The Witch and the Doll Swear

The girl sat on the sofa blankly.

The feeling of weakness is no longer pervasive after sufficient rest. Move your body, and your physical strength has returned.

"...Miss Liliana, Miss Alice..."

The throbbing in his chest finally subsided.

Looking at the hills under the night, the girl hesitated.

From outside the window came a somewhat indistinct bell.

The bell of the night market in Yansha City echoed to the girl's ears in the night wind.

Liliana and Alice said that they will solve all this, but is it really good to only be in such a safe place? Indeed, the opponent may be a powerful noble in Yansha City, and there may be more than one of them. She is just an ordinary commoner girl, and she is almost certainly unable to help at all, and may even be attacked by those nobles. Hold hostage, become drag...

However, if you don’t do anything because you can’t do it.

If you stay in a safe place by yourself because of the danger.

—a troubled conscience.

"...Go back to the city... Even if you don't know anything..."

Having said that, after the lavender creeper closed the gate of the castle, looking at the still deep seaside hills illuminated by the brilliant starry sky, Tingna's ambitions that had just been set up all of a sudden collapsed.

In this starry sky, which was too similar to that time, the already silent memory became vivid again under the starlight all over the sky.

That burning sensation in the throat.

Exhausted and sore, but still driven by fear to keep running feet.

And, following closely behind, bloodthirsty fangs exuding the smell of blood and beasts.

"..."

clang.

By the time he realized it, cold sweat had flowed from all parts of his body. The girl's body leaned back against the iron gate, as if this was the only way to bring a sense of security.

"...Calm down, me, the suburbs of Yansha City should have returned to peace now, don't be afraid, there will be no more wolves, well, it must have been wiped out by the city guards and adventurers... ..."

The dust has settled on this incident. In order to protect the safety around the city, there should be patrols on the hilly road. Yes, it must be completely fine.

——So hurry up!

The girl wanted to cry but looked at her legs that no matter how much she ordered to move, she ignored them.

What a sad thing it is for one's body to make up its mind to go against one's reason, and now is a living proof.

Until a moving flame appeared in the corner of the field of vision.

A squad of armored soldiers with torches emerged from one side of the road.

"...Ah, that is, the patrol team of the city guards... Hey——!!! Excuse me, can you help me—"

So with the help of a small team of city guards who had finished their patrol and were preparing to return to the city, Tingna successfully returned to the thick walls of Yansha City.

After bidding them farewell, Tina covered her face weakly.

——What an idiot I am.

——Tell them that I was attacked by a monster on the road not long ago, and now I am too scared to walk in the wild at night, wouldn't it be good?

Why, say that I am afraid of the dark...

"Ahh... I'm so ashamed..."

After saying these words, everyone looked at him with caring eyes. Not only that, but along the way, the young members of the six-member patrol team always maintained an expression of uncontrollable laughter.

Even the captain, who looked about the same age as his father, was like this.

Their overly warm eyes seem to be stuck behind their backs even though they have already walked a street.

But, no matter what, I came back safely, and then...

... go home?

Tina took a step forward.

This decision was so decisive that Ting Na was stunned when she reached the two black stone obelisks.

"..."

I am really a good employee who loves and works hard.

Laughing at herself, the girl walked into the gate of the Adventurer's Association.

When the hour hand of the day reaches dusk, the Adventurer's Association will gradually become quiet.

The adventurers who have received the commission are preparing for the commission, and the adventurers who have not received the commission will not deliberately choose to come at night. For these people who exchange their lives for money and glory and dance on the abyss of death, the nightlife in the city Compared with ordinary people, it is much richer.

And the commissioners rarely come to the Adventurer's Association at night, even for urgent commissions.

After all, no matter how urgent it is, there are only a handful of adventurers who will come to the Adventurers Association at night.

Therefore, although the Adventurer's Association is open all day in name, there will be no one there after it completely enters the night, and it will also be completely closed before the moment of change between today and tomorrow.

So the Adventurer's Association at night is actually very deserted.

——It should be so.

Tingna pushed open the door and looked at the crowd of people in front of the counter, but didn't react for a moment.

Is this already after get off work? Does the night shift of the association need so many people now?

"...Well, what happened?"

"Tina? Why are you here?"

With her face in front of the counter, Elif, who was turning the Rubik's Cube anxiously, raised her head, and looked dumbfounded at the girl with short blond hair walking in front of her with a confused face.

"No, that..."

Why do you come here?

Tina herself didn't know.

Where to go, what to do, Liliana didn't tell her anything about these things when she left.

It's just that Tingna has a vague feeling, a subtle feeling that even she can't be sure of. This feeling prevents her from returning to the safety of her home, and instead ends up in the Adventurers' Guild, which seems to have no connection.

And here, there was uneasiness in the silent air that even she could smell.

"...Did something happen to Miss Liliana?"

Elif was silent for a moment and lowered her voice.

Tina's faltering voice was clearly hiding something.

"...Huh?" The colleague's words made the girl froze for a moment.

"Has Miss Liliana been here?!"

"...As expected."

"--Well!"

Hearing the news about that witch girl, he asked without thinking, and then hurriedly covered his mouth.

Ai Lifu smiled helplessly when she saw this cute and stupid girl.

Because of Tingna's exclamation, other people on the counter also cast their gazes over, and those gazes made the girl cringe and lower her head.

But the confusion and worry about Liliana and Alice immediately overwhelmed the weight of these gazes, Tina raised her head, and looked at those eyes mixed with suspicion one by one.

"follow me."

Before this rookie in the workplace who always unknowingly ruins relationships says anything

"ah……"

Elif sighed and pulled her to an office on the second floor.

Following Elif into the office where she opened the door, Tina was surprised to see Sir Brown's figure here.

The supervisor of the reception department was known for her punctuality and close relationship with many noble daughters when she was still working as a receptionist.

Before, he had called him to the office because of the sluggish performance.

Tingna clearly remembered that it was a few days before she received the performance warning notice, and it was about half an hour before she got off work. During the argument with her, the jazz gentleman kept looking at his pocket watch, and finally interrupted the conversation roughly. Leaving after work, leaving the dumbfounded Ting Na alone in the office.

However, he was also one of the few people who would not sneer at Tina's proposition as if he hadn't heard it.

"Oh, Miss Tina, long time no see."

"Good evening, Mr. Brown... Indeed, long time no see..."

Ting Na's impression of this noble gentleman is neither good nor bad, but it is true that she has basically never met him since she was transferred to the Liaison Department.

And, no matter what, he's the boss.

So, after greeting somewhat awkwardly, the girl turned her confused eyes to Elif again.

Almost all of her actions and words confirmed Tina's vague feelings.

"Anyway, Tina, I know you have a lot to ask, but it's the same here. Now, can you please tell me and Sir Brown first? Is something wrong with Miss Liliana?"

Elif's voice was very serious.

"No, I don't know what you're talking about..."

"If you want to lie in front of me and Miss Alif, it's better for Miss Tingna to learn from those liars."

Brown tapped on the table, using his most precious pocket watch.

The breath, eyes, and subconscious clenched hands of the girl with shoulder-length blond hair all weakened the credibility of her words, although she didn't know why she didn't want to say... no.

