The Witch and the Doll Swear

After lunch, you can see that a fan-shaped stage is being erected in the square-or is it an altar?

In short, in the restaurant where you can see the fountain in the center of the town square, Liliana told Tina and Alice about the results she found in the church.

"Ancestral spirit, that is, the soul of the ancestors."

People believe that the souls of the dead ancestors still stay in the world, or in a different space called "Yujie". Through sacrifices, they can be called back to this world to borrow their wisdom or power.

Basically, any sacrifice that prays for the blessing of the ancestors can be regarded as a variant of this belief. This Pike Town was established by a group of nomads and some pioneers who had such beliefs.

Alice leaned on the vase on the wooden table and explained to Tina instead of Liliana who was thinking about [Laplace].

This is one of the more common types of ancestor worship.

Apart from this, Tina didn't understand anything about [combination of symbols], [choice of a unique symbolic life sacrifice] and so on.

There is only one oddity.

Why on the territory of the Church of the Holy Church, this belief, which is clearly classified as pagan, can still survive, and it seems to have a good relationship with the Church of the Holy Church.

Miss Witch's preliminary speculation was that the phenomenon of the festival could be related to the holy light, but this guess was confirmed.

"...We will have to wait until we see the occasion of the festival with our own eyes before we can confirm it."

Miss Witch closed her treasure, and took out the box of magic cards from the space storage ring.

"...the rules, do you remember them all?"

The start of the ceremony was more than an hour later, obviously, to pass the time.

Just like on the prairie.

"Yes, yes, for now..."

"...Then use the basic box to form a card group, let's try it out."

The result is no suspense.

The magic value that does not increase with the number of rounds, the elements that can only be obtained by relying on land cards, the land cards are mixed with other cards in a deck... just these changes make this game completely different from what the girl knows. a kind of thing.

Not to mention the complex magic application rules, the coordination of magic and monsters - when Liliana played two greasy slimes to attack at the same time, and then used the fireball to detonate the combination to instantly clear her shield and health, Today, Ting Na, who was defeated with no strength to fight back, wanted to have a cup of milk tea with extra sugar, so as to replenish sugar for her severely depleted brain.

The most tenacious set only lasted 6 minutes.

That was the result of Liliana's bad luck in the game. In the first three rounds, she didn't even draw a land card and couldn't do anything.

By the time the girl finished drinking her milk tea and regained her composure, the crowd had already begun to gather in the square.

—Let's get a nice front row seat.

After Ting Na, who finished her milk tea, suggested this, Liliana nodded, hugged Alice who had been sitting quietly on the table all afternoon, and left the restaurant.

It was still some time before sunset, but the winter twilight had come.

A part of the center of the town square was surrounded by fences, and the petite Miss Witch frowned slightly as she squeezed through the crowd and stood in front of the oak stage.

"can not see……"

The stage where many leather drums were displayed was higher than expected. For Ting Na, who is 170 cm tall without wearing high heels, it is not difficult to see the opposite side of the stage directly.

But for Miss Witch, who is only a little over 130 centimeters, if she wants to see the sacrificial field with white wooden columns erected on the other side of the stage, this is a very bad obstacle.

Even if you stand on tiptoe, you can't go over and see the whole picture.

After thinking about the situation where there was nothing under the cloak, she would be lectured by a girl who claimed to have common sense when she floated up, Miss Witch gave up this idea and planned to change her position.

But when they squeezed into the front row, the crowds who gathered one after another because of the braziers lit one by one in the square were already very crowded.

Miss Witch, who didn't like being pushed around, opened her magic book.

"Ah, Miss Liliana, don't worry about it like that."

Crowding and noise are the normal state of festivals. As an ordinary person with common sense, Tingna felt that it would be too boring to use magic just because she didn't like crowds gathering and because she was not tall enough to see.

"……can not see."

"In this case... Hey, in this way, you can see it, right?"

"..."

The field of vision suddenly opened up.

Comparing her height, which has never grown since hundreds of years ago, with Tina's tall figure, Miss Witch silently closed her treasure, and hugged Alice who was snickering in her arms even tighter. up.

"...Miss Tingna, don't bother."

