Sherry's Motives [1]

"First things first, thank you very much! I am very much indebted to you. If not for your help, I might have been killed by the Grim Hound. I am very grateful for your timely assistance." Alex bowed and sincerely thanked Sherry, who sat across from him.

Sherry immediately stopped Alex and waved both of her hands, saying, "No, you don't need to thank me. Anyone in my position would have helped you."

"I want to believe the same, but not after what I experienced firsthand and all the things I heard." Alex said with a bitter smile.

Alex had to adapt to the mindset of this world, forgetting Earth's morality and laws to survive and fulfill his dreams to the fullest.

Initially resistant to accepting the reality, being used as bait by Rex's party made him understand things more and acknowledge the harshness of this world.

He had always known deep down that, despite not appearing entirely medieval, this world was a fantasy realm where the stronger fist had the say.

While civilized with laws to follow within the city, outside, in the wilderness, both literally and metaphorically, the law of the jungle prevailed.

Monsters ran rampant, and there was no one to uphold laws and regulations—a world of pure and primal survival of the fittest.

Though it was still early, Alex would encounter many such scenarios in future, growing and adapting to these situations.

Sherry, a native of this world, possessed a kind and pure-hearted nature. Despite being aware of the atrocious nature of humans, kindness was inherent in her.

The atmosphere fell silent for a while until Sherry broke it with the topic both of them had been trying to avoid.

Now alone, free to talk, and with formalities done, Sherry inquired, "...That was <Dark Barrier>, dark magic, right?" Her anticipation was evident.

'She has already seen me using it; there is no point denying it any further.'

"Yes, it was as you said." He didn't deny it, as it was already obvious.

'He said yes; that means he is the one.' Sherry's expression brightened upon hearing that he didn't deny it as before.

She enthusiastically exclaimed, "I was right then! The compass really works, great! I finally found someone with high affinity for dark magic."

"Miss, please keep your voice down." Alex immediately tried to stop Sherry from shouting more.

'I need to calm down.'

"Sorry" Sherry whispered, feeling slightly embarrassed by her outburst.

"Phew, can you please not shout and tell everyone? As you might have already noticed, it is kind of a secret that I possess an affinity for dark magic."

Sherry nodded, becoming embarrassed due to her mishap. She was unable to hide her excitement and nearly caused a problem. Luckily, the cafe was empty, and there was no one near to hear their conversation.

As they settled back into a hushed conversation, her enthusiasm bubbled forth with more questions. "If I can ask...what rank is it?"

"SS rank."

"What! Actually, that makes sense, and it will really work."

"Anyways, miss, let's talk about something important. No one other than you knows that I possess an affinity for dark magic. Not even the academy knows about it, and I plan to keep this secret forever for now. So, what is it you want from me to keep it a secret as it is? I know you have been following me a lot, and today also I believe you followed me, right?"

"..." She didn't reply and just put her head down, hiding her face from him while taking a sip of her drink.

"Miss Sherry, tell me, what do you want from me?" Alex raised the question again as he sipped his coffee.

On the opposite side of the table, Sherry flinched at the slightly interrogative tone, spilling a bit of her drink.

"...I-I was not following you or anything like that. It's just I was near when the compass reacted. I just..." Sherry stutteringly spoke as she explained her side of the story.

"So, you followed the compass needle's direction, and that led you there when you came running hearing the monster's howl?"

"Yes, yes." Sherry vehemently nodded repeatedly, thinking he might not believe her.

'She reminds me of her, just like her when you raise the tone a bit, they become nervous. She is just meek and timid like her; Aurora also said the same.'

Alex was not going to let her off the hook that easily. "Then what about in the academy? I have seen you many times outside the cafeteria and training hall also looking for me."

"That I was...just trying to talk to you, but you seemed to not want to, and..."

She then went on to explain how difficult it was for her to approach someone and how harshly she was admonished by him earlier that day.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you that day, but you must understand my circumstances also. As far as I have known, dark magic is not seen nicely, and me having such high affinity for it is better not known to the world for my own safety."

Sherry nodded, knowing better than others how rare it was for someone to have an affinity for dark magic, especially at SS rank. It was not something encountered every day, even for other common attributes.

"That day when you suddenly barged in and found my secret, I had no other option but to deny your claims, so please don't take that seriously."

"I understand, and I don't blame you for being cautious. I won't force you to reveal more than you're comfortable with. Rest assured, I won't reveal anything about your dark magic affinity." Sherry responded fiercely as she patted her chest.

'I find it hard to believe that she can keep my secret. It would be preferable to understand her reasons so that we can reach an agreement that benefits both of us.'

Alex appreciated Sherry's understanding and sincerity. However, he couldn't simply rely on her words to keep his secret. It would be better to understand her reasons and reach an agreement that benefited both of them.

Yes, she had saved him today, and he was genuinely grateful for that. Still, after today's events, he couldn't afford to be naive any longer.

It was essential for him to uncover her motives for keeping an eye on him, ensuring his safety.

"Thank you for being understanding. It's not that I don't trust you, so could you also tell me why you were looking for me?"

"I've been searching for someone with a high affinity for magic, more specifically, someone with an affinity for dark magic, for a specific purpose, and you might be the key to unlocking a certain mystery."

Alex arched an eyebrow, intrigued by Sherry's cryptic words. "Specific purpose? Mystery? Care to elaborate?"

Sherry's voice lowered and became gloomy as she spoke, "It's related to my mom and dad, and I need you for something related to finding them or whatever remains of them."