The Witch and the Doll Swear

When the thick curtains were secretly rolled up by the sea-salt-smelling wind, the first ray of sunlight passed through the wide green leaves of the date palm in the courtyard and illuminated the white flower stamens hanging down like ears of rice. Carrying the sweet fragrance of this flower, it fell on the tip of the girl's nose, causing her to open her eyes in a daze, and wake up slowly from her first good sleep in a month.

It was a long-lost dream. During the one-month airship journey, Tina had never slept so well.

From Salt Sands City to Alexandria, the scenery along the way is very good, but the beautiful scenery cannot make people turn a blind eye to the bad journey.

You know, the beds in the cheap cabins are as cheap as the prefixes, and you can’t take a shower every day, and you can’t avoid the strange quirks and problems of the other three fellow travelers every time you change boats and cabins. Only occasionally when stranded in a certain city waiting for the arrival or departure of the next airship the next day, can the girl have the luxury of enjoying a bathtub, hot water, soft beds and a peaceful sleep in the best local hotel.

For a while, she was almost mentally weak, relying on drugs to ensure her daily sleep, huddled in bed, feeling the sore body and the noises in her ears from the hard bed board, Tingna only felt that this long journey was a long journey. nightmare.

If she could do it all over again, she would definitely not allow herself to be wronged like this just to save those gold coins.

But that's all in the past.

After a long journey, she finally reunited with the beautiful witch and the doll in the crowded crowd at the airport after crossing half of the continent.

Although it took a long time to record the hijacking incident in a certain room in the airport, after everything was over, just as she had imagined before coming here, Liliana and Alice took her to the most luxurious room in the city. hotel. As soon as they walked through the gate, a waiter in snow-white linen clothes brought them to the counter. Miss Witch maintained her usual calmness and put down a bag of gold coins on the counter, booked the most luxurious room, and ordered a sumptuous banquet Have the hotel send it to the room.

Regarding those delicacies, Tina no longer has any impressions. She still vaguely remembers that Liliana and Alice asked about the great magic "Missile Queen", praised Ai's judgment and Tina's decision, and then did not mention it again.

After dinner, in order to soothe the toil of the journey, she fell asleep after taking a bath.

It's a pity that the suite has four rooms, and under Ai's strong gaze, she couldn't sleep on the same bed with the witch...

Thinking of the girl with long black hair, Tina seemed to wake up a little bit.

It's a pity that none of the very pleasant memories come to mind.

Airport, the witch who said "Welcome back" to herself in a calm tone like the reunion in Maixing City before, was thrown into her arms by Ai and hugged her tightly.

The final credit for the airship hijacking incident belongs to Ai, Tinna and the knight who did not stay in Alexandria. Tina concealed the matter of the "Queen of Missiles" and said that the great magic was the great magic , was thanked by the airport management staff, and there will be a bonus.

When the notes were finished and they walked out of the office, Liliana and Alice who were waiting outside were talking to Ai about magic learning and exams.

On the carriage to the hotel, many of my own questions about the dizzying scenery were answered by Ai.

When I walked into "Ra God's Rest", the waiter who came to greet me recognized Ai and Liliana as a pair of sisters, and recognized myself as a guardian... This is actually quite interesting, especially since I followed this misunderstanding When I put it on Ai's little head and stroked it, Ai's gnashing of teeth expression really made people feel extraordinarily cute.

Thinking about it this way, it doesn't seem like they are all unpleasant memories.

After all, Tina never hated this proud cat-like girl, but...

Getting up from the bed, the girl standing in front of Liliana and Alice's room after washing, pursed her lips.

——But, as expected, there is no compromise here.

——Do you want to try to grow your hair long?

Thinking of this, Tina shook her head again.

Just be yourself.

"Good morning, Miss Alice...and Miss Ai."

Pushing open the door, unexpectedly, Ai has already got up, sitting on the chair beside the witch's bed, flipping through a big book.

She was so absorbed that she didn't seem to hear the girl's greeting.

"Good morning, Miss Tina."

Only Alice on the witch's pillow responded to her with a voice that was a little weak due to lack of magic power.

Sunlight leaked through the date palm leaves outside the window, illuminating her long black hair and the thin transparent fluff on her face. On the bed with a canopy, the witch was still curled up on the thin silk quilt, enjoying a sweet sleep.

——Miss Tina has decided how to get along with Lily and Ai?

However, the words transmitted through the black pearl earrings on the ears, the doll-san doesn't look weak at all.

...To be honest, I have no clue yet...

—And what about Alice? Before the New Year's farewell, Miss Tingna looked at Alice with such eyes, didn't she—haven't thought about the part related to Alice at all?

Yes, there is also this beautiful, gentle, and always wicked little doll.

After arriving in Sinai, Alice changed her appearance again, her skin turned into a healthy light brown color, her jet-black hair hung down to her shoulders, tied into many thin braids, decorated with gold hair accessories at the ends, a pair of gold Small snakes wrapped around her ankles, protruding from under the crimson and light gray skirt, so delicate that the texture of each scale can be seen clearly.

But speaking of the hem of the skirt, Tina felt that the fabric on Alice was more like a shawl that could wrap her body.

It was slanted from the left shoulder, elegantly wrapped around the slender waist under the small navel, covering the graceful legs and upturned buttocks under the gorgeous crimson. Ms. Ou also used a golden corset to prop up the perfectly plump gully, allowing most of her body to meet the astonishing eyes under the light of the Sun God of Sinai.

Alice's eyes, which were covered with blue eye shadow, looked a little embarrassed. The girl looked away from this ever-changing doll with some embarrassment, but every part of her skin interpreted the sexy lady's body. The posture seemed to be burned into her eyes, making her feel her heart beat slightly faster.

...No, I didn't think about it...

After returning to Salt Sand City, Tingna used this opportunity to stay away from Liliana and Alice to seriously think about the future, but how can this be a problem that can be solved by thinking?

Mother's intentional or unintentional words.

The blind date mentioned by Lifu indifferently.

The news in the newspaper...

There is no one to talk to, no one to consult, no matter how you think about it, you can't get a satisfactory answer.

Even when you try your best to think about it, it's just a mess.

Looking at the quiet sea that raised us, we can only see crystal clear icebergs, the aurora twinkling on the top of the mountain and under the night sky, and the sea is calm and deep.