After exchanging glances with Elif, who was once a nobleman, the man lay down deeply on the back of the chair.

"Miss Tina, please sit down, today will be a long night, there is enough time to explain to you... what Miss Liliana did."

——The reason is conceivable.

"Miss Liliana, have you been here before..."

Premonition test.

"That's right, it was not long ago, and there was also a headache entrusted."

Brown pushed a piece of parchment toward Tina. Just when the girl sat down in confusion and wanted to reach for it.

——! ! ! !

From the night sky, there was a loud noise.

It was sharp, like a crackling sound. A moment later, there was the sound of collapse.

"?!"

The girl shrank her hand and raised her head in panic. Brown and Elif seemed to have expected it a long time ago, and the girl standing by the table didn't even raise her eyebrows.

"...Have you started yet?"

The man with gray hair looked out the window speechlessly.

Following Brown's gaze to the night sky, Tingna saw it in the city in astonishment.

An icicle.

"Then, what is that!"

"Probably, Miss Liliana's masterpiece, that lady is serious."

Recalling the calm expression on the petite girl holding the black-haired doll when she brought this commission, Elif couldn't help but folded her arms and muttered to herself.

"Anyway, let's tell Miss Tina first what Miss Liliana did."

The city was noisy because of the roar, and the uneasy air that suddenly covered the street was forgotten. Brown put his hands on the table, and the monocle was reflected white by the light of the magic lamp in the dimness.

The girl's breathing stagnates.

"In contrast, Miss Tingna, please tell us what happened to Miss Liliana to make her make such a big move."

"...Okay, okay..."

Nod, nod.

A girl who is not used to facing the aura of the upper class of the nobles is almost speechless.

Even the act of nodding feels extremely heavy.

"...Very good...Miss Elif, you can start first."

"Ah, Miss Liliana came to the association more than an hour ago... That's right, at that time, it was about half an hour before getting off work..."

The blond girl nodded and began to tell.

At 13:62 in the evening, the last ray of warmth in the evening also lazily faded away.

Half of the time at sunset will come to an end, the monsters of the night will become active, and the moment when demons and elements will be restless is coming.

That is to say, there is still half an hour before get off work is finished, and there are very few people at this time, so Ai Lifu habitually takes out the Rubik's cube to pass the time.

Once again, the 5X5 Rubik's Cube twisted out six sides of beautiful solid colors in two minutes. Putting down this toy that had lost its challenge, Ai Lifu raised her head and stretched her waist.

At this time, a petite figure in front of the entrusting wall caught the girl's attention.

Wearing a cute dress, holding a dark-haired oriental-style doll.

—Whose child is it?

Ai Lifu's first reaction was this.

The girl with long platinum hair raised her head, slowly looking up from the bottom of the commission wall as if she was looking for something.

"..."

Her eyes were fixed on a certain order, and she didn't see what she was doing. The one on the very top of the order wall floated slowly into her hand.

"...?!"

Then the girl turned around.

"ah……"

Just now, I thought this was some kind of brat who just learned magic and started to play tricks everywhere. The girl who wanted to stop her was stunned after uttering a single syllable clearly.

Liliana Einsteins.

An honorary adventurer who came to Salt Sand City last year.

Because it was a little far away, the doll in my hand was different from the one I had seen before, so I didn't recognize it all at once. After recognizing it, the girl's expression became very excited.

Honorary adventurers rarely come to the Association to directly take over commissions!

Moreover, it is also a commission at a very high position on the commission wall. That means high risk, and it also means a lot of rewards - a generous share with the receptionist who accepted the commission!

Ai Lifu jumped up from the chair at once, quickly arranged her clothes, and completely threw away the fatigue of the day's work. In the corner of her field of vision, she also saw a few people who were taking advantage of their free time before get off work to put down their lunch boxes and quickly chewed the food in their mouths——

--too late.

The girl smiled coldly in her heart.

"Miss Liliana, are you coming directly to the Association to accept the commission today?"

Head start.

Before everyone else, Elif greeted the young-looking honorary adventurer with a calm voice that suppressed all eagerness and anticipation, with a sweet and unflattering voice.

Then, unsurprisingly.

Liliana's gaze focused on herself, the person who first caught her attention.

"...Yes, can I trouble you?"

"Of course, it is my honor to serve you."

The little feet in the round-toed leather shoes tapped on the floor, that was the most beautiful music in the world. Elif suppressed her ecstasy and replied calmly.

The association stipulated that the front desk receptionist should not behave like a bustard standing on the street, but——when the girl took the sheepskin entrustment roll from the girl and turned to get other documents, she showed regret to those faces in her heart. Colleagues showed as much complacent expressions as possible.

——I just greeted the honorary adventurer.

It was precisely because they knew this that they could only beat their feet and chests where Liliana couldn't see.

"Miss Liliana, this is the first time I see you coming to the association to accept a commission."

While picking up various tools and documents needed to accept the commission, the blond girl was talking with Liliana.

"...Because of the commission she wanted to accept, Tingna told me there was a commission on the wall, so I came here to reduce the child's burden."

"Really, Miss Liliana, very gentle."

"...gentle, huh?"

Touching her shoulder, the platinum-blonde long-haired girl whispered back.

"Well, it's very gentle, it may be one of the greatest lucks in life for that little idiot Ting Na to meet you..."

During the conversation, of course, the work in hand did not stop.

To establish a good relationship, apart from proper conversation, it is more important to provide impeccable service. Alif, who is very familiar with this method, slowly lowered her voice, while thinking about changing the topic to the commission——

"?!"

But when she saw the title of the commission clearly, the words that were brewing disappeared along with the confusion and shock of "Did I read it wrong?"

"...Well, Miss Liliana, are you sure that this is the commission you want to accept?"

Obviously just drank water to moisten her throat, but now Ai Lifu feels dry mouth.

Nod, nod.

The young girl did not feel unhappy because of her questioning. She was sitting on the chair in front of the counter, hugging the expensive doll with a calm expression.

Receiving a firm answer from Liliana, the girl who realized what this meant raised her head while pursing her lips.

She looked at a certain room on the second floor, that guy should not be off work yet——Thinking of this, Elif gave Liliana a service smile to cover up the turmoil in her heart.

—I see, please wait a moment.

"After saying that, I took the power of attorney and found Mr. Brown who hadn't left work yet."

The blond girl stopped talking, and in fact that was all.

Tina also turned her attention to the former knight.

As the supervisor of the reception department, Brown needs to file some special commissions, but usually only S-level commissions need this. Miss Liliana is...

"You'll understand when you see it."

The man knocked on the table and motioned Tingna to look at the power of attorney first.

So Ting Na took the roll of parchment, spread it out, and whispered the title of the commission.

"【Extermination of the Rats Lurking in the City】...Eh? Eh?"

The girl froze.

"Miss Tingna, how much do you know about the Rat Society?"

Seeing her reaction, Brown knew that more explanation was needed.

"That, that, that is, the largest group of hooligans and gangsters in Salt Sand City, because it mainly lives in the old city with intricate streets and has been operating there for a long time, so it is difficult to eradicate..."

The parchment roll in his hand is an A-level entrustment——【Eliminate the Rat Society Lurking in the City】

This commission has been hanging on the association's commission wall for many, many years, and she had seen it when she was young.

