Alice Tale in Phantasmagoria Chapter 99

「Kyahahaa, we're setting out～!」
「Don't go too far off, Rin-chan.」

With her vigor restored, Rin-chan raced down the woodland path fragrant with the smell of fresh vegetation.
With a sort of narrow width that carriages somehow traversed, it gave an impression that the infrastructure wasn't maintained to the level in the kingdom or princ.i.p.ality.
If a tree fell or something it would paralyze traffic, this.
But setting that aside she's so filled with energy that it seems like she could run any distance isn't she.
It's a good thing though.

「Kyuu.」
「And why might Kyuu be riding on my head……」
「Kyu?」

Even if you raise up your head to me while making a curious seeming voice……

「Alice-san really does, smell good! I understand nyaa.」
「……」

As Saira is a beastman that sort of persuasive power is different isn't it……
But I want to enter a bath today.

「Be that as it may, just when I thought we'd left the plain there's a mountain path and woodland path, this terrain sure is hectic isn't it.」
「As.h.i.+taka kingdom's territory is mostly mountains and forest nya. I've heard that the crowded populace resides in the few plains sections.」
「Heei?」

That characteristic is almost like my fatherland isn't it.
As expected from the sort of characteristic of building katana, there might be some sort of thing that connects them.
That is that for something like parallel worlds there're definitely subst.i.tute items that highly resemble eachother?

「Be that as it may, that draws the eye doesn't it.」
「Hai, it's impressive nya.」

What pulls the eye the most is that active volcano.
Both of us turning our faces toward it together, our eyes go to the volcano grandly forcing its way through a blanket of snow within the blue sky.
Even now smoke is erupting from that crater, a sort of atmosphere where it wouldn't be strange even if it erupted tomorrow.

「This is the first time I've seen a volcano.」
「There are overpowering things aren't there.」

But it won't be a joke if something like an eruption happens.
The mountain is something that's undergone apotheosis so, something of the sort that could stop that power would become something said to rival a G.o.d.
Maa, right now what's more important is.

「Can we reach town by noon?」
「From what I could see of the map I saw earlier on a sign, I think it's close nya.」
「That so, I thought I could jump if it comes down to it but, it's a good thing to not stand out too much isn't it.」

Since I don't know what could be on this unfamiliar terrain.

「But clinging to Alice-san is……frankly pleasant nya.」
「Fufu, Embracing Saira, I also get a pleasant feeling you know.」
「That's pleasing nya!」

And so being embraced by Eclair causes my heart to throb and, being embraced by Ilya sets me off my pace and, being embraced by s.h.i.+on-san makes me go limp……being embraced by Kran is thrilling.

「Skins.h.i.+p, deep.」

What's deep might be the human heart.

「?」

Without a particular meaning I ruffled Saira's head stroking it as she made a curious seeming face.
As she accepted that with good seeming feelings Saira was somehow adorable as she narrowed her eyes.

「Des.h.i.+～～! There are tons of homes here～!」

While jumping around with o～i o～i, Rin-chan who had gone ahead called over to where we were.
Somehow it seems we've arrived in town.
Rin-chan came back, as if her reconnaissance mission had ended.

「Good work, Rin-chan. We'll eat a delicious meal and rest on a fluffy bed today you know.」

It's a good that I left 3 gold coins in my pocket.
Since I don't know what could happen I always keep money with me.
For now I have to change our currency and, I also want to get in contact with Ilya so, to do either one I guess the guild comes first.

「Rin, if she's together with des.h.i.+ she's fine no matter where we are!」
「Mo～, where might this child have memorized such a bewildering pick up line.」

Kindly grasping Rin-chan's soft cheeks, she squealed and rejoiced.

「Probably, from somewhere close to you nya.」
「Kyui!」

……Oi, why did you reply just now, Kyuu?

We arrived in town.
Saying that, the buildings are scattered.
Or rather, I don't really know where the entrance is.
As it wasn't the case that there was a wall or, that there was a fence set up, much less having a checkpoint, there was a town when I noticed.
Rural isn't it.
But having my origin in Rinal I don't have a dead angle here.

「Peaceful issn't it.」
「Peaceful～～」
「Kyui.」

Do you understand words, Kyuu?
And so you've settled on my head but, the gazes from people pa.s.sing by are harsh you know?