Tingna was distressed, and in her distress, she resolutely embarked on a journey to the sand sea.

At this time, another Ai appeared...

The sudden appearance of the former royal princess who claimed to be a super genius and passed several skipping exams at the Dragon Academy of the City of Thousand Towers in just a few months was completely unexpected by Tingna, not only that...

The little puppet didn't stay on this question for too long, she nodded slightly, and brought up another matter.

"There is still plenty of time, so it's okay to worry about it slowly, but don't forget the work that should be done."

Work, ah, yes, work.

First of all, as Liliana's liaison, I reported to the Alexandria Adventurer's Guild.

From yesterday's conversation, Tina knew that before she came, the Alexandria Adventurer's Association had appointed a man to serve as Liliana's liaison temporarily. Now that she's here, she needs to hand over the work.

The other is what Miss Witch asked her to do.

Tina adjusted her suit again.

Last night, this girl's precious outfit was still stinky because of staying in the garbage dump. Even the hotel laundry lady frowned, but it is worthy of a high-end hotel. Tingna put on this Liliana After buying her suit with Alice, she couldn't even smell a little bit of peculiar smell.

She picked up a big envelope on the desk, and after confirming that the contents inside were exactly what Miss Witch said, she put the envelope back into the space storage ring, and looked at Alice who was leaning against the bedside:

"Would Miss Alice come with you?"

It was just a simple errand task, but out of some small selfishness, Tina went back to the bed, wanting to hug the little doll, which was lying motionless on the pillow.

But before the words finished, beside Miss Witch, the girl who was concentrating on reading raised her eyes.

"I also need to go."

She closed the book and walked to Tingna's side without hesitation.

"... Is Miss Ai going out too?"

"Miss Alice told me that every time I go to a new place, apart from reporting to the Adventurer's Association, Miss Tina will also take a tour. I also want to take a good look at this city I came to for the first time...Can't we go together?"

"It's not impossible..."

This request (at least Ting Na thinks) is not too much, so it is not so easy to refuse, but Ting Na still looks at the little doll beside the pillow with some reluctance.

"If Miss Tina, Ai, and Alice are all gone, Lily who wakes up might think that something happened while she was asleep. Don't worry about Alice, let's go visit this city, if all goes well, Lily won't be in the city for long."

The little puppet shook her head. Now that she has not been replenished with magic power, even such movements are extremely strenuous.

"Let's go, then."

Pushing open the door of the luxury box on the fourth floor of the hotel, walking along the long corridor covered with desert-style carpets, amidst the blessings and greetings from the waiters in linen white shirts in the hall, Tingna specifically asked them about the address of the Adventurers Association, I also bought a papyrus map at the front desk and spent a drachma.

In Sinai, silver coins were called drachmas, gold coins were gold drachmas, and copper coins were called leptas. This is actually the name of the currency from the Elegant Inner Sea area, but after the end of the Thirteen-Day Jihad three hundred years ago, it was unified by the "New Era Currency Regulations" led by the two empires, Septim and Isu, as well as the Association of Magicians and the Church of Virtue. The currency system of the whole continent has been established, so in addition to the different names of the currency in different regions, there is no obstacle to using it.

And directly led to the demise of the profession of currency exchange merchants.

Although a bit expensive, this unique paper has a wonderful feel, and the exquisite paintings and patterns on it make girls love it.

Then, Tina walked through the pond covered with lotus leaves in front of the hotel gate.

The waterfowl with a long neck spread its wings among the budding flower buds and flew towards the blue sky in the distance. Tingna looked at the girl beside her and asked her:

"Where does Miss Ai want to go?"

"Shouldn't you go to the Adventurer's Association to finish the matter?"

The girl who was also looking up at the group of gray waterfowls flying up in clusters and gradually turning into gray dots under the blue sky and sunlight gave her a surprised look.

"Although that's okay, but wait until then, it will be another scene."

Tina thought for a while and gave this answer.

Miss Witch stays up late in the city, but now, the faint morning light is not completely overshadowed by the radiance of the rising saigon, known in this land as the disc of the sun.

The walls of the hotel use gold powder to draw ancient symbols on the white background. Walking out of the golden gate, the whole city is in the atmosphere of dawn, welcoming the arrival of a new day.

Horse-drawn carts and ox carts passed through the avenue, carrying dewy vegetables and fruits. The city guards who finished the night shift were a little tired, and under the captain's scolding, they rode on horses and walked through the street vigorously.

The shops on Ptah Avenue are opening one by one. Merchants selling books, carpets and other exquisite goods are greeting their neighbors in the most leisure time of the day. The towering black obelisk at the intersection is illuminated and chiseled In the golden text on it, in the parks that can be seen everywhere, young children are sitting around on the grass, listening to the ancient poems chanted by men in white robes.

"...I want to see the sea."

It didn't take long to get to the city's largest and most important main road from the hotel where he was staying. Standing by the slender flowerbed in the middle of the street to separate the coming and going roads, Ai looked up at the stone sculpture carved from a whole piece of black rock. The obelisk suddenly spoke softly.

"Didn't you see enough yesterday?"

Tingna also raised her head and looked in the direction the girl was looking up.

When it is far away from the earth and touches the sky, the square tower becomes a hexagonal wall to endow itself with richer layers. It had been the greatest building of the ancient kingdom, and before the Holy War of the Thirteen Days spread disaster to every part of the continent, the lamp of Pharos and the ancient kingdom lived forever.

"Just watching yesterday, I thought..."

Perhaps because he was not sure whether his request was too much, Ai's voice was not so firm.

"I thought, go touch it."

Just like the soft foam pushed by Jinghai to the silver-white sandy beach, it carries ancient fairy tales from the depths of the sea, but the children look at the beautiful shells eagerly, but dare not tell the adults that they want to play.

The girl didn't even look at Tina, as if she felt embarrassed, but there was no need to look at each other, the girl could see the soft longing and a little bit of timidity in the wine red eyes.

In her existing life, half of the time was cursed by the sun, and the other half was dominated by the love of her parents. From the stories told by her mother, the witch who traveled freely was all she knew about the outside world. .

Now that she has walked into the sunlight and left the city-state high above the sky, the world is beckoning to her, but she is a little scared.

"...Then let's go."

"Eh?"

"I was born and grew up by the sea, the vast sea will always make people feel small, and then, the child will always want to reach out and touch the vastness beyond his control - I understand that feeling. "

"I'm not a kid anymore."

