Vermillion

Silver mushroom hair situated in a quiet space.

I remember the first time in the game age, on the field, when I encountered a contractable spirit. Even then, I was surprised by the spirit that appeared abruptly in front of me. Although the contract could not be concluded because the conditions could not be met.

Slowly, in a fearful manner, Kay and the others approach the person.

"I'm sorry, there she is."

Speaking up, a man who was eager to read some kind of file creeps back.

The moment I saw that face, Kay accidentally almost laughed. When I was in my late fifties or something, I had dumpling nose on my round face, drooping eyes, and a loving face somewhere.

And there, this hairstyle. A well-maintained mushroom cut to the point of lying. If you come closer, your forehead was also stunningly vertical.

but not at the level of disrespect such as blowing out the moment you see your face in the first person, so you push and kill ridiculous feelings with the will of steel.

"- Something?

"… of the editor, Mr. Valgren-Kremlat, although you will see"

"Hmm. Whatever, I'm Valgren-Kremlat, but you..., no, wait"

Mushroom hair - again, Valgren's gaze swings between Kay and Irene.

"Your face looks familiar to me. I'm sure he wasn't the winner of the martial arts tournament, in the shooting division. His name is Kay-Nogawa."

"Exactly. …… when martial arts tournaments, on the ground?

"Yeah, I've been watching, what's your activity. In the distance."

I'll try to wink with tea glare, Valgren. But - I felt Kay saw a light in those eyes, somewhere and without alarm. My intuition tells me that my hair is going to confuse me, but I'm not just an old man who likes people.

"- What can I do for you, my lord, the winner of that tournament?

With a smile, Valgren. Get back on your mind. Kay has one cough,

"It's thick when I first met you, but I actually need you to fold in and do me a favor"

Roughly describe what I learned about Valgren in Encyclopedia's "Land of the North", "Forest of Demons" section, and Kays' purpose - to go to the Forest of Demons, etc.

"- So even you, the expert, wanted to give you an opinion."

"…… Hmm. I see."

Valgren, who made him laugh from his face and nodded small, glanced at the window nearby.

Before noon, gentle sunshine plunges in. On the other side of it, a white dove flies with wings.

Slipping his hand into his nostrils silently, Valgren took out his pocket watch. Pale light leaps on the dial - a magical clock. Check the time and close the pussy and lid.

"Right, what are you talking about, Kay? Let's sit down. And your daughter."

Quick as you can tell, Valgren sits on the couch nearby with his sleaze. Mimicking that, Kay also sat across from it, followed by Eileen sitting down next to Kay.

A fuzzy, sitting, deep green couch. The exterior tension is made of moist silk and the fine floral embroidery is petite. I've been sitting on my back many times now, but it's so smooth that I caress it by accident every time I sit down.

"... Now, before we continue, I'd like to hear a few more."

Valgren, who laid herself loosely behind her back, pokes her cheek wand with her elbow hanging.

"Whatever."

"First, I want to know your motives for the purpose. Why are you so interested in the legends of the Misty Gentiles and the Devil's Forest? And I don't know why you actually wanted to visit The Devil's Forest - excuse me, but you guys don't even look like enthusiastic history apprentices, and the North is too far away for you to go with your interest. Besides, your daughter is seen as a snowflake, but she's probably more familiar with it than I am."

Interesting, then quiet eyes look at Kay.

"…… right,"

I saw Eileen for an opinion, but she just shrugged her shoulders. I'll leave it to Kay, apparently.

Having decided that there was nothing worse to hide the information than asking advice from an expert, Kay decided to be somewhat honest in explaining their situation, including their own.

"Actually, we could both be the Misty Gentiles."

Concepts such as games and other worlds are blurred and explained in order. I went into the white fog, where my memory was interrupted, and I was in the meadow of 'here' if I noticed -.

"- Where are we 'here'? I also want to find out if I have the means to go back to 'home'. I was hoping the clue might be in the Devil's Forest."

…… I see. "

Valgren listens to Kay explain and does his gaze in the hollow. As he sank into his thoughts, his right hand went to the top of his head - but he stopped moving perfectly before his fingertips touched his hair, pulling his hand in without doing anything.

"I mean, what. You guys figured out how to get home, and eventually you want to leave the Principality - is that what you mean?

"No, I don't know if I'm leaving. As far as I'm concerned, I don't think this is a bad life. But I just want to be clear about what happened then."

"Hmm. Is that your lady, too?

"What?"

Suddenly Valgren tells the story, and Eileen shudders her shoulders tingly.

