Vol 1 Chapter 2 (2/2)

The s the toere now mixed with the smell of hard liquor

Colio, alking aiirl The girl was sitting in the dark at the end of the road, as if trying to escape the gas lamps

The girl was– Colio couldn’t tell

He stopped to stare at the girl’s figure The other people walked by without paying her any attention Their shoulders bumped into Colio and nearly made him stumble

“…It’s already impossible”

The girl said suddenly

“Everything came out”

Saying this, she stood up and rubbed her eyes Colio saw her face

Her eyes were red as if covered by blood Around theain

“So people can actually run out of tears Haha, I had no idea”

The girl laughed It was laughter without any emotion in it, apparent only by her voice and expression

“Are you from around here?”

The girl said

“…”

Colio didn’t say anything

“Hey, are you from around here?”

“…”

“…Listen, I’ to you”

Colio then understood she was talking to him

He couldn’t understand why she would do that Colio just stood there without answering

“You’re weird”

The girl stared at Colio’s face So inevitably, Colio also looked at her face Those two faced each other under the dihts

She had a norly She earing a white cotton cape on top of her white cheap dress It was probably worn not because it was fashi+onable, but due it being cold She was a plain, coirl

Her appearance didn’t ht about was how red her eyes and the tips of her nose were

She also seemed to be unmoved by his appearance He was simply a short boy

“I have a question for you”

“…What?”

“Oh, you finally said so”

The girl smiled a little

“Do you knohat to do when the person you love dies?”

“Who knows?”

“…I guess, huh…”

Saying this, the girl crouched again Then, she began sobbing in front of Colio

After a while, she stopped crying

“…Thank you That was good fortalked with someone, no matter who it is”

She said while sobbing Colio wasn’t by her side out of kindness, but sio to Colio didn’t understand how he made her feel better

“…What are you doing?”

The girl stood up while saying this

“…”

Colio deter Ha about what he wanted to do, he al else to answer

“I’ about humans”

“How sophisticated”

Colio didn’t really understand what she meant by this

He then asked

“Was that person who died a human?”

“Of course Is there a person who’s not huel? Or some ancient God? You’ve read too much fairytales”

He didn’t really understand what she was saying So Colio tried to inquire further

“Hu loved”

“Right I loved him I really loved him”

“…I see”

The conversation wasn’t really flowing, Colio thought

“What’s your name?”

The girl asked Colio decided he didn’t

“Colio Tonies”

“Such a normal name I also have a normal name Ia Mira”

Ia Mira said while wiping her eyes

“He also had a normal name

Cartohelo Mashea His job was selling bread on the roads”

“…Eh?”

Colio responded

“Do you know Cartohelo?”

“…No, I don’t”

Colio then understood that the person this girl – Ia Mira – wasman killed by Hyoue’s explosion

He tried recalling that guy’s face

But, he could only reuely

“You were thinking about huht?”

Ia Mira said Colio nodded

“Why are you thinking about hu about yourself?”

“…I’m not a human”

Saying this, Colio was suddenly grabbed by his wrist He was surprised to the extent that his heart skipped a beat

Applying her fingers to Colio’s wrist, Ia Mira then spoke in an anticlimactic manner

“Huh, you do have a pulse I’ht you weren’t a human”

Ia said while releasing his hand

“You are a human Good”

Ia see lively However, Colio understood she was only doing this to conceal her emotions

“I’m not a human Humans are…”

At that ure of Calico Princess vividly rose inside his mind He recalled the i that moment, as well as the beauty of the sunset

“…Simply too different”

“…Hmph”

While Ia see normally, when her words becali that, Colio wondered if Cartohelo was hu he was a human?

“Tell me about Cartohelo”

Colio said Ia looked Surprised

“Why?”

“…Just because”

“You’re so strange That’s the first ti like that”

“Anything will be fine Just tell ”

Ia still looked a bit confused regarding Colio, but started speaking

“I was the first to fall in love with hiht Hey, do you believe in love at first sight?”

