[Aifa]

　The hustle and bustle of the Imperial City felt like a distant memory, even though they had only been away for a few months or so.

　But even if I actually returned to the imperial capital, I wouldn't feel nostalgic.

　After all, my home is beside that forest and the spirit tree.

　I was feeling that solemnly as I blended myself into the imperial capital.

　If a soldier comes from in front of us, we move behind the carriage and walk through the back streets as much as possible to keep a low profile.

　As for clothing, they just put on their robes and hoods and put their hoods over their eyes, but in the busy imperial capital, that's the only way they won't be exposed at first.

　I'm sure you'll be able to find out what's going on in the world. After all, he wanted to make sure that he himself was safe and get them out.

　Besides, we have a partial location of their families. If I could make contact with one of their families, there's a chance that I might know where the other families are.

　With that in mind, I came to the back of the east barracks.

　The number of peddlers had dwindled, but the number of soldiers in armor had increased instead. However, since this is a place that I would not normally approach, there is a good chance that they won't know it's me if I'm wearing these plain colored robes. I'm not going to be the only one without an accompanying person.

　However, there is one element that stands out no matter what.

''Well I'm in trouble.

　Muttering that, he turned around and saw a huge figure standing comfortably in the dark alleyway.

　It was the golem attached by Taiki-dono. If it becomes as large as the Imperial Capital, there are certainly some sorcerers with golems.

　But the majority of them are imperial sorcerers, and they are either self-promoting sorcerers who want to show off their own golems, or eccentric sorcerers who have too much love for their golems.

　And other than that, the sorcerers who wear cloaks and robes without imperial emblems and with golems are mostly mercenaries and stray sorcerers who stand out badly in the imperial capital.

　I look up at the golem that has been altered to look angular and let out a sigh. It will be more than dependable in an emergency, but when it moves covertly, it will be too obvious.

''I wish you would move away and follow me.

　He muttered and let out another sigh, but gave up on the fact that it was no use saying it and went out to the front of the barracks.

　If a soldier suspects me, I'll manage to get away with it. There's also the mark of an imperial sorcerer borrowed from Yuri-dono, and I can explain that he's a sorcerer from the imperial kingdom.

　With that in mind, he went out to the front street to check out the barracks.

　Five soldiers were standing side by side at the entrance of the two-story stone building, with other lightly armed soldiers walking around inside and outside.

　Some of them gave me a sideways glance, but they averted their gaze without any particular reaction.

　Why? Don't you think it's suspicious to see a golem?

　I thought so and turned around, but Taiki-dono's golem was not there.

　I searched the area with my eyes alone and found him standing quietly in the shadows of an alleyway. Apparently, he's waiting for me without leaving the alleyway I was in just now.

''No........no.....no way.......''

　The fact that it is still moving at this super, super distance is extraordinary. And yet, it is an act of God to give orders so advanced that it can understand some of our words.

　But the opponent is the king of that flying island. Maybe that's possible.

　At the stage where I had thought of that much, my skin became all hairy as I realized one pure fact.

　The sorcerer who controls the golem is far up in the sky, and only soldiers descend on the ground. If an army with the strongest golem that I had ever fought seriously against came to attack, any country would be overrun in the blink of an eye.

　At any rate, the option of killing the golem sorcerer, the only chance for victory, is blocked. There was no way they could win.

　As I stare at the golem hiding in the alleyway from the front street, I wrinkle my brow in a cold sweat.

　At that moment, a dozen or so soldiers appeared from across the street. As soon as I look over there, I realize that I have a family there.

　The soldiers make it hard to see, but I can certainly feel the presence of the family there. They are probably children in their thirties.

　I turn back quickly and head back into the alleyway.

'Can you take a step back?'

　After telling Taiki-dono's golem that and ducking into the alleyway, the golem took a large step backwards and stuck to the wall to keep a low profile.

　Obviously, upon hearing my words, the golem decided and moved on its own to do something other than what I had instructed it to do.

　Sensitive to my family's presence, I softly looked up at the golem's face and raised my eyebrows.