What is Miss Liliana doing with this commission? Although the rewards are indeed very rich, yes, but...

Tina was confused.

"That's just, the mice in the eyes of most ordinary people will."

Brown didn't respond to Tina's words.

A gathering place for thieves, gangsters, swindlers, and gamblers, this is the darkness of the city that the common people can touch, the dirty surface of the [Rat Society].

But what the nobles saw was a powerful group of assassins.

Hearing this, the girl opened her eyes wide.

The sea-blue pupils shrank slightly, and there was not only shock, but also...

frightened.

"... After accepting this commission, Miss Liliana left, and then... Miss Tingna, you must have heard the big commotion just now."

"...the assassin..."

The girl's face was pale, her hands clutched her skirt, and cold sweat dripped from her forehead.

The thin body was trembling, and the face that was gradually lowering did not look up at all.

"..."

Elif stretched out her hand to comfort the trembling girl, and looked at Mr. Jazz who was also silent.

Seeing this scene, there is no need to ask "Now please tell us what happened to Miss Liliana".

Seeing the helpless eyes of the former noble girl, the man who realized that the situation was irreversible let out a long sigh.

——They actually did it.

Why can rats survive on the dark side of the city?

Because they are "convenient".

This group is not enough to fight against the government, nor can it harm the entire noble class. It can even be said that the nobles have no reason to eliminate them.

Because of their existence, they will provide the nobles with some kind of means—although it is the most contemptible behavior in the game among nobles, which violates the rules of the game. Once exposed, even allies will turn against each other.

But as long as it is not exposed.

That is the most convenient and easy-to-use method most of the time, and as a third party, the existence of the Mouse Society obviously makes this method more secretive.

"... Tina, calm down and tell me, have you seen who the assassin is?"

Elif patted Tina's back lightly to help the girl calm down.

Outside the window, in the distant noble district, a second icicle appeared.

At this time, the Association of Magicians, the City Hall, and the City Guards should be mobilized, and the city should also be under martial law.

Even if she was assassinated, Liliana's current behavior is still equivalent to attacking nobles, which is a serious crime.

But not long after, the third iceberg was on the other side of the White Salt River, shining brightly in the moonlight of Artemis Moon.

"...When I sent Miss Liliana away to wish her success, Miss Liliana replied."

Ai Lifu also looked at the Frost that appeared one after another in shock.

"Miss Liliana said that she doesn't like trouble, so she will kill the grass."

Liliana, who said such words calmly, made Elif feel terrified instinctively.

——Cut the weeds and root them out.

There are two roots of the rat club, which one will she get rid of?

"Tina, tell me, did you see who assassinated Miss Liliana?"

The situation is irreversible, and what needs to be confirmed now is the severity and the scope of the impact, and to reduce the damage as much as possible.

If you know who the assassin is, you can know who hired him, and if you know who hired him, you can pinpoint the only "culprit" Brown believes that those rat bosses will not understand when they see it

"……No."

The terror at dusk once again welled up in my heart.

The girl firmly held Ai Lifu's hand, and squeezed out two words from her trembling lips.

Immediately afterwards, he shook his head.

Alice's and Brown's hearts swayed along with Tina's golden hair.

"I don't know who did it, Miss Liliana was used as an assassination tool..."

"……I see."

The strength in the man seemed to disappear all of a sudden.

He took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose feebly.

The light of the old magic lamp I liked seemed to dim down, and it hurt people's eyes.

The icicles outside the window are still there, and the Yansha City at night is becoming lively because of this sudden appearance.

You can tell even without looking, the city guards, the mice in the shadow of the lights, the nobles, the adventurers... like sharks smelling blood, they have already taken action, especially the nobles...

——Boom!!!!

Some distance away from that icicle, another icicle stood up with a crashing sound.

Only now did Brown discover that the erected ones were not straight icicles.

First, the shape of the second icicle looks like that because of the angle of view, but the third icicle that freezes at least one mansion can be clearly seen from this angle, it is a A large and amazing cross, with sharp edges and corners, the junction of short horizontal and vertical long, and triangular ice edges reflecting the moonlight.

Icy and graceful.

Like a tombstone.

——That is indeed a tombstone.

Now Brown understood exactly what the honorary lady adventurer wanted to do.

If you are attacked by assassination props, then go to the Rat Club, if you can’t find the Rat Club—the assassin won’t work if no one bids, so first go to someone who might hire a mouse to assassinate you.

With the means of a magician who can become an honorary adventurer, as long as you are willing to look for it, there will always be information.

"..."

The man suddenly thought that when he found out that Liliana had accepted the commission, and as a member of the nobles, the information [the honorary adventurer accepted the commission from the Rat Extermination Society] was passed back to the family with a magic scroll.

—At that time, he was standing by the window sill.

And the girl who just walked out of the association glanced at him inadvertently...

—Really, was it unintentional?

The more he thinks, the more numb the man's scalp becomes.

- tuk tuk tuk.

The knock on the office door interrupted his contemplation.

The person who knocked on the door didn't even have time to wait for a "please come in", and broke in after knocking on the door three times hastily.

"Mr Brown!"

It was a receptionist downstairs.

"What happened."

"Just now, just now, Baron Philip suddenly came to the association and said that he was going to issue a commission..."

"About what?"

This is knowingly asking.

"Mr. Baron said, said, he wants to issue a commission to entrust adventurers to investigate the hidden drugs in the dungeon of the Earl of Angers..."

The man who broke in stammered the word "say" several times before finishing the sentence.

It was like a signal. After the man finished speaking, the roar of horses and the sound of wooden wheels rolling over the stone road rang out from the street outside the window of the association.

One after another.

Elif temporarily left Tina's side, walked to the window, and looked down at the square in front of the Association, which was crowded with carriages in a short while.

There were no coats of arms on the carriages, and the people who came out of the carriages wore masks, greeting each other and whispering in low voices. Their faces were all filled with sinister expressions, and their gestures and gestures were all indifferent. There is no air of conspiracy.

They are the actual rulers of Salt Sand City, cruel and cunning hunters, they are of the same breed, perhaps they knew the whole picture of tonight's changes faster than anyone else and made a choice, and then took action.

They are undoubtedly from the same section.

To dismember and destroy another part.

Just like ten years ago, some of them, now in the position of being dismembered, went to dismember their enemies at that time.

When he realized it, his left hand had already made a red mark on the wrist of his right hand.

Why did Liliana dare to do this?

Why is there no response from City Hall?

Why haven't the Society of Wizards and the Church of Virtue appeared yet?

Why, these nobles suddenly ran to the association with masks?

A terrifying thought rolled in the girl's mind.

Ai Lifu looked back in a panic. Fortunately, Tina was still taking a deep breath to calm herself down. The male colleague had already gone down. It must have been ordered by Brown to "let them release it", and then Sir Brown...

"...Miss Liliana's energy is probably even more terrifying than we imagined..."

"Ah, maybe some kind of agreement was reached with those nobles... But it may not be the case, or maybe all the relationships including the nobles have been settled... Who knows."

The nobleman and the former nobleman looked at each other and fell silent.

