The next morning, Ermes and Katia woke up almost simultaneously and immediately set out to put as much distance as possible between themselves and Aster's group.
The problem that arose was — supplies, as expected.
Though they had brought a fair amount of food and tools from the Duke House, their movements leading up to Katia's rescue had been far too rushed. They had no way of knowing how long this flight would last, and it was hard to say they were adequately prepared.
They needed to stop somewhere to resupply, but given the possibility of pursuers, they couldn't risk entering a town with too many eyes.
So the first place Ermes and Katia chose was—
"Oh, what business brings you to this village — wait, it's you two!"
The guard on duty spotted the pair and straightened up in surprise.
The village they had come to was the same frontier settlement they had once traveled to on Yurugen's commission to slay monsters.
With Aster's people unlikely to have operatives hidden here, and the villagers already well-disposed toward them from the previous rescue, there was also the calculation that they would cooperate to some degree.
"Y-Your outfits are… well… in any case, please come inside!"
The guard was startled by Katia's attire — far more plain than when she had last visited, and frankly, rather disheveled — but, as expected, he welcomed them inside without hesitation.
"I see… so that's the situation."
In the village chief's house, they gave a brief explanation of the circumstances.
The chief showed surprise at the contents of their story, but in the end nodded slowly.
"If that's the case, then please, make yourselves at home. You are benefactors to our village — take whatever you need."
"…Thank you. I swear upon the name of the Trackia Duke House that this debt will be repaid."
"oho hoho, there's no need for such things. If anything, it is we who owe you a debt of gratitude."
The chief replied warmly with a kindly smile. As Ermes was about to take advantage of this goodwill and list the supplies they needed—
"Oh—!! It's the big sister from the marquis house!"
A high-pitched voice from the entrance. When he turned around, there stood a familiar small girl.
"You're… um, Lina, wasn't it?"
"That's right!"
She was the girl they had rescued from a monster attack when they first came to this village.
Lina dashed over at full speed and threw herself at Katia.
"What are you doing here today? Did you come to play?! Then come over here! There are so many things I want to show you!!"
"Eh, ah, um, well…"
Even Katia couldn't bring herself to so brazenly reject such innocent enthusiasm. Still holding Lina, she looked to Ermes for help with her eyes.
He saw this and gave a light laugh.
"If it's all right with you, Lady Katia, perhaps you could play with her for a while."
"Eh? But, is that okay?"
"I can handle gathering the supplies on my own. It'll probably take a while, so even just for that time…"
Besides, he thought, such contact with others was probably important for her right now.
Receiving Ermes's gaze, Katia hesitated but nodded, and let herself be dragged out of the village chief's house by Lina.
Now then. Ermes turned back to the chief and was about to relay their needs.
The chief said just one thing to him.
"…Is that young lady troubled by something at the moment?"
"!"
He was surprised. Could that really be discerned from such a brief exchange?
"It is my duty as village chief to read people's state of mind. If there's no objection, would you tell me what's troubling her?"
"Most likely, it's about her sense of self — who she is. Beyond that, I don't know the details."
"Oh my."
The chief's eyes widened slightly.
"She hasn't confided in you?"
"…I am, after all, merely an attendant. What that lady thinks and feels — those are things Lady Katia herself must find the answer to."
Upon hearing those words, the chief looked even more struck — and then, abruptly, let out a soft chuckle.
"?"
"My apologies. It's just… I had the impression you were quite the mature one, but I see you have your age-appropriate side too."
"W-What do you—"
"You care a great deal about that young lady, don't you?
Which is precisely
why you're afraid that your own words might change her thoughts and feelings. It was written all over your face."
"Oh."
"Quite rare, you know. Rather than trying to change someone precious to you the way you want, you wish for them to remain as they are. …But how wonderfully bright that is."
Ermes felt a touch of embarrassment — had it really shown that much on his face? — as the chief smiled at him.
"I think she'll be all right."
He said this gently.
"People are always influenced by others, to a greater or lesser degree. Certainly, becoming completely dependent is a problem, but her heart isn't that fragile. …You may say I have no right to speak, having only just met her, but that is how I feel."
"…"
"Listening to her heart and conveying your own wishes — that much should be perfectly fine. …She may well be waiting for exactly that."
"…Thank you very much."
Those words were probably important.
Ermes sensed this instinctively, offered his sincere thanks, and then—
Composed himself and resumed requesting the supplies they needed.
◆
Meanwhile, Katia, led by Lina by the hand—
"And then! This is Yuta-kun's house! That big tree over there is really hard to climb, but the other day I finally made it all the way to the top!"
"Oh, yes…"
Was being guided all around the village.
Lina introduced her favorite spots in the village with genuine, heartfelt delight. Drawn along by her, Katia saw one scene of village life after another—
(—They all look like they're having so much fun.)
Of course, compared to the Royal Capital where Katia lived, there was an enormous gap in terms of living standards.
But the elderly couple chatting as they worked the fields, the children dashing at full speed between the rows, Lina spotting a close friend among them and waving — everyone wore a smile.
