The boy's moods seemed to improve after they realized that Kotori was not doing anything with them. They were no longer trembling at her, but they still were watching her like vultures.
[Please don't be like that, you're the one who tried to touch me in the first place!] She thought.
To be honest, Kotori could've released them a while ago, but she felt like letting them stew for a while.
She liked the feeling of seeing the boys in front of her being bound. They looked like a perfectly prepared meal…
[Shit!] The moment Kotori had that thought she felt her karma drop slightly.
[I guess I need to let them go.] She thought
[Hikari-chan if you would please let them go] She told her tiara using [Spirit Seer]
The tiara seemed to grumble as if it didn't want the let the boys who had attacked her master go.
[Please…] Kotori pleaded
Hikari seemed to acquiesce to Kotori's request and soon the metal around the boys began to loosen and dissolve. It collected itself into a large mass before being absorbed back into Kotori's tiara.
The boys rubbed their arms and legs grimacing slightly. Their limbs must've fell asleep after being bound.
They were still giving Kotori looks that could cut daggers.
[I let you go didn't I?] she thought feeling indignant over the fact they were still mad with her.
Kotori hadn't interacted with many children her age before and was hopeless around them.
They scampered off with one of the boys stuck their tongue out at her as he ran out of view.
Soon a group of townspeople came over
[They must've been called by the boys, Ah I'll get recognized like this...] Kotori thought she deiced to ignore that fact for now and deal with the problem on hand, which was this group of angry villagers.
Watching the group, Kotori commended them for sticking up for their own people unlike the villagers in Kotori's original village. It wasn't like she was mad at the people in her original village though; they were trying to live in their own way. It wouldn't make sense for her to be mad at people who lived selfishly she has as well.
One of the town's people a broad-shouldered man came to speak to her. He was a typical farmer type. A strong body with callouses on his hand. He has a stern expression on his face.
"Hello missy, My name is Uldricht. One of my boys over here said that you tied them up and attacked them for no reason"
Kotori's eyebrow twitched.
[No reason? They were the ones who bother my sleep!] She thought.
[Attacking villagers would be more hassle than it was worth!]
She decided to explain herself.
"I believe you're mistaken, these boys tried to touch me, and my weapon activated in response." Kotori had Hikari move to show the villagers.
They instantly backed away in surprise Well any person would be surprised if they saw Hikari elongated and grow into the form of carriage.
"Do you think Lady Layla would let me attack you all?" Kotori said
Layla had made some good relations with the villagers and it was paying off now.
The man pursed his lips and gave a troubled expression.
"I still can't trust you like this." He said.
The villagers knew that she was one of Layla's guests and thus had a bit more trust of Kotori than if she was some random noble but it seems that was still not enough."
Kotori sighed
"Okay here follow me"
She walked over to a patch of dirt and pointed to it. In the dirt there were footsteps, leading to her chair and then the footprints became shuffled as if there was a scuffle.
"If you bring your boy's foot over here you'll see these are his tracks.
The man seeing the tracks understood Kotori's intentions
"Oi! Raymond get over here! One of the boys who came to bother Kotori walked out from the crowd he looked nervous. As if he realized his blunder about lying to the villagers"
He placed his foot down in one of the tracks that didn't belong to him.
"See it's not mine!" he said lying once again
"There were three of them" Kotori calmly explained
"This is your track," Kotori said pointing to one of the other tracks.
"Raymond put your foot in the track" Uldricht ordered
"Pa, do I have too?" Raymond said trying to get out of the situation
"Of course, you fool!" Uldricht scold Raymond
"Raymond hesitantly put his foot in the track and of course it was a perfect fit.
Uldricht looked annoyed
"Boy! You lied you went and bothered this lass" he shouted.
Raymond shrunk into himself, his deceit had failed.
"Well…"
"WELL WHAT! You kids wasted everybody's time!" Uldritch yelled
He put his hand to his head
"I apologize, missy, my boy seemed to have bothered you" He said to Kotori
[This man is surprisingly honest] Kotori thought
"Who were the other boys who bother you?" Kotori looked at the crown of villagers although they were trying to hide behind others Kotori could see them with her mana sensing abilities.
"Him and Him," She said pointing to two boys
One of the boy's mothers looked very angry
"Ferd! I'm going to tan your ass!"