The Witch and the Doll Swear

Many years later, when someone asks about the biggest feeling of the girl who bears the name of Von Sia and has accompanied the mysterious and legendary witch Liliana through many adventures as an ordinary person, she will always think of it. Many years ago, I traveled with the witch for the first time.

The sky during the harvest season is blue and clear, which is different from the emerald green sky in my hometown. The large and small clouds are not tossed by the sea breeze, just like sheep on the ground, in groups and clusters. There are also white flocks of sheep on the ground. If you use clouds to describe them, it seems that you are also galloping in the gradually yellowing sky, listening to the rustling of wheat waves.

Sounds very leisurely, right?

After entering the grassland, the scenery in front of me is even more beautiful. The sky is blue and the wild is vast. In the autumn wind, only the tips of the grass blades turn into a golden field, just like the golden waves of the green ocean.

The smell of human life gradually faded in the wind, the smell of the wilderness, the smell of the sky, and most importantly, the faint, intoxicating book-like fragrance of Liliana in her arms. On the top of the beast's head, an ancient ballad was sung like a real fairy. The singing voice melted in the wind, and it was more charming than any opera the girl had ever heard.

—Ah, is there anything happier than this?

Tina asked herself.

—Of course there is.

Her legs were trembling, but it wasn't because of happiness and the stunning beauty in front of her.

"...Miss Tina, are you okay?"

"It's... not bad..."

"...This is already the slowest speed of an astral unicorn, please bear with it for a while."

"Okay, okay, it's okay, it's just this level, I can still bear it..."

——It would be better if the bumps were smoother.

Tightly holding the unicorn's belly between her legs, the girl holding Liliana hugged the little witch with a resolute expression, but her thoughts flew back to her hometown.

For a while, she had thought that way.

——Why are the warships of the Royal Navy strong and powerful, able to resist the most violent storms and dangerous monsters at sea, if fishing boats of the same specifications are produced and rented out to fishermen? In this way, everyone can go to the ocean to catch more fish, and life will be better. If everyone becomes rich, the city will also become rich-why not do this?

This question, which even Tina herself had almost forgotten, was answered a few days ago.

——Military use and civilian use are not the same thing after all.

Astral unicorns live in the astral realm, feed on the stars, the moon and the sun, and are fantasy species. The unicorns domesticated by witches and elves are one of the strongest cavalry in the mainland. They are the mounts of the elves' holy white cavalry. In the ancient poems sung by bards, when they start to charge, the earth will also be hidden by the sacred light.

As the ancestor of the unicorn, the astral unicorn has an unimaginable speed.

When they start to gallop, people looking up at the sky will see the fleeting meteor.

——How does it feel to travel on a shooting star?

Tina couldn't tell, because the moment the astral unicorn started galloping a few days ago, she lost consciousness in the crackling sound like cracked glass.

When she woke up, it was already dusk, and she was lying on a bed in a hotel, almost thinking that she had lost her lower body.

Because of this, Miss Witch's trip was postponed for another day.

Thanks to the invention of the saddle, and even more thanks to those delicate noble ladies who came up with something like a shock-absorbing saddle.

After buying a shock-absorbing saddle from a small town on the edge of the prairie, the astral unicorn never ran out of the terrifying speed that tore the girl's heart to pieces. After riding it for two hours, I can barely stand up.

But the ordeal that the girl faces is not limited to these. All the things that are considered commonplace in the civilized world have become extremely strange overnight.

For example, going to the toilet.

"That...Miss Liliana, I...I think, go to the toilet..."

"……Um."

"...Well, why did you use magic to create a small shovel for me..."

"Miss Tingna, you should know that monsters on the grassland can accurately track their prey through the freshness of excrement. Although it shouldn't be a big deal, it's not good to be chased by monsters all the time, so go A small hole must be dug in front of the toilet and covered with soil after using the toilet, just like a cat.”

"...Then I'd better be patient..."

"It is impossible to have a toilet in the grassland. Even if you encounter nomads, the way they go to the toilet is to dig a hole in this grassland."

