"-This is 'healing spirit water', isn't it?

　Illtimina-san's lips reflected in the glowing water surface, and she spun a mutter.

　It was only after we had returned safely to the tower.

　It was already dusk outside, and I had to prepare a late lunch or an early dinner, so I put the only treat of hospitality, "Glowing Water," in a wooden bowl and offered it to her.

　That was the first thing that came back to me.

'Spiritual water for healing?'

　I stared back at her with a scowl, holding the bowl.　

　She gave a small smile and nodded.

'Didn't you know?　This is the 'water that contains the power of recovery magic'. Sometimes it comes from old dungeon ruins or remote and remote nature, and it's a very useful item for adventurers.
"Huh?
'But I didn't expect to find it in the depths of the Great Aldrian Forest. --Thank you, Merle. I'll take it?
Yes, Bon appétit.

　Go ahead, please, and hand the bowl to her.

　After receiving it, Illtimina-san puts her crimson eyes down and lets her cherry-red lips touch the bowl.

　Koku-Koku.

　The way she drank with a white throat, she was somehow elegant.

　Eventually, she exhaled s*xily, "Huh," and then smiled at me.

'It's delicious,'

(Good.)

　I laugh too and put my mouth to my bowl. Gulping ... yeah, it's still sweet and awesome!

　Gobble gobble gobble.

　As usual, I had a couple of refills.

　Illtimina-san was watching me for a while, when she suddenly said these words.

I'm sure you've been living like this for a long time?

(Hmm?)

　I stop eating.

　Miss Illtimina looks straight at me.

If you don't mind, could you tell me a little more about Marl himself?
Myself?

　She nodded, "Yes.

'You said before that you didn't have any parents, but... well... are your parents dead?'　
I don't know.

　I've never seen my reincarnated parents, and I doubt if they even existed in the first place.

I found myself here alone.
When you find out?
'Yes. There's a stone pedestal with a magic circle near the tower, and that's where I woke up. But I don't have any memories of anything before that.

　I have vague memories of my previous life, but I don't have to tell you that, do I?

　At my words, Illtimina-san pouted.

''Marle is an amnesiac........?
Do you think?
..........
'After that, I found a tower and lived here by myself. I wanted to go somewhere else, but I didn't have a way to get over the forest or the cliffs. So I don't know why I'm here, even I don't know myself.

(Really, why did I have to reincarnate, me?)

　I craned my neck and was about to put my mouth on the bowl again.

"Merle.

　sizzling sound

(What?)

　Suddenly, a white arm reached out from beside me and pulled me into her embrace - and

Yee, Miss Illtimina?

　Both cheeks are sandwiched between two very soft and elastic ones!

　As expected, I'm flustered, but her arms won't let go of this little body.

　Then, holding me in her arms, she says this in her ear.

'Marle, I'm going to walk away from this place in two days.
Uh-huh.
'But if Marle wants to, I'll take you with me, too. Marl ... what do you want to do?

　...........

　That's obvious.

I'm going with Illtimina-san.
Huh.

　

''I understand. From now on, I promise you that this Illtimina Wong will never leave Marle, who saved my life, alone.

　Oh, I'm exaggerating.

　But I felt like her voice was strangely absorbed into my mind and filled my empty insides.

　The next thing I knew, these little hands were around her back.

Yes. Thank you, Miss Illtimina.

　I closed my eyes in relief and let out a long breath.


　◇ ◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇


"Merle, take your clothes off.

　It was an abrupt order after dinner.

(W-why?)

　While I couldn't help but imagine the unthinkable, Ms. Illtimina's good looks were a bit grim, and

It's been bothering me. --that torn piece of clothing on your left shoulder. If you'd like, I can sew it up for you.
..........

　I tied up the torn part of her in case she wasn't happy about it.

'Yes, banzai,' she said, and I reluctantly complied.

　

　Tingle, tingle, tingle.

　I ask, watching them work in a daze.

'You adventurers have sewing tools too, don't you?'
That's right. Originally, it was for sewing up wounds(s) and mouths(s) in emergencies, such as running out of magic or medicine to use recovery magic.......

　Oh?

(Oh, is that why?)

　She finished stitching in a flash and bit off the thread with her white double teeth with a petite bite.

'Yes. I'm done.
Thank you. --Iltimina, you're a good stitcher, aren't you?
I used to sew my sister's clothes too.

　Oh, I didn't know you had a sister.

　I put my shirt back on.
　Yeah, it's still easier to move around in it.

"And yet, how did you get this torn?　It was ripped open with a lot of force.
Oh, yeah.

　He nodded and confessed.

'Actually, I was slashed and killed by a skeleton once,'
"........... Yes?

　I got a very strange look on my face.

　Mr. Illtimina held his temples with his white fingers, as if he had a headache.

