The Witch and the Doll Swear

Looking directly in front of the theater, Liliana realized that it was not so much a theater as it was just a very large gazebo, at least the part on the ground was like that.

But there is no theater where there are only stone pillars covered with creepers between the ceiling and the floor.

The reason why Liliana gave Liliana a misleading impression at first glance was that the ground that should have been flat, where the round table and the lady's benches were placed, was dug down, and the seats for the audience were arranged, forming a staircase-like pattern. It looks like an auditorium in an amphitheatre.

Buildings with walls have to go down the stairs all the time, and even the warm lights do not come from the orange crystals placed on these steps.

If this is a theater, then the entry for "theater" in the "Continental Common Language Dictionary" will have to be rewritten.

But there is one of the most important components of the theater - the auditorium, and the stage.

Although there are only giant pillars of crystal placed in the auditorium, and many props that grow strange crystals from the surface.

Although the luxurious stage is covered by old curtains, from a commanding perspective, the shadows flood the gaps in the curtains, making it impossible to see anything.

But it still has the two most important elements, perhaps the Opera Pavilion would be a more suitable name.

Sitting between two Ionic-style stone pillars, facing the silent auditorium, Liliana didn't dare to rush forward.

The girl was almost tired and fell down.

If this is a board game script, the host should design a scene that includes a reward after the player has passed a difficult level. Maybe it's not necessarily a good reward, maybe there's not even any supplies, but at least, it should be safe enough for the player to have a good rest.

But reality has no script to follow.

Destiny is not a host who will worry about pushing too hard and causing players to overturn the table.

It's bad game, danger follows greater danger, bonfire behind trap is part of another trap...it's all possible.

After being tormented by Shinto, Liliana no longer dared to step into any building in this ruins. She stood at the door, holding the blue gem tightly.

"It's okay to come in."

"?!"

A voice suddenly came from the center of the stage.

"Thanks to you, I can see the scope of the defensive magic [Sandro's Road to the Underworld] here. Well, it's only the Shinto outside. The role of these crystals and utensils is just 'nails'. It is used to block the power, and it has been used up without replacement for such a long time, so that the part you hold can resonate, allowing the power to spread halfway through the Shinto."

That is completely out of proportion to this ruin, and just hearing it makes one think of lace ornaments, ruffles, and gorgeous velvet.

It was such a voice, but it was talking about magic. The two senses of disobedience made Liliana take a step back vigilantly, and did not respond.

She vaguely remembered that the condition for many curses to take effect was the "voice" of the cursed person.

"It doesn't matter if you don't need to be so vigilant... That's the way it is said, but people who see such a weird scene and believe it are too naive. It is understandable and understandable."

There was no response, but the girl's voice showed no loss or hesitation.

"There is a saying in Dongguo that seeing is not believing. However, in order to show sincerity, it is better to let you see it."

The strange girl finished speaking.

Accompanied by a short chant, a eulogy-like discourse, sung by that voice.

——Mirrors that reflect the world in their eyes.

——Explore the taboo door on the side of truth.

——The truth of the world reflected in the mirror is fully revealed.

——There is nothing to hide in this pupil.

"...?"

From between Liliana's fingers, blue light shone out, the girl quickly spread her hand, and the halo of that round sapphire immediately enveloped the theater.

There are more magic circles of different shapes than in the Shinto, and Liliana's eyes appear, and a large number of magic formulas and runes are juxtaposed to fill every gap.

"...I don't understand...Although I don't understand..."

That wonderful feeling of epiphany reappeared.

She couldn't understand these ever-changing magic circles. Some of them were round, some were square, some were triangular, some were hexagonal, and most of them were completely alien shapes, not to mention the runes and formulas of the ancient magic system.

Those are the arcane terms created by that great empire. Liliana asked those magicians for advice in the Majestic Tower, and wrote down several vowels and letters of the language, but she couldn't understand the combination of those letters. .

But at this moment, she knows the meaning of these formulas and the meaning of these magic circles.

This is extremely absurd, just as ridiculous as a person who can't even understand the essay questions in an exam writes the correct conclusion perfectly, but Liliana knows it.

She knew that the magic covering the entire theater was a great blocking magic.

Arranged in the auditorium, these crystals and props with crystals are due to the influence of a power called the Horus crystal, which has produced something special, which has the effect of inhibiting the divergence of spiritual power. Such a large number of gathering together is To minimize the impact of something center stage, but not in itself any threat.

Safety.

This is Liliana's conclusion.

These magic circles are not for outsiders, she is safe here.

She thought for a while, then looked at her body again.

——! ! !

