Volume 2 Chapter 6 (1/2)
Chapter 6 – Until the snow melts
It was a cold winter day
Many people alking through the alleyhile the snoas falling incessantly A her head
”…It's cold”
The girl's naolden hair and skin that was as fair as snow
She elve years old Still a child
”……”
After walking for a while, the girl reached the baker's shop
The interior of the shop was quiet, and the only people there were thea newspaper and a young witch who looked at the rows of bread with a happy expression
Erize hurriedly picked up a loaf of bread, promptly took it to the counter, and took out some money
”Oji-san, I'd like to buy this”
The shopkeeper glanced at thehis newspaper, and then looked at Erize with an irritated expression
”You're here again? …Sorry, but I' to you Go away”
”Why? I have er sister to eat so nice”
”Who knohere you stole this money from? I can't accept it”
The shopkeeper put his hand on the money that Erize had placed on the counter, and pushed it back towards her
”…Please sell me some bread”
”Didn't you hearto a monster like you”
”……”
In the end, the girl left the shop without buying anything
”……?”
The young witch in the store looked at that exchange of words with a mystified expression
After being rejected by the baker, Erize eventually reached a small roadside stall
”……”
That stall did not have an attendant There was no shopkeeper, instead there was only a box to put money in The words ”One copper coin per apple Please put in the corresponding a on how many you want to buy,” ritten on the box
As no store illing to sell her food, Erize had only been eating these apples lately
…Even though she wanted to give her younger sister so other than apples once in a while
While thinking that, Erize put the apples in her bag and put the appropriate number of coins into the box
However
”Hey, you What do you think you're doing?”
She heard that voice, and then sorabbed her hand
She looked up with a startled expression, and saw athere
”I put this box here for hu like you—now, return those apples”
”But I already put in the money…”
”That doesn'tto you”
”……”
”Now, give those back, you monster”
Saying that, the hter
At this rate, she would have no food left They would not be able to ht die After such fears accumulated in her mind in a moment of silence, Erize resorted to wild tactics
She bit down as hard as she could on the man's hand
”Ouch! What the hell are you doing, you brat!?”
Thethat chance, Erize shook off his hand and ran off while carrying the apples
After running for a while, the girl looked around restlessly as she reached her own house
More than half the roof had fallen in due to a fire, and even the portion of the house that barely had a roof didn’t have a floor The walls also had large holes in them, and it didn’t look like it would be able to keep the elements out at all
The girl called this place home
”……”
In front of the house
There was a sht size to hold with the palht, a similar parcel would always be left in front of her house
Maybe the parcel contained soirl picked up the parcel while looking a little hopeful
After opening it,
”Ugh! How horrible!”
Erize immediately threw it away The parcel that she had throay hit the wall of the neighboring house and expelled its contents onto the snow, namely, the dead body of a rat and several immobile insects
A brown coloured liquid slowly seeped into the snow
”…Oh no After all the trouble he took to make it”
”Such a waste”
”That's so rude”
The girl could see her neighbors ere saying such things while looking at what she had done
After glaring at them, Erize disappeared into her own house
”Welcome back, Onee-chan”
Erize heard that voice come from a corner of the house
Walking a little deeper into the house, she saw a young girl as huddled up in a futon that was ether
She looked exactly like Erize, with her golden hair and skin as white as snow She was Erize's little sister, younger by two years Her name was Millina
”I' for you”
Erize went up to her sister and snuggled into the futon beside her, then took out a bright green apple froave it to her
”Wow! That's aet it?”
”I bought it because I wanted you to get better quickly, Millina Eat as much as you want, okay?”
”Yes! Thank you!”
After seeing her little sister biting into the apple with a shtened as well
”How do you feel?”
”I got better after eating the apple!”
”Really? That's great”
Erize felt so prickle her heart when she rerabbed at the roadside stall
”…I'm sorry it's always like this”
”Why are you sorry?”
”It's always the saht?”
”H them everyday!”
