Chapter 4 – Hunting Hound of Mists (Part 1)
When it was nearly dusk, Fino finally opened her eyes.
After she got up, the nightmare had provoked a sense of disgust.
(… Such a scary dream.)
Fino pouted and let out a long sigh.
In her dreams, Selo was attacked by wild beasts, fell down a cliff, then swallowed by the darkness.
Fino reached out her hand, but wasn’t in time to catch him. She could only helplessly watch Selo fall.
The temperature wasn’t hot, but she was covered in sweat.
“… Did Selo return?”
Using a tired voice to mutter to herself, Fino quickly got dressed and left the room.
Kardena was waiting in the corridor.
“Ojou-sama, you have awakened?”
“En… Selo?”
Seeing the expression on Kardena’s face, Fino could immediately predict her answer. But, she still asked.
The young maid had a sullen expression and shook her head.
“Still haven’t returned. The knights haven’t contacted us either.”
“Is that so…”
Fino helplessly murmured, and wobbly paced around in the corridor.
“Ojou-sama, where are you going——?“
“I’ve rested enough, so I’m going to find him.”
Fino said like it was a matter of fact, but Kardena still hurriedly grabbed her arm.
“Please don’t go out. The sun is already setting.”
“… What are you saying, Kardena?”
Fino replied with a sweet —— an incomparable sweet smile.
Kardena’s expression stiffened. Seeing the lack of smile in Fino’s eyes, she couldn’t help but feel terror.
Fino uncaringly used her rotten expression to stare at Kardena.
“You really want to let my Selo stay in the mountain alone tonight again? If you want to stop me, even you——“
“P-please calm down a bit! I’m in the same boat as ojou-sama!”
Noticing the terrified Kardena, Fino finally awoke.
“S-sorry! I was still sleepy ——“
—— She accidentally revealed her true self.
Fino tried to hide it using a guilty and naughty smile, and grabbed Kardena’s hand.
“Isn’t this great? Since this is an emergency situation, only tonight…”
“I won’t let you go out.”
Perhaps he heard their conversation, Ordoba walked out from the library.
He glared down at Fino, his solemn expression slightly twisted.
“Fino, leave Selo to the knights. Today at noon, Helmbekt-san and I talked over it, Selo might have left you by choice——”
Hearing this, Fino’s eyes opened wide.
In the morning, her adoptive father had also stated this possibility, now she finally understand the “basis” he made this judgement on.
Fino seemed to forget to blink, and used doll-like eyes to stare at her adoptive father.
“… Father, did you say something to Selo?”
Standing at the side, Kardena’s shoulders trembled.
Ordoba had not yet noticed Fino’s change.
Since they were not blood related father and daughter, the two rarely conversed. It was precisely because of this, he had never noticed Fino’s true demeanours.
Ordoba sighed, and once against said words that stimulated Fino.
“I advised him —— to maintain a distance from you. Although I didn’t tell him to leave, but Selo is a smart child. He definitely…”
“—— Unforgivable.”
A black substance within her body started to surface.
Fino gave into that magic creature, and stared at her adoptive father.
“Why did you say that to my Selo? Father ——“
Ordoba knitted his eyebrows.
He finally noticed his daughter’s aura —— No, it’s more accurate to say craziness.
Ordoba raised his hands in confusion, his vision started to shake.
“… Calm down, Fino.”
Fino silently nodded.
“En, I’m very calm. Because I have properly controlled the impulse of immediately chopping father to death. I am already so calm, but why does father have to say such things?”
Fino revealed a smile without her “killing intent” hidden.
Seeing that terrifying smile, Ordoba couldn’t help but feel a shiver creep through his heart.
He moved his sight towards the equally scared Kardena, seeing the maid’s knees tremble as she looked towards the floor, he took several steps back.
“Wait… Wait a moment. This isn’t certain yet. It is only my prediction, he might just be lost.”