Originally, she lowered her head to see if she was attached to some marking and tracking magic after she escaped from Shinto, but she didn't expect to see such a thing.

5, 6, 7... A total of 9 translucent ghosts that have lost their human form are wriggling in their bodies like fat maggots climbing on carrion.

The girl covered her mouth violently, suppressing the retching feeling from her throat.

The blue light faded accordingly, and the scalp-numbing scene and the ubiquitous magic circle also disappeared from the field of vision, but Liliana felt her hairs stand on end.

"Why!!"

The voice of panic was almost hysterical. I thought I had escaped safely from the magic, but didn't I? Such a possibility made the girl instantly panic.

"Why are they still in my body!?"

"Because that's how the magic is designed. Unless you are not disturbed by any ghosts from the very beginning, even if you escape by chance, the soul that has already invaded the body will lurk in the body, subtly affecting the spirit and personality. If you are lucky It will cause serious mental illness, bad luck, and you will never know when you mix with them.【Those who once step into the underworld will have an indelible mark on their bodies throughout their lives】, the legend of this Eastern Kingdom is Sandro's inspiration for designing this mechanic—well, that's what the database says."

The girl's voice sounded softly from the stage.

"Please help me! Get rid of them!"

"Although I really want to help, but there is nothing I can do now."

"Why?!"

Facing the girl's questioning in a panic, that voice was silent for a while.

"Come on, come to the stage, stand in front of the stage, keep your eyes from the shadows, and then you will know."

"..."

This time, Liliana was silent.

She forced herself to calm down, saying every word.

"……who are you."

Issue a question.

Although the order was wrong, it's not too late to introduce ourselves to each other now, but when faced with the girl's question, the voice also responded with doubts.

"Who the hell...? This is a good question, but unfortunately, I don't know."

"Don't you know who you are?"

"That's right."

"You can clearly hear my voice and speak, why didn't you respond to me before?"

Liliana immediately asked another question.

"Speaking requires mouth and tongue, and listening requires ears. Although it is true, this lady only has one eyeball. Eyeballs can hear voices. Can you speak?"

Of course not, at least ordinary eyeballs definitely don't have such a function.

But this explanation made Liliana even more confused.

"This sapphire is... your eyeball?"

The girl looked at the sapphire hanging around her neck.

On the surface of the originally empty gem, she saw a regular ten-pointed star, which divided magic into evocation, conjuration, summoning, transformation, black magic, spirit, protection, prophecy, illusion, arcane The symbol of the ancient language magic system of the ten factions.

The emperors of magic preached that the ten-pointed star represents all knowledge of magic and represents omniscience.

Apart from this, there is nothing strange about Liliana that can be associated with eyeballs.

"To be precise, it is a spare part, a replacement part, and a power that can be selected. Because you have this, even if the power is suppressed, it can still let you see that after you have walked halfway through the Shinto, you can help you."

"... I, I am very grateful for your help, but... your words made me even more confused, what are you?"

The conversation is back to square one again.

It's just that this time the object of inquiry is no longer "person", but "what".

"Yeah, what exactly is it...Maybe, you'll know it when you get to the front of the stage? But it's understandable if you're still worried about something and don't want to take risks. I just want to talk to you. It's been many years I've found someone I can talk to."

In the shadows between the curtains, the voice urged Liliana for a while, and then spoke with some excitement and joy.

As the girl-like voice uttered more and more words, Liliana felt a little disobedience.

Is this just my own illusion? This voice didn't seem to include a subject in the sentence once, to be precise... it was a subject related to the first person.

I, myself—these words that should appear most frequently in the conversation, she didn't mention them once after talking so much.

"I'm not doubting you. If you want me to die, when I'm besieged by shadow beasts, I will die without any suspense..."

"But what if the seal under the curtain is a demon? The demon who brought you to the front of you so hard, just to swallow it in one gulp, so as to get rid of the seal and bondage?"

"Is there any devil who would report himself like this?"

"It is because of such thoughts that the devil will take advantage of the loopholes."

The sweet voice deliberately spoke in a vicissitudes of tone, and then giggled again.

The blue light disappeared, and something on the stage was hidden in the shadows, like a child who has succeeded in a prank and cannot hold back his heartfelt laughter.

If there really is such a frank devil, then I might have strayed into a world as beautiful as a fairy tale.

And even if it's all a lie, there doesn't seem to be much difference between being deprived of one's soul by a demon and the decay that no one knows about here.

And I want to leave.

I want to leave this ruin, I want to go back to my warm home, I want to see my father and mother who must be very anxious now, maybe I will be flicked on the forehead by my brother anxiously and angrily, but...

Liliana stood up.

