CH 12

Chapter 12: The Princess of a Country Without People

If you follow this map, you'll be able to arrive to the nearest country. Do your best, Ojousan.

The chief of the village where I stayed the other day gave me a map while saying such words, so I decided to obediently follow it.

It's been a half day since I've been flying on my broom at low altitude, barely above the ground while holding that map in hand. Certainly, I was able to reach my goal without a hitch.

I was able to, however...

Good grief, just what is this.

"............"

Isn't it all wrecked?

It's..... not a country is it?

Anything and everything. All things were dead. The gate that separated country from the outside was also left open, so I was able to pass under it without stopping while on my broom.

The scenery inside the country stayed unchanged. Houses without roofs, what were once houses burnt to the ground, houses with just outlines remaining, houses that turned to a mere debris... debris, debris, and more debris.

As for people, there was not even a sign of life.

It seems that this country had been deserted by people long time ago.

And while the Royal Palace that could be said to be the symbol of this country was comparatively normal in appearance, it was still ruins in the end. The outer wall was full of cracks, so much so that it seemed like it would fall apart with a strike. The wooden gate wouldn't budge even if you pulled or pushed it.

"......Ughh."

I'm at loss. Truly at loss.

Well, what shall I do?

I sat on the stairs that stretched towards the Royal Palace with a truly depressed expression, however, there was naturally no one who could call out to me out of concern, so I merely hung my head.

Should I turn back on the road, taking another half-day?

Or should I instead stay here?

These two were the choices presented to me. And I didn't want to choose either of them. If I try to follow the road I came at this time, it will definitely turn dark. Even if I safely return to the village, there's also a question on whether there's any lodging place that will let me stay. Even if you tell me to sleep here without returning to the village, that would be troubling on it's own right.

After all, it's all ruins here.

"......Haah.”

But unfortunately, staying here in these ruins seems to be the better choice out of the two.

And so I chose it.

After all, the problem wouldn't be solved without a sacrifice. I'm very reluctant, but there's no other choice.

Let's stay here.

And so I stood up.

In order to search for a bed.

As a result of flying around on the broom in the skies of the small country, the Royal Palace turned out to be the place that retained the most decent appearance. Private houses were no good. They were, after all, crumbled to the point of being practically useless.

The gate of the Royal Palace was locked, but if you thought about it, there was no one there.

..........

It's fine right?

......It's fine to do it, right?"

"......Eii."

After confirming once again that there was no one nearby, I burned that gate with Magic and it turned to ashes.

"Sorry for intruding......"

Then, I entered.

Compared to its outside that was full of cracks, the interior had kept its beautiful appearance. Although it was covered by dust, there were shortcomings with lodging.

Now, let's begin the search. First comes securing a bed.

The castle devoid of people had an ominous atmosphere drifting about. There was a faint air of unrest, feeling like some unknown thing would jump out any moment now.

While feeling a strange chilliness, I searched for the stairs. Being a traveler who wandered many countries, I knew that the room I was aiming for wasn't on the first floor. If there was a bedroom, it would be on the second floor. Or even further above, there should be a bedroom used by royalty.

In less than a few minutes after beginning the search, I discovered the stairs. Stepping firmly on the dust-covered carpet, I headed upstairs.

And then,

"Who are you?"

I heard a voice.

I reflexively raised my head while being attacked by a heart-piercing feeling. Thereupon, I saw a woman standing at the end of the stairway.

I was about to cry. In every sense of the word.

"I didn't expect for someone to live here."

"I didn't expected that someone would come here."

The place she lead me was a bedroom full of elegance.

Although there was only a bed and desk that could be called furniture in it, if you were to speak of it's vastness... I wonder if it would be enough to fit one whole house from the village I stayed the other day. What is this even? Just what is this? Are you supposed to sleep at such place? Such extravagance.

"Where did you come from I wonder?"

As she pulled out a chair from the desk (an expensive-looking thing shining in gilded splendor) and sat on it, she directed a soft gaze at me.

"I came from a country far far away," I said. "I'm a traveler."

"Can I hear your name?"

"It's Elaina."

"I see. I'm Milarosé. Nice to meet you."

She smiled.

Her hair was red as blood and ruffled as if lightning passed through it. As she wore a tattered dress, I felt uneasy thinking whether she was a person with wild temperament, but she turned out to be a gentle person.