"O, I... I just want to be clear and then think about whether I can go home or not"

"Is that so………"

…………

To Eileen's lost tone, I don't know what I found, but Valgren nods over and over again.

Kay was silent.

"… Well, I see what you're here for. Well, I think the Devil's Forest is an interesting place for you."

"Does that mean it's worth going to,"

"Right. You can say there is."

Valgren, who laughed lightly, lurks his voice as if to tell a secret story,

"- Actually, I've been on the ground, too. In the Devil's Forest."

Unexpectedly, Kay and Irene embarked on themselves. Apparently, this guy named Valgren, he's not just a scholar-skinned man.

"It's also... I didn't know you were going out"

"What, you're escorting an old dispatched sorcery division, you haven't stepped inside the boulder. There's just 'something' in that forest - this is for sure. At least there's something powerful over there that's enough to trigger the kind of metastasis you've been experiencing. Our investigation didn't reveal a big deal, but if you go, you might see something different again."

Laughing thinly, Valgren sat back deep on the couch.

"…… In that sense, it would be worth going. For you."

The words, while modest, were full of confidence. Keeping quiet, the Kays indulge in it.

"…… I knew I had to go."

Pompous, Eileen shrugged. The eyes are sharp at the crack of the small size of that voice.

"Right."

By contrast, Kay just nodded. At least I didn't have any reason to disagree.

"…… Mr Valgren. I still think we should go there."

"Yeah, that's okay."

"However, I know that this is also a thick request - but if I can, which route should I go, etc., can't you teach me?"

"…… Hmm. As far as I'm concerned, I'm not stingy, but I have one condition."

Unexpectedly, Kay and the others find themselves in Valgren with a meaningful smile.

"... what, even if you don't feel that way, it's no big deal. You guys are from far away than the Principality, aren't you? Then I wonder if they also have some rare knowledge that I don't know. - Hopefully, instead of me teaching you about the North, you'll share some useful knowledge with me."

The point is give-and-take, Valgren says.

"Useful knowledge, or..."

Ugh, Irene looks up and glances at her lips with her fingertips. Kay also thinks arm in arm.

Kay was thinking about various things such as science and technology, tactical theory, and telecommunications using electricity, but he looked at the blue sky outside the window and came up with a fu.

"……… Mr. Valgren, are you familiar with" astrology "?

"Astrology... is that fortune telling you to watch the stars move?

"Yes, there's a way in which you can almost certainly tell the weather up to a week from now if you look at the stars in its development system, but I wonder"

"Wow! That's funny"

Astrological weather forecast. Valgren's eyebrows bounce pickly.

"How accurately can you foresee that?

"The weather the next day will definitely hit unless you misread it, but in relation to color and brightness, it will be so hard to read that it will be the weather of the future. Specifically, there are seven stars that can be seen at the top of the sky, regardless of the season."

I will explain briefly while also changing gestures and gestures. Rubbing and unwrapping around his jaw, Valgren always looked intrigued.

"Hmm, that's pretty funny. I've never heard the story of looking at the stars and knowing the weather that precisely.... but just explained by mouth, I'm not sure. Kay, would you mind telling me while I look at the opportunity and star with you? Let's hit it with our hands."

"Of course, no problem."

"All right. Shall I finish my advice to you first? I'm a little busy, too, and I'm running out of time."

"That's …… I don't mind as this one, okay?

Kay eats a shoulder watermark for the light acknowledgement, even though he didn't give any particular evidence. Valgren laughed niggardly as he tapped his temples with his fingertips.

"What, if that's true, is that if you actually try it, you'll know as soon as you can. If you were fooled, you and I would have been human to that extent. - Well, let me tell you the route I went through, and the information on the nearby tribes. Was the map of the northern earth on this floor?

If it's a map, it's right here.

As soon as Valgren tries to float his hips off the couch, Eileen takes the folded parchment out of the small pocket and spreads it over the low table in front of him. The map of the North, which was open to the public, was modeled on a paid library service.

"You're ready. Speaking of which, ma'am, I don't think you heard the name."

"Eileen. Eileen-Robachevskaya. From a tribe that is not a people of the snowfields but resembles a people of the snowfields. Greetings, sir."

"Haha, nice to meet you"

To introduce herself to Irene, who is full of tea, Valgren breaks up with each other. Irene, it's an innocent smile that goes right into people's nostalgia.

"Now, about the route, but first we go to the buffer city of Dylannylen."

Peek into the map as you poke your forehead together. Kay took the note paper out of his hip porch and began writing down Valgren's advice.

†††

Then, until after noon, Valgren gave the Kays detailed information.

