82 Another Story: Abandoned Princes and Wolf Girls 04 (2/2)

That's what I promised Al. But still.

Acrylic woke up and gently laid his hands on the door. My heart is pounding so hard that I don't like it when I blurt.

I honestly don't know what will happen when I leave here. Even if I can see Al, Al could get angry. It's not Al. If you meet someone, they could kill you.

I'm sure you're right about making a big deal out of it here. Smart choice. A calm self whispers in my head that it's better to do that.

”But I'm also jittery... I'm scared”

Reinforced in his trembling hand, never willing, Acrylic slowly opened the door.

Look down the hall like a peek in. No sign of people, no noise. After confirming it, the acrylic exhales quietly and erases its own signs.

Life inside was dominated by hunting. Therefore, the art of turning off signs has been learned since childhood. Acrylic carefully goes down the hallway to avoid making any noise while keeping his mind calm.

There are surprisingly few signs of people in the mansion. Is it minimal to take care of, or is it full of creepy air that must be the exterior of the mansion I saw outside?

Acrylic goes down the hallway to avoid making any noise while scolding the feelings that make him feel frightened. Hiding in the shadows of the hallway, he goes one step, one step, exploring the signs ahead.

……

Then I heard people. At the same time, I felt the smell of acrylic sniffing.

The smell was a familiar smell, and when the smell recognized something, tension ran on the acrylic.

”Of blood, smell...?

Why? And while Acrylic wondered, he peered and looked into the shadows of the hallway to those who smelled blood while holding down the heart that was about to jump.

That was the entrance, and it seemed like a few people were gathering. I could see Algard and his white gold hair in it.

”Argh!”

I accidentally moved to the smell of blood and got on with myself with my voice.

The gaze of the people at the entrance gathers to the acrylic at once. Among them was still Algard, who, surprised, turned his gaze towards the acrylic.

Acrylic looked to Algard as his face was about to turn bright red on his detours, but there were no specifications for what had come out.

I didn't see any trauma on Algard's body. I realized that the smell of blood did not come from Algard, but from those who were in conversation at the entrance with Algard, and the acrylic had lost its strength from my body. Pepe as it was, and as he sat down, Algard quickly approached him, kneeling.

”Acrylic? Why are you out of the room?

”Oh, I'm sorry... Al's not coming today, so get anxious...”

”... oh well. I'm sorry. I didn't think enough.”

Algardo replies to the acrylic he says with a whispering, sorry head bowed, look like he chewed up a bitter bug while scratching his head.

”Uh, Master Algard. Is that the girl?

Then the men, who were watching how Algard and Acrylic were doing, called out at random.

They're apparently a battle outfit, with dirt like they did after the battle, etc. The smell of blood and their injuries were more like blood return than anything else.

Acrylic slipped his ear and lowered as he seemed too dumb to jump out that Al might have been injured.

”... ha, you guys. Back off already today. There's no point in talking about acrylics.”

”Yeah, I know that. It just doesn't seem like something that Algard would worry about.”

”... just back off. No, fine. I'm bringing the acrylic back to my room. The report will be submitted later.”

Algard told him to abandon him and held up the body of the acrylic he was sitting on.

Hiccup, Algard's face approaches close range to the vision of a short screaming acrylic. The acrylic face stains bright red at once, understanding that it fits inside Algard's arms and is being held up.

Fly your consciousness so that you are not aware of the sound of your heart bouncing loudly and painfully. It was acrylic resistance to knowing what was going on but not wanting to recognize it.

With the acrylic in his arms, Algardo walks back the way the acrylic came.

Acrylic lowered his ear and gaze sorry to see if his current state was finally swallowing.

”... sorry”

”Apologize for what?

”Leave the room on your own...”

”... never mind. I was the one who forgot to take care of acrylics. I had a job in here today.”

”Work?”

”We work for demons. It's a big day. I couldn't make it to see Acrylic because I was waiting.”

Demon thinning. I see, that's why Acrylic convinced me that he was bleeding back to the point where he smelled so much blood.

”... Al also fights demons?

”... No, I am. I'm not leaving this mansion.”

”? Yes, it is?

”... ah. I have to be here.”

That's how the grin Algard brought to his mind was a grin, but I couldn't imagine him laughing, and it was a transparent, nothing-making look.

Acrylic fell into the sensation as if peering into the invisible hole at the bottom. The look on his face was too pretty, but he was stirred up by unspeakable anxiety and Acrylic accidentally held his fist.

”... Al?

”What?”

Is he aware, or is he aware and stuck? What look do you have on your face?

Afraid to hear that, Acrylic shut his mouth. The heat of Algard's hand holding him tight made me realize he was here.