"Milarosé-san, why are you here?"

"......I don't know."

"Huh? What does that mean?"

"I don't know why I'm here." Milarosé-san warped her expression. "When I came to myself, I was in this ruined country."

".....That is..."

I wonder if it's something like amnesia──

But how? The ruin of this country shouldn't be something that happened today or yesterday. Roughly estimating, it was already in this state a month ago.

I put my questions into words as is.

"Why don't you leave from this country? Rather than staying here, living in another country should be much better. If it's money, it's scattered all around here."

The valuable things could be stolen from the castle if push came to shove.

"............"

After looking like she was thinking for a bit, she stood up. Then, she took out a single sheet of paper from the desk drawer, and beckoned to me.

Come here, that must be what she meant.

"This is the reason why I can't leave this place."

She showed me that paper. Messy characters that looked as if bugs crawled on it were tightly lined up from top to bottom.

It seems it was a letter.

While being urged by her, I read that letter.

You, who are reading this letter, Princess Milarosé is who you are. Even if you don't know anything, I know it.

Why are you here? Why is everything outside the windows ruined? Why don't you have your previous memory?

I'm sure you are perplexed from all the things you don't know, but I want you to calm down. I will explain everything in a little while.

To say that all the puzzles swirling in you will be solved, that isn’t the case. But at least it will avoid your death by making a wrong choice. In other words, read this if you don't want to die.

By the way, is it day over there, or a night?

I'll assume that it's a night and advance the topic from there. If it's day by chance, well, it would be good if you just put it in the corner of your head that such things will continue to occur from now on.

Now.

I want you to look outside the window. Surely, the monster should be going rampant. That monster is the demon that destroyed this country, and also the cause of your amnesia.

That monster has no name. If I take this opportunity and give it a name, I would call it Javillier.

It wakes up along with sunset and continues to destroy the country until sunrise. If you decided to go out to get food supplies, I recommend you do so at daytime. The castle is safe. Inside the castle is the only place where Javillier can't enter.

Javillier's goal is to massacre everyone in this country. It comes to this country every night, and rages in search for the last remaining person.

The remaining person, in other words, is you.

It's aiming at you who became a Princess of a country without people. I'm begging you, don't leave the country. If you leave the country, Javillier will also leave the country in your pursuit.

For you, I have a sole request.

I want you to kill Javillier with your strength. Although, unless you kill that monster, you won’t be able to leave the country, so I don't think you have much of a choice.

If it's your, a Witch's, Magic, then something like defeating Javillier should be an easy matter. Please, for our sakes, I want you to defeat that monster.

So that you live.

And for those who were unfortunately murdered.

Then, at night.

The thing referred to as Javillier, was undoubtedly a monster.

Its giant body could be compared to the decayed buildings, and was covered with scales as black as dead of night.

It was named Javillier, but from outward appearance, it was just like a dragon.

If you plucked the wings off of a dragon, I think it would end up with that form. I don't know if it's because of that, but that dreadful of a monster spewed fire. Its appearance as it was destroying buildings with its giant muscular arm and burned down houses by spewing fire, rather than searching for the lone survivor Milarosé, it appeared as if it was just in a fit of rage.

"Rather than that, Milarosé-san, so you were a Witch?"

"Rather than that, Elaina-san, you are a Witch."

"No, well, me being a Witch should be obvious from my appearance."

My appearance is that of a Witch no matter how you look at it. Did she not see this brooch of mine?

"Just kidding."

Milarosé-san leaked a laugh while gazing down at the monster that rampaged as it liked outside the window.

I also followed her line of sight.

"But the person who wrote that letter also makes quite unreasonable requests, huh."

"That's right. Because to fight a monster like that and winning...... it's just ridiculous."

"......That reminds me." There's something bothering me. "Why was it written that only this castle was safe."

"Even if you ask me, I don't know the answer."

Well, that true.

I said.

"Wasn't that letter kind of strange? In the end, wouldn't the only things we learned after reading that letter be that the monster comes out at night, and that you must  kill it?"

That's right, while it's tediously written down regarding the situation Milarosé-san is placed in at the moment, there's not a word written about the crucial part.