“No”

He didn’t care Ia continued

“Love at first sight exists

But, people who don’t believe in love at first sight don’t notice it They realize only later that they have fallen in love

I was also like that When I was looking for Cartohelo in places he couldn’t be in and thought about what I was doing, I realized it I’ve fallen in love at first sight”

“…I see”

He was not deliberately ignoring her, but he wasn’t seriously listening to her either Colio uous reply

“Cartohelo had no father and was living alone with his mother But hisso hard for her, he lost all of his motivation That’s when I met him by chance”

She then continued talking about her me Ia was one year younger than hi for about two years and a half

While Carthello was the one to begin speaking with her, it was Ia who confessed to him

The tere notmarried when their lives became a bit more stable Ia said that if they were to work hard until the next year’s suh ether The both of theo to school But Ia was happy to have Cartohelo more than someone as just smart and had some money

To sue people who e manner Even the drama born between them and the happiness and hard tie

Colio listened to Ia Mira’s story while just staring at her

There were countless things to tell of But time was limited

Unlike Colio who had nothing to do, Ia presus she had to do

Ia, who had been talking while crouched down, stood up and said,

“…Well, I’one I have to work, and I have to earn money to live”

“Right”

“Goodbye”

Saying this, the two easily parted ways

The tiuess what sort of job would start at this sort of tinorant Colio could understand that However, he didn’t really care about such things

“Was she a human…?”

He couldn’t reach a conclusion It was too vague for hi inside his mind

A as blowing

A BOMB, A PRINCESS, AND VARIOUS PEOPLE – PART 3

January 26, 2016Tgurneu

Far away fro Town, close to the sea on the other side of the world, there was an island

It wasn’t a large island Its shape was a perfect circle like inside a compass It was an island without any forests or caves, just nuentle hills

On the hill at the center of the island was a huge castle surrounded by high walls

It was an old-fashi+oned castlehas it been since it was built? Tangled ivy reached all the way to the huge castle’s spires The sunlight dyeing the castle was soft Both the sky and the wind seemed to lively applaud their creator This castle stood on the hill, looking like it ca

That castle’s name was Bantorra Library It was the world’s first library, built long ago by the Overseers of the world to accommodate the pasts of all people

The castle and building on the surface were built by humans for the use of Armed Librarians and visitors The real Library was a vast labyrinth spread beneath the castle However, details of the labyrinth will have to wait for another opportunity

In the center of the castle’s top floor, there was a wide room of about 30 square meters

A vintage painting was hanging on the wall It was a large portrait depicting the old days of the Creator deity and the Overseer of the Past The eh-quality yet weathered white carpet

A woman was at the center of the room

“Aah…”

The wo this

“I want to kill them already”

The woman said to herself

“What are Lui? If they won’t we’ll have to kill randomly”

The wos calmly Her tone didn’t indicate any sort of joke

She was a strange woman It was unclear if she was or wasn’t in her thirties

She wore a washed-out shi+rt and men’s pants She was a terribly plain wo her dark hair and the figure of a rabbit cluht breast, she had no accessories She also wore no makeup

She was a plain woarden She was one you would definitely overlook in a crowd of people even if you were searching for her

But, because she was so sie for her to be inside this gorgeous room

The wo the small desk at the center of the room

On the desk were several papers, several Books, and next to the was the bundle of five stones lying on top of the desk The crest of the Arraved on each one

This woman was known as Hamyuts Meseta

Ha Director of Bantorra Library

“You may enter”

Hamyuts suddenly opened her mouth

She spoke with a scruffy tone, extending the ending of her words in a weird way

There was no-one inside the room

But soon, she heard a voice from the other side of the door

“Third-Grade Ar”

The door was opened following this clear fe what looked like a military unifor her slender back and aligning the heels of her shoes

Her lemon-like blonde hair was cut short, and her face divided by the bridge of her nose was as stiff as that of a well-trained hound Her uniform was fully buttoned up to the top, and there was not even one wrinkle on it She looked like a superb soldier A pendant engraved with the crest of the Ar on her chest Incidentally, because there were no regulations about the location of the mark, each Armed Librarian could decide for themselves where to put it

“Since you went out of your way to come here, I assume you have some bad news”

Hamyuts said Mirepoc Finder nodded in silence She puckered her lips, staring with strong and deter

“Indeed It is the worst news”

“What could have happened?”

