Volume 1 Chapter 10 (1/2)
Chapter 10: The Gently Approaching Peaceful Death
Part 1
It was a primeval forest with tall trees lined up one by one
Moss densely grew on the underfoot that I passed Froht, the di the narrow road
I followed that road while avoiding trees by skillfully operating the broo brushed passedme, and it felt really bad
””
After advancing for a while, I arrived at the open space
At that place, there was a village
It was extree could be seen just from the entrance
”Eii!”
Descending down froround There didn’t seeap in fence, I easily entered the village
There ooden houses lined up in the village Since they were very simple constructions made by lined up timber, there were no useless ornaments to them They left
Well, in any case, it was a splendidly ee
Shall I rethink about staying here──No, in the first place, it's questionable whether there's even an establish here Or rather, it was difficult to tell whether people really lived here to begin with Could this place be abandoned?
As I walked aiers ca with slight feelings of relief, I directed er
It was a young man with axe on his shoulder
”!”
Strangely enough, when that man saw me, he opened his mouth in pure wonder It was a reaction as if he had seen so unbelievable
Hm? What happened?
He thrust his shi+vering finger towards me who stood puzzled, ”Mina! Hey, aren't you Mina!” and called out to me
Huh? What?
The man cast away the axe and rushed over to me
”Thank God! Thank God! You found the panacea right? You ht? Abel-kun will surely be pleased as well! Mina!”
”Huh? Eh? Hey, um”
I i so Who in the world is Abel?
However, when I tried to ask that, he called out
”Heey, everyone! Mina has returned!”
The strong voice, as if livening up the prie in a flash Fro away
The village was really small If one raised their voice, it would surely reach everyone──and people started to appear froe houses
One after another
Old people, children, and spouses The villagers who saw us, as if they had conspired beforehand, have all started to run towards us with agile and unhesitating movements
Before I noticed it, they had surrounded me in a perfect circle Oh no, I'm scared
The people who bustlingly gathereda hero who just returned from war Oh no, I'm scared
”Hey, Mina onee-chan! Did you bring back a souvenir from town?”
”Oh my, in the short time we haven't met, you have become quite a beauty”
”Didn't you shrink in size a bit?”
”Besides, what's with that getup?”
”Look, father Aren't they the clothes that are popular in town?”
”So, did you buy panacea?”
”No, give her some space”
The villagers said whatever came to their head
I can't take this anyed it so, I detached part of ers as if it was a noise
The cheers stopped after some time
The ers yelled, ”You are too noisy Be quiet!” towards them You are the noisiest here Be quiet
”Good grief, Mina should also be tired fro trip She looks quite pitiful”
Oh ood person? Aren't you the ringleader here?
No, rather than that
”Everyone, aren't you ?”
As it became quiet, I revealed the truth I would be troubled if thewent on like this after all
”Misunderstanding? What is?” thewithin the surrounding villagers as well
Gathering strength, I spoke indifferently
”I'er Mina you all are referring to”
I intended to say it seriously, but there seehs followed right after it ”What is this girl even saying?” they said
So you won't believefroers, it doesn't seee before, so that should be shocking in it's own right
Well, the final means it is
””
And so
After everyone aside frohed happily
One villager spoke
”Eh? Now that you say it, you seeer than Mina-san”
Following that, the person next to him also spoke
”Looking closely, your chest seems smaller”
The anxiety that was born out of nowhere started to grow large
”I thought she’d become quite a beauty in the short time I haven't seen her, but could it be”
”No matter how you put it, it's usually iht”
”Or rather, what's with this getup”
”Granny, where's my rice?”
”No way, didn't you eat it yesterday?”
””
It took no time for anxiety to cover the place
Before I knew it, the gloo people as if it was a funeral
”Are you really not Mina?”
The man before my eyes raised a pathetic voice
”That's what I've been saying since so”
”There's no way”
The man sank down on the spot
Then, in a shaking voice,
”Can Abel-kun not be saved anymore?”
He said that
What in the world is going on? In the first place, who is this Abel?
”No wait There's still a way”
Aside from my doubts, someone muttered from somewhere
Several of the people surrounding rouped at a different place
And then, after returning back, ”We want to talk to you about so so please some with us” And they said that at the same time
Perhaps because they had so , or perhaps because the faces of adults were dead serious, before I noticed, I gave them a nod
After being led by that est house of the village
Persuadingman and he pulled out a chair for me So I sat
Opposite of me, only two people sat down The left one, fro man I met at the start Because he becauished flame, he looked like a different person
The white-bearded old ht crossed his hands and started to talk
”We have well understood that you aren't Mina Sorry about that”
”It's alright”
As long as you get it
”However, you look so ers So much so, you could say you are like two peas in a pod”
The young reatly
The old man brushed his white beard and said:
”First, let us talk about our request Miss traveler, Just one day no, it would be fine even for a bit Would you pretend to be Mina?”
