Looking at her face, it was filled with disbelief, I can't blame her for that anyways, even if I ever manage to encounter a kid forging with a hammer and successfully making a weapon themselves I would if not certainly... die from shock
--
Iris took the little light source on the side while having casual glances at the place itself, the light was fairly dim and its almost certainly that light only ever came on both lamp and the kiln, its still a question to herself how would someone even be able to work perfectly if they were given this sort of workplace
However none of this seems to affect the person in front of her, though she seem pondering about something, its fairly visible how happy she was on the result
"Iron halberd, and umm +S magic capability?" Xylene said as though it was something intriguing, however this didn't pass on into Iris' ears and she quickly waved the light directly on the blade in front of them, the light is certainly there but it wasn't that bright to be able to see something like 'quality' much less give a rating
However as she was pondering, Xylene took and held it while seemingly observing it closely
She was on a loss of word on how weird this thing is happening right now and never even dared to question her
Upon every kingdom and empires it was common to find different people that was strong or even talented, however these people never shared their informations, most of them joined adventurer guild and the rest joined military, however some of them even went on journeys. It became a custom ever since long ago not to question people about their personal informations
She once heard about her father ever being a soldier one time, that was the time she went and admired people with talents, Also it was the time when her older sisters reached a certain age and took a test similarly called Magic affinity test, they recieved higher remarks in regards to control of mana. These test were highly regarded of importance due to how everyone believed that this test could even tell life spans, and failing to reach the average means that you body could wither earlier. However during her own test when she reached 4, out of the sudden none of them ever looked at her at the same bright, and without her even being able to see the results
It took her a long time before knowing everything when accidentally while cleaning the storage room, even after she secretly admired her sisters, she never knew she wouldn't be able to be like them, even trying, it would be all for naught, she has no control of mana, and she failed the whole test miserably, and in short, she has no talent
--
As Iris fell into silent, before suddenly heaving sigh as if mocking herself, Xylene knew it wasn't about her, but something like a memory that wandered this girls head
"I'll go dry your clothes in the mean time" leaving the girl stood there as she left quickly, as she felt another one of those last night... where she somehow got lured by unknown force which she labeled envy
Not even a minute, she found the clothes by the outside, hanging
"I just get more eerie feelings as I feel this 'envy'" it was to the point that maybe one day she might go crazy because of it, what if not just the girl but everyone around her emits this strange force, looks like I can't recklessly go into a city or something with more people
Held into her arms was the still wet and dripping clothes, now that she remembered, Iris no longer had hood and her body was wearing her clothes. A pity cause she haven't actually noticed
...Something like compound or multi cast, this test is as simple as that, although it look generally like that, not much could be said about the power of creativity of the modern era where digital animations and CGI rules
[Heat] a little temperature rise enveloped the small surrounding, this worked better with my control, followed by [Gust] a small movement of wind that swirls around the cloth
Not so long, after the clothes are finished, after being satisfied I observed the clothes, the cloth was actually old, although it wasn't damaged and barely scrached, it still remained like normal, its pretty much taken care of, surprisingly the design really well hid the face, I kind of liked the style as that would be close to assassins
"It was dried" walking inside, I said as I spot her on the same spot as earlier
"Huh? that fast?" She spun as she talked, seemingly out of wonder
"Yea, ah... by the way are you really sure about leaving today? its okay to stay for a bit more you know?"
"Un? well I just thought to myself that if I didn't leave today I might get used to it so maybe its better to do it earlier" She said while pondering as although peacefully refusing the offer, something like this is similar to what happened to her before and its better to only get used to relying on yourself than when its too late
"I see, well I'm just confirming" putting down the clothes at the table before preparing to take a bath herself for reasons... sweating alot
A single observing glance into the girl, she found that the girl has brown hair, while its true that she saw the memories she acquired, as her skills didn't work there, and for each frames it mysteriously didn't show her face exept for when she was approximately seven
She has a very thin body like last time, and the dress may have looked better into her, but her airs somehow reminded her of a child
After taking a bath outside and just casually drank on the gushing water, well she wasn't pervert enough to drink her own bath water and she wasn't even aware of that
It took a few bit before they ate lunch and before she saw Iris now back into her original clothes bugging her about her going now, Xylene only helplessly nodded and didn't feel bad about it, but just so she still felt a little hurt and lonely
Along with her weapon, that was now switched into the assembled halberd that used a tough looking tree branch that was actually named Ironwood, never would she know that the branches she use would be like those, but aside from its weirdly sturdiness nothing else is different which disappoint her
She led Iris back to where they met, only now that it was early and its obviously she would divert the way abit to avoid the mess hole that could be linked to the problem girl had. After which it was the girl's turn to lead her, and as to avoid getting lost she kept glancing on the direction of her shadows. Actually she is avoiding looking at the sun due to fear of night vision's 'side effect'.