Protecting this life. This happiness. That was Katia's duty. She had always believed that.
(But I am—)
Just as Katia was about to spiral into the same loop of thoughts as before—
"Oh! And last, there's one more place I want to show you! Come on!"
Lina tugged her hand harder than ever before, and though Katia stumbled forward, she quickened her pace to match.
The place she was led to was the outskirts of the village.
And there—an astonishing sight had been laid out.
"What… is this…"
A moat.
A trench, deep enough for two adults to stand in side by side, had been carved in a ring around the entire perimeter of the village.
And above it — a wooden frame structure mounted on the fence, with fist-sized stones piled in baskets beside it.
Those were probably machines for throwing stones.
The instant Katia reached the simple answer to why they had built them, a voice called out from inside the moat.
"Oh! If it isn't Lina!"
It was a grown man. Not just him — several men were hard at work digging the moat, farming tools in hand.
"What's the matter? Come to fall in the hole and get muddy again?"
"N-No! I came to show her around today!"
"Show who aro—wait!"
One of the men caught sight of the girl standing next to Lina and let out a cry of surprise.
"If it isn't Lady Katia!"
"You're kidding! Oh, it really is! What brings you back to this village?"
"Lady Katia, there's nothing interesting here! You'll dirty your clothes! …Hold on, you're dressed pretty simply today, huh?"
"Wh-What… are you doing?"
Katia asked cautiously at the men's easy, friendly greetings.
"Well, monster countermeasures, of course! We drop the monsters into this moat, then crush 'em with stones from above — and no monster can survive that!"
"Yeah, once this is done, even those wolf-things from before won't be scary!"
So that was it, as she'd suspected.
Indeed, for a hound-level threat, this would be more than enough to handle.
But the fact that they had made this decision meant—
As though reading the thoughts forming in Katia's mind, the men spoke up.
"Oh, we're not saying Lady Katia or your attendant aren't reliable! Not at all! That magic was incredible — nobles really are something else."
"But still… having a little kid protect us the whole time is pretty pathetic. This place is far from the Royal Capital as it is, and it must be hard for you to come all the way out here."
"So the village chief decided we'd take care of the monsters we can handle ourselves! Of course, there are limits, so if it gets too much for us even with this, we'll be counting on you then!"
"…"
"See? Our village is amazing, right?"
Lina puffed out her chest proudly at the stunned Katia.
"And I started studying magic too! I'm not a noble, so maybe I can't do what Lady Katia does, but… when I looked into it, there's magic that even non-nobles can use! Something called general-purpose magic?"
"…Yes."
"So I'm going to work really hard at it! And then, I'll become an amazing magic user, just like Lady Katia or Lord Ermes!"
—She had thought she was the one who had to protect them.
But they — the ones she had unilaterally decided were "those to be protected" — were far stronger than she had ever imagined.
"…Yes, you truly are amazing."
For now, she answered honestly.
◆
They finished gathering the necessary supplies and left the village immediately. Until they knew how far Aster's intelligence network reached, this was the prudent course.
"Well then, Village Chief. If pursuers should happen to come here, please feel free to tell them about us without holding anything back — that we left without saying where we were headed. If they ask the day we departed, answer honestly as well."
"…Understood."
The chief nodded with a solemn expression, and beside him, little Lina looked forlorn.
Ermes bowed deeply to the village chief once more, promised Lina he would visit again, and waved farewell.
"Shall we be off, Lady Katia?"
"Yes."
He spoke to Katia beside him, and the two turned their backs on the village and walked away—but—
"Excuse me. Was something the matter?"
Ermes asked, sensing that Katia's atmosphere had shifted somewhat from before.
"…Yes. I think I'd like to… try thinking about a few things."
There was a faint but unmistakable new determination in her words — something he had never seen from her before.
—This was probably a good thing.
"Come on then, let's go, Erme."
"Yes."
He should probably reflect on what the chief had told him as well. With that thought, he answered, and the two set off together.
They now had enough reserves to last a while without stopping in town. After that, it was simply a matter of staying in unpopulated areas.
If need be, self-sufficiency was possible, and if they were truly cornered, there was always the last resort of turning to their master. He didn't want to use that card, but it was effective insurance.
So as long as they could keep running until Yurugen proved their innocence, it shouldn't be too difficult—
—So he thought.
That night—
Hearing a sound near the entrance of the tent, Ermes's consciousness snapped awake.
A survival skill he had once drilled into himself — wake at any suspicious noise. He gently released Katia's hand and carefully crawled out of the tent.
He spotted the figure almost immediately. Approaching silently from behind, he called out in a combat-ready stance.
"Who goes there?"
"Huh—E-Ermes!"
She was, understandably, surprised.
For the one who had turned around and called his name was none other than Lina — the very girl they had parted ways with that day.
Why was she here? Even if she had followed them, finding this exact spot was remarkable. And what business could she possibly have at this hour—
These thoughts were obliterated by her next words.
"—Please help! The village — the village is in terrible trouble!"
Next time, the story moves forward.