Why did Javillier appear and destroy the country? Why was she the only survivor? What is the relation between amnesia and Javillier?

All of that is truly a mystery, mystery, mystery. As if intentionally avoiding to inform her, they were splendidly omitted.

But for what reason?

"While it's true that there is a mountain of things I don't understand, I learned that I was Milarosé, the Princess of this country──and that this country was destroyed by the monster. If all that is true, than it is my mission to defeat that.........don't you think so?"

"Have you fought it?"

As I pointed at the monster rampaging outside, she shook her head.

"Not yet."

"That is an opponent I wouldn't wish to fight in a lifetime."

"Indeed."

"Milarosé-san, how many days would it be today that you’ve seen that monster?"

"It's only seventh day. It hasn't been that long ever since I woke up. Well, the country was already ruined a week ago though."

She looked up towards the sky. On a jet black sky with shining stars, the round moon was producing a little light. What would she be feeling at the moment?

I do not understand, and I can not understand.

"............"

After being silent for a little while, she opened her mouth.

"At night tomorrow, I'll be fighting that monster."

"Do you have a chance of victory?"

Even if it's me, I don't know whether I would be able to win if I challenged that monster. Probably the power difference is at a level where you would finally win after dying twice.

"There is, of course. You see, I remembered how to use Magic one week after I woke up. Perhaps I was a capable user before losing my memory." She put her hands on her back.

"Do your best. I'll cheer for you from a safe place."

"Ah, won't you give me a hand?"

"Is there some advantage for me if I aid you?"

"......That absurdly frank way of speaking of yours, I don't hate it."

"Why thank you."

After that, we indulged ourselves in an ambiguous act called friendly chat while looking at the gallant figure of the Javillier that raged in the neighborhood, after which we went to bed.

As for my bed, Milarosé-san lent me the bed that seemed to be used by employees formerly. I'm thankful. It was all soft and fluffy.

Early morning of the next day.

I was woken up by the extraordinary thunderous roar. Enemy! Enemy-!  Something kept screaming inside my head. My heart was also thumping just like when you sprint with all your might. Having somewhat bad premonition, I jumped up, grasped my staff, and went towards the first floor that was the source of the roaring sound.

"Oh, good morning."

The one who greeted me as I was walking on the first floor of the castle full of wariness was the the widely smiling Milarosé-san. Her dress was different from yesterday, but it was just as torn up as that one. Doesn't she have anything but the torn-up dresses? I pity her.

No, now's not the time for that.

"What was that sound just now. Is it an enemy attack?"

"Enemy......?" She inclined her head in wonder. "I was just cooking. Was the sound really that loud?"

"......? C-Cooking?"

Perhaps the cooking that you are referring to is just an imaginary event.

"Yes. It will be done soon."

Nodding, she turned around and started to walk. Following behind her, I arrived to the kitchen.

"Wait in the next hall. Please wait."

"......Umm, do you need help?"

"It's fine."

"......Umm, but."

"It's fine."

"............"

I, who lost to her indescribable intimidating air, stepped back as she said. I was forced to step back. Then, as I faced towards the hall, I sat to one of the lined-up chairs. Then,

I failed huh – I thought so.

I shouldn't have stepped back. I thought.

The sounds coming from the kitchen were like the noises of construction done at top speed.  Baribari. Guchagucha. Gorigori. Bekibeki. Bokiboki. P-Please, spare at least this girl's lif──Gyaaah. Goshigoshi. Pechipechi.

Something like that.

It was obviously not the sounds of cooking.

To make it worse, I even heard a scream of something at the end. My appetite was completely lost due to (something that took the name of) a fierce cooking.

It goes without saying that I greeted her, who brought food from the kitchen with satisfied expression, with a pale face.

"Oh my, are you alright? Your face seems to be pale."

"......Just what in the world were you doing?"

"As I said, I was cooking──Here, look at this."

The plate was put before me. On top of the white plate were placed two pieces of bread. One of them was a bread baked to full brown with a muddy red jam on top of it. Another one had a sunny-side-up fried egg placed on it.

.........Cooking?

What was that sound......?

"Itadakimasu."

Sitting opposite of me, she bit into the bread with jam after holding her hands together.

"......Itadakimasu."

Imitating her, I also joined my hands.