”…I see That's great”
Saying that, Erize put her hand into the bag and took out the apple that was her share
Once they finished eating these, then they would truly be out of food this tier be used
While being depressed about the dark future that awaited them, Erize bit into the apple and took off her hood
There was no need to hide as growing on her head while she was inside her house
”…Haa”
After reht for her, two curved, sheep-like horns were revealed
She was a therianthrope that looked similar to a human
Sadly, the apples that she had bought only lasted theently got out of the futon so as to not wake Millina, and went to the main street—to the apple vendor's stand
After confir that the stall oas not nearby, Erize picked up a few apples and put the was full, she took out some money and was about to put it into the box, but,
”…It should be fine even if I don’t put any ht?”
She didn't put the money in in the box
Whether she put the money in the box or not, the result would be the same In that case, she could steal asShe was not at fault
Whilemany excuses to herself, she tried to move away from the stall
That's when it happened
A hand lightly fell on Erize's shoulder
Startled, she looked around and saw that a witch was standing there
”That's wrong You need to properly pay for what you take”
It was the young witch she had seen the day before yesterday in the baker's shop
Throwing a few silver coins into the box, the witch spoke
”How about we talk for a bit?”
Her ash-grey hair swayed lightly, and she gave a gentle smile
○
I arrived at this country while continuing to travel aie of the city on ht after I purchased some bread at the bakery
I was often called upon to resolve problems in a country because I had the rank of a witch
”Please take a seat, Elaina-sama”
After being guided to the reception roo and sat down on one of the sofas that had been arranged around a table
”So, what is your request? Ah, would you like some bread?”
”No, thank you”
”Is that so… Would you ?”
”…Go ahead”
”Thank you”
I took out a roll of bread fro that I had just purchased at the baker's shop, and started to eat it
The h
”This country is currently burdened with a certain problem… ould like for you to solve that problem for us”
”Fumu fumu”
I nodded while chewing
”……”
The istrate made a complicated expression and continued to speak
”We would like to hire you to solve the issue regarding this therianthrope”
Saying so, he passed a drawing toof a person… or at least, it looked like a human The most distinctive part of her appearance was the two horns that were growing on her head They were curved horns similar to what you would find on a sheep
”This therianthrope is currently living in our country, but there is a proble this… Simply put, there is a rift between her and the citizens of the country Hence, I would like to request that you temporarily take this therianthrope out of the country—”
And so, he explained the whole story behind the request to me
It was a story of a horrible country, horrible people, and a pitiful little girl
”……”
After hearing the whole story, I wonder what kind of expression I had on my face?
It was probably not a very good expression In fact, I was despising thery
”…So you want me to kick her out of the country for a reason like that?”
After hearing htly and slowly nodded
”Even I feel bad about it… but I don't see any other option after things have gotten to such a bad state”
And then, with a dark and bitter expression, he asked me,
”Please, can you do so to save her…?”
I didn’t want to decide on whether to accept the request or not based only on what I had heard froistrate So I decided to take one full day to see the state of affairs for myself
I took the ave me and went to the place that was marked on it—where the therianthrope currently lived Over there, I found a dilapidated house where more than half of the house was in ruin
”…Oh?”
After seeing the little girl who lived inside, I was very surprised It was the little girl I had seen in the bakery yesterday
”……”
After seeing that, I decided to accept the job
I did not irl directly that day I decided to do a little research before taking that step I walked around and asked the baker I visited the other day, the owner of the roadside stall, people in the neighborhood, and other citizens alking in the street about the therianthrope child
Every one of the
The next day
I was staked out in the vicinity of the dilapidated house since early irl come out of the house
She was headed towards a roadside stall that was on the main street It looked like that stall was not manned, and instead it had a box for people to leave money in
Over there, the girl was doing so bad
That's why I immediately went over to stop her
I lightly laid a hand on her shoulder and said,
”That's wrong You need to properly pay for what you take”
○
I took the girl with me and went to a restaurant that was on a street corner There were not many people inside, partly because it was so early in the
We sat facing each other at a table near the
”……”
”Ah, don't worry It's my treat”
I said that to the girl as hanging her head despite the many delicious dishes placed on the table in front of her, but she still had a depressed expression
Maybe she's tense? Or etting from the people inside the store?
”What's your name?”
