Finally, Arisugawa had been cornered into a single room with Veronica and the others.
I might lose sight of myself, my true self.
“No, Philiana, that’s not it. Was that what your journey was all about? Coming to this world, experiencing different values. Have you forgotten all your past battles? Even fighting Claudio, or running through the wilderness with Argna. I remember everything. You are Philiana Granim, the greatest knight.”
Her eyes seemed to hold a flicker of light again. The fog in her head felt like it was clearing.
“So please, don’t give in to the Vampire’s magic. The words of love I read were false. They were not the truth. The words I truly want to convey are my gratitude. Thank you for traveling with a person like me.”
Nina’s gaze sharpened intensely.
“Don’t call yourself ‘a person like me’! You, you are…”
“You are our cherished companion, aren’t you? Arisugawa Hiroaki, of the Human race.”
Sharin’s smiling eyes were calm, as if a demon had finally left her. And for the first time, she called me by my full name. Philiana also gently let go of the hilt of her sword.
“Yes, but I am no longer a knight.”
The two who had regained their senses looked at Philiana. Were they still not okay?
“I am no longer a knight, but a warrior. I have fought many battles that went against the path of a knight. Moreover, my values have greatly changed since coming to this world. Until now, I believed that serving my lord and fighting to the death was the honor of a knight. But the people of this world wield their swords to protect themselves and their kind.”
“I will not serve anyone. Even if I return to my homeland, I will not serve any lord. I will fight for my family, my companions, and the people who live there.”
Yes, this was the Philiana I loved. She had firmly found her new self.
“Everyone, I am so sorry. It seems I caused a lot of trouble.”
“You certainly did. Really.”
Veronica sank onto the bed and started smoking a cigarette.
“I destroyed the door, too…”
At that moment, Pauline returned, looking apologetic.
“Um, Karubene-san. I’m sorry.”
“You’re back. Did you cool your head a bit, Pauline-chan?”
Pauline hadn’t done it on purpose. It was all because of that magic.
“Well, don’t worry about it.”
“That’s right, just giving this idiot a few more hits would be appropriate.”
“Tsk, to be like this as soon as you regain your senses.”
As she said this, Cecilia returned to her senses, and Karubene seemed happy. For the time being, I ushered everyone back into the room and headed to the Village Chief. I needed to apologize for the successful resolution and for breaking the door.
When I visited the building where he was, a guide girl appeared before I could even knock. It was as if she knew I was coming.
And the Village Chief was reading his book, just as before. He gently closed it and turned around.
“Ah, I was just about to go to sleep. How is it? Was the problem resolved?”
“Yes, thank you. Thanks to you, they have safely regained their senses. Also, I’m sorry about breaking the inn’s door.”
“Is that so? It’s fine. That room’s structure was always a bit unstable.”
Good, he didn’t seem angry. But their behavior was somehow eerie. It felt like we were being watched all along.
“Heh heh heh, do you find us eerie? We apologize. We all love interesting things, and can’t help but watch.”
Again, a statement that seemed to read my mind. What exactly were these people?
“You are the Hunter Harpies, aren’t you? Excuse me, but you are different from the people I’ve met so far.”
“I suppose so. We might be a bit unusual. Our people in the home country don’t care much for books. They seek power over knowledge. But books are good, they are very interesting.”
Indeed, the Hunter Harpies were a race that seemed to favor battle. Would their home country permit them?
“Do you know of the Sad War? We were asked to participate then. I do not know, but my grandfather said it was like hell. We complied, but we were not allowed to let them burn books in the bonfire.”
“With the fur on my feet, I can hunt without a sound. My fluffy wings do the same. Our people in the home country call us owls. They, too, feared us when we got truly angry.”
I see, so that’s what the fluffy fur on their feet was for. It meant they had been trailing us silently, like ninjas. I was glad they seemed to have enjoyed themselves so much.
“Now, where are you heading?”
“We are heading to Shindo.”
“Is that so? You should stay and rest for a while. It’s a bit far from here.”
With that, the Village Chief closed his book and went somewhere.