The more deeply I thought about it, the more my head grew crazier it seemed, so I didn't pay attention the minor details. Probably, it would be considered a loss if I mind it.

Opposite to her, I bit into one with sunny-side-up fried egg. The faint appetizing soft taste of the wheat and the egg with just right degree of frying spread out throughout my mouth. It is a simple taste that can be eaten whenever you want to eat, but exactly because of that, it's been a while since I ate such cooking. My cheeks loosened up without me noticing.

In a word, it was really delicious.

"I'm thinking of talking about the night matter without delay."

Milarosé-san said.

"Night matter you say?"

"Yes. I want you to help me prepare a plan."

I replied while eating the egg, avoiding the the yolk.

"I received bed on top of breakfast, I will help you with that much without you asking."

"Then, how about defeating Javillier?"

"That's a little..."

In the first place, why is it that she must fight it? It seems to me that there won’t be any problems even if she doesn't.

Probably expecting that I would firmly refuse, Milarosé-san's facial expression was calm.

"Well, I'm joking so don't worry. I'll deal with the matter of my country on my own. The person who wrote that letter would probably want that as well."

"..........."

Now, how to accomplish that?

I stayed silent. It's not like it was because I was desperately trying to eat the the egg yolk without part of it spilling from my mouth. No, really.

"It would be good to hear what Elaina-san thinks. It's not certain that the content of that letter is truth. It would be stupid to believe everything when there's not a single thing written about important matters, wouldn't it?"

I got surprised, wondering if she could read my mind.

Ignoring me, who had words stuck in throat, she continued.

"However, as there's no basis to judge that now, this is the only thing I can do. Besides──to me, it just doesn't seem like that letter has lies in it. They truly hated that Javillier, wanted to kill it, that's why they wrote that letter to me──that's how I feel."

As I hit my chest and choked, Milarosé-san wordlessly handed over the cup with water. Ah, so kind.

"......Fuuh, thank you."

After catching my breath, I said. "No matter what you choose, it doesn't have any relation to me as I'm but a mere traveler. However, if you allow me to say one thing, if I was in your place, then I'd completely disregard the contents of that letter."

"Why is that?"

Milarosé-san smiled. That wasn't a scornful smile, neither was it bitter, it was just a gentle smile of someone who was enjoying the conversation.

She's truly a great person.

"Because it's suspicious──nothing more, nothing less. Even though you are in a state of amnesia where you can't tell left from right, you would be crazy if you just swallowed the contents of the letter with 'Oh, is that so'. Of course, I'm saying this while I haven't actually experienced it myself."

"In that case, what would Elaina-san do?"

"I would run away. I would run with all my might and take refuge in another country."

I said.

"It was written in the letter that Javillier would come chasing after me were I to leave the country."

"That exactly why it's suspicious. Would that monster that doesn't even have a fragment of intelligence and merely seems to be raging in the surroundings actually be capable of that? What's more, it being unable to come to this castle is also incomprehensible, and the sender didn't write about it either......... it's really a letter with nothing but mystery in it."

"That's why you can't believe the contents, is that what you are saying?"

"That's right──And Milarosé-san, do you still intend to choose the route of fighting that monster despite that?"

"Of course."

She nodded.

In that case, what I have to do is also decided.

I took a bite on the bread with jam on it. It was mysteriously delicious jam, but it stuck inside my mouth.

We started preparations without delay. That said, it was just by my actions alone.

"............"

......It's hard.

While elegantly drinking the black tea and watching over my work, Milarosé-san asked "How is it, do you think you'll finish it?" in a carefree manner.

As I turned back while trembling my staff, I said.

"......B-By the way, how much until it's over?"

Looking into the hole, she said in a cheerful manner. "Let's see, it needs half more digging perhaps."

"......I feel like I'm about to die."

I wonder if it's my imagination that the work amount and the reward appear to be obviously unbalanced.

If you ask what in the world am I made to do, I'm digging a hole. In the most spacious street of the country, I want to dig a hole with Magic, large enough that Javillier would fit in it completely──that was the preparations that she spoke of.

According to her, it appears that since Javillier doesn't have wings, if it fell into a pit, it would take a while for it to climb back up to the ground. In the meantime, if we continuously fire Magic towards that hole, wouldn't we be able to bury Javillier alive? – This was the plan that she told me.