“Luimon-san is dead”

Even hearing this, Hary or s, just meek and expressionless It was a calm expression with no e a novel that wasn’t really interesting

While hearing about the death of her subordinate, not even her eyebroitched

Mirepoc continued the report

“It happened during noon at Toatt Mining Town… at a tavern in the town He was killed by bombs… which are presumably human bombs

Since during that afternoon another bo incident occurred, I believe the possibility of eneest that we immediately send some troops there”

“…”

Hah she appeared to be thinking, she also looked like she was absorbed in her writing

It was hard for Mirepoc to talk to her She didn’t know any other person whose emotions were so hard to read, so she couldn’t tell if Ha at all Mirepoc resumed her report

“Right now, including me there are four Third-Grade Arive the instructions, Acting Director, we’ll be able to depart within the hour”

“Stop that”

Hamyuts said calmly

“…Huh?”

Mirepoc responded without thinking Harabbed the cup of delicious milk besides her and took a sip

“Kids should stay inside and study You’ll have a fun fieldtrip another time”

“Director!”

Mirepoc hit the desk without thinking

A little milk was spilled on the desk, and Hamyuts wiped it with her sleeve

“What are you planning to do? We need to avenge Luimon-san!”

“Avenge?”

“Because Luimon-san…”

Ha at Mirepoc’s face Her eyes looked like she was laughing, but her expression didn’t Those terrifying eyes didn’t allow reading what she was thinking at all

“I’ fros So you didn’t listen to me, huh Mirepo?”

“No, that’s…”

Mirepoc took her words back She had neither the authority nor the intention to defy Hamyuts

“…So, what are we going to do?”

Hamyuts suddenly stood up

With her sandals shaking, she headed towards the door close to Mirepoc While walking, she said,

“I have a question for you, Mirepo A our troops that can be mobilized immediately…”

Hamyuts stopped and turned around

“Who’s the best one at ‘’?”

Mirepoc answered

“Acting Director Hamyuts Meseta”

Harinned

“That’s right”

It was then that Mirepoc understood why Hamyuts was so calm

Contrary to her plain appearance and words, Haressive God’s representative in history

She always preferred going alone for a pre-emptive attack She didn’t allow the ene in her not having massacred the eneerent personality couration as the Acting Director was once cancelled before

Mirepoc decided the enee for Luimon But for Hamyuts, this was the normal state of affairs

The eneh Luimon died, her choice wasn’t any different

“Call Mattalast After that, send Bonbo and Matgowe an order to return just in case”

“Yes ma’am”

Saying this, Hamyuts went out

And, she said while turning back,

“Mirepo, what are you doing?”

“Huh?”

“You’re co too”

“Y-yes ma’am”

Mirepoc ran behind Hamyuts in a hurry

The tho left the roo at the front, opened her mouth

“So Luimon died, huh?”

“Yes”

“Well, it can’t be helped It’s because he eak”

Hamyuts said in a hard-to-read tone as usual Mirepoc recalled her distaste hearing those kinds of words

Has that desecrated their allies and the dead

“I told him he couldn’t continue this if he’s that weak It’s just as I thought, it was obvious he would die”

“…”

Mirepoc withstood the anger tre inside her chest

I know she’s a terribly ruthless person But does she really need to speak like that?

“But, you know”

Hamyuts continued

“He was a good guy”

Mirepoc couldn’t find any words to reply

“It was quite a pity to give this job to such a person, right?”