”…Erize”
”Ah, so you're Erize-san My na witch”
”……”
”So, what exactly were you trying to do earlier?”
When I said that, the girl made a startled expression, pulled the hood deeper around her face, and hung her head even lower
”…Umm, please don’t tell anyone about what I did earlier”
”I didn’t ask you that to blackmail you I asked you because I',each other at the baker's store the day before yesterday, right? You were acting strangely that day as well, so I became curious”
”……”
”That's why I' to tell me more about yourself?”
After I asked that, Erize-san talked to me properly for the first time
”…You'll probably feel disgusted after hearing me talk about myself”
”Is that because you have horns growing on your head?”
”Yes”
”Actually, I caught a gliap in your hood earlier They're curved like a sheep's horns and rather cute”
Startled, Erize-san looked at thethat was beside her Thatthat was displaying a peaceful sight of the city outside, and was also reflecting the figure of the girl A brown coloured horn was visible through a gap in her hood
”I am a traveler I have seen many different types of people so far I won't be prejudiced or discriusted even if I see a person like you”
Actually, I thought she was kind of cute
After hearing that, she finally turned around and looked at me
And then, she started speaking as if she was resigned to her fate
”Umm, I would appreciate it if you didn’t tell anyone about this either…”
She prefixed her tale with that sentence
Apparently, Erize-san used to live peacefully with her family on a mountain some distance away from human settlements
Her parents would hunt animals with a bow and clean the carcass, and she would cook thewith her sickly little sister They were used to passing days in such a peaceful manner
However, soo
”When we get back, I'll teach you how to use the bow”
Saying that, her father went out to hunt with their mother as usual
While waiting with her little sister for the able to come into her own
However, their parents didn’t co they waited
Were they having trouble finding game to hunt? The two of the if that was the case, but their parents still didn’t come back
The next day
Soe horse-drawn carriage One of thee of this country The other three were merchants
The people who had arrived all of a sudden unloaded two large bags froirls Erize-san's parents had died after falling off a cliff while they were hunting The merchants from his country had discovered their bodies while they were traveling through the mountains
Thethem the battered bodies of their parents
The two of the to the bodies of their parents and cried loudly However, their parents' bodies had gone cold a long tio
The irls who had lost their means of support
”We can't just leave you two alone out here I would like for you two to coe there”
After that, the raves for theirls ere still in a daze
The two of them were taken away to a different place before they were even able to corips hat had happened
After arriving at this country, a house was prepared for the two of them to live in
”I'll leave food for you in front of the house everyday, so you can eat that Also, this is for your living expenses”
The h money to live for a few days and told her,
”I'll bring you ular intervals Feel free to use it as you wish If you run out of money, let me know at once”
Until the two of you recover, the country will look after your needs—he also said that
The country accepted the two girls as citizens
”—But apparently, the people living in this country thought differently”
Erize-san said that after letting out a breath
”Right after we started living in this country, the house that was prepared for us was set on fire”
”……”
I reirl was currently living
It was a wreck, and more than half of the house was destroyed
”The people of this country kept harassing us as if it was the natural thing to do, even after they burned down the house They treated us aseven though we had istrate brought for us”
”……”
”That's e lived until the day before yesterday eating apples from the unmanned roadside stall, but…”
Even that option was no longer available I see
”…I understand the situation”
Basically,
”At this rate, there’s a high chance that you will die of starvation at some time in the near future?”
”…Yes Well, that's basically how it is”
”H on”
I said that after nodding several times
”By the way, I have a request for you Would you be willing to hear it?”
”What is it?”
”If you're willing to listen to o ahead and eat this food You can also take it back home, if you wish”
”But you said that it was your treat earlier…”
”Ah, I take that back”
”……”
”What do you say?”
”…What is your request?”
The girl stared at uard
After intentionally giving a long pause, I looked straight at her and asked for one single thing
”Allow me to save you”
Perhaps that was the last thing she expected to hear Erize-san stared blankly back at me
While waiting for the girl to answer, I touched my knife and fork
The food that had been prepared for us had gone cold because of our long discussion
○
In the current situation, the girl had no viable choices
As they were not allowed to use s they needed, and could not rely on anyone within the country, her only option was to go along with someone from outside the country like me
Surely the girl wasn't idealistic enough to do nothing and let such a chance slip by
”……If I reject that request, ill you do?”