Initially, the Kays considered the shortest route to cross the Aria River eastward, northward along the river, and then eastward through the mountains, but Valgren said the route was full of night thieves and seemed dangerous on a two-person journey.

Instead, a route was proposed by Wolvern northwards on Brachiya Avenue and eastward from the commercial city of Beryansk. They say this one is safer than the other because it avoids poorer patterned settlements.

"It's been a more meaningful time than I thought."

"Yeah, but who is that old man?"

Eileen roars in arms as she returns to her inn for lunch.

After finishing his conversation with the Kays, Valgren peeled off his pocket watch and flew back somewhere after eating a bubble that he "stayed too long". Apparently, the astrology thing is going to go all the way to Kay's lodging.

"What did you care about that pocket watch, it was a magic ceremony...... if I bought it, it would be mecha expensive, alle"

"The decorations were amazing, too. Don't let the gold blow."

Though the outfit was the one weaving wild robes, that just seems like camouflage. But with that distinctive hairstyle, the identity is likely to be immediately revealed when the clothes are changed - is it a public secret?

…………

Kay and the others walk in silence through the noisy afternoon city. From the children's running alleys, there was a smell of soup that seemed delicious.

Been living in Wolvern for over a month. The familiar streets look different now. The presence of a direct note from Valgren, which was cherished in the nostalgia, is heavy.

- Leaving this city.

That fact gradually, gradually, contours in the Kays.

At the end of the street, a deformed beetle was seen hanging a jock with one hand. "HangedBug" pavilion. Kays' permanent residence. The dining room was crowded, so Kay and the others returned to the room once.

It no longer feels like our own home, room 203.

Looking again, at some point there was more sesame stuff in the room. It is a nail clipper, a small vessel to keep dried fruit in, or a little convenient side table when there is one.

Of course, if you're traveling to the North, you can't have it all.

"…… it's time to pack."

Pompous, Eileen shrugged lonely.

The messenger from Valgren arrived three days later. In the early morning, a tall great man came to the inn as if he had forced a knight into his plain clothes.

"Are you Mr. Kay-Nogawa? I shall convey your words from Mr Valgren-Kremlat." I'll wait tonight at 8: 00 at the south gate of the First Wall. "I told him."

Why should I let myself do this? With my face, the man told me all about it and left.

"…… What? People of today."

Jamie, who happens to be on the spot, looks strange with the laundry cage in his hand.

"Someone I know, or something."

"Phew.... handsome."

To Kay's answer, Jamie disappeared toward the washroom, whining, "Oh, I don't know if he's rolling handsome around there," he said.

"I mean, you're definitely not a civilian right now..."

"Stand and behave and speak, but no matter how you think about it, you're a cavalier."

Hissing, Kay and Irene exchanging words in the corner of the dining room. The strange air in the dining room is also due to the fact that the man came in slightly inside.

"In the first place, wasn't the castle gate already closed at 8: 00 at night? I don't think he lives outside the First Wall."

"... I guess there's as much tsu (...) te (...) as I can do about the gate"

At least the wooden noblemen have no right to speak to the opening and closing of the gates. The aura is seeping out after all.

(- That old man, smells the same as Mayor Bennett in Taaf village)

It's a seemingly popular favorite, but it also has the same vibe as twisting Tanuki's father one or two more times to empower him. Thinking about the future, I should be careful not to go into it or not, I'm just lost in judgment.

Until the evening, I spent the day disposing of unwanted accessories and, conversely, constructing props for my journey, but Kay and Irene felt softly restless.

Summer has a long day. At the same time as the sun goes down, Kay and the others leave the inn to begin their ordination. I decided to take the cantera I borrowed from the inn and my notebook and fountain pen. Kay doesn't need a light, but Cantera is just in case.

Then, before twenty o'clock, Valgren waited in front of the gate. Unlike last time, he weaves gray plain robes and his hair remains mushroom as usual. By my side, a great husband who came to the inn this morning, whether it was an escort or not, was waiting in plain plain clothes. On its back is a large back sac of leather. I don't know if you intend to hide your identity while wearing a luxurious decorative sword on your hips.

"Hey, good evening, both of you. I don't think it's been three days."

Like the Kays, Cantera with one hand, a smile and a loving Valgren.

"Hi, good evening. Have I kept you waiting?"

"No, no," Valgren shook his head unaware as Kay asked in a blatantly grumpy and fearful manner.

"I just got here. Come on, shall we?"

With Cantera up, Valgren takes the lead and walks out.

"... By the way, Mr. Valgren, where are you going to be this evening?

