>>5402863"If I were you, I would look into the one you follow."
"Wh-Who are you? Why are you so mistrustful of Lord Griffith?"
"...Take it from someone who trusted him too much..." Guts walks away, aiming to pull Schierke out of that girl's grasp.
"Wait! What do you mean by that--" Mule attempts to stand up, but is struck on the back by Isidro's dropkick.
"If Guts doesn't go along with you, It's reason enough for me to think you are scum! Leave him alone! We don't have time to deal with you fancy noble types! Bugger off!"
As they start to punch and kick each other, the hoodlums consider it a part of the show, being as entertained by it as the songs the brothers were playing. The Staff Knight could only sigh and watch the two, hoping they did not go too far.
"At least they're fighting on a more equal level..."
-
"You're a witch, aren't you?" Sonia approached Schierke and Ivalera, sitting down as the doves she was speaking with were scared away.
"Do I look like one?"
"You bet you do. Pointed Hat, Wand, Speaking to animals, and most of all, this little fella! A girl with an elf in town can only be a witch!" Ivalera was startled to see another human pointing a finger at her, but remained in Schierke's shoulder.
"You're the one who set the Kushan Souls free, aren't you? They looked so serene, like fish swimming in the sky..." Sonia clasped her hands together, enamored at the witch's selfless acts. "Watching those grown ups being wrapped around you finger was very cool. Was that your magic?"
"It was just a spell akin to a suggestion--"
"Yeah! Isn't she great?" Ivalera boasted about the shy girl's talents.
"Yet why are you here? Witches don't usually stick to the city."
"...I am on a journey. Even if I feel alone and miss my home... I know there's no point in coming back..."
"It sure is hard, being different than the others... A lot has happened to me too. It's hard to put it into words."
"Do tell! I am interested in hearing about ya!"
"Well, how do I put this... Once upon a time, there was an ugly duckling--"
"--Oh, I know this story!"
"The duckling was different from everyone else, so she felt ostracized. You see, this entire time, she was actually-"
"A Swan!"
"A Kite."
"Huh?" Ivalera was taken aback from the sudden plot twist.
"One day, a nasty murder of crows attacked the ponds. The ducks could only quack in terror, unable to fly away. Everyone was captured, and the poor kite was convinced that there was nothing she could do, still believing she was one of the ducklings."
"But then! Out came the king of ducks to save them all! A white Falcon, bringing all sorts of servants and dragons to slay the crows. Falcon and Kites are like kinsfolk, for the first time, the kite met one of their own and realized she could indeed fly! As the Falcon liberated the ducks, even dragons and reformed crows came to his army. The young kite felt special! Only it could fly in the same sky and feel the same wind, unlike the ducks or the dragons!"
