46. A Familiar Being
Saffron Village, where Austin and his party left.
Lea and Ray were preparing to return, thinking of Austin, who had been with them just the other day.
“Rob… Sniffed… Forgot to wash… Master will say something.”
“Sister. Did you take the magic book?”
“Yes. Got it What are you doing now?”
“I came to say goodbye to Mr. Bearson. You are the only sane person in this town.”
Leah gazed at Ray happily as she adjusted her witchy hat, then took a deep breath and raised her hands to focus her attention.
Concentrate her mana with her fingertips, and spread the mana gathered in her heart all over her body.
Previously, she would have sat down because it was so difficult, but thanks to Austin, her body was able to use mana more easily, and her body did not budge.
Mana began to radiate from Leia’s fingertips, and the density of her mana gradually began to increase.
How long has it been like that?
“Oops. Did you miss me that much?”
Leah opened her eyes, which had been quietly closed, at her familiar yet supple voice.
A blue gate opened in front of her eyes, and her teacher came through the gate.
“…Master. You must be busy, sorry.”
“Huh? No~ When our cute disciple calls, you have to run right away.”
“Since when did you say you cared so much… You always made me wash the dishes…”
“What did you just say?”
“…Nothing.”
I was usually docile, but today I seemed to hate my nerdy master.
“Yeah… How did you manage to cross the limit? I knew I couldn’t do it, and I wondered if I should pair them up separately.”
Saying that, the master who was blowing the ash dusted off the pipe.
“So, who are you dating? The beerson I brought? Or a traveler passing by? Adventurer?”
“Just. A traveler passing by.”
“…Huh?”
It’s a start again. Those eyes that would die of curiosity.
“A traveler? You guys who hide your face in front of others like that?”
“…Can’t I?”
“There is nothing impossible~. It’s just that I didn’t know you guys would pair up so quickly. So, who is the traveler? If you’re paired up, you know you’ll have to bring them back eventually, right?”
At Master’s words, Leah felt like she was getting wet again. She can live with Austin for the rest of her life. Doing that every night…
From noble mtl dot com
No, this isn’t it.
“He was a handsome man. He seemed to be a good fighter as well. Was your name… Austin?”
“Yes, yes. Austin… Huh?”
Master nodded while listening to Leah’s words, and suddenly opened his eyes wide and began to ask again.
“Oh… Austin? Are you by any chance with light brown hair? Carrying a crossbow and a sword?”
“Uh… I guess that’s right? Do you know me?”
“Haa…”
What kind of relationship did he have with that man, so he let out a deep sigh like that.
At that time, a crystal ball appeared out of nowhere and began to glow in the air.
[ Ash. Get back to the front soon. The human drake riders are trying to break through the front lines. ]
“…Guys, let’s talk about it later. Follow me.”
The 5th Corps Commander of the Demon King’s Army. Ash witch, oblivion witch. Ash.
She put herself on the gate, taking Leia and Ray, who were looking puzzled on their throbbing foreheads.
* * *
“Ah… Thank you… Thank you very much… Thump…”
“…Eat slowly. Eat it quickly and pretend.”
I let out a deep sigh as I saw the white-haired girl accepting the meat I was handing over and hurriedly stuffing it into her mouth.
It was going crazy because I didn’t know where the hell I was, where I came from, or anything else…
“Does it taste that good?”
“Yes… Yes… It’s the most delicious thing I’ve ever eaten in my life…”
At the pitiful story that made my eyes moist, I thought it was the right procedure to listen to the story after feeding my stomach. After all, wouldn’t this clearing up the debt would give you an advantage in future conversations?
“Luna, what’s wrong? It’s rude to stare at me like that.”
“Isn’t it…? But…”
Luna had been fixing her gaze on the girl in front of her with a long-awaited expression on her face.
Sometimes he muttered something, as if he knew something about that girl.
I put all the pieces of bread I had in my hand into my mouth and moved her hips to the side to get closer to Luna.
“Do you know someone? Why did you do that earlier?”
As I whispered and covered my mouth with her hand, Luna suddenly came to her senses and turned her head towards me.
“Ummm… No. It’s just that her face looks so much like Argyle-sama…”
“…Was she an argyle woman?”
“Yes. That girl’s face resembled him a lot… No, it was because she was almost stripped.”
I turned her head and looked at the girl again.
Tears welled up in her eyes again when she saw her scruffy face, with slightly tousled gray hair and a little dirt on her face.
Besides, how starved can he be to eat so ravenously? That’s not a day or two, but a look that can’t come out unless you starve each other for several days.
The slightly emaciated body seemed to prove that he had fallen extremely hard lately.
