episode_0008

The day after Arthur disappeared.

Hilda, who remained in the village, waited for the village chief and Arthur to return.

dripping.

I opened the door expecting to see Arthur at the sound of a knock,

“Who are you..?”

Outside the door stood a strange woman wearing a brown leather hat and carrying a large backpack.

“I’m a postman from Padun. Are you Hilia?”

“Yes. I am Hilia.”

After hearing Hilda’s answer, the postman took a letter out of his bag and handed it to her.

“This is special mail. I delivered it, so I’ll go check it out!”

The postman bowed his head slightly and quickly disappeared. Hilda stared blankly at the postman as he disappeared.

“Strange..? There’s no one to send me a letter..”

Hilda’s doubts didn’t last long, because the village chief’s name was written underneath the letter.

Hilda opened the letter and read it, and her hands began to tremble. The letter said that Arthur had not returned to the inn last night, and that she was searching the city, but had not found him yet, so she asked him to come to the city and help her find him.

‘No, now is not the time. I should go to the city first.’

Come to think of it, Aris has become quite useful these days, so it seemed like a good idea to take her along, so Hilda hurriedly headed to Millia’s house.

“Aris, come out quickly!!”

“Huh? Teacher, what are you doing at this hour?”

Alice was at home so they met right away, and Hilda quickly told them the whole story.

As she listened to the story, Alice’s face began to turn pale.

“Master! Hurry up! Arthur’s life could be in danger right now!!”

After assessing the situation, Alice quickly packed up the things she needed from home.

In the meantime, Hilda immediately mounted the horse that Alice had brought, and moved the reins, and the two of them headed towards Padun.

“Arthur… You have to be safe…Cough!”

Even while riding, Hilda was worried about Arthur.

Blood kept flowing from his mouth and his head hurt, but what mattered now was not his own life but Arthur’s life or death.

Hilda spoke to Alice, who was riding beside her.

“Aris, listen carefully.”

“Yes, Master.”

“We don’t have any information about Arthur right now. So we don’t know what will happen.”

Then Hilda took out the subspace pouch and showed it to Alice.

“So, if I’m wrong, can you tell Arthur about this?”

“… Yes. I will.”

Alice felt sad when she saw Hilda talking about death, but since Arthur was the most important thing right now, she tried not to care anymore.

* * *

As I continued riding my horse, I was able to quickly arrive at the city and meet the village chief in front of the inn.

“Hilia!!”

“Village chief.”

“Did you find Arthur?”

It was a question just in case, but the village chief just shook his head.

“I’ve been walking around the city all day, but I haven’t seen anyone.”

“Where was the last place you went?”

“Probably the library, I liked reading books there.”

After hearing the story, Hilda called Alice.

“Aris, you go to the library and look for clues about Arthur. I’ll search mainly in back alleys and dens of thugs.”

“Yes!”

“If you find any clues or anything, let’s meet at the inn right away. We should be at the inn by 10 o’clock at the latest.”

With that, the three of them split up and started looking for Arthur.

* * *

Alice arrived at the library and approached the person who appeared to be a librarian at the entrance.

“Excuse me.”

“Huh? What’s going on?”

“Did you happen to see someone with black hair and an eye patch yesterday?”

“Uh…huh? Yesterday…”

“That… is about 5 centimeters shorter than me. He must have always covered his face with a robe.”

Perhaps because Alice’s explanation was so detailed, the librarian was able to quickly recall memories of Arthur that he had forgotten.

“Ah! I saw it. I come here often, but the outfit was so unique.”

“Do you remember where you went last?”

“Um… I think I left the library around dinner time…”

“Did you see where it was going?”

“I don’t know because I only saw her leaving the library.. But since she comes here often, if you’re looking for her, it might be better to wait in the library.”

“That’s… because he didn’t come home… He’s missing now….”

“Oh, sorry! Oh! Now that I think about it, I think I saw priests in front of the library yesterday… Have you been to church by any chance?”

“Thank you. I’ll go straight to church!”

After greeting the librarian, Alice hurriedly ran to the church.

Alice opened the door and went in without saying anything and spoke to the person she saw in front of her.

