The Witch, Who Once Was Called A Saint

"It was a pleasure. It was delicious"

"Then lady, now you come in full physical condition where you can drink. Let's both crush Ios."

Against Astraia, the shopkeeper laughed luxuriously as he received tickets and money from Ios.

Whether or not there's next...... no, I thought not. Astraia laughs vaguely and responds to it.

When I left the store, I was noticed that a number of guests were already in line and it was time for lunch.

"Lunch time, it was a little early, so maybe I'll be hungry by night, right?

"That's how much better. I think you should be hungry because it's a luxury night."

"I think it's always luxurious... is it a special menu?

To Astraia's question, Ios was grinning.

I can feel the affirmation from the smile, but I feel very uncomfortable.

(That's not something you can't tell me, is it?)

Could it be a special menu in a bad way? For example, if it's a menu that you can't eat unless you're hungry, you certainly might not be able to speak a bit. No, but even a training meal should taste better than it did during the war four hundred years ago. Yes, Astraia decided to believe it.

Ios was on a relatively sparsely populated path.

A relaxing and gentle breeze is blowing, and we also hear bird chirps slightly different from the fort.

"Peace."

"Oh. It wasn't like this when Kimyra was there, but you can see it calmly in the same view, right? I wouldn't hesitate to stretch."

"I can't do it if it doesn't work."

Even sand on my uniform makes me look bad.

With that in mind, Astraia said, I'll be careful, and I heard a distracted voice.

Gradually away from the whole city, continue on the cobblestones and climb the stairs.

I wonder what the hell is going on, but I'm about to breathe a little on the way. I want to talk about losing and weakening to an Ios who doesn't disturb one breath, but usually it's like flying without walking. Maybe my muscles are fading a little.

(... I hope I don't get muscle aches tomorrow)

Since it is not an injury, muscle pain is inevitable even in immortality.

At least this is fine tomorrow, because my body stays young - and so on, Ios looked back slowly.

"Are you okay? Shall we take a break? Or maybe it's a little harsh after all"

"It's okay. You don't have to take a break."

That being said, I know it would be unconvincing if the words themselves were interrupted.

Because right now, the place isn't the right place for a break.

But with that said, we can't rule out the possibility of being held up either. I definitely want to avoid such embarrassment. It is an option that must definitely be avoided in a place that may touch people's eyes.

"If Ios stops, I'll go first!

"Okay, well, let's go"

You'll be able to walk at Astraia's pace, Ios walks without causing Astraia's diagonal back. I didn't want Astraia to think I was tired either, so I moved my legs desperately.

I didn't feel like I had gotten very high when I was going one step or another. But once I turned back, I was surprised by the number of stairs leading down.

It's a height I can't feel like it would be over as soon as I could fly, but it was so hard to get up on my own feet this way - yes, I couldn't help but think.

Then he re-glanced forward and began to climb the stairs again one by one.

And finally, the staircase that leads to it is gone.

"I climbed out..."

"Good luck"

"I'm not tired!

I put the correction in reflexively, but if you argue with the way you let it cut your breath and hold your knee, it will be clear that it is only a strength.

Still, I couldn't say I was tired of Ios with a cool face.

"Here... what do you have?

There were stone walls a little lower than the chest on the stairs that climbed through, and larger stones instead of chairs and tables so that they could sit. The stone is white, but not of a painful colour to the eyes, a beautiful space. But that doesn't mean there's anything else.

I might want to sit down for now...... Ios, who, though I thought so, ran over Astreia, who stood up where he climbed out, kept going straight to the wall.

And I invited Astraia.

"Just for a second, come here"

Astreia responded to the invitation as she saw how Ios' hair looked windy and seemed to feel quite comfortable.

And alongside Ios, I got my hands on the stone wall...... and I was surprised.

……

"I can see the city here."

I guess it also has to do with the original terrain, the place I'm standing now would have been better if it was higher than I thought. And it was as if you could see everything inside the walls.

"Wow."

It's a short, simple word, but I could only give Astreia that word.

Speaking of height, it should be lower than the height I usually fly. But this is the first time I've ever looked down on the whole city like this. Astreia just rounds her eyes to a sight she has never seen.

"If you walk around the city, it's just a big building, but from here on out, it's all miniature and it feels kind of strange."

"Often, you come?

"I guess I took office and quickly found out about the city. I know how people move and feel, so I thought I'd like it here. After all, I want to know about the city I protect."

I don't know anything about it yet, but the look on Ios's face overlooking the city, I added, was mild. You must have liked this city, and I can easily imagine.

But.

"Hey, why did Ios come to thank you so many times?

If you like the city so much, you'll just have trouble bothering to get to the woods and such.

It is true that Astreia's home does not look like something she can live in from other people's point of view, it may just look like a cabin. But if you've been here many times, you've imagined that it's enough for your life.

Besides, if you think about it again, I think it's a situation where people get the wrong idea.

"At first, I was just going to say thank you."

"You said it. But it would have been nice to thank you once."

"Yeah. But you could be mad at me... but I thought you looked alike"

"... similar?

I could not imagine why Ios would have it, but Astreia tilted her neck to a word that would deepen her doubts even if told. To who? What? I waited for the word of Ios in all the whirlpools.

"At first, I felt like I looked kind of lonely when you were trying to push me back"

"Huh?"

No, you're not. I should have been seriously trying to chase you back at first.

"I wasn't sure what the look was at first either. But when I got to the fort, I felt like I was finally a kid."

