When the people of the demon village had gone to sleep.
Mile quietly left the tent and set out.
Of course, before leaving the tent, she had vanished using concealment magic, and had completely blocked out sound, smell, and vibrations with shield magic.
Demons were naturally cautious people, and there were suspicious people pitching their tents right next to the village, so it's only natural that there would be guards even after the people have gone to bed and the lights have been turned off. Both in the village and next to Crimson Vow's tent.
So, Mile disappeared before leaving the tent.
Even though she was using a shield, Mile still didn't feel right, so she quietly tiptoed into the village.
The exploration magic showed a strong reaction, as if it was watching over the Crimson Vow's tent.
There were also two gatekeepers hiding in the shadows at the entrance to the village.
It was easier to hide and keep watch leisurely than to stand there boldly, it reduced the risk of being defeated in an instant by a surprise enemy attack without having time to sound the alarm, and it also lured intruders into letting their guard down, so it was a very rational decision.
...It's completely useless against Mile, though...
The gatekeeper was probably not there for Crimson Vow, but rather a permanent security guard for the village.
Mile ignored the guards and headed towards Sacred Maiden's house.
And…….
(Okay, okay, there's no guard at MIKO's house...) (Mile)
Mile smiled heartily after learning through exploration magic that Sacred Maiden's house did not appear to be a high-security location.
Mile met her openly during the day, asked the girl whatever questions she wanted, and then quickly left with a look of disappointment on the face, as if had been deceived. It was only natural that this place would be removed from the list of candidates for a high-security area.
(Sacred Maiden-chan was... there she was!) (Mile's mind)
Even though it was quite cold, the young girl, Sacred Maiden, was already outside waiting.
Well, that just shows how much the girl was curious about Mile's story.
(Okay, let's remove the concealment spell... no, no!) (Mile's mind)
If Mile were to suddenly release the concealment spell so close to her, she might be startled and scream. So, Mile decided to move away for a while, release the spell behind a house, and then slowly approached her.
And then Mile cast a shielding spell a little wider...
"You're too late!" (Girl)
She was yelled at loudly.
Well, Mile was prepared for this kind of situation.
As Mile approached Sacred Maiden, she cast concealment and barrier spells again in a small area covering both herself and Sacred Maiden.
Now, no one else could see them, hear them, or even sense their presence. So, it's okay to continue talking here.
As an added bonus, although the air was gradually replaced and ventilated, it kept out the wind and was a kind feature that warmed the air inside the barrier.
"Warm……" (Girl)
It seemed to be well received by Sacred Maiden too.
"...So, what is this story about?... And who are you, anyway?" (Girl)
An entity that can convey its will to her in the same way as an angel.
Normally, it would not have been surprising to think that she was a familiar spirit or someone similar to herself, in other words, a "Comrade of the Sacred Maiden," but because Mile was dressed as a hunter, this girl was not able to think about that and seemed to see her as just a girl with a low-level job.
"...Me? Sometimes, I was the One-Eyed Coachman... wait, it's not time for that!" (Mile)
The young girl, Sacred Maiden, was dumbfounded and didn't understand what was going on.
"Well, you can talk to the angel, right? And you believe yourself to be Sacred Maiden..." (Mile)
"How rude! I'm not just assuming it, it's a fact, I'm Sacred Maiden!" (Girl)
(Ah, well, from his point of view, I guess so…) (Mile's mind)
Mile decided not to question that any further.
"Um, so you can hear the voice of this Angel, and so the people in the village treat you as Sacred Maiden?" (Mile)
"That can't be true! I'm the only one who can hear the voice of the Angel, so do you really think that adults would just believe a child who claims something like that?"
"Y-You're right..." (Mile)
Normally, this would be ignored as the ramblings of a child.
"Then why..." (Mile)
The girl answered Mile's question simply.
"Because I worked hard!" (Girl)
"W-worked hard...?" (Mile)
Even when she said that, it did not make sense to Mile.
"That's right. Ever since I first received words from the Angel while I was practicing magic, I repeatedly asked questions over and over again about things I didn't understand, and little by little I began to understand the Angel's explanations. It took many years... When I finally tried to use the wisdom I'd acquired to help the villagers, I was initially not to be believed, ridiculed, and called a liar... Undaunted, I continued to give suggestions and advice over and over again, but when I tried to recommend a treatment to a sick person, I was yelled at and hit, saying, 'I can't stand being killed by a child's game!', and when I tried to teach about infectious disease prevention for babies, I was kicked away, saying, 'Babies are not children's toys!'..." (Girl)
Sacred Maiden was a little teary-eyed as she remembered that incident.
