The Branded Female Fencer

"I'm home."

"Oh, Lisa, it's you"

"" "Welcome back!!!" "

"How have you been, these little ones?

"It was hard for Thomas to bring it to me ~"

"Don't bully me, right?

"You're gonna have to stop for a second."

"Huh! Huh! Nellie took my doll!!"

"I didn't just borrow it!

Lisa's house is a terrible mess. No, it's not exactly Lisa's house. It is not even a temporary residence, just loaning empty houses around the area on its own. No one complains because neighbors or land owners have Lisa holding a firm weakness beforehand. I even deceived the city's registry. It also comes a little into Lisa's ear that is annoying, but it is also true that no one can help.

There are only about 9 orphans living here and no older person than Lisa. That age is 10 for Lisa's next oldest Jake and only 4 for the youngest Thomas. Anyway, Lisa herself is an orphan in the first place, so it's inevitable.

Lisa desperately makes the request because she needs to feed them all. At first I picked up Jake, but with every year I grew, the numbers went up. As a result, Lisa's income gradually prevents her from catching up on her earnings. This time Lisa spoke to the Alphilis because there was a possibility of a large request. Otherwise, Lisa is not so flirtatious as to get her hands on such a suspicious request.

"I bought something to eat for now. Lisa's going to be late tonight, too, Jake? Regards, little ones."

"Sister Lisa again, is it too late?

"Because I have to receive the reward exactly. Now that you've done a good job, you'll earn a lot of money."

The children's faces glorify Lisa's words.

"Well, can we buy new clothes?

"It's cheaper to buy fabric and make our own!

"It's time for the leak to get bigger, so that's your priority."

The doors are coming, too.

What about my doll?

"Be patient with that!

"Wow! I want a new doll!!"

"... okay. Let's get some Mirce dolls so we can buy them."

"Sister Lisa, really?

This is not what children under the age of 10 are talking about. It was really Lisa who wanted the kids to grow up with nothing to do, but not at their sensor rank either. Besides, you don't earn a medium high income just by looking for people and asking to find things.

The truth is, if I was asked to leave the city like this one, I would earn a lot of money, but I was worried about leaving the young children alone for days. Since I realized that I was a blind woman again, and apparently not that bad looking, no, I was pretty much a favored figure if I did poorly, I refused all the requests to work with a man. If I were a man, how many times might I have cursed Lisa? But again, Lisa could never have had the option to abandon the children.

And then Milche builds expectations on Lisa's words, waiting for a response. As for Lisa, I didn't want to be the only person who would betray the expectations of these children.

"Has Lisa ever lied?

"Yeah."

When Mirce sifts, he shakes his neck to the side.

"Then be a good girl and wait, okay? I'm taking the day off tomorrow. It's been a long time since we've all spent together."

"Lisa, sister, are you home!? Yay!

"Lisa, I need you to read to my sister."

"Lisa, hey, let's go with me!

"Where did Ruth learn those words? You know," 10 years early, "right?

"Ruth became a pussy."

I'm sure the kids will shake. Feeling the sight, Lisa smiled unexpectedly. This was why Lisa couldn't leave the city. But this time it was also strange to Lisa why she received dangerous assignments such as the Demon King Crusade, even though her life was quite stuck and she wanted to be highly rewarded. I've been avoiding the smell if it smells any more dangerous, but when I realized it, I was pulling the hem off the alphilis. It was also Lisa's first experience that she didn't understand her actions, her emotions.

And every time I see the children smile, for some reason, the back of my chest is no longer Lisa. Lisa doesn't even know why. It was too much discomfort to push it into the back of my chest because of my chi.

At that time, I accidentally hear a voice from behind.

"Ho, is that why Nushi works"

"... to which extent?

"Lord Lisa, I apologize for the unexpected visit."

Soon, Alberto stood at the door with Sister. No, from a standing position, is Alberto being taken by Sister?

"(I didn't know Lisa wouldn't notice until she was approached so close, who?

"Let's apologize for the sudden visit. Then I have something to tell you. Forgive me if I can't."

"What is it here, please go to the back room. Jake, Lisa needs to talk to this Sister. You'll be all right. Have dinner with everyone."

"Okay."

Miriazal also urges Alberto to watch a boy called Jake try to move the children.

"Alberto, take care of the kid."

"Okay."

Lisa prompts the room where she eats her meals, taking care of the heads of the anxious children. And I headed with Sister to the back room.

"So, which is it?

"This was rude. My name is Sister Millie. There was something I wanted to ask you. You're allowed to visit all of a sudden."

"If it's a regular request, would you like me to go through the guild?

"I want you to treat me as a regular request, but I can't get the guild through. I'm not going to cut the reward for that."

"I see, was the Demon King Crusade your request"

"It's not exactly dull."

"Naturally."

The two engage in a conversation as they explore the inside of their bellies.

"So, what is a request?

"It's easy. I want Alphilis and Miranda to accompany me in the future. semi-permanent. The reward is to take care of the little ones here for the rest of my life."

"... you're a good hostage. Is it more of a threat than a request?