'Well I'm sorry. Did I hear wrong?　...killed once?
Yes.
"...to whom?
'A big skeleton. They glow purple, and they appear in the woods at night and hang around.
..........
'That pendant helped me a lot, though. The first time I saw it, buster.

　I run my hand knife over the stitches in my clothes.

　It still scares me when I remember, but I feel a little better now that I've told her.

　That Ms. Illtimina looks at me without saying a word, her crimson eyes round and round.

　Then she looked up to the heavens as if she were thinking, and eventually let out a big breath, as if she were letting out something that had been pent up inside.

'Merle,'

　The voice calling out for me was a little scary.

"What?
Where do you keep the skeletons?
Well, I think we can find out from the lookout.
Then let's go.

　Huh?
　Oh, hey?

　Without giving her time to reply, she stood up and started to climb the spiral staircase with a white spear in her hand.

(Yeah...?)

　It's like something is turned on. Why?


　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇.


　Eventually, they reach the lookout.

It's a little early for that.
Then we'll wait.

　Iltimina-san, I sat down against the wall with my spear resting on my shoulder and sat back against the wall.

　I had no choice but to sit down next to her.

　Without a word, time passed, and the sky changed from the purple of dusk to a jet-black tent of twinkling stars.

(Is it about time?)

　I stand up and look into the forest below.

'Ah, there you are.'

　A myriad of purple lights scampered and writhed in the black sea-like forest.

　Mr. Illtimina stood up, too, and found the scene.

...this.

　She muttered in surprise.

　With the scariest expression she had ever seen, she leaned back from the wall and looked around at the purple lights in the forest.

'Are those skeletons ... not just one?
Yes.

(Oh, did I mention?)

　Mr. Illtimina was silent for a while.

　Eventually, in a squeezing voice.

''Since the daytime is so peaceful, I was about to make a mistake. As I suspected, this is the 'Great Forest of Aldoria, Deeper Layer' - a terrifying demon world. I never thought I would see such a large number of 'dark auras'.
"...what?
Stand back.

　The moment she was about to call out to him, she was pushed back.

　Then, being a demon hunter, she changed her white spear in her reverse hand and suddenly swung it wide.

　Kashan.

　The wing decorations spread wide, revealing a beautiful blade and a red magic stone.

　The crimson eyes and magic stone increase in light.

Shh!

　bop

　A single white flash of light flew from the watchtower into the forest at night.　

　Dpaan.

　The forest at the point of impact bursts wide open, and the 'purple light' caught in the explosion leaps up into the sky.

　In front of me, who is rigid, the 'purple light' in the air shatters into small pieces, and like a firework, the glow disappears.

''-- White wings, return to my hand!

　whistling sound

　A white flash of light dances back from within the forest.

　With one hand, Illtimina-san received it - the tip of that spear is pierced by the head of that terrifying giant skeleton.

(U.................Whaaa?

　There was no lower jaw, and where the spear had been stuck, a crack ran through it.

　Upon closer inspection, the skull was formed from a collection of countless human bones, and the empty eyes didn't have any power in them now, and the skull didn't even have a purple glow in it.

　Miss Illtimina stared at the skeleton, which was as big as a bag of rice.

"Oh... 'Skeleton King'?

(But the Skeleton King?)

　She tells me as if she could hear my mind.

'It's a high-ranking mortal body. They are the kind of beings that can be found occasionally in the depths of dungeons where there are many dead people... but they are so numerous and pervasive in this land. Moreover, they are clad in an 'aura of darkness' and in an enhanced state.
Oh, um, what's that aura of darkness?
''It's that 'purple light'. It is the dark magic power used by the demons of the Divine Demon War, and the land where it still lingers still exists in this world. And the demons, who are the Darkness's subordinates, become more powerful under the influence of that magical power. This is truly the negative legacy of the Divine Demon War.
You mean........this forest was one of those negative legacies?
Yes. Apparently, it looks like it.

　Illtimina-san, who replied, gulped down her grip on the spear.

　Crack!

　The skull of the Skeleton King crushed and fell out of the tower.

''..........''
..........

　We watched it in silence.

　Eventually, Illtimina-san exhaled heavily.

　Then the smile she gave us was back to her usual gentleness.

Well, we've avenged Merle. --Shall we go back into the tower?
No, I'm not. I'm alive.

　I couldn't help but plunge in.

　In no way, I feel like this awesome demon hunter is overprotective of me.

''That's right,'' she chuckled, descending the spiral staircase.

　I stared at her back, dumbfounded, and then suddenly looked back at the forest at night.

　In that jet-black Aldoria Great Forest and the deepest part of the forest, there were still countless 'purple lights' stirring.

''.........''

　brrrrrl

　With a shudder, I hurried after her.