Pat, clack, clack.

The wet sandals brought the sound of water, and the footsteps on the stairs echoed on the wall.

The bright velvet blanket spread on the aisle has long faded, like old paper, only the stage, only the gold and emerald stage is bright and dazzling, as if it has never been dimmed by the change of age.

"...If you are a devil, that's fine. At least, I can still use my soul and this body to sign a contract with you, asking you to send me back to my home, even if it's only for a short day, even if it's only for a short time. If you spent the last night with your family before being taken away by the demon, it would be better than dying meaninglessly here."

On the last few steps, Liliana stopped and shouted.

Even if he is a devil, he has no choice.

"...When you look, see, don't, don't be afraid."

...Are you actually nervous?

Liliana thought.

...Are there any demons who get nervous when they see their faces? Or is this just a disguise?

This must not be my illusion.

Such doubts made the girl hesitate for a moment, but soon, Liliana realized that her wild thinking would not be of any help now, not to mention that her thinking and judgment may not be accurate now that she has a fever... Eh?

In that case, is this decision of mine considered deliberate?

This fleeting uneasiness completely froze Liliana's movements in mid-air.

"..."

Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, the cool air cooled her feverish cheeks slightly, after that.

Liliana stared at the last few steps. The magic on the stage manipulated the shadows. Even though she was standing at such a close distance, on the stage dotted with emeralds and embossed with countless rune drills, she still couldn't see anything.

"..."

Throwing anxiety away because it's pointless.

Ignore hesitation because it is useless.

No longer hesitate.

Generations of Einsteins were a line of wise men, but even the most scheming strategists never hesitated when they should have put all their eggs in one basket.

"...From this point of view, our family has been terrific gamblers for generations...well."

Liliana muttered, and stepped down.

The stairs of the opera house came to the bottom, and as if by magic, the shadow that had covered the stage when it was above disappeared just like that.

The wind blew through the curtain, blowing the golden hair.

The long hair, golden, bright, and warm, is completely different from my thin and gradually cooling hair, as bright as the dazzling sun!

At that moment, Liliana lost her mind.

She saw a beautiful face.

"... Are you really scared?"

Petite and delicate.

The skin glowed with luster, like the white porcelain that her father cherished so much at home, the sides of the bridge of the nose were tall and gracefully curved, and the big eyes were like crystals born in lava. From there, Liliana saw the trance I also saw the opening and closing of the small and soft lips from my dazed eyes, a little nervous.

"...that...please don't stare like that..."

Open your mouth like this.

"Ah, sorry, sorry, that..."

Only, a beautiful face.

Liliana just stared blankly at the existence that helped her one after another on the stage that was no longer covered by shadows due to the change of perspective.

It's as cute and sweet as her voice, a beautiful face that can't help but be in a trance, it's just...

Only the head.

There is [only] a beautiful head placed on the stone pillar shrouded in curtains.

There is no body, no neck, no limbs, only flaming eyes, pointed ears protruding from the red-gold hair, only Weiwei's upturned nose and small and moist lips. If you look closely, the white porcelain skin Just like this metaphor, it exudes an inorganic luster, so it should be fixed by magic, right? A small crown is still slanted on the top of the head.

"...Are you a puppet?"

This is a doll, if it appears on the auction site, it will be a cute doll that will make little princesses and eldest ladies flock to it.

At the first glance, such an impression appeared in Liliana's thinking like a ignited fire.

"Eh?"

Those flaming eyes raised up in surprise, and a thoughtful expression appeared on his face, which was about as big as a baby.

"Dolls...that's right, the dolls can see the posture of the dolls in your eyes, this way...it is indeed a doll, yes, because it is a doll, parts can be replaced, and it doesn't matter if there is only one head... ...That's right, dolls are dolls, right?"

... a ... living doll, huh?

That peculiar way of speaking is like self-awareness.

Liliana looked at the head that had been uncovered after the curtain was lifted.

Of course she knew that a living doll, taking out a human soul and sealing it into a doll's body, was a vicious alchemy creation, but in a small deserted world, in the ruins under the mage tower of the ancient magic empire?

Even though she had imagined a lot of what she would see, this wasn't one of them.

"...It sounds like you don't even know what you are?"

"Hmm... I don't know. Cognition itself depends on perception. Before the curtain is lifted, before you see the puppet from your eyes, the puppet can't even see the appearance of the puppet."

"is that so……"

"I'm so happy. Although I don't know why the doll is here, at least the doll knows that it is a doll. Thank you very much."

"...Really... Ah, although I just introduced myself now... My name is Liliana Einsteins, the daughter of the Emerald Einsteins family, because of some accidents, I am now trapped here ……what is your name?"

