165
The village was burning.
We departed early dawn with ten soldiers on horseback, without telling Gunter we were leaving the castle. I was riding with Wolfram but it was hard to deal with his wild horse-handling over such a long distance on the first day. Nonetheless I was becoming an experienced passenger and managed to endure the rough ride somehow.
The soldiers with us were terribly beautiful. Then again, they were Wolfram's private troops. In short, does that mean they all have an honorable lineage as pure-bred Mazoku?
When I feel someone's eyes on me I look up, and seeing one flying bone person (or should I say animal?) a little behind us. Why did I say I could feel its eyes when the holes in its skull are empty?
"My older brother should have arrived there by now, so everything might already be under control. It isn't that dangerous, but since you're a wimp don't go where I can't see you."
"Don't call me a wimp."
But it was already passed noon by the time we arrived, and the village was ablaze. Houses and fields. It was a considerably hot fire; even the clouds were dyed red. The soldiers ran around to prevent the shower of flames from reaching the forest, and the villagers were all lumps together away from the fence.

166
Women, and children, and the elderly. Everyone is dumbfounded, standing completely still. Just one elderly woman is crying and screaming.
"It's already settling down, like you said awhile ago."
"Strangely so."
"But we can already see it. Ah, what should we do? So much is burned down! I wonder if those people are ok."
Then we turned towards the village that was dozens of meters away, to try and head out of the forest quickly.
"Ignorant in the ways of the world as usual, third son."
From behind us, where only Wolfram's subordinates should have been, came an interestingly familiar voice.
"...American football guy?!"
He's the man I met the first day when he just had three men on horses with him, Denver Broncos. Let's see, if I remember right his name was...
"Adelbert was it?"
"Oh, you have a good memory! And I thought you were an idiot."
"Well sorry for looking like an idiot."
When I was the only one talking to them I turned my head to look back, and all the beautiful soldiers on horseback seemed to be frozen in place. In fact, riding in front of me, Wolfram was stiff, not even twitching.

168
Adelbert approached us slowly, speaking as he looked at Wolfram's profile.
"You're too much. Is it ok for the king to be protected by just ten men? Moreover, they're all pure-blooded mazoku, so they're all stuck in a simple human magic barrier. You should always have at least one soldier who can dispel magic at a time like this."
So does that mean, right now, that all of my allies but me are trapped in a barrier that keeps them from moving?! I can't believe, the place we're headed to is right in front of our eyes. Is this like a car running out of gas even though you can see a gas station?
"Yo, we meet again new Maoh."
"Hi."
It isn't clear if he's an enemy so I greeted him vaguely. Even though he seems to be enemies with the mazoku, if anything he was nice to me. When we first met he arbitrated between the villagers and me, and taught me the language.
Besides, his full name is Adelbert von Grats. Doesn't that sound like a mazoku name?
"...They can't move. Is that your doing?"
"Yeah, you could say that. It's a human magic barrier that I remembered studying a bit. Why are you riding behind this guy? How did you win over the youngest son, who only wags his tail for his mother and older brother?"

169
I don't think I've won him over. Besides that, this man was acquainted with Conrad, and from what he just said he seems to know Wolfram and Gwendal well, too. So why is he being hostile? I addressed this question.
"Are you really a mazoku?"
Adelbert cocked an eyebrow, his forehead wrinkling as he answered shortly.
"A long time ago."
"Then why are you on bad terms with Conrad? Why did you come here to interfere with us?"
"Because I hate them."
Hate?
"I hate them to death. Their ways disgust me. So I came to save you from their filthy hands. How pitiful, a sacrifice from another world, you should hurry and leave this place."
"Save... me...?"
"You were suddenly brought to another world, and coerced into being the new Maoh, right? The Maoh is the enemy of humans. This world has become corrupted and fallen into ruin because of his heinous existence. You look like a young human with good intentions to be made out to be such a monster. Well, isn't that too much? Don't you think that's cruel?"

