Summoned To Have Tea With The Demon Lord, I Guess I'll Defeat Him

Chapter 9: Chamomile

The other traveler is not subtle, making no attempt to conceal their progress. Shrubs have been carelessly trodden down; the remains of slimes and other monsters I don't recognize lay by the wayside. They must be traveling on horseback, because something has stepped in the gore and tracked hoofprints instead of anything resembling human feet.

The gap between us grows. We're forced to make camp for the night. Between the two of us, Izumi and I are able to get a fire started with the tools we've brought along. We sit next to each other, huddling together for warmth as a cold wind blows.

"You get some sleep," she says. "I'll take first watch."

As if on cue, chittering noises rise up in a cacophony all around us, warning us that the road isn't safe at night. It's half a dozen small creatures with elongated teeth and sharp claws, clad in shabby clothes and holding small swords. Their yellow eyes glinting in the firelight.

Our weapons still by our sides, we're able to pick them up with relative ease.

"Don't come any closer!" Izumi yells, shrill, piercing the night with the unmistakable hint of fear. "I hate rats!"

She saved me from the slimes, so now it's my turn. I grip my axe tightly and hold my shield up as the first vermin lunges at us, paying her warning no heed.

My weapon slices flesh with a disgusting noise. I watch the blood spray out of its arm wound with awe and disgust. The ratlike creature chitters in pain but continues its charge. I meet its sword with my shield and parry its blow, but I'm too clumsy about it. The shield falls from my hand with the force of the impact.

I drop the axe reflexively and brace for the impact of sharp teeth – but I never feel a thing, because a barrier springs up between me and the disgusting creature, shining with a holy light. No matter how hard it claws and bites and thrashes, its blows are deflected.

Is this magic? Do I know magic?

No, not consciously, but I can feel my energy being slowly sapped from me as the barrier glows and grows larger, extending to protect Izumi, as well.

"Hiyori!" Izumi stares at me. "Since when have you been able to do that?"

"Since just now, I think."

The creatures chatter amongst themselves for a moment before deciding to beat a quick retreat. Izumi cheers, shouting some obscenities after them that I don't care to repeat.

The barrier drops and I fall to one knee, energy spent.

"I'll definitely take first watch now," she says, putting a hand on my shoulder. "Hopefully they'll tell their disgusting friends to leave us alone."

"Oh, god, there's more of those things?" I groan.

"I don't know."

I'm too shaken to sleep. I almost excuse myself to call Lavender on the mirror, to ask how I could have such a latent talent and why it would have shown itself now, but I've sworn to keep that cursed thing a secret. I don't need a demon to tell me what I can figure out in another day or two when we reach Zesa.

"No. Let me take first watch," I say. "I'm fine."

"Okay." Izumi gives me a skeptical look. "But wake me up as soon as you feel like you have to."

"I promise."

Satisfied, or at least pretending to be, she grabs a blanket from her traveling bag and lays down with it, seemingly unbothered by the grassy bed she's made for herself. Did she have to sleep on her own in the wilderness before being taken in by the tavern? Or is this another case of familiarity with another world giving her the strength she needs to continue on and do what needs to be done?

I'm so far out of my depth, it's unreal. I sigh as I take a real look at the night sky. Unfamiliar constellations and a bright crescent moon watch over me.

I stretch a hand up, as if to reach for them—

And I drop it again, feeling silly.

The night passes slowly, with the sounds of woodland animals and the whispering wind providing enough distraction to keep me from nodding off. Gently, I shake Izumi awake. She's more than happy to take her turn, and we trade places without exchanging a word.

With my head on the ground, I hiccup. Then I sniffle. Bone-tired and too scared to sleep, my breathing is an uneasy staccato that gives way to sobs as strong as the magic that poured out of me earlier.

Izumi's looking over at me. I can see the worry on her face, illuminated by firelight, blurry through tears. "Hiyori?"

"What am I doing?" I ask. "Did I really do magic? Are we really stuck here?"

"Shhh. We'll talk about it in the morning, okay? You need to rest or we'll never get anywhere. We have to catch up to that other adventurer, don't we?"

She scoots closer, lifting my head and putting it in her lap. She strokes my hair like I'm a scared child – and for a moment, I let myself be one. I've taken so much of this in stride; I deserve a moment to sink into someone's embrace. There's something so gentle about her touch, and something so soothing about the way she hums, I feel as if we've known each other forever. My worries fade.

"Thank you," I mumble.