"What, I was thinking of renting a city hall building. That would be great for astronomical observations because they're tall and there's no disturbing buildings around them, right? Kazimir, are you ready?

"Yes, we have contacted the other party and secured the key, my lord."

Then, take the key bundle out of your chest pocket, and the great man known as' Kazimir 'answers crisply.

"So I told you not to do 'Your Excellency'."

"Ha, sorry"

Next to Kazimir lowering his head, Eileen turned to Kay and let him peel off his white eyes. Kay also nods back with a sinister face.

…………

For a while, walking without a conversation, I see the red brick city hall. There was no light leaking out the window and there was no sign of people.

"Tonight, because we're paying for it."

Ahead Kazimir opens the entrance door and opens the door for Valgren.

"Now, now, is this a three-story building? I can't stand the stairs."

"What can I offer you, my lord?"

"Ha, don't make fun of me. Pay me, Kay."

Valgren was smiling bitterly when Kay slapped him lightly. After that, Kazimir looked scared.

Going out onto the roof of the city council gave me a view of the general city at night. By the way, I can see the lights, but not enough to get in the way of astronomical observations.

"Well, then, Kazimir, please"

"Sir."

Kazimir, with his back sac on the floor, removed a wooden box from inside. If you take a peek at something,

"Oh, the telescope."

This luxurious celestial telescope is decorated with gold leaf and jewelry. I just want to ask if there was anything simpler, but if it would stand for practical use, it would be fine.

"I'm not that blind."

Next to the laughing Valgren, Kazimir lines up and tripods and other parts out of the box, trying to assemble them. but

"Mm-hmm. This is... this part here,... mmm"

Kazimir with a tough face, as if challenging the difficult phase of chess. Valgren smiled and watched without saying anything, but as the creepy silence continued, a sloppy sweat crept up Kazimir's forehead.

"…… This is the part, right?

Eileen, who I saw, spoke.

"…… mmm. Sounds like it."

"So, this is it, right here?

"……… um."

"So, here's the connection, here's the connection."

…………

Silent Kazimir in front of a telescope that is being assembled steadily. Kay and Valgren looked at each other and smiled bitterly.

- and.

Kay caught an eye on the cantera in Valgren's hand.

I feel that the light is too stable without shaking in the light of the flame.

And Kay, in that white light, hallucinated the figure of a dwarf with wings on his back.

"……… Mr. Valgren, is that the Spirit?

Valgren, who looked unexpectedly "ho," asked Kay unexpectedly,

"Do you understand?

"I don't think so, but it's the White Light Fairy."

"…… this surprised me. You know very well."

When Valgren opened Cantera's lid and groaned "- Thorborg," a lump of light came out flickering.

"No… Me too, this is my first time actually seeing it"

"Wow, it's super rare……………………."

Both Kay and Irene, with their excited faces, found themselves in the dwarf of light sitting on Valgren's shoulder.

"Fairy of White Light" is a type of inferior spirit that bears the name "Fairy". The "fairies" manifested themselves everywhere depending on their mood, contractable on the spot as long as they had sweet treats, and the catalysts demanded by the servants were all common, such as grass flowers, sugar, crystals, etc., and were known in the game as weak but effortless contract spirits.

but only the "White Light Fairy" is special among them. Whereas other fairies preside over sleep and illusions, this Spirit is a so-called mutant being, presiding over the 'Clean Light of Healing'.

It was one of the few rare spirits in [DEMONDAL] where instant healing magic could be used, and an essential part of creating illuminated magic items. Due to its high level of rarity and usefulness, people who succeeded in a contract with the White Light Fairy were heard from every mercenary regiment (clan) and even brought up a real money takeover. Abandoned and famous Kay are rare enough to have never seen them in person in the game.

"... for a moment, is much of the lighting in the library at Mr. Valgren's disposal?

There is no doubt that Valgren is a magician at a time when he is following the fairy.

"No, that's my predecessor. I'm just doing maintenance.... And don't be surprised, Kay, are you familiar with witchcraft?

Kay nodded vaguely at Valgren's inquiry.

At this time, Kay was probably a little relaxed.

"Aah…… I, too, have a contract with the Spirit of the Wind"

Honestly, I answered.

At this time, I didn't know that word was going to cause such a thing.

"…… What?

Valgren's complexion changes.

"Or the Spirit of the Wind should be the Great Spirit who presides over the elements……"

Notice the breadth of your statement to the upset Valgren. But now I can't deny it, and Kay could only turn a blind eye whining, "As, well..."