170
When I first came to this world I was positive I was a human. I'm just an ordinary high school student. Not someone who possessed the soul of the Maoh, like Gunter and Conrad and Lady Cheri expected. But no matter how many times I told them no one believed me.
"They need a sacrifice. They have to set up a king on the throne. A pure boy who doesn't know anything can't pose any resistance, which is good for them. All men hostile towards mazoku will be made to hate their leaders. That's the only reason for your existence."
"...I..."
Albert's words echoed in my ears as he stood right by me, making me speechless.
"You're a good human. That's why the magic barrier doesn't effect you. Right?"
"...Ah, I am a human... I'm not a mazoku... Or the Maoh...?"
"Don't listen to him!"
Wolfram's voice sounded hoarse as he shouted. The uneasiness made my shoulders tremble.
"Ah, huh, you could talk?!"
"Don't listen to that guy! He's..."
It wasn't just my shoulders, but my arms were wrapped around his waist and his entire body was trembling. As he turned his head to face forward I could see beads of perspiration forming at the nape of his neck.

171
"That man, he betrayed us... He'll try, to bring you, into his group, too."
"Wolfram, if it hurts then don't talk."
"Well done, third son!"
The man he just called a traitor drew a long, slender sword, and pointed the tip of the sword at the mazoku prince's throat.
"Even if you don't overwork yourself by speaking, you're at a disadvantage because you have quite a bit of magic that you aren't completely in control of. If you let your senses go more easily then you would feel happier like your subordinates."
When I turned my head to look behind us, the mazoku soldiers who were following us looked like a drunk old man staggering around and their eyes stared into space.
Because of Wolfram's high pride it looked like he would burst a blood vessel.
Adelbert added insult to injury.
"Look, the humans you hate so much are setting mazoku land on fire. Wolfram, you always said it yourself. What can humans do? They're like worms, it would be a mistake if they opposed mazoku."
"Humans?!"
I leaned forward on the horse.
We leave the forest with another kick. I can see the scenes of despair and hatred from between the crevices of the trees. From the other side of the flames, silhouettes of what appear to be arrows fly through the air. There's no close combat with swords; someone is attacking someone else.

172
A mother is lying on the ground, covering her child. A soldier rushes up while he's crouching, firing back with his bow.
It's war.
I couldn't believe what was happening right in front of me, so I kept muttering to myself over and over.
"This is war, war, it really is, it's real."
Perhaps on this sort of scale it could be disputed what it should be called. But, for the first time in my life I'm seeing the "real thing" and I can't think of anything but "battlefield".
"...Where and where, no, who and who? Mazoku and humans?"
An elderly person running towards the forest to take refuge, with a hunched over back, suddenly flies up. They stumble forward to fall. An arrow pierced their back. They aren't dead, but even though it's far away it catches my eye.
"Why are they shooting them, even though they're not soldiers... No matter how you look at them they can't be a soldier. That person was a villager. Shouldn't the villagers be refugees?"
The humans were setting mazoku land on fire.
But, only human children and women and elderly lived on that land.
At the beginning my voice trembled faintly. With the emotions of shock and dismay.

173
"Aren't they fighting their fellow men? Aren't those human soldiers attacking a village where the children who have run away live quietly?"
Wolfram spat out at Adelbert in disgust.
"You did this somehow."
"I just gave a little advice."
When I lose my balance and wobble the chestnut horse stirs lightly. The reddish brown tail swings largely left and right. The man called a traitor spoke as I watched the terrible spectacle.
"They're not disobeying the teaching of the god they believe in. Don't you know? Last year there was a record setting crop and those guys increased taxes. They collected this year using the same calculations and so there was nothing left to eat. There were only two choices; starve or get more supplies. They asked for my advice. So I told them. Their neighboring village was here in the land of the mazoku that they should hate. Their god will not be angry if they steal from people who cultivate on mazoku land, and live on mazoku soil. They won't be charged with the serious crime of stealing from their neighbors."
"But then, if they're humans, then aren't they both humans?!"
"No, they aren't the same. This village has humans who side with the mazoku. People who side with the mazoku aren't considered their fellow humans anymore."
I grip both hands until my thumbs ache, and impatiently hit my thigh.

174
"I don't get it!!"
"It's fine if you don't understand. At any rate, come here and I'll take you back. You're not a mazoku, you're a human, right? You're a victim taken from another world, just because you had black hair and eyes, so that they can dress you up like the Maoh and use you as a scapegoat. Once you take sides with the mazoku, we won't be comrades again."
Adelbert lends me his hand to help me jump off the left-hand side of the horse. Between him and the horse, there wasn't much space between us. Without looking this way, Wolfram whispers lowly.
"Go."
"Eh?"
"From the looks of it, they're not planning on killing you. It'll be troublesome if you get hurt trying to resist. Go with Adelbert for now."
"But, you and everyone..."
"Don't worry about us."
I take in his words. If I leave them behind, what will happen to them?
Wolfram whispers briefly again.
"Hurry and go, Yuuri!"