"It's okay, it's okay, Liliana-san and Alice are as light as feathers... Ah, I'm sorry."

Because of the pushing and shoving behind her, Ting Na accidentally bumped into someone else, and quickly turned around to apologize to her.

"No, it doesn't matter..."

The haggard-looking woman turned her face sideways in plain clothes, and when she saw the girl Tina was holding, and a doll in her arms, a tired smile appeared on her old and haggard face .

Tina found that she was also holding a baby in her arms.

As if unable to resist the cold wind on the prairie, the baby's face was very pale, and the tender lips, even under the wrapping of fur and silk, were purple from the cold, breathing weakly.

"That...no offense intended, madam, your child..."

"Ah... I know, it looks, very bad, doesn't it?"

The woman held the baby tightly.

"are you sick?"

"...A week ago, my child suffered from Selflin's disease and was tortured like this. The doctors couldn't do anything. I heard that the festival here can make people healthy. Oh, my poor little John, Holy Light, please bless him."

Tina looked up.

Liliana, who was also looking at the dying baby, noticed the girl's gaze.

"... Selflin has the meaning of self-healing in the goblin language, because almost all patients will heal themselves after illness, this disease is called Selflin's disease, but when the patient is extremely weak, This disease also has a very small probability of death...the probability is very small, so there is no targeted treatment for this disease on the mainland, but..."

Slightly, Miss Witch's eyes glowed with incandescent light, and a small magic circle lit up on the cover of [Laplace], which looked like the patterns on the book were glowing.

"...it will be fine, as long as this festival is really as I guessed." The lips that were purple from the cold seemed to be warmed, and the dying baby regained some blood color.

"Thank you for your blessing, little sister, ah, holy light, please bless my little John, he is still so young..."

The woman who wiped her eyes didn't notice the change in the child in her arms. After forcing a smile at the girls, she once again turned to the ceremony venue in front of her and began to pray.

"...a little effort."

Liliana glanced at the smiling Tina and shrugged.

Soon, the ceremony began.

Twenty-four white wood columns on the fountain square are surrounded by four concentric rings.

The black silver braziers that have been used for many years are arranged around, and the scent of aromatherapy drifts with the smoke as the slender girl in white puts the pine torch into it with both hands.

"...If those silver braziers are really used from the past to the present, then the history of this ceremony is really long."

"After all, even silver has been smoked into such a bright black..."

Liliana and Alice, who was sitting on Liliana's shoulders, were talking about something that made Tina a little confused. During their discussion, the top of the white wood column was lit up with flames, from the outside to the inside, circle after circle. lap.

The four concentric circles symbolize the four blessings of health, luck, courage and stability.

The inscriptions of the elements are engraved on the six wooden pillars on each circle, symbolizing the protection of the six elements.

"...The surface of water is a symbol of the boundaries of the world. In black magic, it is often used to connect the 'world after death', because the water surface of the fountain, smoke and incense, dusk...these also have the meaning of confusing the boundaries of the world."

"Sacrificing cattle, sheep, gold and silver to the spring water of the fountain - yes, this is based on the folk customs here, precise and meticulous ritual magic, extracting the life and soul of the sacrifices for refining, using this as a catalyst to activate the magic, turning the land's The energy becomes a ritual where powerful blessings are bestowed upon the participants."

Tina could only understand a small part of Miss Witch's whisper to herself, but her and Alice's tone was somewhat excited. Obviously, Liliana and Alice were very happy because their conjecture was confirmed.

On the way, glowing runes appeared between the wooden pillars.

"Look, look, it looks amazing!" "It's glowing! What are these patterns?"

"Will a ghost appear? Will it appear?"

"If it really brings me luck, let me find a girlfriend tonight!"

The tourists kept shouting and shouting, and the air in the square gradually became warmer.

People who were born and raised in this town bowed their heads and prayed in low voices.

"Ah, the ancestors and spirits of the grassland, please, please let little John get better, he is still so young, if I can make him get better, I will definitely stay in this city and pray for you day and night .”

The woman next to Ting Na no longer prays to the true God. In this sacrifice to pray for health and good luck for everyone, the surrounding sounds seem to be unable to reach her ears. Staring at those glowing runes, it was like finally seeing hope.

