To Rachel
It happened one day.
It was when Lehaty spent her bimonthly time of instability in the forest. But unfortunately, she encountered Adventurers this time.
Of course, the Adventurers did not understand the situation, and so they fled in fear. Lehaty ran as well, she had no intention of harming them. But this seemed to give them courage, and they soon showed a will to fight her.
Arrows flew at her back. Magic was unleashed. Still, Lehaty ran, and still they chased. But they were no match for the legs of a werewolf, and so Lehaty escaped with her life.
The Adventurers had never seen such a monster before. Rare materials. That is what she was to them.
However, it was an incident that reminded Lehaty of how horrible humans could be.
"After that happened, I gave up going to bathhouses and just stayed in the forest. After months pa.s.sed, I started to be able to control the effects of my illness. And then I was able to return to the town and use the baths again."
Shortly after, Lehaty returned to making money and visiting the inn.
Even now, she returned to the forest once a month. She had to live with this body.
But it seemed like things would be better for her on the island. She wouldn"t have to make money just to use the baths. I didn"t know how large the island was, but if it was an active volcanic island, it was probably decently large. Lehaty might be able to live there without being bothered by other humans.
I had told her that something might be done, but who knows if that was true. In any case, I just wanted to help the lonely girl.
As I walked down the path in the forest, I sensed someone coming from the other side. It was a presence I was very familiar with. Daniela.
"Hahhhh…d.a.m.n it…"
"What? You don"t seem too happy to see me?"
"I wish you would not leave while only leaving a sc.r.a.p of paper like this."
Daniela said as she waved the note.
-Will go to see the Loup-garou.-
"You could have at least written the location, you know?"
"Uh, sorry. I thought I did."
"Huhhh…"
Daniela sighed.
"So? Did you see it?"
"Yeah. It was a bit shocking too."
And so I told Daniela about my meeting with Lehaty.
"I see. And so you want to use Rachel"s magic to take Lehaty to that island."
"Yeah. Do you think we can?"
"That is up to Rachel."
And so I took the key out of the bag and handed it to Daniela.
"I do not see why I have to do it."
"Well, I don"t know. Just a hunch."
"I do not understand."
Still, she used the magic key to insert it into the empty s.p.a.ce in front of her. And the s.p.a.ce cracked open and an alley appeared.
"Let"s go then."
"Yes."
And so we stepped foot into the alley and opened the window to the side.
"Rachel? Are you there?"
"Hm? Ahh, Asagi. What do you want?"
"Oh, she"s here. Lucky."
"Do not treat me like I"m some lucky beast."
Rachel said. She was sitting in the living room and eating a bowl of rice and egg. Daniela and I barged in while taking off our shoes. I was in awe of the magic every time. And there was something relaxing about the atmosphere here. Yes, like it was my own home.
"I have something to ask you."
"Hmm. I can at least listen."
And so I told her what I had just told Daniela.
Lehaty"s past and present. I told it to her in as much detail as possible and then told her what I wanted her to do.
While I talked, she put her chopsticks down and listened quietly. The fact that she was capable of taking things seriously was one of the reasons that I trusted her. Of course, her food was getting cold and dry at the same time.
"…Hmm. I understand the gist of it. And I do have a door leading to the island. I like baths as well, after all."
"Really! So, can you do it?"
"Ah, why not? But there is a condition."
"A condition…?"
The condition that Rachel had…what could it be?
"What foolish things are going through your mind…"
"What? I"m always serious."
"You don"t look serious. You look stupid."
"I prefer the word "endearing.""
Daniela sighed at this stupid exchange and said,
"So…what is the requirement?"
"Oh, yes, right."
Rachel clapped her hands together and looked at me with a condescending grin.
"Asagi. You must become my thrall."
I returned to the inn and collapsed on my bed.
In the evening, I had knocked on the south gate from the outside, which gave the guards quite the scare. But I was so distracted by my own thoughts that I walked pa.s.sed them without saying anything. I wasn"t even sure if Mister Saragi was there.
As for the town. It all seemed so far away now.
"What to do…"
I said to no one in particular. Of course, Daniela was there to hear it.
"I think you should do it. Be her thrall."
"Hmm…"
"I do not mind. In fact, I am worried that you seem to be so troubled by it."
Daniela said as she climbed the steps with a cup of fruit water.
"You"re worried about me?"
"Aye. If you ask me, you have a habit of caring about the small things too much. This is not a world where you can let such things hold you back all of the time."
"I"m sure you"re right…"
"Sometimes, I feel as if you are incapable of compromise. I am not telling you to go out and create a harem. She is nothing more than a friend."
I accepted the cup from her and wet my lips.
"If it was Fiona. I would object. She had the face of an animal in heat."
"That"s rude…"
"Lauria did as well. And I had my suspicions about that prost.i.tute in Alessa. Speaking of suspicious, those twins. Olive and Oregano."
"Hey, hey. Now you"re starting to paint me like some kind of womanizer."
"Oh? Were you ever anything else?"
I glared at her. She had to be kidding. As if…
I knew what it looked like from seeing Matsumoto. He was a real Hero. I wasn"t like that at all.
"And that is why this is nothing to me now. It is too late for you to try and change your reputation. Understand?"
"Uhhh…"
Yes. Well, that wasn"t something I could accept so easily. This was all news to me.
"You still do not understand?"
"Yes. I don"t."
"Then I shall make you. No matter what your inhibitions might be, you are not capable of bending for anyone. Except for me."
"Uh, now, Daniela…"
Her lips covered my mouth as I began to protest. Ultimately, I would not have time for a reb.u.t.tal until morning.
I could never get used to these tired mornings. It reminded me of getting up for my night-shift. However, I wasn"t in low spirits, at least.
Daniela had persuaded and reminded me of a thing or two. And I was feeling a lot more positive about accepting Rachel"s proposition.
I woke Daniela up and we bathed together.
After that, we at breakfast and left a message before leaving the inn. We were headed to the south gate, just like yesterday.
Things had been shaken up a little due to my return the other day, and so heads immediately turned as we approached. But I had nothing to say now. And so I just kept walking.
Like yesterday, the path was covered in leaves and difficult to see. But it wasn"t a hard path to follow, and we easily made it to the abandoned village. Lehaty should be there unless something happened.
"I"m nervous…"
"I do not see why you should be?"
"I just am."
I was going to turn into someone"s thrall. Of course, I"d be nervous. I hadn"t even been aware of what was happening with Beowulf. But this time, I knew.
The village had been abandoned due to people moving to Yukka. So it had nothing to do with monsters. Well, it was certainly a peaceful way to have something rot away.
Then again, perhaps someone returned occasionally, as the houses were surprisingly still standing and in decent condition. Well, it would have been before the Loup-garou arrived. There were still leaves and mud everywhere…
"Asagi!"
Lehaty called as she came out of one of the houses. Yes, yes. She looked like a great werewolf today as well.
"Morning. I"m sure you remember Daniela."
"h.e.l.lo. Thank you for helping us back in the carriage."
"I only did what I had to."
Lehaty chuckled pleasantly, but I still remembered seeing the bodies of those she fought. The limbs that were twisted in the wrong directions.
"Now, Rachel is waiting. And she does not like to wait."
I glanced over to Daniela. She nodded and took out the key.
"Oh, I"m getting nervous…this is a legendary monster…"
"Yeah…"
"You are both nervous, now? …Asagi, you should toughen up."
Daniela said as she slapped me on the back. It was surprisingly painful, and I coughed. When I looked up, the alley spread out before us.