A person's presence?
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Koutarou sensed someone's presence and turned to look behind him.
“...”
A lone girl was standing a few meters behind him. Based on her appearance, the small girl looked to be around ten years old. She was wearing some school's uniform and she was gazing at Koutarou.
Why would a girl be out here at this time of the hour?
It was already past midnight. Disregarding Kii who had run away from home, it was far too late for a girl to be walking around alone. Her being here was very strange.
“...What are you doing out here at this time?”
Koutarou asked the girl. The girl looked to be older than Kii, but like he had done with Kii, he would talk to the girl and get her to go home.
“I'm looking for someone”
The girl answered indifferently, without a change in expression.
“Someone?”
“I thought it might have been you, but I was wrong”
“Is that so. But it's already late, so you should stop looking and go home”
Based on how the girl was acting, Koutarou believed that she might be quite mature for her age. He felt a mature presence like he had with Alaia.
“I'll do just that”
“The girl nodded and spun around, showing Koutarou her back, and proceeded to walk away.
What a strange girl...
Koutarou thought that as he looked at the girl walking away.
The girl had clear and earnest eyes. He could feel a strong intention, contrasting her youthful appearance. Koutarou had met several girls like that before, but this was the first time he had seen them on a girl this young.
And she had appeared in the middle of a mountain forest at night. It didn't look like she had run away from home like Kii, so Koutarou found it very mysterious.
“That's right, there's one thing I want you to tell me”
Just before she was about to vanish into the darkness, the girl stopped and turned around to look at Koutarou. And those earnest eyes of hers gazed upon him.
It's like she has her majesty Alaia's calmness and Flair's sense of duty...
Koutarou felt a strange sensation as the girl's powerful gaze stared through him. He felt it was bizarre that he could feel that from a girl around ten years old.
“You... what were you doing to that girl with that sword?”
”Wha...”
The girl's question greatly shook Koutarou. He found himself at a loss for words as his heart skipped a beat.
Did she see me!?
Koutarou finally understood why the girl had appeared in front of her. She had come to confirm why he had been pointing his sword at Kii.
What does she want to know... what should I answer her...?
Koutarou began hesitating.
She probably wouldn't believe him if he said that he had been casting a spell on Kii. And based on her behavior and way of talking, he probably couldn't hide it with a half-assed excuse. He also didn't want to say something bad and get the police called over.
Gathering his thoughts, Koutarou decided to tell her some degree of the truth, though leaving magic out of it. If he didn't he wouldn't be able to convince her. Koutarou took a deep breath to calm down and carefully chose his words as he answered her.
“...This girl just lost her mother. She was having a nightmare, so I was casting a charm on her with this sword. Apparently, this weapon had that kind of power”
Pretty much everything he had said had been the truth. He had hidden the part about magic, so this was as realistic he could get it. A charm would be easier to understand than a spell.
“I see... then it looks like the charm worked. She looks like she's having a nice dream”
Saying that, the girl smiled for the first time. It might have been because she had a serious expression the entire time, but Koutarou felt like the girl's smile was extremely gentle.
“...Children have the right to have good dreams”
“I agree”
Still smiling, the girl nodded and turn away from Koutarou again.
“Well then”
“Yeah”
With those few words as her good bye, the girl left and disappeared into the darkness.
She really was a strange girl...
Though they hadn't spoken a lot, Koutarou felt like he could believe in the girl. She was a mysterious girl that naturally made him feel that way.
“Damn, I forgot to ask her name...”
The name and goal of the girl that had suddenly appeared in front of him remained a mystery.