Chapter 223

CHAPTER 223 – FORGETFUL PERSON

The dragon Olivia flew in the big sky .

Io, Tanya, and I were riding on her back, as Hikari would dangle around her neck, climb on her claws, enjoying the sky .

The sight of Hikari and Olivia doing that is the exact opposite of the “Hikari and O-chan” of the future, but it strangely looked familiar .

「Olivia, is Mercouri in the south?」

I guessed our path from the position of the sun and asked Olivia .

Olivia answered with a strict tone, unlike that of when she’s in her dragonkin form .

「Although I do not know the name Mercouri, I know the race that possesses a very similar visage with the one Human talked about」

「I see . It would’ve been easy if I had a picture」

『Are you an idiot? You should just use “that”』

「Huh? ……I see, I only needed to do that huh . I completely forgot . Tanya, come here for a bit」

「What is it?」

「Just don’t move for a while」

「Yes」

Tanya placed her arms straight to her side, gripped her fist, and faced up to me with closed eyes .

Although it wasn’t needed, I kissed her .

「Kakeru-san?」

「Don’t be that nervous . It’s not like I’m going to eat you . I only want to use your body for a bit」

「Y-Yes! Please use it as you like!」

Tanya once again made a pose with her arms to her side .

Although it was completely the same as before, this time, her face was red and her expression is revealing that she is expecting something .

『The way you said it』

Eleanor said in half amusement and half rolling her eyes .

It’s just annoying to point that out, so I just continued .

I softly touched Eleanor’s hilt, released an aura, and enveloped Tanya .

The camouflage aura, the power that uses Eleanor’s power to change one’s appearance .

One could only see through it if they have powers greater than Eleanor, in other words, it can deceive even the eyes of the Dragon King .

It’s not like I’m deceiving her, but I changed Tanya’s appearance to exactly that of Helene .

Long golden hair and pointed ears, with a graceful and elegant flair and demeanor .

She looks exactly like Helene Teresia Mercouri .

Olivia turned her head towards us while flying straight forward .

Her dragon eyes that possess deep wisdom looked straight at Tanya .

「How is it?」

「There is no doubt, they are that race」

「I see . Thank you, Tanya」

I removed the aura and returned Tanya’s appearance back to normal .

I confirmed it with Olivia . The place we are going to right now is where the same race as Helene and Iris belongs to .

We continued our journey in the sky on the back of Olivia .

「Kakeru-san!」

「What’s the matter, Io?」

「Look there, there’s something fishy」

The direction where Io pointed, it was the direction Olivia is heading to .

The forest had spread on the ground and a part of it was burning with red flames .

The smoke rose together with the flames .

「What’s happening?」

「Human, the village is around there」

「What?」

「Ne〜, Kakeru-san . Aren’t those flames burning buildings?」

「Yeah」

『Without a doubt』

I nodded and Eleanor agreed inside my head .

I knew the way those flames burned . It was not the flames of battle, it was the flames raised when one-sided plunder has occurred .

「I’ll get off here . Hikari」

「Un!」

Hikari returned and turned to her Demon Sword form .

「Olivia should continue carrying them in the sky」

「I got it」

「After that, I’ll leave it to Io to decide what to do . You can do it, right?」

「ーー! Un!」

Io gripped her magic staff tightly and showed a big nod .

I jumped off Olivia’s back .

With the inertia, I descended while moving forward at the same speed as Olivia for a while .

As soon as I landed in the forest, I kicked the ground and advanced .

The place where I landed exploded and I charged fiercely leaving behind dust of clouds .

I advanced in one straight line, faster than Olivia in the sky .

Finally, there was a clearing, and I saw the village .

The village looked quiet yet it was filled with lush green, as if the race living on it naturally coexists with nature .

However, that is quickly turning into a past tense .

There were two kinds of people there .

One was the race that looks like an elf, with golden hair and pointed ears that looked similar to Helene and Io .

The other one was men who were armed with weapons and armors .

The men were attacking the villagers .

They would attack and tie up the villagers, while the others search for valuables and burn the houses .

The pillage had already been on the way, middle-aged men were killed, and their wives and children gathered together with fear .

