""Wow!

　Cheers erupted from the villagers who greeted me and Angel as we landed with flying magic.
　The village of Dax, where we had come for the purchase of food after the harvest, was the most northern part of the Alexander League territory.

　It is the northernmost village in the Alexander League and used to be difficult to cultivate due to low temperatures and insect damage.
　I gave them tools and magic such as greenhouse magic, sacks of fertilizer and even Astaroth's blessing.
　As a result of all the tools and magic I gave them, they are now self-sufficient in food production and can offer to buy their surplus food.

　And I've been contacted again this year to buy them back.

"Mr. Alec, there is something wrong with you.
Yes, it's different.

　I nodded my head in affirmation of what Angier felt.
　Usually the village chief or some other person in charge who could read, write, and count the money would be there to greet me.
　This time, however, I was greeted by hundreds of people, almost all of whom were present.

　All of them have a twinkle in their eyes and no malice in them, but it's definitely different.

"What shall we do, Master Alec?
Take care of yourself. Oh, Angier, we'll hold hands.
"...... Yes, Mr. Alec.

　Angier happily held my hand.
　Angel is growing more and more beautiful every day. Maybe that's why I felt my paternity fade away a little bit when I was with her.

　I wondered if I would be able to see her as a woman in a few years, and I went towards the villagers.

Welcome to you, Mr. Carlisle.

　A man from the crowd of villagers stepped forward and bowed reverently.
　He's not a nobleman, so it's not a matter of etiquette or anything like that, he just bends his hips almost ninety degrees and bows deeply, but the feeling is fully understood.

And you?
"My name is Von Braque, the acting chief of this village.
"Acting Mayor?
"Yes, my father is suffering from that ...... crippled back. I was looking forward to seeing Mr. Carlisle, but it was hard for him to sleep.
"Don't do that. I'll look at it later and you can show me around.
"Thank you!

　The man--Fon once again bowed deeply.

"More importantly, what's wrong with this?　Why is everyone here?
I prepared a banquet to express my gratitude to Mr. Carlisle.
"Banquet
"Yes, if you would like, please!

　Von looked at me with biting, strong eyes.
　The other villagers also looked at me, all of them looking at me with strong, pining eyes.
　So that's what it was all about.

Listen, Angier.
"Of course!

　Angier nodded happily.
　In fact, he seemed even happier than I was.

"I'm going to have to get you out of here then.
"Thank you!

　Von bows his head again.
　Then a couple of villagers, a boy and a girl, came running out.
　They came in front of Angers and me, each carrying a large wreath.

　I bent down a little and held out my head, and the boy put the wreath around my neck.
　Angier learned from me and bent down to help him put on the wreath.

　We watch the villagers applauding as we both pat the children's heads.
　At the back of the room, I see a group of beautiful, slightly revealing women waiting for me.
　If Angier wasn't there, they would have come out in his place.

　That kind of hospitality, a strong sense of hospitality.

Let's go, Angier.
"Yes!

　With Angel, surrounded by the villagers, we entered the village in a friendly manner.
　In the square there was a festival, a feast comparable to the size of the annual harvest festival.

　I was ushered into the best guest of honor's seat, sat down, and said to Angel.

Angel, don't worry about me, eat a lot.
"Don't you eat, Mr. Alec?
"We are in the midst of a period of excess due to the influence of the body being God's. Normal food won't taste good for another week or so.
"Doesn't it taste good?
I can't taste anything. It feels warm or soft, but it doesn't taste at all. So Angel should have one for me.
"Really!　I understand!

　Angier nodded innocently enough.
　Then we received a welcome from the whole village of Dax.

　　　　　Stars

　At night, in the biggest store in the village.

　The villagers begged me to stay the night, so Angier and I decided to stay the night.

　I woke up somehow.
　I can see a light faintly outside the window.
　It's a bonfire in the square where the party was held.

　It is common in these villages to equate God with fire and to devote faith to it.

　It's a kind of torch.



　I glanced at it through my thin eyes, feeling the warmth of Angel sleeping with me.
　I closed my eyes to sleep until morning, and the next thing I knew, I was asleep.

The next moment.

　Something fell from above my head.
　There was no sign of it, no air flow.

　But I could clearly feel something falling.

　Grabbing the wise man's sword by the bedside, you quickly guard it.

　Snap!