...If it can really get better, it will be great.

Looking at the baby in her arms, which was kept warm by Liliana's magic, Tingna blinked and prayed softly for the baby's luck.

Anyway, Virtue Church never prevents believers from having other beliefs, and if it can save a life.

A little prayer is nothing, is it?

However, this prayer.

After the girl suddenly realized that the smooth progress of the ceremony would require the life of the boy's important family members, she silently disappeared.

[Which is more important, the lives of humans or animals]

Did the boy answer this question?

Can you answer this question yourself?

"...That is the rune that symbolizes the 'ancestral spirit'."

Perhaps the only one who turned a blind eye to this frenzied atmosphere and the girl's entanglement was the witch riding on Tina's shoulders.

[Laplace] appeared in Liliana's hand, and Miss Witch quickly flipped the pages of the book, muttering to herself, and the blank pages were printed with words and lifelike copying along with her whispers.

The mayor standing at the forefront had already finished his speech and stepped back from the oak stage. The shaman standing beside him raised a staff made of grass leaves. The twists and turns of tone are like songs with strange melodies.

"Ancestors and ancestors of the grassland, come here under the prayers of our descendants, accept our prayers, and bring happiness and happiness!"

Between the concentric rings, the floating runes became brighter, and the light gathered and concentrated on the central spring.

Immediately afterwards, groups of translucent light balls emerged.

At the very center is a bright white light, and then the illusory and hazy smog-like shimmer surrounds them like the sun.

"... No wonder the Church of the Holy Church, which has always been hostile to paganism, turned a blind eye."

...Is this the ancestral spirit?

The incomparable holiness that can be understood with the eyes.

Not the majestic kind of sacred.

But amiable, warm and holy.

...like light.

Liliana blinked, realizing the reason why this ceremony was not banned by the Holy Church.

Although the essence is completely different, the phenomenon is very similar to the Holy Light. The Holy Church has always adopted a policy of assimilation for this type of belief.

As long as the interpretation of it is slightly changed, it can change from the pagan belief using ritual magic to a manifestation of the miracle of [Holy Light]. ...

Alice clicked her tongue in disdain.

Although she didn't know who left this ritual magic here, the ancestors of the nomads, or someone else, she was sure that it was written in the Holy Light's teachings that had been changed many times.

"Offer a sacrifice!!"

The atmosphere in the square reached its climax with the voice of the high priest, and the voices of the people completely drowned out the discussion between Liliana and Alice.

Amidst the waves of sound, the sacrificial cattle, sheep and horses were led from a corner of the square to the fountain.

Cows are loyal and hardworking cows, and their milk is the most important food for nomads.

The sheep are bighorn blue sheep, and nomads regard this creature, which only inhabits a steep ground fissure nearby, as a more formidable prey than wolves, and it is the top delicacy for entertaining guests.

And the horse...

"It's Little Moo..."

Seeing the red pony with gold ornaments around its neck, Tina felt her chest tighten slightly.

That boy still couldn't convince them...

But that's only natural.

Thinking about it, I also know that the annual grand ceremony, the ceremony that thousands of people look forward to, how can the face of this city be changed because of an orphan?

Miss Liliana said that this ritual magic is very sophisticated, and every part of it has an irreplaceable meaning. No matter how much the child likes this short horse, after all...

【Isn’t Xiaomoo’s life his life? ! 】

"..."

Closing her eyes, Tina gently shook her head.

When she opened her eyes again.

"Give me little moo... give me back little moo---!!!!!!"

There was no sound in the square.

It couldn't be because of this delicate, immature roar that Tina almost couldn't hear.

But because of the boy who rushed out suddenly.

"Little Faze...?"

It is still far from being familiar. In the final analysis, this is just a child who just met a day ago, traveled together for a while, and had a reunion in the city.

He suddenly ran out from one end of the square, and before several guards could react, he passed through the shamans in white robes without hesitation, rushed to the edge of the spring, pushed away and was stunned by his intrusion. girl in white robe.

"Moo~~~~" He pulled Xiao Moo's rein, and hugged his important family members vigorously. Seeing his master, Xiao Moo happily flicked his tail and licked his face with his tongue.

