Almark – Northern Sword, Southern Wand

Three of us, let's play hide and seek.

The purple witch Oube's sudden childish suggestion.

Having heard that, Lilty gave a confused expression.

"Is that a hide-and-seek...?"

"Yeah, hide-and-seek."

Oube nods to her cheeks.

Sounds like fun, doesn't it?

Lilty clenched her mouth, unable to tell what to answer. Anxiously clutching the sleeve of the robe.

Fine.

Layla was the one who answered the question.

Hide-and-seek, I'll hang out with you.

Layla accepted the witch's suggestion without a hint.

Instead, I'll have you promise me something.

Without turning a blind eye to the witch, he spoke out in a cold voice.

"When you're done, go back to the stone. If you can promise me that, I'll hang out with you in hide-and-seek or whatever."

Of course I do.

Oube answered with a demonic smile.

“When the hide-and-seek is over, I'll go back to the stone. I mean, you guys don't have much time."

Lilty was anxiously hugging her shoulder again at the statement that seemed to have been read in their minds.

However, it's a serious match.

Ube's voice was slightly like a grimace of a witch.

“If you don't beat me, the hide-and-seek won't end.”

I wonder what that means.

Although she couldn't have been unaware of the intimidation, Layla didn't break her calm attitude.

Specifically, how do we win?

"I'll set a time limit."

Ube's answer was also clear.

"If we could find the opponent within the time limit, the demon would win." If we don't find it, the demon will lose. It's easy to understand, isn't it? "

Layla nodded tinyly to the words.

I wonder if you're convinced.

Ube smiles.

“I'll let you choose who you like instead of asking me to go along with this suggestion.”

Ube raised her right hand and raised two fingers.

“You guys hide and I'll find it. Or I'll hide and you'll find it."

Ube looks at both of them with a small neck.

"I don't care which one." Now, choose. "

That said, Lilti sipped her spit.

Hide or find.

I wonder which one is better.

Favorable or unfavorable. I don't know for sure, but I think this is a very important choice.

Lilty, who seemed anxious and her chest was split apart, knew that.

"Les, Layla."

Lilty looks back at Layla.

"Choose. What should I do?"

With a cold expression on her face, Layla put her hand on her chin and thought about it.

"Lilty"

I moved my eyes and looked at Lilti.

Are you good at hide-and-seek?

Lilty blinked at the unexpected question.

Huh?

It's me.

Leila hid her voice with a serious look on her face.

"I've never done hide-and-seek."

"..... ah"

Lilty put her hand on her mouth.

There was a verse in Leila's words that reminded me of Lilti.

Layla's appearance when she was a freshman in the first grade is falling through her head.

Yes. Layla was different from everyone else.

Mixed in with the nine-year-old boy and girl who still wanted to play, Layla had already developed an adult atmosphere at that time.

Coupled with her awakening beauty, Lilty, another class, still remembered the vivid impression she had when she saw her. After school, she leaves her classmates to play in the woods and gardens, and she always walks into the bushes alone.

"I've never done it, um..."

Lilty asked, hiding her voice as well.

Not once?

Yeah.

Layla nodded naturally.

"I've never been there before."

Then, I add, a little bit of it looks bad.

"But I know how to do it." The point is, if you hide well enough so that you can't find the one who is hiding, you can find the one who is hiding. ”

Um, yeah.

Somehow, anxiety grew, and Lilty nodded with a pale face.

That's fine with me.

Oh, I wish Norish were here.

Lilty remembers a gentle roommate she always relied on.

But I can't help thinking about it now.

Actually, I'm not that good at hide-and-seek, either.

Lilti said with a slight trembling voice.

"If you hide, you'll become anxious. I was hoping you wouldn't find it all the time. Even when I became a demon, all the friends I was with before suddenly disappeared, so I thought maybe they left me, and I wanted to cry."

Although she was aware that she had said something pathetic, Lilti honestly revealed it.

And after I said it, I still regretted it.

