The next morning, we left after breakfast.
"Noa, this is okay, right?" (Prim)
"Right. I feel like a thin thread is connecting me." (Noa)
"Prim. Where is the village?" (Yuna)
"Hmm. I think it's probably this one." (Prim)
Noa pointed a little to the left, and Prim, after some thought, pointed a little to the right.
"You're heading in the wrong direction." (Prim)
"What should we do?" (Noa)
"Hmm, it might be a bit of a detour after all, but I want some information, so let's stop by the village." (Yuna)
"I don’t mind though." (Noa)
"Is Prim okay too?" (Yuna)
"Sure." (Prim)
That was why we decided to stop by the village and gathered information.
"Kumayuru, Kumakyu, let's go!" (Yuna)
""Kuu~n""
Kumayuru and Kumakyu ran towards the village Prim talked about.
After riding for a while, the village came into view without encountering any monsters or people.
"Prim, please stay hidden, as it might cause a fuss if you are found." (Yuna)
"I know." (Prim)
Prim flied into Noa's pouch.
"Noa, don't leave me." (Yuna)
I didn't know what kind of village it was. There was also the possibility that the village was dangerous. But as we approached the village, a man outside the village yelled, "A girl riding a bear is coming to attack the village!" It seemed to me.
I explained that Kumayuru and Kumakyu were safe.
"If you don't attack, they won't do anything." (Yuna)
"Is that bear really safe?" (A man)
"It's safe." (Yuna)
The man nodded at my words.
For the first time in a long time, Kumayuru and Kumakyu were scary.
"First of all, just to confirm, what is your outfit like that, young lady?" (A man)
"Because I'm a bear." (Yuna)
"I can tell by looking at it, but maybe that kind of outfit is popular in the city?" (A man)
Apparently, they thought we were from a nearby town.
Since I couldn't tell them the truth, I would just let them misunderstood me.
"It's not, though." (Yuna)
"I see. I've never been to the city, so I thought clothes like that were popular. So, what's it like to see two girls riding bears in such a deserted village? Are you lost?" (A man)
It was true that it was not very lively, but I didn't think I would call it a deserted village.
"I'm not lost. I was wondering if there's any danger around here, if there's a town nearby, and if you know anything about fairies, you could tell me." (Yuna)
"Fairy? It's a small person in the shape of a beautiful human." (Prim)
"Hey, small people are different from fairies. Mogomogo." (Noa)
Noa stepped back while holding the pochette.
"Did you say something?" (A man)
"No, I didn't say anything." (Yuna)
I lied to myself and listened to the story.
"I can tell you about dangerous places and towns, but you should ask the old lady about fairies." (A man)
"Old lady?" (Yuna)
"Oh, I think she saw it a long time ago." (A man)
The man told us about dangerous places near the village and guided us to the old lady.
The village was just a normal village. There didn't seem to be anything that had changed.
"If you go to the left from the entrance where you guys came in, you'll find a forest and grassland. There are swarms of monsters in that area, so it's best not to go there." (A man)
"What kind of monsters are they?" (Yuna)
"It’s Wolf." (A man)
Are there wolves here too?
Well, if it were an extremely strong monster like the monster in the town before the final boss like in the game, the townspeople would be dead.
"Aren't you going to subdue them?" (Yuna)
"They're far from the village, so they won't come all the way here. And as long as they don't invade their territory, they won't attack you, so it's okay." (A man)
It went without saying, but if you entered their territory, they would attack.
"That's why we're leaving it alone. If it doesn't come to our village, we won't forcefully defeat it." (A man)
"Don't you think they'll attack you someday?" (Noa)
Noa asked.
"I thought about it a long time ago, but it's never happened. It's not worth the risk. Besides, it would cost money to ask an adventurer. In that case, it's better for both of us to leave it alone." (A man)
There was a way of thinking like that.
If it were me, I would just kill them so I wouldn't have to worry about the future.
When I thought about it again, it was a wild idea.
"Also, there's a road that the horse-drawn carriages pass through just beyond the village, so just keep going." (A man)
"Is it far?" (Yuna)
"It's about three days by carriage." (A man)
It was quite far. However, if Kumayuru and Kumakyu ran, it would be enough to cover the distance in one day.
"But, didn't you ladies ride a bear from that town?" (A man)
"Um, that’s it." (Yuna)
If I said no, I wouldn't be able to answer the question "Where are you from?" and I wouldn't be able to say that I was.
"So, you got lost and came here to ask where our town is?" (A man)
The man recognized us as lost children and nodded.
Even if I denied it, there was no other way to answer, so I asked him to think so.
However, it had become difficult to ask people the names of cities and countries. It was strange that I didn't know the name of my country or the city I live in. If I were to be pursued, I would not be able to answer.
"Yeah, I was here looking for fairies." (Yuna)
For now, now that I knew about the monsters and the location of the city, I changed the subject.
"Yuna-san?" (Noa)
I looked at Noa and shook my head. Noa nodded slightly, as if she understood what I wanted to say.
"When you get home, apologize to your parents properly. Also, don't worry your parents too much." (Villager)
The man said kindly.
Noa and I nodded obediently.
"But in the city, you don't ride a horse, you ride a bear?" (A man)
The man said while looking at Kumayuru and Kumakyu.
"No, this bear is special and we are the only ones riding it." (Yuna)
If this misunderstanding continued, the people who actually came from the city would be made fun of, so I clearly denied that part.
I didn't think there was any town where people rode bears instead of horses.
