Chapter 3. Havlin Village (2) Part-2

"Ey! Is this ok? There's a Holy Knight here!"

"I don't know! It'll work out!"

"He must be sleeping! It's late in the night!"

"I'm just going to participate in today's meeting. My body is all itching!"

'"Aah, hurry… hurry…"

"…?"

Lulu tilted his head curiously. His rabbit ears shot up as he heard the villager's voices. Lulu peeked his head out of the window. There were several people gathered in a corner in the distance. The villagers with torches were heading off somewhere quietly. There were mercenaries and adventurers among them. The Villagers were shaking with excitement.

"Aah, Finally today, the day I've been waiting for,…!"

"I'll be blessed!"

"…Blessing?"

Lulu muttered dumbly as he tilted his head again. Looking at it, he had heard the humans believed in some kind of religion. Was this an obvious thing to the humans? Lulu, who was unaware of the lifestyle of the humans, accepted it as an everyday thing. At the same time, there was a girl near the inn walking toward where the villagers were heading. The girl, having felt his gaze, turned to the second story of the inn. Her eyes and Lulu's eyes met causing her eyes to grow wide.

"…?!"

Lulu was surprised as well as he wasn't wearing a robe around his head.

'Ah…!'

He quickly covered his ears with illusory magic, but her face looked like she had definitely seen them. The other villagers near her followed her eyes to the second story window, but they only saw that there was nothing there and shook their heads.

"Fran, what's wrong?"

"Just… some monster…!"

"Are you hallucinating? Let's go. We'll be late for the ceremony! We're the last people!"

The villagers took the girl named Fran and left the village. Lulu, whose face has become transparent through illusory magic, tilted his head again.

"Ceremony…?"

Next morning, Tom was invited to a meal with the Chief. It was food made of various ingredients along with some soup and bread. It was shabby food that would feel repulsive to the nobles, but to the commoners, it was very much a plentiful meal. Lulu watched the food under his robe before turning to Tom. He was concerned whether the food was drugged. Tom lifted his utensils and tasted the food first.

'… It doesn't seem to be drugged?'

The taste was alright. As it was made with fresh vegetables, it also had good texture.

"It's ok."

Once he received the confirmation from Tom, Lulu felt relieved.

"Is that so?"

Lulu ate as well. He must have enjoyed the food thoroughly as he licked his fingers as well.

"I brought more food here."

Some girl approached and put more food on the table. Lulu, who saw her, was surprised.

"Eh! Monster!"

When their eyes met, she jumped back in surprise and pointed at him. Tom frowned at her cry of 'monster', and the Chief smacked her on the head looking pale.

"You brat! Fran! Are you sane?! Calling our honored guest a monster! I-I'm truly sorry. This child has no sense…!"

"It… is okay. She looks quite young and children can do such things."

When Tom replied with a smile, Lulu was sitting stiffly. He didn't know what to do in case he became a hindrance. Tom noticed this and whispered to Lulu.

"What happened?"

"T-that is… I was looking out at night and was caught. I-I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

Lulu shrank as though he had sinned. Tom, listening to his explanation, brushed his head in reply.

"Did anyone else catch you other than the child?"

"No… probably…"

"Then it's fine. No one is going to believe a child."

"…"

Lulu looked relieved hearing his reply.

Once the meal ended, Tom shared a word with the Chief in hopes of finding out more about the village. The Chief was cautious and answered evasively.

Like that the afternoon slipped by, and the sun began to set into the evening. Lulu grew bored of listening to the two talk, and yawned sleepily. At that point, their conversation came to an end. The Chief's final words were, 'When were you planning on leaving?'. Despite Tom revealing himself as a Holy Knight deserter, he must have felt wary about him staying in the village.

Lulu felt relieved that the boring conversations had finally come to an end. At that point, the girl called Fran stared directly at Lulu.

"…?"

"That hood. Can't you take it off?"

Lulu looked surprised before pressing down on the robe further.

"I-I don't want to."

"Let me see! You have some weird monster ears!"

"It's not a monster ear! It's rabbit ears!"

"Rabbit ears?"

Lulu frantically tried to backtrack.

"N-nothing."

"It's rabbit ears!"

Lulu shrank some more hearing Fran's shout.

"Let me see!"

"…"

Lulu sighed looking at Fran's shining eyes.

'Fine, let's just show her.'

Lulu pulled his robe off. When he did, his white hair could be seen. Except, his rabbit ears were nowhere to be seen.

"Eh…?"

"See, nothing! Don't make a fuss!"

"…"

Fran frowned before extending her hand in an attempt to find the ears. Lulu was shocked by that and barely managed to pull back. Illusory hid his ears, but it didn't make them disappear. If something touched it, the rabbit ears might appear again.

"Why are you moving away!"

"I-it because I don't want you to touch me!"

Like that, the boy and the girls were arguing. The Chief, sweating again, looked warily at Tom.

"I-I'm sorry. Fran is such a fussy child… Fran! Stop that!"

"S-sir Tom!"

Lulu looked frightened and hid behind Tom. Fran frowned and stared at Lulu again.

"Don't run! Show me…!"

"I don't want to!"

"Show me-!"

Fran shouted. Watching her shout, Tom and Lulu froze. Fran looked at Lulu murderously as she spoke. Her voice holding something close to murderous intent.

"Show me! Show me! Show me! Show me! Show me! Kyaaaaaack! Show me-! I said show me! If you don't show me, I'll kill you! Show…"

At that point, a staff landed on Fran's head. Fran turned around tearfully. The Chief looked at her intently as he scolded her.

"Stop that!"

"… S-sorry."

Lulu trembled as though he received a great shock. A small human girl managed to bring Lulu such great terror.

The Chief smiled awkwardly at Tom. Tom watched Fran with a stiff expression before turning to the Child again.

"Just what is…"

"Oh my! It's late! So… Haha… W-we'll speak… tomorrow."

"… Yes."

Tom rose from his seat.

'This village. Something is strange. I'll have to investigate quickly.'

He might be able to discover what it was by continuing to interrogate the Chief, but he would keep trying to avoid the question. That was the limit of his eyes that could discern truth from lies.

"Yes, I'll meet you tomorrow."

Tom left the Chief's house with those words. Lulu followed behind him timidly. Lulu trembled in fear and grabbed tightly onto Tom's clothes.

"A-are humans all that scary? Do they all have that much hostility? For something that small to be that scary…!"

"… Normal humans aren't like that. Yes. Normal humans that is."

Tom frowned. His gaze turned to Lulu.

"I'll be investigating a bit. Lulu, please return to the inn. It's dangerous, so you can't go outside."

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