“Hey. You say it resembles Argyle? Maybe it’s because I’ve never seen Argyle, and all I can see is a beggar who works today and tomorrow?”
“Ummm… No. It’s just that the faces are a bit… Very similar, but other than that, it’s hard to find anything in common. First of all, her hair is not purple.”
According to Luna, if she’s really argyle, her hair shouldn’t be gray. The purple hair unique to the demons is conclusive evidence.
“I will live a long time in this world. It’s the first time I’ve seen someone who has been told that he resembles the commander of the Demon King’s army.”
“I agree. Truly… A girl with an odd destiny. Unfortunately…”
As we were looking at the girl with a sympathetic eye after our stomachs were adequately filled, the girl who had been eating hastily patted her stomach and smiled happily, and our eyes met.
“Why do you… Look… Look…”
“…?”
What is it?
Looking at us, no. To be precise, the girl’s face, looking at Luna, began to turn pale little by little.
“…Did you get anything on my face?”
“… Huh?! Ah… No… I thought you looked like someone I know…”
“It’s amazing. That’s what I was thinking too.”
And, static.
“……”
Awkward stillness continued to flow, only the sound of the crackling bonfire and the sound of Robin busily banging a bowl with a spoon.
f*ck. It’s awkward, so it seems like I’m going to look for it.
“That… Come to think of it! If you don’t mind, may I ask what your name is?”
Thanks to Princess Alexis who intervened at the perfect timing, the slightly stiff atmosphere was aroused.
“…Name?”
“Yes. Name.”
“Your name is… Uh…”
Although they make eye contact with us, the eyes subtly glancing in the direction of the carriage, and the girl’s feet occasionally knocking on the ground.
After completing all ranger training courses, I knew what that action meant.
“My name is… Sylvia.”
“Sylvia… That’s a pretty name.”
Unlike Princess Alexis, who showed a benevolent smile, I couldn’t help but smile.
That girl, I don’t know why, she is lying to us with a very high probability.
The feet that thump the ground and stomp are proof that it is restless. Perhaps the act of bobbing her feet like that was an act to subconsciously relieve anxiety for that girl.
Forcing eye contact with us is also an artificial act to show that there is no lie in one’s words.
Above all, the eyes that keep turning towards the carriage.
It’s like the person being interrogated keeps glancing at the door of the interrogation room. It is unconsciously looking for a way out.
“Sylvia. Are you sure?”
“N… Huh?”
“The name Sylvia, are you sure?”
“Yes. That’s my name…”
…What is it?
I was sure it was a lie, so I deliberately asked with an overbearing attitude, but the girl in front of her only nodded her head with a frightened expression.
…Am I too cheap?
I wasn’t lying, maybe I was just scared because people I saw for the first time asked me for my name right away?
“Brother. It’s my turn to wash the dishes today. Please give me a bowl.”
I stared blankly at Royman’s face as he took the bowl from my hand.
“…That is frightening.”
“Yes?”
“No. I’m talking to myself.”
Looks like I overreacted. There’s such a scary man standing behind me, and I can’t help but be scared.
* * *
‘I lived… I lived…’
Argyle, who unexpectedly ran into Defal, now living under the name of Luna, let out a sigh of relief and laid her body inside her tent.
After the mana stone imprinted with the brainwashing magic was stolen, Luna must have been unable to discern Argyle’s magical power.
But, to be able to run into her like this, who, at best, shed her tears and cut her tail. What kind of joke of fate is this?
She was still feeling guilty towards Luna, and she was not very happy about her meeting with Luna. You look happy now, is it at least a good thing?
Fortunately, she didn’t seem to know her true identity thanks to her hair color change, but she couldn’t be relieved.
Actually, the man sitting next to Luna almost saw through Argyle’s lie.
At first, she was taken aback by her man’s question, but she was able to erase her doubts thanks to her passionate performance with method facial expressions at the last minute.
“Austin…”
Austin, the former scout of the warrior party. From Ranger. A man with light brown hair and clear blue eyes.
I can’t imagine meeting you like this. Argyle was mad and on the verge of jumping.
Encountering someone he might have met as an enemy not too long ago gave Argyle considerable mental fatigue, having lost most of his strength.
‘For now, let’s disguise ourselves as Sylvia… Until we get our full power back… If we get it back…’
The goal has been set. First of all, it is urgent to refill his mana.
Once you regain your strength, use Agato’s Gate to escape.
It’s been a long time since I ate a lot of fatty meat instead of mushrooms growing at the base of the tree. In bed full and warm, Argyle’s eyes slowly began to close.
“Leaks… Leaks…”
Without knowing that someone was watching her through the open gap in the tent, she fell asleep under the blanket.