”I tell everyone in the country about what you were trying to do at the roadside stall”
”…That's unfair You said you weren’t trying to blackmail me earlier”
”Ah, well, I take that back too”
”……”
”So, ill it be? Are you willing to accept my request?”
”…Is it really okay to do that? I have nothing to give you in return, Elaina-san”
”It's fine I have a lot of free time Besides—”
”……?”
”I' so like that”
And so, I ended up agreeing to help Erize-san
However, taking action right away seems like a chore… I mean, I needed time to prepare, so we parted ways for that day
And then, next
Weout of the country
”……It's cold!”
After waiting for about tenate wearing the same clothes as yesterday
”Sorry, I'm late… wait, what is that?”
Erize-san's gaze was drawn to the thing I held in my hands
”Ah, this? It's a bow and arrows”
I gave an additional explanation while playing with the string of the bow by pulling it andit hum
”Erize-san, I think it's time for you to learn how to use the bow and arrow”
”Why?”
”If you are able to hunt your own food, then you won't need to rely on the people in the country, right?”
For that reason, I had spent the previous day preparing the bow and arrow, and gathering other iteht need in the future
”Witch-san, you kno to use a bow and arrow?”
”I'h an apple that has been set on top of a person's head”
”Ehh, ould anyone do that…?”
”I'h a fan atop a swaying shi+p after being told ”Entertain us by shooting through this fan””
”Like I said, ould anyone do that…”
I took the hand of the girl who looked doubtful and led her into the forest that had been covered in white snow
There was an archery range that gave off the i for us inside the forest that had many tall trees The surfaces of several trees had been scraped flat, and a round target had been carved into then that read ”Please aiets from here (If you hit the center, you win a prize)” It's in , by the way
”You probably won't hit anything if you start with shooting at ani your skill”
That was a place I secretly prepared yesterday
”What's the prize?”
”Fufufu That's a surprise for when you et”
After that, I stood next to Erize-san and showed her how to take a proper stance, and gave her hints on how to hit the target
”To begin with, go ahead and take a shot”
”Yes… Ei”
And so, the girl fired off an arrow… Or so she thought, but the arrow just fell to the ground
”……Did you perhaps think that the targets are buried under the snow?”
”……”
The days of training started off in such a fashi+on
Everyday, ould go to the forest outside the country where Erize-san would shoot arrows until noon, after which ould return to the country while shi+vering and have lunch at the restaurant Once ere full, ould go back to the forest and resume practice
Although she was bad at it in the beginning, it didn't take long for Erize-san to be able to hit the targets Actually, she was shooting arroith a beautiful form in just three days The pace of her i No, ood? Perhaps I' a teacher?
”Ah, I did it! Look, Elaina-san, I hit the center!”
Five days after we started training, I heard Erize-san shouting in joy after her arrow hit the target with a satisfying ”thunk”
”So, what are you going to give me as a reward?”
Erize-san s over to me and asked that in an excited voice
I told her after purposely dragging out the suspense for a bit
”I'll buy you clothes that you like, as many as you want That is your reward”
I thought she would be happy, but instead she made a complicated expression
”…You mean, just my share?”
”What do you mean?”
”Uet some for my little sister as well…”
”……”
I gently patted Erize-san's head
”It's okay, I'll buy any amount of whatever you want”
”Yay!”
As I felt the stiff cloth and the horns underneath, the girl looked at me and smiled
○
After obtaining new clothes, the girl's training advanced to the next level
In the snow-covered forest, there was a set of cute footprintsaround the trees At the end of the trail, there was a single, pure white rabbit which was hopping while blending in with the snow, headed so its nose and ears
This tiet, but at a living animal
”Is there another reward if I hit it?”
”If you ”
”……Is that o to?”
”It's rude to compare an amateur to a professional”
”……I would like so else as a reward”
”You're too damn honest, Erize-san”
”Ehh…”
”By the way, the rabbit will get away if you keep talking about unnecessary things”