I call out to onii-chan and go to the toilet. He is waiting right next to the toilet because he is worried, so I must hurry.
「Philia. Let us make a new contract」
『Eh, we made a contract before, right?』
As expected, she has not realized that the previous contract has ended.
「That contract has already ended. Philia gathered information about the priest. I let Philia meet her children. With this, it is over」
『Was that so? I did not notice』
「Shall we make a new contract? Or shall we stop?」
If she says stop, I will be in great trouble.
『Of course, I will make the contract. Escaping the children to a safe place is my wish』
Good. It is the wish I expected.
「My wish is for you to deliver a letter to the Bishop in the neighboring town…」
I need to know what happens after he receives the letter. If he ignores the letter, I will need to find another way.
「I want you to deliver the letter and then tell me how the Bishop acted after reading it」
『Understood, that is fine. I will do anything if the children can escape safely. My true wish is to kill that man, but I know that is not allowed』
She wants revenge on the one who killed her. But that is an act not permitted even for ghosts.
「Philia」
I extend my hand in front of Philia. Since it is the second time, she places her hand on mine without hesitation.
「I, Rina Lanca, make a contract with Philia Lanca」
『I, Philia Lanca, make a contract with Rina Lanca』
「I, Rina, will safely escape Philia’s two children from Lanca Village」
『Yes』
I did not ask 「Is this acceptable?」, but can the contract be formed?
「Philia will confirm that Rina’s letter reached the Bishop. And she will report to Rina the Bishop’s actions after reading the letter」
『Yes』
Again.
「Let us make the contract」
I channel my spiritual power toward Philia’s hand. After a while, our overlapping hands are enveloped in a faint green light, and the mark of the contract appears.
「Good. It worked」
Relieved, Philia also looks at the mark of the contract and grips her hand tightly.
「Let us go. Onii-chan and the others are waiting」
Since we said we would sneak out of school during the lunch break, we must hurry.
「Sorry. Sorry to keep you waiting」
When I run up to onii-chan, he pats my head.
「Let us leave the school immediately」
「Wait, our belongings—」
「It is okay. I brought them while waiting」
When I take the bag from onii-chan, I realize from its weight that my study tools are properly inside.
「Thank you」
『I will go check where the watchers are now』
『Then I will go check the situation at the house first』
As Yuu goes out through the window, Philia also goes out through the window. After briefly watching them leave, I go downstairs with onii-chan and the others.
『Rina. There were two watching the front gate and one watching the back gate. The two at the front gate were watching the school carefully while talking, so that is no good. But the watcher at the back gate was fast asleep, so if we are going out, it should be the back gate』
I nod at Yuu and look at onii-chan.
「Onii-chan. Let us go out through the back gate」
「Understood」
Onii-chan nodded without any hesitation, so I looked at him.
「What is wrong?」
「It is nothing」
Carius looks at me and tilts his head.
「Are Father’s associates not at the back gate?」
They are. But how should I explain that he is sleeping?
「It is okay. Let us go」
Onii-chan lightly taps Carius’s shoulder.
「But—」
「There are more places to hide near the back gate, so I think it is harder to be found」
Certainly, if we go out from the back gate, we will come out to a place with many trees, so there are places to hide. Was that the reason onii-chan agreed to go out from the back gate?
「Understood. Taguas, are you okay?」
「Yes. Since I am with onii-chan, I am fine」
We leave the school building and look around.
「There is no one here」
Carius nods at onii-chan’s words.
『Wait』
Yuu puts his hand out in front of me, so I instinctively grab onii-chan’s clothes.
「Rina?」
「I saw a shadow of a person」
『…Now. Go!』
「It is okay now. Let us go」
「Understood. Carius, let us go」
Onii-chan grabs my hand and runs to the back gate. Carius also grabs Taguas’s hand and runs to the back gate.
When we reach the back gate, we hide behind the gate and look around.
『It is okay. The watcher is still fast asleep』
Looking in the direction of Yuu’s gaze, I see feet sticking out from the base of a tree.
『It is better to run through here at once』
I nod at Yuu’s advice and look at onii-chan.
「Onii-chan, let us go straight to their house from here」
「That is right. Are Carius and the others okay?」
When onii-chan looks at Carius and Taguas, the two nod firmly.
「Alright, let us go」
We come out from where we were hiding and run toward Philia’s house. I felt anxious about the sound of stepping on branches and leaves, but the watcher does not seem to be chasing us.
『There she is!』
As we run toward Philia’s house, she flies over.
「O-onii… chan, slow… down a little」
When onii-chan looks at me, he enters a narrow path and stops.
「Are you okay?」
「Yes」
It seems I do not have much stamina. Come to think of it, I have many memories of playing inside the house.
While catching my breath, I look at Philia.
『Listen! That stupid woman had another man besides that trash! When I went to the house, she was just leaving happily with that man! Why does that trash get deceived by such a loose woman!』
Does 「trash」 refer to her husband?
『Philia, calm down. So, there is no one at the house, right?』
『I am calm! Ah, sorry. Hah, I am fine now. If you are going to the house, now is the time. There is no one there now』
「Onii-chan, it is okay now. Let us go」
I look at onii-chan, who was worriedly patting my back.
「Are you really okay?」
「Yes」
Onii-chan nods, grabs my hand, and starts running a bit slower.
「Rina. Sorry for involving you」
I involved myself intentionally to use them. So, when Carius apologizes looking sorry, my heart aches and I feel awkward.
「That is the house」
It is a house with a blue roof, slightly larger than the one onii-chan and I live in. Beautiful flowers are blooming in the garden, but some of them are starting to wither.
Carius unlocks the front door of the house and gently opens it.
「Good. No one is here」
Relieved, Carius enters the living room and stops.
「What is this?」
Following Carius into the living room, my eyes widen. The drawers are left open, baskets are overturned; it looks as if a thief broke in.
『Those guys were looking for the deed to this house and the deed to the mountain. It seems they did not find them. Hah, what fools』
Yuu quietly moves away from Philia, who is laughing with a terrifying smile.
「Onii-chan」
Taguas holds Carius’s hand with a tearful expression.
「It is okay. We are leaving the house, so let us pack a few days’ worth of belongings in our bags for now」
「Yes」
When the two return to their respective rooms, I look at Philia while keeping an eye on onii-chan.
「Philia, where is the money to hire the adventurers?」
When I ask in a low voice, she approaches me and whispers in my ear.
『Give the deed to this house and the deed to the mountain to those children too』
There was no need for Philia to whisper…
「Understood. Where is it?」
『Over here』
We go from the living room to the kitchen. It was also quite ransacked, just like the living room.
『Good. Since I hid it well, they did not find it』
Philia laughs looking at the fallen shelf.
「This shelf?」
『No, the floor under the shelf』
So I have to move the shelf aside. I try pushing the shelf sideways with both hands. It is quite heavy, but it seems I can move it little by little.
「I will help. Are you lifting it?」
Onii-chan comes over in a panic.
「No, I want to move it sideways」
「Understood. Let us push together. Ready, set」
The shelf slides smoothly to the side.
「Thank you, onii-chan」
Looking at the floor where the shelf was, I see a small round hole.
『Use this』
Looking at what Philia pointed to, it is a thin iron rod bent at about 90 degrees.
I insert it into the hole and lift, and a part of the floor pops open.
「It is a wooden box」
Onii-chan picks up a wooden box about twenty centimeters square that was under the floor.
「What are you doing?」
Carius looks at me and onii-chan with a puzzled expression.
「Your mother said, 『Please give the wooden box under the floor to the two of you』, so we were looking for it」
Onii-chan offers the wooden box to Carius.
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