"Miss Alif, you go down too, tonight will be very long, and Miss Tina...Miss Tina?"

"Yes, it is!"

"...Although you are no longer in the reception department, there must be insufficient staff in the association tonight, and then... you will only be responsible for the release and delivery of the commission."

"Okay, okay..."

After Brown finished speaking, he closed his eyes.

To be honest, he is in no mood to worry about the association right now.

——That girl with a cold expression, who was the first nobleman to approach?

If it weren't for the sense of responsibility as a knight that still bound him here, he really wanted to run home immediately to see his elderly father and that weak brother.

...No, it should, don't worry.

Thinking of his family, he suddenly calmed down.

Recalling the eyes that met him at that moment, the pupils that could not see anything except the incomparably deep blackness, and the indifferent gaze that made him stiffen at that moment.

If he is coldly glanced at by that kind of gaze, his cowardly brother, don't say anything disrespectful, I'm afraid he wouldn't even dare to say a word of disrespect to the honorary adventurer lady, and then, That old and cunning father would not make a wrong choice.

It was terrible.

What kind of power does that petite body have, stirring up the undercurrent of this city?

And what can I do?

Even these thoughts, finally.

"...Salt Sand City... is about to change."

It just becomes a weak word.

………………………………………………………………………………………

The moonlight of Artemis fell from the skylight in the hall.

On a certain day between the first day of each month and the end of the month, Diana will temporarily rest, and her sister, Artemis, will perform the duty of illuminating the continent in the dark.

Compared with her gentle and kind sister, the little goddess who has the power of hunting and beauty at the same time is more mischievous. Her moonlight has magic power. Under this magical moonlight, people and monsters will be more energetic.

Therefore, Artemis Night is always extraordinarily long.

Sitting in front of the counter after a long absence, Tingna stared blankly at the nobles who lined up under the moonlight, chatting and laughing with each other in a low voice.

It was the first time for the girl to see so many nobles gathered in a place other than the year-end festival.

Some of them wore beautiful clothes that Tina couldn't tell the brand, and some wore suits like her, but the color was purple or crimson, and they had the coat of arms of a well-known clothing workshop in mainland China.

For those suits, even with the current salary, it would take Tina several years to buy one of the tops or trousers without eating or drinking.

They lined up in an orderly manner, no one jumped in line, no one made loud noises, they talked in low voices, and laughed lightly from time to time.

The nobles walked to the counter one by one, and the last person consciously kept a distance of one meter from the person who was talking to the receptionist. Echoing in the ears of myself and the receptionist.

"I want to issue a commission to let adventurers investigate the basement of Baron Henry's house. There may be something terrible there, maybe poison, or piles of bones... Of course, it is also possible to go late, and there is nothing No, as a reward... If I can find something dangerous, I am willing to pay 2 gold coins, if I can directly twist that beastly beast into the prison of the city guard, I am willing to pay 10 gold coins for that hero."

"...That's right, the Marquis of Altmans, the man with rings all over his ten fingers, I was surprised a long time ago. He works in the city hall without a family business, and those rings are all expensive. Where did his money come from... Hehe, please let the adventurers investigate, assassins and assassins are given priority, and I will give you 5 gold coins as a reward."

"It is said that there is a secret room in Baron Baishadi's study. He studied evil knowledge in it. Many prostitutes disappeared after being recruited by him, and their bodies have not been found yet."

"There is a sheep-headed believer lurking in Viscount Oltu's house... You ask me why I am so sure... Hehe, maybe he is not a sheep-headed believer, but the man who wears a cloak all day long and never goes to church is obviously related to him." What is the relationship between those cultists... Evidence? Let the adventurers investigate."

"Evidence of the serial murderer who shocked Salt Sand City a few years ago can be found in the courtyard of Lord White Lion."

"The maids of Earl Hertel's house are not ordinary people..."

They walked up to the counter one by one and spit out secrets that the common people could hardly know. They were neatly dressed and spoke elegantly, but the girl thought of the wolf who was slowly driving herself to death under the starry night sky.

There were about 20 nobles. They came to the counter in an orderly manner, and after announcing the entrustment to another 20 nobles, they left the remuneration lightly and left.

All these commissions were anonymous and without specific commissioners, which made Tingna feel even more shuddering.

"...almost none of the noble families are clean."

After the nobles who wore masks and covered their family crests disappeared, Elif was a little tired and muttered to herself.

Only Tina, who was beside her, heard her words.

"Individual nobility and nobility do exist, but most of the families of nobles, if they want to find out, they will be able to find out the crimes that are not allowed by the law. The poisonous knives under the tablecloth are threatening each other, waiting for the day to stab them hard into the opponent's heart."

And today, on this day.

A party headed by the Lions family attacked Liliana—and failed.

Now, the girl with the long platinum hair was running around the city, erecting Frost's tombstone, and it couldn't be more obvious what that meant.

They wouldn't pass up the opportunity, or rather the spot where those tombstones stood was exactly what they had offered.

"...But, why, they want to assassinate Miss Liliana..."

Tina pursed her lips.

She can't understand.

Are other people's lives so insignificant to nobles?

"...that Miss Witch has gone too far."

What he used to whisper in this girl's ear when she was drunk, now, Alifu leaned against her ear again and repeated it.

"For nobles, money is the material basis for them to be nobler than ordinary people, and reputation is their psychological satisfaction above ordinary people. In the current era, it is these two that have piled up the noble class. The truly noble and great Ancient nobles are already very, very rare."

"The Lyons family is obviously not such a noble and ancient aristocrat. They are so rich and powerful that they can win the demolition project of the old city and get the support of the nobles who won the bid for the reconstruction project. If nothing else, There's going to be a change of jobs at City Hall next year, and they're going to have a couple of big jobs they're going to pick up."

— but Liliana Einsteins ruined it all.

In Salt Sand City, the law prohibits the unauthorized use of magic. Up to now, Alif doesn't know why the witch lady used magic to razed such a large city to the ground and hasn't been troubled by the Wizards Association-but it doesn't matter.

The important thing is that once the old town collapsed, the Lions family went crazy.

Anyone with a discerning eye can see that it is better to hand over money and reputation to the adventurer's association that can only maintain neutrality due to its complex composition than to let the aristocratic forces in the city have more say. Well, although the representatives of the three parties are still arguing in the meeting room of the city hall, Elif doesn't believe that there will be people in a family as big as the Lions who can't see their inevitable defeat.

And with the collapse of the old city, the nobles who were involved in the reconstruction project were of course alienated, which made the Lyons family a laughing stock, which was a great blow to a noble with little historical accumulation.

With no fame or fortune, they must take revenge, otherwise the development of the family may be in shambles.

"The target of revenge is of course that Miss Liliana... Although she is very powerful, magicians are not invincible. Then, probably the nobles who were originally hostile to him, that is, the nobles who opposed the reconstruction of the old city, wanted to pay Liliana Yana took revenge and found the originally hostile Lions family, and the two hit it off..."

It's not such a complicated relationship.

But for Tingna who was born as a commoner... No, it's okay to remove that prefix. For Tingna, this is like a fantasy.

She couldn't understand why the nobles did this, she couldn't understand it completely, it was like another world that couldn't be touched.

