Extra 16 - The Suspicious Town (2)

Under the glow of the white moonlight, at the point where the green meadow ended, a shadow emerged silently from the forest. Beyond the pastures, the dense foliage turned into a thick grove.

"…"

Even under the moonlight, the darkness surrounding the shadow did not dissipate.

It was as if the surrounding trees were deliberately concealing it, leaving no gaps. The only part that shone was a pair of fierce eyes, like those of a predator.

"Damn humans."

The voice that came out softly carried a rage that could not be hidden, like water in a kettle that had begun to boil.

The anger in that voice was directed toward the windmill that the humans had built below.

"…I will definitely save you."

With those words, an unknown figure faded back into the shadows.

That presence watched the town from the darkness created by the trees in the forest. The moon, which had finally revealed that figure, illuminated its bright platinum-blond hair.

***

"Hmm."

Kihano, who had entered the windmill, opened his eyes in astonishment. Unlike the gloomy atmosphere outside, the inside of Samonte's workshop was perfectly organized, which surprised him.

Crackle-! Crackle-!

Furthermore, a lightning bolt suddenly appeared inside an empty glass tube. It was impossible not to open his eyes wide at such a phenomenon. On the top floor of the windmill, where Samonte was, the lightning that appeared out of nowhere made Kihano flinch without realizing it.

"…Is that also magic?"

Samonte's workshop was filled with strangely shaped gears and pipes tangled like spiderwebs. As he wandered around, Kihano noticed several glass tubes similar to the one that had produced the lightning.

"I don't know what kind of experiment they're conducting, but it's quite noisy."

They were apparently empty glass tubes. However, in some, cold dew accumulated, while in others, red flames burned. It was a sight that could only be explained by magic.

"Have you completed your investigation, Sir Kihano?"

A young voice spoke from behind Kihano. It was Samonte's apprentice, who had come out to attend to him while his master remained busy with his experiments.

"Investigation? Yes, I think I've seen everything there is to see."

Kihano discreetly touched the inner pocket of his coat.

Tap-

He felt a small vibration in response. That vibration seemed to tell him that everything was ready. Kihano smiled as he looked at Samonte's apprentice.

"It's really fascinating. There's nothing inside, yet things appear."

"Ha, ha. Naturally, it seems fascinating if you're seeing it for the first time."

Unlike Samonte, who had a stern expression, the young apprentice had a friendly smile. However, Kihano could clearly see the mockery hidden in that smile.

"Perhaps what you're seeing now is the process of creating something from nothing."

"…What?"

In the windmill, the mages continued moving busily with their tasks. But between Kihano and the young mage, there was only an awkward tension.

"In fact, our experiments are related to that — making the useless useful."

After saying that, Samonte's apprentice playfully waved his palm, as if explaining further would be a headache.

"Anyway, it's an experiment closely supervised by the Dragulia family. But there's something that's been hindering it."

With those words, Samonte's apprentice nodded, as if encouraging Kihano to look in that direction.

"…"

Following that gesture, Kihano approached the window and observed the landscape. From there, the town, its pastures, and the forest beyond were clearly visible.

"Lately, our barriers have been damaged. At first, we thought it was wild animals, but upon investigating, we discovered there was human interference."

The apprentice took a small stone out of his pocket. Although it looked like an ordinary rock, its surface was covered in intricate magical symbols.

"It definitely seems to have been broken with a sword."

"That's right. Someone is trying to interfere with us."

The reason Kihano had come was to capture the witch that was supposedly appearing in the area. 

And the broken stone the apprentice showed him had marks suggesting dark magic.

"Breaking a barrier stone means that person knows how to handle the supernatural."

Brutally slaughtered animals, sabotaged dragon experiments, and now evidence of forbidden magic. Perhaps it really was a witch, just as they said.

"Please, we leave this to you, Sir Kihano."

"Yes, I'll do my best…"

"Who knows, maybe if you solve this problem, the Dragulia's anger toward you will dissipate."

Although he didn't care about the town's fate, capturing the witch was his job. However, those last words made Kihano tense for a moment.

"Oh, my! I think I've gone too far. Forgive me."

Although he apologized, his tone was insolent and seemed to enjoy it. It was evident that his words weren't a slip, but a small revenge for Kihano's attitude toward Samonte the day before.

"Anyway, we trust that a member of the Frausen family like you will help us successfully."

The apprentice smiled as he looked at Kihano, the infamous "bastard" of the Frausen family, known for earning the dragons' disapproval.

"…Of course. I'll do my best."

However, Kihano also smiled in response, despite the mockery.

In a world of perfection, the only thing he could do was return the smiles. Yet, he couldn't help but let a bitter expression slip onto his face.

***

"Sir Kihano? Sir Kihano?"

"…"

"You should get up now. The sun is setting."

It was a hill in the town, where the sun was slowly sinking.

From a distance, it looked like a scene worthy of a painting, but at that moment, only Yan's voice echoed as he tried to wake Kihano.

