I pointed at the back of the fallen Duke.

[Eve.]

[Umu.]

[You may be wanting to hear the Duke begging for his life, but please keep it as brief as possible.]

Eve didnt reply immediately.

I temporarily stopped counting the corpses on the ground and said,

[If you dont like to do it, Ill]

[No.]

Eve opens her mouth.

[Let me do this myself.]

[Alright. Just come find me after youre done.]

Nodding towards me once, Eve stands before the Duke.

And in her hand, shes holding a sword.

I went back to counting the number of corpses on the ground.

[Nuuuoooohhh Guuhhhggiiiigggiiiii Hiiii. Hiiiiiiiii]

Finally, the Duke couldnt escape from reality anymore.

I could see it from behind him.

The Dukes fear.

[I think it might have been better for you if you cant speak. That way, I dont have to be worried that I would be deceived again by your words Im just a simple person, afterall.]

Eves voice stops.

Her voice was as cold as ice.

[I think that if you managed to deceive me now, its possible that I might have some feelings that would suddenly gush up within me and I might suddenly find myself forgiving you. However Reaching your hand towards that child is a bad move.]

[Giiguuuuuhhh Guuuhhhhh.]

[Even if you shed tears, I will not be fooled anymore.]

[Giigiiigiiiiiiiiii..]

[Farewell.]

A short, low scream is all thats left of him in the end.

I think back to the final words Eve said.

If you were to think about it normally, you would think that her words were directed at the Duke.

However, depending on how you look at it, its possible that these words were directed to her own naive past self.

Footsteps began approaching and stopped behind me.

[Touka.]

[Are you done with it?]

[Umu.]

Eve feels more cheerful than I had thought.

[Touka-dono.]

Seras came out of the forest along with Liz on her hand.

Now, she had already changed back to her original appearance.

The power of the spirits requires appropriate compensation when you use them.

Its not something you should arbitrarily use when its not necessary.

Well, she doesnt really need the power of altering her appearance right now.

Seras is looking around the area.

[It looks like its finally over.]

Liz tightly grasps the hem of Seras clothes.

Shes standing really close around Seras waist.

I spoke.

[Liz, if you dont like seeing their corpses]

[I- Im alright]

[Are you sure?]

[Ive already seen a lot of them back when I was travelling with my sister most of them were people who tried attacking us]

So, this isnt the first time she had seen corpses huh

However, it looks like shes still trembling a bit.

Well, this really isnt something you could get used to.

[Seras, I still have some things to do here along with Eve. Will you take Liz with you and prepare for our departure?]

[Understood. Now then, after we retrieve our luggages we left behind, we would still have to catch the horse that should still be loitering around the area.]

[Im counting on you. Ah, one more thing.]

[What is it?]

[Thanks for backing me up with your arrows earlier.]

Seras suddenly looked quite uncertain.

[That was also my own judgement that youve never instructed]

[Ive already told you before, right? I trust your own judgement.]

She closes her eyes as she digests my words.

With her eyes closed, she places her hands on her chest.

[Yes, thank you very much]

[Sigh Youre the sub-leader of this Mercenary Corp. At the time that I cant give out my instructions, I will leave the judgement to you. Eve. Liz. Are you fine with that?]

[Umu.]

[Y- Yes.]

Eve and Liz replied.

Seras smiles.

[Ill be in your care from hereafter, you two.]

[One more thing, Seras.]

[What is it?]

[Before you prepare for our departure, will you take that thing Ive shown you earlier from my luggage? I think Ill use it later. Lets see You can just leave it around the area.]

Seras immediately looks like she understands what I meant.

[Yes, understood.]

After deciding for a general area where we would meet up later, Seras turns towards the forest.

[Umm Seras-sama.]

Looking quite nervous, Liz stops her.

[What is it, Liz?]

[P-Please let me help out too.]

Lizs voice is trembling.

[Im also a member of Touka-samas Mercenary Corp after all]

[Liz?]

There were some tears on the corner of Lizs eyes.

[I also want to be helpful at something]

Shes doing something bad.

I feel like Liz somehow thinks something like that.

Seras gently pats Liz on her head.

[I understand. Then, will you please help me carry some of the luggage? Is that okay?]

[Y- Yes Thank you, Seras-sama]

The two then started going into the forest.

Liz is afraid to speak of her own will.

I think thats a bad thing.

Its probably the influence of living together with that proprietress.

Theyve denied her of it.

All children have wills of their own.

They didnt let them hold their own thoughts.

They would then be told to only follow what they have been told.

Like that, they would then be able to hold onto your own head.

After that, the children would lose confidence in their own thoughts.

Whatever they felt like doing, they would end up thinking that its wrong.

Her emotions would gradually start freezing her in place

It seems that the wounds Liz received in her heart were quite deep.

[Eve.]

[What is it?]

[It seems youd need some time to heal the wounds she suffered.]

[Even if Im insensitive, I would still be responsible for that childs well-being Naturally, I intend to keep doing that.]

I looked at them as Liz disappeared into the forest.

[While were travelling together, me and Seras will also be working together with that.]

[Ah Thank you, Touka.]

[Putting that aside, Touka. What are we going to do?]

There are corpses scattered all around.

We have been counting all of the corpses until just now.

There was no person that was able to run away.

Its a complete annihilation.

Ive also made sure the people Ive poisoned before can never talk anymore as they lay dead on the ground.

[..]

I guess Ill explain some things to Eve huh

I put my hand into my pouch.

[Look at this, Eve.]

[This is ice?]

This thing Im holding with my fingertips

Small blocks of ice.

Squinting her eyes, Eve observed what Im holding.

[Fumu? There seems to be some kind of bug inside the ice but]

[Thats right. This is a living insect that Ive frozen with my <Freeze> skill.]