"...I see...then, please wait for me..."

"……right here."

"Eh?"

"...In the dense grass, there may be poisonous snakes and poisonous insects lurking. If it is a neurotoxin, Miss Tingna can't even call for help."

"That's right, for example... Hey, for example, this green one with ring patterns that change with the seasons is a very powerful and poisonous snake. If you are bitten by this one, even a cow can't live for two minutes. And Although some small insects are not fatal, they are also very poisonous, and it is very easy for the skin to fester after a bite."

"Wuuu... being watched, unable to get out..."

"...Then let's solve it when we can't bear it anymore."

"Relax, relax, we're all girls, there's nothing to be shy about."

"Ah woo woo..."

Another example is sleeping.

"...Miss Liliana..."

"……Um?"

"The smell of grass is so strong, and there are wolves howling on the grassland..."

"It's the prairie wolf, because the Ellon grassland has not been developed and explored, and the monsters are the masters here, but don't worry, if you can't sleep, come and hug Lily and Alice?"

"Can't you take Miss Liliana's castle out? At least that one, it makes people feel safe..."

"...It takes time to unfold and fold it, and it will only be used when it stays in one place for more than a few months."

"Uuuuuuuu... Miss Liliana, please use magic to make me sleep..."

"……Um."

Another example, taking a bath and changing clothes... Oh, under the magic of Liliana, the things that Tina thought were the most troublesome things became easier instead.

The witch directly calls warm spring water from the water elemental plane for two people to bathe in. With water polo and [cleansing technique], [drying technique], the clothes can be washed and dried in a few minutes, and the hair can be dried to maintain the body. And spiritual cleanliness, this is also a moment for girls to relax physically and mentally during the daily journey.

The only problem is probably...

"Miss Liliana, please put on your clothes..."

"...It's very comfortable, the feeling of the earth, the feeling of the wind, the feeling of the sky, the feeling of the stars..."

"If you want to persuade Lily to put on clothes, you should give up, Miss Tina. For a witch, it is a kind of blasphemy to use cloth to cover her connection with the world on this grassland. By the way, many nomads Because they have beliefs similar to those of witches, at most they wear woolen cloaks or animal skins to keep out the cold in severe winters, and only the young, sick and weak will wear clothes."

"Is that why they are called barbarians..."

"What is civilization, isn't it stipulated by those who claim to be civilized?"

Well, the question of whether it counts or not is put aside for the time being.

In short, in the few days after entering the grassland, Tingna encountered problems that she had never thought about before, and [nature] that had not been tamed and transformed at all was nakedly displayed in front of her.

But it has to be said that human adaptability is great.

It only took four short days for Ting Na to gradually get used to it.

Even though her waist and legs were still numb and silently protesting every day, the girl was used to the bumps on the horse's back.

Even though the strong grassy smell, the smell of soil and the howling of monsters on the grassland still made her tremble with fear, she began to be able to fall asleep in the tent made by Liliana's magic.

Even though he was extremely ashamed, so ashamed that he wanted to die, he was used to being watched by Liliana and Alice when he went to the bathroom.

Although the girl does not accept from the bottom of her heart that she defecates anywhere and disposes of her own excrement, there is nothing she can do about it.

This nature, which maintains its original appearance, is itself a harsh living environment. Here, there is no place for the moral norms that the girl has cultivated for more than ten years. The only thing that can be thankful is that Liliana obviously expected this and prepared it specially for her. The paper towels are enough for several months at this point.

Well, specially prepared for her.

Of course, Liliana doesn't need these things. The [Unsullied] witch has nothing to do with filth, and the daily bath is just a way to rest. In order to feel the [World], she doesn't need clothes, and of course she doesn't need to spend time washing them. Clothes, as a witch, this pure nature is as comfortable as a cradle, and there is no trouble of insomnia.

"I think I know why Miss Liliana can naturally talk about walking across this grassland..."