He was still wearing the same old gray sweater and brown trousers, and his brown hair was messy.

With such an attire, let alone at the ceremony, even a slightly stylish restaurant would reject him, Faze stood in front of the fountain, hugging Moo tightly with his weak body.

It's like holding the only treasure in this world.

"I will absolutely, absolutely not allow you to kill Moo!"

This time, all shamans, all spectators.

Everyone in this square where needles can be heard.

They all heard his childish cry.

After a moment of silence, the noise spread like flames again.

"what happened?"

"Who is that boy?"

"Is this also part of the festival?"

The travelers also fell into doubt and confusion because of this sudden situation.

"What the hell did that kid do!"

"Oh my God, how dare he do this! The unclean people will be enraged by the ancestors!"

And the townspeople, after a brief silence, spat out angry curses from their mouths.

In a very short time, the wave of cursing overwhelmed the confusion of all the travelers, and the fierce words turned into storms, swords and halberds, rushing towards the boy in the middle of the square.

"Faze, what stupid thing are you doing! How dare you make trouble at the sacred ancestor sacrifice!"

On the oak stage, the high priest was so angry that even his beard was shaking, even if he could barely hear his roar, Tingna could still feel the roiling anger.

"Come down quickly! What are you thinking? We have raised you for ten years, and you will repay us like this?!"

The mayor was also shouting loudly that he wanted the guards to pull Faze out, but the guards were hesitant to enter the sacred place of worship—an absolute taboo.

So when the boy broke in, the high priest's face became extremely pale.

Then the old man yelled again, to the girls who were the only ones allowed to enter the altar of the ancestral spirits, to pull the boy out, but as soon as he saw the girls in white robes approaching, the boy drew his dagger.

The barefoot girls ran away screaming.

"Only here, only at this time can I protect Xiao Moo! It is useless to talk to the mayor or the high priest. You don't take Xiao Moo's life seriously, so I want to talk directly to the ancestors!"

"That's just a beast!"

In any case, the mayor, who never expected such a thing to happen, was in a hurry to jump.

"If you like horses, I will give you three or ten horses, and you can raise all the horses in the future! Come down now!"

However, the boy turned a blind eye to the words of the gray-haired old man.

"Ancestors and spirits of the grassland, I am Faze. I lost my parents and was raised by the people of this town. This is the horse that was handed over to me when I was five years old. Because it can moo, So I call it Little Moo." As he said, towards those flying balls of light, the boy said loudly.

"Since six years ago, I have been living with Xiaomoo, feeding it carrots and grass, watching it stand up and learn to run tremblingly, teaching it not to defecate everywhere, and sleeping in the straw together, although it is different from others Moo's horse is small compared to Xiaomoo, but I worked hard to raise it to such a big size!"

What he said was what Xiang Tingna also said about his past with Xiao Moo.

He and it, good memory.

"Little Faze... Do you want to directly ask the ancestors to let Xiao Moo go..."

Tina suddenly realized that this was indeed a solution.

Little Moo, who was raised as a horse for this festival, is a natural sacrifice in the eyes of everyone in this city except Faze.

The meaning of its existence is to be killed now, in exchange for hot blood and heart to give blessings to everyone.

A boy without a father and a mother is determined to be unable to resist this force.

However, ancestral spirits can.

If the ancestors of this town heard his plea, and knew what an inseparable family this boy and this pony were, and felt the genuine, pure affection between boy and horse, maybe—

"……it's useless."

"……Eh?"

The witch who calmly gazed at all this closed the book.

"...It has been somewhat clarified that the so-called [Ancestral Spirit] is indeed very similar to the Holy Church's [Holy Light]. It is just a spell-casting mechanism that is activated after accepting certain conditions. To put it simply."

The incandescent pupils gradually dimmed into the darkness of the starry night, and he made a negative judgment in a flat tone.

"As long as you follow the specifications and steps of the ceremony, anyone can summon it, and as long as you give the spell-casting material called sacrifice, you will use the power of blessing... Yes, this is a simple magic, even arcane spirits, lamp gods, etc. Things like that don't count, there is no 'consciousness' at all."

