A strange thing was galloping along the old road.

　It was the wreckage of a two-horse sleigh, or something like that.
　It was pulled by a horse and was moving at high speed.

　The horse was blowing bubbles and running in a frenzied manner. It was as if all thoughts other than running had been erased from their minds. As if fleeing some great horror behind them, a despair in human form.
　Derrik, who was desperately pulling on the reins, felt the same way. He had seen the whole thing, what the girl had done, sitting on the bare seat.

　The sleigh, the horses, the luggage, and the people were all in her way, all objects of destruction.
　The thirty or so Night Python members, some of whom were ...... experienced in rough trade, were killed like leaves in the ...... wind.
　Only two horses, the wreckage of the sleigh, and Derrik remained. It was not because she was lucky or resisted, but simply because they saw a need for her.

　The wreckage, with its walls and ceiling removed, was the result of modifications she had made to make it a little lighter, faster, and more alert to her surroundings.
　She seems to be using some kind of magic to keep out the cold, but Derrik is unable to benefit from it and is already freezing to tears and snot.

"I take it your watchtower is just up ahead?

　Derrik cowered at the sudden voice that came from behind him. The voice was that of a pretty little girl, but it had no inflection at all, and was so cold that it was hard to believe she was speaking to a human being.
　Derrick knew that he was only considered as 'trash that still has a use'.

"Yes!　We've set up frontline bases at various locations near the road!　Today, I was supposed to escape through this old road, so there are several of us here to scout and ensure safety!
That's what I heard earlier.
Yes, I'm sorry!　I'm sorry about that. ......, but I just got through to them with a caller, so they won't be able to interrupt us!
All right, then, full speed ahead.
"Yes, sir!

　Derrik whipped the horse, which was already running at full speed, recklessly, hoping to increase the speed as much as possible.

　Her orders were simple. Her orders were simple: "Take me to the best man.
　The chieftain, Derik, has a means of communication with the chieftain, and to some extent knows the chieftain's daily activities. In other words, he is relying on that.
　Derrik has no intention to protect the chieftain at all costs. He's just following him out of profit and fear. That's why he's willing to sell the leader to this girl if it means he'll be released safely, but he doesn't think he'll be released safely even if he does what she says. I shudder to think of the tragedy of my henchmen being reamed out. I'm sure the same fate awaits Derrik when he's no longer useful.

　--d*mn you, you monster. ......!　Watch me bark at you!

"Hey. What did you just think?
"What?　Nothing, sir!

　Derrik dexterously jumped up from his seat on the driver's seat.

　--Did he sense a kill?　Or is this guy a mind reader?

　The moment he thought about counterattacking, he was nailed, and his body, chilled even by the snow and wind, felt as if it had been frozen.
　Derik tried desperately not to think about anything else.
　Patience would have to do for now.

　Earlier, Derrik had used a caller to contact the watchtower in front of her.
　The summary of what he said there was, "It's going to be a strange ride, but don't worry about it. At this speed, it would have passed by the time he realized something was wrong.

　But Derrik had mixed a cipher into the short call.
　It was a normal conversation to listen to from the other end, but he asked for help, and even told them what he was trying to eliminate. He was able to do this because he was a wise man.
　I'm sure the people waiting for us will take care of the rest.

　The old road came to a rugged area. Hidden in the shadows of a large hill, there is a hut-like Night Python stronghold.
　It is also a good place to hide and lay low.

"......?

　The girl stands up, kicking the seat. Then she looked around at the silver world.

　--You noticed that?　But ...... it's too late!

　The magic that flew from somewhere wrapped around Derrik and protected him.
　Right after that. The magic mines buried in the snow exploded with a loud roar.

　I'll be back.

Aaaaah!

　Benedict swung down his greatsword with gusto.
　It's not only the romanticism of the vanguard ...... that makes these weapons so heavy, but also the fact that they can deal effective blows to huge demons.
　In addition, Benedict's greatsword had an enchantment that increased the sharpness of the slash. It was a cheap enchantment, but it was enough to cut through a block of ice.

　Only the arm was cut out of the corpse that had been buried entirely in the huge block of ice.
　Fresh blood dripped from the cut surface.

I thought it would be frozen, but it's not.
Blood doesn't freeze easily. Blood doesn't freeze well, and it's fresh. ...... Well...

　Deanna pulls her winter coat open.


　The blood was still seeping out of the crest on her chest.

　And on top of that, Diana drips more blood. Blood dripping from her cut arm.
　Benedict and Hugh wanted to ask questions about her sudden eccentricities, but they watched her.

"...... I see it, it's just ahead!　I'm close!
Are you sure?
Yeah. ...... Wait a minute.

