Seirei no Moribito

Malice lurking in the village ②

(Oh, what am I doing...?

The next morning. Despite her early morning prayers, Laura's thoughts were full of self-loathing about the mistakes she made in her conversation with Leo yesterday.

(The corner dweller came to this village, so we had to set up a festival and make it a "tribute"! Why... why did I say that?!?)

I can still remember firmly word for word after night.

('Before you lose everything, please stand in this village'? "Otherwise, we'll get everything from you"? If I told you that, everyone would be on guard because they thought there was something behind them, and they'd disappear so no one would notice! Ah, my idiot!

I didn't put it on my expression on the boulder, but still Laura offered a prayer that she didn't even know what she was praying for at the earliest, in an attitude that seemed obviously lacking in focus from the side of her eyes,

(... why, what... Always, yes... always was. It must have been a great pleasure to hear from the village chief, but when you put yourself in front of him, he behaved like an “unwitch”... for some reason, his chest was full of guilt... so, you advise him...)

Laura sighed unexpectedly, letting go of her hand, which she thought any more prayers would lead to blasphemy, and stood up sighing again.

I don't care how you do your "witch” duties all day today. I walked out of the temple wandering with emotions I didn't know well, but my feet became unbound between the conflicting mind and the inexperienced Goto,

"Ahhh!

Someone's hand supported Laura's body with a single hair as she approached Kamiki, who had to cross to show the boundary with the temple, about to collide with the ground straight from her face.

"Oh, I'm sorry...... thank you, thank you"

Though she thinks she's a rare visitor at this hour, Laura looks up at the other person as she thanks the person who helped her.

"You're welcome. Young" witches ”in this village?

In Laura's eyes was Leo, a self-proclaimed mercenary directly linked to her current concerns.

I got a worried look on my affectionate laugh that didn't make me think it was white that was floating yesterday, and it looks like it's a good hit.

to help Leo take Laura's hand and stand up,

"Is it your job from this hour?

"... What the hell were you doing earlier this morning?

Leo's question was beautifully ignored, and Laura bumped into the question in the end.

The reaction of Leo to

"Come on, what do you think?

Without expressing it in any way on his face, he rumbles that he's making fun of people.

Though I thought I had to stay faceless, I narrowed my eyes slightly with an unbearable look without patience, and then pointed it to my lips without being satisfied,

"Are you making fun of me?

"No, I just thought you were a very young witch in this village."

"... you're making a fool of yourself"

Releasing her own hand to shake it off Leo's hand as she held it, Laura glanced straight at Leo from the front.

Because of the height difference, Laura stared at herself with her own best, even though she was really upbeat.

"Mercenaries? Sure, I am young, but I am nevertheless admitted to the position of“ witch ”by all the village chiefs and villagers. To insult me for being a" witch "would mean that I despise the village chiefs?

"... Dear Mercenary (...), Right. You said yesterday that you were a traveler about me, right? Changed the way you call me..."

Without answering any of this question, Leo narrowed his eyes and

"... do you mean you felt threatened about me?

Laura felt terrified by the definite hostility that had manifested itself there,

"... there's no reason for the village chief or us to be frightened of mercenaries! What, shall I prove it to you here now?!?"

"... if you can."

"Please don't get on with it!!"

Laura, briefly on the provocation, quickly lowered back and pulled a pin out of her head,

"The screaming of the roaring ground, the inexhaustible power on the bursting debris!" Earth Crusher "!!"

Sorcery was activated earlier than usual by the magic formations that had been prepended to it.

The ground between Laura and Leo caused a ground crack, and several debris emerged from between the cracks that were made. The debris gathered with the other debris and gradually increased in size as it fused, creating a mass over the sky that should be called rock rather than three debris.

"Go, go, go, go, go!

Laura attacked as she waved down the rock, completing the rock to the maximum number that Laura could activate.

Straight, to the rocks heading straight to Leo without any small work,

"... to the point of completion. Sure, you were right...... that's not a good place - this village is!

Mixing fierceness in a gentle grin, Leo pulled out the two swords he was raising on his hips.

Laura has never seen a duplicity before, and she's used to it.

"I'm coming......" Two Swords/Red Lotus Sword "!

I let the blade wrap a flame around me and completely crushed the three rocks in one swing. Behind it, crushed rocks were scattered in fragments, all shattered by perfect slaughter.

"Ugh... my, magic... in just one swing...!?"

Laura was stunned by the fact that she was lightly crushed by the overwhelming power of her own supreme magic, but to the grin Leo floated to show her room,

"Huh, then...!

Laura was completely furious and opened her mouth to make a magical chant that activated her still practicing back hand just to eliminate the threat in front of her,

- It's too late.

In a moment, Laura's neck was cut with a knife tip. As if it was there from the beginning.

(... I didn't even see the remnants...)

I was so quick to blink, I flesh-compelled Laura with my heart to Leo's strength, and still tried to move my body to resist from the will.

I don't think you can stop me.

