The picturesque rice cakes are delicious today

Lesson 14: Bouquets of Flowers for Thieves * 6

"... I feel a frightened gaze"

"That's right. He's watching. On a tree at two o'clock, I think." Oh, you don't have to look. "

As soon as they entered the forest, Crore seemed to have picked up Luster's sign. Exhale deeply.

"...... and you're flustered, that guy."

... yes.

Now we have a total of over 40 people. Walk in the woods in rows. That's not true.

That's why... it seems, Mr. Luster, you can't come out.

"What do you mean you can't come out after calling me?"

"If I were him, I'd give up coming out."

Well, I guess so.

The bones are clammy, the harpy is tingly, and the birds are kyonkyon. What a bustling crowd, each sounding its own way. Maybe it's an amazing sight for people who aren't familiar with us.... erm, I wonder if this is what the Hundred Nights Walk is all about. Well, there weren't enough monsters in 100.

Well, Crore, let's have some fun around the corner. Right?

When Fei, holding Harpuia's little one, came along, Crore retracted her sigh and began to stroke Harpuia's wings fluffily. Halpuia tickles, or she cries twitchingly, but she's still enjoying herself. Looks like he loves to be stroked by Crore.

So, Turtle. Is there a spirit in this forest?

"Hmm... I'm not sure"

Meanwhile, I don't feel the signs of the Spirit. However... I know that this forest is full of magic. I feel like there's a sign coming from the back of the forest that it's close to the center of my forest.

"I feel like there's something there, but I wonder if it's a spirit..." I don't really understand the signs, but I hope it's a spirit. "

I'd like to see my colleagues. [M] I was glad to have other Spirit Companions besides the Spirit Lord of Gorda. So I'm looking forward to it this time.

I hope you find it.

Yeah.

Nodding, I move my legs. The forest is a place where we are used to walking, so we are all able to move forward uncompromisingly. The monsters that move with us live in the woods, so I'm used to walking on irregular ground where the roots of the trees are bumpy and dead leaves are piled up and fluffy.

If Luster was watching us, I was wondering if it would be very difficult to follow us moving at such a fast pace... no, I guess she was surprised at this situation before that. Maybe that's not the point.

... four human beings, full of monsters. Such a quirky procession flourishes through the woods.

And......

"... hey, the signs have finally disappeared."

"That's right, hey...."

Laocles and Crore have an indescribable look on their faces.

What's disappeared?

"It's Luster's."

... eh.

"I'm a little surprised..." Crore said, giggling.

"It looks like you've given up for the time being." Good. Well, it's a pity I didn't see his amazing face... but let's leave him alone and explore. "

Um... well, if that's the case, I guess it's a good thing? "I'm a little sorry for Luster, but..."

Luster, I wonder if you're okay, or if you're coming anywhere again, or if you're thinking about that, you'll eventually see a big building.

"That's the mage's house." Look, you can see the snake statue, right? "

Crore shows you the roof.

... there was a snake statue there. Um... well, Nagoya Castle's shishaku.

"I didn't think there was a snake statue in this state."

"I see... this snake statue is in my memory, so it's helpful."

Yeah... When I was asked if I had good taste, I, uh...

"Hey, Crore. I don't know much about gringo." Don't all gringo guys have good taste? "

Faye replied with a bitter smile at her overly polite words.

"As far as I know, everyone is."

"Ah, is that so..." I heard something that might have been better if I hadn't asked. If all the gringo people were really [that]... if there were spirits in this forest... no, let's stop thinking about it anymore.

Then we looked around the mage's house.

The wizard's house was mainly made of stone and was a heavy structure. I wonder if it's some kind of magic that each stone has a mysterious sculpture.

... but it hasn't been used for a long time. I can tell from the exterior that the house is old enough for people to get away with it. The surrounding weeds are tall, and the moss and moss that erode the exterior walls of the house are very vigorous.

"It's not like there's anything out there... why don't you go inside?"

"I should probably do that. I'll take the lead, Crore."

"Yes, yes, I'm the tail." Please stay in the middle between Faye and Tougo. [M] All the Summoners are between Laocles and me. "

As Crore instructed, the monsters lined up in a row and formed a line of about two to four sideways. "Hmm, well behaved..."