　Here, Deanna pulls Iris's change of shirt from her pack.
　I brought it with me as a catalyst for detection.

"The Oracle: The Seeker!

　After searching for Iris's reaction, Deanna looks up as if she's been jumped.

I knew the reaction was in the same place: ......!

　She runs to the Wendigo to jump on it, but Diana slumps into the snow.

Deanna!
I'm okay. It's been a while since I used my crest, so I'm just a little dizzy. I'm just a little dizzy.
You'll never make it to the Wendigo in that condition. You don't know what's going to happen when you catch up with them. What if you get into a fight like that?
"...... You're right. I'm not going to be able to help you with this.

　Surprisingly, Deanna listened to Benedict's words without hesitation.

"...... Hey, tell me. What's that?　Let's just take a break while we talk about it.
"Yeah. If we don't know what it is, we'll have no way to link up in battle.

　You'll be able to find a lot more than just a few things to do.
　I'm not sure if you've seen this before.

I've heard of the Moon Eaters of the Holy Kingdom of Diretta?
I've heard of .......

　The two of them looked at each other at the abrupt start.

They are the most elite unit in Diretta, dedicated to destroying the undead and necromancers. They're very skilled, but I've heard that they'll burn down an entire village to kill one sorcerer. ......
I'm sure you've heard the rumors.

　Deanna waved her hand in response to Hugh's remark.

"It's twice as bad as they say.

　And with that, she lets out another long, thin puff of smoke.

　Deanna looks up at the dark sky. She looks up at the dark sky, as if to say that there is a memory of a distant day beyond the falling snow.

That's how it was in my family. We're not hereditary, but we've been Moon Eaters for generations.
　My father wanted his children to inherit his technique, but no boys were born. He had no choice but to entrust it to me, his eldest daughter.
　From the age of eight I was forced to do a lot of shitty training. The training was so rigorous that my body could not hope to have children. ......

　Deanna's words about her family were not in the least bit nostalgic.

　Benedict and Hugh were both a little uncomfortable, sensing the heavy atmosphere that made it difficult to react.
　At the same time, there was a part of me that understood the mystery about Diana. She is a priestess, but she can fight as well as a grappler. She was no match for a man in a fight, and her kicks from her steel-plated boots had once broken the neck of an orc in a single blow.
　This was the result of his training as a Moon Eater.

My father died when I was 15. He wasn't killed in battle, he died of exhaustion. The secret of the Moon Eaters is to cut down your life in exchange for power beyond human limits. The members are practically expendable.
　And I ran away when my father died. I'd become a pretty good user by then, but I didn't like the way the ...... Moon Eaters did things. I don't want to follow them and burn down a village.
Is that the Moon Eater on your chest?
Yeah. This is the Moon Eater's inner workings, the Stigma of War.
　I've got crests engraved all over me. ...... There are 27 of them in total, and each one has a different power. I'm a priestess and I'm pretty good at it. But if I use this thing, I can do some crazy stuff.
　This thing on my chest is a probe. I can only find crap.

　You say probing, but what does it respond to? Deanna didn't say.

I've been thinking about using it when I really can't help myself. ...... Maybe that's now.

　Staring into the darkness, Deanna threw the cigarette butt out of the bag. As it fell onto the snow, it made a sizzling sound and made a small hole.

"We've talked too much. I think we've had enough rest. Let's go.

　Deanna brushed the snow from her clothes and stood up.
　There was a rumbling sound from ahead, and the whole area trembled.



What the hell was that noise?
I'm in a hurry!

　I'm in a hurry!

"Oh, I see. They must have used some kind of code to contact us and set us up. That's a criminal organization.
Ah, ah, ah, .......
"I thought I saw some strange emotions when I contacted you, but this is it, d*mn it.

　Derrick's words seemed to get caught in his throat, and he could only open and close his mouth.
　His wavy eyes looked down at Derik with a light colder than snow.
　His robe was burned and his skin was exposed in places. There was not a scratch on the soft skin peeking out from underneath it. Or, more accurately, it was there and then it was gone.

　Derrik had seen it all.
　He saw the trap go off. The wreckage of the sled and the horse blown to pieces. The girl popping out of the cloud of snow and dust. The defensive magic that surrounds her.
　The ambush of the Night Pythons as they attacked her. And the way she uses her magic to blow them all to bits. And the way those who should have been alive just a moment ago lay in the snow as mute wrecks.
　Finally, when it was just him and the girl, all Derrik could do was sit back and watch.

"You need a little discipline. Hmmm... ...... putting my fingers on the grater was really painful. I'll try that. I don't need my arms and legs now that the sled is gone.
　If you grind down your limbs from the tips, you'll feel better when all four limbs are gone.
　I'll fly with you, and you can guide me with just your head and body.