Ep1c

5

“……Kaa-sama?

Krische said as she felt the warmth around her as she woke.
Krische always slept hugging Grace.
That was why she mistook the warmth for Grace and took a while to realise it was Galla.

There were traces of tears around Galla’s eyes. She looked exhausted and was deep asleep.
Looking around, Krische realised this was not her house.
Finding herself in Galla’s house, Krische looked around for her mother.

――Oh yeah.
And finally remembered what had happened yesterday

Screams and crazed laughter echoed through the village.
The women and children were gathered next to the large well in the middle of the village square.
They were surrounded by armed men with hideous smiles.
The bandits were probably former soldiers, the gauntlets and breastplates many of them wore were from the army.

Corpses were scattered around the square.
Some had their guts spilling out, some had their skulls shattered, some had their arms dismembered.
The husbands, fathers, sons――of the trembling people in the middle.

Someone called a name towards one of those on the ground, then vomited at the smell of the spilled guts.
A woman was unable to accept the truth, laughing madly even as her body was fondled through her clothes.

Surrounded by violence, they no longer had the strength to resist.

Those that tried to escape, even children, were killed mercilessly.
The village’s men watched from the rooftops and resignedly climbed down, throwing down their bows and swords, kneeling to beg for mercy.
The people they fought to protect were taken hostage, they could no longer do anything.

A common tragedy――assaulted by bandits and getting everything stolen from them.
Karka village was located deep in the forest, far from the main road, far from any aid.
The rape and plundering that was about to begin would steal away their regular lives, their dignity, everything.

If they were lucky, maybe the village itself would be left intact.
But to many of them, this is the end of any happiness.

“Oooh, there’s she is. Jou-chan, come ‘ere.”

In the middle of that, the man that looked to be the bandit leader called out to a girl.

The girl was dressed in a shabby dress――she looked around twelve or thirteen.
Her long silver hair glittered in the moonlight as her large purple eyes looked around impassively.
She was surrounded by despair, but there was no fear or panic in her expression.
She detachedly counted the number of corpses, the number of bandits, then looked towards the man that had called to her.

――quite a lot have been killed.
While considering what to do, the girl――Krische did as she was told, taking a step towards the man.
She had not expected things to get this bad.
I let them take the initiative too much, that short reflection was the only regret she felt.
Even as she looked at the bandits and familiar corpses, the girl showed no expression.

The small girl started walking as she was told.
And was stopped by a sturdily-built woman――Galla.

“You can’t go, I, I’ll think of something……”

Galla kept shaking her head as she embraced the girl, trembling.
Krische looked at her, troubled.

“But, if I do not go then you will be killed.”

Krische spoke, perfectly calm.
She had no sword. In this situation, there was no choice but to obey for now.
Krische pushed Galla aside, smiling to comfort her.
If Galla struggled and died, Krische would not be able to use the oven anymore.
Krische’s words came from that purely selfish thought, but Galla clenched her fists and bit her lip hard enough to draw blood.