Volume 8, Chapter 12: I Got Lost, Part 3

“… Okay, let’s calm down.”

I was so surprised I had forgotten to breathe.

… Well, not that I actually need to breathe. I usually do because of my experience as a human, but it can be difficult to keep reminding my servants to stay in the habit of breathing like ‘humans’.

I take a deep breath, even though it doesn’t matter.

“Hmm… Now, what should I do…”

Looking around again, it seemed like a normal forest.

However, because this is a different world from Earth and Atra, there are some differences in the vegetation.

… I wonder what sort of evolution would lead to leaves shaped like hearts.

Luckily, it isn’t dark out since the sun is still high in the air, but with so many tall trees, you can’t tell which side the sun is shining unless it falls further.

By the way, even with the sun shining bright, the forest right now has a presence such that any creature smarter than a bug would run away, with even wind spirits avoiding this “Forest of Death.”

A small squirrel-like creature that had latched onto the carriage had fallen over spasming, foam coming out of its mouth and its eyes rolled back in its head.

Who could do such a terrible thing!

“… I suppose I should go.”

Even if I just sat here, there’s no guarantee that Sefira would come to pick me up.

She had been pulled away from her followers and officers who left with the sail country group, leaving with only a humble escort all while promising safety.

I almost suspect that it was on purpose.

In order to walk through the woods, I reduced the size of the heels in my shoes and my skirt transformed from a shin-length to a knee-length. I unlatched the horses from the carriage and threw out more killing intent towards the woods so that they would not be attacked until they woke.

… Please don’t run away, rescue teams.

Now, I wouldn’t be going into the forest without a plan.

I don’t know where the carriage got off the road, but at least this is a place where a horse-drawn carriage can go, and it seems that there are tracks from the wheels as well. If I follow them, it should lead me somewhere. Fufufu, it’s all coming together.

Oh, also, my style for today is my typical black and silver dress.

As for the platinum backless dress… Since it’s a n.o.ble dress I might wear it to a night party, but I have no guts to wear that kind of thing in the middle of the day.

Like how my black-silver dress can be transformed into a choker or shawl, the platinum dress seems to be enchanted as well.

… What is it at the moment, you ask?

Right now, the dress is taking the form of a set of ebony earrings.

They’re pretty cute and are my current favorites. As I lightly pulled at them with my fingertips, they turned into a lace veil covering me from head to shoulders.

This should eliminate the risk of my hair catching on a branch as I move.

Finished preparing, I followed the tracks of the wheels. After a few minutes of walking and enjoying the forest greenery, I quickly got bored and really wanted to fly, but I can’t risk someone seeing me flying with my wings out.

It would be troublesome to have my demonic traits discovered, since everyone things I’m like an angel. I’d die of shame.

Since I had no other choice, I jogged through the forest at the slow speed of about 100 km/h and reached the mountain road quickly.

… The road splits into five ways!

“…Which one?”

When did this happen, what country could decide to make such a crossroads?

“Fuu~…”

I’m no wise sage, but I chopped up a tree nearby to sit on the sump and think.

Even if this is clearly not the main road, surely it isn’t only used by locals who know the directions. If a merchant was going this way, is there something like a “Signpost” that tells them where to go?

“…”

Somehow, I had a foreboding feeling as I looked at the stump I was sitting on.

I stood up without a sound and swiftly placed the tree back to where it originally was before walking around to the other side where I figured ‘something’ was written, and I saw it.

“This will work.”

I was able to get to a village-like place after about an hour after I started to look.

I saw one of the villagers, a young man by the looks of him…

“Heya, welcome to the village of Kanpei.”

“…”

Something’s not quite right here

＊＊＊

North of the large mountain range is a small village of about 300 people called Kanpei village.

Kanpei village is famous for its specialty, which is potatoes, its notable export, which is potatoes, and its staple food, which is potatoes.

It’s quite far from the capitals of any countries, and is bothersome to take over, leaving it as a peaceful and quiet village. Despite how close it was to the land of darkness; they had been left alone.

“Headsman, please let’s buy more medicine.”

“Our village is rarely attacked.”

The owner of the general store and the village head speak with a serious tone.

It was a quiet village, but the situation changed completely after the neighboring country fell to the forces of darkness.