It feels like a reckless attempt at glance, however, it's also true that against that unidentifiable monster, there's no other measure other than a primitive method like this.

If she suffered the damage of only a single hit, it seemed that it would still blast apart her body into countless pieces, and I think that just by preventing it from counterattacking, the effect could be expected to be plenty enough.

The drawback was that the preparation was tiresome to death.

"Fuh, Fuuh....... Gunununu......."

From there, I gathered every scoop, shovel, and every little thing like a bucket, manipulated them with Magic, and started to dig with them. Oh how heroic. This effort and hard work, I want someone to compliment it.

Well, I'm also the holder of a title "The Witch of Ashes" and am a Witch with quite good ability, so naturally, it was possible to dig the hole in a more skillful way. For example, gouging out the ground like a cylinder. However, the Magic Power consumption would be unreasonable that way. After comparing Magic Power consumption with working by myself, I readily chose to work.

And the result of that is this.

"......Guoooo......"

By the way, I'm regretting it with all my might.

This is hard to the point of dying.

In the end, we finished the work after Milarosé-san lent me a hand. But still, it took time, and by the time the pitfall was finished, it was already evening.

The two of us were happily standing in line before that magnificent hole. I feel like some strange friendship has sprouted between us as a result of us working together. Or is it just my imagination?

"......It'll be soon now."

Milarosé-san said. Her expression appeared to be somewhat stiff from tension.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm a-a-a-a-alright. Yes, I'm alright."

It appears that you aren't alright at all.

"Though you are shaking all over."

"T-T-This is called trembling from excitement. You didn't know?"

"............"

You won’t be able fight properly like this, will you?

After continuing to think about how to loosen her tension, I thought of a change of subject.

It was a bright idea.

"By the way, I forgot to ask one thing."

"Hm? What would it be?"

I said.

"Milarosé-san, why are you wearing torn up dresses? Could it be that you don't have any clean clothes?"

"That's not it. They become like that whenever I cook, so since changing them is troublesome, I'm just wearing them as is."

"What kind of cooking?......"

I was disappointed by that unexpectedly stupid reason.

And yet I thought it was hiding some more important secret.

"By the way, today's clothes are my best."

"They are already muddy on top of being torn though."

"Actually, I'm also wearing my special underwear."

"Are you intending to show it off to Javillier?"

"It's called sex appeal strategy."

"It would be nice if it was effective."

While we were having such trivial conversation, a smile returned to her face. I'm glad. My strategy was a success.

However, she said to me who was feeling relieved:

"Thank you."

"......Eh? What might you be meaning?" I turned my face away from her. My reddened cheeks must be because of the setting sun, that must be it.

"Your feelings have been transmitted. You were trying to loosen my tension right?"

"My my, I was only chatting, but to think that it would be considered that. It doesn't feel bad."

"Although you are absurdly frank, you are so dishonest."

Milarosé-san poked my side with her staff. it was ticklish.

"It's okay. I won't die," she said. "Let's meet again after this. I'll treat you an evening meal with my cooking."

"No thank you. I'll be the one making meal this evening," I said. "So, please don't die."

"Of course."

While saying such words, Milarosé-san covered the hole's surface. With this, Javillier wouldn't know about the hole and openly walk into it and fall.

The setting sun, dying the sky in red was shining faintly. The sky in which red and blue were clearly separated would soon set in darkness.

And before long, Javillier should arrive here.

"Now, go."

Milarosé-san pushed my back.

"......Let's meet again later."

As I said so, she once again showed me a soft smile. Just like that, I turned by back on her and started to walk.

Oops, did anyone say anything about leaving?

Just kidding. If I left like this, it would be the end of me as a human. No, well, I do think that refusing her at the beginning was really cold.

Right now, I was inside the private house on the opposite side of the pitfall, and was silently waiting for the right time. It's a pincer-attack strategy.

To say the truth, I really didn't intend to help her at first. After all, it was unrelated to me. Because I didn't know whether it was worth risking my life for, or if that monster was really necessary to defeat.

However, I changed my mind. The reason is that, just for a bit, I thought that I didn't want to let that lovely person die. That's why I fight.

Of course, to the extent of avoiding death.