If there were only Liliana and Alice, maybe they could really cross this vast grassland with their own feet.

As for Tingna herself, she also encountered the infestation of mosquitoes that were still active in autumn, such as climate change. This morning, she was even accidentally bitten by a snake, which paralyzed her for half a day.

With complicated emotions, she buried the paper towel in the pit to let the magic spade dissipate. Tingna followed Liliana who was looking for a place to rest tonight, and sighed long.

——Respectfully, parents who should have arrived in Glory City.

Your daughter has become a wild child, and can do nothing, and has become a burden to Miss Liliana.

It has been the seventh day since entering this grassland.

The summoning contract of the astral unicorn also temporarily expired, and that beautiful creature, which could no longer make the girl's mood turbulent, reluctantly disappeared in Miss Witch's magic circle.

Although the rough riding experience completely disproportionate to the beautiful and elegant appearance made Tingna's once revitalized girlish heart shattered in the bumps, when she saw the creature that could be said to almost represent her innocent season, it disappeared in her In front of her eyes, the girl still felt a little lonely.

"Why doesn't Miss Liliana permanently summon one as a means of transportation?"

"...It's too conspicuous, and it takes a lot of energy to take care of a dream species."

The light of magic raised a mud platform by a gurgling prairie stream, turned it into hard rock with [fossil into mud], and tore apart the scrolls of magic tents that adventurers often use, and a small white tent with a dome was on the Stand up on the prairie.

Miss Witch, dumped some charcoal from the space storage ring and piled it in front of the rocky platform. The little doll clapped its hands, and a small bonfire also burned.

"Come and eat delicious barbecue today."

If the daily bath is the moment when Tina can relax the most, then the daily dinner is the moment when the girl is happiest and most looking forward to.

Liliana's space storage ring stores a lot of refrigerated food, whether it's chicken, duck, fish, rice noodles, oil and salt, or even a lot of fruits and vegetables that have been sealed with frost magic and kept relatively fresh, and condiments are also abnormal. Rich. Whenever the camp for accommodation is set up and the bonfire is lit, Alice will show off her skills and make delicious fairy-style cuisine, which is no different from the food prepared by Ferroa in [Maple Leaf Trumpet].

Sometimes, when encountering wild cattle and sheep on the grassland, the astral unicorn will use its innate magic to hunt a few of them, and the source of food is no problem at all.

Today's dinner is roast lamb and creamy vegetable and fruit soup. The tableware is shaped by Liliana's magic power, which is no different from the delicious and richness of these days.

It was followed by a bath, and then, after a chat, went to sleep, and waited until the dawn of the next day, and then got up and set foot on the journey again.

This is every day of Tina, Liliana and Alice's travels. Although there are many, many places that are not fully adapted, and there are many not-so-good experiences, overall.

——Every night, I can hold Miss Liliana and fall asleep with peace of mind.

This one alone is enough for the girl to increase the evaluation of this trip by several plus signs, and to sleep beautifully in the not quiet night.

But tonight, it was extraordinarily noisy.

Feeling the soft and warm little pillow in her arms suddenly sitting up, Ting Na rubbed her sleepy eyes and said good morning in a daze.

"It's not morning yet, Miss Tina."

But when she raised her head, the girl saw the witch with the book spread out and rainbow-colored magic light shining all over her body.

Fluttering her hair chicly, Alice took out a silver longbow from the moonlight through the tent door, and the little doll floated in front of Tina, and stuck the bow to the girl's forehead.

"Tonight is the night when the moon of Artemis shines on the mainland. Some guests have come to visit Alice, Lily and Tina."

"……Eh?"

The girl blinked her eyes in a daze, and her head, which had not yet woken up from sleep, temporarily failed to understand the words of Miss Doll.

Artemis?

Artemis is... one of the two moons shining on the continent, right?

There are two days in every month that replace the Diana Moon and light up the night sky. On these two nights, the moonlight is always extra bright and makes people feel energetic. When I was a student, I liked to stay up all night on those nights. Review and every time before the exam, I hope the night before the exam is Artemis night...