Alice then explained.

"Although cruel, the boy's words."

"...It can't be conveyed anywhere."

Not only that.

"Hey, ancestor spirits, I beg you."

Not only the ancestral spirits were indifferent in front of the boy with red eye circles who begged again and again.

"I have no parents, please don't take away my most important family members!"

Even, that bright light began to gradually dim.

It was only natural that the ritual was interrupted, Alice said.

But because of the mutation of the [ancestral spirits], everyone couldn't sit still.

"...Everyone realizes that the ceremony cannot be completed if this continues."

The witch who has insight into people's hearts calmly exposes people's hearts.

"No matter who finds out, no one will be blessed if this continues."

A puppet that surpasses the human heart, reveals the conclusion in an ordinary way.

as a result.

"White-eyed wolf! Little beast! Do you want to offend the ancestors for your own selfishness?!"

"Damn it, why haven't the shamans thought of a way to get him down, the ancestors are already angry and starting to disappear!"

"You ungrateful bastard, have you forgotten who picked you up from the side of the road and raised you!?"

No matter the residents of this town.

Either they learned something from the residents, or they were tourists who didn't know anything and just booed.

The grandeur was bigger than last time, because the ancestral spirits visible to the naked eye were getting darker and more vicious, and the sacred ceremony turned into a hodgepodge of curses in a blink of an eye.

And of all the words, the most vicious curse.

"You bloody devil!"

From the girl's side.

"You hateful fiend, damned brute! How dare you thwart this sacred ceremony! Are you the devil of hell who came to take my little John? Just be blessed—just be blessed my little John It will get better, but how dare you, a beast, do such a thing! I curse you, I curse you!!!!"

Hysterical curse.

Perhaps it wouldn't be surprising at all if it came from the mouth of a hideous and insane man.

However, when she said such words, her eyes were red as if she was going to swallow the boy alive. It was the mother who had a kind face not long ago.

She hugged her frail child, her lips were constantly opening and closing like torn abscesses, and every word she roared was full of viciousness and curses.

One step, two steps.

The girl couldn't help it, and walked away from that woman.

Those eyes that were tired but gentle, still full of hope... The girl couldn't help but close her eyes.

She couldn't look directly at the madness in it!

"--But!"

The boy looked at the bleak ancestral spirit in bewilderment, almost crying because of the tide of cursing.

But even so, he still bit his lip, held up the knife, and protected the little pony who was frightened by everyone's shouts behind him.

"Little Moo is also my child! Why do you want to kill my child in order to save your child!"

He seems to have heard the curse of the woman.

Those big eyes, already brimming with tears, looked at the hysterical mother and the child in her arms.

Tina froze.

Those who hadn't heard him were still cursing.

—Hey, did you hear that? The kid said that the horse was his child?

—What really, what horse did he get on? Or did he come out of a sucker's asshole?

——Wouldn’t you admit that you are a beast! brute! Get off now!

And the people who heard it were still cursing after being stunned for a moment.

As for this mother.

She seemed to have long since heard nothing.

She only wants her children to be blessed, and everything else seems meaningless to her now.

The boy almost cried.

But he didn't cry.

Doubt is on the immature face.

This is pure doubt.

This is a simple question.

Why no one answered.

Just pointless swearing.

"...On the contrary, children who don't understand the difference between life understand the essence of life better."

Liliana whispered.

"...The nurturers are the parents, and the fostered are the children. It has nothing to do with race, blood, ethics, or laws. Humans don't understand this. In the final analysis, they still don't think that life other than human beings is equal to human beings."

Then, the girl understood.

Because of the witch's words, she suddenly saw it.

Alone, face the rage and loathing of the entire city.

Although he trembled—of course he was, since he was only a boy of eleven.

Even though he was backing away—it was understandable, because he was facing the killing intent of the whole city.

It almost crushed him, it almost tore him apart.

The gradually dimming ball of light is almost the countdown to his execution.

But even so, he didn't back down.

To say why.

Because the "child" is right behind.

[Father] This is the mission of "Faze".

"Miss Liliana, Alice, you don't plan to do anything..."