Although I am a little concerned about this way of speaking, I am also very curious why a puppet's head is placed in such a theater.

But what is most important to Liliana now is something else. "

So the girl temporarily suppressed the curiosity developed in the magician class, and after introducing herself, she seriously looked at the doll who seemed very happy.

"The name...the name...the doll has no name...but please don't worry, although the memory is empty, but as a knowledge doll, I know a lot, and it will definitely help. For example, Miss Einstein hopes to expel the body the ghost in it, and get out of here, then."

Liliana nodded silently.

After getting this affirmative answer, the unblinking puppet thought for a while with an "um—"

"First of all, the conclusion. Unfortunately, there is only the head of the doll here. Even if you count the [Power of Investigating the Truth] carried by Miss Einstein, there is no power to help Miss Einstein, but , In this ruins, the altar that symbolizes [flame] and the doll parts are placed there. There are many magic props stored there. If you find there, you can purify and expel the soul of the lady. This is one of them. "

"Secondly, regarding Miss Einstein's desire to leave here, the conclusion is that it is feasible. From this distance, you should be able to barely see the outline, the tallest tower in the center of [Sith]."

"tower……"

Lifted up, Liliana silently memorized the name [Sith], and turned to look in the direction she came from.

The depth of this opera pavilion is not deep, and the distant scenery is too grand. Even if you raise your head in front of the stage, you can still look at the grand shadow from the stone pillars and creepers.

The direction I came here is still farther and farther away, shrouded in a huge but already thin black shadow, with towering towers.

From here it's hard to see because of the angle of view. Although it's hard to see clearly, just as the puppet said, you can still barely see the outline.

"The top of the tower is equipped with facilities for leaving and entering this ruin. Although I can't remember the face, those people wearing magic robes appeared and disappeared from there... Well, but when was that? ..."

The puppet spoke in a nostalgic tone, and then became a little confused.

But Liliana didn't notice this.

Her eyesight is not as good as that of the puppet, and only a small part of the outline can be seen from this angle. The puppet seems to have noticed this, and the gemstone on the girl's chest flickers slightly.

As a result, the shadows in the distance appeared vividly in front of the eyes under the moonlight.

The tower that leads directly to the starry sky is so tall that even the moon behind the tower seems to be cut apart.

As long as you see that height, you will say that it is absolutely a tower that no one can climb.

To behold the spiraling earth wrapping itself like a ribbon is to surrender to a power beyond all knowledge.

What one eye sees is only the slender and coiled outline in the distance, but the other eye can glimpse the magnificent structure and structure.

When the two are seen at the same time, the rationality realizes how huge the building is, enough to make people unable to even raise the mood of challenge——

——So, Liliana said.

The undulating tone is not so much describing the grandeur and exaggeration of the described scene as it is stating a practical fact. But it was also because of this that the tower under the moonlight that appeared in Tingna's mind was so cold and thick, with a suffocating aura.

"...However, it wasn't the majesty of the tower that made me feel ashamed at that time."

"what is that?"

The girl couldn't wait to ask.

She has been completely immersed in the story told by the witch, like fidgeting when she reads a novel and sees the rise, while racking her brains to imagine every detail Liliana said, trying to make the magnificent scenery appear in her heart. It stays in my mind longer, longer, and I am eager to know the next development.

"Did Miss Tina notice the details Lily mentioned? What's the difference between the altar where Lily met Alice, and the tower and the ruins below it?"

"The difference... the size? The degree of majesty, the style of the building... ah!"

Shaking her head, shaking her head, Tinna clapped her hands after the little puppet shook her head for the third time to indicate that she had guessed wrong, and then gestured for the shape of a hemisphere.

"A black hemisphere! Miss Liliana can only see a black ball when she looks at the altar where Alice is, but she can see the outline when she looks at the tower!"

"...Correct, probably due to the large area covered, after no one maintains it, it will become thinner faster than a smaller enchantment, and this has become the biggest obstacle for me to leave."

"Huh? Why?"

"Because of the shadow beast."

With her chin resting, Alice answered Tina's question with a nostalgic tone.

"Just like the shadow demon lord in Miss Tingna's shadow, shadow beasts are still classified as shadow demons. Physical means can't cause harm at all. Except for pure light and pure darkness, it is very difficult to destroy them. Conversely, because pure darkness can easily stop them, the buildings in the ruins of the eternal night are covered with dark barriers everywhere, and then, the people of the ancient magic empire stocked a large number of shadow beasts as a defense means."

"...Therefore, once the barrier weakens, it won't be able to keep the shadow beasts out."

