After watching Alana eat her meal, shiny eyes looking away from me as if she might cry from embarrassment while raising the next bite to her lips, I had to get out of the room before I forgot why I’m holding back with her. Don’t even pause long enough to grab my pants.

I start with making a lap around the village, both to clear my head and to make sure the villagers aren’t plotting. Unfortunately, they are. Several men are gathered in one of the long communal houses, in an area that seems to have been converted into a make-shift tavern. They sit at several tables with spears laid over the tabletops and mugs of something in their hands.

“It’s obvious those wenches are mercenaries hired by Shortcreek.” Ah, so that’s the name of Wenry’s village. Never bothered to ask. “I bet the one calling herself a James is lying. What would a high noble be doing in these parts? Especially with the campaign coming.”

A few men mutter their agreement but Borick shouts over them. “We aren’t too far from the King’s Road. If she was traveling up from Quest rather than down from the fort, it would make some sense.”

“A guildie? No, no James would leave the fort to go slay monsters. Then the Hall?”

“Eh? Then she’s just a caster in training! We can take her!”

“Um,” the sentry from earlier speaks up hesitantly. “We can’t attack her. She’s a James. Her father could raze this village to the ground. We should just give them the food.”

“Then what are we supposed to do over the winter? Eat our boots?” The man who responds scoffs. “I’m not saying we hurt the girlie. Just kick her out of the village. Her father might give us a reward for setting her straight. A girlie like that has no business sticking her nose where it’s not wanted.”

“I agree,” Borick announces before anyone has the chance to voice another disagreement. Rising from his seat, he drains his mug and slams it down. “But she’s strong. As a James, I have no doubt she knows how to use that sword she carries and if she really has come from the Hall, there’s a good chance she has some magic. We may not be able to force her out of the village, those Victory bastards can be stubborn.”

“We can’t—"

“We won’t kill her! But peacefully or not, she has to leave this village tonight.”

The men roar in agreement while I frown outside the building.

“And so the climax approaches.”

I jump as Rolly’s voice appears at my shoulder. Sure enough, when I turn, the lueorale is floating beside me, fully visible, colorful tail plume extended. She shakes her head as her body turns blue. “I hope all the villains of this realm aren’t so lacking. Where is the overwhelming strength that inspires dread in small children? Where are the dastardly schemes that makes our poor hero feel as if they’re fighting against fate itself?” She sighs.

“I prefer my villains weak and simple, thank you,” I mutter.

“Will you run off to inform Alana? Mm, I can see it now. As the crowd of angry villagers surrounds her home, she strides from the doorway, slowly pulling her sword as a thick beam of moonlight strikes her. A gentle heroine ready to deliver hard justice, standing against a small army to protect a little girl she has come to love as her own.”

“…what?”

“You have to take a few liberties with the details to make a good story, Lou.” She flashes orange. “A legend has to start somewhere.”

I chuckle. “It does sound rather good but the last part may be a problem. We’re not taking Wenry with us. She has a family waiting for her.”

“Of course. Our heroine is torn once she delivers the girl to her parents. Though it pains her to separate, she must, as the path she travels is too dangerous for a weak child. With a heavy heart, she leaves the girl a small token to remember her by and wades into the turbulent waters of fate alone.”

“You’re taking a lot of liberties.”

“Thank you! But you should get going before someone sees your less than dignified appearance.”

I glance down at my bare legs, unbothered. “No, she asked me to take care of it.”

“Oh! Then allow me to assist you, my summoner!”

“Assist?”

“Yes. Just walk in and start talking. I’ll take care of the rest.”

-

Once Rolly tells me she’s ready, I kick in the wall in front of me. Not very considerate to knock down the wall with winter ready to settle in but I don’t take them plotting against us kindly. They’re lucky to get away with shattered wood as opposed to shattered bones.

As expected, the men startle, over a dozen gazes turning to me. I expect surprise and wariness. I’m not ready for heart-stopping shock and screaming fear. One man literally falls out of his chair screaming. At me. Objectively, a very attractive woman without her pants. What in the Abyss?

“That’s not what they’re seeing~” Rolly singsongs. I assume I’m the only one who can see her. Oh, well.

I turn to Borick, who flinches. A big man like him who looks like he wrestled draconids in his youth flinches away from me like a scared boy. “You think we haven’t been keeping an eye on you? Of course men willing to sink to pointing blades at women and children would assault us at night. Were you going to sneak in while we were sleeping? Grab the girl and see if your methods work twice?”

“…what do you want?” Borick asks.

“What I want is for you to put those weapons down.” The men still holding onto their weapons drop them immediately. Two make a run for it, one of them abandoned by the other when he trips and falls. The clumsy man glances back at me and whimpers, putting his arms over his head and curling into a ball.

…okay.

“Then I want you to do what you were told. Gather the food you stole and deliver it to us.”

“Alright. We can do that. We won’t make any trouble.”

“For your own sake, I hope that’s the truth.” I turn to leave. Pretty sure I don’t have to threaten them further.

“Wait!”

I look over my shoulder at Borick, who backpedals. I can clearly see the hesitance on his face but he manages to speak up. “What are you doing here? I can just believe a young James happened to find herself in this mess but you…” He swallows. “What I mean is, is there any way we can convince you not to get involved?”

I chuckle. “Not even the saints could. That James girl is my intended. I’d do anything for her. So, I suggest you don’t give me a reason to get any more involved than this.”

I give him the chance to say something else but he keeps his peace and I walk out the way I came. Once I’m far enough away, Rolly appears beside me again, giggling. “What did you show them?” I ask, rather curious after that display.

“A shadow of what you could become, easily dispelled by the morning sun.”

“…do you ever get tired of being vague and mysterious?”

“Nope!”