Lisa turns to Miriazal with a stronger eye. I'm not actually seeing it, but I do that unexpectedly because of my habits when I was blind.

"This, don't take things obliquely like that. I suppose that would be a breakdown condition."

"Why?

"How will the lords, who have no parents and no family registration if they do poorly, live from now on? The kids may still get more. But can you live up to the demands of this city? What if there was another fire when you weren't home? What if the robbery comes in? What if your lord dies at the client again??

That possibility that Miriazal points out, Lisa didn't even think about. But there is no solution, and I have tried not to think of anything as inconvenient as possible. I wonder how grown up Lisa seemed in that respect, but she was also still a child.

"... you just say things you don't like"

"If you're the head of the family, you should think about it. Perhaps now is a good time. Without learning, family registration, skill or anything, working properly is not easy. Know the world as children grow up and range of action increases, greed also, want to try themselves out. Then those kids, blind to the day, will soon be dying their hands in crime. Theft, extortion, prostitution... there may be murder."

"You can say as much as you want. Lisa won't let that happen!

"No, you can't."

"What do you know!?

Rarely did Lisa bare her voice.

"I don't trust adults or anything! Abandon and abuse children at their own convenience. I've had enough of those sights! Lisa will try to raise them!

"Then you can't do that like this. There doesn't seem to be any major problems right now, but if there is one problem, this kind of life will soon collapse. Instead, it's a miracle it hasn't broken before."

"Then what do I do?!?

"Then I'll tell you I'll keep the eagle. I have seen so much as rot what happens to children without parents. I don't like that anymore. Mostly drowning. Often bought as slaves and attacked by perverted consolations, or demons and warcraft... not locks"

"... who the hell are you?

"Aren't you keeping your imagination?

Miriazal, you have an invincible grin. Lisa hesitated to see if it should be put into words, but decided that silence was futile.

"... at least, more than an Arnelian bishop. Probably the supreme bishop..."

"What makes you think that? I'm not exactly that young."

"Alberto said 'Master Miranda'. It shows that he is in a position to use veneration for his status more than a bishop. But it didn't seem to make that much of an identity difference from where you stand when you act or from the trick. That's what happened earlier. He was like a loyal watchdog, just waiting for your orders. That means your position is higher than that of the bishop."

"Hmm, so?

"I wonder if your willingness... to combine presence with so much magic is just to the extent of an archbishop, if demon kings, demons, etc. should have already been abolished from the world. I didn't even imagine the supreme bishop was a monster."

"Do you understand that much? Fantastic!"

Patti Patti and Miriazal honestly applauded. But Lisa had started sweating sloppily earlier. That could be it. I didn't know at first, but now Lisa knows how strong Miriazal is. Should it also be said to be a by-product of the battle against the Demon King? An overwhelming presence, perhaps enough to make it a twist, such as the Demon King we fought yesterday.

The very existence of such a level of demons was already far beyond Lisa's imagination, and she sincerely regretted raising such a dangerous presence in her own home again.

"(Hey, what a... what a amount of magic and chi! The demon king we did yesterday is like a child compared to the presence in front of us... if such a presence is hostile to Lisa and the others, it's impossible to survive any way. I need to get rid of just the little ones somehow... but if Alberto is a true knight to this guy, he has no more hitters)"

My thoughts spin dizzily in Lisa's head. but I don't care what you think, I can't find measures. Such an inside of Lisa, Miriazal connects the words.

"No need to shy away from those who know so much, let me show you who I really am. Alberto is the second person alive to show you this. I never even showed it to Miranda. Pleasure, usually only show to those who kill."

But the words were no longer heard by Lisa. They immediately perceived Miriazal's swelling mind. She managed to tremble on her feet, but couldn't get over it, and Lisa came to the spot.

"Ah... ah..."

My figure deforms to Miriazal. The body is wrapped with golden fur, and the tail grows. This time he wasn't transformed enough to change his face, but his appearance was clearly different from that of a person.

And the slowly approaching Miriazal feels like a very distant event for Lisa, who is too overwhelmed and confused. Eventually from Miriazal, who came to Lisa's sight, his tail extended and wrapped around Lisa. Lisa can't be slight. The emotion that came into its heart was a despair of self-helplessness that could only be frightened without success and could not protect the children.

"(Lisa... will she die here...)"

Thoughts cease before overwhelming power, and nothing can be thought of. All there is is is fear of death. I can feel my tiny self scared to death, but I don't feel real. Maybe this is what happens when you die. When Lisa thought so,

Fluffy...

And I was struck with my head. I don't know what happened to Lisa and I'll do it right.

"Mm, doesn't the tail of the eagle feel good? I'm pretty proud of you."

"... what?

"What do you think you're gonna do to me?

"... confusing, conchishaw"

Lisa sighs.

"I thought they were gonna kill me."

"If that's what you want, don't say hello. If you want them to trust you, you have to show them good intentions."

"So is that. By the way, why the tail?

"Do you have someone who can help you?

No, Lisa doesn't know what you're talking about.

"Children should be sweet to the Lord. Then to whom does your Lord sweeten? You can still be sweet on someone."

