“What a nasty bunch,” Fran muttered after the village chief and the crowd had distanced themselves from the group.

“Ahahaha...,” Rina laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of her head at the elf's comment. “What can I say... I'm sorry.”

“Wait... why are you apologising?” Fran asked, to which Marianne nodded vehemently to show that she fully agreed with Fran's question.

The twelve-year-old girl, on the other hand, didn't understand the meaning of that question and thus tilted her head in confusion. Nonetheless, she still replied to her magic instructor, “Well... I kind of feel bad that you have to experience something unpleasant because of me.”

At these words, Marianne and Fran exchanged glances, as if they didn't know how to react to Rina's one of many self-deprecating comments. Even though they both knew about the redhead's tendency to make such remarks, they still didn't know what to do when she got like this. Like Clara, they had learned years ago, that Rina was prone to negative and depressing thoughts.

Fortunately, their concerns were in vain this time, as the person responsible chuckled shortly afterwards. “Fufufu... I know what you're thinking... there's no need to look so worried... I just wanted to say it...”

After saying this, Rina could see that the faces of the other two relaxed a little bit and even smiled at her. However, she could see very well that a normal, civilised conversation with the villagers would be impossible as long as she was present. So she considered leaving the group for a while, to search for the Demon-Spawning-Cloud by herself.

But before Rina could even suggest it, Marianne spoke up first, “By the way, Mistress, why do they hate you so much anyway?”

“Huee?!” However, because Rina had been in deep thought before and hadn't expected Marianne to suddenly talk to her, Rina was so shocked that she involuntarily let out a funny shriek and even jerked slightly. The fact that she still wasn't used to being called 'Mistress' by a beauty even after three years didn't help either.

A split second later, however, she noticed her actions and reflexively covered her mouth with both hands. And even though she couldn't see it, she knew that her face was turning red.

Seeing the red-haired girl's actions, or rather reactions, Marianne was very close to pouncing at Rina and taking her in a hug right now. Fortunately, or unfortunately, the rather tense situation in the village didn't allow that. So she shook her head twice to get a serious expression on her face and waited for Rina to calm down.

Luckily, Rina didn't notice Marianne's brief moment of distress at all. She only saw that the brunette looked at her seriously and didn't comment on her shriek, for which Rina was grateful. So she managed to get rid of her embarrassment and the red colour in her cheeks and answered the question with a shake of her head.

“No... I don't know. Well, it seems that my red hair and eyes are some kind of bad omen in this village, but I don't think that's the only reason.”

“I think so too, the way they treat you is more than just some stupid superstition,” Fran chimed in, while still keeping her eyes on the discussing villagers in the distance. “Have you done anything in the past?”

Again, Rina shook her head, this time to deny Fran's question. “Nothing I can think of... I suspect that the hatred against me is also directed at my deceased parents.”

“Why do you think that, Mistress?”

To this question, Rina simply replied with, “Some of the more radical people in the village burned down my parents' house,” and left it at that, even though it was far from enough to prove her statement. After all, there was no way, she could tell them that she had almost been raped five years ago because of her parents, or rather her mother.

From that incident when Clara had saved her, Rina suspected that her mother, who was apparently gorgeous beyond words, might have been highly sought after as a spouse in the village. And maybe because her mother had married her father, it brought ill feelings among those who had asked for her mother's hand. So perhaps, as an act of revenge, they decided to hate Rina, the result of their love.

But even that was a silly motive in Rina's eyes, but one could never be too sure. After all, almost the whole village hated her, so a little jealousy couldn't be the only reason.

In fact, in the past, before she had met Clara, when the emotional baggage from Earth was still vividly present, Rina had truly believed, that she was hated in this village because she was herself, an ugly being whom it was natural for everyone to hate.

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

But now, thinking back, she could only smile wryly at those thoughts.

Back to the situation at hand, Rina could see that both Fran and Marianne were unsatisfied with her answer, so she added, “I'm just as curious as you are as to why they hate my parents and me so much. At least, I can't think of anything that I might or might not have done. After all, I was on my own, after I had left the orphanage... Speaking of the orphanage, do you mind if I visit it when the whole ordeal is over? Just for a few minutes... there's a sister thanks to whom I'm still alive.”

“There still an orphanage in around here? Colour me surprised... No problem. Will a few minutes be enough? We can stay a day or two longer if you like. I can imagine you have a lot to talk about with this person,” Fran replied, to which Marianne nodded, signalling that she, too, accepted the elf's words.

