The plump, dark bumblebee gradually receded into the distance, until it was finally out of sight.
"This time, we will surely succeed."
Listening to Xenon's words of comfort, I fixed my gaze on the distant path ahead. Indeed, there was no trap or anything that reacted to the small bumblebee.
"Right, this time for sure..."
The moment I parted my lips with a smile, I saw something like powder puffing out in the distant sky.
A hazy, smoke-like substance began to spread across the path.
"..."
I had a premonition. A foreboding, absurd feeling that this time, too, we would fail.
* * *
'In the first place, I should have taken the easy path and not tried to go the roundabout way.'
After placing Tristan, who had returned wilted and thoroughly drenched in some unidentified sticky powder, into Mori's pocket, I thought.
I had wasted time.
"Let's go."
You can't pass because of traps, snares, and nets?
Then all we had to do was find the human who installed them and tell them to dismantle it!
What if they refuse?
'Make them do it.'
Whether by offering money, threatening, or coaxing!
I should have done this from the start.
In a state where my irritation had nearly reached its peak, I arrived at the house of that hunter, whatever her name was—Cheche or something.
After failing to reach the rocky mountain four times, I was in an extremely sensitive state.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"Who is it?"
A voice came from inside. Instead of answering, I pounded on the door again, and after a moment, the wooden door creaked open on its hinges.
"Who is it?"
Beyond the door, opened just a hand's breadth, someone peeked out with only their eyes visible. It was a woman with a freckled face and brown hair braided into two pigtails.
Upon seeing my face, the other party shot me a wary look.
But soon, after spotting Samuel and Xenon behind me, her expression changed.
"Oh my!"
As if she had never been wary at all, the door swung wide open.
"You've come back!"
With a flushed face, she addressed Xenon and Samuel, offering them a friendly smile.
She was looking only at Xenon and Samuel, as if I were invisible.
The two seemed slightly taken aback by her reaction and, instead of answering, glanced at me for cues.
But the other party still wasn't looking at me.
Is she treating me like I don't exist right now?
"Are you Cheche?"
I spoke first. However, she glanced at me briefly before averting her eyes again.
...So she is treating me like I don't exist.
Wondering what on earth this situation was, I looked back at Xenon and Samuel. The one who stepped forward first after gauging the situation was Samuel.
"We've come regarding the matter from before."
"Yes, has the Temple finally decided to acknowledge me?"
"Not that. It's about the numerous traps and snares you've laid on the path to the rocky mountain."
"That's right. Only I can pass that path. Because I am an apostle of God!"
Her sparkling eyes showed not a shred of doubt. She genuinely believed herself to be an apostle of God.
I inwardly marveled at her astonishingly firm belief, but the hunter's gaze shifted to Xenon, who stood beside Samuel.
"Magician, you've returned to protect me, an apostle of God, haven't you?"
Huh?
"Ahem. No, that's not it. As this holy knight said, we came because of the traps and snares laid on the path. We need to pass through there. You've made the path quite a mess, hunter..."
"I said you can call me by name, didn't you? Please call me Cheche."
Oh, come on.
"I'll decline. More importantly, we need to pass through that path."
"I haven't caught that demon yet. I won't remove what I've set up until I catch the demon. I've blocked it thoroughly so that demon can't escape, so why don't you wait here? Have you eaten?"
I see.
"We need to pass through that path immediately, hunter."
"I said call me Cheche? I also... Gahk!"
The moment I judged there was no need to listen any further, I grabbed the collar of the person standing at the door and shoved her back violently.
Cheche, whose collar I had seized unexpectedly, staggered and was pushed backward. Thanks to that, I could easily enter the house.
"Wait, what is this!"
Holding Cheche by the collar, I strode inside and pushed her against the wall straight ahead.
Crash!
Nearby clutter tumbled about, making a clamorous noise.
Pushed against the wall with no chance to resist, she belatedly tried to shake off my hand, gripping my wrist with both hands.
But as I tightened my grip on her collar and pressed hard against her throat, she soon began gasping for breath.
"I don't have time, so let's get straight to the point."
The gripped wrist ached painfully. But I didn't loosen the hand holding her collar.
"Restore the path to its original state."
"Kgh, kgh!"
"Remove all that messy stuff you laid down."
"Kgh!"
Cheche's face flushed bright red. But she didn't look pitiful or regrettable.
As I coldly glared at Cheche, urging an answer, someone's hand covered mine, which was clenched tightly.
"Lady Anelli, if you hold her by the collar, she cannot answer."
The voice that reached my ear was calm. The one slowly lowering my tense hand was Xenon.
As I released my hand, Cheche bent over, coughing violently. Regardless, Xenon examined my hand.
"Is your hand alright? No, your wrist will bruise!"
Only upon hearing Xenon's exclamation did I look down at my hand. The area Cheche had gripped with both hands moments ago was red and swollen.