“Huh…Huh…Hello?”

Then the priest dressed in white inside the church turned around.

“Hello. What brings you to church in such a hurry?”

“I’m looking for that… person.”

“Is that so? But as you can see, there’s no one here.”

“No!!! I mean yesterday. She’s about 5cm shorter than me… and she has black hair…uh…and…”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t remember seeing anyone like that yesterday. And yesterday, the church was closed in the evening because the Pope and the Inquisitors came from the capital.”

“I see..? I understand. Thank you for letting me know, Father.”

Disappointed, Alice thanked the priest and left the church.

The priest left alone in the church prayed while looking at the stone statue of the goddess.

“Please help him find the person he is looking for. Goddess…”

‘Come to think of it, I heard that the Demon Contractor confessed this morning… Surely not?’

I prayed to the goddess again, thinking she wouldn’t be a priest.

* * *

While Alice was wandering around, Hilda was wandering around the back alleys, and the sound of merciless beatings echoed through the dirty alleys.

“No, noona, we really don’t know.. We’ve never seen such a person..

And isn’t this a city? If you do something like that, you’ll be caught by the guards..! ”

“That’s right. Take me to your boss.”

“No… Sister, why are you really doing that… Then I’ll really die!”

“Really? Then you should die now.”

“Ah, I understand.. First, put that fist down, please!! ”

* * *

Time passed quickly and the appointed time arrived, and the three gathered at the inn.

“…So, has anyone figured out where Arthur went?”

“I couldn’t find it…”

Hilda sighed after hearing the story and said.

“I met a guy called Boss who rules the back alleys of this city, and he said he didn’t know anything. I thought he was lying, so I broke and looted everything, but there really was nothing.”

“I’ll look for it with Alice tomorrow, so Hilia, can you look for it on the outskirts of the city?”

“Yes, I will do that.”

But of course, the three were unable to find Arthur until the execution day approached.

* * *

As time passed, the day of Arthur’s execution drew near.

In a dark prison cell, Arthur was lying on the floor, staring into space with dead eyes.

Thud thud.

A familiar sound of footsteps approached Arthur’s ears.

“Eek..!”

Arthur, out of habit, moved to a corner and crouched down, covering himself with his legs and arms.

The woman opened the prison door and approached Arthur.

Crunch-!

“…?”

With the first sound he heard, Arthur could see his left hand free from its restraints.

“Hey, wake up.”

Arthur stood up straight away without offering even the slightest resistance, as he would have been terribly beaten if he had disobeyed.

Sway.

Of course, because I was so weak from the torture and assault, it was difficult for me to even stand properly.

“Huh, huh? Wait a minute… My legs… I have no strength… Please don’t hit me… I, I can walk..!”

“Okay? Okay. I’ll help you, so let’s go.”

Instead of hitting Arthur, the woman began to support him.

“Ugh…”

As he stepped outside, Arthur couldn’t help but squint his eyes at the sunlight he hadn’t seen in a long time.

At that moment, my vision gradually returned and I could see ahead.

“Huh..?”

Suddenly, my vision went dark. Not only that, but I had difficulty breathing and felt suffocated. I touched my face with my left hand and saw that a thick cloth was covering my entire head.

“Hey, what are you doing”

With those words, the woman grabbed Arthur’s left arm tightly.

“Ugh…I’m sorry…”

“Follow me, I’ll hold your hand.”

Arthur had no choice but to walk to his destination, relying on the woman’s hand.

“…”

At one point, the woman’s steps stopped.

“Huh?!”

Arthur was startled by the sensation of a hand entering his armpit. The hand seemed to lift him up and place him on top of something.

“Bow your head slightly.”

Arthur bowed his head slightly as he was told. Then, something heavy was placed around his neck, and it shrank in size as if wrapping around his neck.

match-!

Applause was heard from the side.

“This sinner is a contracted member of the Demon Tribe. From now on, he will be hanged according to the Empire’s criminal law.”

Arthur doubted his ears.

‘You weren’t going to let me go..?’

I tried to say no right away, but my mouth was chattering and I couldn’t make a sound.

