The Intruder's Story (2)
"It's cold."
Blowing warm breath into her cupped hands, Delphin gazed out across the Northern Lands. This made three times now. Three times she had come to this desolate country — first to hunt the Demonic Dragon, then after hearing rumors of the Red Bird, and now to look upon that Red Bird once more.
She had followed her heart. She had come as instinct led her, and of that she felt not the slightest regret. And yet one problem had her by the ankle.
I made it here. Now what?
She had come north on impulse. She had even defied the imperial command to stand by and wait. She had trusted her gut and moved — but there was no next step. She wanted to see the Red Bird. Wanting it, though, would hardly make the creature appear.
Delphin had been blaming her own rashness when she snapped herself out of it. Regret, at this point? Far too late for that. What she needed was a decision — a plan for what to do next. First, she would search the entire northern region. And for that, the first thing she needed was a guide. Someone who knew the terrain and the lay of this land.
"A village!"
Hunting for a guide, Delphin had spurred her horse onward and now arrived at a settlement — a mix of older buildings and ones raised only recently. Here and there, scorch marks suggested there had been a fire. The people greeted her warmly enough, yet a thread of wariness ran through their welcome.
She was a little curious about what had happened here. But she did not pry. She was an outsider. Afraid of becoming a burden, she had deliberately kept her identity hidden.
"Welcome. It's been quite a while since we've had a visitor in the village."
As she entered, a middle-aged woman approached. She had a kind face — the sort of person who was warm to everyone.
"A pleasure to meet you. I've come from the Imperial Capital to survey the northern region."
The decision had been sudden, but she had not come empty-handed. She had brought the bare minimum to keep suspicion at bay, and the proof of imperial mandate in her hand was one such measure. She had worried they might be so remote they wouldn't even know what it was. But the woman received her with open astonishment.
"You've had a hard journey, haven't you? That's a difficult assignment you've taken on — come in and warm yourself, at least for a little while."
"Thank you."
Delphin followed the woman and took a closer look at the village as they walked. Something had definitely happened here recently. For a settlement of this size, there were far too few men. Add the scorch marks she had seen earlier, and…
"The village feels a little unsettled, doesn't it?"
"Pardon? Ah — yes. A little…"
"The truth is, we were attacked by bandits not long ago. The village has been rebuilt, but the mood is still uneasy."
"Is that so? That's truly unfortunate. The moment I return to the Imperial Capital, I'll do everything I can to see that soldiers are dispatched to keep the peace."
"I'm grateful just to hear you say so."
At the woman's house, Delphin was given a meal and water. It was not much, but even this much hospitality was something to be thankful for.
"Um. Ma'am? There's something I'd like to ask, if I may."
After she had eaten and warmed herself, Delphin spoke up.
"Would there happen to be anyone in this village who knows the surrounding area well? I'm not familiar with the northern terrain, so I find myself in need of a guide. Ah — please don't worry about payment. I'll compensate them properly."
"A guide, you say. Hmm… Then why don't you try the house next door? She knows the local geography better than most of the grown men in the village."
"Thank you, ma'am."
Taking her leave of the middle-aged woman, Delphin headed for the house she had indicated. It was a small place, but she could sense someone inside.
"Is anyone home?"
"…Who is it?"
The door opened, and the first person she saw was a girl in her early teens, regarding Delphin — a complete stranger — with a faintly suspicious look. For a northerner, wariness toward outsiders was only natural. They had even suffered at the hands of bandits not long ago. Before she could raise any more suspicion, Delphin offered a greeting.
"Hello. I've come from the Imperial Capital on a mission to survey the northern region, and I need a guide who knows the local geography. The lady next door suggested I come here."
"Ah… the lady next door? Just a moment. Sister! Anne!"
So the person recommended as a guide was this Anne. After a short wait, the door opened again and another girl appeared.
"Hello. My name is Anne."
"De— ahem. I'm Del. As your sister may have mentioned, I'd like to offer you a position as my guide, if that's all right? I'll pay half the fee as an advance, and the rest when the work is done."
When Delphin held out the silver coins, Anne's eyes went wide. The sum alone was generous, and the terms were excellent besides. An advance, even. That was enough to kindle enthusiasm where none had been. Anne readily agreed to come along as her guide. After telling her sister to look after the house, she stepped immediately to Delphin's side.
"Shall we go, Miss Del?"
"I'll be in your care, Anne."
One who had been given a new life by the Red Bird. One in whom a burning curiosity toward that same Red Bird had taken flame. Neither knew the other — and so a strange companionship began.