　A deafening sound and sparks flying in the darkness .
　The assailant kicked the wise man's sword and leapt backward, keeping his distance.

What is it?　What happened?

　Startled, Angier jumps up to be played.
　I take a step forward, hiding Angel behind my back.

It's okay Angier, just stay close to me.
"Oh, ...... got it.

　Acknowledging me, Angel rapidly calms down.
　Feeling a comfortable trust, I stare at the assailant with my wise man's sword at the ready.

　In the darkness, reflected in the distant bonfire, a cold blade and a single eye glow darkly.

"What are you?
"......
"...... kids?
You look like a kid.

　I was puzzled and so was Angel.
　It was clearly the voice of a child, a girl, who answered.
　But it didn't match her young age, and there was no emotion in her voice.

　She is even younger than me and Angel now, but her voice has no lightness, no innocence in it.
　On the contrary, there is no emotion in his voice.
　It's like an assassin.

You're--

　As I was about to ask more, a young assassin jumped at me.

　A furious rush in the dark, guarded by a wise man's sword.
　Several sword fights, sparks flying.

　He seems to be holding a dagger-like weapon, a little longer than a knife.

　Holding it against my back, it darts around me, approaching and departing.
　I catch a slash to the throat and push it back.

"What are you?　Why are you after us?

　I didn't expect the answer to come if I asked, but I still couldn't help asking.
　But, contrary to my expectations, the young assassin replied from a distance, his mouth poised.

"You're not in the master's business.

　You have a flat way of speaking, with no emotion.

Business?　A merchant?
Yes, because of you, the price of food is much more stable, and you can't make much money on it, according to the master.
"......

　I see.
　So, you mean, it's revenge for reduced speculative opportunities.
　I didn't see that coming, and I didn't see it coming, and I didn't think they'd use a kid like this.

　I was taken aback in a double sense.

"It's all right, but you can't kill me. Now, I'll just pretend it never happened and you can go home to your master.
That's a no-no.
Are you being threatened by someone named Master or something?
You haven't used your trump card yet.

　Thanks to the prolonged conversation, eyes that had become accustomed to the darkness gradually began to catch a clearer picture of the other person.

　A young body of about six feet four inches, so skinny that you could almost see his ribs through his light clothing.
　The single light in his eyes was obscured by one of his eyes, which was hidden by his bangs.

　The young assassin ran a hand through his bangs.

"This is it.

　Then he brushed back his bangs.

　Another eye flashed.
　It wasn't light reflecting off a distant bonfire, but the eye itself was glowing.

　A red, dull, suspicious light.

Huh?
"What's up Angel?
"The body, the body is not moving, Mr. Alec!
"No way.

　I see a young assassin.

My evil eye renders motionless whoever had eyes.
"Magic Eye ......

　Ask the wise man's sword the eyes that he saw in the young assassin.
　The answer came quickly. I felt my stomach turn over.

　...... I felt my stomach turn over.

That's it.

　The young assassin readied his mouth and pounced further.

　Gakkien!

　Akuchi and the Philosopher's sword clash, sparks fly.

...... huh?

　Astonished assassin, unable to comprehend the scene in front of him.

How can you move?


It's a different attribute.

　Her evil eye was like a legend, or perhaps a curse, that no human could escape or move.

　But it has no effect on non-humans.
　And my body is no longer human.
　That means it has no effect on me at all.

d*mn it!

　The young assassin kicked the floor and leaped backwards.
　Now that his trump card hadn't worked, he tried to escape.

You're not going to get away.

　I even kicked the floor to get ahead of her to flesh her out.
　Reflexively, a counterattack is unleashed with a slash, but I catch her wrist and stop her.

Let go of me.
"I won't let go. I can't let you use that eye any longer. I don't know if you know this, but every time I use that eye, my life gets shorter--
I know.
"Huh?
"I know that much. But I can only do this.

　So said the young assassin.

　He already knew about the knowledge I had gleaned from the wise man's sword, the magic eye that shortened his life with every use.

"Then,

　All the more so.

"Let's not let use diminish its life.
"...... huh?
"A girl like you don't deserve to trade your skills for your life.

　The young assassin stared at me with a look on his face, completely unable to understand what was being said.
　She stared at me with that look on her face.

　Before I knew it, the mouthpiece had fallen to the ground.