Hakushaku to Yousei Vol 6 Chapter 6

P. 193

    There was a precise method and methods that didn’t have that much effect. There were times when they would work, and times when they fail and you would lose that person for eternity.

    It was dangerous, but for a human who didn’t have any magic or any powers to use to fight against fairies, they could only decide on bringing back that someone for sure and act accordingly.

    Lydia dazed in wonder why that was so. 

    She wondered if that was somehow connected to why they would go and try to steal people’s babies.

    Lydia kept on going deeper with Kelpie as she grew nervous at the thought that beyond here was the sleeping grounds of the Wyrm.

    For some reason, Lydia stopped her pace.

    “What?”

    Lydia ran into the direction of where the music was coming from. 

    Not paying heed to Kelpie’s warning, she went into and beyond a temple like place that had a row of stone pillars next to each other. 

    It wasn’t a wall, but the side of the Wyrm’s stomach. Its head had pa.s.sed by this s.p.a.ce and must be resting in the depths of this cave so she couldn’t see it, and then Lydia was pulled by Kelpie and hid behind in the shadows of one of the pillars.

P. 195

    Lota found them and stopped playing her ocarina, and checked on how the Wyrm was doing, and it seemed like it was fast asleep as its body didn’t move at all. 

    “Lota, that chain….”

    That was because after some time had pa.s.sed and the human was influenced by the fairy’s magic, it would be more difficult to return to the human world. 

    It seemed like Lota was already quite tired of this.

    “It’s the Wyrm’s chain. It won’t be easy to cut it off,” said Kelpie. 

    “Wild rose?” asked Lota.

    “Is that something really precious to it? Then, I was told not to go into that forest over there, but I don’t know where that would be.”

    Anyhow, Lydia thought that she needed to go and search for it. 

    “Got it, but Lydia, are you going to be all right?”

    “Y-yes. Since this is my job.”

    “Eh?”

    For an instant, Edgar might have come to her mind.

    “I see.”

    But still, the reason that Lydia was able to view the human world even a little likeable was because her father was there and it was the world her mother chose.

    “You know, I might want to go and meet my grandpa,” said Lota as she was thinking that over. 

    “You can meet him, most definitely. That kind of feeling is what will draw away the deluding power of the fairies.”

    They hadn’t noticed it, but the snoring of the Wyrm that had been vibrating the air around them had stopped.

     “Hey, Lydia, the Wyrm has-“

P. 198

    (Who are you two. I won’t forgive you for entering into my palace without my knowledge.)

    Lydia’s arm was pulled.

    At the same moment Lota yelled out, there was something that came swinging into their direction. It seemed like the Wyrm had swung its tail.

    “d.a.m.n.”

    “Over here, Lydia!”

    It was Edgar. Why was he here?

    In the second Kelpie and her had slipped into the crack of the stone, the Wyrm’s body that slammed against the stone, making the area around them shake.

P. 199

    The Wyrm tried to stick one of its claws into the crack. However, it seemed like there was nothing it could do, so it gave up and must have gone away, as it fell silent. 

    Then, she was embraced by Edgar.

    He set both hands to turn her head up and he looked down at her. 

    At times like these, Edgar treated her naturally like his fiancée. It was much too natural that it made Lydia feel like she was wrong for feeling that this was awkward, so it was quite troublesome. 

    “I heard the story from Nico. If you would have told me at the start, then I wouldn’t have let you gone by yourself.”

    Completely ignoring the existence of Kelpie, Edgar kept on talking as he gradually pressing Lydia more and more near the wall.

P. 200

    “…..But I”

    “I have the responsibility as your employer. More so since its trouble happening on my lands.”

    But if she were to show even just a little honest part of herself, Edgar would take advantage and get elated. And sure enough, he touched Lydia’s hair with his hand like a lover would do and narrowed his ash mauve eyes in a longing way.

    Ermine and Raven were with them, and yet why on earth was he able to do something so embarra.s.sing like this.

    “More importantly, I found Betty. I think Pino will be able to lead her out. What’s left is Lota who made herself the replacement of Betty and if I could find Martha’s baby….”

    Lydia’s heart was already decided. However, for Edgar and others to come here was unexpected.

    “He should have been with us, but since he was nearly eaten by the dragon, I think he might not want to get any closer.”

    Even as she pitied him just a little, she thought it really was heartless of him to throw in the towel during the middle of it.

    She had to believe that Betty would be brought out by Pino. 

    “Anyhow, we should get outside once. We should calm down and then try to think of a way to rescue out the two of them.”

    “I can’t, there is only one method. I’m going as I am.”

P. 202

    “So all of you go home.”

    Kelpie laughed.

    “I just don’t want to put Lydia in a dangerous situation.”

    Hey, Kelpie-!

    Just as she feared, Edgar reacted to that part.

    No, there was no such thing.