"...Okay, enough talking, let's get ready for work... Even so, you will have to wait until midnight if you want to get busy."

But Elif didn't expect her to understand either.

The difference in education and living environment determines the difference in values ​​between common people and nobles. It is very difficult for the two parties to understand each other.

It's like Elif doesn't understand why Tina always refuses the commissions that adventurers want to take over with "safety first".

"Uh-huh……"

About twenty minutes after the nobles left, the first adventurer came to the association.

"I want to accept this commission."

Without thinking about it, he took off a commission from the commission wall and photographed it in front of Ting Na.

"……Eh?"

The girl closest to him gave a silly "Huh?"

"I said I would accept this commission, didn't you hear?"

The man covered his face with a turban, only showing a pair of brown eyes, banged on the table, spoke quickly, and pushed the commission in front of Tina.

"No, I..."

"Sir, this counter is the reception desk after the entrustment is completed. Please come to my side if you accept the entrustment—or those counters."

Elif reached out and took the entrustment.

"... Tsk, it's really troublesome, anyone is welcome, anyway, I want to accept this commission, hurry up."

The man walked up to Elif without saying a word, and the blond girl asked him to show the adventurer's certificate without saying a word, then stamped the entrustment, and handed him the certificate that was kept by the adventurer.

At this time, adventurers have come in from outside the door one after another.

"...Wait a minute, is this a commission with no restrictions?"

"This is the client's request. He doesn't ask who completed the commission, and he feels that there are many people who are powerful...but there is only one reward."

"...this group of nobles born from the assholes of wild dogs!"

After understanding what this meant, the man cursed angrily, turned around and left.

In such a short time, those adventurers also took off a few commissions from the commission wall and came to the counter.

They came and went eagerly, and covering their faces was their common sign. Almost everyone cursed after knowing that this was an unlimited object commission, and then more people repeated this behavior. These adventurers lined up in scattered teams, interspersed between different teams, they were silent, like sharks smelling blood.

This is the adventurer.

Adventurers came in an endless stream.

Seeing the faint madness in their eyes, Tingna felt terrified from the bottom of her heart.

No matter how generous the rewards for those commissions are, to be in such danger...

But she couldn't say that.

After hearing a pair of adventurers who seem to be partners say, "Hurry up and finish the commission and get the money and leave the city."

She is now only responsible for helping to take over the commissions completed by those adventurers, and then giving money.

——What right do you have to judge the behavior of others?

People at other counters came and went one after another, and left one after another, but there was no one in front of her.

As Alif said, at first, Tina had nothing to do.

"Aha, ahaha..."

It's like a replay of that time after joining the company.

Until Tina couldn't stand it anymore, even after taking a nap in a daze amidst the hustle and bustle in the hall.

The sound of knocking on the table woke her up.

"Hey, I want to submit a commission."

"Eh? Eh? Okay, okay!"

The dazed brain woke up instantly after seeing the blood on the man's clothes in front of him.

Tingna stood up in a panic, and saw the city guard's stamp on the paper pushed in front of him by the man covering his face and constantly panting.

"Then, that, please show your identification..."

The entrusted paper also contained the testimony of the city guards, saying that they had successfully seized a large amount of golden hemp leaves in the basement of Baron Henry's house, a drug strictly prohibited by the laws of the kingdom, and he personally arrested Baron Henry ... The man didn't say anything else, he took out the adventurer's badge, and Tina pressed the magic circle on the reception desk to confirm that his identity was exactly the same as the name on the certificate.

"Okay, okay, confirm that the commission is completed, please, please wait—"

After confirming that the adventurer request is completed, it is also the responsibility of the receptionist to deliver the reward.

Walking towards the financial room, holding the thin commission completion certificate, Tingna felt her hands trembling slightly.

This thin piece of paper represents a high-ranking nobleman being sent to prison.

— in one night... no.

Between two hours.

There was a second confirmation of the completion of the commission in the financial room. After a while, Tingna returned to the first floor with a small box containing 10 gold coins.

When she put the small box on the table, the man picked it up, turned around and left.

When he walked outside the association, the adventurers who were still lining up were staring at this man from the beginning to the end, staring at him.

He also looked at them without fear, holding the sword at his waist all the time.

Until it disappears into the night.

"..."

Tina saw some adventurers quietly followed him out.

What are they going to do?

This question flashed through Tingna's mind, and the girl couldn't help shivering, unwilling to think about it any further.

On the first night of Kannazuki, there were still more than three hours before dawn.

The bright and awe-inspiring moonlight was never even covered by any cloud.

Under Artemis, on the first floor of the Association, adventurers come and go.

The noise and silence are so strangely integrated that it turns this place into a chilling den.

Under the icy moonlight, these adventurers seemed to be no longer human beings but some kind of monsters. After the nobles intervened and turned Liliana's actions into a deliberately provoked battlefield to eliminate political enemies, for those The small golden discs turned into guns and swords, and turned into ferocious beasts.

The number of adventurers who came to Tina gradually increased.

They either took out the proof of completion of the commission in silence, or spoke eagerly.

Even drenched in blood, he staggered forward under the support of his partners.

Even every step left a bloody footprint on the association's carpet.

There were almost ten of these people in total, and each piece of paper they handed over represented a nobleman's collapse.

After receiving the reward, these adventurers all chose to leave eagerly—Ai Lifu, who was resting after changing shifts, told Tingna that they had to leave the city quickly.

Every noble is not just a noble, they have subsidiary forces and allies like tree roots. And the possible revenge of these people is something that ordinary adventurers are unwilling to bear.

Therefore, even though the city hall has defined this night's action as: [Eliminate the evil forces and their henchmen lurking in the city], these people who should be heroes should run away as soon as possible, as far away as possible.

And those seriously injured adventurers had no choice but to temporarily treat them in the association.

——Of course they weren't the only ones who had the commissioned parchments removed from the commission wall. .

They didn't cover their faces like those people, and the guys with relaxed faces constituted the vast majority of Tina's work targets tonight. Most of the commissions they came here to deliver were [information].

The nobles who issued the commission are very shrewd, whether it is to directly solve the target they designated, or just to find out information that is not good for those who are suffering from Liliana's attack, they will give generous rewards, so these people are also the most.

"After all, those nobles still have guards around them, family guards, famous knights, mysterious magicians—hey, there is also a cultist, to be honest, I almost couldn't come back because of these few gold coins. "

It was the third time for this red-haired adventurer to come to Tina. Seeing that the information he obtained was used as supplementary information for a certain commission, he tossed the gold coins in his hand and smiled playfully.

"Hey, miss the receptionist, do you know what's going on in the city now?"

The adventurer who called himself Yanol was at the end of the line, and when he delivered the commission, Tina's work also temporarily came to an end.

Maybe because he was really happy to make enough money, he began to tell Tingna what he had seen and heard on the street.

That's what Tina doesn't know, the Salt Sand City tonight.

The city hall has already qualified the action tonight, and the order to arrest the members of the Rat Society has also been sent to the City Guards. Except for the Association of Magicians and the Church of Virtue who are still watching the fire from the other side, the whole city exploded.

All urban areas are under martial law, and there are patrols on the road. The street lights on every street are on, reflecting the city like daytime.