In Tingna's memory, her father didn't have such a stalwart figure, but she didn't feel any disobedience. If she was in Xiao Moo's position now, then her father.

It must be there.

"After all, Faze obstructed the festival, and it may interrupt the festival. Although I don't know the specific provisions, Alice thinks that this town must have relevant laws. Since the guards are not close, there is probably something else. It's taboo, except that the chosen person can't get close."

The little puppet tells the cold reality in an emotionless tone.

"Disrupting public order and causing extremely bad consequences, if the wife's child died unfortunately, and she blamed it on Faze, she might be charged with murder... If you want to say, even if you are hanged Alice and Lily have no right to interfere, Miss Tina, did you forget about the nearly two-month trip to the grassland?"

——This place is no longer the wilderness of civilization.

The glowing [ancestral spirit] gradually dimmed.

The guards took up spears and swords

The cold reality is like an ice pick piercing the bone marrow.

Miss Witch and Alice calmly stared at the shaken girl.

"...Or, does Miss Tina want me and Alice to have a big fight like we did in Salt Sand City?"

"Even if Lily and Alice help Fazer escape from the city, he will become a wanted criminal, probably."

Questioned one after another.

The high priest's gloomy face seemed to hide the approaching storm——

Enough to easily overwhelm the boy standing there.

"...More importantly, should we really help Fazer and stop the ritual?"

Leaving from the arms of the blonde girl, Miss Witch calmly glanced at the hysterical woman.

Surflin's disease.

The baby in her arms is suffering from a disease that has no specific medicine and cannot be overcome without strengthening its own immunity.

The fatality rate is extremely low, but obviously that child was not lucky.

If it is possible to obtain the life force refined from the sacrifice by this ritual magic, then it can be cured, or at least it will get better. This is Liliana's judgment.

On the other hand, if the blessings of the ancestors can't come down smoothly, he, who is already dying, will probably die in a short time.

Tina opened her mouth, but nothing came out.

【Whose life is more important to you, can't you tell? 】

In front of the city gate, a shaman reprimanded Faze, which was especially clear amidst the wave of cursing.

Whose life is more important?

It was Moo who had spent six years with Fazer and was like the little boy's child.

Or is it the baby in the woman's arms who has just come into this world and is about to die?

"There's not even a way. Isn't there?"

"No, is there any solution, Miss Tina?"

Alice, who floated onto Liliana's shoulder, shook her head.

"...This is a question of whether there is power."

"That is……"

"...I am not qualified to decide whose life to save whose life. If I came here a few days earlier and explained it, I can directly interfere with magic, but now."

What Miss Witch didn't say was that it was too late.

Ting Na, who was pulled by her sleeves and walked out of the crowd, thought so.

The crowded crowd automatically diverted a path when Liliana passed by, probably because of some magic used by Miss Witch.

But the narrow road was immediately overwhelmed by the crowds of people approaching the altar after they passed by.

This festival is really a gathering of many, many people.

There are so many that even the boy's life will be blocked.

The figure of the boy was no longer visible, and so was Little Moo.

Only people, people, people caught in the rage of the crowd will conduct an overwhelming judgment with numbers.

—Which one is more important in their eyes?

Moo?

The woman's child?

Or is it a blessing that has not been received for a long time?

"...Then, what if I can give Miss Liliana a [necessary] reason?"

Tina, stop in your tracks.

"Just like in Salt Sand City, when I asked Miss Liliana to save those adventurers whom Miss Liliana didn't think was necessary to save, no matter what the price, Miss Liliana can take it, at least—"

- Please don't, do nothing.

The witch who squeezed through one person after another didn't stop and didn't even look back.

"..."

"No way, Miss Tingna is not selfish enough to exchange the lives of people who have nothing to do with you in exchange for the lives of people you know well, so you can't make a decision now, Miss Tingna."

Alice on her shoulder looked at Tina.

"You can't do anything."

no doubt.

This is her decision.

The crowd is pushing and shoving towards the stage.

Under Liliana's magic, they unconsciously opened a gap for the girls, but this surging river is about to roll and crush everything. If anyone accidentally falls, they might never stand up again. chance to get up.