"Only children will always say that they are not children, well, if you go there, you will not get lost as long as you look at the airport."

The proud kitten's eyes widened. She was just about to refute the girl's first sentence without any basis, but when Tingna finished speaking, she frowned.

"Wait a minute, don't we go by carriage?"

Did she remember that Liliana and Alice took them in the carriage for a long time yesterday from Pharos Airport to "La God's Rest".

"Anyway, there's plenty of time, so walking with your own legs is another fun, isn't it?"

Looking at the blue sea above the map, Ting Na said it in a natural tone.

Then, the girl quietly complained in a voice that she could only hear.

"And the carriage is so expensive..."

After getting off the bus at "La God's Rest" yesterday, when she saw Liliana casually handing a small pile of about ten silver coins to the coachman with her upper body exposed, Tingna almost couldn't hold back the pain in her voice. .

Even if this is the royal capital of Sinai, the largest, most prosperous and most important city along the coast of the Elegant Inner Sea and the Sea of ​​Storms, this price is too exaggerated.

"……makes sense."

The girl who didn't hear Tina talking to herself behind her nodded after thinking for a while.

As Tina said, the Pharos Airport stands on the coast of the Elegant Inland Sea and the Storm Sea. With this road sign that can be seen anywhere in the city, and the map in Tina's hand, such a big city, Never get lost.

Thinking so, Ai followed the girl who had found where she should go.

"...Thank you, Miss Tina."

she whispered.

………………………………………………………………………………………

Tens of minutes later, Ai looked up at the solar disk moving towards the highest point in the sky, and couldn't help stretching out a hand to block his slightly narrowed eyes.

Now, she wants to take back the previous sentence of thanks.

With a map and a landmark building like Faros Airport as a guide, it is almost impossible to get lost along the main road, but Tinna said something, "Looking at both sides of the street, you can only see the most glamorous city. side" pulled her into those alleys, and then—

They were trapped in this maze of white walls and green radishes.

Tingna wanted to pass through the area marked on the map as the noble mansion area to reach the commercial area by the sea, but the white walls and the gorgeous doors carved with the gods of the ancient country blocked them time and time again. before.

And during this time, the morning light is gone.

"I have seen it with the eyes of a wizard. This area is surrounded by a wall and completely isolated from other blocks. The only way to get in and out is through us—that is, the direction of Ptah Avenue. The business you mentioned The area is next to a poor and old mud house, I don't think the nobles will stay in that direction to let these poor people come in here."

The girl glared at Ting Na resentfully. It's good now, let alone go to see the sea. If they are stuck here for a while longer, maybe Miss Liliana and Alice will be needed to save them.

"Woooo..."

Tingna, who was looking left and right with the map, let out a frustrated voice.

They were going somewhere along the wall of a mansion, and the clear water channel was flowing at their feet, but they didn't know where the water flow would go.

The girls could hardly tell the difference between these mansions. People in Sinai believed that white symbolized the cleanliness of the soul, and it was the highest goal that mortals strive for every day in this world. Therefore, there are white walls everywhere, and they all look the same. The luxury, they circled around and turned two corners, not even knowing whether they had turned back.

until the end of the canal was reached.

"ah!"

Tingna's eyes lit up—it was a fountain, a plain white woman was wrapped in light gauze, the kettle on her shoulders was dripping with flowing water, green radishes and flowers were clustered around bare feet, swaying and blooming.

By the side of the fountain, a short girl was half lying there, as if she was looking at her face through the water.

Probably because no real aristocrat would get up before lunch, this was the first person they met in this quiet aristocratic mansion area.

But Tina was a little surprised.

The girl's skin was dark, stained with dust, she was wearing an old gray linen wrap around her waist, she had no shoes, no top, her black hair was messy and draped over her shoulders, and the soft curve under her collarbone was exposed like that.

Tingna had done her homework before coming here, knowing that people in Sinai pay great attention to cleanliness. This dirty look makes people think that she just finished farm work in some field, which is out of place in this aristocratic neighborhood.

The most important thing was that her completely naked upper body was exposed to their eyes, and as she turned her head when she heard Ting Na's voice, the pair of black hillocks shook slightly.

This "traditional" attire has been extinct among Sinai high society since the Middle Kingdom long ago, and only some particularly remote or poor villages may still maintain this custom today.

But here is Alexandria, the richest jewel in Lower Nerocle.

Is it a slave?

Ai thought about it, but before she could tell Ting Na what she was thinking, the blond girl had already walked up to the girl in two steps.

"Well, miss, why aren't you wearing any clothes?"

Probably the name "this lady" frightened the girl, and the girl quickly stood up—but she still bowed her waist, facing Tingna and Ai who was walking in fear, and answered nervously in a voice that almost changed her tone.

"My lord, what are you talking about? How can a person like me have the right to be called that by two beautiful ladies?"

"...are you a slave?"

Ai frowned too.

But if he treats slaves like this, isn't the master of this slave afraid that other nobles will laugh at him and say that he can't even teach slaves about hygiene? Or do you dislike him for not being able to manage the hygiene of slaves properly?

"No, no, I'm not a slave. Although I'm as poor as a slave, I'm not a slave. Our family has a few fields outside the city. It's just that I'm too poor, so I sneaked through the hole on the other side of the wall. Go to the residences of the adults and want to pick up some gold coins..."

She speaks with a strong dialect accent, but she can barely hear what she is saying.

It's no surprise that she sounds like the unpopular daughter of a farmer's family.

Ai frowned and took out a few silver coins from the interspatial storage ring, intending to hand them to this girl who looked no older than him.

"...Wait a minute, you mean the hole over the wall?"

But her hand was held down by Tina.

"Yes, it is."

This question caught the girl a little off guard. She nodded and pointed her trembling fingers in the direction she said. Facing there, Tina raised her head.

Slowly, a smile appeared on her face.

From the gorgeous eaves of the house, the towering and majestic airport reveals the top light.

"Hey, in fact, we are tourists who just came to Alexandria yesterday. We are traveling around the city today. Although we want to go to the beach to see the sea, we are not familiar with the city, so we got lost. If..."

Ai glanced at her unexpectedly.

She didn't expect that after wasting so much time, Tingna's first concern was still not her work, but taking herself to see the sea.

"Do these two beautiful ladies need a guide?"