...There isn't one, right?
When we arrived at a deserted house, the man opened the door and called out.
"Are you there, old lady? Some girls came and wanted to ask me about fairies." ()
"A fairy?" (Old lady)
An old woman came out of the back room with her arms around her waist.
"Bear!?" (Old lady)
"I'm sorry for startling you. These kids are not dangererous." (Yuna)
I apologized and explained about Kumakyu and Kumakyu who were behind me.
Kumayuru and Kumakyu cried out "Kuu~n" in low voices.
"They're really gentle bears. And if you look closely, you'll see that this missy is also dressed as a bear." (A man)
Grandma looked at me and smiled.
"These girls came all the way from the city to look for fairies. I'm sorry, but could you please tell them?" (A man)
"Hehe, if you don't mind talking about old people like this, I'll talk to you. Come inside." (Old lady)
Separating from the man, we entered the house.
Kumayuru and Kumakyu stayed in front of the house, and Noa and I went inside.
"So, did you come to this village to look for fairies?" (Old lady)
Since the fairy herself had been to this village before, I couldn't say that I came to ask if other fairies have also come, so I ask while trying to fool her.
"Yes. I was wondering if anyone in this village has seen a fairy." (Yuna)
"Hehe, I've seen it before. It was very beautiful." (Old lady)
A happy smile could be heard from somewhere. Noa spoke to me to disguise that.
"Have you ever seen a fairy, Grandma?" (Noa)
"When I was young. It's been said that there is a place where fairies live near this village for a long time." (Old lady)
I wondered if it was about Prim's fairy's forest.
"Do you know where the fairy is?" (Noa)
The old lady shook her head.
"No one knows. It's just that fairies come to visit this village." (Old lady)
"But I heard that not everyone can see fairies." (Yuna)
"Oh, young lady, you know so much. Some fairies can be seen and some cannot." (Old lady)
Fairies could not be seen unless they matched the wavelength of our own mana.
"No one could see the fairy even when I pointed at it. I didn't want to be called a liar either, so I didn't say anything else." (Old lady)
Even if you say you could see ghosts, it was difficult to get people who couldn't see to believe you. If you did it poorly, you might look like a strange person. I didn't care if this was a spiritual medium or someone with special powers, but even if an ordinary person said this, I didn't think no one would believe it.
"I chased the fairy by myself. The fairy was happily flying around the village. But she didn't realize that I could see her and flew off into the distance. After that, I searched for fairies many times, but I never saw them again. I can't tell you how many times I wished I had called out to them then. I wanted to talk to fairies." (Old lady)
Seeing a fairy was almost a miracle.
We never knew when a fairy with the same wavelength as our mana would come to the village.
Maybe the probability of being in the same place at the same time on that day was low. If I was at home, I wouldn't be able to see them. If I were a recluse, I didn't think I'd ever meet them.
"I don't have much time left to get old. I wanted to see her beautiful face one last time." (Old lady)
The old lady said sadly.
"I'm sorry. I'm a little depressed." (Old lady)
"No." (Yuna)
I felt like I couldn't say anything.
Prim was there, but I couldn't show her because it might cause a commotion. When I looked at Noa, I saw that she too was in trouble.
"That's about all the fairy stories I know. I hope that helps." (Old lady)
"Yes, very much." (Yuna)
It was actually not helpful.
But I was not so cruel as to ignore it.
When I thanked her and was about to take some time off, Noa's pochette moved.
"Do you want to see me that much?" (Prim)
Prim came out of Noa's pochette.
"Prim-san!?" (Noa)
Noa looked at Prim in confusion, but Prim flied in front of the old lady.
"Fairy-san…" (Old lady)
"Yeah, it's a fairy." (Yuna)
"Ugh" (Old lady)
The old woman began to have tears in her eyes.
"It's really a fairy... I'm glad I got to meet you before my time comes." (Old lady)
When the old lady held out Prim's hand, Prim climbed onto it.
"Hmm, if you can't see the fairies and die regretting it, it won't be worth it." (Prim)
"I don't have any more memories." (Old lady)
"What? You're going to die for meeting me? If you think you're lucky to have met me, then you should live longer." (Prim)
"That's right. Also, I might meet fairies again, so I have to live long enough." (Old lady)
The old lady laughed.
"Grandma. Have you heard that anyone has seen a fairy lately?" (Yuna)
"There may be some, but I think everyone is silent. It's a small village, so if someone saw it and made a fuss, it would spread." (Old lady)
"I see" (Yuna)
Then, even if someone saw Prim's older sister, it might be difficult to find her.
"But you said you were looking for fairies." (Old lady)
The old lady asked while looking at Prim on her hand.
"What I'm looking for is this child's older sister. She's missing." (Yuna)
"I see. I'm sorry I can't be of any help." (Old lady)
"Uh, it's okay. I have a clue." (Yuna)
Well, the purpose of coming to this village was to learn about dangerous places nearby, information about the city, and if possible, the name of the country. Also, I guessed I just need to hear about fairies. There was no problem because half of the objectives were achieved.
We thanked the old lady and left the house.
"Grandma, you seemed happy to meet Prim-san." (Noa)
"Making people happy may be a form of good luck." (Old lady)
"When I saw Prim-san, I was also moved. It made me feel happy." (Noa)
It was true that I was surprised when I saw Prim, but at the same time I was probably moved by seeing a fairy for the first time.
"Hmph, even if you praise me that much, I'm not happy." (Prim)
Prim looked away but seemed happy.