— woo woo —

— woo — woo woo —

"..."

"How is it, Miss Tina, are you awake now?"

Alice put down the cold silver longbow, watched the girl's expression change from dull to panic, and gracefully raised the arc of her lips.

"Ah... very..."

———————! ! ! !

"...waking up..."

Tina shrank her neck.

There are wolves on the steppe.

The girl knew it when she entered this grassland on the first day. In the past four days, almost every night and every night, besides Liliana's body temperature, there was the continuous howling of wolves beside her pillow.

It's just that every night before, it was never so close and noisy!

The wolves howled one after another, as if there were countless packs of wolves in all directions. They howled long and loudly, and the bestial howls gathered into an unstoppable wave.

"Okay, a lot..."

"...Artemis is worshiped by goblins, the moon god of hunting and art. When she shines on the mainland, in Fareland, goblins will hold all-night rituals and hunts to please this young man with sharp arrows and paintbrushes. young goddess."

And the monsters will also be active because of this moonlight.

Liliana closed the book, and Tina followed Miss Witch out. The aurora-like barrier had already protected the small tent.

"Yeah, that's a lot of people. A grassland of this size can support so many wolves, um... prairie wolves, wind-maned wolves, flame-maned wolves... oh, it seems that this There is at least one wolf king in the grassland, otherwise these wolf monsters of different races would not gather together to act together. They are here."

The endless plain looked dark and gloomy in the night, and even though Tina tried her best to widen her eyes, she couldn't see the wolf pack that Alice said sitting on her left shoulder, and she couldn't even see the wolf's iconic eyes.

But the last sentence of the little puppet still made her nervous.

"Will they attack us? Miss Liliana is a witch, and Miss Alice looks like a goblin now..."

The girl turned her head to look at Liliana who put away the book and said nothing.

Under the bright moonlight, Miss Witch's skin was glowing with a lustrous halo, as if a holy garment made of moonlight was draped over her spotless body—no.

Tina rubbed her eyes.

A gorgeous silver shawl really appeared on Liliana's body,

"Miss Liliana, this magic is..."

"...Witches can talk to birds and beasts, but communicating with everything is not my specialty."

Of course, Miss Witch noticed an extra piece of clothing on her body. She raised her head, looked at the huge and extraordinarily bright full moon hanging high in the night sky of the grassland, and answered unhurriedly.

"...and fairies...Although talking with monsters and taming monsters are their specialties, monsters also like fairies who are born under the same [natural] law..."

"But just like most people like money, but when they are dying of starvation, even if you put a mountain of gold in front of them, they will beat their heads for a piece of black bread. Maybe Lily's mentor has the ability to appease the next generation." The whole pack of wolves hunted restlessly in Artemis Night, but Alice can't do it."

"As for this... an old friend's prank."

I don't know if it was an illusion, but when Liliana finished speaking, Tingna felt that the moonlight shining on her became brighter.

— woo woo —

— woo woo woo —

The howling of the wolves was getting closer.

In the shadows under the moonlight, one pair after another lit up, either bright green, or fiery red, or yellow. The eyes of the wolves are covered with shadows, or in other words, the darkness under the shadow of the moon envelops the pack of wolves, like a tide pouring down, getting closer and closer.

The darkness was illuminated, and the silvery glow shone on the furs of the wolves. In a blink of an eye, they roared and ran towards them like a gust of wind.

But this wind wiped away the small place protected by the aurora.

Literally passing by.

Very close, Tina could even clearly see the figures of the galloping wolves—the wolf that ran first had a fluffy and thick mane on its neck, which spread out flamboyantly in the night wind. The azure color surrounds them.

Then came the larger wolves with big tails and short fur, their teeth sticking out of their mouths like sharp daggers, their coat colors were different, but they gave out the most ferocious screams.

