Mutation
We, who finished meeting Gurian-san and the others, are taking a carriage towards the capital. After I sent Gullek flying, I was asked various questions about myself in another room.
It’s troubling, given that everybody chats happily when it comes to matters about me. Aerith talks about the stuff from when I was born until when I left the March, Alexia and the others talk about the stuff in the 4 years from then until now.
Caro didn’t hear it before as well so she’s listening to it happily, Gurian-san seems to admire the fact that I’m being worked hard by Shishou, and Melies-san is listening to the stories with a smile.
It had turned nighttime before we know it while we’re having a lengthy conversation on those topics and we decided to go back. Gurian-san and Melies-san were asking if we’d like to stay the night, but because we’d left Dargris and the others behind on the other side, we have to go back.
We make the promise come again, bid farewell to Gurian-san and the others, and here we are. Since it won’t even take 30 minutes even if we take our time with the carriage. We can go at any time. Caro’s looking outside slightly lonelily though.
“Are you alright, Caro?”
“Eh? Eeh, I’m alright though, what’s the matter?”
“No, it’s because you’re blanking out, the whole time”
I say and, she smiles while scratching her cheek slightly embarrassedly.
“Sorry to make you worry. I just slightly have my mind on Gul-niisan’s matter”
“Are you bothered?”
“That’s of course. He’s my cousin”
Caro who says and laughs lonelily. Cousin huh. Which reminds me, I haven’t been remembering much about it recently, but I had a cousin in my previous life as well. I think her name is Kasuragi Kana and she’s 1 year younger than me.
If I remember correctly, she’s a lovely girl and she was adopted into the family before she entered middle school. My memories around these parts are fading already. I remember that she’s a spoiled girl who’s always sticking to me.
I’m remembering about the past and, before I know it, everybody’s staring fixedly at me.
“Wha, what’s the matter, everybody?”
“Somehow, you were making a sad look”
Alexia says. Aerith says that it’s a face that I’d occasionally make when we were in the March, I did huh.
“I do not know what you’ve remembered, but we are here!”
Helen-san says. Everybody else nods at those words as well. That’s right. I live in the present, not the previous life anymore. Although they’re not memories that I should forget, it’s not something to reminisce and fret about now either.
“Thanks, everybody”
I thank everybody and,
“Geez, you’re adorable!”
Alexia says and hugs me tightly. Because Alexia bent forward and hugged my head tightly, I naturally end up at her breasts-sama. My face buries into the soft and fluffy breasts-sama. I can hear jealous voices and, one……two people’s resentful voices, but it’s gradually becoming uncomfortable so I’d be grateful if I can have her let go of me.
As we’re all talking about such things, suddenly,
Zudoon!
there’s a loud sound. Outside, along with the coachman’s panicky voice that’s trying to calm the horse that’s surprised by the sound, the carriage stops. We look at each other’s faces, head outside, look to the direction that we heard the sound and, it was in the direction of Hautenbourg Territory.
We look for a while and, something smoke-like suddenly starts rising. Its trait is that its colour isn’t white, but slightly red.
“That’s!”
“Caro knows about that?”
“That beacon, it’s a beacon they light when they’re requesting for aid from the capital when there’s a problem! Something happened in Hautenbourg Territory!”
Caro says and makes a flustered expression. After that, although sparse, there were loud sounds as well, and maybe it’s because somebody used Fire Magic, there’s smoke rising.
“……What in the world is happening?”
“I don’t know, but we can’t just stand by and watch!”
“Yeah. We’ll immediately go to Hautenbourg Territory, but let’s split into 2 groups. Caro, you’ll go back to the capital and speak to the Pope. Also, I want you to bring reinforcements”
I say and she reluctantly replies, ‘I got it’. In actuality, Caro herself probably wishes to go, but it’s the easiest for Caro to get the word through to the Pope after all. Caro probably understands that as well.
“Furthermore, Aerith and Helen, I want you guys to accompany her. Please”
Both of them immediately nod at me. Although it’ll probably be fine, something similar might be happening in the capital as well. I send Aerith, who will be her escort on that occasion, and Helen, who will explain this situation in further details, to the capital.
“Coachman-san. I am leaving the three of them in your hands”
“Un, understood. But what are the remaining 3 of you going to do?”
“We will run there. Alexia, Ferris, you guys can do it, right?”
“Of course”
“Fufuーn! Who do you think I am!”
Alexia, who smiles and replies to me, and Ferris, who puffs up her chest and makes a proud look at me. Her tail is also swinging energetically.
“……I’m counting on you, Lei”
“Aah, leave it to me. Body Reinforcement. Let’s go, both of you”
I say and we start running. At the back were Caro, who clasps her hands and prays, and the coachman who mutters, ‘Isn’t there no need for a carriage’.
After we started running for about a couple of minutes, we arrived at Hautenbourg Territory’s gates, and what we immediately realised were the figures of civilians crowding the gate, trying to leave the territory.
We decided to ask the soldiers who are evacuating the civilians near the gates.
“What in the world happened!?”
“What’s with you guys? You guys as well, quickly escape! A Demon Race is running amok inside!”
A Demon Race is running amok? Don’t tell me, did they come to take revenge for the fact that I killed Gilgas? I look around at Alexia and Ferris, and then
“Ah! You guys, wait!”
we went inside. Inside, there are loud sounds intermittently and we can hear somebodies’ cries.
“The direction of the sound is……”
“Eeh, it’s the direction of Cardinal Hautenbourg’s mansion and the academy”
“It reeks horribly of blood in that direction……”
Ferris, who says that, becomes teary-eyed and presses down on her nose. I ponder while caressing Ferris’ head.
“Are they possibly evacuating people into the academy?”
“Probably. Inside the academy, there’s a protective wall that’s set up in the case of an emergency”
It seems there’s one in Cardia Academy as well. I wait for Ferris to calm down and we start running once again. And when we arrived at the academy, over there
“It’s terrible huh”
“Aah”
the protective wall has been destroyed and bloody soldiers lay on the ground. And then, on the other side, the figures of a Demon Race, that’s a little more than 2 meters, and Gurian-san and soldiers, who fight while protecting the civilians, are visible.
“Alexia and Ferris, evacuate the civilians, I’ll tackle on the main cause!”
“Got it!”
“Leave it to me!”
I, who separated from them after saying that, take out Rolgar from the Item Ring,
“Wind Magic Sylphid Blast Body Endowment, Weapon Endowment”
I am clad in the wind, that surges around me, in a way that the wind twines around me. On top of my head, Hikarin and Maririn are pouting but I don’t pay any attention to it. I’m releasing godspeed thrusts. I take aim at the Demon Race and start running.
Gurian-san, who noticed me, raises his voice, but I carry on charging forward.
“Gaa?”
I twist my body as much as I can, hold the butt of the spear in the palm of my right hand and support Rolgar with my left hand. And then I dive into the Demon Race’s proximity!
“Screw Driver!”
I thrust while twisting my right hand. Rolgar, that spins forward, gouges out the Demon Race’s meat while stabbing into it.
“Gaaaaa!”
And then the Demon Race was blown away. Alright, while I have the time now
“Are you alright, Gurian-san!”
“Aah, aaah, thanks for the help, Lei-kun. But, why are you here?”
“We heard the sounds on the way back so we came back. So, what’s with that Demon Race?”
He makes a sorrowful expression when I ask about the Demon Race. What?
“……That’s, Gullek”
“……Huh?”
I couldn’t comprehend what I’m being told at all.