    Edgar stepped near Kelpie.

    “Stop it already!”

     “Lydia, this is a problem about our honor.”

    “Lord Edgar, the dragon has appeared again,” spoke up Raven.

    “This is bad,” murmured Kelpie.

    Edgar grabbed Lydia’s arm and bolted into a run.

    In the distance it was strangely red and so bright.

    “I’ll stop it so hurry up and go!”

    Lydia tried to stop from running, but Edgar didn’t allow her. 

    He left with that line which could be hear like a joke and tried to go. 

    And then, perhaps in order to calm Lydia down as she kept on turning her head back to see him repeatedly, he carelessly said,

    Hearing that voice from behind her back, they went along the path that curved to the side, and then Lydia couldn’t see the sight of Kelpie anymore.

    When they decided that they were far from the dangers of the fire, they finally stopped. Lydia was already out of breath, and so she couldn’t speak up for a while.

    "You will tell me what the meaning of that is.”

    “That horse said living with you in the Highlands.”

P. 205

    She couldn’t tell him that she might come to forget about everything.

    She was confused at herself for feeling afraid of that, and it nearly made her cry so Lydia lowered her eyes.

    “Uh, it isn’t like I’m trying to blame you. Don’t worry, whatever happens, my feelings won’t change.”

    “It’s true, don’t you believe me? Even if that Kelpie had forced himself on you, that kind of thing won’t become a hindrance to our marriage.”

    “What are you….”

    Hold on just a moment, what is he talking about?

    “I know. You are the type that won’t even allow me as your fiancé to kiss you, so even if it was something small, it makes you feel like you were unfaithful, right? But if something like that would make you marry Kelpie, then how I treated you like a gentleman would make me look like an idiot.”

    And, like a gentleman, he says? How did he?

    He looked down into Lydia’s eyes as if to make sure. 

    “Would you stop guessing at every possible ulterior motive.”

    He didn’t let her go that easily, and when Lydia wiggled around to express her displeasure, his hand touched a b.u.t.ton on her back.

    Even if she was all right with Kelpie, she didn’t know why Edgar’s hand touching even one b.u.t.ton made it feel like having a meaning.

    Just when she thought he was seriously worried about her, he would go joke around. 

    She put strength in both her arms and pushed Edgar away.

    But there’s still time remaining. And to give up, is only when you said no. I want you to think hard if you really need me or not and then make an answer.”

    When he made a serious expression and if she haphazardly rejected him as usual, she felt that then, he might really lost interest in her. 

    That should be fine. Then I could live my life in peace.

    But this kind of promise, I can’t figure out if he’s serious or not. 

    “…..I understand.”

    Oh, why couldn’t he just let it go.

    However, in this case, there wasn’t any time to be pressed for answers. 

    Just then, the ground started to rumble again.

    She saw that Raven and Ermine were hurrying to come back to them, but Lydia wasn’t able to stand up straight and clung onto a near-by stone pillar. 

    When she shot her eyes up at Edgar’s voice, she saw that the pillar that had a long crack in it was just about to topple over. 

    A large crater started to open up beneath Edgar’s feet. She saw that Raven save him by practically falling down onto the ground with him, but the crater that rapidly opened wide started to head towards Lydia’s direction. 

    “Ermine….”

P. 209

    During the time Lydia was fumbling around, she used all her strength and pushed Lydia out.

    “Ermine!”

    Even if the shaking stopped, Lydia’s body couldn’t stop trembling. 

    He called Ermine’s name a number of times, but there was no answer, and only Edgar’s voice echoed against the wall here and there. 

    “It’s dangerous. There might be another earthquake again like just now.”

    I have to go search for the Wyrm’s wild rose.

    She thought about calling Edgar, but she stopped herself.

P. 210

    Lydia quietly stepped back and moved away from the two who were looking down at the bottom of the ravine. Her turned her heels and walked off in the direction that seemed the most not to have been affected by the quake. 

    To go against tiny humans and launch an attack even after it lost sight of them, must mean it was guarding something.

    The hint was forest. Normally, forest should mean a group of trees.

    However, her shoulder was grabbed ahold of out-of-the-blue.

    Edgar pulled Lydia to him with a furious expression.

    She must have been thinking about the roses so hard and she couldn’t hear him at all. 

    That’s why Lydia could do what she could only do.

    Edgar couldn’t understand what she was saying and tilted his head.

    “All right. Then I’m coming too.”

    “No, you can’t. I had left Raven to take care of that place, and I can’t let you go by yourself.”

    He looked at her with such serious eyes, that whoever saw them would think that there was no mistake in that he was in lover with Lydia.

    Yes, Edgar might not have realized it himself. He might be locking up who it was he really cared for and even tricking himself.

    “I’m worried. If something were to happen to you, I couldn’t stand it.”