I would like you to forgive me who can't honestly say "I will help you!" at this late hour.

"............"

Before long.

A repulsive roar sounding as if it crawled up from the depths of hell resounded extremely nearby. As I peeked at the situation outside, I saw black scales slowly passing by.

If it continues like this, it should have a perfect fall into the pitfall.

"......Fuuh."

I took a deep breath, that was almost unending.

It's strange. After all, even though I'd just met her yesterday, I ended up thinking that I want to let her live.

When this is over, let's make a meal together with her. While I'm at it, I'll take a look at her fierce cooking. That's really on my mind.

As I thought about this and that, the time has finally come.

The howl of the monster was heard. It seemed to be acting violently, and although it was faint, the vibration traveled up to the place I was at.

As I stealthily peaked at outside, I saw Milarosé-san engaged in a fascinating battle. She was mercilessly attacking Javillier that was trying to climb up from the hole with Magic one after another.

Ice spear, fireball, swords, axes, and such manipulated by Magic, blades of wind and lighting, and many other things.

Eh? Oh? Seems like she's winning? I thought so for a moment, but it wasn't like that. It was only a little, but Milarosé-san was being overpowered.

Javillier was spouting fire towards the sky and negating Magic fired by Milarosé-san, while trying to climb up from the hole.

If I'm going to go out, this is the best moment.

If both of us attack, we should be able to return it back to the hole once more. And then bury it.

Closing my eyes, I once again took a deep breath.

I strongly, really strongly grasped my staff. Let's do this.

"──Milarosé-san!"

It happened the moment I made up my mind and vigorously jumped out.

Something unbelievably fast passed by my side.

After splashing something on my face, it crashed into the private house behind me.

A thunderous roar reverberated.

As I touched my face with my hand, there was a slight smell of iron. The viscous warm liquid was blood.

......Blood. It can't be.

No, there's no wa──

I turned around while holding down by heartbeat.

"............Eh."

Buried in the mountain of debris was...

It was...

A dragon-like black head. It was Javillier's head. Blood spilled from the clean cut that seemed to have been done by a sharp-edged tool, and the pool of blood started to corrode the earth.

Why is Javillier's head here? Eh? Could it be, it was defeated without my turn?

As I was having trouble understanding the situation,

"......While I was attacking Javillier, I remembered it." I heard a voice.

It was a voice so cold it froze my spine. So much that I wondered whether it wasn't Milarosé-san but someone else who was talking.

But as I turned around, the one standing next to the headless Javillier was unmistakably Milarosé-san.

"Everything. Everything. Everything, everything, everything──I remember it. Aha...Ahahahaha...haha!"

Was the one standing there really the person I knew?

Milarosé-san invoked her Magic while disheveling her hair. Instantly, the limbs of headless Javillier had it's limbs cut into pieces and blown off. The blown off flesh, while bleeding, covered the street that was already turned into ruins.

"............"

That made me tremble.

She laughed while being bathed in blood──It wasn't a gentle smile she showed me this morning, but rather a thoroughly warped, dark, dark smile.

"Aha...ahahahahahahaha! Hahahahahahahaha!"

No words came out. I wasn't able to do anything but to merely stand there.

After returning to the castle, I was told everything.

For one thing, it was a tale, and it was also a fact.

A few years ago from today, Milarosé-san had a lover.

But his existence was a secret for everyone. That is, the lover was her servant. If her father heard that she fell in love with a man from different social standing, she would surely be disinherited──fearing that, she lead a stealthy relationship so that no one would find out about it.

Both of them mutually loved and trusted one another.

But secrets get eventually exposed. Their secret was also no exception.

The truth of her being in relationship with the servant got exposed to the public in the worst way possible.

Milarosé-san became pregnant with his child.

The two of them, who had realized that it was impossible to keep it hidden any longer, told everything to Milarosé-san's father who was the king.

Quietly listening to their story, the king who seriously listened, while nodding several times, announced at the same time they finished their talk:

"Execute that servant."

No one was able to calm the king's anger.

The king dragged him by horse while riding it himself, thoroughly peeled off his nails one by one, broke his teeth, submerged him in water, gave him just enough meals to stay alive, caused him to loiter between life and death for two months, torturing him in every possible way until he went insane, and finally killed him by burning him at stake in front of Milarosé-san and his citizens.