However, before Tina finished speaking, a shrewd light appeared in the eyes of this bowed young girl.

She raised her head and patted her chest, as if she was using this behavior to show confidence

"I'm not boasting, two beautiful ladies, I grew up in Alexandria since I was a child, and in terms of my understanding of this city, there is no one in this city comparable to Camula."

Then she showed another flattering smile, rubbed her hands, and looked at the two of them expectantly.

Ai Yin faintly felt that something was wrong. Although the girl smiled obsequiously, she didn't seem to be smiling in the depths of her pupils. This strange feeling made her a little uncertain for a while.

As for Tingna—the girl has already taken out a piece of clothing from the space storage ring and handed it to the girl.

"That will be of great help, Miss Camulla, we will pay you, can you please be our guide for a while?"

"Of course, I am honored to serve two beautiful ladies."

"And this dress..."

"Oh, no, no, good lady, how can I soil your expensive clothes?"

"expensive……"

Tina looked down at a shirt in her hand.

It was washed very clean, and the color was also a beautiful sky blue, but she never thought that the clothes she bought for two silver coins during the special event of the New Year shopping mall would have a day when they would be said to be expensive...

"And this shirt doesn't match Miss Camulla's skirt too much."

Ai sighed, temporarily putting aside the thoughts in his head.

She also took out a piece of clothing from the space storage ring, a silk goose-yellow long dress. Ai held up this clothing that started with at least two gold coins and compared it to the girl, although because of the difference in height and bust It might be a little small to wear, but it should fit the dress well.

For some reason, Tina felt that way.

Then, the girl saw a drop of cold sweat slid down Kamula's forehead.

………………………………………………………………………………………

In the end, even though Ai wanted to hand over the dress to the girl with an almost forced attitude, Kamula refused, and that firm attitude made Tingna suspect that there might be other reasons for her such a fierce refusal .

For example, family, beliefs, etc., she has heard of the unique nine-pillar belief in the land of Sinai, but she knows nothing about the taboos of these beliefs.

And on the street, although some people occasionally cast strange glances at Camula, including the city guards, they didn't respond to such a situation, as if a young girl was walking on the street with her upper body exposed A very common thing.

I don't know if it's a custom or a belief.

Tina couldn't help but wonder what would happen to Liliana after she knew about it, and then quickly threw this bad thought out of her mind.

In short, with a local guide, Tina and Aigan led Camula through a hidden hole in the wall of the noble mansion area, which was just big enough for a young girl to get through, and finally left the maze. blocks, then.

Ten minutes later, on the golden beach, Ai stared blankly at the two pieces of pure blue that met at the end of his sight and separated so clearly, and stood there for a long time.

As long as Ting Na came in front of her, the girl would definitely move her dark red eyes away, stubbornly preventing anyone from seeing her face.

She just stood on the golden sand and grabbed the hem of her skirt without saying a word.

The waves came gently, smoothing the same small potholes splashed by a few small water splashes.

But this is only the second time I saw it—and the first time the girl was so close to the vast and beautiful sea water, she was startled, and the girl jumped back grabbing her skirt.

The frothy aftermath did not chase the startled girl, it erased the traces that the girl didn't want others to see, and then left a few small shells, then returned to the vast blue.

Soon, the waves came again, carrying the temperature of the sun.

This time, Ai didn't retreat. The girl reached out to touch the snow-white waves. After hesitating for a while, she took off her round-toed leather boots, and touched the wet sand with her feet through a thin layer of velvet. land, and gentle sea waves.

On the rock behind Ai, Tingna couldn't see the girl's expression,

She held the shoes in one hand and the skirt with the other hand, and walked slowly towards the sea until the sea water overflowed her knees. The black pantyhose had absorbed the exotic sea water, and the deeper color was accompanied by the wet touch. Spread down her skirt.

At this time, maybe she just recovered from the feeling that Tina had felt before, and wanted to take off her pantyhose in a panic—but in this way, she had to put away the leather shoes in her hand first, and then let go The hand holding the hem of the skirt, and in this way, the hem of the skirt with white lace is also stained with the salty smell of sea water.

When she was in a hurry, another wave pushed over. Ai screamed in panic, and then sat down in the sea with a wow.

"--so bitter--!!"

The former royal princess of Olympion, a descendant of Einhardt the Lionheart, was wet and dingy like a kitten that fell into the water five minutes after her first close contact with the sea back on the beach.

Tina burst out laughing, and Kamula, who was beside her, couldn't help but twitched her lips to hide her laughter.

This laughter obviously stimulated the girl's shame. She blushed and angrily left a string of wet footprints on the beach and came to the girl's side. Drops of water fell on Tingna's body.

But the whalebone amulet that the girl never leaves her body bankrupts the girl's plan.

Seeing Ai's expression that the prank didn't work as expected, Tingna felt extra happy in her heart.

"Do you want to touch the gentle sea again?"

"Never!"

Ai's eye circles were red, wondering if sea water had splashed into those wine-like pupils.

However, there was no anger in her eyes. Although Ai seemed to want to hide it well, Tingna still saw a happy look in her eyes that couldn't be concealed.

"Miss Kamula, we are going to the Adventurer's Association to deal with some matters, can I trouble you?"

Take Ai to the beach if you have time.

Thinking of this, Tina looked at the girl standing aside.

"There is some distance from the Adventurer's Association. After walking back from the bridge connecting Alexandria and Pharos Island, you can walk along the coastal street in about 30 minutes."

Alexandria was built between the elegant inland sea and Lake Maritis, and is located on the Faros island chain with an airport. It is the first sea defense line of the most beautiful crown in Sinai, and it is also the gateway of entry.

Strictly speaking, this is the edge of the military zone.

Near the entrance and exit of the airport is the only temple on the island. Between the temple and the bridge leading to the airport, vendors set up open-air shops with wooden frames and curtains, put up a few tables and chairs, and yelled to welcome the first arrivals. , or people who are about to leave. And people also stop in front of those simple shops, or wait for the fragrant and attractive food, or choose handicrafts made of turquoise, glass and rustic pottery.

They also visited this market for a while yesterday, and the coast where they are now is not far from there.

"The former market of Faros Port is a very famous place in Alexandria, because there are no fixed shops and buildings, and it is very close to the harbor. The merchants who come here are different every day, and some interesting goods are often found here. .”