At that time, Liliana realized this immediately.

The outline of the tower and the faint light of the magic lamp on the tower are the evidence. The dark curtain has become thinner and turned into a veil of shadows after an untold length of time.

And the shadows will only become the bait of these monsters, become their comfortable residence, and become their strength to strengthen themselves.

The girl didn't suspect at all that it had become a shadow beast's lair, gathering hundreds of monsters. I am just a magic apprentice, even if I have enough rest, there are only ten spell slots per day, not to mention that none of the magic she knows can cause fatal damage to the shadow beast.

"Ha ha ha ha……"

After seeing hope, she lost hope, and the despair brought about was even deeper. At this moment, Liliana seemed to understand the mood of Icarus whose wings had been melted.

Falling from the sky, I can only helplessly watch the chasing sun, which is within reach, go away, and regret it even more because it was once close.

as now.

"..."

I can't even smile wryly.

For a moment, the girl even had an urge to rush out of the opera pavilion, go back to the Shinto path, dance and dance to her heart's content.

Anyway, there is no way to leave, anyway, if you stay here, you will just die without anyone knowing.

There is no hope at all, and no exit at all.

The fate of Liliana Einsteins will come to an end here, and after that, who will remember that Emerald once had a lost pearl? !

That's it, that's it!

Instead of waiting to be tortured to death by hunger and thirst, sleeping forever in the Underworld is not such a bad choice, is it?

The crazy idea made the girl grin and laugh, but she couldn't hear her own laughter, only the warm and moist water streaked across her face. She wanted to lift her legs and walk down the steps between the rocks to dance again. Gorgeous dance music, but when she leaned forward, her legs seemed to be firmly nailed to the ground, unable to move.

She is too tired.

The things that supported her struggling along the way seemed to have disappeared, and Liliana lay powerlessly on the carpet, falling into silence.

"Miss Einstein?"

The little head of the puppet looked over with concern, and her face looked a little excited, as if she was waiting for the only conversation partner to ask her more questions.

But Liliana was completely out of the mood to continue the conversation.

"……I am so tired……"

The accumulated fatigue came to a head.

The muscles on his body were so sore, his head was dizzy, and the place that was injured by himself and stimulated by the sea water seemed to have not fully healed under the effect of the healing potion, and there was a dull pain every time he took a step.

"...Well, in that case, the doll will not bother Ms. Einstein, and you can take a good rest after drinking some potions. Although the carpet is old, it is clean because there is no dust, and the wind blows because of the magic. It’s still warm because I didn’t come here, and it should give Ms. Einstein a good rest.”

"Just call me... Liliana..."

"Then, Liliana, good night, I wish you a sweet dream—you humans, that's how you say hello."

With a little excitement, the little puppet said softly.

However, her words and blessings did not reach the girl's ears.

Liliana lay down on the ground, as if all the exhaustion she had accumulated during this period of time had surged up, she closed her eyes after she finished speaking, and soon fell asleep.

This time, I didn't sleep so peacefully.

"... Yana... Lily..."

In a daze, Liliana seemed to hear someone calling.

The body is also being shaken, can't you let me have a good sleep? After muttering a few words like this, the girl opened her eyes in a daze.

She froze.

"Liliana, Liliana, huh... finally woke up."

The confused call became clearer, and then the woman with blond curly hair and charming emerald-colored eyes greeted her, and let out a long sigh of relief.

"I wanted to come over to wake you up, but as soon as I came to the bed, I saw Liliana's expression seemed to be very painful, she was clutching the quilt tightly, and she was sweating a lot... What happened? My Daughter, could it be that you are having a nightmare...Huh?"

The lady with a worried expression said softly "Hey".

When she realized that it was because of herself, the girl had already rushed into her arms, hugging her tightly, as if once she let go, this gentle and beautiful lady would disappear like a phantom.

"Mother...Mother..."

She didn't know why she thought so, but she just called with a trembling voice, calling for her most gentle mother.

The lady looked at the girl shivering in her arms in surprise.

This lovely daughter of mine rarely shows such explicit emotions.

She is always so quiet and reserved, so quiet that she sometimes wonders if there is something wrong with her education, turning a child who should be singing, dancing, and laughing into an overly mature little adult. .

Although that is also cute, but for children, it is better to be more emotional.

"Is it a terrible nightmare?"

She gently held her daughter in her arms, comforted her, and stroked her sweat-wet back, with some distress and a different kind of joy. She could not tell that her son was already twenty years old and her youngest daughter was already eleven years old. Instruct the maid beside you to prepare the bathroom.