After that, Hamyuts went silent

Mirepoc alking behind could not see Hamyuts’s expression

Was she holding back tears? Was she suppressing the anger in her body?

Orup her meek expressionless face?

Mirepoc couldn’t tell

Exiting Bantorra Library, behind the castle were an airplane hangar and a runway

The iron door of the hangar opened Inside it, the propeller airplane was already warine

Built in a rare cooperation of the Magic Agency and the Science Agency ere usually on bad terinally it had been Hamyuts’ personal possession, but was already used by all Armed Librarians

After fueling the airplane and leaving a technician to inspect the cockpit, a lonenext to the propeller plane

It was a tallblack hat low and dressed in a starched black frock coat A little of his flaxen hair spilled out of his hat

His name was Mattalast Ballory His mark as an Armed Librarian was in the form of shi+ny buttons on his coat’s sleeves

“Wow That was fast”

Hamyuts called out to him

“So Luiot offed, huh?”

Mattalast asked

“Yeah”

Hamyuts answered

That was all they talked about Lui did their conversation hold? Did they just want to affirm the facts? Compared to those tho have seen death countless of times, the inexperienced Mirepoc couldn’t understand

“Can we leave?”

“If the Director wishes to, but…”

“But what, did so happen?”

Said Hamyuts

“Earlier, the Forecast Coency contacted us”

“By the Forecast Couys?”

Hamyuts asked

The Forecast Coic Agency, run by the federation of Oracular Magicians

It was an eclectic of various Oracular Magicians gathered together, but most of their work nowadays eather forecast

“Yes It see towards Toatt mine”

“…”

Ha far and wide, there were only few things that could cause her such a reaction Everybody knew that a typhoon was one of those few

For Ha as a weakness that she definitely couldn’t overcome

“Mattalast-san Is there a place in Toatt mine that the typhoon wouldn’t affect?”

Mirepoc said from behind

“Mirepo’s on to so eleh”

“So what about what the weather forecast people said?”

“It’s just heading north for today”

“So there’s no problem”

Said Mirepoc

“That’s right, but… It’s good that I heard about it Just in case”

Haht for a while

“If the only weapons they have are human bombs, I should be fine even if there’s a typhoon”

“Probably Since it’s you, Director, you’ll probably also be able to win bare-handed”

Mattalast said with a straight face

“Well, even if it coe, so there’s no problem here”

Saying this, Hahtly landed inside the cockpit

“Let’s go, everyone”

Mirepoc and Mattalast got inside the cockpit

The propeller started rotating noisily

Colio returned to his room at a late hour

The roonited it

Colio sat on the bed in the dimly lit room

“…?”

And then he noticed Relia who should have been sleeping was gone

Colio wondered if he went out for a walk like he did his were left

He er needed But Colio had the bad feeling it was more than that

He went down the stairs and headed for the inn’s owner

“What is it?”

The innkeeper looked at hio to sleep

“Where did Relia go?”

“Relia? Oh, that guy He went out not a long ago”

“Went out…”

“It’s fine He already paid”

“…Did he check out?”

Colio said while suppressing his agitation

“Indeed”

“…”

Colio was stunned for a while

He ran away Relia ran away

“Oh right, he also said the other one checked out And what about you, boy?”

“I…”

Colio said while turning his back to the innkeeper

“I’ll remain here”

Saying only this, Colio returned to his room

The innkeeper seeone Furthere behind She didn’t say anything, but he i them

I ht He then worried about where he would go to if he did get kicked out Should he search for another inn, and where? Did he even have enough , he had to think by himself

But it’ll be fine Colio thought that he would just kill Haht process stopped there

I should go to sleep already, he thought

He wrote inside the diary under the laht

“Today I haven’t killed Hamyuts Meseta”

Usually he would finish writing the entry like this But, for the first ti beyond that

“Hyoue died Relia ran away And”

Colio’s pen stopped He wasn’t sure if he should write about Calico Princess or not

After thinking for a while, Colio crossed off the “and”

This was the first ti in the diary