The next day.

We went around the village once more.

Are there no more survivors like Ellie?

Are there any clues of the attackers?

……As I thought, there were no more survivors.

Similarly, there were barely any clues of the attackers too.

There were only bodies left behind.

Most of the people in the village were killed with bladed weapons.

Occasionally there were traces of being hit with a hammer and other things.

However, in this world where magic exists, that isn't much of a clue.

Also, if they were attacked by majuus then they would ring the bell, but according to Ellie that didn't happen.

There's no doubt that they were attacked by people outside the village.

We don't know anymore than that.

When we finished examining one road, we carried corpses that we were able to carry, and buried them after burning them with fire magic.

Then in the graveyard we made in the square, I put my hands together.

(At the very least, move on peacefully.)

Ellie watched me with cold eyes.

"You're interesting master. You don't know any of these people. Also, when people die they’re just lumps of meat."

Still, whatever Ellie says won't change my mind.

"This is my custom."

……Is Ellie's thinking common for this world, or is my sense of values strange?

I stood quietly for a while.

We left the village.

The result was completely different from my original purpose.

Slaughterers with unknown ident.i.ties.

⸺Their danger may extend to Arisa's laboratory.

We need to hurry back to Arisa.

"Ellie, will you come with me? If you come with me to the laboratory we can at least prepare food and a place to sleep. Besides……"

"I'll properly follow after you. Even if I try to resist, it doesn't seem like I'll be able to win anyways."

I discontentedly looked at Ellie because of her careless response.

While seeing me troubled, Ellie *niyari* smiled.

"Will you take me? Are you not going to take me?"

"……I'll take you."

I pulled Ellie's hand, and entered the [Forest of Demonic Beasts].

⸺A strange man.

That was about all of Ellie's impression of Edgar.

When everyone was killed, Ellie was trapped in that room.

"Hey, how much is she worth?"

"I'm not sure, but I think enough to let you play around for the rest of your life."

Originally, Ellie was the [belonging] of a certain n.o.ble.

However, when she on the way to her [next owner], there was a carriage accident, and when she ran for her life she was captured by the people of that village.

That information was soon sent to the nearby village, and the other slaves who had run away with Ellie were put up for a reward.

That was because they were all [rare things].

Her long black hair, wolf ears, and collar, the proof of her slavery.

There was n.o.body who could mistake her rare appearance.

At the end of her life trying to escape, Ellie she was found by villagers who were looking through the garbage for food.

In the first place, it was reckless to live alone while continuing to run away from humans.

Much less to find a place where she could sleep relieved and a stable supply of food.

⸺At last, she was able to run away from that h.e.l.l.

In the darkest, Ellie prepared to go back to her previous life, and despaired.

But then, after a while,

By her biological clock, after about half a day,

She suddenly heard the screams of men, women, children, and the elderly.

In the abnormal situation, Ellie's hazy consciousness gradually grew more clear.

(⸺There's no doubt that something's happening. But what is it?)

When she concentrated her consciousness on her ears in order to grasp the surrounding situation⸺.

⸺Zushari!

Ellie heard the sound of shoes rubbing against the floor.

(⸺Someone's close by!)

Already, she stopped hearing screams.

Did the villagers just quiet down, or did they die?

Little by little, the footsteps approached her.

Zushari……zushari……zusha.

(⸺They stopped nearby!)

She desperately tried to stifle her trembling.

(⸺I'll die! I'll die! I'll be killed!)

Ellie instinctively feared death.

How much time pa.s.sed?

After a while, the footsteps went away.

Then, she heard the sound of the carriage leaving the village.

It seemed the group attacking the village fulfilled their objective, and left.

Relieved that her life was saved, Ellie fainted in the darkness.

Next Release