"It's a small but charming village. Although Master frowned as soon as we got off the carriage, I quite liked it."
Lisa looked at Emma with eyes that expected a response. But Emma, with unfocused eyes, just stared ahead without replying.
"… Miss Emma? Why are you so dazed?"
"…"
"Miss Emma?"
"Huh? Oh! I'm sorry, teacher."
"Come to think of it, your hometown was in the countryside, right? Are you feeling nostalgic?"
"Yes…."
The already harvested fields showed the stubs left behind. Black, manure-like substances were scattered on the golden stalks. Next to them, a low stone wall, made of piled-up square stones, stretched out.
It seemed quite old, with traces of time everywhere.
"Hey? There's someone over there."
Lisa pointed towards the stone wall. Emma's gaze naturally followed.
A glimpse of brown hair. Though trying to hide, the long hair peeking out suggested otherwise.
Crunch, crunch.
Emma approached the wall. The children, startled that someone was approaching, lifted their heads and blinked.
Two little girls, smaller than the low stone wall. Judging by their appearance and height, they seemed to be sisters.
The older one blocked the younger one and spoke, trying to ward off Emma.
"It's our first time seeing an outsider… so… we didn't mean to do anything bad!"
The girl's voice trembled. Despite being overcome by fear, she stood protectively in front of someone smaller than herself, not moving an inch.
Emma, with clear eyes, looked at the girls. Realizing she was intimidating them; she made a gesture.
She grasped the ends of her skirt with both hands and slightly pushed her right foot back. She then bowed her head gracefully.
"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Emma."
Her movement was graceful and clean. Emma had learned not only magic and swordsmanship from Vargan, but also etiquette.
The girl blinked again. Her big eyelids fluttered rapidly. Her terrified facial muscles began to relax, and she spoke in a high-pitched voice.
"You look like a princess!"
The girl's eyes sparkled. Like a child seeing snow for the first time, she shivered with amazement.
"A princess? Are you a princess? Did you come from the castle? Why? Why did a princess come out here?"
The girl circled Emma, asking questions rapidly. She was sure Emma was indeed that special person she imagined.
"Your hair sparkles and your skin are so white! Just like a princess! But why aren't you wearing princess clothes?"
"That's because I'm not a princess…."
"Ah! I know! You disguised yourself, right? You snuck out to meet a prince, didn't you?"
The girl's fairy tale unfolded right then and there. Having heard countless stories from her mother for seven years, she pieced together the puzzle in her mind.
Suddenly realizing something, the girl crouched and made herself even smaller. She even covered her mouth with her hands.
"Shh! We must be quiet, right? It's a secret that can't be revealed, right?"
The nervous girl even swallowed hard, her throat bobbing. Emma, taken aback by her unexpected reaction, didn't know what to do. Just then, Lisa approached.
Emma thought Lisa would deftly handle the situation and let out a sigh of relief.
"That's right~ This person is a princess who snuck out to meet a prince. So, you mustn't tell anyone. Keep it a secret, okay?"
"Magician! You're a magician! With a big hat just like in fairy tales!"
"I told you to be quiet… I'll turn you into a frog!"
Lisa's exaggerated movements made the girl stand in front of the younger one once again, shielding her. She mumbled something about a bad magician.
"This situation has only worsened. I'm sorry, Miss Emma."
"No, it's my fault for not responding properly from the start."
The younger child peeked out. Her curious eyes were filled with intrigue.
"Pwincess? Sis, pwincess?"
"Freesia, no. There are bad magicians too!"
"Bad magican? Why ith bad magican with pwincess?"
"That's…"
The girl searched her mind for similar scenarios. Among the many stories her mother had told her, she knew one.
"Kidnapping?!"
Yes, that was one of them.
"No! That's not…."
"What's all this noise? Were you just idling while I was negotiating? Pathetic, you should be honing your aura!"
As Emma tried to clarify, a man's voice interrupted. Julian, having finished talking with the chief, approached briskly. For the children, his tall stature and sharp tone were intimidating.
The girl pointed a trembling finger at him.
"You're… the bad magician leader…!"
Julian paused, taken aback by the accusation. He arched an eyebrow, glancing at Emma and Lisa with a mixture of confusion and mild irritation.
"Bad magician leader?" he repeated, his voice dry. His gaze shifted to the children, sizing up the unexpected twist in their game of imagination.
Emma tried to stifle a laugh but quickly masked it with a polite cough. "It seems... there's been a misunderstanding," she said gently, kneeling down to the children's level. "Master Julian here is no villain. In fact, he's been helping us."
The older girl, however, was unconvinced. She narrowed her eyes and clenched her small fists, clearly determined to defend her younger sister. "Then why's he so scary-looking? He looks just like the villain in the stories!"
Julian let out a sigh, rubbing the bridge of his nose in frustration. "If you think I'm a bad magician, perhaps you should see what a real villain is like. But fortunately for you, I have no interest in kidnapping children," he muttered.
Emma stepped forward, shooting Julian a look as if to remind him to be gentle. "Listen, he's not here to hurt anyone. We're travelers passing through your village, and Master Julian... he's here to make sure we're all safe."
The younger child, Freesia, tilted her head. "If he's not a bad magician, why's he so… so… grumpy?"
Lisa chuckled, placing a reassuring hand on the girl's shoulder. "That's just Master way. He's very serious, but he's actually good at heart. Right, Master?"
Julian just rolled his eyes and decided to ignore those little kid's for now.
After all he has yet to achieve his goal here.