Ordoba who tried to explain himself in a flurry clearly contrasted what he said previously, Fino replied with only a calm and quiet voice.
“If it was because father had something, causing my Selo to get into an accident —— I won’t forgive father. Where is Selo?”
Cold sweat begun to surface on Ordoba’s forehead. Fino’s eyes stared at him without blinking, as if seeing through his lies.
Her eyes —— The eyes containing the “Seed of Ortaff” that Fandal had brought, caused Fino’s aura of craziness to become even more wild.
Ordoba reached his hands into the pouch that contains a protective magic tool and took several steps back, putting more distance between him and Fino.
“I, I really don’t know —— Really, how would I know! I only said ‘it might be so’, and it was never proven. I also want to know why Selo had disappeared.”
Seeing the fazed Ordoba —— Fino returned a soft yet wicked smile.
“… Father is so weird. There was no need to be so nervous —— It’ll be fine, I’ll find Selo. Then, see you later.”
“Ah… Ahhhh.”
Fino politely curtsied, then turned her back towards Ordoba.
The maid Kardena stood at the side with a pale expression.
Fino smiled towards her, but her body violently shook, and her teeth clattered.
“Kardena, what is it? Are you actually worried about Selo too?”
“Ah, no… no no! Yes, yes ——“
Hearing her weird reply, Fino smiled sweetly.
“Calm down, Kardena. I don’t get your position if you speak like that. Then I’m off.”
There was no one left to stop Fino.
She took several absentminded steps out of the door and took out the Celestial Wooden Horse.
Fino injected mana into the black wooden horse.
The wooden horse named Liquorice was gifted to her at a young age by Selo’s grandfather Zerdonato. She used to ride it often with Selo, despite how it was originally a magic tool for a single person to ride, lately the chances for it got less and less.
Fino prayed that the wooden horse could take her to Selo’s side, and let out a painful sigh.
The wooden horse glided across the courtyard.
The sun gradually settled, and the dark night started to descend.
Chapter 4 – Hunting Hound of Mists (Part 1)
When it was nearly dusk, Fino finally opened her eyes.
After she got up, the nightmare had provoked a sense of disgust.
(… Such a scary dream.)
Fino pouted and let out a long sigh.
In her dreams, Selo was attacked by wild beasts, fell down a cliff, then swallowed by the darkness.
Fino reached out her hand, but wasn’t in time to catch him. She could only helplessly watch Selo fall.
The temperature wasn’t hot, but she was covered in sweat.
“… Did Selo return?”
Using a tired voice to mutter to herself, Fino quickly got dressed and left the room.
Kardena was waiting in the corridor.
“Ojou-sama, you have awakened?”
“En… Selo?”
Seeing the expression on Kardena’s face, Fino could immediately predict her answer. But, she still asked.
The young maid had a sullen expression and shook her head.
“Still haven’t returned. The knights haven’t contacted us either.”
“Is that so…”
Fino helplessly murmured, and wobbly paced around in the corridor.
“Ojou-sama, where are you going——?“
“I’ve rested enough, so I’m going to find him.”
Fino said like it was a matter of fact, but Kardena still hurriedly grabbed her arm.
“Please don’t go out. The sun is already setting.”
“… What are you saying, Kardena?”
Fino replied with a sweet —— an incomparable sweet smile.
Kardena’s expression stiffened. Seeing the lack of smile in Fino’s eyes, she couldn’t help but feel terror.
Fino uncaringly used her rotten expression to stare at Kardena.
“You really want to let my Selo stay in the mountain alone tonight again? If you want to stop me, even you——“
“P-please calm down a bit! I’m in the same boat as ojou-sama!”
Noticing the terrified Kardena, Fino finally awoke.
“S-sorry! I was still sleepy ——“
—— She accidentally revealed her true self.
Fino tried to hide it using a guilty and naughty smile, and grabbed Kardena’s hand.