The suggestion to stay longer, however, was rejected by Rina shaking her head. “I only want to see if she is still healthy. I don't need long. Marianne and I must return as soon as possible so that we can accompany Clara to the Academy. And I don't want to overstay my welcome, if there is any for me here at all...”

Having said that, Rina could see again that Fran and Marianne wanted to say something, but she held up her hand to stop them, before they could, and then pointed at the approaching man. “Let's finish our conversation here. The village chief is approaching. He seems to have finished his discussion with the others.”

Following the red-haired girl's finger, Fran and Marianne could indeed perceive the old man closing in. So Fran, as the leader of the group stepped in front of the other two, facing the direction the man was coming from.

After waiting a few more seconds, the man arrived at the group of three and looked at Marianne and Fran, once again completely ignoring the one who had been born in his village. However, instead of looking sycophantic when it came to Fran, or annoyed when it came to Rina, he had a worried expression on his face. The trio could even clearly see, that he was literally sweating bullets for whatever reason.

But that was not the end of it, as he suddenly dropped to his knees while looking at Fran. After a moment, he then closed his eyes and slowly lowered his forehead to the ground, effectively bowing on all fours before the former High Priestess.

“Oh venerable High Priestess Fran, I beg of you...”

“No... as I said, I am no longer the High Priestess...”

The man royally ignored Fran's retort and went on, “...please save our village!”

“... Again, as I said, that's why we're here to begin with... so can you tell us now if you've seen the cloud anywhere? If you tell us, we can go there immediately and start guarding the place.”

“No, we already know how to deal with the cloud, so we don't need you to guard our village. It's our own problem after all.”

“What do you mean?” Fran grimaced. “First you ask us to save you, then you send us away?”

“N-no! T-that's not what I said! You, oh venerable High Priestess, are always welcome here. It's just... we don't need your direct help with the black mist.”

“... Then what do you want my help for?”

Marianne and Rina walked up to Fran and watched as the old man cowered on the ground, fidgeting around and hesitating to continue.

This went on for a few more moments before he looked up at Fran and held out a shaking arm, pointing at the red-haired girl. “Please, leave that here when you leave the village. We need it in order to clear the black mist!”

While Fran and Marianne were at a loss for words after the chief's claim, Rina furrowed her brow and let her gaze wander from the man on the ground to the place in the distance where the chief had discussed with the other villagers earlier. Only then did Rina notice that the crowd was gone. The people had left after their discussion with the village leader.

Not wasting any more thought on them, the girl in the Academy's uniform glared at the man and wondered why he suddenly wanted her to stay regarding the Demon-Spawning-Cloud.

'Does he know that I can cleanse the cloud? Has the Duke spread the information?'

Rina shook her head to deny her own thought.

'No, the Duke seemed like someone who wants to monopolise all the power... he wouldn't spread the information about me.'

Ever since her meeting with Duke Thalas three years ago, when he had told her that she seemed to have the power to purify the Demon-Spawning-Clouds without negative repercussions, Rina had kept this information to herself. She had told it to no one, not even her beloved mistress. She had even made Marianne promise her to keep it a secret for the time being especially from Fran.

After all, Rina wasn't sure, what Fran would make her do if she knew about her cleansing abilities. But as things currently stood, Rina suspected that her magic instructor would exploit it. Fran might even make her travel around the world to clear away all of the Demon-Spawning-Clouds. And this was a thought that Rina was truly afraid of.

While touching those clouds, effectively sucking them into her body, to protect her loved ones, was something Rina was willing to do, doing it for random people was out of the question. After all, the pain she went through twice because of those clouds was enough for her. She didn't want to go through it any more than necessary.

That was why the red-haired girl stealthily glanced at the elf to see how Fran reacted to the old man's claim. She hoped that the elf wouldn't pick up on the man's words.

“Why? Why do you only need Rina? Explain it to me and I will consider your proposal.”

Sadly, the High Elf wanted to know more about the chief's reasoning. So now the red-haired girl could only hope that the chief didn't actually know about her abilities and only wanted her to stay because of some stupid superstition.

Though, luckily, the man didn't even get to talk about his motives thanks to Marianne's timely intervention.

“Lady Fran, Mistress...”

The two spoken to and the chief directed their attention to the brunette.

“This place makes me uncomfortable,” Marianne continued while glaring at the man with her dark eyes, “and the villagers treating one of their own, who even came back to help them, makes me want to puke in disgust.”

“”...”” Not knowing how to respond to Marianne's harsh words, Fran and Rina remained silent and waited for her to continue.

“Let's leave them to their fate.”