[Maea]

　He ran over the hard cobblestones, running from the shadows of the building to the shadows. When I checked behind me, I saw the figure of a golem quietly following me with a large gait despite the huge body I was looking up at.

''The quintessential Taiki-sama's golem.

　I mutter, and my mother emerges from behind the golem.

'Maea, we need to act a little slower...'

　Her mother muttered with a worried look on her face and turned her head to look around. She seemed unusually anxious for her mother, who was usually unfazed.

　I turned to my mom and put my hands on my hips, my mouth agape.

'Didn't Taiki-sama tell you that? We're so far away from the Imperial City that it'll take a week or two for the story to get out, and it's okay if they find out.

'I didn't say it's okay to be found out, Maia? But he did tell me not to worry about being found out in the worst case scenario, but...

　I nodded proudly to my anxious mother.

'It's okay. Didn't that elf-like person walk in earlier? They have to be in here. The sooner we get him out of there, the better. So just smile and watch like you always do, mom.

　When I told her that, her mother laughed as if she were troubled.

'Normally that's fine, but if you fail, you might end up with mud on Lady Taiki's face, you know? You mustn't do that, okay?

All right, all right, all right.

　I say this with a bit of anger at my mom who says the same thing over and over, and the golem starts to move even though I didn't say anything.

　Both my mom and I blink at the golem as it moves with its hands on my mom's shoulders, holding her down against the wall.

What? I didn't want to....

　As I looked up at the golem in surprise, I heard a voice from behind the building a little later.

　It's a man's voice. There seemed to be several people talking, and every now and then I could hear the sound of metal against metal.

　I looked at my mom and she gestured at me to stop talking.

　There was laughter for a while, but as I stayed quiet, I soon found that some people's voices were leaving me.

　There were probably two men left in the building, both of them soldiers in armor.

''Well what do we do now? Do you want to go in?

　When I asked this in a whisper, my mother made vertical wrinkles between her eyebrows.

''Don't be so rash, Maea. First, we need to make sure all the elves are accounted for, and then.......

All right, all right, all right.

　I look up at Taiki-sama's golem, interrupting my mother's words, which are about to get long.

'I'll go out front once, you watch with your mother there. If you get in danger, you can help me.

　With that, I walked out into the street quietly, it was about time I did. My clothes are a generic costume I bought in town, with a turban around my head and a thick cloak on my back so my ears and tail are fine.

''Hey, hey, Maia...!

　I heard my mother's panicked voice, but I didn't care and moved through the middle of the street to the other side of the street. It was just a clothing store with merchandise on display outside, and I stopped to look at it.

'Oh, pretty girl. What do you want?

　A middle-aged man came up to me, emitting an affable voice, but I didn't look at him and tilted my head to look at the merchandise.

''Well I need a bright red colored, single piece of cloth clothing.

　The man nodded good-naturedly as he mentioned the color of the clothes that weren't in front of him.

'Oh, that's right, you're in luck. I have some goodies that are a bit pricey, but they are rarely available. Wait a minute.

　After saying that, I quietly looked back behind me with only a profile, confirming that the man's presence had disappeared at the back of the store.

　The soldiers who should have been there a moment ago were no longer in sight, and two soldiers were in a building that looked like a doorless barracks.

　And behind them was the figure of an elf in a white cloak, and a child elf sitting on a chair with a dark expression on his face.

''Well this should work.

　I mouthed that and reversed. I moved with the flow of people. Quickly and inconspicuously, we stitched our way through the people and back to the back alley.

'There are two soldiers. The elves are one adult and one child.

　I moved next to my mom and told her so, and got a troubled look from her.

'That information is good, but you can't be reckless, can you?'

But it was all right, wasn't it?

　I want you to praise me for my success. I appealed to her with my eyes, but her mother gave me a stern look.

'What if you fail? We need to get the elves out of there as inconspicuously as possible and without the soldiers noticing.

　My mom tells me that, and I puff out my cheeks in protest. Taiki-sama's golem is there too, so it's okay, but mom is too cautious.

　I was going to say that, but I stopped because I felt like I would only get angry either way.

　If this happens, I have to show her how right I am with the consequences.

　I quietly decided to do so and looked up at the golem's face.