Just Watch For A Bit

Once the fairies started discussing something among themselves, it was as if they could no longer even see Kikori… but at the very least, until whatever they were making was finished, he probably would not be able to leave this fairy settlement.

Before long, he saw the ground swelling up and something squirming and writhing as if magic was being used… but then one of the fairies made a wall of earth, saying, “No peeking—”

Apparently, it would be better not to go near them.

With that in mind, he looked around again and saw what seemed to be treehouses here and there.

They varied in size, but quite a few of them looked big enough for even Kikori to enter, like Orphe’s house.

That was probably because, as Orphe had said earlier, they saw value in things being large.

“Hey, Orphe.”

“What?”

“After the labyrinthization happened, did anything strange happen around here?”

“It did. Obviously.”

Orphe was still sitting on top of Kikori’s head as usual… but she let out a sigh that was clearly audible.

“All the routes we used to know changed completely. We can’t just go out carelessly anymore.”

“So it really was like that.”

“Of course it was. Thanks to that, goblins started wandering in, and kobolds came by the other day too.”

“Oh, I fought kobolds too. Before I met you and the others, I came from there.”

“Huh, so that’s why…”

Orphe fell silent for a while as if thinking. Then, after a short pause, she flew down in front of Kikori’s eyes.

“No, wait a second. There’s no way a weakling like you could have crossed two or three of the current ‘boundaries.’ Don’t tell me this place has gotten really close to the human city?”

“It was the second one.”

“Ugh, the worst! Doesn’t that mean humans might start coming here in droves from now on?!”

“Well, yeah… that’s probably what’ll happen.”

“Do we move somewhere else at this point? But then again…”

Orphe looked genuinely troubled, but before long she started muttering something dangerous.

“Maybe we just kill the humans…”

“No, no, wait. At least try not being hostile, even if it’s only for appearances…”

“You think that’s possible? Just watch for a bit.”

With that, Orphe beckoned to a fairy who had flown over.

“Hey, hey, what are they doing over there?”

“Who cares about that? Hey, if humans start coming here in droves, what are you going to do?”

“I’d kill them, obviously.”

“Thanks, you can go now.”

After seeing the fairy off as she flew back behind the earthen wall, Orphe turned back to Kikori and said, “See?”

“I’m telling you, talking things out is pointless. Did you get the wrong idea just because you happened to get along with me?”

“Oh, so me and Orphe are on good terms then. Thanks.”

When Kikori said that, Orphe froze… and then started kicking him from every possible angle.

“Ow!? Ow, ow! What was that for!?”

“Shut up, idiot! Don’t twist my words!”

“Huh!?”

He did not understand at all, but until Orphe calmed down, Kikori had no choice except to endure being kicked.