He caught his right hand holding a jab with the other knife and was completely sealed in motion.

Laura distorted her face with remorse and desperately enjoyed not having tears as she stood in front of the rest of the villagers' next arm in the village.

"... what the hell are you..."

"Of course, I came to this village for a purpose. But that's not like harming you. [M] At least not now."

"... is that a threat to do harm if you change your mind?

"You're out of your mind... I'm not threatening you, and I'm not trying to make people obey you with fear or power. You may not believe it, though. Besides... what I call" now ”is a long time ago. For as long as you stay in this village as you do not harm me, I will not harm you either."

For example, he laughed funny,

"Trying to kill me in a drunken gap, if you don't,"

"Huh...!

"Later, I think it was poison that was planted in the dishes... that was dangerous. Most of all, the villagers didn't say anything, so I immediately realized it."

Instead of blaming the opponent, in such a way as to close the opponent's gap, Leo surely hunted down Laura, but abruptly let go of the knife that was poking him in the neck and right hand and tucked him in the sheath.

to Laura, who, surprised by the liberated facts, took two or three steps backwards to stay away from it, as she could,

"Can I ask you one thing, Laura?

"... what is it"

To Leo, who indicated in his attitude that he was not worthy of the earliest respect, Laura replied reluctantly, exposing her disgust at both the fact that she had been called comfortably and that she had spoken respectfully from the way in,

"Was the earlier“ witch "red-eyed on her blonde hair?

"... As such, the village chief has told us, what the hell is that?

"Hmm, I knew it..."

Leo stared at the distance with a thought face and did not return an answer to Laura's question.

Laura, whose anger was about to boil again too much of a humiliation, managed to sip a drink before the firm fact that she couldn't beat Leo, and decided to wait a while.

After he gazed at the distance, he looked back at the temple and then turned to the surroundings, not Laura.

"... do you think my thoughts fit?

From the side, it sounded solitary, but it sounded like Laura was questioning someone who wasn't there.

And that was right.

Suddenly, to a large group of pale but extremely trace lights lit around Leo, Laura fell through her hips from a double surprise.

One was that all of a sudden there was light in a space of nothing and

"Bi, the slight spirits... to man, reacted...!?"

There are two things that you can't see or hear while you exist, but that the micro spirits, which are an indispensable part of your normal life, have reacted to one human being.

(also, could it be... he is a "spiritual lover”...!?)

A reciprocal being who loves the Spirit wholeheartedly and is loved by the Spirit is said to be a "spiritual lover”. Apparently, the likes of Ogami appearing only in the literature were real and in front of them.

The micro spirits, felt because they were Laura, the “Witch of the Spirit Tree," returned whispers that could only be heard by him as he flew around Leo with pleasure.

"Yeah, well... right, guys. Thank you, thank you."

To thank Leo, the slight spirits lit a great light and then disappeared neglectfully, turning to Laura.

"Uh... what was that?

"... that's why I heard that my predecessor, the witch, had red eyes on her blonde hair."

Laura, reminded that she was no match in many ways, returned the words as if she were stubborn somewhere.

While Leo gave such a strange look at Laura's condition,

"Oh... well, one of the characteristics of the people of the West is red-eyed, and pale blonde hair is the hallmark of a clan hiding in the north.

... So maybe Laura... "

Spinning so many words, Leo suddenly shook his body around and fell to the ground.

Laura was never surprised by his sudden anomaly.

to the breathing sounds that are heard regularly, Laura exhaled heavily from relief,

"On the boulder, you didn't notice the sleeping pills mixed with alcohol and cooking... good..."

The village chief had given instructions to mix extremely trace amounts of sleeping pills into both alcohol and dishes before they could be taken care of if there was a reasonable margin for guessing that only dishes with a high degree of alcohol and poison could be prepared.

I sometimes wondered if it was necessary to do that, but this time they were taking care of alcohol and cooking. I chilled my liver wondering if sleeping pills wouldn't even work for Leo, who was surprisingly clever and lacking, but apparently it was totally unexpected.

Moreover, sleeping pills are delayed rather than immediate, and may have purposes such as putting the rest of us to deep sleep with drunkenness, and the sleeping pills continue to sleep as they stand for effect when it comes to the morning.

And it creates enough time to kill Leo and dedicate him as a "tribute”.

"... this man seems very cautious... but thanks to the village chief I managed to capture him"

Laura stood up and walked to Leo, touching Leo's cheek with her left hand.

"Perfect for" Spirit's Beloved "…" Contribution ”but comfortable if made into a handkerchief, I'm sure."

Knowing that she couldn't do that, she bullshit, and Laura stares Leo in the eye and squeals.

"... I admit it, Leo... you are strong. But... we win"

I have a grin that doesn't match the year, Laura says.

"You will be a" tribute ”for us... I'm curious about what Leo said, but... it's irrelevant. So..."

With a definite warmth in his left hand, he proclaimed himself a “witch”.

"- Die, Leo."