With the man-eating ogre defeated, the wild thieves who had been fighting Shakra and the others also began to surrender.

　One after another, weapons were thrown down.
　Clay's companions quickly restrain the surviving burglars.

　I smiled at him as he came back.

''Good job, Mr. Kirt. -- but you should have gotten serious sooner than that.
I'm sorry.

　Kilts-san chuckles at the honesty, and crumples up and pats me on the head.

But you can't give your all without seeing the bottom of your opponent. We are demon hunters.
?

　What do you mean?

A demon hunter's job is to hunt down demons. But if he shows his power poorly, the demon will flee. Your work will be a failure.
Oh.
It's also important to know when to go all out to ensure a successful hunt.

　I see, isn't it?　
　I was convinced, but Illtimina chuckled and shook her head.

'It's just a quilt.
What?
Of course it's very important to recognize the strength of a demon, but usually there's no room to hide one's strength from a demon. But normally, we don't have the luxury of hiding our strength from demons. I'm not going to be able to give away anything against an ogre, at least not to me. Nor would anyone else.
..........
The strength of the quilt is a little off the charts.

　You must not refer to it - and Mr. Illtimina warns him.
　Mr. Kilt's lips twitched, "...do you think you can't hurt me, strawman? I muttered to myself.

　As I was doing that, Solstice, who had been watching Clay-san, came over to me.

'Good job, Kilt. You did it.
Mm. You too.

　They clap their hands together lightly.
　I asked the girl.

"How are you doing, Mr. Clay?
He's still sleeping. But he's stable now. He'll be fine. --We should get going.　We've got to find a place to camp.

　Then he looked up at the sky.

　The sky, which had been reddish-brown, was turning purple in the east. The sun was trying to hide behind the mountains to the west.
　It was almost night.

'Hmm, I suppose so.'

　Mr. Kilt nodded.

Irna, we're gonna take care of that fallen tree blocking the road. You're coming with me.
I understand.

　The two of us walked toward a large tree that had been knocked down on the street by a wildfire blast.
　As I watched them walk away, I suddenly turned around.

　Only five of the wild thieves had survived.

　Mr. Clay's companions tied them up behind their backs and rolled them to the ground like caterpillars. Mr. Shakra was kneeling over the unconscious Mr. Clay, but laughing as he cried and stroked his hair as his arms were connected.

　The people who had been hiding in the three vehicles were also showing their faces.

　The Gosha found the dragon carriage and the carriage with arrows stuck in them like hedgehogs, and they were each stunned. But they were happy to see that the horses and dragons were safe, and they would pat their necks.

　A father and son with three children, the mother hugging the child who was crying loudly, and the father hugging the two of them. Both the father and the mother were relieved to have survived and had tears in their eyes.

　The group of pilgrims were happy to hug each other. But there were also people who looked at the dead bodies of the wild thieves around the dragon car and vomited and prayed for their repose.

　............
　I was patted on the back looking at them, panned.

'Good job Marle, too.'
"Hm.

　Solstice smiles, and I laugh back, a small smile, too.
　And then I let out a long breath.

　--I'm not going to be the only one who has been able to do this.


　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇


An ogre was the head of a gang of burglars?

　Unexpectedly, I was stunned in the dragon carriage by the unexpected story.

　The great tree that was blocking the road was destroyed by the great sword of lightning and the white spear, and we were once again on the old road.
　It was in that car that we received such a report from Solstice.

　Illtimina-san and Kilt-san both looked surprised.
　With the vibration of the dragonwheel, the lights in the car shook luridly, and Solstice, who was bewitched by the lights, nodded her head in a divine manner.

''So.'' -- inquiring about the surviving wildlife thieves, Clay's friends started asking about them.

　Incidentally, those wild thieves are tied to a nearby tree and left to die before they leave.
　Whether they will be captured by the knights from the royal capital, or whether they will be attacked by a demon or die of dehydration before that, God knows what will happen to them. But it seems that even if they are captured by the Knights, they will not escape execution.

(A bit cruel...?)

　But they have done so much sin.
　The only way left to save themselves, even if it's only a small amount, is 'mercy,' according to Kilt.

　Solstice continues to tell us their story.

But the way they talk about it, that head of theirs used to be an ordinary person too.
How does that make it an ogre?

　The person who had hunted the ogre narrowed his eyes in puzzlement.
　Solstice said.

'I heard he picked up a child one day.　

　clatter

　The dragon wheel shook wildly.
　The light from the lights flailed from side to side.

　In the midst of that light and shadow, I asked.

'Child...?'
Yeah. A boy about my age and Merle's age. He was standing on the side of the road and they caught him to sell. They say the boy didn't even put up a fight.
..........
That night, the head said it was a taster, so I took him into the bedroom. But the next morning, the boy was nowhere to be found. No one had seen him leave the bedroom. --And from that day on, the head was covered in the magic letters of Thanatos, like a tattoo.

Apparently.

　Solstice nodded at my prediction.

