Chapter 491
Chapter 491. Mysterious Traveler Performer
【Last Time on the Story】
Leila: “We’re travelers and performers!”
Gatekeeper: “You may pass!”
Old Priest: “I shall purify you.”
Alex: “Voeeeee!!”
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『—Let’s just say we’re performers.』
When the topic of how to enter the village came up, I couldn’t believe my ears when Antendeixis suggested that.
『What will we do if they ask us to show a performance?』
Our disguise would be blown in an instant.
Leila is good at basic movements like walking and running, but aside from her dragon form, she’s not really good at anything else.
I could have done some cool trick like smashing rocks with Adamas if I was in top shape, but right now, I’m just a kid.
Oh… but Adamas is cracked now…
I’m a useless mess who can’t even do a single trick…
『I can do street performance; it’s not impossible.』
In stark contrast to my defeated mood, Antendeixis proudly transformed into a human and began to juggle stones, sporting a smug grin.
I never imagined I’d witness a demon god’s hidden talent… and the quality was surprisingly high.
『Wow, you’re really good! But didn’t you say you were clumsy?』
『I am clumsy, but I was incredibly bored…』
Antendeixis stared off into the distance, lost in thought.
『I was just… so bored, too bored… I had nothing else to do…』
No matter how clumsy one is, if you practice for centuries, you can master anything, Antendeixis chuckled bitterly. It was heartbreaking to think he might have been practicing alone in that giant palace…
『Oh, so there’s no telling what skills might come in handy.』
『I never thought I would have to perform.』
—And now.
Antendeixis was showcasing his hidden skills before the villagers.
“Here we go, a little more!”
As I stumbled out of the Holy Church, there was Antendeixis juggling with drawn knives and daggers. It was a performance that would rival any professional street performer.
“Ooooh…!”
“Wow…”
“Eek!”
The gathered villagers were completely captivated by Antendeixis’ performance. Some covered their mouths while others recoiled a bit, not out of enjoyment but from a morbid curiosity—most likely due to the precarious way Antendeixis juggled.
“Ah! Alex! You got healed properly!”
Antendeixis noticed me, flashing an overly friendly smile (which felt oddly out of place to me) as he stopped juggling. However, he had forgotten to retrieve one of the knives he threw high into the air!
“Ah, Antendeixis—hey, up there!”
The spinning knife was falling right toward Antendeixis’ head—! The crowd gasped, shouting, “Whoa! Watch out!!”
“Ha!”
But maybe this was all part of the act; as if propelled by the moment, Antendeixis looked up and caught the knife in his mouth!
“Ta-da! That was a thrilling knife juggling act! If you’d like to give tips, they go in this hat, please♡”
Antendeixis, who sneakily placed his hat on the ground, bowed and flashed a cheeky smile.
““….””
The simple-minded villagers were completely stunned, their expressions shifting from amazement to bewilderment.
“Uh… Did I do something wrong…?”
“Hey, turns out she’s really a performer…”
Antendeixis tilted his head in confusion while the gatekeeper, the only one among us who had let us through, seemed overly impressed. So he really did have his doubts…
“Is the other girl going to perform too?”
“Eh! Me?”
Leila became awkward as she had just paid the healing fee to the old priest without arousing suspicion and took a breath, getting tripped up by his sudden question.
“U-umm, well… I do have something to show, just a little…”
Laying flat on the ground, Leila said,
“Eii!”
“Whoa! What the heck!?”
With a sensational backbend, she brought her legs in front of her head! The gatekeeper was utterly astonished.
That’s right! Everyone thought Leila wouldn’t be able to perform at all!
But it turns out she’s incredibly flexible!!
This trait came from her dragon lineage. I often compared the agility of dragons to that of felines, but their superior physical grace is matched by their flexibility.
For example, if a dragon’s wing root itches, they can scratch it with their hind leg (though I’ve never seen it). Through the transformation magic, that flexibility reflected in her human form.
Honestly, while I had thought sometimes that “Leila is quite flexible,” I never realized she was this extraordinarily limber. Conversely, she never thought her naturally ability would pass as a performance.
And the realization came from Antendeixis.
『By the way, I can do this too.』
After juggling, Antendeixis demonstrated a perfect split that stretched his legs straight. His demon flexibility was clearly this unrestricted by physical constraints—seeing my amazed expression alongside Barbara and Arthur, Leila tilted her head in confusion.
“Then I can do this too…”
When Leila effortlessly followed up with the same split, the surprise was immeasurable.
Ironically, Leila was just as surprised by how shocked we were.
“Doesn’t everyone else do this?”
“『No way!』”
I do stretch, but it’s important in combat to have a wider range of motion, yet there’s a limit. The best I could do is lay flat with my legs splayed, not this circus-like movement.
“Hmmm, then how about this movement?”
“I’ll give it a try… ah, I managed!”
“Oooh, that’s great! How about this?”
“Umm… since my hands and feet are like this… I did it.”
“Oh ho ho!”
Afterwards, as Antendeixis encouraged Leila to keep trying, it became clear that she had insane flexibility, hence she would adopt the persona of the “Surprisingly Flexible Human.”
“I’m glad there’s something I can do. I was thinking about doing a trick where I spit light from my mouth….”
“That might be too suspicious even for a performer…”
Relief washed over Leila, while Barbara seemed exasperated by the conversation.
“In this area, they would certainly approach someone who has strong light magic. You might have potential as a great healer.”