Ah, so Miss Liliana needs to leave quickly.

What will happen next?

It's almost a riot.

"..."

At this moment, Liliana, who was walking towards the outside of the crowd, stopped.

Then, in the hands of Miss Witch, [Laplace] was opened.

He kept putting materials for spellcasting on the pages of the book, and concluded every casted spell with [Fill Spell Sequence]. In this tide of curse and hatred, no one noticed that the witch was silent, and the tiny magic circle was constantly opening and closing. In her cloak flickering, only the once-cooled black pupils turned into scorching incandescence again.

"Miss Liliana?"

Tina cried out in surprise.

Although she didn't know why Liliana suddenly changed her mind, she also didn't know why she chanted magic without saying a word.

But in Miss Witch's hands, a silver pocket watch appeared.

Then.

The silver pocket watch was pressed.

When Tina turned her head to look at the square lined with white wooden columns, it was like a book with missing pages being opened. Without any warning.

Under the dim sunlight of the evening sky, stars fell.

A spiral staircase woven by starlight spreads from the boy's side all the way to the high sky above the clouds.

Like a miracle.

Regardless of the audience pushing and shoving, the shamans and city officials on the stage, or the guards and the girls in white.

Everyone was stunned.

In just ten or twenty minutes, too many things have happened in this festival, no matter who it is, it is a little bit overwhelming at the moment.

Facing the staircase of stars descending like a god, they could only be speechless.

But this "they" did not include the boy who, after a little hesitation, rode Xiao Moo and ran up the steps.

Although the boy clutching the gold ornaments around the pony's neck as a rein looked like he might fall down the stairs leading to the sky at any moment, soon, the starlight steps appeared with halos around them.

It was as if they were protecting them as they galloped towards the sky.

From afar, Tina saw Faze on horseback waving.

Maybe something else was said?

However, it was too far away to hear clearly.

Facing the setting sun, the boy on the horse quickly disappeared at the end of the burning cloud.

………………………………………………………………………………

The ceremony was thus interrupted.

[Ancestor Spirit] disappeared completely, and of course the blessing did not fall.

"...Miss Tingna's dilemma is the same for me. After satisfying my curiosity, based on rational considerations, I have no right to deprive any life to save another person, whether it is human or non-human. people."

After returning to the hotel, Tina learned the reason for her sudden change of heart from Miss Witch.

The world view of a witch is very similar to that of a fairy.

As far as [life] is concerned, human beings are not inferior to giant dragons, nor are they nobler than horses. From the very beginning, life has no high or low.

On the balance of life, all three are equivalent.

Like Tina, Miss Witch is caught between Moo's life and the baby's life.

—Whose life is more important?

This question was also in front of her eyes.

Because she was a witch, Liliana couldn't give an answer.

During the long journey, she has already deeply understood that no matter how high-sounding the reason is, no one has the right to decide the fate of others on a rational level.

Only feelings can make this decision—at least Liliana thinks so, and she has no feelings for either party.

Since she doesn't have the ability to have the best of both worlds, no matter whether it is the woman's child or Faze's child, she has no right to decide the life and death of either party in terms of all legal principles.

So Liliana chose to ignore it.

This is the conclusion Liliana came to after rational thinking.

"...So, once the dilemma is no longer there, this conclusion will change accordingly."

The tiny toes are soaked in hot water.

This hotel does not have a dedicated bathroom, but only provides a low but large enough tub for guests to bathe.

The tub is made of pottery, and Liliana's feet stepped on the pottery red color, like tender white fish on a red dinner plate, reminding the blond girl of the city of Salt Sands, where Miss Witch used [Magic Charm] Let yourself lick the scene.

But surprisingly, the feeling of blushing and heartbeat in the past did not appear.

Probably because, the chest is already overflowing, a life is lucky to have escaped.

In contrast, there is the bitterness of a life lost.

Using multiple times of [Instant Spell] to accumulate the power of the silver timepiece, and in the short interval of time stillness [casting spells without materials] [Instant Spell] Liliana, a big magic with extremely gorgeous visual effects Sit down in the bathtub, feeling a little sleepy.