Among these wolves were other types, such as those that were similar to the first wolf, but the manes on their necks were spotted with sparks, and those with backs and limbs reflecting metallic luminescence, Ting Na also saw a wolf with a dark body and blood-red pupils. It ran past the wall of Aurora, and quickly merged into the shadow of a wolf with a metal exoskeleton.

The quantity is one hundred, or one thousand?

The smell of wild beasts immediately took over the girl's breath. It smelled of stench and blood. Tingna stared blankly at the pack of wolves galloping past. The lush grass was trampled down, revealing the dark brown soil below.

It was as if a real storm had passed by in these few minutes, leaving only the messy earth and the chilling air.

It wasn't until the group of wolves that attacked them disappeared into the night shadow again, and the girl covered in cold sweat finally seemed to have regained her language ability.

"Okay...a lot..."

She covered her mouth, the smell of beasts and blood seemed to be still lingering in the air here, pervading, burning her throat and lungs.

"If Miss Tingna sees the wildebeest migrating and the silver wolves in the sky hunting in the blizzard, she will feel that this is not so good. This place should be just a part of the wolf pack under the command of the wolf king. Although the number is large...but it is not too bad. It's not that exaggerated."

Alice wiped away the cold sweat dripping from Tina's forehead for Tina, and answered calmly.

"Is Miss Tina scared?"

"...Well, it's probably because the wolf was the first time I was chased to death by a monster... I don't even dare to approach dogs now. With so many wolves rushing over together, I really...well, I was so scared that I almost suffocated It's okay, they don't seem to be interested in us..."

Ting Na patted her chest and took a deep breath, but she couldn't calm down because of the wild smell.

If he didn't hold Liliana's hand tightly, if he didn't have that reassuring warmth, maybe he would pass out like that.

"It's really lucky..."

The words just fell.

From the direction where the wolves are galloping, in the night of the grassland.

—there were a few dots of flames lit up.

"Yes, they are not interested in Lily, Alice, and Tina... But, that's because they have to face real opponents, Ms. Tina, Artemis Night is a hunting night, people hunt monsters... ...What about the monster?" The bow and arrow in Alice's hand disappeared at some point.

Immediately afterwards, another roar sounded from afar.

——Monsters, of course, are hunters.

In the dark night, in the gathered firelight, there are scattered sparks scattered around. They move neatly, sometimes one or two clusters of sparks will suddenly fall and disappear, and sometimes new firelights will light up, leaving the bright fire ring and rushing into the sky. Dark night shadows.

"Probably the nomads on the grasslands. I heard that just like the monsters will get excited and attack people on the night of Artemis, some nomads will also hunt on this day, and often it is not just a tribe. It's going to be a grand hunt, but..."

"...Who is the prey and who is the hunter, on this night...it is hard to say."

Liliana picked up the silver cloak, as if feeling helpless, she looked up at the full moon in the sky.

In Tina's ear, the little doll told of the fight that the girl couldn't see.

It was a dirt slope on a prairie about a kilometer away from here, where humans surrounded it with wooden repelling horses.

Arrows fell like rain. They were concerned about the dry grassland and did not use rockets. Instead, a huge earthenware pot filled with viscous green soup, nomads in animal skins kept firing arrows. soaked in it,

"The paralyzing herb is quenched on the weapon. You only need to leave a wound on the wolves to effectively stop their actions. They don't seek to kill them but make them lose their threat. They are all experienced hunters, Alice thinks. This tribe will have at least one or two witch doctors."

Strong men with large wooden shields and machetes that can be stationed in the mud lined up neatly behind the repelling horses. Under their protection, the rangers leaned towards the rain of arrows. , Raised their torches, and the cavalry wielding their spears charged.

"The cavalry of the nomads, the horses they ride cover their eyes and ears, so that they don't fear the ferocity and roar of wolves. When they start charging, even wolves can disperse."

"One, the two tribes can't gather so many people... Lily, maybe we will meet the tribal union not long after we entered the grassland."

That was not a perfect line of defense, nor was it a one-sided massacre. The nimble wolves stepped on the corpses of their kinsmen who refused to ride horses, crossed the walls built by strong men with flesh, and attacked the rangers who only had daggers for protection.