Lisa's eyes open wide. Never before have such words been uttered. I've never thought of it as sweet for anyone. Even my real parents wouldn't let me do that. Something hot creeps up in Lisa's eyes.

"Hey... hey..."

"Hmm? No, I'm worried about you looking at the Lord through the demon. Once upon a time, when it was hard for me, there were people who would give me a head like this. It was a very happy memory for me, and I would have been in a position to be called the Demon King by now if I had that person. Perhaps I should have stayed beside him the whole time, but unfortunately such a time was not long. I guess these things are in order. That's why I wanted you to know that there are people watching over you, too. As it is, the Lord will be no sooner than the children. Wouldn't you rather the Lord live as He pleases?

"Free more..."

I repeated so that Lisa could bite the word off.

"And eventually the children will leave the Lord's hand. Those who raise them must do so on that basis. so that the children can be properly independent. The role of Washi and the others is to provide children with choices so they can grasp their own future. To do that, first, your Lord needs to grasp your life."

"Really..."

"Does the tail of the eagle feel good, by the way?

"Yes, very..."

"Well, well, well."

Miriazal laughs proudly, fumbling. Lisa could stay for a while, but I had doubts, so I thought I'd ask.

"I need to ask you something, okay?

"Yeah? Well, it depends."

"Why would a demon be in a church priest or something?

Lisa thought demons were not compatible with humans. That would be a common perception for the whole world. I can't believe that the head of one of man's greatest forces is a demon or something.

"The longer we talk... well, it's not even enough to hide it. The eagle is a very rare species. Now my people other than the eagle have died. The furs and tails of the eagles are considered invaluable. He didn't have much power as a demon, so he kept being targeted by humans and demons alike."

Miriazal remembers the old days. By the time she was born, the seeds were already doomed.

"It was a long time ago... but I'm even more of a stickler. The number of tails is usually four, but there were only five. That's why I was persecuted by my own people. There were no more than 100 of them in total. It's really boring. Humans, demons, all worlds are the same. Fear and scorn those who are different from men"

"My people chased me, I was chased by demons, I was chased by humans... and when I realized I was lost in a human village. I'm being chased around, too. I had one woman cover me when I decided I was ready to go this far."

"To humans?

Miriazar snorted firmly at Lisa's words.

"Bye. She used healing magic, even though the concept of witchcraft was not yet popular. The villagers took care of it very much. Well, more than that, I had a great personality. Whatever it was, she helped me and took care of me very much. I used to get my head on her lap. Sooner or later, the villagers will be better for me. I feel like I got my place for the first time."

"I thought I'd pick the flower for the woman, so I left it in the woods for about half a day. And when he returned, the village was attacked by demons and wiped out. I hated demons, but Kansai was weak at the time. Nothing could escape... and the eagles who managed to survive were trained, and decades later, their demons were uprooted from the world by race. Then..."

Miriazal keeps it for a while.

"I'm just annoyed that it's all over. The villagers are not coming back, and their lives are not coming back. There's no purpose in life, there's really nothing left for me to do, and help the fallen as I wander around. That's a big thank you to me. To the demon eagle. Why? I thought so, but when I looked closely at myself, I somehow stayed the same as a human being. Because I've been thinking about fighting the villagers for all this time? I don't know why."

"At will?

"Almost. It just takes a lot of strength to change the skeleton, so I don't feel comfortable. The woman who helped me with the face is apparently the original. Either way, I started to go around helping people. He started following me, too. My first man. Shit. Then the number of things that behaved together with the eagle grew one after the other, and it became Arnelian today after the twist."

Lisa was convinced when she heard the story so far. I'm surprised Arnelianism was established like a yuki, but I don't think Lisa would be wrong about what she's doing herself.

"I see."

"Then help the orphans, it's a daily tea meal. Don't worry. Yeah. Even orphans are properly educated and grow up fine if given the opportunity. I serve Arnelianism, but I have the mouth of an officer in other countries. From orphans to knights, to towns, to nations. The Lazars were not orphans either."

Lisa had no words. Miriazal continued to be a human protector in distracting years. And it will continue to be. She might be trustworthy. It's ironic that the first person you trust is a demon. No, you already trust Alphilis, too, or yourself.

"So, we talked about the eagle, but what about yourself? Anyway, I haven't told anyone. I don't think this is a good time to talk about it."

"Would you like to hear it?

"Well, either, actually. Yeah. But if you don't talk, your Lord's heart will lose its equilibrium. Apparently, the Lord's past is burdensome and untreated by himself. You don't realize it yourself, no, you're not conscious on purpose."

"You, are you a sensor?

"It's not a year's work! Cuckoo."

A demon laughing happily. But she might be more trustworthy than anyone else. Besides, I'm sure I look like her. Lisa thinks so and remembers her past. I was rare in the Middle Plains and alone in the snow that snowed. Well, maybe Lisa should free my mind from that place already.

"If it's boring Lisa's past, listen to me"

"Fine. Let's hear it loose."

I can give my head to Miriazal, who is smaller than me.

That's how Lisa remembered her oldest memories...

Continued