I Picked Up a Witch With Amnesia

10. What Happened One Night – 13

“…I can’t believe it. Even though I see with my own two eyes that such barriers exist in this world, I still cannot believe them.”

Heron, the exclusive magician belonging to the Duke of Decaraznan, was groping for the barriers installed throughout the forest a little away from the Duke of Decaraznan, unable to hide his surprise.

“Heron, please elaborate. What do you mean by this barrier?”

When Noel demanded an explanation from Heron, looking at him as if he didn’t understand at all, he sighed deeply and stretched out his hand toward the inside of the barrier installed in front of him.

ugh-

As Heron stretched out his hand toward the inside of the barrier, ripples rippled across the surface of the barrier. And after a while, the hand that the heron had stretched out popped out of the surface at some distance from him. As an analogy, it was a scene very similar to the tricks that street magicians show as body separation magic. If there is one difference, is it that the scene Heron shows now is not street magic or trick shows, but reality that is happening right in front of your eyes?

“Can you see it, Princess? The barrier surrounding this forest distorts the space itself and has the property of denying access to anyone who wants to access it. If this was a normal barrier, the ‘strength’ itself that maintains the barrier would have been denied entry to the outside, but this barrier has a difference in that it prohibits the interference of others by distorting the continuity of space. .”

Noel blinked for a moment at Heron’s explanation, then quietly frowned.

“…So, to put it simply, are you saying that it is impossible for us to enter the inside of this barrier, or even try to destroy it? Even if you try to do that, the space itself that makes up the barrier is distorted, so interference itself is useless?”

“That’s right.”

When Heron nodded at his words, Noel let out a blank laugh as if it was truly absurd.

“Does that make sense? Although I don’t know much about magic, I do know how absurd it is. I know what modern magic can do and what it can’t.”

Yes. As far as Noel knew, it was close to impossible to directly intervene in time and space with the current era of magic. I heard that it is possible for an archmage who has reached a transcendental level by touching a fragment of truth, but it is possible to partially interfere with time and space, but what are the few archmages throughout the continent doing to the Duke of Dekaraznan? Breaking in, and what did Sarah Cernard kidnap?

“…Have you ever heard of a rumor that an archmage has come to this area?”

Heron shook his head at Noel’s question.

“I haven’t heard of rumors that the owners of each magic tower are away. The Marquis of Castana is also one of the most important people in the empire, so if a person like that had arrived around here, I would have heard the news.”

Noel could only nod his head at Heron’s logical words.

“…Yes, it must have been.”

“…Moreover, apart from the identity of a person who has a deep understanding of space and time to the extent that he can apply this degree of space displacement to the barrier covering the entire forest, it is designed to allow only certain people to enter the barrier. I can’t even grasp the principle of the craftsmanship that met the conditions.”

Hearing Heron’s words, which made him feel a kind of awe, Noel suddenly expressed his curiosity.

“…only certain people can enter the barrier?”

“That’s right. Someone who set up this barrier seems to have the purpose of preventing us from entering this forest and at the same time attracting others without any noise. Probably, it is clear that the ‘specific persons’ whose identities are unknown entered the forest without even recognizing that a barrier was placed in this forest.”

“What drew them to this forest?”

“This is just my personal opinion, but I think it might be hunting.”

“…hunt?”

“Yes. Not only did he kidnap Lady Sernad and show off the abduction in front of everyone, but even setting up a barrier like this near Dekaraznan’s mansion is a means to lure in a third force we don’t know about. I don’t think so. Isn’t this similar to how hunters hunt wild animals? Throwing the bait, luring the animal to the trap, and killing it right away without even realizing that it has become prey is a standard hunting method, I think.”

“…If you are right, the depths of that forest are already…”

At the princess’s words, Heron trembled once as if he was truly afraid.

“…Probably, I think there is a high probability that it will become hell. Couldn’t there be a wizard who was thorough enough to set up such a barrier and not have a means to end the breath of a foolish prey that crawled into the snare at its own feet?”

****

Chasing after the thief who kidnapped Sarah Cernard wasn’t too difficult. At least, especially with hounds who pride themselves on being unrivaled when it comes to tracking someone else’s tracks. It was unknown whether it was because they did not intend to hide the traces or whether they were inexperienced in this matter, but they were able to easily succeed in tracking down the kidnapper. It was clear that the abductor’s whereabouts were connected to this forest not far from the Duke of Decaraznan.

So the hounds set foot in this forest. There was nothing stopping them. There were no pitfalls. Thanks to this, they were able to get closer to the target little by little.

…However, something was strange about this forest. Even in the eyes of the hounds, whose sensibilities had dried up and twisted after dealing with all sorts of dirty work in the back world, this forest only felt somehow uneasy.

First of all, this forest was enveloped in a strangely still silence. There was not a single sound of grasshoppers chirping around. The only sound you could hear was the creepy sound of the grass blowing in the wind, accompanied by a groaning sound, as if something was howling.

At first glance, the intertwined branches of the trees seemed to look like a strange form of life, and the entire forest was leaking a subtle life that seemed to cut flesh at any moment.

…Yes, to put it concretely, there was an invisible blade hanging from the nape of their necks, and they were wrapped around them with a chill that seemed like they would slit their necks at any moment.

Their sixth sense, which they had honed as hounds, was fiercely alerting their instincts even at this moment.

No one bothered to open their mouths to express the sentiments they were currently feeling, but it was clear that everyone in the room was feeling the same sentiment.

This forest is somehow ominous. And, it’s dangerous.