"To Ios?

No, it wouldn't look alike.

I couldn't imagine Astraia resembling Ios.

I'm not as blamey as Ios, and I'm not a good caretaker.

I don't have a subordinate I admire or a boss I can slap lightly.

I don't have anything I want to protect as clearly as Ios.

Without worrying about Astraia, who frowned, Ios continued his words.

"I'm the youngest son of three brothers, and only one of them is a year away. My brothers aren't home, and my parents are barely home. I know we're all busy, and I know I shouldn't say I can't. So I've never complained, and on the contrary, I thought it was something I had to be proud of."

……

"But the house is too big for me to be alone. I want you to listen to me, but I can't say anything extra because I'm praised for not being selfish. I've always felt weird thinking I had to, but I thought I should, and I really don't want to."

I never thought the woods were too big.

Because I thought the only way to live without anyone involved was in the woods. So I'm sure it was just the right place. Because until Ios fell, people never even made it to that place before.

I bet you never wanted me to listen to you. If we talk, you may hear how you are seen from around you when you are no longer old.

The only time I go shopping is when I'm compelled to. That will be remembered if you stay long. So I didn't need to talk to anyone.

At the same time that words to deny it so came to mind all at once, it was impossible to pretend not to realize that I had the self to answer "right" to the words of Ios.

If you really wanted to push Ios back, you could have used magic too.

I can't deny that I was fascinated by the delicious smell of the meal.

If Ios destroyed it, he wouldn't have come again. If I did something that really pissed him off, I would have had hope without any problems.

But I couldn't do that because - no matter how much I denied myself, I was looking forward to Ios coming.

(... me, you're really halfway there)

I didn't know you could convince nearly four hundred younger youth of what you most denied. That made me laugh nothing but bitterness.

"I have no idea what's going on and I live in that place. That's why I thought it was weird. But, so, maybe, I'm curious..."

"... after all, Ios and I are different. Ios is much smarter than me"

But I don't know.

I can't believe I really wanted to talk to people, because I realized that, what the hell would change?

If I told you about myself, would Ios treat me the way I've always been?

No, more than that... can you stand yourself to be left out of your surroundings?

(I can't tell you, never)

Thanks for making me realize.

I would have been happier if you hadn't made me realize.

To conflicting thoughts, Astraia's fingertips were caged with strength.

What do I do now? Speaking of wanting to talk more, I believe it's a deception for a while. But not getting old will one day be impossible to hide. So should I leave here the minute I realize I want to talk to you? Then it would have been better to run back into the woods unaware.

"... sorry, I knew it was an extra thing"

"Ios is not bad. It's just that I'm stupid."

I haven't seen reality in a long time. The bumps just came around. Ios is not bad.

That's what I thought, Astreia applied force to her hands and arms, letting her body ride up against the stone wall.

The wind blows in from the front, eyes just slightly narrower. Where I can see it from here, I wish the answer had fallen. Twisting his body and sitting on the stone wall, Astreia thought that.

"You're not stupid. If you insist, I think you're so popular that you're stupid."

"In the end, that's not stupid."

"No, I'm not. More than that, give me a hand, will you?

"Hands?"

Astreia honestly offered her right hand, even though she wondered what it was to be used for.

Do you even shake hands? And, thinking about it, I saw how Ios could bring his hands closer to Astraia's, and I noticed that the wound was disappearing from the back of his hand.

"Hands, you fixed them"

"It was a scratch."

"Good."

"It wasn't so much an injury as an injury,... Oh, but if it was an injury, it was also a reason. At first, I was interested in bandages that I didn't like so much, kids that wrap up so hard... and I could do it."

"Huh? Done?

"Yeah."

Seeing his hands go away with that said, Astraia noticed something shining on her fingers. Blink your eyes and realize that's not a mistake to look at, now bring your own hand closer to the front of your face.

There was a ring with blue stones on it.

"This"

"Because I thought it looked good. People at the store told me that if I don't know how big my fingers are, I should stop, because rings mean exorcism around here."

I've never worn an accessory except for a demon stone pendant.

Everything I get as a reward is just on redemption. But that's why I know.

"Ha, looks expensive"

"... I hope you don't say that"

"But I can't give anything back."

"I thought it would look good on you. The colors of the magic stones, they were fake."

Ios, with his head on and his hair messed up, had a rare and fast tone.

The condition was a little strange, unlike usual, and Astreia blew it small.

"... do you like it?

"Yeah. Glad to hear it. Thanks, I'll take care of it"

"If that's the word, I'm happy"

At that time, one bird approached us with a characteristic chirp.

When Astraia was surprised at the sudden, the bird had not hesitated to rush to the front of Ios, where he was feathering the bass and the feathers. Whatever you think of that, Ios had business, he complained all over his body.

Ios laughed bitterly at such a bird, while giving him one dried meat removed from his pocket. Then the bird flew away just saying it had done its errands. Followed with his eyes, it seemed to be headed for the fort.

"Too bad, sounds like a good time. I've got orders to go back to the fort. That's a message from the captain."

"Speaking of which... you were told it would be late, weren't you?

"Yeah. And tonight was called a fancy meal, remember?

"Yeah, yeah."

What's the connection between those two?

Ios gave a naughty look to Astraia, who could not be tied together properly.

"It's a feast. Kimyra Crusade."

"Huh?"

"Now, don't get mad if you don't bring the lead back"

Ios, who had lowered from the stone wall to hug Astraia, who had not swallowed the words, still seemed to have fun.