The Villager Who Grew Up Drinking Elixir Fountain

What you hear with a calm sleep is a voice that sings with pleasure.

The voice reached Sheila who was asleep. I was feeling well asleep because of it...... I thought so but Sheila's ears wake up picky and moving.

- I know this song!

To a nostalgic melody, a gentle voice.

Sheila gently slipped out of the room dressed to keep Lupica asleep next door awake.

It's still midnight, it's dark out there.

Relying solely on the light of the moon and the stars, Sheila walks toward those whose voices speak.

"This way?

The voice was just the back of Magi's house.

Looking around the house and peeking in, it was in a large backyard. There was one girl there with dark hair that blended into the darkness.

It's who Sheila expected.

"... peer"

"Huh?... Sheila!

When I called her by her name Pompous, the girl jumped this way with a shiny face. She seemed so happy, she hugged Sheila and wandered around.

"Wow, Peer!

"Because it was a pleasure to meet you! I haven't been to Sheila's village for a while, and this is how I've been looking for her, but I can't really see her... I'm so tired of her."

"I'm glad to see you, too."

The girl Sheila called Pia.

It would look about the same age as Sheila. He has glossy dark hair and is dressed in Japanese inspired clothing.

She's the one who was singing here right now.

But she is also Pia, the demon king that Lupica and the others were searching for.

Pier looks at Sheila as she tilts her neck.

"But why are you in the village of witches? I hope I saved you the trouble of searching..."

"Actually, I'm looking for Pier, the Demon King."

"Huh?"

"What an odd thing to have the same name as Peer."

…………

Pier thought.

This kid, could you be serious? and.

While Pia wonders what's going on, she tells Sheila the facts without hiding anything in particular.

"I wasn't particularly named, but I'm a former demon king. So I guess I'm the one who's looking for Sheila."

"Yeah eh!? Peer was the Demon King!?"

Sheila, who didn't know, is greatly surprised and looks seriously at Peer. But I don't know from the look of it that she's the Demon King, and Sheila doesn't know what the Demon King is all about in the first place.

- What do you mean?

"Was it Peer who cursed the plants not to grow?

If that's true, I despise it.

Sheila finds out her friend is the Demon King, and I hope not. But reality didn't work that well, and Pier shook his head vertically and nodded.

"That's right. It was a long, long time ago."

"But because of that, the spirits were in terrible shape. Even Peer loved the spirits. And yet, how did you do this!?"

Sheila's anger is good, but it was the humans who used the spirits, not the peers. Pier stares at Sheila, hoping she can't put that on again.

"Even I didn't think humans were so stupid! Don't blame me until you do what humans do!

Sheila opened her eyes to the vandalized voice of Pier.

"Oh, I'm sorry. That's right, Pia didn't catch the Spirit or anything..."

"I'm sorry I yelled at you too"

It's not like they want to fight.

Pier shook his head to calm his feelings and took a deep breath.

Sheila sees such a peer, then why? One question comes to mind: That's how Peer, who says he likes spirits, doesn't break the curse.

- Even the spirits would have been freed if they had.

Only on that point, I'm really not convinced.

Sheila and Pier have been friends for a long time.

Pier lived 'outside' rather than in Sheila's village, so he could not meet frequently. He came to the village from time to time, so we were playing together.

So even though we're friends, Sheila doesn't know much about Peer. And vice versa.

The wind breezes softly at night, and Sheila and Pier's hair swell.

"Hey, Pier. Break the curse? If the plants don't grow, the area will be destroyed. Besides, the spirits can't get energy from nature."

…………

Peer would know about that, too.

That's why Sheila thought this problem would be solved by now - though that's what she thought.

I can't do that.

"Huh?"

Listen to the words ruthlessly uttered, in Sheila's head. Why? Many words come to mind.

"... why?

Make sure Sheila squeezes her voice and asks why.

Pier stays silent for a while and doesn't try to open his mouth. Maybe for some reason, Sheila wants to help the spirits.

- Why aren't you snorting at me?

"Hey, Pier? Pia has always felt so good about me, and her magical arms are top notch... yes, it was Pia who taught me when magic didn't work."

"... right"

Sheila relieves herself and continues her words in response to Pier's call.

"I respected Peer for freely manipulating magic. That's why I've been practicing magic, and now I'm on a journey to see the outside world like Pier."

For Sheila, Peer was an admirer.

"So break this curse."

"I can't. All the spirits have to do is abandon this land and live elsewhere. Only the rest of us can destroy the spirits as a reward for their use."

"Pia!? Why, why are you saying terrible things? Sure, some people were bad, but I met a lot of people who were better than that."

Lupica and the party members, of course, but the maid who took care of them also did Sheila very well.

To those people, I wish I could perish... not very much, but I can't say.

When I hear Sheila's feelings like that, Peer doesn't snort.

"... why?

…………

Seeing Pier, who has been pushed to silence, Sheila grips her fist all the time.

Who would have guessed such a development?

"... Peer... go back to your room."

…………

Not knowing what to say, Sheila ran out with her back to Pier.

I can't believe my dear friend thought of humans that way, and that there were no more islands to tackle.

- At a time like this, I don't know what to do!

Sheila's head was a mess, and she felt the urge to scream.