Valgren who has been stunned for a while, but at the end of the day he begins to roar by holding down his brow with a difficult face.

"My lord... this person is not just trying to take charge of your lord..."

Kazimir, who was out of hand by the telescope, called out reluctantly. Valgren looked right at you.

"So, Your Excellency tells me not to. … well, it will probably be true"

That sloppy gaze now moves to Kay.

"... ever since I first met you, I thought that you were strangely magical at the rate of your years."

Now Eileen's eyes swim away. Kay didn't speak up, but we were surprised that our magic power had been nurtured without any magic props.

"What if, in your 'homeland', spirits are common beings?

"No, it's not like that...... we're, one way or the other, the exception"

"Hmm... I see..."

Kay and Eileen were terrified of Valgren's often creepy silence, but eventually the old man sighed in tiredness.

"... Well, I can be convinced. Is that what your arrows were all about, Kay?

"……?

"What, aren't you protected by the Spirit of the Wind?"

To soothe the ground, Valgren leans his little neck as if out of the way - but Kay, who is not his bow arm and is all supposedly thanks to the Spirit,

"That's not true. My covenant spirits have tiny vessels, they stink like assholes who won't do anything until they give their offerings."

At that moment - the air gave birth to a strange atmosphere.

Something happened, and everyone looked up at the sky unexpectedly at the same time.

Gooooooo, and the wind gushed with a terrific noise.

"Whoa?!

"What the heck!?

"My lord!

Kay slips and falls in a gust, Eileen lays down on the floor and Kazimir rushes over to Valgren.

But that's a flash, too. I didn't have time to react to anything more than that, and the wind stopped flirting as if it were a lie. All that remains is the three distracted people and Kay, who punches him in the back of the head and stuffs him when he falls.

"Guuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

"Are you okay, Kay..."

Eileen walks over and wakes up Kay.

"Damn, damn, it's true you're hanging in there! Always a habit of accepting only luxury gems like emeralds, and sucking up magic to its limits......!

"... Well, if you can react to English, you don't need Spirit Language (Esperanto)..."

Kay complaining about the sky, Irene with an unintelligible look as she strokes her head.

"... No, I'm sorry, I messed up. Was Mr. Valgren okay?

He stood up and rubbed his temples off to shake off the pain, but he didn't have an answer.

"Mr. Valgren? I don't know..."

Kay, who looked at Valgren, - hardened.

For a moment, I didn't know who was there.

Immediately, look at that face and realize that it is Valgren without a shadow. But - until earlier, Valgren and I decided (...) to (...), different (...) points (...) to (...) ah (...) ru (...).

Nothing.

There was nothing there.

"Bo…… Boldman (peeling)"

Eileen shrugged like she was there.

Valgren was bald.

Trademark's beautiful silver mushroom hair disappeared beautifully.

…………

Open your eyes, keep your hands on your head in the shape, stiff Valgren.

A white light fairy sat down on the top of its head laughing cacklessly and innocently.

Shine. Shine.

Yes, it's just the Spirit of Light...

…………

Kay and Irene felt that the air was pregnant with unusual tensions.

"…… Your Excellency,"

On that occasion, Kazimir, thanking his servant,

"I come looking for His Excellency's hair."

He turned his back and dispersed from the roof.

It was only a few moments later that I realized that I had been escaped.

"……… Kay,"

Valgren does a reboot and smiles calmly, as if nothing had happened.

"……… shall we see the stars?"

"Ah......, ah, yes"

Kay turned back to me too and snorted. Eileen is looking up at the night sky with all her might so that she doesn't see the head lit by the fairy. Kay was rushing to pick up a set of telescopes that were rolling on the floor, but now he said, "Ah!?" and raise the voice of despair.

The telescope, which had fallen on the roof due to a gust of wind, had shattered its lens.

Moreover, the delicate decoration of the surface was scratched by rubbing on the floor bricks.

…………

That day, it was dissolved.

By the way, they couldn't find the rash.

†††

Valgren, who said he would "chase after him" when he broke up, but as the saying goes, a messenger, Kazimir, appeared in the Inn at a later date.

Says, "I'd like to be taught astrology again the day if I could, but I haven't had time lately and I don't know when. If you go to the Devil's Forest first, that's fine."

Kazimir told him to decide what to do on the spot, so Kay replied without a word or two.

A few days later, Kays traveled from Wolvern to flee, packing his bags and greeting officials such as Holland of the Cornwell Chamber of Commerce and Miss Alyssa of the library.

Aim for the northern earth, the "Devil's Forest".

Two and a half months have passed since Kay and the others moved into the world.