"I...can't remember clearly, but it was a terrible, terrible nightmare...very..."

"Well, rest assured, rest assured, mom is here. No matter how terrible the nightmare is, mom will drive it away~~~~"

Humming the lullaby that her mother once sang to her, the lady gently caressed her most adorable daughter, from the gradual change of hair to the delicate back that was not so straight because she had been lying on the desk reading for many years. Soothing until Liliana's body stopped shaking.

"A nightmare is just a nightmare. Come on, let's take a bath..."

He picked up Liliana and walked into the bathroom in the room together. Although it was only a bathtub attached to the bedroom, it was still enough for two people to take a bath together.

The maid had already prepared soap and towels, and sprinkled the lavender-scented bath salts that the hostess and the eldest lady liked very much into the bath. She took off her and her daughter's clothes, and after washing their bodies with soap, the lady picked up Lily. Yana, immersed in the marble bathtub together.

"Is everything okay now?"

"Um……"

"..."

Gradually, Liliana, who calmed down, left her mother's arms. Facing her mother's caring smile, the girl's face was flushed with a blush that was probably not caused by the hot water. She nodded awkwardly. Head, put his mouth into the water and spit out bubbles.

Afterwards, neither mother nor daughter spoke in the bath, they just watched the sunlight falling from the skylight, illuminating the sparkling dust in the air.

After bathing and dressing up, Liliana confided to her mother in a trance and in a low voice.

"That dream...I don't remember it. It's just that in the dream, I seemed to have gone far, far away. I would never go back home, and never see my mother, father and brother again..."

"It doesn't matter if you can't remember such a terrible dream."

The lady who was applying lip balm with gold powder on her daughter's lips rubbed her little face, looked at her daughter's cute little face with satisfaction, which was even better than her own when she was a child, and held her daughter's hand. .

"Now, let's go to the restaurant. My dear husband and son can't wait any longer."

"Uh-huh……"

The wooden door with an angel relief was pushed open by the maids, and outside the room was the emerald green sky in midsummer.

The Sun of Saigon shines dazzlingly. The light passes through the corridor in the atrium, piercing the green vines between the pillars, and shining large emerald-like green shadows on the floor and walls of the corridor, defying the scorching sun. Emerald grapes hang on the vines like strings of shining emerald pearls.

Picking a bunch of plump fruits from the vine, a maid immediately took them and trotted to the well water in the atrium to wash them. Then another maid brought them to the hostess on a silver plate.

"Liliana, do you still remember the barrel of grapes that you stepped on under August's instigation two years ago? The wine made from the juice squeezed from the grapes by Liliana's little feet matured not long ago. Your father brought it to Feileng Cui's summer drinking party last night. Even Earl Wostro, whose taste was so picky that he once threatened that "there are only three kinds of wine that can be drunk in the world," praised it and proposed to take it from himself. In exchange for his collection, after knowing that Liliana stepped on the grapes, he praised you for having a pair of 'god-given feet' and solemnly invited us to his winery as guests."

"...I feel a little disgusting...and it feels weird to step on grapes with bare feet. I don't want to try it again...and even if I wash it clean...is this traditional brewing method really hygienic..."

My mother picked the largest and roundest one from the plate and stuffed it into her mouth. After biting through the tough peel, the sweet juice overflowed into her mouth. She swallowed one and her mother handed over another one while speaking softly. Then, the corridor gradually came to an end.

Just when he took the handkerchief from the maid and motioned for them to push open the door to the restaurant.

"This will always be Liliana's home. No matter when or where you are, when Liliana wants to go home, the door here will definitely be opened for you."

"...?"

The lady suddenly turned around, bent down and touched the girl's little head. Then before Liliana could react, she covered her mouth with a down folding fan, held her hand and walked into the restaurant together.

At the long table, the father and elder brother who had been waiting for a long time turned their heads and greeted themselves with a smile.

They seem to be talking about the elder brother getting married, but the elder brother doesn't want to get married yet. He mentioned a lady with an enchanting figure that he met at a banquet recently. He justly said that because he was a child, he was always hugged by his mother to sleep Covered until almost suffocated, now there is a psychological shadow on the plump breasts...

So Mother smiled and spooned a spoonful of mustard into his creamy soup.

This is what we see every day.

My father, my mother, and my brother were all there, and on the walls illuminated by the sun were old oil paintings that I was already familiar with. Breakfast was creamy soup, a glass of red wine, macaroni bolognese and a few thin slices of steak.

The time you can see every day, the time with your family.

"Liliana, what's the matter? Come and have dinner, I'm going to Sardinia today to visit the excavation site of Mage Tower, are everything ready?"

