In the foothills of Dragon Peak, we live.
Is it the guidance of a Goddess?
Alice, in the first place, is a Miko, so she cannot kill the same Miko?
As a former colleague, there’s a possibility of my hands faltering. If so, I won’t be able to guide the sinful Miko?
This Miko who betrayed us, might she be a person of such ability that she troubles even the Miko Knights?
That’s right. After all, she’s a woman who directly fought an executive of the Evil Race’s King. Furthermore, without real ability that even the Evil Race would marvel at, it’s impossible to make a deal with an executive of the Evil Race’s King.
So, Alice visited the Forbidden Territory to ask me to kill her?
Well, I won’t accept requests for assassination!
Nevertheless, I can’t shake this feeling of dissonance.
I don’t know where the Sanctuary is, but it’s probably not in the Forbidden Territory, nor even within the Demon Race’s Country.
I can’t think of a reason why someone from a distant land I don’t even know would come to me, relying on me, for a request like this.
Even if they heard about us from the Dragon God, would they really ride a Pegasus to fly here just to ask someone they’ve only heard about in a land they don’t know to assassinate someone?
Surely, Alice is still hiding something from me.
But it’s also strange that Ares-chan, who can read Alice’s heart so well, isn’t showing any signs of rejection?
Even though she continues to manifest because the ending is interesting, she’s pretending to be asleep in my arms, leaving all judgment to me.
Really, what is Alice hiding, and what is Ares-chan trying to witness?
Putting that aside for now.
“Hey, hey, Spirit Tree-chan!”
I called out to Spirit Tree-chan, looking around.
Startled by my sudden address, Spirit Tree-chan twisted its branches in question.
I chuckled at the deftly twisted branch tip and voiced a long-standing question.
“I’ve always been curious about this. Where did Oz go!?”
That’s right!
Oz, the two-tailed fox monster who usually sleeps not in a mansion but in a hollow in the Sacred Mountain, and who calls himself the “Substitute Guardian of the Spirit Tree,” has been nowhere to be seen!
“Eh? You’re asking now?! Besides, you’ve completely strayed from the topic of the Miko Knight!”
Hahaha. A secret weapon: changing the subject!
If I had been dragged into Alice’s topic, I might have been involuntarily caught up in it.
So, I abruptly changed the subject!
Alice, who had been showing various complex expressions, was now surprised by my completely nonsensical topic change.
Hmm. She’s quite an expressive woman.
If she had children, their moods would be easily understood from their mother’s expression, so they would grow up to be honest children, I bet.
“Could it be… that he became Teruru-chan’s food? Or perhaps, an offering to Charlotte…?”
“Both of those would mean Oz’s life is cheap, right?”
“It’s just your imagination?”
“Is that really true?”
“Hahaha. You two are amusing. I, who was so consumed by thoughts of the Miko, can finally laugh again.”
Alice can hear the voices of all things, as expected. Hearing our lighthearted conversation, she laughs heartily.
Good.
Alice’s strained atmosphere has eased a little.
“So, Spirit Tree-chan. Where is Oz?”
Looking around again, I can’t feel Oz’s cute presence or any sign of him. In response to my question, Spirit Tree-chan pointed its attention northward.
“You know, when Elnea and the others were working hard on the Autumn Harvest Festival. Oz also went down the Sacred Mountain to find food to prepare for winter?”
“Oz is also proper about those things, being a monster. So, where did Oz go?”
“Uh, well… he said he was going to the North Sea to catch fish!”
“Ah…”
Towards the north where Spirit Tree-chan had pointed, I offered a silent prayer.
It’s a shame.
Oh Oz, a terrible ruler reigns in the North Sea. To try to catch fish in such a sea…
“You’re abandoning him!”
“But there are things even I can’t handle, you know?! Even if it’s Ruilala’s parent, I have no acquaintance with them.”
Fishing for fish by casting a line from the shore might be acceptable. In fact, I think it’s fine since I experienced it myself a little while ago.
But Oz is a monster, so he’d probably dive into the sea to catch fish without using a fishing rod, right? If that happens…
“I see. Even for you, crossing the North Sea is impossible, huh.”
Hearing my conversation with Spirit Tree-chan, Alice murmured those words.
I inadvertently asked what she meant and immediately realized I had dug my own grave.
“I need to go to a certain place beyond the North Sea. The traitorous Miko has left the Sanctuary. Her destination is the hometown of the Priest, who was her husband. A small island beyond the North Sea.”
Damn it, we’re back to the original topic!
While feeling disappointed inwardly, I finally understood the reason Alice visited me.
It seems she has heard various things about us from the Dragon God.
That means she’s also heard about Ruilala, her demon-born best friend, and must know that Ruilala’s parent is the ruler of the North Sea. And Alice is pursuing the Miko who left the Sanctuary after betraying them. She must assume the Miko headed for her husband’s hometown.
“But, then another question arises? How did that Priest cross the North Sea to the Sanctuary that Alice protects? And how will the Miko cross the North Sea to the Priest’s hometown island?”
The Primogenitor Race, who rule the North Sea, do not permit anyone to travel across it. The reason I was able to cross the sea before was thanks to Ruilala. So, how did the Priest and Miko, without Ruilala’s protection, cross the North Sea?
Alice, with a distant gaze that seemed to recall the past, looked at me in response to my new question.
“The Priest was fishing near his hometown’s small island. However, as expected, he was attacked by the ruler of the North Sea. Nevertheless, the Priest was fortunate. His small boat did not sink and drifted ashore on the northern continent. There, he met and married the Miko, who was temporarily away from the Sanctuary.”
“You know an awful lot of detail?”
“Few people live in the Sanctuary. Thus, one naturally has many opportunities to learn about the various lives of the inhabitants.”