「Where might the guild be?」
「In most cases, the guild is in the vicinity of the town's center nya.」
「Then, would it be best to go where there are lots of buildings?」
「Or maybe, it might be faster to ask someone.」

I turn around.
The people walking past me avert their eyes.

「Don't they seem shy?」
「From what I can see, it seems this country has few foreigners nya. Their way of doing things might be a little different from the kingdom or princ.i.p.ality.」

And so their apparent characteristic is black hair and black eyes is it.

「Kyui kyui.」

You let out a somewhat dissatisfied voice but, this might be your fault you know?

「Was Sacrament's influence strong in this country?」
「Hai desu, but even if we brought Eclair-san here with us they might only be surprised nya.」
「Since she's flamboyant isn't she, Eclair.」

From her appearance.

「That's so for Alice-san as well though……」

But I have a visually kind tint right?
Fufun.

「Nn～」

I try looking about and, I came to see stores with curtains set on their entrance here and there.
There's quite tasteful scenery isn't there.

「Des.h.i.+! I want to eat that!」

What Rin-chan pointed toward was a food seller-san.
A good smell wafted from the store so I tried peeking in and, they were selling skewered dango.
A bench was placed at the storefront, so it seems that eating while relaxing is something that's possible.

「Since I don't have anything but large sums so welll.」
「Alice-san, I'm carrying money nya. This is Alice-san's money nya.」
「No, that's Saira's money you know, without a mistake.」
「Even so I want to use it for Alice-san and everyone!」

I wonder how such a great child was raised?
You're too dazzling, Saira.

「Rin-chan, become a splendid lady like Saira okay.」
「Un, I understand!」

I entered the store along with Saira as she blushed and did a you're making too big a deal out of this nya.

「Welcome.」

A stern ossan store owner came out.

「As recommended――」
「We're all going with the recommendation.」
「That, that's how it is then.」

What's with this craftsman temperament.

「Des.h.i.+! This this! This is good～!」
「Aah, three color dango.」

It's a pink color, white color, green color dango.
It entertains the eye even from over the show case.

「Then, three of these.」
「We don't sell odd numbers.」

Ossan……

「4……perhaps let's not, then, 6.」

This is going to fill the stomach with snacks won't it.

「Got it, 10 pack right.」

Listen to me okay ossan.

「You're quite the proficient seller arren't you, ufufufu.」
「I won't give a discount service either. Then, it's 50 rooks.」

Impudent ossan isn't he.
Saira pa.s.sed money over while smiling and accepted the dangos placed in the pack.

「He certainly was, overwhelming.」

He says his lines poorly doesn't he.

「Des.h.i.+, let's eat～」
「I suppose so, would you thank Saira?」
「Saira, thank you!」
「It's fine nya.」

Saira also answered Rin-chan with a smile.
So calming.

「To be sightseeing a foreign country at a time like this, you guys, are strange aren't you.」
「Eh, a time like this?」
「This is something that's been conveyed for generations, mountain G.o.d-sama is angry this year so it's something major you see. And so the customers went far away and can't be reached.」
「So that's how it is.」

Ossan is st.u.r.dy so I'm sure it's alright.
We left the store for now.
Sensing ossan's gaze from within the store but, we bought merchandise so I'm sure it's fine to use the storefront's bench right.
The three of us sat beside eachother and ate dangos.

「Tasty!」
「Ah, it really is.」

Rich but not too rich and sweet to a good degree.

「Hey now, seating for 3 people is 15 rooks.」

Ossan appeared from within the store!
Ossan used special move, release greed!
Alice became dejected!

「Hei, that's a joke. Here, it's tea. So drink it.」

While peeking in with a smile at my face that was like my bite had smashed a bitter tasting bug, ossan put down a tray with tea on it and pulled back into the store.

「Strange person……」
「But he isn't a bad person nya.」

But he's a merchant isn't he.

「Kyui kyui.」

However it seems Kyuu gave those dangos a high evaluation.
The artisan-san is, how to say it, eccentric issn't he.

「Deli……cious.」

The tea in the porcelain teacup that was put out was also, delicious.

With our break finished, we went to the guild.
As could be expected from what's called the town center, there're a lot of stores and buildings.
There's the guild in one corner of that circular large plaza.

「Money exchange right, is it fine for all of this to be silver coins?」
「Hai.」

If copper coins were also mixed in it'd be heavy.