175
I slowly turned towards Adelbert on the other side; he was holding out a hand towards me.
"That's right, Wolfram. The moment you lose this guy you'll have to summon some new kid. Even if you're safe your elder brothers would blame you for losing the candidate for Maoh from right under your nose. It's always a wise choice to protect him rather than struggle and lose his life."
Wolfram only bit his lip; he whispered something quickly when I separated my arm. I'm not sure whether I heard him or not. I caught some of it.
"...I'll come for you. Definitely."
In the blink of one second I quickly accepted many feelings and information, and drew from them what action to take. No matter what the result would be, I gave my best answer for the situation.
Which would I not regret picking?
"Don't think I'll ride with you because you helped me."
I forcefully get off onto the ground and I was about to say that my lower body ached from riding a horse for a long time and I was going to stretch out. I'll look for a good rider among Adelbert's subordinates and try to ride behind him.
"I hate big macho builds like yours. They give me an inferiority complex. Even my face would lose."
"Then who will you ride with? Or can you ride by yourself?"

176
"By myself? No way!"
As I said the "way!" at the end I clapped the foot of my dazed ally with all my strength. Though the soldier didn't wake up, his spur struck the horse's stomach, and with a neigh the gray horse broke into a run. Lured by the first horse, the others begin running, too. Flinching, they were frozen in place and with my kick dashed off.
At once the sound of hooves filled the air all around as several horse-riders, both ally and enemy, ran off into the woods in disorder. As Wolfram's chestnut horse was swallowed up in the forest, only Adelbert and I were left.
"...Why did you do that?"
"Wolfram chose one last person. That person was me; only you didn't notice."
Ah, it's too bad that no weapons had been given to me to defend myself, the last person left.
"Yuuri, I said that I would take you away from the mazoku for your sake.
So why would you do something especially to screw with us, eh?"
"I decided at the last minute to stay with you. This attraction is like a bad dream. But, just because I'm staying with you doesn't mean I'm on your side. I don't need you on my team."
Because he's not in my plan I announce that he isn't part of my future plans.
"Hey, hey, don't do that!"
Adelbert stepped towards me with his gigantic sword hanging from both hands.

177
"I told you not to be afraid, I went through great pains worrying about you. I should have broken one of your arms or threatened you to kidnap you from the beginning."
"Pl, please spare my right arm because I'm right-handed."
"It doesn't really matter if it's your left arm. But, the quickest way..."
Apparently the person I chose wasn't right for this man.
"I'll just have to get rid of the Maoh."
"Eeek!"
That was a pathetic scream, even for me. But he's wielding such a huge, long sword, and I don't even have any fencing experience. Moreover, his weapon probably isn't used for practice. It's for actual combat.
"Were, weren't you trying to get me away from all the mazoku?! It's not too late for that now! You don't have to suddenly change your mind and kill me, I can leave the country even if I have to walk!"
"You've decided to support the mazoku. That makes you the enemy. If the mazoku have the power of the Maoh, your existence will become more and more troublesome!"
"But didn't you say it before?! I'm a normal human, they set me up as the Maoh because my hair and eyes happen to be black. You said I was a scapegoat summoned from another world, even though I'm a normal human!"

178
The sounds of the blade swing around is awfully large and heavy and resounding.
"Would Shinou play a joke like that?"
"Th, th, th, then it's all a lie?! You were just talking gibberish when you said I was a normal human?!"
"I kept telling you that figuring I could get you on our side, but..."
Adelbert set his sights on me, I needed to pad the time.
"So that's what you're really like. That's too bad."
My back hits a parched trunk. There's nowhere to run behind me. Even if I dodged him once or twice, I'd be helpless after that. This wasn't like the duel with Wolfram. He had a lot of killing ability; there was also a great difference in their level of mastery.
The shadow of the sword he's brandishing over his head falls on my forehead. I gave up and closed my eyes.
When air vibrated as if a fastball had flown by a dead branch broke with a dry crack.
Splinters fell all over my legs and arms as I crouched down. Something dry and ball-shaped fell onto my lap and I gently opened one eye.
"Bo..."
One of the bone tribe that had been following me for a long time was "broken" with Adelbert's huge sword. Did it directly hit the spinal chord? It was almost completely destroyed and scattered about. The skull was sitting on my lap, and the light brown wings were going into convulsions.

