She gently placed me aside, then curled up into a ball, letting out soft, small moans from her knees and arms: "Waaah—I, I'm alright, Mr. Yumi, you don't need to worry about me... I'll be fine, I'll be alright in a little while!"
It doesn't sound like everything is alright.
My voice is nasal and I'm having violent gasps. Could it be that I really have a cold? At a time like this?
I circled her twice with some concern, then quickly ran to the fireplace to make sure the flames were still burning brightly and radiating warmth. Only then did I feel relieved and return to the little idiot's side. I grabbed a soft cushion from the nearest paw and found a comfortable spot to tuck it under my paws.
The smile of that rascal who suddenly peeked out from the side with his hands behind his back was a bit annoying; I had no idea what he was gloating about.
The tremors underfoot gradually subsided.
The sharp, tearing sword cries that used to occasionally come from outside the window have also ceased.
After staring for a while, the sound of the front door opening and closing came from the direction of the entrance hall, followed by the clattering of footsteps on the wooden floor.
"Are you two alright?"
As she opened the door, Miyuki, her hair disheveled, greeted the room, then tilted her head in confusion: "Did anything happen while I was out?"
No, nothing happened. I just don't know why the little idiot suddenly shrank into a snail.
I opened my mouth, intending to respond, but then I thought about how we were in such a communication impasse, and I caught a glimpse of the rabbit's still trembling three-lobed mouth. For some reason, I suddenly lost the desire to speak.
Alice, ever the friendly one, climbed onto the table and, without a second thought, approached Miyuki, who was wiping away the sweat with a towel hanging around her neck. She said, "You're back just in time, Miss Miyuki~ Miss Anne was just saying she was going to help you, and she ran off past the door~"
Upon hearing this, Shen Xue frowned: "I didn't see her on the way back, and I killed most of the attacking wolf pack. Do you know where she went?"
Alice tilted her head and touched her earlobe: "I don't know, but it seems like she has some ideas, so she's going to give it a try."
"Is she an idiot too? She's not..."
Shen Xue suddenly glanced at me, and without finishing the rest of her sentence, she picked up the sword she had put down again and was about to walk out the door once more.
"Meow (She's back)~"
Sensing a familiar presence approaching, I looked towards the entrance and called out in acknowledgment.
Before long, a gleeful Annie pushed open the door and burst into laughter, hands on her hips, amidst the influx of cold air: "Hahaha! I knew it! I do have a bit of a talent for magic!"
Then, Miyuki, who had walked over quickly, grabbed her ear and said, "Come in here."
She slammed the door shut and began to scold her: "What were you doing running out in such a dangerous situation? Although I was confident I could handle it, I didn't include you in my calculations."
Annie's lips immediately trembled, and most of the joy on her face vanished: "I... I just wanted to help you..."
She herself didn't quite believe what she was saying, and her voice gradually lowered towards the end.
Compared to Annie, who possesses magical power but is completely unable to cast spells and whose only skill is a strangely posed ornament, [Frost Sword], with its overwhelming martial prowess and ability to wield its bladed weapon with ease, unleashing wielding air blades that subtly approach the level of a sword saint, is the strongest among the group. There is absolutely no need for the former to selflessly protect and assist her, thus avoiding adding unnecessary chaos.
I am certain that if we didn't know Shen Xue well beforehand, that is, the [Frost Sword] in her initial state, the best way to deal with such an intruder would be to accurately predict her position and strike her with the most dangerous momentum, scaring her half to death and preventing her from having any further thoughts of causing trouble.
Instead of simply tugging at the ear and giving repeated instructions with a solemn expression, as is the case now.
Finding Ai-An, who had been hiding under the cabinet in the room, and thanking Hikari, who seemed completely unaffected, for the tea she brought, Miyuki sat down and first gulped down several mouthfuls before she had a chance to speak, explaining to me, who had been waiting, what had just happened.
"The beast tide has begun this year."
Miyuki's opening remarks were full of unexpected news.
However, it is obvious that compared to the baseless speculation that someone still hiding in that abandoned laboratory deliberately came to this hot spring cabin located halfway up the mountain to cause us damage, the current message is extremely reasonable because of its appropriate timing.
After only a few seconds of surprise, I nodded, signaling her to continue.
Shen Xue frowned and held her breath, thinking for a while before finally organizing her thoughts: "This probably happened around dawn."
"As you know, this is roughly the time I usually get up to do my morning prayers. Since I saw that it had snowed outside, I planned to clear the snow before doing my prayers. But before I could even take my tools out the door, I heard a horn sounding in the distance..."
"Is this the one you introduced to me before, the one that warned of the approaching beast tide?" Annie, sitting at the table, rested her chin on her hands and looked at Hikari with some confusion, asking the question.
Annie, whose previous residence is currently unknown, lacks relevant common sense and has no experience of similar events. All of this information was obtained from casual conversations with Yao and the others in the miniature garden.
Shen Xue glanced at Annie without showing any emotion, and nodded gently with a calm expression: "Yes, there was also a pair of horns in the town at the foot of the mountain when we came here. I remember the one at the Sacred Tree Fortress was the warning bell. If you haven't forgotten, those low walls that were set up when entering the town were to guard against the monsters that the city ahead had missed."
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