    “It should have been me who fell.”

    “What are you saying. You know it isn’t your fault.”

    It was a pointless thing to say now. Edgar must be thinking that. He let out a sigh like he found that a little absurd.

    “That’s not what I meant.”

    That would have been the better outcome for Edgar.

    Edgar followed after her.

P. 213

    She was thinking that I want to alone. Lydia was feeling negligent.

    “……………”

    He suddenly rushed up in front of her and stood in her way which nearly made Lydia b.u.mp into him.

    “If you don’t tell me straight, I’m going to kiss you.”

    She found that absurd, but if both her arms were bound by him and she couldn’t move even if she put all her strength into them, and he moved in his body like he was chaining her down, and she didn’t only fear the kiss but something more dangerous, and rushed to open her mouth.

    “Why is that related?”

    When she let that all out at once, Edgar grew suddenly quiet and looked like he was holding back anger.

    “Keeping something so important like that from me, how awful of you to try and go by yourself. Is it because I know nothing about fairies? Is it because I’m just the Blue Knight Earl in name only?”

    “Then, you couldn’t say that because it would be too painful for you to separate from me if something were to happen?”

    This man’s vanity isn’t normal.

    “Even if you become a fairy and even if you forget about everything, I have no intention of giving you to Kelpie.”

    Like he was making sure that wasn’t so, he cradled Lydia’s face with the palm of his hands. 

    “Even if I were human, I have a deep trait related to fairies. If I snap the rose, I’ll be thrown into the whirl of the magic. When that happens, I don’t know if I will be able to keep my consciousness enough to take me back to the human world. But, I’m thinking that I wouldn’t mind that.”

P. 215

    I don’t know. If I were a fairy, my feelings wouldn’t get hurt.

    He said that in such a painful voice, that even Lydia’s heart ached.

    He kissed her on her eyelid, and that wanted to make her cry.

    “We got to go.”

    She couldn’t say that she was going to go alone any more.

    The ocean water was cold, and it slowly healed Kelpie’s mane and skin that was fanned by the souring heat of the Wyrm’s fire.

P. 216

    Sitting down on the bottom of the sea, Kelpie was silently feeling how the magic was returning to his body.

    As Kelpie was thinking that, he looked over towards the female figure that was lying right next to him.

    “You finally woke up.”

    If he remembered, her name was Ermine.

    “This is…..?”

    “Why are you here?”

    She stared at the aggressive fairy water horse suspiciously.

    Even if she knew that he was a strange water horse that didn’t see the human girl Lydia as food but with affection, she wasn’t able to believe that she was 

    “Why did you help me.”

    Because that couldn’t be taken as a joke, Ermine had lost her chance to say her thanks but it seemed Kelpie didn’t mind that at all.

    “It’s burning above up. It’s safer to be in the water for a while.”

    “If you move around too much, then it’ll be even more difficult for you to return to the earl.”

    “Do you have an idea where the area is right under the center of the village?”

P. 218

    “There’s no need for me to tell you.”

    “Then forget it.”

    Kelpie thought she was a female much more stubborn than Lydia as he stood up. So she’s only loyal and obedient towards the earl only, huh.

    Ermine sensed that Kelpie was following her and turned around and frowned.

    “I’m just going to where I want to go.”

    “That’s also my freedom of choice.”

    “Why don’t you go to where Miss Carlton is then? Isn’t it dangerous to get separated from her?”

P. 219

    “…..What?”

    Ermine kept on walking silently. Kelpie kept on talking as he followed her.

    Ermine suddenly turned around and pointed out a knife at Kelpie.

    “I won’t die by a human weapon like a selkie.”

    “Now don’t so feisty. It’s not like I’m on the side of the earl.”

    She must have thought that it was Kelpie who hated Edgar for forcing Lydia to become engaged with him, so he most likely wouldn’t leak this out.

P. 220

    Kelpie didn’t speak up to her anymore and on her part, she was completely ignoring Kelpie’s existence.

    She thoroughly inspected the area around that, but it seemed like she didn’t find the thing she was looking for.

    And then, she slipped out onto the rocky sh.o.r.e soundlessly. 

    By their feet, there was a dead body lying on the ground. It must have been a dead body they pulled up from the sea, because the body was drenched and as the clothes that had soaked up the sea water was draining back out, there was red blood that was also seeping out, staining the white limestone. 

    With the knife in her hand, she stabbed one of the men who was still taken aback. 

    The other man tried to hit her with his torch.

    She knelt down on that spot.

    Seeing that she wasn’t able to stand up right away, the man who was holding the torch turned his back away from her and tried to escape.

    He grabbed the man’s head and shoved him back over to Ermine who finally stood up.

    “No, I’ll have him dead.”

    Blood went spraying in the air, and the man slumped down to the ground.

    And completely exhausted, she sat herself down on one of the rocks.

