Monogatari no Naka no Hito

The first thing the two mutually decided on was to introduce themselves.

“I’m Riheed… a magician!”

“That’s, yeah, I see.”

Even though it’s just a self-introduction, Riheed who hasn’t introduced himself in recent years had difficulty doing so.

“Eh, well, it can be thought each person has some things they can’t say!”

Seeing Riheed who felt down, Mikene follows in turn.

Things that cannot be said, isn’t it that there is nothing to say, Riheed’s feelings recovers a bit while waiting for Mikene’s self-introduction.

“My name is Mikene Mikarune. A person of the Mikarune family, who the lord of this region comes from. Presently I am returning home from magic school for vacation.”

Mikene answers cheerfully, Riheed intensively latches onto on piece of the self-introduction.

“Magic school!? That’s wonderful! For there to be such a thing!”

Mikene pulls back as Riheed returns such a response.

Mikene thinking about the magic school’s high profile in this country looks a bit doubtful.

However, Riheed was a weird person from the start and now he seems weirder, Mikene’s evaluation of him doesn’t seem to have changed.

Mikene flawlessly ignoring so says while bowing.

“Thank you very much for saving me just now.”

“Then as gratitude it’s fine to teach me magic! Also take me along to the magic school!”

Riheed with intense vigor grips onto Mikene’s shoulders and shakes her backwards and forwards.

“U-u-u-understood, stop shaking meeee.”

Mikene who was moderately shuffle lost her ability to think, quickly answers with consent.

Riheed who heard that response stops suddenly and again displayed a strange laugh and dance.

“The prime of my life has come!!”

Raising his large staff to the sky, *waaahhh* Riheed let out a strange voice, without a doubt he is a dangerous person.

Taking some distance from such a dangerous person, Mikene’s eyes at last turns to the terrible of their surroundings.

“S-say. Riheed-san. Shouldn’t something be done about these people?”

“Hmm.”

Because of Mikene’s voice, Riheed instantly returned to consciousness and stroked his chin making a thinking gesture.

Then with a swing of his staff, the adventurers start to move as if they are marionettes and tie their hands with the coats they were wearing.

When all the adventurer’s hands were bound, Riheed nods with satisfaction, and turns his gaze to Mikene.

“How’s that!”

“Eh!? Ah, yes! It’s amazing!”

In that moment, though Mikene’s comprehension hadn’t caught up, she understood in her miond that Riheed’s action was amazing and praises that magic.

“Now then. What to do with these guys? I understand they’re criminals.”

“Eh!? Uhm…”

After being intoxicated for a short while due to the praise, Riheed read the memory of the adventurers who by the way were accompanying them, as if recalling a trivial thing he questioned Mikene.

Mikene, who was surprised for a moment, keeps silent.

“Well, in this case what you decide will be fine.”

“Eh, ah…yeah.”

To the attitude of Riheed who seems not to be interested, Mikene received some disappointment.

Mikene, on how she was attacked, and who commissioned the bound men in front of her eyes, she carries confidence on who that person is.

However, Mikene thinks that her parents will be sad when she tells them.

The rails were laid out by her parents, but for her it wasn’t possible to decide the speed at which she walks along on top of them. Whether that is a good or bad thing is something that can’t be judged.

Regarding Mikene Mikarune, her house is situated on a vast land, but it felt cramped.

Everything is determined by her parents, with no choice in life but to be devoted.

What she wears, eats, friends she associates with, books to read, every single thing in her life is decided.

Although her parents cherish her, she thinks of herself as a loyal moving marionette.

Mikene’s three elder brothers do as they please.

They opposed their parents.

Still their parents love them.

But Mikene didn’t have the courage to oppose them.

Whenever the brothers failed to live up to the expectations of their parents, her crying mother could be seen.

Like that, “Only you won’t become like that.” continued to be said.

Therefore she can only walk.

On the chosen path at the chosen pace.

The entry into the magic school was also decided by her parents.

However Mikene was delighted with that.

For the first time in her life she was self-aware, and from the bottom of her heart was delighted.

Magician, admiring that person whom she read about in the picture books about the olden day.

Originally, frequently going into the territory of the forest, she projected that the forest that appears at the end of the stories was this one.

When thinking that she could go to magic school to become like the magician she admires, Mikene’s face naturally let out a smile.

As for the parents, they decided tearfully to send her out to the royal capital for the sake of education, when they see the figure of their daughter, they felt that their decision wasn’t a mistake.

Like that the royal capital’s magic school was entered into, immediately Mikene’s admiration vanished.

Lords of various places, influential persons inside the royal capital, wealthy merchants, it was a meeting place for the children of such parents, that was the magic school.

Of course, magic is studied, and it’s a place where people study hard, but frankly the teachers worry about the parentage of the pupils, and students also build relations regarding their parentage.

Mikene personally, is the daughter of the lord who holds a large territory in the east of the kingdom, so various persons drew close.

Mikene diligently and also in a hurry, politely entertained them.

That is because of what was said by her parents.

Even after leaving home, Mikene is bound by purpose, it was absolutely disappointing.

And thus, returning home for vacation, for the sake of healing herself Mikene went to her favorite forest.