The elder brother who scooped up the thick soup looked over with a bitter face after tasting two mouthfuls.

The elder brother who has always been majestic will only show such an expression in front of his mother, which makes the girl laugh a little bit, but.

"... everything that should be prepared is ready."

"Have you prepared drinking water and dry food? The sleeping bag is too hot in summer and it takes up space. I threw it away, but I still need to bring firewood and gunpowder. The terrain of the mage tower in the magic empire is strange and complicated. If you accidentally get lost and get trapped, With fire, food and water, you can wait until rescue, do you have the potion?"

"Um……"

"Father will give you a piece of advice as someone who has experienced it. Now that Liliana is still an apprentice, there are only so many spell slots per day. Even if the magic power is used up, it may not be exhausted. In fact, there is no need to bring so many magic power potions. Drinking magic power potions restores The process will bring stress to the spirit, but it will reduce the efficiency of learning. This is the first time you go out alone. It would be better to bring more preventive and therapeutic medicines. I was in Fei Leng Cui more than ten years ago. In a mountain..."

"……Um."

The voice of the father, who was chattering endlessly explaining to himself which potions to bring to deal with various situations, stopped abruptly.

He was stunned for a while without saying anything, as if time had frozen suddenly, and his mother and elder brother didn't make a sound. Liliana looked at them silently, her sense of disobedience turned into conviction.

This is of course, because on the morning of the departure, my answer to my father's suggestion was: not only magic, but the learning of magic itself will also consume magic power, and my body is not that fragile.

I made an answer that didn't match my memory, so this dream, this memory... got stuck.

"This is Liliana's first trip without her family and without a maid. Anyway, I'm still worried. However, the Church of the Holy Church and the Association of Magicians have already said hello, so it shouldn't be. If there is a problem, father doesn't have to worry too much."

"That's right, it's just a three-day school trip, and Liliana will go home to share with us the hidden knowledge of the downed era in a short time, so as not to reveal anything in front of her daughter expression, do you want to learn from now?"

The dream continued.

When encountering a situation where it is impossible to proceed, this dream seems to skip the stuck part, as if neither the elder brother nor the mother heard the conversation between himself and his father, nor did he care about the fact that he still did not sit down. I continued on my own

ahh...

Such nostalgic, nostalgic moments with family.

"... Well, I'll be back, I will."

Once again, the dream froze because he said words that he didn't remember.

Liliana did not stop again.

When she turned her head, the door behind her was not closed, and the midsummer in the promenade faded unknowingly, turning into an endless white light. When she stretched out her hand, it seemed that she could still touch a bone-piercing coldness.

Liliana didn't need much time to think about the classic question of choosing one or the other before answering it.

"...Then, I'm off."

At the end, Liliana turned around and looked at the most important family member who still dined together in the restaurant according to the morning she remembered, and sometimes talked about some new things in the city, small stories published in the newspaper, etc. .

It's incredible.

Maybe the people in Elegant Inner Sea have the blood of spending time with their families in their bones. Obviously, they just recalled the unchanging daily life, and recalled the time spent with their families.

"...I definitely want to come back, back to my home, back to your side..."

"absolute."

No more hesitation.

The girl's hands fell deeply into the white light outside the door.

The hazy wall of light stirred up ripples because of the pair of small palms, and turned into a swirling vortex again. The slight resistance Liliana felt turned into an increase in suction in an instant, and in an instant .

"..."

The white light became a gorgeous carpet that was slightly old, but because of the clean air, there was not much dust accumulation.

Liliana, who was lying on the carpet, shook her head slightly and supported her body.

"hiss……"

As soon as this action started, the girl gasped in pain.

Muscles are sore and sore. This is the aftereffect of being caught by Shinto's magic trap before going to bed and dancing uncontrollably in the moonlight underworld. In the next time, your actions may be greatly affected. It is wise to wait until such soreness subsides before acting.

But compared to this, Liliana cared more about something else.

The fever seemed to subside a lot, and the thinking in her head became clear. The girl raised her head and looked at the puppet on the stone pillar.

"...Did you do it?"

"Because I want Liliana to have a good dream and rest well."

The puppet spoke softly.

"...Even this kind of thing can be done..."

"Even in a dream, seeing is still seeing, because Miss Liliana is very close to the doll now, so the doll can also be heard by Liliana, but...pretending to be Liliana's mother, to this person I have to apologize."

"……No problem, thank you."

"It would be great if I could help. Although the doll has knowledge, the doll has no memory. When Miss Liliana found out that it was a dream, I didn't know what to do."

"It was a beautiful dream, but the dream will eventually wake up."

