16. Hannah

"I'm pretty sure they ran off in this direction."

Amidst the darkness, I heard voices accompanied by a rustling sound. Hannah instinctively pulled me close and curled up. However...

"Kee-ee!"

The dragon cried out. There must have been others of its kind nearby.

"I heard a Raag Dragon! Over here!"

I sensed the presence of several people approaching, their footsteps rustling through the brush.

"Gotcha!"

Reluctantly opening my eyes, I saw three men standing there with a Raag Dragon.

"A baby... and I wasn't told there'd be a woman to look after it. Well, whatever. You can never have enough hands in the Frontier. Hey!"

Even if he tells me to "hey," I can't exactly just say "yes" obediently.

"What, can't you talk?"

The men kept inching closer and closer to me.

"Hey, let me see your face."

"No!"

"Oh, she talks!"

The man said with a satisfied grin, then grabbed my chin and held me up toward the light.

"Well, look at that. I've never seen anything like it."

"It's too bwight!"

"Whoops, sorry about that."

I pressed my face back against Hannah's chest.

"So Rick got caught, huh? Well, whatever, the guard won't be coming this way. The deal is a success. Now, move it, you lot! Follow me!"

“No... I wanna go home..."

"Huh?"

The man barked loudly.

“L-Lilia-sama, please, just do as they say..."

Hannah tried to stop me in a panic. Even though we had only just gotten off, we were being forced onto a dragon again.

“Ki-ee!"

Even dragons must get tired, right?

“Ki-ee!"

No, they were just getting excited because they had more company.

Even though they'd only caught one more person, the men seemed thrilled about the prospect of a successful deal.

"Still, I've never seen a pale violet eye from one of the four Marquises before."

"What, so you've seen the other three?"

"Nope."

"Figures."

They laughed, but—

"It's about the time the Void-kin become active. Let's move!"

With that, they headed from the edge of the forest toward the grasslands. Just then, there was a harsh, grating sound. *Vun.* That sound... yes, I thought through my dazed mind, exhausted as I was. It sounded just like the noise a computer makes when you turn it on.

Even though there are no computers in this world.

As I was lost in thought, I heard the panicked voices of the men.

"Void-kin...! Void-kin have appeared!"

"Hurry! We can still shake them!"

Void-kin? What on earth is a Void-kin? We couldn't even scream as the dragon suddenly took off at full speed. Isn't this a bit too much 'hard mode' for a toddler?

"Crap, we can't shake them!"

"There are three of them! If there are only three, some hunters should be able to handle them!"

"The problem is that we aren't hunters!"

"Dammit!"

The men brought the dragon to a halt and dragged us out of the cage.

"It was a big job, but it can't be helped. We're way too far from the rendezvous point."

With that, he pulled a dagger from his belt and suddenly slashed the dragon's flank.

"Kieee!"

The dragon let out a cry of surprise, flailing its forelegs.

"You lot are just bait!"

He shouted before mounting his own dragon and charging off. As if drawn by his movement, a shadow swept past us with a low whoosh.

"Tch, this dragon won't do what I want! Whoa—why the hell did a Void-kin come this way?! There's prey left over there!"

"Calm down! You've still got your Rhodolite sword!"

"R-right! Whoa, wait!"

"Kieee!"

Voices echoed through the night, but I couldn't tell what was happening. The shouting and the clatter of armor eventually grew muffled, as if being swallowed by something, before fading away entirely.

"Void-kin. They really are real."

Hannah stood frozen, watching the scene while trembling uncontrollably.

"Hannah."

"Lady Lilia, Lady Lilia."

Hannah pulled me into a tight embrace.

"I told myself it was for my brother, and that because your eyes are so precious, you'd be taken care of wherever you went... but even if I make excuses like that, I did something that would bring shame to my mother and brother. I'll never be able to walk under the sun again."

"Hannah."

"Lady Lilia, I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

There was another low hum. Hannah hugged me softly and lovingly one more time before turning me over onto my stomach.

"Hannah?"

"Shh."

Then, she curled her body up and lay over me.

"Hannah..."

The dragon, which had been running around bleeding just moments ago, returned and nudged me and Hannah with its snout. It sat down softly beside us, tucking both me and Hannah between its legs. It was as if it were trying to keep us warm, like an egg.

"Hannah!"

"Please, you have to stay quiet, no matter what. I was so happy to be able to serve you, my Lady Lilia."

"Hannah!"

"Shh."

There was a low, rhythmic thrumming. The dragon's strength faded, and Hannah's strength failed. I think that eventually, exhaustion overcame my terror, and I drifted off to sleep without even realizing it.

"Good grief. Were they border-crossers, or kidnappers?"

"Kidnappers, most likely. Especially with that young girl with blonde hair. They'd have fetched a high price on the black market."

"But why near a forest like this? Just as I thought, they've been taken out by Void-kin. What a waste."

By the time I woke up to the sound of voices, it was already bright outside.

"Well, if there were Void-kin around, they'll be worth money too. Alright, let's go collect the loot!"

What should I do? What should I do? But my body wouldn't move. Even if it did, there's no way a toddler could run away.

"Ah, what a shame. To be so young."

"Older than you, at least!"

"Leave anything that isn't a precious item alone. And if you find anything that identifies them, set it aside."

"Got it."

The voice still belonged to a boy. One about the same age as my brother, Luke.

"Bwother..."

As soon as I mumbled that, the dragon jerked away, and Hannah was pulled out from there. It was so bright.

"Hey! A child—no, a baby! Bart! Get over here!"

"What is it, Alistair? You're being noisy."

"Look at this."

"What on earth! They've got a child with them. How tragic..."

It felt like they were about to start praying for me. No, I'm alive! I'm alive! I tried my best to move my body.

"Kee-ee!"

The dragon approached us.

"What? The Raag Dragon came over."

"Kie!"

The dragon shoved my stiff body with a forceful heave. It felt as if it were telling me to stand up—that if I didn't, I'd be finished. But I couldn't. I tumbled over. *Thump.* The Raag Dragon had knocked me right onto my back.

"Bwiight"

My mouth was still able to move.

"She's alive... She's still alive!"

"Is it because she was protected by both a human and a dragon? No, there's no time for that. Alistair, can you wake her?"

"Yes! Hey, you!"

Don't shake me! I'm awake!

"Wawer..."

"Wawer? You mean water!"

I was gently lifted up and given some water from a canteen.

"Fueee..."

Finally, I could move my body again. I rubbed my eyelashes, which were stuck together from crying, with my arm to peel them apart. I didn't want to look, but there was something I had to see. I opened my eyes. The people around me gasped.

"Violet eyes..."

"So this is it. This is what they snatched."

That doesn't matter right now. It's Hannah.

"Hannah..."

At the sound of my voice, one of them moved to hide something. They could hide her face, but they couldn't hide the clothes—the official uniform of the Marquis household.

"Hannah..."

Even as I reached out my hand...

"Hannah..."

Even if I raised my voice...

Hannah would never answer me again.

"Uwa, uwa, aaah!"

Even if it was for her brother, or for her mother, Hannah was the one who committed the crime. But what other choice did a fifteen-year-old girl really have? If these violet eyes are such a blessing, then why was I shunned even by my own flesh and blood at first, only to be kidnapped like this and lose everything precious to me?

"Waaaaah! Waaaaah!"

I might not have the soul of a child anymore. But that's exactly why I'll cry the tears that an adult couldn't. I'll cry with everything I've got.