Chapter 21 - Kidnapped

TL: Krrizis

Editor: Nahct

「Take it out here!」

「Behave yourselves, you stupid brats!」

Yup, how did this happened?

I was in a slightly dirty stone-walled room. There wasn't any decent furniture; only a cloth bag and a wooden box that was something like luggage. Rather than calling it a room, it would probably be correct to call it a warehouse? In such a gloomy room, I was locked up with other kids.

Judging from their appearances, there were two commoner boys, the other..... How should I put it, a cat eared little girl.

Slightly light brown and covered with pink short hair, excluding the fluffy triangular ears, was a glossy tail. I was aware of the existence of demi-humans from books, but I never caught sight of any on the streets.

In the first place, demi-humans rarely appeared in front of people. Encountering one meant they were pets that were treated like slaves. This was an unsightly world, where any living thing that was different from you was exclusively discriminated.

*******

By the way, let me recall how this happen.

After leaving the magic tool shop with Gilles, I looked at a stall. Well, it's the type of food that can't be eaten in the mansion, the so-called junk food that was quite fascinating to my craving.

After all, the estate always only served elegant food. However, there was the exception of my home grown fruits and vegetables that I could easily prepare by biting into it completely.

Setting aside my appet.i.te for now, I looked at the stall. Thereupon a large crowd of people began to push through and my hands separated from Gilles.

If that was the case, I would have instantly ran back but after being separated for an instant, from behind, my mouth was held down and just like that, I was forcefully taken away. Commonly referred to as a kidnapping based on my personal experience.

*******

「..... Oi, were you also dragged here too?」

Gathering myself from the cat eared little girl's existence that deeply moved me, I saw a similarly imprisoned boy who had began the conversation. He was, approximately, slightly older than me and slightly younger than his Highness, he was probably exactly in between.

With a bright dark reddish-brown hair and same coloured eyes, the boy had an unyielding gaze.

「It seems so, huh」

「Seems so..... You're confused, we're being sold」

「I see. It's the first time I've ever encountered an actual human trafficking site」

「..... You, a n.o.ble? With that proper sort of easy-going att.i.tude, you probably have a screw loose somewhere inside your head」

Outwardly seeing through a n.o.ble's appearance and yet brazenly using insults was remarkable. If it had been other n.o.bles, this person would have a.s.sumingly been lynched. It's not particularly any of my concern though.

「Perhaps if it's understood that I'm a n.o.ble, they would s.h.i.+ft me and charge for a ransom. Probably, I won't be used in their trade」

「That's unfair!」

「Shut up, d.a.m.n brats!」

「Hieeeeeee!」

The boy's voice strained and the girl who wasn't the cat eared little girl became frightened and started crying. In addition to getting irritated, the man on guard duty approached the little girl and raised his hand.

..... It can't be helped.

「Please stop」

Running, I thrust myself between the little girl and the man. *slap* Recognising the taste of blood that spread inside my mouth, I had protected the little girl and taken the blow.

Although I said I caught it, it was in a state of which I used the girl's body as a cus.h.i.+on. But even so, it was quite a shock absorber, I guess?

Satisfied with my state, the man said「Next time, if you make a noise, I'll kick you」, spitted and I saw that he returned to the entrance; I held onto my cheek.

..... Ah--- ..... It hurts, this is the worst.

It was incredibly painful. Healing magic could relieve the pain, but it was still painful. The inside of my mouth was cut and one of my teeth had broken off. Well, it's my baby tooth so it'll regrow again but..... An abnormality to the bone.....

If I had received a crack, I could just get someone to fix it. Or rather, I don't care. Perhaps if Gilles, Father and Mother found out about this, they would be overcome with rage. Not my problemmm~!

「Hicc..... *sniffs* Sor..... sorry, I, in my place you.....」

As I used healing magic to heal the inside of my mouth, the little girl I had protected not long ago was crying and came apologising to me. And in some way, the boy who was the cause of this came over apologetically.

「Sorry, because I had shouted.....」

「It's all good, it's only a broken tooth」

「--Sorry, I.....!」

「It's fine, although the tooth came off, I was able to stop the bleeding and heal it」

「Eh?」

Spitting out the tooth from inside my mouth, I took a handkerchief out from my dress and tucked it away. Evidence, evidence, material for Father's anger.