The positions of the prey and the hunter were reversed in an instant, and the leather armor could not stop the fangs of the wolf. Every time the defense line was breached, it would be a disaster.

Sometimes there will be a fleeting flash of a large group of flames, accompanied by the disappearance of a flame or the scream of a dying beast.

Alice told Tingna that it was the innate magic of the fire mane wolf, and this mutant of the wind mane wolf was the most dangerous enemy of these nomads.

But more often, those flames... No, they should be torches. Those torches are gradually moving away from the place where the flames gathered, and approaching here.

As time goes by, although there are fewer and fewer, more and more irregular, and more and more scattered, they are actually getting closer.

And the wolves are breaking up.

Originally, the momentum was like a storm sweeping across the grassland. After Tingna saw the first wolf running towards the direction not far from the tent, one after another, one after another... quickly scattered. fled.

There are no scars on the bodies of these wolves. The injured wolves have probably been killed. Although humans do not have the powerful bodies and natural sharp claws and fangs of monsters, the wisdom of humans is enough to make them rival it. , and even defeat them.

"Oh, it seems that the human side has the upper hand this time, and they are here."

Alice turned her head to look at the witch who had been silently watching this hunt that had nothing to do with them.

"...Then, let's prepare to leave too."

"Eh?"

Liliana nodded, stretched out her hand, dissipated the magic tent, and removed the barrier of aurora.

Tingna turned her eyes from the approaching flames to the witch in the silver shawl, but she didn't react for a while.

"Why, we have to leave..."

The girl looked puzzled and clapped her hands as a matter of course, Alice who extinguished the bonfire by some unknown method, and Liliana who was about to spread out the big book.

She suddenly failed to follow the logic of witches and dolls.

"Why..."

"... Is Miss Tina curious about them?"

However, if you haven't kept up...it seems to be the same here.

The little puppet floating on Liliana's shoulder and the witch looked up at Tina together.

"If you're curious, it's true..."

Facing the witch's rhetorical question, the girl pondered for a while.

"Well, I'm curious about them."

Then nodded.

When the novelty wears off, the unchanging scenery will only make people feel boring. At this time, new things appear, and as expected, Ting Na still wants to learn more about them.

After all, she had never seen a real nomad before.

The girl thinks that the so-called travel is to see the food that she can't see in her hometown. Even after hearing Miss Witch's travel advice, this has not changed at all.

"Alice doesn't mind."

"...If Miss Tina wants to, it's okay to go and have a look."

Hearing Ting Na's answer without any hesitation, Miss Witch blinked her eyes and nodded her head flatly.

"...It's just...Miss Tingna, maybe you will be disappointed."

Then, he said the same thing again.

"Eh?"

It has not waited for Tina to realize what this sentence means.

The neighing of the steed was close to my ears.

"———"

A tall black horse is like a shadow that the moonlight cannot illuminate, and the dark fur is stained with blood, just like the person riding it.

The torch that the man held up looked like a stone goblet, and the flames blazed inside, illuminating his bloodstained bald head and darkened face.

Seeing Liliana and Tingna, the man was obviously stunned.

Holding the torch, he rode on the horse and stared blankly at the two women who appeared out of nowhere on the grassland—to be precise, he was looking at the naked woman wearing only a silver shawl with countless crescent hollows. girl.

He stared straight at the young but beautiful girl, opened his mouth wide, as if he saw something incredible, and even rubbed his eyes with the hand holding the torch——

Fortunately, he reacted before the hot candle oil dripped down.

"O great Moon of Artemis!"

Putting the torch in the holster of the saddle, the man quickly jumped off the horse, knelt down in front of Miss Witch, and shouted in surprise.

"My lord, my lord, my lord has come!!"

"……ha?"

Tingna stared blankly at the man kneeling in front of the witch, and then at Liliana who was expressionless.

"ha--?!!"

Her mind was completely out of control.