When I was impressed by the monster...... the bird's voice rose. And as if protesting, the bird begins to gnaw at Crore. Hey, stop it.

"... oh, yeah. There's no place for the birds to line up because they're not summon beasts." Um... then, come with me to the tail? "

The bird tilted its neck slightly as Crore suggested so...... and snapped and stood beside Crore. "I heard you decided to stay at the end..."

Then we led Laocres into the Mage's house.

"I'm sorry to bother you... nnh"

When I dived in the front door while greeting you properly, at that moment, I felt like I was wrapped in some kind of fluffy blanket, and yet it was a little refreshing. "Even so, it's kind of like losing your strength to get sleepy..."

Turtle? What's wrong?

”Nh... it's kind of making me sleepy”

I wonder what it is. That was it. I thought it was some kind of magic, but for that reason, it didn't seem to have any particular effect on Faye, who was sensitive to magic. "Hmm..."

When I regained my mind, there was a large entrance hall.... when I heard about the mage's house in the forest, I imagined a small house made of trees, grasses, stumps, and mushrooms, but the actual [Mage's House] was built no differently than an aristocratic mansion. "Hmm, I was dreaming too much of becoming a [mage]..."

"It's so dusty!... it's dusty." Well, it can't be helped, though. "

Faye sneezes and then drops her eyes to the floor, making a slightly awkward face. There's a lot of dust on the floor, and it tells me that this is where it was left for a long time. And it's dusty. I'm going to sneeze too... ah, I'm not going to sneeze. "Ugh, it hurts. I want you to sneeze like this..."

"Faye, what about the detector?"

Listening to the voice of Lao Cres, who was watching ahead, Faye retrieved the seal detector from her pocket.

”... nh, I'm not reacting”

"I see..."

After all, I guess it's coming off here too. "Hmm..."

"But after all, this is the best clue." Let's start exploring and come to a conclusion. "

Well, that's true, too. Even if there weren't any sealed jewels here, there would still be a clue... Please, I hope you have some clues!

Then we searched the house.

Shelves checked each drawer to see if there were any hidden passageways, and in fact, sometimes found hidden treasures inside.

... no, of course not. We're not here to steal. I just drew something that bothered me. You might need to record something later, and it's fun to draw.

"Clue... do you have anything?" I'm starting to feel like I don't have anything..... "

"Well, without saying so."

While encouraging Faye to start losing a bit of energy, we keep looking for a place to stay.

... even after exploring the Mage's house, it was more like an aristocratic house than a Mage's house.

A table with ornate sculptures. Superior leather sofa. Cushion with great embroidery. The staircase leads upstairs in a large and elegant manner, and the blowout is luxuriously spacious. The dining room is decorated with chandeliers, and the fireplace is very elegant with iron latticework.

... all of them are old, coal, dusty, or broken or tainted by wild animals or thieves... but I understand that this used to be a very luxurious mansion.

It's a forest building, isn't it?

Lao Cres was very impressed. The Knights of Bones are somehow uncomfortable as they snap their bones. They've gotten used to the woods, so they might not feel comfortable in a place that isn't forest-like.

"I always thought there was something weirder in my old mage's house... like a medicinal herb or a lizard or a bat or something dried up." A bottle of medicine. A lot of magic stones. The grimoire... at least one of the magic papers came out. Now then, isn't this just an aristocratic mansion? "

Now put Faye's booing down... that's right. This is not the mage's house, really.

"To some extent, you can think that it was stolen or razed, but a little bit more... how did you do your job as a mage? Let's find a piece of that information and go home..."

Maybe Faye is simply interested in magic work. Faye herself seemed to like making magic tools, and well, I was convinced of that.

"... I see."

And Crore also walks with no sense of wandering, and rings out the marble tile floor.

"If there was a mage living here, it's strange that there was no trace of her magic work." That doesn't mean you don't have your own room. "

"Didn't I? I thought so too!" I mean, look at that! "

"I wonder if there's still a hidden room somewhere... but there's no sign of magic in particular..."