Seeing the bustling scenes in the market, Tingna certainly knew what their guide was thinking, and the girl's next words did not surprise her.

"Before walking such a long distance, I think the two beautiful ladies can buy some food here and take a rest." There is also such a small tacit understanding in Yansha City. Shops, if travelers spend generously there, they can also get some extra "thank you fees".

"It's not bad, and I can buy some souvenirs. What do you think, Ms. Ai?"

"...I've wanted to say that before."

The girl who was using a spell to dry herself and the clothes on her body looked over dissatisfied with those wine-red eyes. Tingna was taken aback, and then heard the girl mutter in a low voice.

"Just call me Ai. And anyway, it's your job. If you're not in a hurry, I'm not in a hurry."

After speaking, the girl who turned her face away sat on the rock, and patted off the sand and condensed salt frost on the socks with her hands.

...Maybe you are really in a good mood?

Tina thought, and nodded to Kamula.

Although she knows some tricks here, as long as it's not the kind of shop that rips off customers too much, Ting Na doesn't mind helping the girl in front of her.

...This is also a change in mentality, well, I definitely wouldn't do this before.

"Then, two beautiful ladies, please come with me."

The market is not big, and the girl took Tingna and Ai to stop and go on the road between the shops, as if they were looking for something.

Ai frowned at this for a while, but after Ting Na explained in a low voice, her eyebrows soon relaxed.

Passing a stall selling kebabs, she also bought three kebabs and handed one to Camulla—although this made the stall owner widen his blue eyes and frown to remind them not to be bothered by the dirty The Sinai slave was too nice, but Ai ignored him.

After forcing the meatloaf to Camula, the girl gave the one with more peppers to Tina maliciously.

It was just right for Tina.

However, no matter how Kamula refused, she couldn't stop Ai from handing over the delicious barbecue roll to her. Now, while biting this not-cheap food full of various spices, she didn't know what she was thinking, eating it Halfway through, I stopped and rewrapped the meatloaf to hold.

"Two beautiful ladies, welcome to the kingdom of the sand sea, whatever you need - amulets with mystical powers, exquisite ornaments, magical secret recipes, I think I can provide you with high-quality and low-cost choices .”

She seemed to have found what she was looking for.

This is a tent on the edge of the market, away from the temple. As soon as the girls approached there, a man in a silver robe warmly greeted them.

The man just glanced at the dusty, topless Camula, and immediately looked at Tingna and Ai with a smile on his face. Although this was not surprising, the difference in attitude still made Tingna a little unhappy.

"Anything you need?"

So is Ai.

But this noble girl didn't get too entangled in this matter, she raised her eyebrows-"no matter what", this is too confident a slogan.

When shopping in the market, they were not unattracted by the greetings and hawking, and they also stopped in front of some shops to pick up souvenirs. Ai bought a wide neck ring that is very common in Sinai to wear around the neck, and surrounded the kingdom with glass beads and gold leaves. The ancient talisman of life, but unfortunately it doesn't match her dress at all. Tina bought a palm-sized eagle that was carved beautifully, and also bought a golden scarab the size of a thumb for Alice. necklace as a gift.

Some of these businessmen are enthusiastic and some are more indifferent, but no matter who they are, they will not say "whatever" to boast.

If it was the hidden clubs that belonged to the powerful and talented that her father and Miss Aunian took her to and from when she was in the City of Thousand Towers, she would think it was nothing, but it was just a small shop in a small market, or did they It's such a good luck to meet the rumored, mysterious and legendary shops in some ancient cities?

Anyway, Ai, who lacks practical social experience, was aroused by curiosity.

"Then let me see what's there. I just want to buy a gift for Master Liliana. She is a beautiful and powerful witch. I think you must know what happens to those who deceive the witch. Bar."

After speaking, Ai walked into the small tent.

The expression of the merchant who claimed to be able to provide anything was frozen.

Tina looked at him, then at the girl who retreated to the side, Kamula blinked her big black eyes, and explained to the girl:

"Don't you know the beautiful lady? In this land, the witch is the goddess Isis, the lover of the mysterious lady. She is born with the mysterious power of magic. They come and go in dreams, conveying the omen of disaster, if they Feel offended, and plant a vicious curse in the shadow of the offender, so that men cannot walk through the scales that weigh the heart, only to be eaten by the snake that devours the dead."

"……ah."

It seems that it is indeed a very typical image of a witch. In this land, it seems to have been given a religious interpretation.

However, there was one sentence in the girl's words that caught Tina's attention. She still wanted to ask, but she heard Kamula mutter again:

"However, the blessings and wrath of the gods have not been revealed for many years. It is said that the power of the goddess is just a cursed magic. On the contrary, the believers of the Holy Light can still get a real response from their beliefs."

"...Miss Camula is a believer in the Templar?"

Tina jumped up like a cat whose tail has been stepped on.

The church, why is it a church again.

Isn't there a piece of pure land in the west of the mainland that is not infested by these guys?

"Templar? No, it's not..."

Kamula also seemed to be taken aback, probably because she didn't expect her muttering to be heard, she hurriedly wanted to explain something, but at this moment.

In the tent, Ai's surprise sounded.

"Is this the weapon of the "King of Kings"? It is recorded in "The Journey of the King of Kings" that the gods took the gold from the depths of the desert and endowed it with the hardness of the top of the green mountain, the flexibility of the fig tree in the sand sea and the lightness of the falcon's feathers. The enemy's body will take their strength and make them submit to the feet of the king of kings..."

This was the first time that Tingna heard Ai's voice so excited. The conversation between the two came to an end. When Tingna walked into the tent, she realized that there was a compartment separated by a white cloth in this small tent. Ai was yelling at something.

"O king of kings, scourge of the Xitai, warrior of Kadesh, we give you the strength of your right arm, so that you can defeat all enemies under the eternal stars." (Note 1)

"Miss Ai, what did you find?"

When she came to the compartment, the poetic chant seemed to come from ancient times, but she didn't quite understand why Ai would yell at a dark golden spear.

Ai Bai glanced at her. She didn't know whether it was because she still hadn't removed the honorific title or because she was ignorant. She carefully looked at the weapon that was taller than her and seemed to crush rocks when placed on the ground. She shook it after a long time. Shake your head.

When she first walked into the tent, the girl sneered at the things placed on the table and simple cabinets. They could barely be said to be exquisite, but there was no fluctuation of magic power, and the old look was deliberately old.