When I saw the secret technique of Rereline at Aulitos Lake, I thought Alex’s partner was surely an odd magician, but it wouldn’t make sense for someone who possesses light magic to disguise themselves as a traveling performer…
And so, Bishop Lexar and Arthur voiced their thoughts. In any case, the rumor of “a woman who spits light from her mouth!” would undoubtedly raise suspicions.
“Ho ho, this is impressive!”
The gatekeeper was genuinely amazed by the surprisingly flexible acts that Leila was unveiling with Antendeixis. The villagers, who were initially terrified by the dangerous juggling, seemed to genuinely enjoy this peculiar display, tossing coins and vegetables as tips.
“Hey, kid! Can you do anything?”
—And just like that, the innocent curiosity of the gatekeeper focused on me!
“W-well, I…”
I gritted my teeth.
“I can’t do anything… I’m just a useless brat who’s relying on my sisters…”
“Whoa! Why so self-deprecating out of nowhere…”
I lacked strength. I had no build.
Even if I wanted to split rocks, I didn’t have Adamas.
I had magic, but it was dark magic, which would be a disaster if discovered!
I hate this about myself… I hate it…
“W-well, it can’t be helped! You’re still little, after all!”
As I was drowning in self-loathing, the gatekeeper patted me on the head in encouragement.
“You just gotta work hard and try not to lose out to the older girls. How old are you?”
“Umm… I’m six.”
Yeah, even though I embarrassed myself this time, I need to do my best in the future! With a slightly hopeful demeanor, I answered.
“Eh? Six?”
The gatekeeper frowned.
“I thought you were younger—didn’t expect you to be six!”
Darn it—!? Did I act too childish!?
Crap, I never did acting like a kid properly, so I don’t know how to adjust!
“Stop acting like a baby! You gotta be more refreshing for a boy!”
“Ugh… Sorry… I’ll be careful…”
“Whoa! Why so moody suddenly…”
As I replied with shame, the gatekeeper seemed to hesitate a bit.
“Hey, hey, that kid just got over a sickness. Don’t pressure him too hard.”
The old priest emerged from the Holy Church.
“…However, traveling performers like you around here are quite rare. Are you the only ones?”
As he asked, he looked at me, Antendeixis, and Leila one by one.
“I assume your parents aren’t…?”
“…Yes.”
Leila, who seemed the eldest appearance-wise (though she was actually the youngest among us), smiled sadly.
“I lost my mother when I was young. I heard my father died after that… in battle with demons.”
Yup… She’s not lying at all…
In battle with demons… her father was killed…
No doubt about it…
“I see…”
The old priest nodded solemnly, his expression matching that of the villagers who cast sympathetic glances our way.
“That kid called you ‘big sister,’ but you two don’t really look alike.”
The gatekeeper, still his usual self, compared us while scratching his head. Well, that’s true—Leila is pale, I’m normal, and Antendeixis has dark skin; our features are completely different.
“Yes, in fact, we aren’t blood-related. But…”
After smiling at Antendeixis, Leila pulled me close.
“…We are family.”
I heard her voice softly by my ear.
“I swear… I will absolutely protect this child…!”
What’s going on…
Her voice was so warm just a moment ago…
But now, it’s like heavy emotions are oozing out…!
“I-I see…”
The old priest and the gatekeeper’s faces contorted in surprise.
“Seriously, thank you for taking care of the priestess.”
“No worries, I received the due payment.”
Leila stood up, bowed, and the old priest regained his composure.
Oh, this feels like the moment to take our leave…!!
“We plan to hurry along.”
“You should really stay overnight. Given that kid’s still recovering, it’s better for you to rest. While there may not be an inn in this village, the Holy Church has rooms available.”
“No, we appreciate the offer, but we want to cross the border as quickly as possible.”
Leila politely declined.
“Crossing the border?”
“Yes, we have relatives in the Jimina Republic, so we’re planning to rely on them.”
—This part of the story has been thought out too.
『I’m from the neighboring Jimina Republic. I know the area well, so I can give you advice.』
It was the vampire hunter who was afraid of heights that said so.
『There are several roads leading to Jimina Republic, but this mountain pass is a good target. It’s not too steep for women and children. However, the number of stairs means carts can’t pass. That’s why only foot traffic like traveling merchants and travelers come through. The tolls at the checkpoints are also low. I think it makes sense for a traveling performer with just women and children to be in such a remote area.”
And so, our settings as traveling performers heading to a local city in the Jimina Republic were solidified. Thanks to the height-fearing vampire hunter, I was aware of specific location details that felt natural.
“—I see, given this situation it might be best to head out before nightfall… However, wouldn’t it be better to leave it until tomorrow?”
“Yeah, you should stay for the night!”
“I’ll treat you to soup instead of tips!”
“Oh, in that case, I’ll give you fresh fruits!”
“Well then, I would…”
Damn it, the people of this village—
They’re so kind—!
“U-umm….”
Leila looked troubled, caught in a situation that was hard to refuse.
Antendeixis was saying, “Oh everyone is so nice!♪” but his eyes were darting around, clearly looking for an escape.
What should I do? It’d be suspicious to insist we leave now, but would it be better to find a way to stay for a night without revealing ourselves?
We did leave our baggage in the forest, but at least Barbara and Arthur are keeping watch… But still, it would become a hassle if someone found us. This is tricky…
—As I thought about this.
Thud thud thud…
“Whoa, what is this…? You…!?”
A villager’s confused voice broke through the crowd.
“What the!?”
“Whoa!”
Someone pushed through the crowd towards us.
The figure that emerged was a beautiful forest elf with sun-kissed skin, covered in sweat, dust, and leaves.
“—Woof.”
Locking eyes with me, she barked.