Of course, there are more adventurers. Adventurers are looking for members of the [Mouse Society] and [nobles colluding with them]. Sometimes it is not surprising that they fight for a "trophy". He has seen it several times.

Some adventurers will also bring city guards to break into the houses - most of them are members of the [Rat Society] who also have contact with the adventurers.

Although they are all low-level personnel and the association has no entrustment here, because of the arrest warrant, as long as the members of the [Rat Society] are caught, there will be bonuses. Those adventurers who dare not deal with nobles protected by family guards will find these poor guys Let's start, in fact, they have no crimes, they are all petty theft... But petty theft is also a crime, so they can only blame their bad luck.

Yanol talked endlessly.

Although I don't know how many fictional elements are in it, but this man's eloquence is good, and the story is vividly told. Listening to him, Tingna seems to be able to see the scene he is looking at.

An evening that cannot be described as funny.

A city that cannot be described with my shallow vocabulary.

And all this.

"...It's all because of me..."

"Huh? Did the lady receptionist say something?"

"No, it's nothing...Mr. Yanol, please continue."

"Okay, so, what's the point... Ah, yes, although there are many people who catch mice, not all adventurers are guys who only have money in their eyes."

The bottom of the [Mouse Society] are all poor and down-to-earth people, and they are not necessarily bad-hearted. There are even many rat societies that are only children who can't survive.

For these unlucky little guys, some adventurers even fought with other mouse catchers.

"Hey, I hope the little guys he protected escaped smoothly. As long as this night is over, who will care about these little mice?"

"That's right..."

Yeah, no one cares.

Tina didn't know what to do next.

"Ah, there are also nobles, eh, I saw several nobles hiding in the dirty sewers waiting for an opportunity to escape. Although they are dressed in dusty clothes and some pretend to be adventurers, the nobles are Noble, that kind of temperament can be seen at a glance, seeing those high-ranking guys like mud mice, I can't help laughing, this is really a masterpiece!"

Having said that, Yanol whistled, as if emotional, and raised his voice.

"However, these nobles have guards around them, so how could they hide it? Our adventurers will know it at a glance! But I have to say, those people are really powerful, and many adventurers will not be able to find them even if they find them." Dare to go up and grab him, especially the Viscount Olto, a few unlucky people rushed over when they saw that there was only one person beside him. As a result, the guy in the cloak who didn't know who it was was a black fire snake when he raised his hand It flew out! It was a big boa constrictor with two crooked horns on its head, and it burned the entire upper body of a man in armor as soon as it spat out! I bet he must be like the power of attorney said It’s a sheep-headed cultist, and that man’s name is Turatus, right? He died in a fight against the cultists, he’s a man!”

He was like a bard in a tavern, sitting on the counter in front of Tina, talking loudly.

"Hey, redhead, what happened to the viscount so-and-so after that?"

Gradually, besides Tina, there were other harmonies.

"Several waves of adventurers and city guards failed to stop him. Even a magician from the Magician Association was burned to ashes. I followed them, watching from afar, watching the two of them Seeing that it was about to rush to the Baiyan River, when it was on the bridge, suddenly, a gold... or silver? In short, it was a hair that was dragged below the buttocks, and some faint gold could be seen in the upper half, and the lower half was A little girl with silver-white hair suddenly descended from the sky behind them—it was really a very, very beautiful little girl, for a moment I wondered if she was an angel sent by Artemis."

This sentence caused a burst of laughter.

Tina's body shook violently, and she raised her head.

— Miss Liliana? !

"There is still a small thing floating around the girl, I can't see it clearly, but Viscount Oltu and the guy in the black robe are stunned, they paused, and the cultist turned around suddenly, from the black robe as before He released the Flame Snake, and swallowed that little girl in one go, but—”

"But, but what!?"

Tingna's heart suddenly hung up.

The cultist's flame snake.

No matter how you think about it, it's a bad thing, although Liliana-san is very powerful, but...

"Don't worry, I guess that little girl is the protagonist tonight. After the flame rushed past her, she was fine. I got closer and used a scroll of [Eagle Eye] and saw that the flame couldn't reach her. The hem of her skirt was not burnt, and there was a circular bridge deck under her feet without even a little scorching marks. It should be a magic shield, but it is not superior to the scroll used by that unlucky Turatus. Know how much magic! That little girl is a real magician!"

Yanol was beaming, and he gestured to the height of the "little girl", which caused a burst of laughter from the adventurers.

"Boy, you misread it from too far away. Such a young girl, let alone a magician, may not even be a magic apprentice. You must have misread it, but don't be a crooked old woman with wrinkles. .”

Someone sneered.

"No no, that's definitely a little girl. Her eyes are white, like the purest silver, and her skin is made of milk—of course it's not a man's milk, it's the really high-end milk. See It tastes like the icing on the cake, not a single crease!"

But Janol corrected sternly—and elicited a bawdy laugh.

——Perhaps this person is more popular as a bard than as an adventurer, Tina thought blankly.

More and more people looked at him, and more and more people whispered and asked for his name.

A smile appeared on the man's mouth.

——Ah, that’s right.

Tina suddenly understood.

This man didn't talk to himself in idleness, he also had a purpose.

Sell ​​your well-informed image and be remembered.

Popularity, for intelligence businessmen, that is the most important.

Then, the girl was confused again.

—White eyes?

Miss Liliana's eyes are black.

"Seeing that the previous attack didn't work, the cultist released a few more flame snakes, but the girl didn't move, just stood there. There was a thick book in her hand. When the book was shining, the cultist seemed to be in a hurry. He shook off his cloak, and out of it came out a fire snake that was bigger than all the snakes before! By God, everyone who was on both sides of the bridge at that time can testify! That The snake is as tall as two of me combined, and the horns on its head can reach the second floor of the association, that is the scariest magic I have ever seen, and it might burn through even a city wall!"

——It can indeed burn through.

Yanol took a breath and added another sentence.

Recalling the destructive power that seemed to be able to swallow everything that he saw not long ago, no matter how bold he was, he couldn't help but take a few deep breaths.

He told people that if they want to see the power of the snake, they will know tomorrow that the Baiyan River Bridge has been burned, and the rocks on one side are like melted butter under the flame that seems to be wrapped in darkness, just for a moment , The snake that jumped at the girl melted the bridge and crashed into the Baiyan River. The river surface burned all of a sudden, and a large amount of water vapor enveloped the bridge, blocking everyone's vision.

"Don't say it's me, even if there is another scout from the squadron, it's impossible to see what's inside, but."

For the rest of her life, Jarnaul asserted whenever he recalled this moment.

My own disdain for magic, thinking that only cowards and nerds will learn magic, although the effect is good, but the time is short and expensive-this impression was completely subverted, and it was this night.

That blowing wind.

With that petite figure as the center, the violent atmosphere rolled up, like a storm giant waving its arms, tearing the pure white curtain apart.

Completely melted, flowing magma, above the "object" that was once the deck of the Baiyan River Bridge.

The petite figure floated.

Unscathed - that's not true either.

The exquisitely crafted dress was gone, replaced by a silver cloak wrapping her body, which was blown up in the storm, revealing the delicate white creamy skin on the cake.