179
He protected me?
"Kohhi, why did you..."
"That's the first time I've seen one of the bone tribe act like that. Risking it's life to protect its master? Che, strange, I beheaded it."
"What do you mean by 'strange'?!"
As I apologized to Kohhi in my mind, I stood up tightly grasping part of him (maybe his thigh). Of course, I didn't think bone could stave off a sword. But, if I simply closed my eyes and waited to die his death would have been in vain.
"What do you know about Kohhi?!"
Well, I don't know much about him, either.
Making no effort to hide his true nature now, Adelbert, who appears to be the villain, smiles.
"You feel sympathy for this race that has no will. This Maoh is an common person."
"Shut up! My commonness is my selling point, and I promise to reduce the sales tax!"
As I poise the bone... My weapon, with about a 3% chance of it being effective, some reassuring horses draw near. It wasn't a prince on a white horse, but Sir Weller and Lord von Bielefeld's troops.
180
Unfortunately for him, he couldn't do anything about being outnumbered, and in addition without a horse he couldn't do anything about it even if his hostage ran away. Adelbert dispersed and disappeared before the reinforcements came. Conrad ordered several of his subordinates to chase after him, and instructed them to locate him. Never approach him more than necessary, and don't try anything even if you think you have a chance. Because their lives were in danger here.
"They probably scattered."
Other than that, we exchange an embrace that would put the foreign actors to shame, and sand was thrown at Wolfram somehow.
"I'm relieved, Yuuri. I thought it would be too late."
"I'm relieved, too. I can finally understand what it feels like when men hug each other firmly in the movies."
They were just like this. While we pat each other on the back, Conrad's voice stiffened.
"By the way, what is that hard thing hitting my back?"
"Oh, this? A bone."
"A bone. Oh, I see, it is a bone. And what was your Majesty planning on doing with it?"

181
"Umm, I was using it as a club."
I energetically separate our bodies. I furrow my brows.
"I can't believe it, you were planning on fighting Adelbert..."
"But I couldn't let myself be killed."
"Ah, your Majesty, did you think it was like the time with Wolfram?! He and Wolf aren't even in the same league."
"Well excuse me for not being in the same league!"
The third son dismounted from his chestnut horse, and kicked the underbrush sourly. Though the effects of the demon seal had worn off, I couldn't compliment him on his complexion.
"Are you ok, Wolfram?"
"Hnn, there's no reason for you to worry about me."
"If that's the case I'm not worried, but-"
"He's paying for his mistakes. He did as he liked and brought your Majesty here."
Even if the youngest brother was scolded, he doesn't seem to have a speck of shyness. I quickly changed the subject from what I had asked about. "Besides that, how did you get here so quickly?"
"I was too slow. I was fighting near the border across the village, but the bone tribe that followed our troops sensed its companion's predicament. As I told you, they have a peculiar ability to communicate their thoughts. They can have conversations with only their spirits if they're not far away. So, I left that place to Gwen and met Wolfram and them while galloping here..."

182
"That's right! What should we do about Kohhi!"
I scraped up the remains scattered around the tree roots, and placed the skull gently in the center.
"Poor Kohhi... You gave your life for me... I'm really sorry, you might have had a wife and kids."
Although its sex is still uncertain. I can at least make a simple grave, and leave flowers on the anniversary of his death and equinoctial week. I know it's bad but I begin to dig through the grass with his own thighbone.
"Ah, just a minute, your Majesty, you shouldn't bury him."
"What are you saying? We can't leave Kohhi out here to get weather-beaten!"
"Because we have a responsibility to collect him. If he's buried how will he fly again?"
"Huh?"
"So, if we put him back together properly he'll be able to fly again."
"He, he's not dead?"
"There are a lot of mysteries about how they live."
"Really? You can really put him together like a plastic model? Then you won't make into into a strange new living thing by putting weird bones in?"