「Kyaaaaa! Husband!!」

「Papa! Noooooo!」

「Tch, noisy bitches . Let’s kill them too」

「Stop that . We won’t make the quota if we kill too many」

「Well, that’s true . Bring them without killing huh, what the heck is going on?」

「Whatever it is, it’s great since as long as we meet the quota, we can have all their treasures . That’s the command right?」

「Even if you say that, it doesn’t look there are treasures in this village」

「Should we take some women with us? We weren’t told we couldn’t taste them」

The soldiers said all that they wanted .

Although her husband was killed, the wife continued to bravely try and protect the remaining children .

And as if to laugh at her action, one soldier approached .

「Now that’s decided, let’s start with the mother」

「Stop, please stop!」

「Don’t worry, I am veryーー」

That man was unable to finish his words .

It’s because I leaped at him and chopped him into two .

The man was separated into two, half of him was surprised, half of him was frightened .

Each half made a strange expression, then finally collapsed to the ground .

「What?!」

「Who the hell are you!」

I ignored their questions and just killed as soon as I saw them .

From how they look, they aren’t bandits . Their equipment is that of a regular army .

However, all of them looked like ordinary soldiers .

There’s no need to listen to them, so cleaned them all up .

「A-Ahh……」

「Are you okay?」

「……」

I asked the mother who defended her children after I killed all the soldiers .

The mother was dumbfounded but the sudden event, not even able to reply .

With a glance, she doesn’t look injured, so I moved forward .

I advanced into the village, and saw soldiers pillaging here and there .

There are also many who died . Most of them were men that held weapons, and women were frightened or hidden, yet to be killed .

I killed those who pillaged one next to the other .

They would say things, but I ignored all of them and killed .

A huge shadow above my head . Olivia passed by . After a while, I felt magic powers were raised from the opposite side of the village, with lightning and ice magic being released .

「I guess I can leave that side to them」

『Muu……these men……they are……』

「Do you know them? Eleanor」

『I am familiar with the style of their equipment . They are the Empire’s regular army』

「Regular army? Why the heck are they attacking this village?」

『You can find that out by capturing the one who ordered them……but well, I can tell』

「……you’re the one who ordered them huh」

『……』

Eleanor sighed, but acknowledged .

It is probably Eleanor, in this era, who ordered it after gaining her human form .

After all, now that Rodotos is dead, the Empire is now Eleanor’s .

「I need you to tell me about that later」

『Umu』

「Haaaa!」

I heard the sound of air being sliced together with a shout .

It’s the sound of a sword being swung down .

I blocked it with Eleanor without looking and cleaved .

I felt resistance, it’s the feeling when I chop someone along with their sword and armor .

『You killed him』

「Un? Ah!」

I turned around and understood what Eleanor said .

The man who attacked me, the one I chopped into halves were wearing armor different from ordinary soldiers . He’s probably their commander .

That guy was chopped into two, lying dead on the ground .

『You can’t ask him now』

「You should just tell me what’s going on . You have a clue about it right?」

『Well, yeah』

「Then it’s fine」

I raised my gears and killed the soldiers .

They have already started pillaging . If I slowed down even for a little, the casualties would only increase .

That’s why I quickly killed them .

And, a pair of man and woman were being attacked a place a bit far from the village .

The man and woman were dragged out from their house and the man was about to be killed .

I kicked the ground and accelerated, chopping the soldier who was about to act slantwise from his shoulder .

I made it . I would feel bad if someone I’m trying to save got killed in front of me .

Well, since I’ve saved him, I should take care of the remainingーー

「The ten man……why?」

「Un?」

I stopped . It was a line that is definitely pointed towards me .

I turned and saw a man on the ground looking up to me .

Strangely, it was an ordinary human .

His ears aren’t pointed . He’s definitely someone who doesn’t belong to this village .

『Ahh, this guy huh』

「Do you know him, Eleanor?」

『……haa』

For some reason, I felt that Eleanor let out a very deep sigh . What happened?

『Otou-san . It’s that person, the one whose fortune was read before Tanya-oneechan』

「Before Tanya?」

『The old woman, the fortune teller . It’s the man with seven good and three bad』

「……was there a guy like that?」

I remembered that fortune teller after hearing what Eleanor and Hikari said, but in the end, I couldn’t remember the man in front of me .