　Someone gulped and spat.
　Maybe it was me.

Who is this kid?
I don't know. She didn't even ask his name.

　Solstice cowered her tiny shoulders in response to Illtimina's question.

　But I had an idea.

(It must be ... that girl.)

　A boy on a cliff, with a group of burglars.
　No one else could see me, but the boy looked at me and smiled with his mouth like a crescent moon.

　I don't know what he was.
　But there was also the 'aura of darkness' used by the ogre, and it seems to be a very dangerous existence.

''Hmm........a child who turns people into demons, huh?''
But how?

　Solstice pressed her temples with a small hand.

'Does such a forbidden kind of magic exist?　I've never seen or heard of it. Don't tell me this is the "lost magic" of the ancient Thanatos magic dynasty...?　But how did the kid know that?　Nope, knowing that, how can you use such horrible magic on people without hesitation?
..........
I really don't know.

　The girl who uses magic bites her lip.
　Iltimina-san gently hugs her sister's head.

　-- Silence falls in the car.

　Kilt-san narrowed her golden eyes and pondered for a while.
　But then, as if she quickly gave up, she let out a long breath.

'As it stands, we don't know anything. --When I return to King's Landing, I will inform the guild leader, Mumpa Vina, of the existence of the alien ogre and the strange child. That's all I can do for now.
Yeah.

　Ms. Illtimina nodded.

　I opened the window curtains.
　A breeze blew in through the shattered glass window, and it was already dark outside.

　My face was reflected in the light inside the car, and I could see my face in the shards of glass left on the window frame.

(Could it be.......that I was the target?)

　It occurred to me.

　Maybe the boy that no one could see, but only the head of the wildling who was an ogre could see him.
　And then, at the command of the boy, the head and the wildlings attacked our dragon car?

..........

　The child's face, reflected in the glass, looked terribly uneasy.

'....Merle?

　I heard Iltimina's worried voice.

　I close my eyes.
　I push a lot of emotions into the back of my mind and open my eyes.

'Nah, it's nothing.'

　Laughing, I shut the curtains of the window that let the world of darkness peek through - with a snap.


　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇.


　The two moons, red and white, rise in the night sky.

　Traveling in the dark of night is dangerous.
　We decide to park our three vehicles in the middle of the road where we can get a good view and make camp. Fortunately, under the seats of the dragon car, we had emergency camping gear, including blankets and emergency rations, tucked away.

　Crackle.

　The wood in the fire was roaring and exploding.
　By the fire, we were eating the emergency food we had been given.

　kids and kids

(Ugh... this bread is so hard.)

　I'm going to break my teeth if I don't eat carefully.

'Silly me, rags. You must soak the dry bread in hot water before you eat it.

　Solstice, noticing me trying my best, says in a dumbfounded way.

　Oh, really?
　If you look at it, both Illtimina-san and Kilt-san were dipping their bread into a cup of hot water boiling over the campfire before eating it.
　........I am ashamed of myself for being so naive.

'The flavour of the bread will dissolve in the hot water too, making it into a soup.
I see.

　As expected of a foodie girl.
　When I did what I was told, the bread became fluffy and easy to eat. The hot water also tastes a little better because the salt that was sprinkled on the bread dissolved.

　Hahahaha Mug Mug.

　While eating in a dreamy state, I suddenly look up.

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

　There was another bonfire a short distance away, separate from ours.

　There was a large crowd of people gathered there.

　Three parents and their children, a group of pilgrims, a group of pilgrims, Gosha, and some of Clay's friends were standing around to protect them.
　All of them, except us, were eating there.

　-- we were shunned.

　Or, to put it more bluntly, we were terrified.

　We had all witnessed Solstice's horrible magic, Illtimina's annihilation of thieves, and Kilt's hunting and killing of an ogre from our respective windows.

(...even though I did my best to save everyone.)

　So if I had shunned them for that alone, I would have been mad at them.

　But they were different.
　They had a lot of gratitude for the three people who had saved them.

　But still, the instincts that they couldn't control were the part that made them afraid.

'Thank you,' they were grateful, but when they were approached, their bodies began to tremble on their own.

　They were struggling with self-loathing and conflicted.
　Seeing the looks on everyone's faces, the three of them distanced themselves from them.

(.........frustrated)

　It's just that.
　I was itching, sad, and frustrated with myself for not being able to do anything about it.

　I stopped eating and slumped down.

　The three of them noticed and looked at each other.

"Don't worry about it, Marle,
Yes, rags. How often does this happen?
Yeah. And you're there for me. --It's the only thing that helps us.

　Everyone was kind.
　I looked up and asked what had made me a little uneasy about the conversation we'd just had.

'Does that happen a lot?　These unreasonable things ... playing adventurer?
..........
..........

　The beautiful sisters choked on their words and Mr. Kilt muttered, "Hmmm.

　Patin.

　The bonfire exploded, and the scattered sparks of fire rose into the night sky.