183
"It's fine, we have expert engineers."
A professional modeler? But I'm glad. Above all I want him to live.
When we finally came back out of the forest to return to the village, Conrad earnestly gave detailed instructions as he was dealing with the enemy soldiers who failed to escape.
"Although we're approaching the end, there's still remnants of resistance. Don't stray off where I can't see, all right? Because people hit by stray arrows lose their lives."
"S, stray arrows?"
That reminds me, what happened to that elderly person who was struck by something like a stray arrow earlier? While being careful not to leave Conrad's field of vision, I headed for the corner where injured people were gathered.
The cloth raised up to ward off sparks reminded me of the aid tents at sports festivals. But it wasn't a peaceful atmosphere under the roof; there were more than twenty injured people, lying down on top of the grass. While I stand there dumbfounded, people are carried in one by one.
They aren't mazoku nor man nor villager. They shout, and groan and cry.
A pale-skinned girl restlessly moves around by herself. Gunter had called them a clan with healing hands. Is she, in a word, a medic? It seems in this country both men and women go to the battlefield. They're oddly progressive on that point.

184
"If there's something I can do to help..."
The girl raises her face and is amazed when she sees me. She looks around Wolfram's age but she must be older than me.
"No, your Majesty! Not at all, I can do this by myself."
"But more and more are coming."
"Umm, umm, excuse me for being so unsightly in front of your Majesty. Please, your Majesty, go and give directions to the soldiers."
I shook my head; it looks like I set foot on her territory.
"You're not unsightly at all... Everyone is hurt and suffering, and I'm not the type to give orders to troops."
As a new person is carried in the medic's mood seems to change. She handed me a box that seemed to be a first-aid kit, and pointed at the man near the entrance.
"This is inexcusable but could you please use this disinfectant on the patients with minor injuries over there? You will need to wear gloves. The cloth and scissors are here. Umm, your Majesty, do you have any experience giving aid to injured soldiers..."
"None but, maybe, I don't think I'll faint."
Because I've seen wounds like a pitcher hitting a batter with the ball, or from sliding or from cleats. The female soldier's expression seemed relieved, and she went to examine the patients with serious wounds. I boldly sprinkled antiseptic solution on a man who had cut his thigh. It wasn't like a cut from cleats; the flesh was open and pink.

185
"That's rough luck, you got hit without any armor. But don't worry, the wound is shallow. The proof is that I can't see any bone or muscle."
My hand trembled.
"That, your Majesty, that's too good for you..."
"Too good? The medicine must sting. Hey, just a sec, how about this salve?"
The young lady bowed her head towards me. There was a yellow gel inside the kit smeared on a large gauze bandage. I don't know whether I learned it in health class or the boy scouts, but wide bandages are wrapped around the thighs. The man continued repeating that it was "too good". Next, giving it all I've got, I examine the lacerations and burns.
I'm only a relatively active person but I've gotten plenty of scratches and bruises during extracurricular activities, but even so this was a "field hospital". After I treated some patients with minor injuries, a man lying face down was next.
There was a cut diagonally across his back but thanks to his clothes there wasn't too much bleeding.
He looked like a merchant who was attacked to test out a new sword. His light brown hair hung down to his dirty collar. A silver coin on a leather strip was moved behind his neck. Is it a good luck necklace or money from a country somewhere? Without much thought I tried to grab the glittering one yen coin.

186
"Don't touch me."
"Eh, ah, excuse me! I wasn't going to take anything, it's just kind of pretty so..."
"Don't touch me! Are you going to kill me?! Because mazoku won't let humans live."
"I... I won't kill you..."
The man grimaced as he tried to raise his body and groaned in pain. I don't understand all of the curses he repeats at me. He didn't look this way.
"Are you human?"
"Naturally, damn it, and you're with those mazoku! Damn, if you're going to kill me hurry and do it."
"I'm not going to kill you. What, are you scared of putting disinfectant on wounds as a grown man?"
"Disinfectant? Don't lie to the good people now, a mazoku saving humans?! You mazoku kill humans, so we kill mazoku back."
Neverminding that I put the fluid on his wound.
"I'm not going to kill you, be quiet already! Proof of that is that humans live in that village, don't they? If mazoku kill humans, then why are people living there?! It's you people who went there to destroy their quiet lives."
That's right, humans attacked the village, with swords turned against humans. The arrows were shot.

187
Even though they were both human.
The man turned his head to look at me, and I looked down on him from where I was standing.
"It's ok to destroy that place! That village sold their souls to the mazoku, it doesn't matter if we steal from them, naturally we'd burn a village like that! Our god forgives us; he lent us power to punish the mazoku!"
Because of the pain and bleeding, his laughter became slightly hysteric.
"God has chosen humans!"
"...What kind of god is that?"
The soldier with a bandage wrapped around his head got up next to us in a swaying motion.
"...What are you... saying to his Majesty..."
There wasn't a pause. He grips his sword, aiming his sword at the neck of the shouting human.
"Da..."
"Stop!"
The sword sharply cut through the air, and dug into the soft ground. The man's head was still attached to his torso. Fortunately, the weapon had broken. The medic girl lifted the man's chin and quickly applied a wet cloth to his nose. The injured man lost his strength, and his face pressed on the grass dead tired.
"When the wounded are excited, I'm afraid we have to put them to sleep."

