To Deprive a Deprived Person

「Otope, is that back okay?」

「What is okay?」

Monique asks while looking at Otope’s back. Although the wounds were healed by Lena´s and Beibu’s white magic, Otope’s back was slashed many times and his wings were still distorted.

「Ah, you mean the wings. Thanks to Lena and Beibu, the wound was healed. If I leave it alone, it will eventually heal」

「You! Take more care of your body!」

Akane, who flew around Otope, shook her nose and sat down on the usual home position of Agafon´s head.

「You, how long will you make such a miserable face」

「Noisy. My head is full of thoughts about how to report to leader. Don’t talk to me」

「Huh. What. Your big body is miserable. I wonder if you’re so afraid of that person!」

There is no reaction when Akane hits Agafon´s head.

「This is not a brown bear but a bear cub. Bear cub-chan, I’ll take care of you」

「What!? Who is a bear cub! Wait! Don’t run away!!」

「Ahaha. Be, Bear cub after all」

「Beibu! What’s so funny!!」

「Oh, don’t get angry～. Its what Akane said」

「Oh scary. Scary～」

Akane flies happily away from the angry Agafon. The people around them smiled at their figures. Except for one person, Flavia.

「Nina-san, I have some things to do, so I’ll excuse myself here」

「......What do you have to do?」

「It doesn’t matter to you」

Lena’s cheeks swell like a bowl with Marifa’s untidy attitude.

「Mari-chan」

「Nina-san, I´m not going back to the woods. I just remembered that I need to go shopping with Tin and the others」

Nina looked into Marifa’s eyes, but without fear, Marifa looked back.

「Is that so. You were in the middle of shopping」

「Yes. Then I will leave now」

Marifa turns her skirt and begins to walk in the opposite direction from the west gate. She disappeared into the crowd as it was.

-------------------------------

One of the entrances in a wooded forest. There were Tin and Vanamo, as well as the fox beast girl Ariane and the racoon beast girl Pokori. And on the side of Tin and others, three men are tied up behind their backs.

「Elder sister are you okay?」

「Vanamo do you really think she is okay」

「Tin! What do you mean!!」

「I wonder why Vanamo is so stupid. I’m going to get tired」

「Who is stupid!!」

「Stop it, both of you」

「Yes. Ah, elder sister」

When Marifa appears, Tin and Vanamo stop fighting and stretch their backs.

「Ol, Older sister, got injured!」

「Please calm down. The wound is healed by the potion master gave me」

Vanamo panics when she sees the blood on Marifa’s maid outfit, but Marifa controls her.

「More than that. Ariane, Pokori, any issue?」

「Older sister, no one has noticed the commotion because of the sound and illusion magic, covering the thick forest between me and Pokori and no one has escaped after creating a illusion barrier」

「For those who fled before the illusion barrier was set up, there was no problem because Grafira was also tracking them. Since Melanie was only in the mansion, Nepora is facing them」

「Good job」

When praised by Marifa, Ariane and Pokori lightly bow their heads.

「By the way, the captured people seem to be dead」

The men who lie ahead of Marifa’s line of sight do not move. That should be it, those men are already dead.

「I, I tried to question who they were, but it seems like they self-harmed themselves as poison was in their mouths. They were prepared to do this. Perhaps they belonged to a noble or the royal family――」

Vanamo explains in a hurry, but Tin breaks into it.

「I told you that you should let them unconscious until elder sister returns, but Vanamo tried to show her best, so she caught them with great trouble――ouch!?」

Vanamo pinches Tin’s ass with all her strength. Her eyes told not to say anything unnecessary.

「Mou, what do you do when I have bruises on my butt? Take responsible」

「Vanamo」

「Y, Yes. El, Elder sister」

「Stop deciding on your enemies with your speculation」

「I’m sorry......」

Marifa searches the corpses. This is because some organizations have tattoos on their bodies or possess proofs belonging to a organization such as rings and necklaces. It’s already after Tin and the others have examined them, but Marifa still confirms with her own eyes. However, there was no evidence or clue among the men that they belonged to an organization.

「There seems to be no clue. What else has changed?」

「That strange dwarf has come」

Tin reports to Marifa while rubbing her butt.

「Strange dwarf?」

「Tropi Ton, who once slipped into the orphanage」

「She is the leader of 『Red Meteor』. She also brought about five other friends with her」

Ariane and Pokori speak in addition to Tin’s inadequate explanation.

「By chance――」

「Let me see. It looks like there were guards at the other entrances and they seemed to catch them」

「Tin, how do you speak to elder sister!」

Vanamo protests against Tin way of speaking to Marifa, but Tin continues to talk with the wind blowing.

「I tried to find out where the organization was, but after all it seemed like I didn’t know what to do」

「Is that so」

「Ah. Elder sister, I’ll continue! Tropi says that there should have been no other people even though it should have been a few things without a lookout!」

Mhuuh, Vanamo sighs nasal to Tin, who is beside her. To such a Vanamo, Ariane and Pokori look at each other as they are in trouble.