The moment the middle-aged man and other hunting dogs were slowly moving their steps into the forest, holding an unpleasant sentiment in a corner of their hearts.

tall.

Soon, as if they had promised beforehand, they stopped walking at the same time.

Because in front of them, a girl with snow-white hair was standing in the way.

“It is quite a quiet arrival, rude guests. What are you doing in such a lonely forest on a night like this?”

It was a strange sight, as if I had come to a wonderland. A girl with a lovely appearance, who did not fit in with the gloomy atmosphere of this forest, was welcoming them with a lovely attitude.

…It wasn’t a sentiment I would feel in a place like this, but her appearance was truly beautiful. She seemed to be in the middle of a fresh girl and a full-blown woman, and she was overflowing with elegance that would be felt in any noble lady or a country’s princess. Even though he was single, his charisma that overwhelms the crowd filled the whole place.

“My name is Aria. She is one of the insignificant handmaidens belonging to the Estel duchy, one of the four most prestigious ducal families in the Empire. Of course, the person I serve is by no means an insignificant person.”

“…Estel, duke?”

For a moment, the hounds couldn’t understand her words at all. What is the reason why the lady-in-waiting of the Duke of Estelle is blocking their path here?

“Oh, by the way, the name Arya was given to me by my master himself. How are you? Don’t you think it’s a name that suits me very well?”

There was no evidence of any hostility towards them from her who gave a lovely smile with a kick. No, rather, her attitude is like-

“…I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. Girl, it’s none of our business to know the pitiful identity of your master. Don’t say anything incomprehensible, hurry up and start raining on the spot…”

Unfortunately, the words of the man who raised his voice towards Arya did not follow through.

…Because, at the point where the whole upper body disappeared, there was no way I could continue what I was saying to the end.

dump.

No one in this seat could even feel the foreboding. When he came to his senses, the man’s upper body had disappeared without a trace, as if he had been eaten by an invisible monster. The man’s body, which lost his upper body, eventually lost his balance and fell to the floor.

“…Really, you’re a rude person. Where did you learn that bad habit of interrupting when someone else is talking?”

It was. Arya, who was smiling lightly as she looked at all the people present, did not have the slightest hint of wariness towards them. Arya, in a very pure sense, did not consider them enemies.

…Because, at the time they set foot in this forest, only Arya had the right to live or die.

However, their rude remarks about Cain only slightly angered Arya.

“It would be mutually beneficial if we simply talked about business and went about our business, wouldn’t it? In that sense, I have something I would like to offer you.”

Arya continued to talk while giggling about what was so enjoyable.

“I have only one business, and it is to block you here so that you cannot reach my master. He told me to take care of your life and death, so I don’t think there’s any need to kill you guys. Because today I got a compliment from him and I feel very good. In that sense, I would like to give you a suggestion.”

She raises her index finger, then shakes it gently as if throwing a mockery at them.

“Only one person, I will send you alive from this spot. Who do you want to be? Do you want to decide with rock-paper-scissors? Or draw lots?”

“cheeky…!”

As if they couldn’t stand her behavior any longer as if they were putting their lives on the palm of their hand, the middle-aged man pulled out the sword tied to his waist.

The sword tied to the waist of a middle-aged man is none other than Carbella, a lightning sword that is one of the eight major instruments of the continent. It was a sword recently purchased from the Countess Cernard, who boasted the greatest wealth on the continent, with a huge amount of money. .

“Strike! The enemy is no more than a little girl! No matter how great a wizard you are, it will be the same that if you stick a sword into your body, you will die!”

Encouraged by the middle-aged man’s words, the three hounds charged towards Arya with daggers drawn from their arms. No matter how much the wizard in front of them uses magic that is beyond their common sense, the hounds are also those who specialize in killing someone on the battlefield. Even if it’s a great wizard, everyone will die if they stab themselves with a sword!

Fuuk-

Unexpectedly, there was no resistance. Arya meekly accepts the daggers they have thrown without any resistance. and-

pass-

There were no screams either. The bodies of the hounds that stuck daggers into her body all turned to salt and shattered.

“…..”

As everyone stands in this place, lost for words, at a terrible sight that cannot be described in words, Aria giggles and throws words at them.

“Oh, come to think of it, there is something I forgot to say. My appearance in front of you is a mere illusion. There is someone I have already dedicated my body and soul to, so I cannot recklessly expose myself in front of men outside. Can’t you be careless about that? because-“

Arya, no, the illusion of Arya slides her finger downward. and the next moment.

damn-

The two hounds closest to Arya’s vision turned into ice statues.

Perseok-

Just like that, it was shattered and collapsed.

“Because I can easily take at least one of your lives.”

…It must have been a miracle far beyond the common sense of everyone present. If she was inside the barrier surrounding this forest, she could perform great miracles without any penalty, and it was also possible to transcend space itself and use magic.

Confined to this forest, Arya must have been a more powerful wizard than anyone else in the world.

“Have you realized now? That you will never get out of this forest alive.”

In the first place, Arya had no intention of saving them from the beginning. Because, they dared to say that they would kill Cain, and they were the ones who hinted at killing him.

‘If I handle this job well, will you praise me again?’

Saying that, Arya smiled brightly. She still hadn’t forgotten Cain’s warm hand that complimented her.

…and in line with that, a truly ferocious life begins to vibrate the entire forest.

That life was, so to speak, a signal for hunting. It was a death sentence, pronounced by the ruthless mistress of the forest on the fleeing prisoners without looking back.

“…I wish I could enjoy it for a little while longer.”

Arya’s side face, smiling as she said that, was just very similar to any face that Cain knew well.