Extra 4: Episode "The Pursuer"

Extra 4: Episode "The Pursuer"

"The girl may be one of the long-lived species mentioned in legend."

"The person you're targeting may already be lurking nearby."

--That was the information that reached the commander.

The leader of the group was a small adventurer, less than ten people in number. However, they moved quickly. The order was immediately communicated to all members.

The girl must be escorted at all times, but only in a discreet manner.

With those conditions in mind, the problem was Filina.

Her tall, slender figure, expressionless face, and white cloak made her stand out in a crowd. However, the one herself didn't seem to mind at all, and calmly asserted her position to the leader.

"It would be strange for me to suddenly disappear, since I've been with her all this time."

Her voice was quiet, but her words had substance.

"If they notice our movements, it could actually trigger an attack. With me nearby, things will be as usual, and they won't be on guard."

"...R-Really?"

"Don't worry. I will turn all of my pursuers into the rust of my spear."

"...Eh, isn't that the premise that they'll attack...?"

Filina only quirked her eyebrows slightly in response to the commander's exasperated response.

•

•

No one know if that conversation had any effect, but the scene continued unchanged after that.

The tall Filina was always standing next to the girl.

A girl walks with small, hopping steps, while a adult in a white cloak watches her quietly.

The two often strolled through the markets and streets of the mountain town, and before long they became known to the townspeople as "older sister and younger sister."

When the girl smiled, Filina's lips softened just a little. Everyone found that natural sense of distance to be a pleasant one.

•

•

It was one early afternoon.

In the shade of the camp. The wind rustled the grass, and the sunlight filtering through the trees gently swayed. Outside the tent, Filina sat on a fallen tree, with a girl asleep, her head resting on her lap.

Her arms were clasped together in front of her chest, and as her small shoulders rose and fell, she let out soft, gentle snores, like a small animal taking a peaceful nap.

However, something suddenly began to wet Filina's thighs. It was clear drool dripping from the girl's mouth.

Just a drop.

Another drop.

Filina didn't say anything. She just stared silently at the way her cloak, which she had placed between her thighs, was slowly being soaked with saliva. Her mouth was slightly pursed, and her gaze was slightly distant.

In the midst of this silence, the sound of footsteps on the grass approached. Next, the leader suddenly appeared.

He was holding a paper bag in his hand, which appeared to contain bread for lunch.

"I'm thinking of giving the child a name."

Filina blinked slightly at his sudden words.

"You mean... without permission?"

"If she has forgotten, it would be better to give her a temporary name. Calling her 'that kid' or 'that girl' will cause problems down the line."

As he spoke, the leader tightened the top of the bread bag and lowered his gaze to the girl.

"I told you a long time ago that names aren't just for remembering who you are. They're there to let people know that you're here, that you're allowed to be here."

As he finished speaking, a gust of wind blew through the air. The sunlight filtering through the trees sparkled and caressed the girl's cheek.

The voice was unusually soft and quiet.

•

•

--And five minutes later.

In the center of the camp, all the members were gathered in an impromptu meeting space. The girl in question was yawning behind Filina. There was still traces of drool on her cheek.

"Okay, then let's take turns coming up with ideas."

The young wizard, Kaya, raised her hand in response to the leader's lead. Recently, she had poured an extraordinary amount of passion into dressing up girls in cute outfits, and as a result, whenever the girl saw Kaya, she would always come up behind Filina.

"I think a cute, childlike name is good!"

And what was written on the piece of paper she enthusiastically held up was - "Lulumi."

"Doesn't it look a bit fairy-like and lovable? I think that would suit her!"

The proposer was very enthusiastic, but the response was lukewarm.

"My tongue is getting tangled"

"Is this a person's name...?"

"Is that a tongue twister?"

Kaya, quietly defeated by the crowd's tepid reaction, dropped her shoulders and quietly stepped back. After that, several other ideas were proposed, but none were approved.

"Is there anything else? Well, I'll give you the one I came up with."

The commander took out a thick sketchbook from his luggage bag and flipped open the cover. Written in clear black marker was the name "Mia."

At that moment, the members of the group became noisy. Some even stroked their chins in surprise.

"That's nice. It's short and easy to call. It's cute."

"An exquisite name that doesn't look strange even as you age."