Just as the middle-aged woman had said, Anne knew the surrounding land inside and out. It was not merely a matter of knowing the visible paths. The hidden ones. The trails that looked impassable but were not. Anne knew them all.
"That's impressive, Anne. To know the land in this much detail…"
"I was all my sister had. I had to find whatever food I could, and anything that might bring in a little money — and that's how I ended up like this."
"If it isn't too forward of me… what about the rest of your family?"
"My father and mother both passed away."
The answer came so matter-of-factly that it was Delphin who froze. She stared at Anne for a moment, then bowed her head to the girl.
"I'm sorry, Anne. That was a thoughtless question…"
"No. It's all right."
It had been hard, once. She had even resented it. But now it truly was all right. She and her sister were living with everything they had.
"I'm sure my parents are watching over us from somewhere. And… well. That person will keep watching over us, too."
"That person?"
"The one who saved me. I can't tell you the details, but they granted me a truly great kindness."
So there had been one more person who had helped these poor sisters. The world was in turmoil, but righteous people still existed. The thought brought Delphin a quiet measure of relief.
"This is about as far as you can come and go on horseback. From here on, it's nothing but rock — a horse would have a hard time of it."
"I see. And if we go past this point, what would we find?"
"There's a lake, actually. Would you like to see it?"
At Anne's question, Delphin hesitated. A northern lake. She did want to see it, once. But if the horses couldn't go, it was a little inconvenient. More than that, something in Anne's voice had been slightly off. How to put it… she seemed to hope they would not. A wish that they would stay away from the lake hung in the air.
"Let's leave this direction here, then, and head toward those mountains."
Where would the Red Bird have made its home? By her reckoning, it would be somewhere like those mountains — hard for people to reach, and easy to find a nest. A creature of that size could hardly build a home in the trees. Which meant it would almost certainly be using a cave.
"Anne. Is there a path that goes as far as those mountains?"
"There is one, though it's a bit rough. Will that be all right?"
"Yes. Let's get there before the sun goes down."
Crossing the plains, they came near the mountains and found a stretch of undergrowth. There were no green leaves, but the stems were thick and stubborn. Anne cut a path through them with practiced ease and pressed on.
"You're remarkable, Anne."
"It's nothing special. Everyone in the north lives like this."
At Anne's reply, Delphin slowly shook her head. Just because everyone lived the same way did not make the extraordinary ordinary. In the end, it was the person who made the difference. It was people who were special.
"By the way, Anne. There's something I've wanted to ask since we first met."
"What is it?"
"Have we met somewhere before?"
"Pardon? Um, no? Today is the first time I've ever seen you, Miss Del."
"I thought as much."
No matter how she searched her memory, there was no girl named Anne in it. Which only made Delphin find it stranger still.
Why do I keep sensing something strangely familiar from this girl?
It was truly peculiar. It felt as though they had crossed paths once before. And yet Anne had said she had lived her whole life in the village. She and Delphin could never have met.
A rustle.
Delphin's head snapped to the side. In the same instant, she flung a dagger into the brush beyond.
"Aaagh!"
A scream rose from the other side, and Anne started in shock. Of course she did — Delphin had thrown a dagger without even assessing the situation.
"M-Miss Del? Why did you suddenly…"
"Not a monster. But the presence was fairly well concealed."
Delphin dismounted and pushed through the undergrowth. A little farther in, a man lay sprawled on the ground, the dagger she had just thrown buried in his thigh.
"You. Who are you?"
"Ghhhk…"
"Not a bandit. And those clothes aren't Imperial Army issue, either."
The man showed no particular inclination to speak. And so Delphin decided to offer him a little assistance.
"AAAAAGH!!"
She pressed down on the dagger with her foot, and the man screamed. A little more pressure, and the words she wanted came pouring out.
"I-I'm—"
"You're?"
"I'm—! I'm a soldier of the Lind Kingdom! Not long ago, we secretly infiltrated Nosland to launch a surprise attack on the Empire's northern border!"
The name Lind Kingdom spilled from the man's mouth — along with talk of secret infiltration, and a surprise assault on the border.
"Then what are you? A scout?"
"N-no. I'm… I'm a deserter."
"What are you talking about? You came here for a surprise attack. Why desert?"
"Our entire unit was scattered. We ran into a terrifying monster…"
A terrifying monster? Was there anything that dangerous in this area? Neither Anne nor Delphin herself had sensed anything of the sort.
He clawed at his own head as if he never wanted to recall it again. Watching him, Delphin thought: that look… she had seen it somewhere before.