Hey ......, who's there?

　Allen cautiously calls out to the figure on the ground.
　But the person didn't even twitch.

　He crept closer and closer.

"...... woman?

　It was a young girl lying face down in the grass.
　She had a beautiful face and was wearing a fine dress. A typical princess, perhaps.

　However, her dress was tattered and her complexion was very pale.
　She seems to be barely alive, as thin breaths spill from her pale lips.

"Is she a runaway ...... or did she run away from where she was kidnapped?

　You'll be able to find a lot more information on the web. But there was no sign of her waking up. If left unattended, he would ...... surely die.

　Allen hesitated a little ...... and sighed as if he had given up.

"It's ...... no use. I'll take care of her until she wakes up.

　Allen took her in his arms and headed for the house.
　The moment you step on a weed...!

I'm not sure what to do.

　Suddenly, a man's savage voice cut through the silence of the forest.

　At the same time, a deadly blade flashed behind Allen.
　I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not, but it's a good idea.

I'm not sure what to say.
"What's with the greetings again?
What?

　I'm not sure what to make of it.
　It's rudimentary illusion magic. It's also called the art of shapeshifting.

　The man who looked back at me was not a familiar face. But I know the sigil on his armor.

"A neighboring country, and a royal guard. What does a man with such an important title want?
"......

　The soldier didn't answer.
　He glared at Allen and slowly raised his sword.

　Three more soldiers appeared from behind the trees. All of them are heavily armed, and all of them look sharply at Allen.
　In the tense air, Allen shrugged his shoulders while holding the girl.

I'm sure you're not the only one. I'm ready for door-to-door sales.
Give me the girl.

　"Give me the woman," a soldier with a sword at the ready said in a low voice, unconcerned by Allen's flippant remark.

The woman is a felon who has disgraced our country. She is a felon who has disgraced our country. If you stand up for her, I will not spare her.
"You're a felon?

　You peer into the girl's sleeping face.
　The weak but beautiful face of the girl was clearly far away from such words.

The girl's weak but beautiful face was clearly a far cry from such words. If you surrender her to me in peace, ...... I will not harm you. I promise.
"Hmm. I see.

　I'm getting a hint of trouble.
　So Allen smiles at .......

"If that's the case, I refuse to go to .......
"What?

　Who would you rather have, these fishy people or a poor, weak girl?
　If you ask me which of the two I prefer, I would definitely choose the latter. That's human nature.
　If she was really a bad person, we could just hand her over later.

　Therefore, the only thing to do now is to engage her.

"Are you planning to take on us alone? ......!
That's what I'm talking about.

　You'll be able to see the soldiers surrounding you, and your lips will twist in a smile.
　The soldiers' stance was flawless. It was obvious that they had been trained very well.
　Allen, on the other hand, had his hands full with the girl in his arms. From an outsider's point of view, he must have looked like he was in desperate straits.

　Therefore, ...... is just the right handicap.

Don't think that just four elite men can compete with ...... me!
You'll be able to get a lot more than that.

　A scream comes from behind your right hand.
　One of the soldiers who had attacked Allen had been knocked off his feet and had fallen. I'm not sure what to do, but I'm going to do it.

　The remaining three moved in unison. However, Allen is faster.

"Ice Bind!
"Ogg ......!

　There was a flash of lightning on the ground, and two soldiers fell to their knees. Their feet were sewn to the ground by ice crystals.


　It is a magic that manipulates ice. It has very low killing power and is effective in capturing enemies.

　All that remains is the first one with a sword.

It's a no chant magic,......!

　The soldier's eyes rolled up in astonishment, but he remained calm. I'm not sure if you've seen this before, but I'm sure you've.

　You'll be able to find a lot more than just a few of them. With that momentum, he kicked the soldier in the chin, causing him to fall back.

One more time!　"Ice Bind!
"......!

　And so the capture is complete.
　While being crucified on the ground, the soldier looks up at Allen with wide eyes.

"That white and black hair ......!　I'm sure you're not the...
I don't want to talk about it. I don't want to waste your time.
"Gah ...... ah ............?

　With a snap of the fingers, the light disappeared from the eyes of the four.
　As they stare into the void, Allen asks quietly.

"Well. What's going on here?　Tell me.
"...... searched the forest from top to bottom.
"I searched the ...... forest until I found no trace of the woman.
...... concluded that she had been eaten by a beast.
"...... decided to return home for a time.
"Well, good job!

　Once they've been dealt with, the next batch of soldiers are bound to come. Then it will be quicker to deceive them.
　I melt the magic ice and they get up in a huff.

"There, you're home. Don't come back.

　The soldiers left in a daze, heading in the direction Allen had indicated with his chin.
　Soon he would be conscious and Allen would be completely out of his mind. He should be able to return to his country and report back to us.

　The immediate problem has been solved for the moment.

But the felon, ......, seems to have a very good reason.

　Allen looked down at the girl's sleeping face and let out a small sigh.