(Ahhh... This kid is a good and earnest kid...) (Mile's mind)
"Then, after gradually accumulating achievements, I finally convinced them that I was truly hearing the voice of the Angel, and I was finally recognized as Sacred Maiden. Well, I'm just being listened to seriously when I give suggestions and advice, but it's not like I'm being promoted or given luxuries or delicious food... I'm just being used and made to work for free." (Girl)
"The world is so cruel!!" (Mile)
While Mile was impressed by her indomitable efforts, she also shed tears in her heart at the fact that Sacred Maiden was being treated differently than she expected.
(I see, unlike my own policy of "Let's stop asking Nano-chan everything," she decided to ask them everything...
It's true, I knew the situation, and the civilization of this world is significantly behind that of Earth, so there wasn't that much I wanted to know, and more than anything, I had a strong desire to "enjoy my second life," so I didn't want to give away any spoilers...
But to this child, this is her only life, and if it means that she, her family, and the people of his village can live a slightly safer and happier life, then she should use all of her abilities to the fullest...
And so, whenever she had questions, or wanted to find a solution to a problem that arose in the village, or anything else, she would ask Nanomachines over and over again until she understood, gradually building up her knowledge and acquiring a "logical way of thinking"... Even though the adults made fun of her and called him a liar...) (Mile's mind)
What an arduous journey that must have been for such a young girl...
"...So, I've only been asking about me, but who exactly are you?! You're a human, a low-tier Hunter at that, yet you seem to be acquainted with the Ancient Dragon, and how can you speak to me in the same way as the Angel!" (Girl)
It seemed that the possibility that Mile was an angel had never been considered.
Well, that was understandable. There was no way that it could even cross her mind that the Goddess's angel, the "All-knowing, mysterious high-ranking being" who had never even been seen, could be such a boring-looking, low-class human.
And as for possible possibilities...
"Ah, I see! You're the human Sacred Maiden, on whom the Angel took pity and bestowed mercy! Did the Goddess, through the angel, give you some kind of mission for me? Something like, to become my servant and serve me devotedly..." (Girl)
Yes, if that was the case, it made sense that the message had been conveyed to her via Angel.
A demon girl who didn't doubt for a second that the human Sacred Maiden was inferior to her.
Since Mile had come all the way to pay her a courtesy visit, it was only natural that the demon girl, who considered herself superior to humans, would think this way.
But…….
"No, it's true that I can talk to the Angel, but it's not like I'm an acquaintance of the Goddess or related..." (Mile)
She knew God, but she only thought this in her heart and never said it out loud.
She thought that the "goddess" or "god" that this girl had in mind was probably something completely different from the god she had met...
"What!? So what do you mean... Ah, I see! Unlike me, who was chosen by the Goddess, you are merely a small fry procured by the Angel to run errands, who only has the ability to hear a little of what the Angel is saying!" (Girl)
Mile felt a little frustrated by the girl's overly cocky words, but she told herself this was just a child, smiled, and continued on.
Yes, it was the time to get informed. She should have ignored the nonsense of a child.
"Well, that's why I'm playing role as Sacred Maiden, as someone who can hear the words of the Goddess. The Goddess doesn't give me any instructions on religious matters or anything like that, she just answers my questions and concerns and shares some of her wisdom with me. Sometimes they won't tell me because they say it's forbidden..." (Mile)
There was no need to be wary of those who act on the orders of the Angel. So, the girl named Sacred Maiden would honestly tell her all about it.
After hearing the girl's explanation, Mile felt like that she understood the gist of it.
Yes, it so happened that the demon girl, who happened to have "Authority level 3," accidentally spoke words to Nanomachines while practicing magic, and received a reply from Nanomachines.
It was likely that in adapted spells, words of request or thoughts directed to the "Magical Spirit" would be added.
"Then, during the annual 'Ancient Dragon Visit', I had the opportunity to speak with the Ancient Dragon, at the village chief's instructions. And at that time, I told the Ancient Dragon about the ruins of the ancient civilization (Forerunners)..." (Girl)
"W-wait a minute~~!!" (Mile)
Mile couldn't help but screamed at the girl's sudden bombshell statement.
Thankfully, she had set up a soundproof barrier...
Author's Note
Happy new year!
We look forward to your continued support this year! (^^)/
And this marks the 500th episode of Noukin!
It has been exactly five years since the series began.
It has been made into a book, a comic book, and an anime.
The five years have gone by in a flash.
We've come this far thanks to our readers.
thank you very much.
On Thursday, January 7th, volume 14 of "Noukin" was released by the new label "SQEX Novel".
This is the inaugural title of a new label created by Square Enix.
It's a huge responsibility...
Even though the publisher has changed, the illustrator, cover designer, and editor in charge are all the same. So, even if you put them on a bookshelf, the arrangement of the spines will not look out of place at all! (^^)/
Thank you for your continued support.