A large number of refugees from the neighboring lands with money were taken into refugee camps, where they would receive food and medical care, but those who fled with only the clothes on their back were turned away, and, after a period of wandering, ended up in a remote village like Kanpei village.

About 150 people came to the village.

150 people added to a village that originally only had 300.

It was clearly overcrowded, the supplies of potatoes which weren’t sent to support the war were running low, and more than half of the refugees were injured or sick and there wasn’t enough medicine to support them.

There wasn’t enough s.p.a.ce to live.

The headman and other villagers went to the nearest city for several days to beg for a.s.sistance at the office of the Allied Forces in charge of the refugee camps, but the clerk wouldn’t see them, and it seemed like the only way to get anything would be to provide a bribe.

Having carts what were only full of potatoes to offer for the war effort, the headsman was without money and came back to the village without a.s.sistance, to another problem.

It had taken a few weeks to travel back and forth to the city. During that time, some of the more seriously injured people had pa.s.sed away, and some of the families were complaining about the work the villagers had been providing for free.

Of course, most of the refugees thanked the villagers and took the lead in helping with the work in the village.

Also, it seemed like the hooligans who wouldn’t work had gotten bored with eating the same meals every day and had begun to hara.s.s the villagers taking care of them to give them meat.

“If that’s the case, what is “Butler-sama” going to do about it.”

“If we refuse to get them, things will get even worse…”

One day, an old gentleman had appeared in the village.

The old man dressed in fine butler clothes with no traveling cloak or luggage and looked for all purposes to have simply come by during a stroll. When he appeared, he took away the dead bodies, removed the families and delinquents who constantly complained, and quickly returned the town to order.

The old gentleman, at the thanks of the village headsman, simply smiled calmly, without even giving his name.

When the villagers took to respectfully calling him “Butler-sama” and asked him why he came to such a village, he responded saying that he that he was searching for a n.o.ble ‘Ojou-sama’ and had just dropped by for a quick ‘Meal’.

“Excuse me, Headsman!”

“What happened, John.”

As the village head was discussing with the general store owner, Kawagishi Imohata’s third son John barged in through the back door.

“S-something black and golden, it looks like the “Princess” has come here.”

“…What?”

＊＊＊

“Heya, welcome to the village of Kanpei.”

Is this Villager A? He just repeated the same thing he said at the entrance of the village.

Eh… what a scene, it doesn’t look to be in a good situation here at all.

When I looked around me, all the surrounding villagers averted their eyes when I looked their way or ran out somewhere.

Why do they always run!?

“Ah, h.e.l.lo there, Oji-san.”

I greeted a middle-aged farmer that had pa.s.sed across the street from us.

“What’s up, miss…”

As the man approached without a thought, he took off his straw hat and stiffened the moment he saw my face, his eyes darting back and forth as if terrified.

It’s been quite a while since this has happened.

“Oji-san, are you okay…?”

“Ah… yeah, sorry… miss, it’s just the first time I’ve seen a city beauty, so I was just surprised…”

“Ah, thank you then…?”

It doesn’t feel like a compliment.

“Umm… rather than that, is this boy I’m with okay?”

Does he know Villager A who keeps repeating the same line? He looks over to him.

“Ah, Taro-san. He came with the recent arrival of refugees, and couldn’t speak at all, until he had a conversationwith ‘Butler-sama.’ Now he’s become such a serious person.”

“… Is that so…”

I’m not sure it’s okay to leave that under the one-word description of ‘Serious’.

“Butler-sama?”

While he was speaking normally, he said a word that piqued my interest.

“Indeed, he has become the savior of this village.”

“Really…”

“Oh, he’s right over there.”

When I turned around at the man’s words, I saw a slim man of medium build, aged in about his sixties? Atop his head was a luscious full head of greyed hair.

Far from the landscape of potato fields, he wore a single monocle and fine butler garbs.

The old butler who you might automatically call Sebastian seemed to have seen me and walked over with an unearthly quiet smile and strange step, letting loose a ‘fofofo.’

What…? Have I seen that somewhere before?

“Yurushia-sama, it’s been a long time.”

“Eh…………?”

Author’s Notes:

Who is he?

Next time, the true ident.i.ty of the old butler.