Only the clothes were burnt. Yanol rubbed his eyes several times to confirm this. At this time, the man in the black robe jumped up and rushed to her, smashing down with a fist.

But was blocked.

With the help of [Eagle Eye], this time, Yanol saw clearly what was floating around the girl.

a puppet.

The black-haired doll, about the size of a one or two-month-old baby, stood in front of the fist, and without seeing what she did, the black-robed guy was thrown back and hit the intact part on the bridge.

Immediately afterwards, the girl stretched out her hand.

The next moment.

"The magma that is still flowing, those two people, and a part of the bridge deck, are all frozen. Why is there no news about Viscount Oltu? Because he was completely frozen, although I heard that he was frozen for a moment It's not going to die right away, but... who knows."

There was a gasp of admiration from the crowd.

The defeat of the cultists and the nobles who collaborated with the cultists was a cause for joy for the adventurers.

Even if it's just the man's nonsense story, I can relish it, and then whether it is true...According to Yanol, there are many witnesses, and you will know if the bridge is really broken.

"Then, the girl flew away again."

Yanol cleared his throat and jumped off the counter where he was sitting.

"You didn't go after him?"

Faced with such a question, he spread his hands.

"How can I catch up with the flying magician?"

It seemed that his story had come to an end, and Tina was slightly relieved.

In the end, Miss Liliana won.

"Ah, the girl you mentioned, I saw her a few times when I was looking for traces of those nobles. Hey, she is really a terrible person. There must be many difficult guys who died in her hands."

"?!"

Thinking seems to freeze.

Ting Na stared blankly at this person who seemed to have just entered through the door, and asked what was said before from the people around her, and then casually agreed.

His face had the expression of remembering something terrible.

"Most of those nobles have private soldiers, and the family guards are keeping them... probably they are guys who run away immediately when they hear the wind. Many of them are unmanageable by adventurers. When there is a stalemate, the girl will They suddenly fell from the sky and used magic to kill all the guards, leaving the nobles and adventurers staring blankly... I just saw her fighting with a few guys with hoods in the Sundae Square in the city. Those black guys seemed to be The high-level members of the Rat Society are now high-level, there are magicians and assassins, they are all good hands, they should still be at a stalemate..."

The adventurer walked up to Tina while talking, and handed out a certificate of commission completion.

It is also the collection of intelligence, and it has been confirmed by the City Guards, about the whereabouts of a cadre of the Rat Society...

"Can I hand over the commission?"

"Well, sir, you said Miss Liliana... did she kill a lot of people...?"

"Is that girl named Liliana?"

The girl's words made the man stunned.

Then he thought about it, and said in a somewhat uncertain tone:

"Probably killed quite a few. The guys who were used by her with magic and that puppet all looked like they were exhaling more and less inhaling. There should be more than a dozen... There must be some, hello, hello?!"

"Ai Lifu help me to replace it!!"

The man didn't finish his sentence.

No, I didn't finish listening.

【more than ten】

When hearing this number, Tingna felt her mind go blank.

A dozen... what?

Liliana and Alice... killed a dozen people?

Take other people's lives, take away, so much?

Ting Na left behind a shout, and then ran away regardless of anything.

Rushing out of the hall of the association, running across the square and the street, my mind went blank.

--Do not make jokes!

Run like hell, run like hell.

——Don’t make fun of me!

Roaring in the bottom of my heart.

Running on the brightly lit streets without many people.

What I recalled in my mind was the appearance of the petite girl whose clothes were burned because of the failure of magic in the laboratory, turning the pages of the book in the gazebo of the castle, and waving the quill in the large library full of books and bookshelves.

What spread in my mind was the figure of the little doll carrying the big tray to deliver black tea and refreshments in front of me, playing with the little fox by the fountain of the castle, and walking lightly like a dancer on the beach. posture.

so beautiful.

so cute.

Even such a sacred and pitiful figure is here.

In this crazy night and street.

My own words acted as the fuse, triggering everything that followed, and it became terrifying and distorted under the intervention of those nobles who had nothing to do with me, this night, this place!

To the sin called taking life!

Do not joke! ! ! !

Even roaring will only slow down the pace, so roaring in the bottom of my heart.

Running through the streets, Sundae Square is a place Tina is also familiar with, running under the strange eyes of street lights and patrols, looking around for road signs, and finally.

Came here.

"... Ahh."

Not even the aftertaste of breathing.

It was too late to recover from the exhaustion that was almost the same when being chased by wolves, and he squeezed through the dense crowd.

As if it had been hit by something, it was covered with scorched marks and frozen marks, and the milky white marble was torn and broken to reveal the mud below—in such a square, there were many people around, but no one dared to approach the round one, The iconic sundae sculptures in the middle are all in the charred and crumbled square.

There were five people on the ground.

Four scattered around the square, they all wore black hoods and cloaks, and the weapons in their hands, whether it was a dagger or a staff, were broken.

The last one is around the damaged fountain, in the hands of a girl wrapped in a big silver cloak, the iridescent magic blade is stabbing at the person kneeling on the ground in front of her——

"Liliana——!!!!"

I can't care about anything anymore.

There was no expression on the girl's face, and the girl's movements did not hesitate at all because the blade was about to fall. The beautiful and delicate side face was pure and pure like the angel in the church mural.

The girl pushed away the crowd, yelled, and drove her feet with belief that she didn't know where she came from, and ran towards the petite, sacred figure.

The distance is unexpectedly close, or in other words, his speed is unexpectedly fast.

After being called, Liliana's movements stopped halfway, and then, the girl turned her head, using those black pairs—no.

Those bright silver eyes stared at the girl who ran over desperately.

As if wondering why she didn't wait for her return in the castle.

at this time.

The half-kneeling black figure suddenly jumped up like a bolt of lightning.

Time seemed to stand still before Tina's eyes.

The outstretched hand of the black figure flashed a stern cold light.

Can't even scream.

what is that? dagger? sword?

The girl couldn't see clearly. However, that cold [something] approached the girl who looked at him in confusion, in the time of his heartbeat.

Even if you reach out, you can't catch it.

Not even shouting can convey it.

In the slowing down of time, only the fact of how stupid I am is clearly realized.

Only his own stupidity caused the death of Miss Liliana to be deeply aware of it.

This is the moment.

Despair and regret have not had time to rise to this moment.

The [something] that reflected the cold moonlight was distorted.

Caught by a small hand.

"Lily, are you distracted?"

The tiny doll, grabbed that with one hand.

"Hey--!"

Then, the black figure was bounced away like a cannonball, rolling and bouncing a few times on the fragmented ground, and stopped moving.

"..."

I don't know when my footsteps have stopped.

Liliana's face appeared in front of him at some unknown time.

No matter how beautiful or cute it is, it can't be perfectly described. Under the moon of Artemis hanging in the sky, it looks like a moonlight fairy or a goddess' messenger.

Her petite body was only covered with a cloak. She looked up at herself speechlessly. There was no dust or scars on her skin, and of course there was no blood.

Except for a change of clothes, Liliana and Dusk did not change anything when they left in front of her.

"...Why did you come here?"

Looking up at the girl's face, Liliana said calmly.

There is still no emotion in the silver-white pupils, which are very different from the night sky-like pupils.