"...Probably because of the unfortunate fall when crowded and pushing, or the tinnitus that even adults feel uncomfortable, or the stale air after many people gather...In short, the baby died." Miss Witch said flatly. talking.

Starlight and firelight streamed through the windows into the fur-furnished room.

According to the customs of the festival, this time is when the Houye Festival night market opens, but the tourists and the townspeople seem to have not recovered yet.

"So...Miss Liliana, did you make a move?"

Listen, all the rumors and conversations are about the boy who claimed the sacrificial horse as his own child and was taken away by the bridge of starlight that came down from the sky.

The mainstream view is that it was a miracle, and the boy touched the gods of the grassland.

But the opponent's point of view is also very simple - if it is really moved by the gods, why not just give blessings directly?

That way the boy wouldn't have to leave the place where he was raised.

Some people also said that it's strange that someone who is called a bastard and a white-eyed wolf is still willing to stay here...

In short, opinions vary.

It was also said that it was actually magic, and there were conjectures such as that the magician couldn't stand it and rescued him, but no one found any evidence.

After all, the still time, the stopped world that only belonged to Liliana, perfectly annihilated all traces.

The other magicians and shamans didn't feel the magic fluctuations and magic circles that would definitely be produced when magic of that scale was used before the spiral staircase of starlight fell. Even if this is the truth, it can only stay in speculation.

As for the impact of the interruption of the festival that attracts many tourists to this town in the grassland every year, what will happen to the life of the boy and the pony, and will there be such problems in the future... Tina not interested.

After Liliana explained the reason for her sudden choice to attack, the girl just sat silently on the small bench, scooped up hot water from the tub and poured it over the witch's shoulders.

"...Miss Liliana, thank you."

Alice was lying on the bed, and Liliana's treasure was spread out in front of Miss Doll, which recorded the ritual magic of this town.

Hearing the girl's words, she tilted her head.

"Alice thought that Miss Tina's reaction should be a little sadder. Isn't this the best ending that Miss Tina imagined?"

"Eh? Well... Indeed, what I actually hope is that the ancestors will be moved, and there will be a perfect ending of blessings without offering sacrifices, but it really doesn't work." I rolled up Miss Witch's long hair spread on the water, and held it with the palm of my hand. Rubbing and washing her clean back, Tingna spoke in a calm tone.

Or it can also be described as resignation.

"Because the so-called 'ancestor spirit' is just a magical creation. Although I don't know who made it, it doesn't have self-awareness."

"In this case, I have to settle for the next best thing. The fact that the baby died in the end makes me feel bad, but since it has happened, there is nothing I can do. No matter how much I think life is extremely important, the lost life is still Lost, this is already much better than the ending that Miss Liliana would have caused by letting go and leaving, I am already... very satisfied."

Fingertips run from the shoulder blades down the spine.

Not caring that the close-fitting sweater would get wet, the blond girl wrapped her arms around the girl's slender waist and whispered in her ear again.

"Thanks"

That smile was bitter.

But also very calm.

The candles in the room illuminated Liliana and Tingna who were approaching. Outside the window, it seemed as if someone was whimpering softly.

Here, on this day.

A mother lost her child.

But a father and his child left the town through the starlight staircase.

They will have a new life in a new place, right?

Or will there be misfortune?

After all, the father was only 11 years old, and the kid was just a little pony.

But, no problem, right?

After all, life lives tenaciously no matter where it is.

After all, no matter where they are, parents will always do everything for their children.

Thinking about it, Alice refocused on the next page she turned over.

………………………………………………………………………………

Postscript of a certain day:

"That, Miss Alice."

"Um?"

"...Miss Alice once said that she hoped that I could learn the principle of [non-interference], because we are just travelers, and we can leave everything we do anywhere, and the consequences, good or bad, will be there. People take it upon themselves..."

"If you think about Salt Sand City, you should understand? Although Alice and Lily don't know what happened after that, there must be all kinds of things."

"That's right, but..."

"but?"

"After today, I still feel that since I have the ability to do it, it is better to do it than not to do it."

"...Good night, Miss Tina."

"Eh? Uh, um, good night...Miss Alice?"

"Alice is going to say good night too, Miss Tina, good night."

"OK, good night……"