They kept walking straight with few sides till they reached a flattened ground which was now familiar to her, but actually it seems that she also diverted our way, probbably to avoid suspicion? we both hide secret to each other and it felt rather weird
"Yes, this should be it" Iris said as she looked at the road that was laid in front of them, actually she diverted the way so that they wont encounter the carriage as it obviously happened just yesterday and she still felt grieve inside her heart, but suprisingly since morning, the pain in her heart eased so she had the courage to at least move forward "As far as I remember, on the path left there would be a crossing road where carriages actually go, this road is probbably a shortcut"
"Well, Iris I hope you can succeed on your plan, actually I also thought about going with you but..., I still have things to do"
"To do?" she asked in a questioning manner, as though she said it to her, but she felt that there is something amiss
"Nothing, just personal things"
"Well I see..., still, thanks for everything, if I have a chance I would want to one day return this debt"
"Ah before I forgot" Xylene handed her two of what seems to be gold coins used as money on this world, as I dont know its value exept for the old jewelry kind of value, I gave it like it was nothing, she seemed surprised at first but then her glance seems to have changed into wonder
"These are?" She pondered as she looked into it, even so she never even held an actual money before and only knew the similar types that was color brown(copper) and white(silver), she was lucky atleast to know how to count as she was the one to run errands at the market, but never held, knew, or seen anything like it
"Coins, just... um... yeah, take it with you and use it when you have to" she clearly can't explain anything about it
The scene would surely look awkward as both of them don't know what's that thing is but then Iris decided to finally move and Xylene just stood there silently while watching her silhouette fade away in the distance
"I might actually miss her" Iris' beauty actually left a good impression on Xylene, the first to actually stand above my past world, this world sure is weird in some aspect. If Iris stayed, who knew if she might actually fall in love or commit sin
Shaking her weird thoughts, she arrived at a few distance away from the place. Iris went on the left side, which is where the carriage came, and on the right path there was indeed a running water where they stopped
She finally confirmed that the memory were true, but the reason why and how still remained unknown
It didn't take long before she spotted something at a distance
The remains of the carriage...
It was horrible
"Ugrk... Guh... Although I've seen and expected this before hand, something like this is still above my expectation"
Gore, blood, and wreckage. You can no longer call this a carriage, I can't even tell if it was even once a carriage. Even the Bones were shattered, and its only been a day so not much stinks linger around, its only just pure blood scent
"I don't feel terrified, but its still horrifying" The stench of blood is thicker than animals, its better to not focus too much, the feeling of my stomach twisting is starting to appear
I saw a lone eye that was left on the ground, and its iris were pointing at me, sending chills as if stabbing my insides. Fucking brain! I can even feel my body's curiosity trying to imitate how it felt, tingling my senses even when I'm doing nothing
I smacked my head due to anger, Don't let your imagination run wild and accept whats in front of you, this is reality, if you die you will only end up like them
I really feel like I wanna cry. even people have their own problems. I feel like an Idiot in my past life, chasing death and purposely corrupting myself, yet in the end will only run away. I'm sick of myself, I guess I'm just blinded by curiosity, and led astray by myself
Pathetic...
Raising my head higher, I moved myself...
The carriage was even dismantled, as for the cargo, they were scattered everywhere, the ferocity of those monster were surely way above
I reached for what should be the front compartment, it was ripped open, probbably because of the driver. I discovered few keys laid in there, I don't care about it anymore, even the cage were forcefully tore open, its obvious that the people inside have no way to get out after that, its like being trapped in a broken shark cage, there's no point taking it
There is a pouch, well this is familiar, opening it I saw a few coins, only 2 gold and the rest were brown, approximately 15 all
Exploring through and all, the stench even made me cough. What I got in the end were a backpack, filled with different stuffs
A map with markings of lines, which are probbably different routes, its better to compare this later to when I have returned
There are a few set of rugs, but they had holes like they were some kind of clothes
A few metal chains and locks, the keys probbably were included to the ones earlier, tch...
A strange case that contains a metal insignia that looks like some kind of runes, it has a slot on its back
And there is a stick, which probbably is the one for the strange insignia.
Nothing else is left, its already a ruin, and its probbably time to start heading out as I'm starting to feel sick
I used water magic to cleanse the surface of the bag as there are also dripped stains of blood, but it doesn't even fade at all
Picking them up and inserting it to my original 'backpack bag' I made my way back home