“This sinner must confess his sins to the public.”

“Ugh… No… I, I didn’t… I didn’t do anything. Please save me… Please save me… Ugh…”

Arthur had to continue his protest, but he burst into tears and could say nothing more. Then he heard a voice from in front of him.

“Kill me!!!”

“My entire family was killed by the demons.”

“A fruit like you deserves to die!! How dare you make a contract with a demon?”

“Execute it quickly!!!”

All I could hear were people wishing for my own death.

“Please, save me.. Please… Please..!”

“I will execute the sentence.”

Suddenly-

“Ugh?!”

With a sound, the ground Arthur had been standing on disappeared. Arthur’s body fell down, and his neck was pressed by the leash.

‘Hilia….’

Arthur continued to struggle to escape, but eventually lost consciousness as he could not breathe.

* * *

“Master, they are holding an execution ceremony for the Demon Contractor in the square over there”

“Aris, now is not the time to see such things.”

At that moment, the village chief’s voice was heard from afar.

“Hilia!!! Do you see the person hanging in the square over there!!!”

At the village chief’s words, Hilda’s eyes turned to the square and looked at the person struggling with his neck hanging. His face was hidden by the cloth, so he couldn’t be seen, but he was smaller than average. Crucially, his right hand was nowhere to be seen.

The moment I recognized Arthur, the choice was quick.

“Aris!!!! Run to the square!!!!!”

Upon hearing the sound, Alice began to rush into the square without asking.

At the same time, Arthur’s body was sagging. Hilda had to cut that rope right away. But how? Did she have a long-distance means? She was in charge of the vanguard during the warrior party.

At that moment, a forgotten memory came back to me.

-By the way, you don’t have any ranged attacks?

-I’m a vanguard anyway. I don’t need it when I have a nobleman and a warrior.

-Hmm… It’s been said since ancient times that unmanned vehicles must be prepared for all situations.

Then the guy came holding a branch, put it in my hand, and stood behind me.

Hilda pulled out her sword as she recalled her memories.

-Do you see the flowers over there, on the hill? Focus on them.

Just as I had seen the flowers then, I looked at the rope above Arthur’s head.

-I will guide the energy, so don’t refuse.

Hilda recalled her memories and moved her mana just like before. The mana headed towards the place the guy called the upper temple. She felt a huge headache and blood started to pool in her mouth.

‘Unlike then, I’m running low on mana.’

Hilda didn’t hesitate and burned her remaining vitality to replenish her lacking mana.

-Can you feel it? That wind and the swaying flowers?

At the same time, like the flower I had seen back then, the rope that was far away now felt like it was within my grasp. Like it was right in front of me. It was obviously absurd, but it was possible.

-now.

In my memory, the guy moved my hand, and the tree branch was drawn horizontally. Not too fast, not too slow.

My hand, which was holding the knife, was also cut horizontally just like that.

-Bam.

It was a sound that should definitely not be heard. However, as if it were not a lie, the white flower on the hill separated from the stem.

The white flower petals that made the blue hill their stage were slowly falling to the ground, adjusting their bodies to the blowing breeze.

Crunch-!

This time, a sound was heard. The sound of a rope being cut.

Looking ahead, the rope around Arthur’s neck was cut off and he was seen falling to the ground.

-What do you think?

-Eww!! You crazy bastard!!! You should’ve said something if there were side effects like this..! Phew.. So what’s the name of the technique?

-You have to build it. Isn’t it your skill now?

-What is this… It’s not fun.

Hilda hummed, recalling the flower petals from that time.

“Falling flowers…”

-You’re stupid, naming me at the end. But that’s just like you.

Hilda began to hear hallucinations that sounded like the guy was talking.

dump!

“Ugh… Ah… Not yet…”

When she finally raised her head and looked ahead, she saw Alice running towards the executioner. Hilda, who had confirmed this, took off the red jewel necklace she was wearing around her neck and held it tightly in her hand.

‘Goddess, please…help me protect Arthur even if it means dying.’

At that moment, light flowed out from Hilda’s body and flowed into the necklace she was holding, and only after putting it in her subspace pocket could she smile and close her eyes.