「Then that will be 100 silver coins. Please confirm them.」
「Hai, it's okay.」

I put the 100 silver coins that came out with easy legibility due to the coin counter, into a leather bag.

「And along with that, I want to ask you to contact Alseid kingdom's royal capital's guild but.」
「Hai, then that will be 1 silver coin but, is that okay?」
「Eei. The contents are――」

Conveying the mansion's address, I asked for a message to be sent to Ilya's location.
I guess it's fine with that.

「And along with that I'd like to get directions for a well reputed inn this area but.」
「Will you be taking guests?」
「I won't be.」
「I think that if it's you you'd earn quite an amount.」
「That's an unnecessary concern.」

The people in this country are, all strange people.

「I've kept you waiting.」
「Welcome back.」

Setting out from the guild, Kyuu and Rin-chan were playing at the plaza.
Kyuu chased after Rin-chan running around and drawing a circle.
perhaps his agility was exceptional, the nimble Kyuu seems to be fighting bravely.

「On that note, there hasn't been a time where I've seen Rin-chan's status have I.」
「I can see that she seems to have talent nya.」
「I'd like to stop her from sticking her head into something overly dangerous but, it's best if she's strong isn't it.」

I think that the strength to protect your own body is pretty important in this world.

「……The sort of thing of becoming tired from magic power means, she has the talent to use magic?」
「There are a lot of those who can use magic around Alice but, that is originally an extremely precious talent nya. If that's the case then it's something incredible!」

The magicians around me are, just Eclair and Till right?
To say that that's a lot then it seems, it's rather scarce isn't it.
Furthermore those 2 have outstanding talent.

「Fufu, but that's a shame isn't it Rin-chan! You should regret being born in the same era as this me! Because the next to be the strongest after Till will be, this me!」

And since I'm long lived!

「……」

Hafuu, and Saira's sigh became tired as her eye stared at me.
Be, because I'm not particularly afraid of those below me forcing their way up okay!
But, if possible, if it happens okay?
……What should I do, if she becomes stronger than me or Eclair.

「Kyuu!?」

Rin-chan has finally jumped over and captured Kyuu in the plaza.

「……This might be bad.」

10 years later, it seems fun and it seems scary.

Settling in after taking a room at an inn, I suppose we really were tired, Rin-chan promptly began producing a sleeping breath on the bed.
Sitting on the end of the bed, I stroked Rin-chan's head as she slept tranquilly.

「Saira, setting aside the details, since we've finally reached As.h.i.+taka kingdom, want to investigate about katana training?」
「Hai desu nya! I'm looking forward to it!」

She really does love it doesn't she, practicing as a blacksmith.

「Would it be best if we went to the royal capital? This town isn't the royal capital is it?」
「Hai, it seems this is called forest city Otaka.」

A town near nine tails' forest is it.

「But it seems this town's blacksmithing is also impressive. They deal in something like exorcism swords, it seems that they perform somewhat peculiar blacksmith practice here nya.」

As expected of Saira, she steadily went to look with a bit of open time.

「Is that, to banish nine tails?」
「Nyahaha, that might be so.」

Because that's an opponent that Till couldn't cleanly win against or such, I suppose a simple sword is no good though.

「……I feel that when there's time it's best to do training. Though that's my intuition.」
「That's like Aim-san nya.」

And I have to protect Saira and Rin-chan through this.
……Fumu, furthermore.

「I'm going outside for a bit. Could Saira look after Rin-chan for me?」
「Please leave it to me, nya!」

For that reason, I left Saira and Rin-chan in the room and went outside.
There's a ways to go as the location of the inn is a little apart from the central plaza so, it's something quiet.
Enough to make me suspect that I might have been introduced to a dubious inn, by the guild's o-neーsan.
At any rate since it's built by a side street's steep sloped path.
This steeply sloped path is only connected to the mountain so, with that there aren't many people.
Ma, it was a proper inn though.
Climbing the steep path in that manner, there's a park just before it becomes a full blown mountain path.
Rather than calling it a park, calling it a simple plaza might be more correct.

