"Are you calm?

"Yes, thank you."

"Go ahead. Keep your eyes cool."

Give Maria a damp cloth.

She cried too much and her eyes became bright red.

But my expression became a little brighter.

"Thank you."

I'm still a little confused, but I'm not as scared as I was at first.

I still feel a little nervous, but I feel a little closer.

I'll clean it up.

I'll clean up my breakfast.

Maybe we'll move soon after we hear the story.

"Oh, I'll help you. What am I supposed to do?

"Let's prepare tea and have some sweets.

I didn't do anything, but I'm a little tired.

I want something sweet.

I see. There's been a lot going on since yesterday. "

"Yeah."

My father will prepare tea, so I'll clean up after breakfast in the meantime.

Maria was wandering around a little and told to sit down with her father.

Nevertheless, Maria is thin.

That will make your journey difficult.

"The washing is over. I wiped it and put it all in my magic bag. And then... the garbage is fine. All right."

It's over.

It's not that many because I clean it up while making it, and it's easy.

"Good work. I made you a chocolate bar, but was that good?

Wheat confectionery bought in the village of Hattal.

Slightly sweet and crisp.

The chocolate inside is sweet and delicious.

After Lord Foronda has eaten it, I like it.

"Yeah, it's been a long time since I sold a chopper. I look forward to it!"

There are only bars without chocolate and some with dried fruit.

I like the black chocolate.

"It's not always the same taste as what you've eaten before."

"Looks similar, though."

Maria looks strangely at the chopper.

"Go ahead. It's sweet, crispy and delicious."

"Yes, thank you."

Make sure Maria eats before she eats herself.

Mm-hmm.

It's a little sweeter than the chocolate bar Lord Foronda gave me, but it's delicious.

Crispy.

Crispy.

Phew. It's delicious for a long time. "

"Yeah."

My father looks at Maria gently.

I wonder when we should start talking.

When I saw Maria, I ate all the chocolate bars and drank tea.

"Can I talk to you now?

"... yes. I'll talk to you."

"You don't have to talk about anything you don't want to talk about."

"Yes. Um... I came to Hatal Village at the age of seven. My mother is skilled. That's why there....."

Maria's expression clouds.

Did you tell the church to check your skills?

"Check your skills. My surroundings became noisy... and my mother went somewhere. I was in a dark room, and then I was alone. No one comes crying. Mom, Dad's gone."

Huh?

Look at Maria.

I think he's about 30, but he's been in jail since he was seven?

"Have you ever been out of your room?

"Yes."

Aren't they completely imprisoned?

"When you leave the room, it suits people. Grab my hand. Say what you saw. Other than that, it's always been a room. Oh, there was a cleaner. But I can't talk."

Does it suit people?

Church... nobility?

They only let me out of my room when the aristocrats came, and they made me do something.

Otherwise, they're trapped in a dark room.

The only person who fits is the one who comes to clean.

But if you can't talk, there's no point.

"Do you know when you were marked as a slave?

"I don't know. After I left the room looking for my mother, I noticed that she was beaten up. I can't talk anymore."

Awful!

Is that it?

You said, "Say what you saw."

What does that mean?

"Maria, you couldn't talk, could you? How did you tell them what you saw?

"Talk in front of Chathris. Nothing else."

Did you leave someone to talk to and make someone else talk to?

"Can you do that?

I nod when I see my father.

"Oh, I can do it.... one of the techniques used to obey a master."

Your father turns a blind eye to what he told me when he approached me and whispered.

Obedience!

Too bad

Maria looks at me with a strange look, shouting a little louder.

"Maria, what kind of person is Chathris?

Maria's expression fell apart in response to your father's question.

"Chathris, be gentle. I'll be happy when I see you."

The method used by the church has been successful.

When Maria talks about a person named Chathris, her expression becomes gentle.

I'm so lonely, I let only one person trust me.

Shit! Murmuring!

"Maria, do you know what your skills are?

Maria shook her head sideways in response to her father's question.

I see.

Your father's expression gets a little steep.

"You said 'say what you saw', but what did you see?

"About the person who held hands. Everyone hates it."

Maria trembles.

Maybe he remembered something he didn't like.

But what we're talking about right now... have you seen it in the future?

"Sometimes there's a black lump on your body. Turn it off."

Black lumps on your body?

Hmm?

"Where is that black lump?

Maria thinks a little about my question.

And what is it?

Maria has been acting a little strange since we started talking about skills.

Are you scared?

"It's the place with the most."

That way, Maria points to the part of her heart.

Next, say "here", stomach part.

I finally said "here" and pointed to my head.

"There's a black lump in there for now."

Inside... a black lump in your body?

You mean sick?

But if you're sick, you can handle the potion to a certain extent, right?

If it gets worse and you're out of health, I can't help you with the potion.

If we can get to Hattar Village, I'm sure we'll be fine.

"... what's a black lump?

I smiled bitterly at my father.

Probably a curse.

Curse?

But the curse can also be cured with a purple potion...

"As a nobleman, you can't let people know you're cursed." Are you buying a grudge against someone? 'and' Something terrible has cursed you, 'and speculation flies around. Even if it is true, rumors are unacceptable to hold back as aristocrats. That's why we need to break the curse behind closed doors. "

I don't know.

I still think it can be cured with purple potion.

"Shouldn't we use purple potions in secret?

"Most nobles curse nobles."

"Yeah."

"The curse used by nobles is a sophisticated curse. That's why you may need a lot of purple potions. What if there's a rumor you bought dozens of purple potions all of a sudden?

Oh, you're gonna find out?

Even though I need to train, I have people who use advanced curses.

How many people did you want to curse?

"Maria, can you erase that black lump in one go?

"I got it."

I see. She's a precious woman who can lift the curse in one go. So it's a sign of slavery. "

My father sighs loudly.

Maria, this is a skill…

"It's useless!

"Huh?

Maria stood up and shouted when her father tried to say something about her skills.

Maria, oh...

"No, I prayed. Every day, every day. So it's gone. I don't use it! I don't want to use it!

Maria screams at her father's words.

The expression is distorted by fear.

Skills are scary for Maria.

"Maria-san, calm down. You don't have to use it."

Grab Maria's hand as she stood up and trembled.

He trembled, but he squeezed my hand back.

"I don't need it. I prayed, it's gone."

I see. If you don't need Maria, you don't need her skills. I'm glad it's gone. "

"... really? Chathris, I'm angry. I was so angry... scared."

I wonder if a man named Chathris deserves a hell of a punishment.

"I don't need it... only trash can sell it..."

I wish I could go to hell!

"Neither I nor Ivy intend to use Maria's skills. However, we need to know the correct information. That's all. So you don't have to use it. Become, Ivy?

"Yeah, you don't have to use it."

When I nodded forcefully, Maria showed me a pleasant expression.

Good, you believe me?