”For what reason?”
It see to do with this Abel fellow, I somehow understood this fact
”Mina had a lover A reat man For that man, ant you to pretend for a bit”
So you see
Let's suppose the next developer, so you want me to pretend that her lover who moved to the city had returned, is that it?”
However, the old man slowly shook his head
”No, Mina didn'tShe et the panacea”
”I see”
That res Asking whether I got the panacea
”Abel is currently succumbed to the illness”
”I see”
I urge for him to continue
”What is eating away Abel seee doctor had decided to give up on him There was virtually no effect, no matter what medicine we administered On the contrary, Abel's condition was only worsening At first, he only had a et up now”
I see
”And that's where panacea comes in?”
”Yes After understanding that the village‘I'et the panacea’”
”And where did she want to obtain that panacea?”
”If you advance far north froe country There was a rumor that panacea could be obtained there However, to reach that country, you have to walk for thole days There was no one in this village who could ascertain the truth”
”Relying on that uncertain infore, you say?”
”She probably bet on the chance that it was real Her feelings of wanting to save Abel were strong to that point──however”
The young man followed up on those words
While powerlessly hanging his head
”But it's been teeks even since she left Mina──o, but she still hasn't”
Daughter?
So she's your daughter?
”Eh, so you were her father huh?”
It was a shocking truth The young man silently nodded
Isn't it really bad to be confusing your own daughter with a couess he was exhausted to that point
”The oes by, the closer Abel approaches death,” the old e doctor's words, he can only last three more days”
Three more days
Would Mina-san return I wonder?
Arriving to the country that has panacea needs two days And buying theback takes two more days And yet, teeks have passed
To be late with return by over ten days, it is certainly far too long I can only think of so up──or perhaps
Will Mina-santi
Mina-san will surely not come back anymore──
”Abel has been earnestly fighting with the disease until now And yet──wouldn't it be too sorrowful for hi with his loved one as always beside him like a family member?”
””
”Ever since he lost family when he was a child, Mina-san was the only person he relied on Mina is the only one who can save his spirit”
Even a fake would be fine──I want for him to feel happiness at least in his final moments
The old man said
Part 2
While I didn't iree, I still ith the old man's proposal
There were no risks for me, and I would be a terrible person if I refused him there
Be that as it may, I ae where there is not even an inn on top of it having no characteristics If possible, I would want to fly on my broom towards that country which is said to have that panacea at once
So I gave my conditions
”I will cooperate However, it will be just one ti on my journey”
The two of them replied that it would still be fine
After settling that, it was followed by immediate preparations
There were several woe house to another one Their ages were different, froirls to older women
The oldest granny aed that place While showing the wrinkles on her face, she said,
”Now, let's prepare All et out!”
And, with a violent strike of her staff, all thethe old man and Mina-san's father were kicked out of the room by women
But the way, although I said staff, It wasn't like the Magic Staff that I have, but rather the one that you use as a third leg
The granny, who closed the door and blocked it with the pole to nal towards other wo it, every woman aside from me started to act and started to close the curtains and the backdoor of the house
Then, in the house that becaranny approached me from the front
”Now strip”
The granny suddenly grasped my robe
”Eh?”
”Re, Abel will immediately notice it!”
Ah, so it was that My heart skipped a beat
After re a Witch fro I wore except the underwear
One very young girl received ently folded them on the side
”Now, put this on”
The woranny walked towardsfro to put this on miss traveler, so lend a hand”
Eeh? I can put it on by myself you know?
However, before I returned the words to her, several woain closed my open mouth from their indescribable pressure
And it turned intoas a dress-up doll
”Okay, raise your leg”
”Will sleeves pass in this blouse I wonder? Oh, the size doesn't fit”
”However, she looks so much like Mina-chan”
”She's even prettier than Mina-chan isn't she?”
”Yes”
”What would be okay for the ribbon color? It should be red after all, huh”
For so a lot of fun
When I gazed down after dressing was mostly over, I wore a dark brown flare skirt on white blouse
Although I could have ed this much by myself
”Then for the finishi+ng touches──it will be a little painful, but endure it, okay?”
As the wo tone, she wrapped so black around me
”?”
As I wondered what it was, it turned out to be a corset I rapped in a corset before I noticed
”Eh, hey, wai──”
Ignoring me who had becoirls took hold ofon my back
Before long, I felt as if I was being crushed around the stomach
”I-It hurts! It hurts! Even if you want to tighten it, at least do it ently!”
”Ah, hey Stop struggling”
”Endure it, endure it”
”You'll get used to it in a bit”
”Traveler Onee-san Hang in there”
Like this
While everyone asideoperation had finished
After that, the granny presented a bundle of pads with serious face, saying, ”Your chest is lacking, so won't you wear soround
Part 3
There was a hut just out of the village