In order to enrich her vision and knowledge, the girl begged the elves in the City of Thousand Towers to take her to visit many famous collectors—especially those related to the ancient kingdom of Sinai. After learning a lot of knowledge, she even Obtained the most junior appraiser certificate.

Now Ai can definitely apply for some junior appraisers in the auction house. She can tell these things at a glance. Obviously, this man is the kind of profiteer often mentioned in the book.

The girl didn't find it interesting until the man brought her to the cubicle in cold sweat because of her unkind eyes.

"Unfortunately, although the imitation is very exquisite, according to the records, it should be a weapon bestowed by the gods, otherwise this small tent and us would have been crushed long ago, and I don't think you can lift the title of the king of kings." arms."

In early summer, it was not hot in the tent because of the sea breeze, but cold sweat seemed to hang on the man's forehead.

"Of course it's a fake, but it's really exquisite. This little lady's vision is really sharp..."

"I'm more interested. How many fakes of this quality are there? Show me them all. Maybe I'm willing to spend a lot of money to buy one or two for Master Liliana, Miss Alice, um ..."

"...Huh? What's the matter?"

"No, it's nothing, sir, please show your goods."

Ting Na tilted her head, not knowing why Ai seemed dissatisfied.

"Please don't worry, honorable lady, good things have to be brought out one by one..."

The man rubbed his hands, and carefully put the weapon back into the small-looking box.

Then, a pair of daggers were pulled out from inside.

The same color is dark gold, as if the handle of a serpent snake is connected with a fang-like dagger blade. It is a material that Tina does not know. The light from the top of the tent reveals a faint dark blue, which is dangerous. , but elegant, just like those poisonous snakes with gorgeous appearance.

"These daggers are... the swords of the "Goddess of Elegance"? But there has never been a record of her fighting in history, which is more like a proof of identity-"The vulture and the cobra offered her a pair of swords to honor her magnificence" (Note 2), it is said that the pair Throwing two swords into the river can poison the entire city, but she has never done so. "That is an elegant and kind queen, although that pagan pharaoh..."

Having said that, the man seemed to be in awe of something, and quickly shut his mouth.

He took out one piece of ancient utensils from the box, but Tina couldn't recognize any of them, so she could only listen to Ai talking about the origin of these utensils: the amulets given to his children by the Pharaoh, many The wide collar embroidered with precious stones, like the golden mask on the pharaoh's coffin, each seems to come from under the ancient yellow sand, and each has a fascinating history in Ai's mouth.

Most of them are fakes, but there are also a few small things that make Ai a little uncertain. It seems that the time of the Sinai history lecture lasted until Ai's mouth was dry, and she finally picked out a few artifacts to buy, but at this time .

"How many thousand gold coins?!"

The man was sweating and quoted a price that made Ai Du frown.

Who would carry thousands of gold coins with them? Even the lady witch who spends money like water is probably frowning.

In fact, Ai only had a dozen or so gold coins on him—it was a huge sum of money, but in certain fields, it was not even a fraction.

"Is the fake worth so much money?"

Only Ting Na asked stupidly, and got two sets of blank eyes from Ai and the man.

"This beautiful lady, it is precisely because the real thing is impossible to obtain that the good imitation is so expensive."

"Most of the real products are still buried in some pharaoh's tombs. It was a huge project built during the heyday of a dynasty. I don't know how many dangerous traps were set up to prevent being disturbed after death. In addition, it is impossible for the royal family to sit still. See the desecration of former pharaoh's tombs."

"is that so……"

"Although it's because of the constant stream of tomb robbers... huh? This gentleman is sweating all over, thank you for your hard work."

"No, no, it's nothing, it's just that I'm getting old, and my waist is really a little weak..."

Tina really didn't know this. She had read some information about Sinai, the oldest kingdom of mankind, in Salt Sand City, but it was more like a popular science book for children.

She suddenly felt envious of Ai.

In the end, Ai walked out of the tent with Tinna without buying anything.

According to the girl, after seeing those high-quality fakes, she has no interest in those cheap fakes outside. After they walked out of the tent.

"Huh? What's going on?"

At some point, with this tent as the center, there were already soldiers holding spears and small round shields around. Other people in the market looked at this side curiously, and when they saw them coming out, the leading soldier turned towards them come over.

"Don't be rude, they are the ones who helped me." But a voice stopped him, the standard mainland lingua franca, elegant and revealing a touch of majesty.

A long and narrow path split off from the soldiers surrounding here, and a girl in a snow-white dress paced gracefully, combing her wet black hair and walking over.

It was a traditional Sinai dress called Qiunik. The high waist fit the girl's graceful curves closely, and one could even wonder if it was because the dress was too tight around the waist that the girl stepped on it. Feet in jeweled sandals can only walk gracefully like a cat.

Under the gorgeous golden crown, dark eyes swept over Ting Na and Ai, and then looked behind them.

She waved her hand and gave orders to the soldiers.

"Catch him, confiscate everything in this shop, and send it to the palace."

Ting Na couldn't help turning her head, and saw that the owner of the shop's already pale face had turned ashen-like pale.

"This is, what happened..."

"I don't know, but our Miss Guide is missing."

Ai was also at a loss. Hearing what she said, Ting Na quickly looked around, but the girl was nowhere to be seen.

The soldiers bypassed Tina and Ai, put their swords on the man's neck and made him kneel. The mahogany and gilded carriage drove over and stopped behind them. The girl in white qiunik walked slowly towards this side, said something to the young coachman, and then looked at them with a smile.

Then, on the other hand that was taken out from behind.

There was a half eaten souvlaki.

"……ah!"

"Who are you--"

Tingna was stunned for a moment before she realized Ai's exclamation. Speaking of which, if the face was stained with some dirty dust and messed up the hair, it would not be suitable for ordinary people to wear it off. gold tiara...

"Camura?!"

"I think the two well-meaning ladies have had enough rest, then, let's go to the Adventurer's Association—that is, the final destination of the two?"

Kamula——this unknown girl, but she was definitely not the unpopular youngest daughter of a farmer's family outside the city, smiled and waved to them.

……………………………………………………………………………………

If you think about it carefully, there are actually doubts at the beginning.

I met Camura in the aristocratic area of ​​Alexandria. Even if they were slaves, usually in order to protect their face, the nobles would at least clean up the slaves.