Then, after he finished dealing with the servant, it came Milarosé-san's turn.

Since she was his own daughter and the sole Witch of the country, he didn't kill her, however, he couldn't allow a servant's child to be in her belly──and it seems that the king paid large sum of money to the doctor who lived in the country, and made him kill the child in her belly.

Naturally, no matter how many months she waited, her child was never born.

Then, she who lost everything made a vow.

I'll kill everything.

After that, she carefully polished her plan. The first thing to do was to put a barrier around the castle. For her plan, the castle must have been absolutely safe place. Since they were a bother, it seems that she had gathered all the people living inside the castle and locked them up in the basement.

All but the king, however.

She who seized the country, threw the king outside of the castle and put up the barrier. It was a barrier that repelled everyone aside from those with strong Magic Power──this is the reason why I – who am a Witch was able to enter.

Then, next, she addressed a letter to her future self──no, made someone to address it. It seems she dragged out a person from the basement, and made them write a letter while issuing instructions from the side. She thought it would be inconvenient if it was written by her.

Then, as she hid the written letter inside a desk drawer, from the room window, she looked down at the king who was trying everything to enter the castle. The king, as soon as he saw her figure, flew into a rage. "It's because you became pregnant from someone like a servant, you are no longer my daughter", it appears he told her such things.

She silently directed her staff towards the shouting king, and put a curse on him──with her memories as a compensation.

The king who basked in the Magic Power mixed with memories and despair changed his form. That appearance of his with his body became enlarged, scales grew on his skin, and he lost his intelligence as a human.

It was a black dragon.

The king's name was Javillier.

It wasn't a mere coincidence that he had a similar name to that monster. And by creating a monster that became active only at night, her plan was completed.

She who had exhausted most of the Magic Power that dwelled in her body fell into a deep sleep for a short while.

The next time she opened her eyes, she had forgotten everything. However, everything was pre-established. Everything was simply following a fixed path.

Her confronting the black dragon was also included in her plans. And also the fact that while attacking it, the memories that spilled from the monster would return to her.

However, the problem was born here.

Why did she go out of her way to use her memories as a compensation? Milarosé-san should have been extremely troubled because of losing her memories. Besides, wouldn't she feel better if she maintained her memories, I also thought so.

As I asked, she smiled unintentionally.

"The reason I transferred my memories to that king was so that I could show him my despair."

King Javillier, who had become a black dragon, did by no means lose his intelligence. It appears that he certainly retained his consciousness as a human while just his body was hijacked by a monster. Milarosé-san planned so that it would become so.

She probably wanted to torment the king, even intentionally taking such roundabout methods. King Javillier, who had become, a monster crushed his own people, while memories that Milarosé-san forced on him drifted in his head, he killed, killed, and continued killing his beloved citizens, and then──

Then, the tale that went entirely according to her plan, finally met it's end. By her own hands, who had now become the Princess of a country without people.

Early morning of the next day.

I left the castle without touching the cuisine that she made at all.

"So you are going already," she said in a calm manner, without making especially sorrowful face.

"I'm sorry. I'm a traveler after all. I must hurry ahead."

"Oh, is that so──such shame. Even though I enjoyed talking with you a lot."

"............"

"Why don't you take it more slowly?"

"Please stop."

"Just kidding."

She laughed. There was not a bit of gentleness in, but it was merely a distorted smile swirling with dark emotions.

The girl I knew is nowhere to be found anymore.

"What do you plan to do from now on, Milarosé-san?"

"I wonder what I should do──if anything, maybe I should go on a journey?"

"I wouldn't recommend that."

"Would it be fine if we go together I wonder?"

"Really, please stop."

"That was also a joke──truthfully, I haven't thought of anything yet. Right now, I want to immerse myself in the aftertaste of the revenge. "

She stroked a place near her stomach. Just like a mother who carried a new life in her belly.

There was nothing to say.

That's why I decided to quickly round it up.

"Well then, farewell. Be safe." While saying so, I got on my broom.

"You as well."

I flew on my broom.

Cutting the wind and advancing in a straight line.

I bet she is waving her hand. However I don't feel like turning around.

Faster and faster, rushing as much as I could, I left the country.

While flying over the ruin that was once a country.