Liliana knelt on the ground, trying to meditate, and after a while, she stood up.

Spell slots... ten.

Although the carpet is not soft and not too clean, and although the surrounding environment is bright and not dark as my favorite, the moderate temperature does allow people to have a good rest. This is the best state since entering this ruins.

"Liliana, are you leaving?"

"...I can't stand still here. Although it is dangerous, as long as there is a little bit of hope, I can't give up. Anyway..."

Liliana nodded.

No longer think about the unpredictable future, and no longer hesitate because of the confusion ahead.

She doesn't have that spare energy, just like the mercenaries in the tavern, those people she has always despised who lick blood on the knife edge and never think about the future, now she is like them, but they only want to make money and throw copper coins in Cups of ale, and myself...

Just think about surviving and getting back to your family.

Let's rest here for a while, at least until the soreness of the muscles does not affect her running speed. Anyway, there is enough dry food and water, and she can bear a few days of rest.

"Anyway, it can't get any worse."

The puppet was silent for a long time.

"In that case, Liliana, can you take the doll with you when you leave?"

"...?"

Liliana blinked and looked at the doll with a lonely expression.

"Why?"

"The puppet knows that if Liliana wants to take risks, it is risky to bring a puppet with only a head, but ah, after seeing Liliana, the puppet feels very confused and scared, and the puppet did not know how to think before. Some of the problems, all popped up."

"...What does the question mean?"

"Well, after seeing Liliana, the puppet knew that Liliana was a human from the database, and then the puppet was thinking, what the hell is a puppet? Although it is true that it is a puppet now, But the memory of the puppet has been completely wiped out, I don’t know why it was sent here, I don’t know why it was dismantled, and I don’t know why it was placed here by the suppression power of the magic circle here.”

The small lips were opened and closed, and the little puppet looked at Liliana, as if it was confused, and as if it felt some great terror, it raised its eyebrows high.

"Liliana has a father and a mother, and the puppet should also have a puppet maker, but the puppet doesn't know anything, what exactly is a puppet, why is it here, why does it know so much knowledge but doesn't know anything about itself Memory...before Liliana appeared, it didn't matter if the puppet didn't know anything, but now, the puppet can't do it."

"...I can understand how that feels."

Dejected—if you want to describe the expression of the little doll now, it's probably like this.

Once you touch the corner of reality, you can never return to the past shrouded in mist. When you are curious, you can’t turn a blind eye to the puzzle, but the truth and the answer to the puzzle are still on the top of the mountain that is out of sight, and you have nothing to do. Climbing hands and feet.

This is not an unfamiliar feeling for magicians.

Although the nature is different, when looking at the theories put forward by those magic masters and the original magic books written, this feeling is really unforgettable.

The fear of not knowing what you are... Even if you have never heard of it, Liliana can still feel the chills.

"And the doll is very helpful. There is a lot of knowledge in the head of the doll. Although magic cannot be used, the [head] itself has the functions of perception and detection. Even if, even if these are not helpful I'm busy, at least I have someone to chat with—”

Upon hearing Liliana's words, Alice's expression immediately glowed with anticipation.

How on earth do dolls with no muscular structure make such complex, human-like expressions? Thinking of this, Liliana, who didn't reach out to pinch the doll's face that might not feel soft out of politeness, couldn't help but smile.

"...Actually, I originally wanted to ask Miss Puppet to come with me, because I'm still just an apprentice, and the amount of magic I can use every day is limited, and I don't have many magic spells for battle... With the help of Miss Puppet, Maybe I would have more hope of success."

"Hmm, um! I don't know why, but the puppet is familiar with everything here. The design of the ruins, the purpose of each building, and the location and function of each defense mechanism are all in the puppet's mind. The puppet will definitely help out!"

"Then... let's help each other..."

A bright smile bloomed on the doll's face.

She shouted excitedly, if she had a body, she would definitely dance happily on the stone platform...

"……Wait a moment!"

Liliana suddenly realized that she seemed to have heard a remarkable speech.

"Yes?!"

"Miss Doll, do you know the design of this ruin?!"

"Yes, yes, the manuscripts of the design drawings are marked as drawn by the undead emperor Sandro and the alchemist Flamel. No one should dare to change the wishes of the magic emperors."

It was like a bolt of lightning crashing down in the dark night sky. After confirming this, Liliana felt that her breathing could no longer calm down.

"Then, in that case!"

Tremblingly, she asked the inspiration she had grasped in an instant, and the puppet, after the twinkling pupils that seemed to flow from lava, flickered.

"...Underground, there is indeed a passage connecting the main tower with other facilities."

It also gave the answer that the girl expected.