“Isn’t this great? Since this is an emergency situation, only tonight…”
“I won’t let you go out.”
Perhaps he heard their conversation, Ordoba walked out from the library.
He glared down at Fino, his solemn expression slightly twisted.
“Fino, leave Selo to the knights. Today at noon, Helmbekt-san and I talked over it, Selo might have left you by choice——”
Hearing this, Fino’s eyes opened wide.
In the morning, her adoptive father had also stated this possibility, now she finally understand the “basis” he made this judgement on.
Fino seemed to forget to blink, and used doll-like eyes to stare at her adoptive father.
“… Father, did you say something to Selo?”
Standing at the side, Kardena’s shoulders trembled.
Ordoba had not yet noticed Fino’s change.
Since they were not blood related father and daughter, the two rarely conversed. It was precisely because of this, he had never noticed Fino’s true demeanours.
Ordoba sighed, and once against said words that stimulated Fino.
“I advised him —— to maintain a distance from you. Although I didn’t tell him to leave, but Selo is a smart child. He definitely…”
“—— Unforgivable.”
A black substance within her body started to surface.
Fino gave into that magic creature, and stared at her adoptive father.
“Why did you say that to my Selo? Father ——“
Ordoba knitted his eyebrows.
He finally noticed his daughter’s aura —— No, it’s more accurate to say craziness.
Ordoba raised his hands in confusion, his vision started to shake.
“… Calm down, Fino.”
Fino silently nodded.
“En, I’m very calm. Because I have properly controlled the impulse of immediately chopping father to death. I am already so calm, but why does father have to say such things?”
Fino revealed a smile without her “killing intent” hidden.
Seeing that terrifying smile, Ordoba couldn’t help but feel a shiver creep through his heart.
He moved his sight towards the equally scared Kardena, seeing the maid’s knees tremble as she looked towards the floor, he took several steps back.
“Wait… Wait a moment. This isn’t certain yet. It is only my prediction, he might just be lost.”
Ordoba who tried to explain himself in a flurry clearly contrasted what he said previously, Fino replied with only a calm and quiet voice.
“If it was because father had something, causing my Selo to get into an accident —— I won’t forgive father. Where is Selo?”
Cold sweat begun to surface on Ordoba’s forehead. Fino’s eyes stared at him without blinking, as if seeing through his lies.
Her eyes —— The eyes containing the “Seed of Ortaff” that Fandal had brought, caused Fino’s aura of craziness to become even more wild.
Ordoba reached his hands into the pouch that contains a protective magic tool and took several steps back, putting more distance between him and Fino.
“I, I really don’t know —— Really, how would I know! I only said ‘it might be so’, and it was never proven. I also want to know why Selo had disappeared.”
Seeing the fazed Ordoba —— Fino returned a soft yet wicked smile.
“… Father is so weird. There was no need to be so nervous —— It’ll be fine, I’ll find Selo. Then, see you later.”
“Ah… Ahhhh.”
Fino politely curtsied, then turned her back towards Ordoba.
The maid Kardena stood at the side with a pale expression.
Fino smiled towards her, but her body violently shook, and her teeth clattered.
“Kardena, what is it? Are you actually worried about Selo too?”
“Ah, no… no no! Yes, yes ——“
Hearing her weird reply, Fino smiled sweetly.
“Calm down, Kardena. I don’t get your position if you speak like that. Then I’m off.”
There was no one left to stop Fino.
She took several absentminded steps out of the door and took out the Celestial Wooden Horse.
Fino injected mana into the black wooden horse.
The wooden horse named Liquorice was gifted to her at a young age by Selo’s grandfather Zerdonato. She used to ride it often with Selo, despite how it was originally a magic tool for a single person to ride, lately the chances for it got less and less.
Fino prayed that the wooden horse could take her to Selo’s side, and let out a painful sigh.
The wooden horse glided across the courtyard.
The sun gradually settled, and the dark night started to descend.