It seems that it doesn't matter whether I appear here or not.

"Lily... Yana... Alice... are you all right?"

The black-haired puppet sat on the girl's shoulder, tilting its head and looking at itself.

"Lily and Alice are all right? Although these nobles have some strength, they can't even be called trouble."

"Then... are they dead, dead?"

"Eh?"

The little puppet, who didn't look like it had fought at all, blinked.

All of a sudden, there was no reaction.

"...I used [Feign Death] magic to make them powerless. Although they all look dead, if you look closely, you can feel their heartbeat and breathing."

Liliana looked at Tina's face.

"...Although I don't fully agree with Miss Tingna's thoughts, Alice and I didn't kill anyone, don't worry."

so declared.

Without any hesitation.

It was as if he knew from the beginning that the girl in front of him would ask this question.

"... Ahh."

All worries disappeared in this instant.

Liliana didn't have to lie to herself, and she couldn't. Whether no one died would be known soon.

Tingna knelt down weakly, her legs could no longer support her body.

"……Very good……"

"..."

Liliana remained silent, hugging the girl whose expression was relaxed.

In the embrace of the cool night breeze and steady heartbeat, when she realized it, tears had already wet the tender skin.

"Liliana...Alice...It's great that you didn't kill anyone...Woo, woo...Wah——"

It was a cry of relief and joy mixed together.

Why is Tina crying?

Liliana blinked, she didn't know this question,

——But it seems that there is no sadness.

Human emotions have always been difficult things to understand.

So, the girl slightly hugged the girl who was hugging her waist, and raised her head.

Let her cry unceasingly in his arms.

……………………………………………………………………………………

In the end, Tina was carried by Liliana and returned to the Adventurer's Association.

Being carried into the lounge on the second floor of the association by a girl who was (seemingly) much younger than herself under the watchful eyes of everyone, Tingna who calmed down almost wanted to shrink into the quilt and never come out again.

Even across the first floor, I could still feel the uncontrollable amused eyes of those people in the lobby on the first floor.

——Do you want to resign altogether?

Such thoughts popped up, until he calmed down, he was rolling around in the quilt "uuuuuuuuuuuuuuu".

——Really, it’s too embarrassing!

While Tingna was hiding under the quilt and rolling around, Liliana, who was resting outside a curtain, was not idle either.

"Miss Einstein...

"Miss Liliana..."

"Mr. Einstein..."

People keep coming to visit, and people keep saying to her that please take care of me from now on. There are batch after batch of such people, sometimes it is the Earl and Marquis of such and such brought by Ai Lifu, and sometimes the people who come It was like wearing metal foot armor, and the footsteps clanged on the floor.

Liliana did not speak from the beginning to the end. and

After those people talked a lot on their own, they politely said goodbye and left.

Finally, silence returned to the living room.

——Swipe and pull.

The curtain that separated the resting bed from the lounge table and chairs was pulled open, and Tinna carefully emerged from the quilt.

Liliana hugged Alice and sat on the chair beside the bed, watching her silently.

"Miss Liliana..."

The girl had already changed into a dress, and those silver eyes seemed to have cooled down, turning back into the deep night.

"...The [Rat Society] that directly assassinated me, and the nobles who hired them, have all been dealt with, and there will be no more dangers to threaten Miss Tingna in the future."

The witch said lightly.

"However, the shadow demons Alice and Lily in Miss Tina's shadow really have nothing to do, I'm sorry."

"...The one who needs to apologize is my side..."

Seeing that indifferent gaze, the shameful heart that was still running rampant just calmed down unknowingly. Ting Na propped up her upper body, hugged her knees, and buried her face in the quilt.

"I didn't hear that Liliana and Alice hid obediently in the castle, and almost put Miss Liliana in danger. Moreover, even the assassination of Miss Liliana was because of me..."

Because Liliana flattened the old city and harmed the interests of the nobles, she was assassinated.

But the reason she razed the slums was because of herself.

Thinking about it this way, I'm pretty self-sufficient.

The girl's wry smile became muffled under the quilt.

"Really, please trouble Liliana and Alice, and... I'm sorry."

"……It doesn't matter."

The witch holding the doll put Alice on her shoulders, imitated Tina and hugged her legs, put her small chin on her knees, and accepted the girl's apology.

"That's right, Miss Liliana doesn't need to blame herself. Dealing with those nobles is what Alice and Lily planned to do. Alice and Lily don't like trouble, so it's better to say thank you for being able to solve them all once and for all. What about Tina?"

"Miss Alice, don't comfort me..."

Raising her head, the blond girl took a deep breath.

"However, it's really great, Miss Liliana and Miss Alice, they didn't kill anyone..."

"...Miss Tina, she is very obsessed with [life]."

"Because that is the most precious thing. If you lose your life, you will have nothing. Although I also know that someone has died... but killing and being killed are different..."

"..."

The girl muttered to herself.

As Janor said, the man named Turatu died.

This is what Tina knew, the first dead person tonight.

People who have never met in life, even if they die, have nothing to do with themselves, even so, they will still feel a little sad.

but.

"...Miss Liliana and Miss Alice, it's great that they didn't kill anyone..."

In this way, talk to yourself with peace of mind.

Seeing Tina like that, the witch raised her eyebrows.

"...Miss Tina."

"Um?"

"...I don't kill people this time, it's not because I don't kill people but because it's unnecessary."

She sensed some sense of incongruity, some, some ridiculous fantasy.

"……Eh?"

Suddenly, what to say...

Stared at by those deep pupils, the girl swallowed the words again.

In the room where the magic lamp was not turned on, the glow of the west-slanting Artemis Moon did not shine here. In the room illuminated by the sky full of stars, there was another piece of night sky.

——What beautiful eyes.

The infinitely far-reaching night sky seemed to see through everything in this tiny body, everything in her heart——such trembling made Ting Na unable to say anything.

"You're right, Alice probably guessed what Miss Tina was thinking, so I have to tell Miss Tina, Alice and Lily..."

The little puppet looked at Tina.

"...and, what happened tonight..."

The petite witch also looked at Tina.

——Killed more people than Miss Tina you have ever seen.

——It’s not that I didn’t kill people, so no one will die because of me.

After saying these two sentences, Liliana hugged Alice.

"...Miss Tingna, please rest well, I will take you back later."

left.

Ting Na knew the meaning of those two sentences not long after.

A few days later, Yansha City Square.

Those who were captured, [members of the evil criminal organization that endangered the peace and stability of Yansha City] and [the fallen nobles who colluded with them], were tried by the court, and there were more than forty people.

Sentenced to hang.

Immediately.

……………………………………………………………………………………

After a certain day:

"Lily, Miss Tina hasn't been very energetic recently, and she doesn't talk to Alice at morning tea, and she always leaves before lunch."

"……Ok, I know."

"What is 'I know'? Lily, Lily—it's rare for someone to treat Lily and Alice as ordinary people. Lily, you are also very happy, and you still often touch the place where Miss Tina touched you that day."

"...That's Miss Tingna's own problem. If she doesn't want to understand, there's nothing I can do about it, and..."

"and?"

"...Alice and I were never meant to be ordinary."

"...In that case...that's right."