"…I told you to wake me up at sunset."

"Don't you see it's sunset now? The sun will set completely soon."

At Yan's words, Kihano began to look around as if just realizing it.

Indeed, the green grass of the meadow was tinged with the reddish waves of the sunset.

"Where are the sheep?"

"Huh?"

"The sheep. They were here a while ago."

Maybe he was still a bit drowsy, as Kihano suddenly asked about the sheep.

However, his eyes were scanning the surroundings with an unusual seriousness.

"There they are. So, they moved from here to there?"

Saying this, Kihano took a piece of paper from his pocket and began marking something on it.

It was a small map that seemed to represent the town's surroundings.

But now, that map had unknown marks that Kihano had made previously.

"What is that, Sir Kihano?"

"The path the shepherds follow."

"Why are you marking that?"

"To figure something out. I want to know which pasture the sheep are taken to today."

Yan watched Kihano with curiosity as he meticulously made his marks.

It was strange to see something so detailed, considering how careless Kihano usually seemed.

"…Typically, shepherds rotate the pastures so they don't get depleted. Otherwise, the grass withers quickly."

"I didn't say anything."

"I'm telling you before you ask."

Looking at Yan, whose eyes trembled as if wondering why he was doing this, Kihano scratched his head as if it hurt.

"Anyway, if the shepherds rotate the pastures, there will be one where they take a break."

The shepherd's job was to care for the sheep.

But they also served as the town's watchmen. If there were intruders or monsters nearby, the shepherds would be the first to notice.

"And today, that place is empty."

Therefore, the unknown intruder lurking in the forest would try to avoid the shepherds' watchful eyes.

So, by studying the flock's movements, Kihano deduced that tonight would be the ideal time for the being called the "witch" to move.

"…It's toward the windmill, right? The one we went to before."

"Yes."

The only pasture without shepherds or sheep that could raise the alarm.

Thus, Kihano's finger pointed to the most direct path to Samonte's windmill.

"That's why I asked you to wake me up at sunset. It seems we won't sleep well tonight."

"…"

Kihano finished speaking and clicked his tongue, as if still sleepy.

Yan, however, couldn't find words to reply as he watched Kihano yawn calmly.

"Do you want dinner? I brought a lunchbox from the inn."

"Oh, that sounds good. Get it out quickly."

A scoundrel of the Frausen family, always flirting with women and getting beaten by his older brother.

Although everyone considered him a lost cause, Yan felt there was something more to Kihano that no one else saw.

"What's this? Lemon?"

"Yes."

"…Why did you bring this? You don't eat lemon like this."

"It's for squeezing over the meat. In my village, everyone eats it that way."

The night was falling deeply.

There would be no moon that night.

Yet as they waited, Yan's heart pounded heavily.

Because more than the mysterious witch, he was intrigued to see an unknown side of Kihano.

***

In the darkness where the moon did not shine, a shadow moved stealthily.

From the distant forest to the wide meadow, the shadow ran with a speed that could be described as "shot out." It did not make even the slightest sound.

"…"

It had been worth watching carefully from the forest.

In the direction it was moving, there were no sharp-eyed shepherds or alert sheep.

Only the sinister windmill that the humans had built was visible. The shadow's golden eyes shone fiercely.

— Grrr…

"…!"

But a faint cry in the wind made the shadow stop.

— It hurts! It hurts!

— Stop! Wheeeh!

It was the cry of little spirits born from the World Tree.

Little ones who had once left with smiles, but now their cries were too painful to ignore.

"Damn humans!"

The cries were more vivid than ever.

They were close enough to hear those heartbreaking screams.

The shadow began to feel anxious due to the spirits' pleas.

'…I have to hurry!'

So, with more hurried steps, the unknown entity lunged forward.

Now its movements were no longer careful but desperate.

— Ribbit.

— Ribbit, ribbit.

'Frogs?'

That's why it didn't realize that the meadow had turned into a mist-covered pond.

"By the build, it seems like a woman."

"…!"

— Swish!

A blade appeared suddenly, and the shadow retreated urgently.

But it was no longer a meadow, but a damp mire.

The muddy ground trapped its feet.

"Who are you?"

It had managed to dodge the attack just barely, but it was a lethal blow.

If it hadn't heard that voice, its neck would have been cut.

"If I tell you who I am, will you tell me your name too?"

Beyond the mist it was staring into, a man emerged.

Tall and with reddish-brown hair.

However, what stood out most was his relaxed, smiling expression.

"My name is Kihano. Kihano Frausen."

One of his teachers had once told him:

Controlling the battlefield is the fastest path to victory.

And now they were in the pond that the old toad had created for Kihano.

"Now that I've said my name, tell me yours."

His stance, crouched and ready to strike, was like a sharp sword.

As if he were ready to cut her down in one blow.

"Tell me your name before my sword touches your neck."

The bastard of the Frausen family: Kihano Frausen.

However, once, the name used to refer to him in the past was…

The prodigious genius of the Frausen family: Kihano Frausen.