Crore moved his eyes... and suddenly closed his eyes to the fireplace. It's a fireplace with beautiful latticework. Then there is a sculpture of a snake on the edge of the fireplace. Of course, it's old, it's coal, it's dusty, and it's full of ash, not just that.

Crore stared at the fireplace...

"Bird, can I have a word with you?"

I called the bird. The bird flew in as soon as Ms. Crore called her.

Ms. Crore greeted the bird with a smile, showing the fireplace...

"There seems to be something here, but I don't really understand it." I wonder if you know anything about birds..... "

Then the bird pushes Crore away and sits in front of the fireplace, staring at the fireplace and tilting his neck... and...

... the birds have stuck their necks in the fireplace and started digging here!

The birds have no mercy. The momentum is amazing, so if you don't, the ashes will dance!

"Hey, hey, hey, hey! Be quiet!"...... * giggle *! "

"Now that I know what's going on, I'll be more careful... hehehe!"

Both Fay and I were a little far away, but we were damaged by birds. I'm sneezing!

”Your sneezing is so cute...”

In time, Mr. Crore was firmly distancing himself from the birds. "Ugh, tell us first, Crore-san..."

... by the way, Laocles didn't sneeze even though he was with us.... I wanted to see the sneezing of the plaster statue.

And after a while.

The birds look back as they chirp. The bird's face was completely covered in ash, but it was strangely boastful.

... behind the fireplace, there was something like an underfloor storage door and a handle.

"Maybe this is it." Hey, bird. Thank you very much. The boulder is the bird. "

Crore peeks into the door and laughs. The birds proudly stretched their chests, and gnawed. That's good.

And soon, Croa-san put her hand on the door...

"... oh? It's weird. I can't open it."

Having said that, he gave a slightly impatient expression.

"Um, I don't see the key... and I wonder if it's a magical seal... hey, Faye. Do you understand this?"

"Huh? Let me see."

When Crore gives Faye a place, Faye and, for some reason, the birds start to peek through the door behind the fireplace.

"Nhh... I see. I'm sure it's a magical seal."

Faye said that, and as she said, she scratched her head and came back to me, and Mr. Crore began to look at the door again instead...

... at such a time.

The birds began to tremble and tremble for some reason.

"I wonder what it is, as I watched the birds twitch and twitch..."

...... I heard a squeaking sound like "* giggle *!"

Simultaneously with that sound, a strong and sharp wind rushed through the room.

Bird feathers, damn it! and the ashes on the feathers of the birds sprang up all at once!

... as we watched in amazement, the feathers slowly returned to their original state and the ashes fell to the floor... and the birds trembled and shuddered after the feathers had completely calmed down, making a pathetic voice.

"... birds sneeze, too."...... * giggle *

This time, Crore, who had been attacked by ashes near the bird, sneezed cutely and sneezed the bird with her slightly moist eyes. Well, the birds didn't seem to bother me. The birds just squeak with a 'refreshing' face. Hmm, he's a little hateful.

"... nh?"

At that moment, Faye raised her mad voice and went to look at the door behind the fireplace again.... and.

"Unseal it, unseal it."

That's what I'm saying!

"Huh!? Why?"

"That's right..."

No way, look at the birds, look at Faye, look at the birds, look at Crore, look at Lao Cres, look at the monsters all around...

”... I just don't think the seal was lifted by the bird sneezing”

... oh, the birds are proud! I hate you! But I can't complain after the seal is lifted! Somehow, I feel like I've woken up! Oh, my God, this bird!

We lead Laocles into the hidden passage under the fireplace. By the way, this time the bird is on the answering machine. You can't put a boulder in a door this size.

"... oh, isn't this the time to be clamming?"

As he went down the aisle, Faye drowned out his voice. Certainly, there were some old signs of magic from the back of the aisle. I wonder if it smells like medicine or something like that. Unsurprisingly, it was close to the sign of the [Mage's House] I had imagined.

Somehow we were excited as we walked down the aisle and put our hands on the door...

... the door I put my hand on opened on my own.

And then, from the back... the eyes staring at us, winking.

A bigger serpent than my height was haunting us. [M]