“I see? The Priest was strongly blessed by the Goddess. That’s why he was able to cross the North Sea by luck. And the Miko, guided by the Goddess, met the Priest, right?”
“Fufufu, you say it so skillfully.”
Blushed by Alice’s praise, I smiled sheepishly.
Putting that aside for now.
Is the ruler of the North Sea not perfect? Perhaps, like the Priest, they could survive a surprise attack and travel the North Sea? But that would be pure luck, and extremely dangerous.
Or is there a more reliable method? But if so, Ruilala would likely tell me, right? No, that’s not right. Even Ruilala wouldn’t easily speak of her parent’s weaknesses. Rather, I’ve hardly heard anything about her parent, the Primogenitor Race, from Ruilala.
However, Alice, who doesn’t know the full circumstances, might have visited the Forbidden Territory seeking my help because I am friends with Ruilala, the child of the ruler of the North Sea. If that’s the case, why didn’t she just ask Ruilala directly? Thinking this,
“No, if I try to ask Ruilala, I’ll be interfered with by the Giant Demon Lord, right?”
“That’s right.”
In other words, Alice came to me for help to cross the North Sea and kill the Miko who left the Sanctuary?
“No, no, but wait. If there’s no sure way to cross the North Sea, then the Miko also has no means to cross the sea, right?”
Alice gives a wry smile, calling me sharp.
“However, the Miko will surely cross the North Sea.”
“You have some sort of conviction, don’t you?”
Perhaps that Miko is so skilled that even the ruler of the North Sea would be astounded. Considering that, it’s likely she couldn’t handle it alone and asked me, I thought. Of course, I’ll absolutely refuse! Even if the Miko bears a deep sin, that’s a world so far removed that we couldn’t reach it even with our arms outstretched. It’s not right for us to easily meddle in matters of that distant world, which we are not involved in. Moreover, I absolutely refuse assassination requests.
Nevertheless, separate from the Miko’s whereabouts and Alice’s request, it seems I have to go to the vicinity of the North Sea. While I can joke about it, I’m still worried about Oz’s safety.
“I hope he hasn’t arrived at the North Sea yet…”
If I go to chase Oz now. Will I be able to safely rescue Oz and reach the meeting place by the promised day with everyone from the Mimicho Race!
“So, you’re going to search for that monster, Oz. Then, how about going on a Pegasus?”
“By saying that, you’re trying to get me involved, aren’t you!?”
Alice laughed as I took a step back, wary.
“No. As I said, I am also a Miko. My true calling is to extend a helping hand to someone in trouble.”
“Really?”
“Do the Mikos of this region tell lies?”
“Hmm…”
Madeline doesn’t lie, but she does throw tantrums! Still, Madeline and Ruiseine are both fine Mikos who can genuinely help someone in trouble. And it seems Alice is the same.
“Well then, I’ll take you up on your offer. It’s definitely not because I’m curious about riding a Pegasus, you know!”
“Hahaha, it’s good to be honest.”
Laughing heartily, Alice ruffled my hair and then slid her hands around me. Lightly lifting me up, she placed me on the back of a Pegasus that was calmly eating grass by the spring and hills. Alice had me sit in front of the saddle, then gracefully mounted the Pegasus herself, sitting behind me. Taking the reins from behind, she signaled the Pegasus.
“Then, young Spirit Tree. I’ll be borrowing your master for a while.”
“Have a good trip! Don’t forget to bring back stories, okay?”
“You’re strongly influenced by Priscilla-chan!”
While I was retorting to Spirit Tree-chan, the Pegasus spread its large wings. Then, with slow wingbeats, it moved its limbs. The Pegasus ran as if running on the ground, but from the very first step, its hooves were no longer touching the ground. As I felt a lightness simultaneously, my vision expanded upwards rapidly.
“If you’re scared, you can hold onto the saddle’s handrail. Can you sense Oz’s presence even from the sky?”
“Yes. It’s alright.”
There are no problems with riding a Pegasus, flying through the sky, or sensing Oz’s presence from the sky. By the way, Alice. You’re completely treating me like a child!
“Child, child.”
“Ares-chan, if you’re faking sleep, you shouldn’t butt in, okay?”
“Mistake, mistake.”
Besides, even if I’ve decided not to interfere, there’s no need to pretend to be asleep, is there? Whether you’re awake or manifested, I won’t force you not to try to intervene.
“Yes, yes.”
Ares-chan obediently stops feigning sleep. And then, she looks around with me.
The pure white Pegasus gracefully flaps its wings. It runs through the sky, its limbs striking out. When the Spirit Tree-chan’s branches and leaves came close overhead, the Pegasus stopped ascending and began to run towards the North Sea, beyond the hollow. We watch as Spirit Tree-chan waves its branches and leaves, seeing us off, and as we break out of the Sacred Mountain’s hollow.
“Just to be clear. We don’t have a way to cross the North Sea either, you know?”
We’re heading to the North Sea to find Oz. We absolutely did not accept Alice’s request. Alice behind me nods, understanding my words. However, things never go as smoothly as planned. As soon as we passed the hollow and flew out of the Sacred Mountain. I sensed the presence of someone approaching from behind. I turn my head back through Alice.
“People on black Pegasi are flying this way.”
Alice makes an obvious clicking sound of annoyance at my words.
“Tch. Pursuers.”
“Eh!?”
Pursuers? What does that mean!? Before I could voice my question.
“Don’t bite your tongue, shut your mouth tightly!”
Shouting that, Alice slaps the Pegasus’s flank with her leg. The Pegasus correctly understood its master’s intent and began to accelerate rapidly! Instead of the graceful run it had before, the jolting that felt like riding a horse attacked us. And then, Alice raised a naginata with blades on both sides of its haft and began to chant a solemn prayer!