As the praise was flying, the leader suddenly turned and looked at Filina.

"Do you have any ideas too?"

Filina glanced at the girl who had been sleeping on her lap just moments before.

The girl was already awake, her fingertips fiddling with the wet spot on Filina's coat. With each soft movement of her fingertips, the trail of saliva that had soaked the fabric spread.

Filina frowned, but the commander called out to her, pushing her forward.

"There's no need to think too hard about it. Just say what you think when you see that child, what she seem to like, or what she often say. If there are any words that are 'like that child,' then that's fine."

Filina tilted her head in a slightly troubled manner, then took the sketchbook from the commander and began to quietly write something. The sound of the pen rustling echoed around the room.

Before long, he silently handed over a page. Curious, all the members came over to peer at it.

What was written there was--

"Pan'nomimi"

"…………"

"...?"

"???"

At that moment, time stopped.

The members of the group saw it, but no one said anything. No one could say anything.

What did the string of letters mean? Was it a joke or serious? Was it a reference to a favorite food, or was it some deeper symbolism? None of them could immediately make a judgment.

Some looked at Filina's face, others stared at their sketchbooks, unable to move. Some just stood there, their mouths hanging open, swallowing what they had to say.

The air in that place wasn't freezing, nor was it buzzing, it was simply still.

Then the leader cleared his throat.

"Okay, let's go with 'Mia'! It's unanimous! Disband!"

This wasn't the first time that the leader had made the quickest decision that day. He was truly a leader.

From that day on, everyone started calling the girl "Mia."

She didn't seem to understand what had been decided, but she smiled a little shyly every time she was called.

•

•

Some time later, one morning, a cold breeze suddenly penetrated the square, still shrouded in morning mist.

A group of people dressed in black suddenly appeared in town. They silently took one step after another. The hems of their long robes fluttered in the wind, and strange metal tubes lined their waists. Each one was inlaid with what appeared to be crystals.

Behind them, a group of mercenaries armed with swords and spears followed. Unlike the men in black, they did not hide their faces; rather, they wore expressions of obvious irritation. One of the mercenaries put his hand on the hilt of his sword and gave it a light clink, causing a child to scream and hide behind his mother.

One of the men in black—a slender man who moved like an inhuman machine—took a step forward, causing the crystal device to tremble faintly and a metallic creak to ring out.

The man turned to Mia and spoke directly.

"Appearance and behavior match those of the original population. 92% match with recorded characteristics."

Next, another man in black calmly takes over.

“Therefore, we have concluded that that thing there is a long-lived species… no, its descendant. It is a target for recovery, and at the same time, it is an important research asset.”

The words were devoid of any emotion, almost like they were being read by a robotic voice.

Filina, who was standing behind Mia, quickly took a step forward and silently shielded Mia with her back to her.

Seeing this, one of the men in black, likely the man in charge of negotiations, stepped forward in a rather cheerful tone. A slight smile appeared on his face, and he spoke with an overly polite manner.

"We apologize if we have caused you concern. We are from the Ministry of Science, a secret organization affiliated with the kingdom. None of us here are unrelated."

The man spoke as if he were talking about a variety of flower.

“That one over there is a long-lived species… an extremely rare being that is resistant to all pathological aging. In other words, it is a valuable individual that has the potential to surpass the greatest limit on human lifespan.”

Everyone gasped at his words.

"You could even say that she is the hope of the kingdom—no, of humanity. Therefore, we are simply trying to make the most of this life, without letting it be wasted meaninglessly."

The man in black slowly extended his arm, as if he were picking up a cat.

"Oh, it has arms and legs...! It's in ideal condition. It's a shame that it's not a pure body, but even so――it's amazing that it's safe."

The voice was even gentle.

"Now, there are many experiments waiting for you. Don't worry, you won't die anytime soon."

Filina quietly but clearly took a step forward. Her hand on her spear was a perfectly natural gesture, but the atmosphere suddenly became tense.

"Who gave you permission to do that?"

The words were not an angry shout, but a cold sound that seemed to seep into the bones of those who heard them.

"Calling life a material. Calling pain an experiment. Who would have wanted something like that?"

"We are official engineers belonging to the Kingdom's Ministry of Science. We are operating within the scope approved by the royal family--"

"Who decided that was right?"