And how could a lowly person think of going there to "get a few gold coins"? Even if you want to beg, wouldn't it be better to go outside on the street instead of risking being evicted in an aristocratic area where you can hardly see anyone?

On the carriage, recalling the encounter with the girl in front of her who was gracefully eating half of the barbecue roll, Tingna couldn't help covering her face.

Now that I think about it...it's really stupid.

"...So, your target is actually that cultural relic dealer?"

"To be precise, my target is the unscrupulous businessmen who have often heard of peddling counterfeit goods to deceive tourists in the former market of Faros Port recently. It's just that when I was checking whether my disguise was successful, I happened to meet Miss Ai and Ting Miss Na."

"...Why do you pretend to be like that? Even, without a shirt..."

After the girl finished eating the barbecue roll, she folded up the wrapping paper that was still stained with hot sauce and gravy, and looked at it carefully.

Then he looked at Ting Na and Ai with a smile.

"This is what my father taught me. To understand the feelings of the people, one must become a member of them and walk into their lives. I also like this very much. It allows me to clearly understand that this world is not limited to my daily life. See you, as for being naked... Do Miss Tingna and Miss Ai feel ashamed?"

After she stopped speaking the accented lingua franca, the girl's voice was like a white bird gliding across the water.

It's really hard to imagine that she is Kamula in front of her eyes—that dirty, pitiful poor girl, but they are indeed the same person.

The only difference is the attire.

"...It should be said."

"Although customs vary from place to place...well."

"I am also a girl, of course I know what it feels like to be stared at by all kinds of eyes... But there is no way, my face is still recognized by many people, but as long as I take off half of my clothes and dirty my hair and face, then No one would recognize me...it's actually ridiculous, isn't it?"

After a brief pause, Kamura pushed open the side window with the sun, the scepter, and the sculpture of the god with the head of a falcon.

"But people like that exist in this kingdom. The poor, the lowly, the escaped from the terrible slaves, the ones who just got out of slavery but can't escape the eyes of the people...Alexandria compares Rare, but not impossible, I experience their lives, feel the eyes they feel, so that I can find a way to help them get rid of all this, and to catch the guy who damaged the reputation of Alexandria merchants is incidental Yes, but even I didn't expect..."

Kamula looked at Tina and Ai with a strange expression.

"I thought it was just a black-hearted guy businessman, but I didn't expect that it was a cultural relic dealer who was waiting for an opportunity to escape, and it was also related to the Valley of the Kings that was robbed some time ago..."

"...Wait a minute! Valley of the Kings? Isn't that where the tombs of all the pharaohs since Hatshepsut were located? It was stolen, could it be—"

Ai's voice faltered.

There was an expression of disbelief on her face, and she froze for a long time before stammering:

"All, are they real?"

"We don't know why that man brought all these things with him... Maybe it's too stupid, or there is no safe place to hide it, but yes, it's all true."

There was a long silence in the carriage.

"...Can I touch them again?"

"If it was Ms. Ai's request, I would think of a way. After all, Ms. Ai and Ms. Tingna helped us find those precious cultural relics. If you do me a favor, I will certainly do you a favor too. ,not to mention."

Camula smiled, and waved the wrapping paper in front of them.

"Normally, I would never have the chance to eat this kind of food anyway. At home, my parents and old aunts would nag me, and the stall owner would drive me away when I was pretending. This is really a rare experience... It's surprisingly delicious."

"...Miss Camula, who are you?"

"You've already guessed it."

"...Ah, the reliefs on this carriage, the sun, the scepter and Horus, ordinary nobles would not dare to decorate like this, this golden crown, and you said that you can find a way to let me touch those incomparably precious cultural relics ..."

Ai pressed one of his eyes.

She looked at the girl opposite with her other eye.

"Kamh Titila Hasut, you are a member of the royal family, the daughter of Pharaoh Tomil XXII who likes to hang out in the market, the princess of the kingdom and Niroklei, I have seen Yeves do it for you An oil copy of a family painting, but with a fairer version of you."

"It's enough to call me Kamula. Skin color and clothing can determine a person's identity. It's ridiculous. That guy thinks I have the blood of an elegant person, so he just paints me white...but I'm not like that at all. Don't hate this dark skin that has been worn by the sun and wind and sand."

Her Royal Highness the princess readily admitted.

Then, she looked at Ting Na who was not saying a word in surprise.

"But Miss Tina doesn't seem very surprised."

"It's more numb than not surprised."

When Her Royal Highness came to ask in person, Ting Na could only smile wryly.

This is the first princess she has met?

Let's get rid of Liliana first, Miss Witch is a genuine queen who has left her name in history—but then again, since she can become a queen, she must have been a princess with the right to inherit the throne before.

Then it was the first trip to a foreign country, the mage tower on the prairie, because of the defense mechanism of the tower, Sephanny was accidentally sent to the inaccessible prairie, and she also has the succession order of the Olympian Kingdom, and When she arrived in the city of a thousand towers, she met another princess of Olympian who tried to cheat to enter the ivory tower and steal the technology that had not yet flowed out to solve the disaster of the kingdom.

Then, the former royal family of Olympian, the descendant of the Reinhardt family, strictly speaking, Ai, the former royal princess, well, thinking about it this way, I really have a destiny with Olympian.

And then, sitting in front of you now, Pharaoh's daughter...

Tina thought it was ridiculous.

Perhaps, as Ai said, I am not as ordinary as I thought.

How can any ordinary person know so many people of high status in such a short period of time?

Because she really didn't know what to say, Ting Na could only smile helplessly.

This is the first day of coming to Sinai. I really don’t know if this is a harbinger of the turbulent journey in the future.

In front of the Adventurer's Association, the carriage stopped.

After the young nobleman who served as the driver announced the destination, Tina hurriedly greeted Kamula—of course with a stiff smile, and got out of the carriage.

"Speaking of which, Camula...Your Highness, I have another question. If all of them are genuine, why did the power given by the gods disappear?"

"Maybe it's been too long, maybe it's because the Nine Pillars God no longer loves the dead king, who knows..."

Putting aside the conversation between Ai and Kamula, who were also about to get off the car, Tina pushed open the door of the Adventurer's Association.

The job handover and reporting of the liaison officer went smoothly, although Tingna always felt that the young man looked at her a few more times for some reason during the handover.

