[Elmer]

Today and yesterday, there was nothing different these days.

I experimented which postures would give the least burden to my b.u.t.t. On the first day, I made a reflection about it and since no one can see me, I spent my time on my knees and various other postures.

The very same day, I though that the best position would be the one that would not need my b.u.t.t to be seated so I spent the day on my knees doing dogeza.

Compared from the start, the shaking of the carriage settled a little, and the posture on that day was unexpectedly good, but whether or not I’m going to use that is still being considered.

Suddenly, the carriage shook greatly, and my nose hit the seat. Imagine it. Because doing the dogeza requires my face to be near the seat, the weight of my body that jumped up was received at one point by my nose. Tears welled up due to the pain. I held my nose and raised my face, enduring it desperately alone.

When the pain settled that it became just a tingling ache on my nose, I worried if my nose was bent seriously, and moved my face to a sparkling, polished metal fixture.

…so this is my face, huh?

The innocent face of a child looked back on the golden metal fittings. Because I lived a life not looking at the mirror, the face that I haven’t seen for a while now had grown up. It’s so cool, you know? That is, in the Earth.

However I, who had gazed at the face of Matthias-san all the time, do not know it whether my face is good-looking. Aa, I should stop thinking about his good looks. I’m become depressed.

While I breathed a sigh, this time the carriage started toppling sideways with a *guruguru*.

I wasn’t able to do anything, and rotated with it. In the middle of it, my cheek was grazed with one of the nails. Reflexively, the hand which was holding my nose, moved slightly.

“What!?” I panicked.

When I went out of the carriage in a hurry, I was reminded of Matthias-san’s words.

━━━ “Please, no matter what, do not go outside.”

It can’t be that, I’m not allowed to go out yet!?

In a case like this, where the carriage is falling I wasn’t told if it’s alright or not. Still, is something like this normal? I was expecting something like ‘Thank you for coming’ welcome reception, or could it be that I was expected to master how to roll in a carriage!? Amazing, alternate universe!!

But… when I was looking at my face, I heard someone cry out. My nose was still aching at that time so I wondered whether I misheard.

The conviction that something happened arose.

I moved my hand that stopped awhile ago, then pushed the wreckage of the broken carriage and crawled outside. The part of my body exposed outside got wet with the rain, and my body became slightly cold.

Finally, I set foot outside the wrecked carriage, and then I lifted my head. My field of vision was bad due to the rain.

I noticed Matthias-san running towards me.

I didn’t understand why he was in so much hurry, so I moved my eyes to his previous line of sight. Similar to the ones I see in movies and anime I watched, standing there were ugly monsters.

Though I understood that I must escape, still, I wasn’t able to take my eyes off the monsters. I have frozen up in fear.

Leaving after images, before my eyes, what approached me were those sharp claws.

“Look out—!”

At the same time I heard that shout, something collided with a thud against me, the impact making me fall. My field of vision was turned to the sky covered with heavy clouds.

No way!? At that time, a bad premonition filled my chest. The body of the person on top of me convulsed with a start and I, who understood what happened, tried sitting up in a panic.

“Elmer-sama… you're safe… what a relief…”

A feeble voice reached my ears. The voice that always resounded with dignity.

When I started to stand Matthias-san slid down, so I immediately sat back down.

Something slippery spread on my hand. The heat was transferred to my cold fingertips.

My hand was dyed bright red.

The meaning of it, I knew even if I don’t think of it. It’s something I know well.

At the same time, I thought about Matthias-san’s words.

‘Elmer’

Is it my name here? Even if it’s something I’m not accustomed to hearing, but when I was called out for the first time, I realized. This is not a dream, I’m definitely right here, what is before my eyes is the reality.

For what reason!? Why… did you… protect me!!

When I clenched my hand filled with blood tightly, a drop fell suddenly, and it disappeared when it meld with the puddle.

Six years ago, I personally experienced ‘death’.

This time, instead of me, it was another person who took my place.

No!!

My body felt hot.

I won’t let him die. He can’t die.

Dying would mean everything is lost. It’s different. A deep scar that will never vanish is left behind between family and friends. I have learned it.

He should have them. The family I no longer have, a lover and friends. I knew neither Matthias-san’s family name nor age.

But, he had always looked after me.

You shouldn’t protect me then die!!

I must take you to the hospital as soon as possible!

For your sake, I… everything that gets in my way …

Because my head had flown into rage, even if I can’t match these guys using novice magic, the idea of running away never came into my mind.

“It's… im…possible… stop, pl…please… El…”

Even if Matthias-san told me to stop, I can’t just withdraw as it is. I can’t abandon him no matter what.

Fortunately, today was a rainy day.

Aah… it really is hot…

Though I don’t know how much of my magic is influenced by adrenalin, the monsters that was just before my eyes were easily knocked down. As I thought, the rainy day made it easier.

I checked over Matthias-san’s condition.

Is that Soldier-san nearby? I thought about that person. I don’t think anyone would just accidentally pa.s.s by this forest. Maybe I never met him because I had never gone out, but it must be a person who was traveling together with us.

“Injury…”

Can you treat them? I tried to ask. If he’s in the military, then he must have received some medical training. But he began to let out a cry before listening to my words.

“Uwaaaaaaa!!”

He was unable to stand up due to fear, and pointed to something above me.

Judging from how surprised he is, there’s no mistake that…

“Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!”

…it was a monster.

Turning my head gently so I wouldn’t shake Matthias-san whom I was carrying, there was a monster whose whole body’s surface had clinging eyeb.a.l.l.s, but then those eyeb.a.l.l.s were completely stabbed with ice.

Of course, those are my ice.

I knew this one was there since a while ago, but I didn’t know if it would attack so I left it as it is. Its weak point was obviously its eyeb.a.l.l.s, and it was weaker than the ones a while ago… because it was too big, I thought it was pretty similar to a Mountain G.o.d-sama.

Aah, it is, isn’t it? Like it came to confirm who was making a ruckus in its territory.

It was because the yell of that person awhile ago was clearly filled with terror, so I somewhat felt a bad premonition and at once, I sent my treasured ice lances towards my back. With such a large target, I thought some would surely hit.

But I didn’t think everything would hit.

Since the problem was already solved, right now it’s time for Matthias-san’s injury! As I thought so, I called Soldier-san.

“Um…”

“Immediately, I’ll treat him right now!!!!”

Just as I spoke, the man who was paralyzed with fear grasped the ground, then fell back down again but managed to recover and he began to run towards the ruined carriage. I thought he was finding something similar to a treatment kit. But for some reason I was worried about how Soldier-san’s expression towards me was similar to the expression he had after he got a glimpsed of the monster’s appearance a while ago, so I wondered if I was similar to it.

Do I have more than two eyes?

Did I have such a scary looking face?

Anxious, I touched my face for confirmation.