Return to the Carnage
The state of the Wreckage Clearing upon my return after just two days of absence was the worst imaginable.
A stench so foul it could twist your nose out of shape. The harmony of rotting corpses and beastly filth was enough to leave anyone dazed.
Thank goodness it was night; the corpses' decay wasn't clearly visible. If I'd had to witness maggots and insects devouring them too, I might have rolled my eyes back and passed out on the spot.
It was a space rife with raw death, enough to make anyone grimace.
Even I, so rational and cold-hearted, was shaken this much. No wonder Veronica, a mere child, couldn't keep her composure.
"Ugh... urk... uwaaack—."
We hadn't even reached the clearing yet. Watching her cling to a tree trunk, dry-heaving for minutes, I let out a small sigh.
Her reaction's more intense than I expected.
Tears and snot streaming endlessly. Viscous stomach acid drooling from her mouth.
Her face, freshly washed at the stream moments ago, was now a mess of bodily fluids.
Back when we encountered the wolves, she'd shown an oddly calm demeanor for her age. I'd thought she might handle this with the same composure.
"Hic... I'm sorry, so sorry... just a moment...."
"Yeah, cry it out till you feel better."
No matter how mature she acted, she was still just a kid.
Honestly, it was better this way—seeing her human side. If she'd stayed stoic here too, I'd have seriously considered she might be something masquerading as a human.
Thankfully, her trembling grip on the tree trunk like it was her lifeline didn't look feigned. If it was acting, well, her skills were good enough to fool even a clever fairy like me.
"I'm sorry, so sorry...."
Watching her collapse and whisper apologies like a broken record, I nodded slightly.
...So there is a connection.
It had seemed odd for a child to be alone in a forest like this anyway.
A raided carriage. A girl who'd fled pursuers until exhaustion claimed her.
Denying a link between the two would have been harder. To me, this was just verification.
But I kept my suspicions to myself.
"Do you know those bodies by any chance?"
Once her state had calmed a bit, I asked innocently, feigning ignorance.
"......"
"Know 'em?"
She stared toward the corpses with a dazed look, then nodded faintly.
"...Yes."
"Hmm, I see~."
Of course. Not surprising at all.
Whether these gruesome deaths tied to her people, her lonely grief in this forest, or who attacked them—it didn't matter to me. None of my business.
But one thing nagged at me.
"Veronica."
"...Yes."
"Wanna come with me for a sec?"
"...?"
I beckoned her with both hands. Hesitant at first, she cautiously followed.
Purely to sate my curiosity, I led her into the corpse-strewn clearing.
Flying briskly back to the origin. The moment I woke here, trapped in that 'glass jar'.
"Stop. Right there."
"......"
Words might not get through, but sharp Veronica read my gestures and halted obediently.
I nodded approvingly, then pointed.
"Know this?"
I indicated the glass jar at my feet.
A bright smile.
No letting my guard down. No plant seeds nearby she could weaponize. We were a meter apart—enough time to react if she lunged.
Invisibility lasts three seconds before grogginess hits, so two seconds max.
With Flight's top speed, I could snag a nearby 'weapon' in her blind spot.
Subdue her ideally. Worst case, Dimension Corridor—
"A glass jar...?"
Confusion crossed her face. She had no idea why I was pointing at it.
Does she really not know?
Uniqueness implies something special.
The only child amid adults in the caravan, seeming high-status. Amid rations and preserves, the only fairy trapped in a jar.
Even as a kid, if she was tied to this group, could she not know about the sole living thing in the jar—me?
She'd already tried grabbing my weakened self once. I'd bitten her thumb to escape, but her suspicions weren't cleared.
Her consistent friendliness? Could be a 'calculated survival strategy.'
She seemed to know something about 'fairies.' Maybe the racial trait Guide too.
Magic or not, surviving alone in the woods as a child is tough. She might use me as a 'guide' to escape, then betray me.
Can I trust this 'human'? Is her kindness pure?
Either way, I'll learn magic no matter what.
People use and get used. This was just drawing lines on how far we'd go together.
So.
"This is the glass jar I was trapped in."
I stated the truth calmly, in a low, serious tone.
Now, would she deny it? Confess? Make excuses? Or try recapturing me?
Would be fun to see an interesting reaction for once.
Observing her pensively with anticipation—
After mumbling for a while, she finally spoke.
The place Diana led her to, claiming there was food, was the very site Veronica had desperately fled from.
A terrifying, painful memory for her. She wanted to run again immediately.
But ...As Diana said, it's worth investigating.
Watching the small, warm light ahead, Veronica mustered courage.
They'd loaded preserves and essentials for long forest stays. Scavenging the wreckage might yield something useful.
The sadder she got, the sharper her reason honed. Then, suddenly—
But how did Diana know about this place...?
The question while following her—
"Glass jar, Diana, put in, no!"
—dissolved at the sight of Diana hovering over the jar, cutely fuming.
"...Were you trapped in the glass jar?"
"Diana, trapped! Glass jar, put in, bad!"
So indignant, stomping midair. Veronica nearly burst into a goofy smile at the adorable sight, but—
Not polite to Diana...!
She clenched her teeth, barely managing her expression.
And realized why Diana had persistently asked if she knew the dead here or the jar.
"...If I get the chance, I should talk to the elves too."
"El...ves?"
More precisely, the black-haired elf man who'd provided awakening herb info to her guards and prepared the carriage.
Rakan.
Veronica recalled the black-haired elf who'd introduced himself as Rakan.
No grave without a story.
The carriage interior hadn't changed much since I left.
Signs of rummaging, but wild beasts judge by edibility. They must've lost interest realizing nothing here was food.
If they'd dug deeper, they'd have found the preserves.
Wild animals' limits. Thanks to them, Veronica and I each grabbed a jar to fill our bellies. No complaints from us.
.
Nose numb, unable to taste, we ate simply. During that, I heard roughly what happened here from her.
Kingdom's princess. Stepmother's plot. Elves' betrayal. Guards' sacrifice.
An eleven-year-old recounting her turbulent life calmly—food for thought. In one word:
This is medieval land.
Strictly, preserves and mana engines like steam ones existed. Minus strong feudal vibes, civilization leaned more modern than medieval.
Truth? No contradictions in her tale.
…….
Maybe I'll care a little.
I watched her stuff food down doggedly.
As my magic teacher, she deserved that much.
"...Wanna wait in the Fairy Realm?"
Before new skills, maybe not. But with Dimension Corridor, I could scout alone. So I offered her the option casually.
She shook her head vigorously. "I'll help."
Trembling hands and all, she refused quickly.
Every job has its place. She taught magic; scavenging didn't need her strictly.
If she was forcing it to please me, I'd bench her forcibly.
But ...Not just that.
Her puffy, tear-swollen face barely saw straight, yet her eyes facing forward burned with resolve.