Chapter 309 Great Judge Of Character, II
'He doesn't like losing. Even when we were just sparring, I could see that.'
Sparring.
It had been a long time.
The first time they had done so was not long after leaving the Dungeon.
That dreadful Dungeon.
'He likes winning. He loves winning. But... Not always. It depends on how he won. Depends on it too much actually. He doesn't like running away. Losing... Running away... That's what got him in this mood, isn't it? Not much we could have done against THAT anyways. Runnings away... Losing... How would a Monster feel about that? Most prefer dying to running away. He doesn't. But he still... Oh. It's like...'
"A long hunt... With no kill..." Elisa whispered without meaning to.
"Mm?"
"Nothing!" Elisa waved her hands apologetically. She had shouted the word. Once again, without meaning to. "Just... Thinking."
"Okay."
'Okay? That's it? Just okay? Ugh... Okay. Stay focused. Alright. A long hunt with no kill? If I think about him as a wolf then... But this wasn't really a hunt. They came at us suddenly. It was nothing like a hunt. If anything, we were prey. Actually... We've been prey this whole time?'
"Huh. That's funny."
"What's funny?"
"Will you stop bothering me? I'm thinking here."
Mark was about to laugh out loud, but he held it in.
This did make Elisa smile.
'Yarnha, those Commanders, that Calamity... Trouble finds us. Wait. If trouble comes to us, then no point coming to it. So it would be a hunt still, wouldn't it? Maybe he's used to trouble coming to him? Why would he be used to that? Ugh. That's not the question. Trouble comes. He welcomes trouble. He doesn't want to run away from it. But he has no control over what trouble comes, so expecting the ability to defeat whatever crosses his way is idiotic...'
With doubtful eyes, she stared for a bit. n--O-/v-)e)-L.-b//1--n
"Are you idiotic, Mark?"
"You're asking... What exactly? Is there a hidden meaning or?"
"I'm asking if you are idiotic."
"Well," He chuckled. "I wouldn't exactly call myself smart but I wouldn't call myself stupid either, I guess."
"You guess?"
"Yeah. Only thing I can do."
"Why is that?"
"I don't know how smart things get... On this side of the Realm."
"Ha. That's actually a good point."
'Not smart, but not dumb. Yes, I can see that. He doesn't make the same mistakes twice... Usually. He learns pretty fast. Or I guess he adapts fast. He fights better every time. Our coordination gets better every time. But that's not... I keep getting further from what I'm looking for. I want...'
With glittering eyes, she stared.
'To know more about you.'
Elisa pressed her lips together.
She debated internally.
Getting to know more about him. There was a simple way of doing so, and a difficult one.
The simple way didn't seem accessible though.
'I still feel like he wouldn't answer a bunch of questions. I know things about him. He likes Wolves. He likes them a lot. He likes fighting. He likes... Laughing? Ugh. This feels so weird to think. Still, he IS a Monster. So it's important to point out. Yes, it's important. He likes to laugh. He likes looking at the sky. Both when it's bright and when it's dark. He liked... Looking at those lights in the sky. He likes... Beautiful things. That's good. Ughh, the point isn't to judge it but just to figure out...'
From the corner of his eye, Mark peeked at Elisa.
She seemed pretty focused on something. And slightly irritated.
He shrugged it off.
'Point is, I know a lot. But I don't know... Where he was before that Dungeon. Who he was. What he was? Feels like dragging it out of him would be possible. Actually, it feels like... He might leave if I try to force it out of him. But it just feels that way. It just feels that way...'
Elisa let out a long sigh.
She skipped to the white-scaled Monster's side.
"You like fighting?"
"Uh..." He was puzzled, and didn't try to hide it. "Yeah. I do."
Elisa walked with her arms crossed behind her back.
Long strides.
She stared at the ground.
"What do you like about it?"
"Everything really." Mark shrugged. "Though I guess... I liked it a lot earlier."
"Earlier? Against the Commander?"
"No, before that."
"Against those... Disgusting Monsters with tentacles?"
"Yeah."
"Anything in particular made it different?"
"Mm... It wasn't the first time that I fought multiple opponents at once, but this felt different."
"It did?"
"Yeah. Probably because... I had to see and keep up with many things at once."
Elisa's gaze immediately rose from the ground.
"You liked that?"
"Mm." He nodded. "It was challenging. And fun. Felt like-"
"Like playing tag?"
"Ha!" Mark chuckled. "No, but it did feel like a fun game."
The slightly blushing Elisa moved her gaze back to the ground.
"I see what you mean. We used to play a lot back then. When I was younger, I mean."
"Tag and... Other games?"
"Yes. They're fun. And good training. You had anything like that when you were younger?"
"I uh..." The white-scaled Monster scratched its nape. "I mostly watched others play."
"Where were you, before the Dungeon?"
"I'm not telling."
"Not ever?"
"Not yet."
Elisa shrugged.
Not yet-
She thought she could settle on that.
"You said you liked fighting." Elisa said a dozen silent seconds later.
"Mm." Mark nodded.
"What about the killing?"
"The killing?"
"Yes. Do you like fighting, or killing?"
"I don't like this question."
"That might be why I'm asking it."
Mark thought silently for a bit.
Sigh-
"I like the fighting and I don't mind the killing. Plus, I need them dead to Devour them so-"
"So you like Devouring, not killing?"
"It's the same thing."
"It's not."
"I don't particularly enjoy killing things, if that's what you're asking."
"That's what I'm asking."
"Then there's your answer."
"You don't like letting them down easy though, do you?"
Mark shrugged. He didn't want to answer, and Elisa could tell.
"What about music? You like music? Songs? Singing? How about dancin-"
"Why are you asking these things?"
Elisa looked away.
"Why shouldn't I? We're travelling together aren't we?" She looked further and further away to keep him from noticing the blushing. "It's normal for... Traveling companions to talk about these things. Singing and dancing around a bonefire, you know? Normal... Traveler... Things to do."
"Uhuh." Mark nodded.
He scratched his head.
'She's pretty confusing.' The white-scaled Monster thought, a slight smile on its face.