What would you think if you told strong Layla this?

After all, you think you should have come with her.

Yeah.

But Layla didn't laugh or scorn.

If you're not good at it, you're a quick talker.

Instead, Layla said calmly.

Well then, let's think strategically a little bit.

"Strategically...?"

There's one of us, and there's two of us.

Leila said that after a glance at Oube.

In that case, I wonder if it's advantageous to hide or find out.

Uhm...

With a half-respect for Leila's calmness, Lilty desperately spins her head.

If we're going to hide, we'll have to find two men by ourselves. If the two of us hide as far away as possible, we will be able to buy a lot of time.

On the other hand, if we were on the side of finding the demon, we could just split up and find one. If we move efficiently, I think it's in our favor.

Neither, neither.

Lilti replied in a voice without a bundle of awakening.

"I feel like we have an advantage..."

That's right.

Layla nodded as she anticipated the answer.

"More than two of us, our advantages are one and the same."

Um, yeah.

Just the number of people.

Huh?

"Purple Oube"

Layla suddenly called Ube.

Oh, you've made up your mind?

Ube smiles. While the two of them were discussing, the witch, who was bored leaning against the tree, slowly raised her torso.

Which way do you want to go?

"Tell me before you do."

"Just calm down," Layla said.

Where is the scope of the hide-and-seek?

Lilti is also convinced by the words, "Oh, I see."

That's the key rule that friends have to make when playing hide-and-seek.

If I could go as far as I could, it would be impossible for the demon to find an opponent.

Make sure you check that before you decide.

Ube nodded.

"Those are the stubborn ones."

Then I raised my left arm and drew a circle through the air in an elegant motion.

A large circle of light created by magic power spread out and rose into the sky, descending again into the depths of the forest.

"Let's keep it within the circle drawn by this line of light. It's definitely not too narrow, but it's not that wide either, because it's convenient to hide. It's big enough to cut off your legs as usual."

"Okay, that's fine."

Layla nodded, then looked at Lilty and hid her voice.

It's settled.

Huh?

"We are demons."

Ghost

Lilty repeated it repeatedly.

What do you mean, you're looking for it?

Yeah.

Layla nodded.

"That's better for us."

"... why?"

Lilti asked. If the scope is decided, why is it advantageous to look for it?

"We don't know anything about this forest."

Layla said.

“Oube, who has been waiting for us here, should see that he knows a little about this forest. Then, no matter how well we try to hide, it's likely they know where it is.”

Indeed, Leila is right.

Lilty nodded.

I don't know much about these woods, and I don't think Ube knows where to hide.

"I wonder if Ube is on the side of hiding." Perhaps there is a clever place to hide, indeed. But since we've decided the scope, we'll find it if we look for it. "

"... yes..."

Lilti nodded and even remembered how fast Layla's head was spinning.

If you say so, you're right. I can understand it myself.

Leila hasn't said anything difficult.

But clever enough to make the right logical decisions instantly in this tense situation.

Layla is different from us after all.

Lilti thought so sincerely.

"Is that all right, Lirtie?"

Yeah.

Lilty nodded.

“I think Leila is right. I feel like I can be spotted."

Layla smiles at the words.

"Thank you."

Then Layla turned to Ube.

It's decided.

Layla said exactly.

"We are demons." It will be the side that will find you in hiding. "

Ghost, that's right.

Ube nodded.

“All right, well, if you two look for it, you might find it soon.”

While saying that, Oube distorted her mouth.

Seeing the canine teeth peeking from there, Lilty was suddenly driven anxiously.

Whatever, this anxiety.

Even though Leila is right.

"Well then, it's settled. You're the demons." I'm going to hide. "

Ube says.

Lilty's anxiety grows.

Ube's expression.

I didn't choose you.

The demon was chosen.

I don't know why I feel that way.

"I'm looking forward to it. I wonder if I can hide well."

Ube said. Also, sharp canine teeth peered.