「This is just right.」

Since people's eyes don't reach here, let's do magic power tempering training or something.
Closing my eyes, I image magic power circulating within my body.
My body becomes hot.
Even though my eyes are closed, I know that there's a dim glow in my center.
If I refine my magic power until it's large it'll become a strong power.
Small and weak, won't do much even if expended.
If I refine it well, I'll be able to apply it in a variety of ways.
There's unlimited power hidden within magic.
Simply just chanting and activating is totally incapable of reaching the heights where Till is.

「――That's very beautiful magic power isn't it.」

At that voice, I slowly opened my eyes.

「I thought that, you'd come.」
「Haha, what's that, was I invited here.」

Without any timidity, that girl boldly exposed her form before me.
She's no longer wearing a hood either.
Jet black hair still deeper than even the night's darkness, and furthermore an energetic girl with straight cut bangs.

「If possible, I'd like if you didn't run away anymore.」
「Though I don't have any intention of fleeing anymore I suppoose.」

I think she's been rather quick to appear and vanish but.

「Makinsan, was it?」
「Un un, seems strong right?」
「……No, maa, hai.」

Whether her name seems strong or if it seems weak……

「……Why did you come to take interest in our affairs?」
「Because I'm a fan?」
「Stinks of a lie.」
「U～n, then――maybe, because you're weak.」

The girl called Makina's gaze became sharp.

「You've certainly said it haven't you.」
「It's the truth you know.」

Maa it is the truth.
It's not the case that I'm all that conceited.
Even if I fight one on one, I suppose there are still plenty of people who could easily defeat me.
Till is obvious, Libra as well, Marisan as well, if I look around this other world there are still plenty of others.

「 U～n, if I'm told that I can't preserve my face.」
「――Hei? Hu, huh? You're not angry then?」
「Since it's the truth.」
「That, that isn't true you know!! Alice-san is, stronger than anyone you know!!」
「What you're saying is strange though……」

It's baffling when you suddenly desperately deny that.

「If you do something stupid I won't forgive you you know!」
「That, that's right I suppose, it's not good to do stupid things is it. I'm strong, un, strong, maybe.」
「Un unn!」

What is it with this child……

「……And so, in the end, just what are you?」
「I'm, a simple traveler.」
「An adventurer then.」
「I suppose so, an adventurer who has already forever and ever, repeatedly seen a nightmare that I can't wake up from.」

Those valorous pupils, wavered a little.

「It seems there's, some sort of major situation isn't there……please tell me if there's a way I can become your power. Since I think that's also fate.」
「Really!?」
「Hai, I won't say it twice.」
「Thank you! Really you see……」
「Hai……」

It would be proper to say she became frightfully serious so, I swallowed my breath at her severity.

「――I don't have any money!!」
「Goodbye.」
「Aah, wait wait! Humans can't live on mist alone you know～, I haven't eaten in two days now and……」
「Look here, someone with skills of your level can survive by eating at the guild or wherever right.」
「Uu, there's circ.u.mstances why that can't be done……」
「What are those circ.u.mstances?」
「That's a secret.」
「Goodbye.」
「Aah! Alice-san is cold!」

Obviously.
The world at large isn't so sweet you know.

「I'm making a request soo, since I'll be of uuse.」

Yare yare……

「Haa, then, while we're in this country, I'll provide clothes, food and lodgings and guarantee your wages in exchange for relying on you as our bodyguard. How is that?」
「It's a wish come true!」

I don't really know what threat there is for the time being but, maa, it might be appreciated if a skilled bodyguard came with us.
And Ilya or oneechan aren't here either.

「That you hired me, surely won't cause you a regret!」
「Seriously, because of you and your slick behavior.」

I don't think she came to sell me on her job hunting though……

「――Since I'll show that, I'll overcome h.e.l.l itself.」
「?」

It was a small voice that seemed like it could vanish but, I noticed that the girl called Makina definitely let that from her mouth.

「By the way Alice-san, when are you going to marry Solt-san?」
「I think I won't do that through the eternal future but, what of it?」
「Ha haa, Alice-san is being shy?」
「Do you see that?」
「……U, un……Huh, isn't this strange.」

What's strange is you.
Because I'm protecting my heart even now.

「But being embraced by Solt-san, doesn't make your heart race?」
「It irritates me.」
「But but, if you're forcefully cornered, aren't you really moved?」
「If such a thing happens――it's war.」
「Hu, huuh……」

Along the way back to the inn, Makina had her head tilted the entire way.