I looked with displeasure at Xenon, who was fussing over my wrist, and quietly withdrew my hand.
"Let's finish the conversation with this person first."
When I gestured toward Cheche with my chin, Xenon looked at me with an ambiguous expression.
"Was that a conversation?"
"Then what we had was a conversation?"
"At least... no, it wasn't. Anyone would call that nonsense. Now that the atmosphere is right for conversation, let's talk quickly!"
Perhaps worried that someone might have come to check due to the earlier commotion, Samuel came in after observing the situation outside.
Confirming that Samuel had closed the front door, I turned my body with an indifferent expression.
The interior of the house was small. Whether she lived alone or other family members were away, no presence was felt.
Right next to the entrance was a space too cramped to be called a living room.
A few differently shaped wooden chairs were placed there, and what appeared to be animal skins were spread on the floor.
On the inner wall hung a taxidermied animal head. It was a stag's head with magnificent antlers.
As if to declare it a hunter's house, an indescribable scent lingered faintly in the air.
"Cough, cough!"
Cheche, coughing with teary eyes, only came to her senses by the time I selected a suitable chair and sat down.
Samuel helped up the woman who had slumped down in shock from the sudden attack. Leaning on Samuel's arm, she glared at me.
"Who are you? How dare you attack me? Do you know who I am?"
Her panting face was filled with anger and resentment.
Resting my chin on my hand, I stared intently at Cheche and spoke in a dry voice.
"No matter how high the Resurrected One's prestige is these days, how can every dog and cat invoke God like this?"
"Wha, what!"
"A hunter who merely had the luck to see a Dullahan once is an apostle of God? What a laughable joke."
"H-how can you do this to me?"
Cheche's teary gaze passed over me and rose obliquely. It was directed at Xenon, who had quickly approached my side.
I didn't particularly want to know what Cheche's gaze meant. I called to him.
"Xenon."
"...Yes."
"I'm well aware you usually want to outdo Sir Samuel, but even so. Using a honey trap to find a witness?"
Seeing Samuel carefully extracting his arm from Cheche's grip in the midst of this, I didn't know whether to find it amusing or absurd.
Exhaling a hollow breath at the sheer absurdity of this entire situation, Xenon whispered to me with a resolute voice.
"Absolutely not."
"Ah, is that so?"
"All magicians from the Magic Tower are romantics, you know? I told you how many magicians married their first love."
Listening to Xenon desperately emphasizing his own romantic nature, I felt a sense of futility, wondering what I was even doing.
What does a hunter like that matter in the first place?
'Why was I so bothered by what that woman said that I resorted to grabbing her collar and scuffling, a skill I don't even possess.'
As my heightened emotions subsided, self-reproach surged. The price of failing to control my emotions momentarily was this shame. It was truly a great lesson.
'No, I should have learned enough from the cases of Maxel and Lilia already.'
I pressed my forehead, suppressing the rising gloom.
Instead of me, who remained silent, it was Samuel who spoke to the sniffling Cheche.
"The situation is urgent. Because of the traps and snares you laid, time is being delayed, so you must dismantle them."
"B-but catching that demon is my job! With my traps, I can definitely catch it!"
Cheche shouted resolutely, clenching both fists. Hearing that, I couldn't help but sneer.
"Setting traps to catch a Dullahan? Is that foolish or stupid?"
Just in case, I had sent all the Dullahans into the bracelet; if even one had been out, they would have laughed heartily.
Of course, those troublesome tools might be able to injure a Dullahan. But what then?
I don't understand how an ordinary hunter plans to subdue a Dullahan. Does she think it's possible? Surely she doesn't believe tying it tightly with rope will be the end of it?
As I clicked my tongue briefly and shook my head, Cheche's bewildered voice reached my ears.
"Don't tell me you... are you monster hunters?"
What's that now?
"Monster hunters?"
As I was about to question the incomprehensible title, Cheche raised her voice with a venomous expression.
"Absolutely not! I was the one who saw this demon!"
I had no idea that witnessing a Dullahan was such a grand event that one could claim ownership. I truly don't understand how the world works these days.
Looking at Cheche with troubled eyes, I shifted my gaze to Samuel, who was subtly putting distance between himself and Cheche.
"You didn't say the witness was a mad person."
"My apologies."
"...I'm tired, so let's finish this quickly."
Waving my hand dismissively, I spoke in an impassive voice.
"What I want is for the path to the rocky mountain to be cleared."
"I refu...!"
"You have no choice."
When I spoke decisively, Cheche closed her mouth.
"I don't like what you're doing, but if you go out right now and swiftly remove those damned things, I'll give you a modest fee for your trouble."
Cheche gave no answer.
But it wasn't a matter that required an answer in the first place. I hadn't come to negotiate or make a deal with her.
"If you don't like that, I can do my best to threaten you instead."
I had come to deliver a notice.