Filina's voice fell again. She readjusted the spear on her back and put her hand on the cloth covering the tip.

"I have no intention of handing this child over to your research. ... Anyone who tries to touch Mia will face the blade of my spear. Leave."

"I'll leave. Just give it to me and I'll be gone."

A quiet tension hung over the square.

Another voice rang out, further splitting the tense atmosphere.

"...Is that it?"

There stood the leader, wearing his usual fuzzy hat and sloppily draped coat. However, there was nothing in his eyes that made him smile.

"That's quite a rude thing to say to one of our members."

"Member...?"

The commander walked up to the man from the Ministry of Science and placed his hand on his shoulder.

"That's right. Mia is an official member of our adventure group. She submitted her registration certificate yesterday. I've also reported it to the guild."

The leader continued without even smiling.

"Anyone who harms a member of the group will be considered an 'enemy.' That's the rule for a kingdom-sanctioned adventure group, right? Ministry of Science."

His tone was soft, yet strangely strong. The man from the Ministry of Science quirked his eyebrows slightly.

"...We will evacuate for now. Everything is for the sake of my kingdom."

With a muttered command, the men in black silently turned around. The mercenaries who had been waiting behind followed behind them, shoulders hunched in dissatisfaction.

Filina didn't lower her spear. The commander continued to watch her back as she left. Behind them, Mia gently held on to Filina's cloak.

After a while, when the sound of receding footsteps had completely died down, the leader turned around, scratching his head under his hat.

"Really... as soon as I gave her a name, this happened. The world is full of trouble."

His usual easy smile finally returned to his face.

From that day on, the number of members protecting Mia increased to three.

★★★★★

Having said this, the old woman closed her mouth. The sound of the fire crackling in the fireplace echoed quietly.

Meanwhile, the hero and swordsman's gazes turned to the princess, who shook her head and hands in a panic.

"N-No...! That's not true! My kingdom doesn't have a Ministry of Science...!"

"He said it was a top secret affiliation."

"There's no way there's a top secret I don't know about, right? Right?"

The princess looked at the old woman as if asking for help. The old woman looked back at the princess without changing her expression, and the princess's behavior quickly became suspicious.

"Huh? Huh? You mean it's really ours..."

"No, it's not."

"Ha-haah?!... Come on! Come on! You guys apologize! Apologize! Apologize to me and my kingdom!"

The princess stood up and swung her arms around, yelling at the hero and the swordsman.

"By the way, why do you act like you have nothing to do with this? You're a swordsman belonging to the kingdom too!"

The swordsman silently shrugged his shoulders after being teased by the princess.

The old woman looked at it and narrowed her eyes in amusement.

"This story takes place around 60 years ago, but the kingdom mentioned in the story has already fallen. It seems that the reason they pursued the long-lived species was to somehow prevent the collapse. The scientists and mercenaries from the Ministry of Science were probably their trump card."

The three sat back down and nodded. Next to them, the young wizard girl clasped her hands in front of her chest as if praying, closed her eyes and looked up into space. Her expression was calm, as if she had attained enlightenment.

Next to her, the hero spoke as if he had just remembered something.

"Now that I think of it, I heard that she became friends with the knight's son... Ouch! What!?"

At that moment, the wizard girl made sure the princess and swordsman weren't looking her way... and then she pulled out her wand from the thin air and hit the hero over the head with it. But when the hero turned around, all he saw was the girl looking away, and a small metal object in her palm. A distorted geometric pattern. It looked blurry, but even when held up to the light, it was just a simple object.

"...Didn't you have your wand with you just now? You said you lost it!!!"

"I don't have it."

"No, I was definitely hit just now! That hurts!"

"I didn't hit you. It was an optical illusion."

"Either way, it's an optical illusion, isn't it strange?"

"...."

"...So, what is that accessory? It seems very suspicious."

"It's a charm to make the weather a little better tomorrow."

"Are you praying for that now?"

"Stop messing around between you two... Well, since we're here, can you tell us the story? The love story between the girl and the knight's son."

The princess chuckled and leaned towards the old woman. Her face looked somehow happy—the same interest a girl her age should have when talking about love.

The young wizard glanced up at it, then, staring at the metalwork in her palm, began opening and closing her hand.

It almost looked like a frustrated movement, as if to say, "I can't really hit the princess."