「Are any of you wounded? Just in case though, I'll just heal you」

「..... You can heal?」

「I'm still incompetent though..... Over there, you too」

Greeting the loosely frightened cat eared little girl with a tiny voice, she jolted with a start. Probably by nature, she feared humans themselves because sub-humans were often found hunted for sport.

Slowly approaching, I didn't want her to keep her wariness as much as possible. Drawing closer to her side with a smile, nevertheless as expected, her face looked frightened.

「My words, can you understand them?」

「I..... can」

「In that case, were you hurt in any way? If there is an injury, please say it」

As gentle as possible, I asked the question. The cat eared little girl timidly rolled up her clothes and showed me her stomach.

..... There was a great number of bruises, the white skin had become spotted. The two people glancing from behind me made an audible gasping sound.

Oh well, this fell within my expectations. Purporting it as discipline, it was an increasing act of violence that was taken out on concealed parts.

「..... Well then, I'm going to heal it, so please be quiet」

Because it would be troublesome if the guard discovered us, using the shadow of the wooden box, I placed my hand directly on the cat eared little girl's stomach and invoked healing magic. The reaction of wrapping an entire body with magic would also be conspicuous but in a specific region, moreover, given the circ.u.mstances, it would not be conspicuous - with the partic.i.p.ation of the rightly purchased magic concealment ribbon of course.

In a twinkle, the black marks faded away and the cat eared little girl was amazed. The other two also looked absentminded.

「Does it still hurt?」

「..... It..... It's ok.....」

「Then it's good. Now then, can I ask for your name?」

As one would expect, in my mind, speaking to the cat eared little girl was probably impolite but in this situation, one way or another, we would be sharing our fate together. There was no loss from just remembering a person's name.

「..... Maria」

「I'm Klaus」

「I--- I'm Lily」

「I'm Liz. For the time being, I'm in your care」

For now, having completed our introductions, in order not to be doubted, the four of us children pretended to be frightened and huddled together. Although, two people were honestly frightened.

「How are we going to get out of here?」

「It's--- it's impossible..... Those people have a lot of friends」

「What about calmly waiting for help?」

「Nn... Without a doubt, it won't come」

My proposition was laughed scornfully by Klaus. Whether one liked it or not, in actuality, perhaps Gilles was on his way here..... In a somewhat wonderfully angry state.

Gilles, arrest the kidnappers and save us please. If possible, bring the cavalry or Father, because in my inner pocket, I didn't know how to use the ring and could not send my feelings across. Hmm, I guess he would definitely make his way here. It was a situation where we needed to wait till we're rescued, right?

..... However, wouldn't this be a burden on Gilles? This would simply be a tale of a heroine waiting to be rescued, struggling was normal. But I'm just a child, a powerless child that's reliant on an adult.

「Liz-sama's already putting an adult to shame. Nay. Your handle of magical powers is greater than sorcerers from around here」

「Have some confidence in yourself, Liz-sama. I guarantee it」

In such a time, I suddenly remembered the words Gilles uttered before.

..... If it's me, I could possibly..... do it?

「Hey, are you listening? If the four of us were to strike, won't we be able to manage somehow?」

「Th--- that's impossible.....」

「Well then, let's go. Ah, no matter what happens, I won't be responsible」

「Eh?」

Listening to Lily's question, I smiled sweetly and laughed.

「Leave the room on my signal」

Slowly I converted magic powers within my body through the magic equation. If possible, I would like to prevent the guards from moving while minimizing the casualties.

..... Also, I would like to avoid killing them. Acting under self-defence, it is understandable if allowances are made towards the villains if they let their victims walk free.

『Sleep』

Inside my mouth, I let out a small mutter and threw the sorcery at the guard.

It was often said that nature was in their names; as with the name, it was a sorcery that forcefully caused a person to sleep. This was what Gilles used, wasn’t it?

The effect was light for a person who has an apt.i.tude for sorcery and a person who prepared in advance, but on talentless people who were unprepared, it had an immediate effect.

The man who was left with the dull task of guarding the kids was obviously unprepared. And thus, having no talent for sorcery, indeed, he simply fell to sleep. This person clearly had no idea that n.o.bles had a high apt.i.tude in sorcery.

「Well, let's go?」

Brus.h.i.+ng away the dust on my clothes as I stood up, the trio had an extremely idiotic expression. What is it? I thought as I'd decided to escape on my own.