember it. The sensation of deja vu is very disturbing that also often appears in certain situations.

Eventually, Cryll developed a deep sense of suspicion towards Noelle.

...****************...

" … I don't understand what you mean."

"You don't have to pretend, Noelle."

Cryll did not lower his alertness at all. His face had an expression that was quite difficult to describe. Anger, disappointment, or both.

Noelle noticed the paper Cryll gave her.

There, there was a photo of a person with a name and a number written underneath.

The person in the photo had bright white hair, but he wore a mask that covered his face so that no one would know him.

The name under the photo also reads Souris, while the number written below it again explains that the person has a head worth 20 thousand gold coins.

Just by taking a quick look at it, anyone could definitely guess that it was a wanted poster.

Noelle did not erase the smile on her face, and instead narrowed her eyes at Cryll.

"Why can you be so sure? "

"You really ask that? There are too many answers, you know? Do you want to hear everything? "

" … I just want one answer."

Without changing the expression on her face, Cryll began to express his thoughts to Noelle.

"Time is too precise. Souris, the Asterisk is rumored to first appear right on the day that we are conducting an investigation mission. I heard Eisen was attacked while we were gone, and it was all destroyed when you got back."

"Then? "

Noelle knew that Cryll would definitely hear from Stella, so it wasn't too surprising.

"At that time, we investigated the ruins that the Earl suspected to be the ruins of the Aino people, and it has something to do with Terneth. But, what is his true purpose? I always wondered about that. Until finally, I got the answer."

"And you .. Get the answer when Asterisk shows up, huh? "

"Exactly. Asterisk appeared and destroyed Rondo just at midnight, the same day we went to investigate the ruins."

Noelle frowned. "What's that all? Isn't it too rushed to conclude while you only have that information? "

Cryll smiled slightly, and shrugged his shoulders lightly.

"Sure, but I'm not done yet. I've long held suspicions about you, Noelle. And that moment was the peak. It's too good to be a coincidence. We went to the investigation site in the morning, and I heard that you were just back in town right before the night bells rang. Isn't that too long? "

"That's normal, isn't it? It took me longer to complete an investigation."

"Indeed, but I'm sure that you're not the kind of person who likes to spend time in ruins just to carry out someone else's orders. If it were you, I'm sure you'd use someone else, or find another way to conduct a more effective investigation."

Indeed, it sounded like something Noelle would do. Because Cryll knew that, he came to the conclusion that Noelle was related to this group called Asterisk.

If you only rely on photos, Cryll probably won't recognize it. After all, Noelle had already imparted anti-introduction magic to herself back then.

"And also, I'm sure that the ruins you're investigating aren't that big. I was wondering, what do you use the time left for? "

" …… Kuhuhu~ That sounds interesting. You concluded it all with just such a simple deduction? Are you a genius? No, I think I'm too lousy at hiding my tracks, huh? "

Seeing Noelle laughing and talking to herself like that made Cryll confused, but Cryll did not let his guard down and immediately increased his vigilance.

" ……… What does that mean, you admit that you are Souris? "

With her voice sounding full of vigilance, Cryll asked Noelle, to which Noelle responded with just a small laugh as before.

"If so, what would you do? Behead me here and take him to the capital to report me? Carrying the head of one of the high-value fugitives who destroyed one city in one night, it would definitely be a very high achievement for you. Are you going to take that achievement? "

Noelle still looked relaxed, but Cryll could vaguely feel the killing intent emanating from her.

If information about her spread, Noelle would not hesitate to finish off others, even if the person in question was her 'friend' herself.

However, Cryll did not show the reaction he expected.

Cryll just put his hands in his pockets, and smiled.

"No, I won't hand you over. 20 thousand gold coins would certainly be a very tempting thing, but I'm not interested in getting it this way. Unlike you, I won't take advantage of someone else's weaknesses to gain personal advantage."

"Heh, you're saying it like I'm a criminal."

"Isn't that the truth? I don't care about the reason, but you and the people in your group, Asterisk, have destroyed Rondo in one night. Only criminals would do that."

If Cryll had known the reason Noelle and the rest of Asterisk had attacked, Cryll would have never said anything like that.

After all, everyone had a reason behind their actions. No one does that for pleasure. It was the only option they could make.

Noelle didn't care, but it still hurt when Cryll said it directly in front of her.

To remove the turmoil on her feelings, Noelle let out a long sigh, and then looked at Cryll with her eerie expressionless face.

Cryll naturally noticed the change in Noelle, and stepped one foot backward, preparing for the worst.

But that didn't happen.

With an orange hue adorning the sky that afternoon, and accompanied by three moons that began to reveal themselves, Noelle opened her lips to speak.

"I want to ask you too."

Cryll could barely hold his beating heart faster, coming along with the cold sweat running down his back.

" ……… What is it? "

As Cryll warily asked, a cold voice without Noelle's notation echoed around him.

"At Terneth's mansion that night, what were you doing there? "

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