　Through the glow, Mr. Kirt's golden eyes stared at me, and then he quietly opened his mouth.

'Perhaps it would be better if I told Marle already.
..........

　What are you talking about?
　In contrast to my kyoton, Illtimina-san's beauty was a little stronger than I was. Solstice cowered her shoulders in a small way.

''Well, it's fine, isn't it?''
Yeah, right.

　They nodded, and Mr. Kilt watched them and looked at me again.
　Somehow I straightened my posture.

'Merle. Now we are going to talk about the warriors themselves.
Yes, sir.
'You would have heard the ogre, wouldn't you?　Hence, as you may have guessed, I'll tell you again, from the mouth of a strawman.
..........

　I took a breath, a pause.
　I guess that gave me time to prepare myself.

　And then she said, " - We are called the 'People of the Devil's Blood' by the people.

And then she said, "People call us the People of Demon and Blood. And by 'people of demon and blood', I mean the descendants of demons who have the blood of ancient demons in their bodies.

　...........
　I wasn't surprised.

(I was expecting it, and rather convinced by the strength of these girls?)

　Just in response to the word 'demon', 'Marle's Body' buzzed a bit.

　--but that's it.

　Finding the 'calmness' in my blue eyes, Mr. Kilt continues to speak.

'Four hundred years ago, during the time of the Divine and Demonic Wars, there were people who were captured and impregnated by demons. The descendants of those people would become the Warriors.
..........
''Although there are individual differences within the same 'Demon Blood People', as a characteristic, the amount of magic power stored in their blood is greater than that of ordinary humans. And they have superior physical abilities. These are the only two differences.

　I nodded.
　Mr. Kilt's golden eyes were faintly downcast.

But people fear and hate us demons, just as they fear and hate our own blood, the demon blood people. Discrimination and persecution have been going on for the last four hundred years.
..........
About thirty years ago, the human rights of the 'Devil's Blood People' were finally recognized in a joint statement by the God Emperor Arun and the Kingdom of Shumuria. The tendency to stop discriminating against them began to spread. However, people's consciousness is not easily changed. There is no longer any open persecution, but discrimination still exists.

　She exhaled heavily.

　Had Kilt experienced a lot of discrimination, too, after all?

　And - Mr. Kilt's gaze turns to the sisters, who remain silent.　　

'The homeland of these two was burned by that persecution.
...What?
"It was a hidden village where some of the 'demon blood people' lived. But it was destroyed by people who called it a 'demon hunt' and claimed to be righteous.

　Ah.........
　On the night in Medis, Illtimina-san described the group of people who attacked their village as a 'man-hunt'

　-- finally realizing her emotions behind the difference.

(My God...)

　My chest heaves with pain.

It is true that the Warawas are the Children of the Devil. But their hearts are no different from those of men.
..........
With time, the demon's blood has faded. And without waking up to blood, they aren't capable of much. No matter what people think, that's the reality of the current demon and blood people.

　Ms. Kilt smiled sarcastically.

　And her golden eyes looked straight at me.
　Iltimina-san and Solstice also stare at me intensely with their crimson eyes.

　Illtimina-san's combined white fingers are too strong and bleed on the back of her hand.

　Their gazes seemed to pierce my heart, as it were.

'Do you understand, Marle?'
..........
The women who are with you are the descendants of the devil. "The women who are with you are the 'descendants of the devil. --If you want to continue to be with the Warawas, you need to be prepared to do so.

　Then Mr. Kilt's fingers indicated the bonfire where people had gathered.

'Now you can go back.
..........
That is a natural choice. ─ That is a natural choice, but I do not despise it. I have nothing but gratitude for you. The debt of gratitude that I owe you for saving Illtimina's life will be repaid in the future. --Therefore, I want you to look into your heart and answer honestly.

　She took a short breath and asked.

'Merle. Will you still be with the strawmen?

　I close my eyes.

................

　But no matter how many questions I asked my mind, there was only one answer.

　Maybe I'm not imaginative enough.
　Maybe I don't understand the meaning of what Mr. Kilt is saying correctly.
　Because I've never been persecuted.

　But I'm not lost.

　I slowly open my eyes.
　I look at the three of them and just say what I honestly think.

"I... want to continue to be with you guys.

　Mr. Kilt laughed, his eyes downcast and somewhat relieved.

'I see,'

　Solstice shredded her own hard bread, hard as she could.
　She split into two pieces, the big one and the small one, and after a moment's hesitation, she pushed the big one against my chest with a thump.

'You can have it.'

　His face is down, so I can't see his expression through his bangs.
　I accept the bread, silently.

"Merle....

　He called my name, and I turned around.
　Illtimina-san was looking at me with a tearful smile on her face.

　For some reason, I felt like crying too.

"..........
..........

　A white hand pulls my head back. And then, voicelessly, we embraced each other.

　Crackling.

　The wood from the fire exploded.　

　The loudest firebrand I'd ever seen rose into the night sky, its fantastic glow illuminating the four of us fleetingly and tenderly.