08

Judging by her height and facial features, she looked to be about the same age as Ains.

She brushed off the leaf resting on her head and stepped out of the bushes.

“W-What!? Why is there an Armor Bear in a place like this!?”

The girl noticed the Armor Bear’s corpse before her and cried out in shock.

“That’s the magical beast I just defeated. Thanks to that, though, my sword’s no longer usable.”

Ains answered with a shrug, while Sophia quietly nodded behind him.

“Oh? Cutting down an Armor Bear… that must’ve been a famous, named sword then. That’s kind of a waste.”

As she spoke, the girl approached the corpse, staring intently at the cross-section while muttering things like “Whoa!” and “Huh, so that’s what this hide looks like.”

“No, it was just some cheap sword you’d find anywhere. I only gave it a quick sharpening. Honestly, Sophia’s sword back there is probably far better.”

“That’s correct. It’s about the level of a toy used in children’s play.”

“Th-That’s harsh…”

Being a knight, Sophia clearly had deep knowledge of swords, and her evaluation was merciless.

“Then does that mean you’re some famous swordsman? …You?”

This time, the girl stared intently at Ains.

Her gaze first went to his leg, then his arms, and finally his face and head.

“Wait! I’m not suspicious or anything! This whole situation feels really familiar somehow!”

Ains shot a pointed glance toward Sophia behind him, lacing his words with sarcasm.

“?”

Sophia tilted her head cutely, clearly not understanding.

‘She’s an adult, so why is she doing something so adorable!?’

Ains made a face like he had bitten into something bitter.

“But you don’t look like a swordsman. I mean, are you a girl? Your voice sounds kind of like a boy’s…”

“I’m a boy. My hair’s just long because I haven’t cut it in a while. And I’m not a swordsman.”

“What a cute boy. You’re still a bit suspicious, but I’ll let it slide because of that cuteness.”

Lowering her face slightly, the girl muttered,

“Besides, I’m in a hurry right now.”

Relieved that he wouldn’t get dragged into another mess like he had with Sophia, Ains let out a quiet sigh.

If that was the case, then it was best to leave before the situation changed again, Ains decided.

“That’s good to hear. Then let’s go, Sophia. I’ll teach you that mana control technique from earlier on the way.”

“R-Really!? Thank you so much. To think I could receive instruction directly from you, Ains-sama… I—I…”

Sophia once again drifted into her own world, lost in emotion.

“Y-Yeah… anyway, let’s hurry toward Kirk.”

Ains, still not used to this side of Sophia, spoke a bit awkwardly.

“Hey, what are you planning to do about this Armor Bear?”

As Ains started walking, pushing Sophia from behind while she was still spaced out, the girl called out to him, forcing him to stop.

“We’re just leaving it. It’s kind of gross, and it’ll return to the earth eventually.”

“That’s such a waste! You can sell it as materials! Armor Bear parts are top-grade armor materials—you could get a pretty good price!”

“Huh, really? Sophia, did you know that? …Are you listening?”

He tapped Sophia on the head to forcibly pull her back to reality.

“…Huh!? Where am I? Ains-sama? …Wait, magical beast materials? Yes, I have heard that Armor Bear parts fetch high prices, especially for chest armor.”

So that was it. Ains nearly let it go to waste and felt grateful to the girl.

“In that case, we should take it with us. We might get support, but it’s not good to rely on my home village forever. Thanks for telling me.”

Ains raised his left hand toward the lifeless Armor Bear. The ring on his middle finger glowed faintly and swallowed the corpse whole.

Only the Armor Bear’s blood remained on the ground. Its severed arms had vanished as well.

“W-What!? Where did the body go!?”

The girl shook her head and looked around in disbelief.

“I stored it in an item box. There’s no way I could carry something that big.”

“A-An item box!? You have an item box!?”

“Yeah. See? This ring is the magical tool that does it.”

Ains opened his left hand and showed her the ring.

“You’re getting more and more suspicious… You must be incredibly rich. And the one behind you—Sophia-san, was it? She doesn’t seem like an ordinary person either.”

“No, no, not at all. I’m completely broke. I just have this because I made it myself.”

“You made it yourself!? Does that mean you’re actually an incredible mage!?”

“Well, I’m not famous or anything, but yeah—I’m a mage.”

“No way!! To find a mage in a place like this! This is a miracle!!”

Suddenly, the girl’s eyes sparkled.

‘Uh-oh… this is bad.’

Ains sensed the flow of events starting to turn in a dangerous direction.

“Well then, we’re in a hurry, so—”

“Wait! You said earlier you were heading to the Royal Capital, Kirk, right?”

“That’s right.”

“That might be difficult right now.”

“What do you mean?”

“There’s a group of bandits ahead—working together. They clashed with us, and now it’s turned into a battlefield.”

As the girl explained, Sophia spoke up.

“If that’s the case, wouldn’t the knights already be handling it? Bandits should be easily suppressed.”

“That’s the problem. There’s a troublesome opponent on their side. They’re having a really hard time… That’s why I was running around looking for help.”

As she spoke, Ains observed the girl more carefully.

Her red hair extended to about her shoulder blades, lightly wavy at the ends. She wore what appeared to be metal armor on her chest and legs, but it was scarred with numerous scratches and dents.

“I see. So even if we want to head to Kirk, we can’t.”

This was a problem. Ains frowned in thought.

They had already walked quite a distance since leaving the Autonomous City of the Ains Domain. Turning back now would take too long. With no food or camping supplies, and planning to stay overnight in a village along the way, it would be difficult to get through the night like this.

“What should we do, Ains-sama?”

“Hmm… That troublesome opponent among the bandits—what are they?”

When Ains asked, the girl looked at him seriously and answered.

“A sorcerer.”