It had been quite a long time since he had visited the Hayana Forest.
Into the view of Calisto, who had left his knights at the forest’s edge and was climbing the forest alone, came a cabin situated in the middle of a small clearing, revealed through a gap that the trees seemed to have gently shifted aside.
The house, built of old logs, looked as though it were part of the forest.
In front of it was a small flower bed, where various herbs and wildflowers bloomed in harmony, as if the owner had tended them carefully for a long time.
The scent of lavender and rosemary drifted faintly on the wind.
‘But why are there pits like these?’
Calisto furrowed his brow.
In the yard, half-dug pit-like things were scattered here and there.
What on earth were those?
As he pondered, Calisto found himself standing before the door.
The moment he gave a small cough to shake off his tension, a shout burst out from the garden.
“Who goes there!”
Calisto tilted his head.
Zeronias?
But for it to be her……
“Hmm, you don’t give your name.”
It was a rather bizarre voice.
“Zeronias?”
There was no certainty in Calisto’s voice as he asked back.
His hand drifted naturally to his waist.
“So you’ve come looking for the Archmage.”
“……”
“You’ve come to exactly the right place. Ahem, I knew you would come.”
Somehow, the voice sounded utterly excited.
The speech grew strangely fast, and there was even a rasping breath.
How should I put it? It felt just like…… a child.
“Zeronias, is something the matter?”
“Would it be better if there were?”
“I’m opening the door.”
“My, how very impudacious.”
“Impudacious?”
“Is it a penalty?”
“You mean to say impudent, don’t you?”
“Ah, yes. That’s it.”
Had being trapped in a forest like this, meeting no one, caused her vocabulary to regress?
Calisto’s gaze deepened, and his lips pressed firmly shut.
“Who are you.”
“I am the Archmage……”
“Where did Marilyn Zeronias go?”
Though it had been a very brief conversation, it was enough to know that this was not Marilyn Zeronias.
He did not sense any magical energy, but it was possible that a demon was playing a trick.
Though his unconscious cried out that she could not possibly be caught so easily, he had to prepare for any eventuality, so he had to keep every possibility open.
“……”
But even after waiting a long while, no answer came.
Calisto’s expression turned grim.
“……Marilyn isn’t here.”
A sullen voice reached him.
Just as Calisto, who somehow found that voice pitiable, resolved not to let it go, the other party quickly added.
“But I am here.”
“I came all the way here looking for Zeronias. I have no time to play games with you, so tell me plainly where Marilyn Zeronias is. Otherwise, your life……”
He should have said he would take it, but he could not bring himself to finish the sentence.
He did not know why, but he felt as though he had become the villain for no reason.
Even though he knew well that he must not let it slide so easily.
“Sorry, but I would like to talk face-to-face.”
Another silence passed.
It was the moment when Calisto, having lost his patience, was about to urge again.
“Then would you come over here?”
“……What?”
“If you want to see my face, I mean you should come this way.”
“Where are you?”
“Here, on the side with the carrot field.”
A carrot field in a place like this?
Calisto let out a hollow laugh and turned to walk on.
Even on the way to the carrot field, there were countless pits of uneven depth.
“I’ve arrived at the carrot field.”
“Here, here!”
Annoyed, Calisto swept his bangs aside and searched for the place the voice was coming from.
The owner of this voice was clearly trapped somewhere among these many pits.
‘Pull yourself together.’
Among demons, there were more cunning ones than one could imagine.
There were those who desperately called out in the voices of dead family or lovers, and those who cried for help in a child’s voice.
There was even one that dared to whisper pitifully in Evangeline’s voice before Calisto.
As he recalled the days of fighting demons, he felt a headache and pressed his forehead.
“Phew.”
Calisto closed his eyes and steadied his breathing, then slowly approached the pit.
A carrot field that looked as though Marilyn had tended it.
Pits whose reason he could not understand.
And what was inside it……
“A rabbit?”
……was a child who resembled one.
* * *
What was trapped in the pit was a little girl with curly blonde hair left loose and disheveled.
Her large eyes and cheeks tinted pale pink were exceedingly lovely.
Was this what the baby angel who blew the trumpet of victory in paintings depicting the Human-Demon War looked like?
But he could not let his guard down just because her appearance was cute and adorable.
“Who are you?”
Even at Calisto’s question, the child gave no answer, only stared intently before stretching her hand straight out.
Look—it was not even a bare hand.
In her small, plump hand, which reminded one of a cream bun, was actually a shovel.
“Could you help me?”
It was still a bizarre voice.
“Lili made a little mistake. I thought I could get out, you see.”
It seemed she had dug the pit with that shovel, only for it to become deeper than expected, leaving her unable to get out.
Calisto let out a hollow laugh and reached out to pull the child out.
She had been so focused on digging in the dirt that her face was grubby.
“What on earth were you doing?”
“Can’t you tell by looking?”
The child replied curtly and brushed off her skirt.
Her blouse with cute cherries drawn on it and her red skirt were stained, as if they were crying out to be put out of their misery.
“I’m really sorry, but I can’t tell.”
“Lili, you see.”
The child’s voice dropped as low as it could.
“Was hunting a magical beast.”
“A magical beast?”
“I was digging a trap to catch a magical beast. If it’s a Grizzling, I should be able to catch it!”
To be sure, if it was a Grizzling, it was a low-ranked magical beast.
Its name meant withered hunting dog, and it was a dog-shaped magical beast so thin that its ribs showed.
But a magical beast was still a magical beast.
That meant it would not be easily caught in a pit dug by a child.
“Why a Grizzling, of all things?”
“Lili likes puppies, but Mari said she couldn’t get a puppy friend.”
The child answered sullenly.
Was she saying that since there was no puppy, she would catch and tame a dog-shaped magical beast?
Demons handle things called ‘magical beasts.’
They took the form of beasts, but their appearances were far more grotesque and vicious.
Inside their drooling heads, there seemed to be nothing but slaughter.
They were, rather, far more troublesome beings than demons.
“By the way, do you know Mari?”
“Yeah, I do?”
“Where did she go?”
“Who are you to look for her?”
Only then did the child glare at Calisto as if he annoyed her.
Feeling a little wronged, Calisto revealed his affiliation.
“I am Calisto Ruventain.”
“Calisto? You’re a sword?”
When her short, plump finger pointed at him, Calisto felt dumbfounded.
Was this little brat, who did not even reach his waist, really asking him, ‘Are you a sword?’
“Yes, I am a sword.”
“Oh my, you’re even bigger than I thought. You’ve grown so much! If I were to feed you, all the carrots and broccoli sprouts in the field would have withered!”
The child, who had spoken like a relative meeting him after a long time, raised both small hands and flashed her thumbs wildly.
He had no idea whether he should be pleased at the compliment or get angry at the rudeness.
“I should have told you from the start that I was a sword, kid.”
The child said, ‘Ack, what was I thinking?’ smacked her forehead, then turned and dashed off somewhere.
“What are you doing? Follow me!”
Left alone, Calisto stood frozen for a moment, then let out a hollow laugh that was almost a sigh.
It felt as if he had been bewitched by something, but he obediently followed behind the child.
Toward the cabin that looked like a painting.