The sudden arrival of the pharaoh's daughter did not cause much disturbance to the association, after all, it was an informal meeting, and it was well known that the princess liked to hang out in the market, even Alexandra.

But when Tingna took out the envelope and expressed hope to hand it over to the president of the association, she was told that the president of the association and some important officials of the kingdom went to a legendary oracle hall for a special meeting and were expected to come back in a week.

Moreover, as soon as she saw the envelope, the receptionist at the front desk knew what Tina wanted.

"The honorary adventurer in charge of Miss Tina hopes to get a letter of recommendation from the association."

"...That's right."

"That honorary adventurer may be coming to Alexandria for the first time. In this city, it is impossible for the president to write a letter of recommendation based on other people's letters of recommendation."

"……Eh?"

Tina froze.

"It's understandable not to know."

The receptionist lady nodded and explained carefully to the girl.

This is a new rule that was changed after the new president took office a few years ago. To get a letter of recommendation from the Adventurer’s Association, a certain amount of contribution is required. According to the association’s express regulations, that is 5 entrustments above A level.

"5 A-levels and above?"

Tingna subconsciously looked at the commission wall on the side of the hall.

The main basis for grading entrustments by the Adventurers Association is the difficulty of the entrusted event. A-level entrustment is already the highest level that can be accessed under normal circumstances. one of.

At the turn of spring and summer last year, when they were in Salt Sand City, Liliana and Alice eliminated the threat of the lava dragon beast. The final grade of that commission was S.

Although the A-level entrustment would not be that exaggerated, it would be nice not to exaggerate, but five A-level entrustments are really...

"This is too..."

"This is a rule, Ms. Tingna, even if you are an honorary adventurer, the association will guarantee the adventurer's ability with the association's credit only if you have completed 5 A-level commissions..."

At this point in the conversation, Kamula, who had been silent on the sidelines, suddenly spoke.

"I have always felt that the rules and regulations formulated by Heras are too rigid. A recommendation letter is just a matter of effort. It is too cumbersome to have to complete a bunch of time-wasting commissions to get it."

Her Highness spoke in a less impatient tone, and the receptionist stuttered immediately.

"Respect, honorable sir, but this is an express rule..."

"The rules are rigid, but people can be flexible, so that's it. These two are the secretary and students of the lady witch who needs a letter of recommendation. Today, they helped us catch the tomb robber who was on the run trying to steal and sell the relics of the great pharaoh." Thief, the level of this commission is at least A, I remember correctly, right? And the hijacking of the airship yesterday seems to be done by this lady—"

While chatting in the carriage, the princess also knew what happened at the airport yesterday.

If you want to say why, you can only say that the combination of a tall blonde girl and a girl with black hair and red eyes is not common in Sinai, and it is quite easy to match the number.

"In this way, let them set up an adventure group, which becomes a commission for the team to complete. In this way, only three more things need to be completed, and the team can get a letter of recommendation, right?"

"But, but..."

"I know that the number of team commissions is calculated after the team is established, but this is nothing at all, as long as a small change in the date..."

"But this, this is illegal..."

I don't know if it was because she was surprised that she was quite familiar with the affairs of the Adventurer's Association despite being a princess. The lady receptionist was so sad that she couldn't say a word of rebuttal.

Noticing that people were all looking over, Ting Na quickly tugged on the corner of Her Royal Highness's clothes.

"His Royal Highness Kamula, I am a staff member of the Adventurer's Association. According to regulations, I cannot join the adventure group as an individual..."

But Kamula just glanced at the eyes of the association and smiled indifferently.

"It's okay, it's okay, Miss Tingna is the liaison of that honorary adventurer, right? There is a precedent for a liaison who joins an adventure group with an honorary adventurer. It's just a matter of effort."

With that said, Kamula issued a commission to capture the tomb robbers carrying extremely precious cultural relics—no doubt rated as A-level—and pushed Ai and Tinna into the adventurer registration window.

After tossing around like this for a while.

Looking at the documents of the adventurer team that they registered before they came to Alexandria and the resume that had completed two A-level commissions, they looked at the novelty flip-book with brand-new adventurer ID cards. Looking at Ai, Tingna was a little bit dumbfounded.

She never dreamed that one day she would actually become a member of a certain adventure group.

"Is the name of the adventure group left at the end?"

"Yes, it is."

The instigator of all this looked at them with interest.

"As an adventure group, you already have 2 A-level commission completion records, as long as you complete 3 more, you can get a letter of recommendation according to the regulations."

"Yes, yes, Your Royal Highness, there is no difference in the requirements for obtaining letters of recommendation for individuals and teams..."

The receptionist lady nodded obediently, looking at her, Ting Na felt that she was a bit pitiful...

"So, the rules are dead, but the people are alive. Now just write the name of the team on it."

Kamula, who was very satisfied with this, nodded, picked up a quill from the table, and handed it to Tina.

"Come up with a good name."

"Good name, uh..."

Choosing a good name is the most important thing for an adventurer team.

Tingna took the quill, and couldn't help but glance at Ai. The black-haired girl hadn't said a word, and she also shrugged her shoulders at the girl's help-seeking gaze, as if saying that it's just up to you to decide.

This made the girl feel that her stomach was aching.

But even if it doesn't make any sense, Kamula has already let the entire association know about it, it's better to leave as soon as possible than to be entangled under the eyes of a lot of people, no matter what ...

Moreover, when it comes to the name... In fact, I don't have no ideas, do I?

"Then take this."

The girl wrote a name on the document with a quill pen, and handed it to the receptionist lady. After receiving the document, the receptionist glanced around in a book that turned pages automatically, then nodded, and said on the document. , stamped with a steel seal.

"What is it?"

Ai, who was not looking at the document, asked casually.

Glancing at her, Ting Na hesitated for a moment, then softly said the name that had been approved and registered.

"Lightseekers." "

………………………………………………………………………………

Postscript of a certain day:

"Miss Liliana, Miss Alice, we are back..."

"...It's late, work, how about it."

"The handover of reports and work went smoothly, but Miss Liliana wants to get a letter of recommendation from the Adventurer's Association, because the president is not here, so there is no way for the time being, and..."

"...to complete five high-level commissions and make sufficient contributions."

"Well, even though that's the case, since someone is speaking for us, we only need to complete three..."

"...?"

"What happened? Alice is very curious."

"...No, it's nothing, it's just, it's a long story..."