「Vanamo, there’s something you haven’t said yet」

「No, there is nothing missing!」

「Look, you said to appeal to master」

「You don’t have to tell elder sister about such a silly thing!」

It was a Vanamo who raised his hands and protested against Tin

「Vanamo, tell me」

「Yes」

When told by Marifa, she simply reworded the previous statement.

「Opp......Opportunity, this Tropi-chan with great efforts will appeal to Yuu-niichan! Absolutely! I don’t think there’s anything that the faithful maid of Yuu-niichan would take away my credit, please take care of me～chuu!」

When Vanamo imitates a throwing kiss and concludes, Marifa’s body releases some killing intent.

「O......Oh, older sister. It, Its not me. Its that dwarf called Tropi!!」

Tin is amused and laughed with pointed finger to Vanamo who panics. Ariane and Pokori warn her to 「Stop」.

「I understand. Leave that story aside, I’m going to secure the opponent I fought against because he’s still alive」

Tin and the others apprentice maids followed Marifa who entered the woods. But Marifa, who saw the place where Agafon´s party fought, there was no drop of blood or even Kiringirin´s group.

「That’s impossible! Elder sister, I have confirmed that nobody is in the woods at the illusion barrier between me and Pokori!」

「I wonder if it was from the beginning?」

「It’s the most likely」

However, Pokori disagrees with Tin and Vanamo’s guess.

「If that’s the case, they would still lurk in the woods」

「I don’t think so. Both Koro and Ran are confused because the scent ceases here. There was something similar before, but what magic or magic tool would you use, so that you can take out more than ten men without leaving a drop of blood? Grafira, don’t you think so too?」

When Marifa hits the ground and examines without looking back, Grafira and her tamed beast shadow wolf Ekaterina appear from the trees.

「Older sister......」

Grafira and Ekaterina seem to have sunk and tail is dripping.

「What? Why is Grafira here? Did you run away?」

「What’s going on, Grafira?」

Tin and Vanamo ask, but Grafira remains silent.

「Grafira, reports to older sister」

Although Ariane doesn’t raise her voice, she approaches Grafira with a strong tone.

「Ariane, stop. It’s because of master’s thoughts」

Grafira was surprised by Marifa’s words.

「I can guess to some extent that you can’t say anything to me. I’m sure you’re expecting this because your husband went out alone today」

「I don’t think so」

「Tin, do you doubt master? A shallow person like us deserves to die from just doubting the thoughtfulness of master」

「Older sister is too blind about master」

「Baa!? You idiot!!!」

Vanamo blocked Tin’s mouth, but Marifa’s ears listened tightly.

「Tin, come here」

Marifa pinches both cheeks of Tin unwillingly with all her strength.

「Ou, Ouucchhh. Pleahyaasee, forgivehyaameee. Already, Hyaahhnaachyau」

Tin’s scream echoed in the woods.

--------------------------------

「All right」

In the living room of the mansion, Agafon was in the process of reporting to Yuu that Flavia´s item pouch had been stolen. Behind Agafon, Flavia and the others lined up, waiting for Yuu’s reprimand timidly――

「What’s wrong? Are there any other reports?」

「Eh. N, No. This is......all」

「If that’s the case, it’s good」

They thought they would get scolded. How easy it would have been if they had been deprived of valuable item pouches and said that they would be stupid. However, Yuu does not get angry and goes to his room upstairs. Agafon´s party hang their heads down and go out of the mansion to escape Nina and the other one’s eyes. It wasn’t very much possible to chase after Yuu and ask him to scold them.

「............oo......rry」

Flavia drops down on her knees and continues her words.

「E......Everyone. I´m......sorry」

Tears are overflowing and spread all over her.

「It, Its my fault, because of me. I’m sorry. But I’ll do my......best. To regain Leader´s trust, I will do my best!!」

Flavia’s face is crumpled with tears.

「Flavia, don’t cry. Wh, When you cry, I also, u, uu......」

Monique, who was saying not to cry, was crying.

「Uwa～hh!!」

Akane, who can’t stand it, cries out loudly and Beibu also begins to cry. Yarm was crying, killing his voice. Next to that, Otope did not cry, but was able to withstand by clenching his teeth.

「Don’t cry!! We are adventurers!! The lost trust can only be recovered by adventure!!」

Just one person. Only Agafon renews his determination with burning eyes. Yuu, who was watching the situation from the second floor window, whispered to Russ who seemed to say something behind.

「You want to say I’m too strict, right?」

「On the contrary, master is too sweet!! You should have asked them to compassionate with their heads, instead of putting mercy on such people」

「You’re a bad liar」

Leaving Russ alone, Yuu sits in his chair and looks at the materials submitted by Mago and Victor.