    “I don’t want to be told by you.”

    She must have killed the men because it would be too much trouble if they talked about this. 

    The reason she left the earl’s side was in order to get the stone she just retrieved. However, she must have no intentions of telling what it is. 

    “I won’t cause any trouble to Miss Carlton.”

    However, she must have wanted to say that by telling that to Kelpie, the thing he just saw wasn’t going to be any benefit or disadvantage to him, something completely unrelated to him.

    “It’s a forest,” Lydia couldn’t help but mention.

    Their vast numbers made a white forest, filling up the s.p.a.ce and blocking their view. 

    “So the wild roses might be somewhere deep in there.”

    “It’s sure to be here.”

     If the faint sound of the water droplets that dropped from the ceilings overlapped each other, it seemed like they were in the middle of a drizzle.

    Edgar went walking over to one of the limestone towers that was nearby and knelt down by it. It was a limestone rock tower that was only just barely at the height of a person. 

    “Oh, no, it’s just that I thought it looked like a finely-carved statue.”

    Inside the stone, it looked like there was a baby with its arms and legs curved in mended into it.

    “What? But it looks like the baby is turned to stone.”

P. 224

    Standing up, Edgar made a knitted his brows as he inspected the forest.”

    “…..I don’t know. The dobie had said that the Wyrm turns people into stone and then eats them, but either way, the older ones that have turned into stones completely cannot be saved anymore.”

    “So from the old days, the Wyrm had eaten people like this and that’s how it made the freyas.”

    “In order to make money, I can’t believe they would sacrifice people again….”

    It was there he stopped his sentence and suddenly changed the subject. 

    “A Wyrm cannot be defeated. That’s why I am looking for its rose.”

    The Blue Knight Earl had magical powers. He was able to go back and forth between the fairy realm and human realm and was the lord of the land who governed over the living beings in both worlds. 

    However, Edgar was thinking if there was any other method. 

    He pulled out his sword from its sheath on his waist belt.

    “I have a weapon. It’s a sword that doesn’t stand inferior to fight with a dragon and is a sword that has once defeated the Wyrm before. And yet, even when I use it, I’m not able to cut any fairy. But, what if I find its weak spot? Then even a normal human should be able to defeat it.”

    “That’s the problem, but we have no time.”

    Edgar turned his eyes away to scan the area around them as if he was concerned about something, and then there was a rustling sound like a gust of wind blowing over a gra.s.sy field.

P. 226

    “The Wyrm…..!”

    “If you had noticed, then you should have let me know earlier!” gasped Lydia.

    Was that why you began talking about defeating a dragon?

    Don’t ‘See’ me. I’m afraid of snakes.

     Its raised head was looking down at them from a towering high distance. 

    The Wyrm’s voice echoed out, shaking the air around them. 

    (You are not the Blue Knight Earl.)

P. 227

P. 228

    Facing the merrow’s sword in front of it, the Wyrm must have become precautious as its ring around them widened.

    However, he gripped onto the sword like he was about to start a sword fight. 

    “What are you saying, in the beginning you wanted just the name….”

    “Him?”

    “Ulysses. He carries the blood of the illegitimate child of the Blue Knight Earl.”

    Then there was no way a mere fairy doctor could be a match for him. 

    “Edgar, behind you!”

    The tip of the sword grazed its tail. However, it only clashed with the Wyrm’s hard scale and only made a sound like it was clanged against a stone. 

    Its two front legs covered with sharp nails approached the air above them. 

    The Wyrm’s front legs crashed down a number of the pillars. 

    “You keep hiding.”

    “It’s impossible, stop it already.”

    “You would die.”

P. 230

    However, he only turned to look at her and didn’t hesitate in making a smile.

    “Don’t be stupid, even if you don’t marry me, that wouldn’t trouble you.”

    It opened its mouth wide and headed straight for their direction. 

    However, the stone-pillared forest suddenly ended and a stone wall blocked their path. 

    As soon as they dashed in, the Wyrm’s fangs sank into the place they were just at.

    She looked out to search the Wyrm’s body, but there were no signs of something like that on it.

    “Is the weakness something that you can see and find?”

P. 231

    “The color of the scale might be a different color.”

    “That’s it, the freya!”

    “The freya that Betty had, was apparently needed in order to awaken that Wyrm. Which means, that it might be somewhere on the Wyrm’s body.”

    “If it was that red, then it should stand out.”

    However, it wasn’t going to be that easy to find a red stone the size of a coin from the whole monstrous body of the Wyrm. And its stomach and back was hard to see.

tongue.”

    “The tongue, huh…. Then, I’ll give it a try.”

    “I’ll believe that you’re right.”

    He turned to Lydia and took a lock of her hair and kissed it. 

    So to Edgar, this was a test he set for himself.
    To Lydia, she didn’t know if him winn