188
As if this sort of trouble happens often, she smiles without losing her cool.
"Excuse me if I offended you, but, they're always unbelievers. You there, and you, watch what you do. All patients carried into my workplace are treated equally. I won't allow you to hurt one another! Ah, your Majesty."
She looked at me as I watched, overwhelmed, and saw the gem cradled at my neck.
"Is that an offering from his Excellency Conrart?"
"Eh, yeah."
"I see."
I don't know what she remembered when she nodded her head slightly and moved on to the next wounded person.
"It suits you, very well."

I staggered back to where Conrad was before, who had been giving orders to the soldiers. Soldiers came with clothes scorched here and there, reporting of a well.
"I see, don't get too close. Dig as wide as you can into the soil to entirely enclose it."
The subordinate bowed briefly and ran off.
With his arms folded, Wolfram didn't look particularly serious.

189
"When big brother comes back he should have the ground swallow this village. That way the fire will be put out and it won't spread to the forest."
"And what of the villager's homes and land? And the fields they worked so hard to clear?"
"Hnn, the fires were set by humans like them, so they should resign themselves to their fate."
Humans like them.
For no reason I'm drained of strength, and I weakly squat down there.
"Your Majesty."
Conrad kneels down, gently placing a hand on my back.
"Why did they do this... They say it's because they wanted food. To me is seems like they attacked this village because mazoku that despised humans, like Wolfram and Gwendal, hated them."
Wolfram snorted as if to say he resented that.
"Why should we do something so useless? This land has been mazoku land since long ago. If it burns naturally it's a loss. Besides, if the fire reaches the forest it's not something we can restore in one or two years."
The houses blazing up with dark smoke finally crumble down miserably. The farmland that was green and gold only a few days ago was licked in flames now. Several of the domestic animal had taken refuge in the forest.

190
"Why would humans do this to each other..."
Conrad was interrupted by a falling spark and pulled my shoulder back.
"I can sort of understand why you mazoku are hostile towards humans. Basically, umm, I can't explain it well but, it's sort of like how killer whales and dolphins are on bad terms... But that discord is because you're born different, I think I can understand it somehow. But why would humans be opposed to each other?"
That man's hysterical laughter from earlier ran around in my head.
"Isn't it like dolphins biting one another?! What kind of god wouldn't be angry at such meaningless, cruel things?!"
Falling between mazoku and human, I can't read his feelings in his low mutter.
"Well then."
Soldiers voices of fatigue and despair rise up, as the ashes of burned wheat fly away.
It falls and piles up on the grass, dancing around again when it's scattered by hooves.
Over and over again. Until it returns to the ground again.
"Then on the world your Majesty is from, humans don't fight each other?"
"...That's..."
The blaze illuminates the figures of the riders approaching. Subdued by only three riders, the man was dragged along in a large lump of cloth, thrown out in front of us and looked at a group of villagers.

191
"This..."
The person in the old rags came into sight. An arrow pierced through the right shoulder of the soldier's uniform, his eyes were red from blood from his forehead. With a pale face and low voice, a peasant man muttered it was more baggage. Though I can't see any injuries, both his arms and legs seem to be twisted strangely.
Bones.
Imaging the pain, I barely manage to gulp down the vomit that's welling up.
"Clean up over there right away. Although nearly all escaped from across the border."
Even in such a serious situation, Gwendal's expression didn't change much. As always he was sullen and handsome, and with the exception of blood spatter from other people on his clothes he didn't have any traces of combat.
After he raised his eyebrows slightly at the youngest brother who had come, he began to talk to his younger brother about the situation as a soldier.
"Adelbert fed this man lies to provoke him. It's no wonder he's trained. The misshapen soldier is considerably involved. It seems there was a fire magician among them. That's why the fire is so powerful."
"There's no sign of it weakening at all. We sent a message with one of the bone tribe at noon, but a magic user hasn't arrived yet so what can we do besides hold out until then? We'll do whatever we can to protect just the forest."
"Well, without their assistance we can merely watch. Or..."