While keeping low, I began to move.
The one giving off this overwhelming pressure…
I still can't definitively say whether they're an enemy.
However, from the conversation of those four earlier, I can guess who it is.
"Not him?"
"But even we have to refrain from laying hands on this particular prey."
The person they were chasing.
"Still… this feeling that could be taken as a declaration of battle—"
Are they planning to face me head-on?
If they intended an ambush, they would have erased their presence.
Yet this battle intent drifts so thickly and straightforwardly.
A challenge-like show of will.
They must have tremendous confidence in their strength.
Or perhaps they're just an excessively honest person.
I pick up a fairly thick branch.
Whoosh.
I throw it diagonally.
Rustle.
A single beat passes.
"Pi."
Pigi-maru, who had been watching with a protrusion, gives a small signal.
The opponent moved.
Pigi-maru indicates the direction of movement with its protrusion.
The opponent's speed was terrifyingly fast.
Like a gale.
I quickly lift my knees from the ground and move as well.
I catch their back.
The target's back shows a startled reaction.
But—just slightly too late.
"[Paralyze]"
The opponent doesn't turn.
No—they can't turn.
They seem bewildered that their body won't move.
From their bearing, it's a woman.
Is that covering her head a hood?
No—different.
It's that thing.
Something close to what nuns wear.
I think it's called a veil?
Actually, there's a separate hood hanging down her back.
Like the hood of a parka.
Next to catch my eye is her overall attire.
Should I call it dress-like armor?
Armor and equipment based in white.
Blue and green lines accent each part.
Her hair is pale lemon yellow.
Long hair tied back in one bunch.
Though somewhat obscured by the armor, she seems to have a slender build.
But what concerned me most was—
"I sensed intent to attack—but there was something impure mixed into your killing intent. That bothered me."
I could tell the nature of the killing intent shifted midway.
What I felt was hesitation.
It was different in quality from pure murderous intent or sadism.
Different from the emotional outbursts of the ruin's monsters or those four earlier.
Thanks to having points of comparison, I could recognize the difference.
"The four from earlier felt somehow different. That's why I thought I'd try talking to you. That said, I've sealed your movements as insurance."
She's still a dangerous opponent.
Individually, she gave off more pressure than those four.
That's why I went for first strike here.
Better to create a favorable situation from the start.
"Wh… what… is your… purpose…? After all—"
The woman asks.
For now, I answer honestly.
"To put it simply, I got lost… If you know this area well, I'd appreciate it if you could tell me the nearest town or village. I'm not from around here. Thanks to that, I lack common sense about the region. So if possible, I'd like you to tell me various things about the area—"
I notice a change in the woman.
The emotions coming through are confusion.
Doubt.
While staying cautious, I circle around to face her.
"…An eye covering?"
Part of the forehead guard component, perhaps?
Her eyes are covered by a piece.
Almost like an eye mask.
I lower my gaze slightly.
From the front, her skin's whiteness stands out strikingly.
Her chin has a softly angled sharpness.
A small face that could rightly be called delicate.
Her glossy, thin lips tremble faintly.
"Y-you… are…?"
"—Were those guys your companions?"
"N-no… they… are not…"
"..."
Talking with someone in paralysis is difficult.
There's also the issue of the gauge remaining.
Can't be helped.
"To make conversation easier, I'll release just your mouth now."
Technically it's the head.
But I'll limit it to "mouth" here.
A measure for conversation, I make clear.
"But if you make any strange movements, I'll use the skill again at that moment. I also have ways to hurt you. Understood?"
That last part included some bluff.
She probably recognized it as the same "paralysis skill."
But in reality, double-applying the same skill [Paralyze] is impossible.
However, I'm not lying.
If she makes strange movements, I'll use [Sleep].
But if she falls asleep, conversation becomes difficult.
I'd prefer to avoid using [Sleep] if possible.
Well, there's also the option of putting her to sleep and restraining her—but we're not at that stage yet.
Pigi-maru stays quiet.
Completely reading the air and holding its breath.
I can't help but be impressed.
Pigi-maru seems quite intelligent…
After a brief pause, the woman responds.
"Y-yes."
I touch [Partial Release (Head)] next to the gauge.
I switch the display the same way as other releases.
Click.
After releasing, I take a little distance just to be safe.
The woman looks stunned.
"—I… can speak… normally…"
"You can only move your mouth. Sorry, but I'm still wary of you. I've been through a lot to get here. So I can't easily trust someone I don't know."
"No—being cautious of strangers isn't wrong. For a traveler, it's only natural."
She doesn't suddenly hurl insults.
Perhaps she has a composed personality?
Her clear voice also conveys strength of will.
If a noble knight actually existed, she might sound like this.
I observe her again.
If you say her appearance fits, I can nod in agreement.
"..."
I glance at the yellow gauge.
Here I notice something.
During the four-man group and the earlier partial release, there was a sense of incongruity.
Probably, other humans cannot see the gauge.
They can't recognize the gauge.
Which means they can't infer from the decreasing gauge that the effect has a time limit.
For a first-timer, it might even be possible to deceive them into thinking the effect is permanent.
"Before answering your question, there's one thing I'd like to confirm."
"Whether I answer depends on what it is."
"Did you meet the four men?"
"I did."
"Where are they?"
"I killed them."
"…—Eh? Killed… them?"
"Was that a problem? They looked like irredeemable scum to me, and I judged they were the ones chasing you."
"Ah—no… there's no problem. It's true they were pursuing me. However…"
The woman stares intently at me.
"The Holy Guardians White Walkers… you alone…? Or do you have other companions nearby?"
"…There's one more. Those four were dealt with by me and that companion together. But right now, I have no intention of showing that companion's appearance."
This isn't a lie either.
Indeed, there's one more "lurking."
By implying the existence of an unseen companion, I can restrict her movements.
This should also be an effective means.
But those four had such an exaggerated name…
Well, those four weren't her allies.
Knowing this much is enough for now.
Thanks to that, conversation has become easier.
If it were companion-killing, talking would be difficult…
"..."
Even so, I still can't trust this woman.
For example, she hasn't shown her "eyes."
It's said eyes speak more truth than the mouth.
Is she deliberately hiding her eyes to prevent her lies from being seen through?
As I think this,
Click.
The part covering her eyes slides upward.
What perfect timing.
I don't think she read my mind… probably.
I observe the woman whose visible area has increased.
Well-formed double eyelids.
Beautifully aligned, elegant eyelashes.
Her pale blue eyes are so striking they make you catch your breath.
To think such clear eyes actually exist.
With the covering removed, her features become even clearer.
She undoubtedly belongs to the category called a beauty.
This transcendent, mystical beauty.
Inevitably, "that race" comes to mind.
In recent creations, they're often depicted as slender figures with exceptional beauty.
Commonly called the "elf" race.
However, the most symbolic feature of them is not present on her.
Yes,
"..."
The ears peeking from beneath the veil are those of a human.