Omega POV, 3rd Person Omniscient
"The world was a tough place for humans to live in 400 years ago. Magic was an exclusive strong suit Demi-Humans and Spirits had, regardless of which country you were in. Humans even struggled at building fires."
Omega snapped her fingers as she spoke, making the flames of the fire dance.
A few days had passed with Omega staying in Colette's small cabin. In that short amount of time, this young-looking elf had rewritten everything she knew about the world, one by one.
At first, when she'd been swept in by the river, Omega had seemed to her like a bundle of danger. However, the way she displayed her knowledge and magic in these various everyday scenes had changed Colette's perception of her.
Omega was heedless, and an absentminded kind of gal to boot. Nevertheless, the reason she was able to keep travelling with a disposition like that was because she possessed the "power" to make it more or less feasible.
She could easily tell how powerful Omega was by just looking at the way she created fire, boiled water, chopped firewood with the wind and tilled the soil with a mere snap of her fingers.
"A knack for magic? Indeed. I would like to say that it's become possible for anyone to do this sort of stuff with some practise, but that would be wrong. Magic too is an art, so it greatly depends on the qualities of the individual. As far as I know, there are only four people in history who can do what I can." Omega said as Colette let out a surprised gasp.
In history, not in the world. Her use of that expression conjured up images of Omega's grandiosity in Colette's mind.
She was taken aback, gripped by Omega's face in profile as she declared that without showing any signs of laughing it off as being bombastic, let alone as being braggadocious.
Omega unreservedly declared that she was one of the best in the world, and not out of conceit. A certain word popped up in Colette's mind seeing her like that.
How would Omega react if she were to muster her courage and say it out loud?
"..If you've got something to say, why don't you try and say it?"
Omega said that in a quiet tone as she looked at the taciturn Colette.
While feeling like those clear blue eyes had seized her, Colette spoke that "word" out loud. As soon as she heard what it was, Omega gave her her most bewitching smile yet.
"Yes, it's like that of course. ──I'm quite the wicked witch you know?"
That was her reply.
...In other words, Colette's life had become such that she was spending her daily life with a Witch who knew about the days of yore.
"Why am I wearing a cloak that doesn't fit me, you ask? That's because it didn't belong to me from the start, I received it from someone else."
Omega calmly answered Colette's question as the latter hung up her cloak to dry, having just been washed.
Colette had a fondness for asking questions, and often pestered Omega for "stories", which had been the condition she'd offered her for staying here. Her overwhelming curiosity was something which Omega liked, considering she loved to talk.
"After all, most people tend to either ignore me when I'm talking pleasantly, or they'll forcibly tell me to shut up from the start."
"Really? But, but, that's such a waste. Your stories are super interesting Omega-chan, and I love finding out about all these things that I didn't know about."
"Mhhm, that's good. Knowledge is a treasure that no one can steal from you. Whereas, with stuff like possessions, it's basically like, having more of them can only give you more of an edge in life."
There were many situations where not having knowledge would lead one to being compelled to take the long way around things.
Even the act of lighting a fire had been a struggle for humans, back when they couldn't use magic. However, that struggle had abated drastically when they'd been able to learn how to light one.
"With knowledge, you end up not having to risk your life in situations where there's no need to die. Naturally though, you mustn't let it become a waste of a treasure, so it does take talent to use it." Colette once again was intrigued by the Witch's words.
"Talent..."
"Indeed. Without knowledge, or, even if you do have the knowledge but lack the talent to use it, you'll just end up having stuff taken away from you. Like this cloak I own for example."
She pointed at her cloak that was hanging out to dry and continued the lecture she was giving Colette, as she washed stuff in the river.
Though she didn't have many of it, most of Omega's luggage had been borrowed from their original owners. That said, she had no way of returning any of it at the present, since they were already dead.
But then, they probably would have sympathized as well, since this had been their just reward for trying to steal from Omega. This world was a survival of the fittest after all, just like how bigger fish eat the smaller ones.
"Or rather, I guess saying "the strong devour the weak" is more apt. I prefer the saying "the survival of the fittest", but it's in my nature to want to use the most accurate one as possible..."
"You've been through a lot as well, haven't you, Omega-chan? Would it be because you've lived for so long?"
"It's true that I've gotten way more opportunities to learn given that I've lived for so long. But, the stuff I need to know keeps growing the longer I live on for. I don't think the day will come where I'd want to die, unless my thirst for knowledge runs out. In that respect, I feel like I'm able to enjoy life to its utmost."
"Errm, is that so?"
Colette was trying her best to understand what she'd said, but it must have been a difficult topic for her.
Omega batted one of her eyes shut at the girl, who looked like smoke was about to come out from her head. She then stretched up and turned her eye over to Colette as she continued with the washing.
"Colette, about that bracelet of yours..."
"...Oh, this? It'd end up getting drenched with river water if I kept it on while doing the washing, no? It'd be a real pain if it got washed away or started to rust: that's why I take it off."
It seems I found the meteor that Y/N was talking about. Omega smiled to herself.
She'd quietly placed her silver bracelet on top of a tree stump by the riverside. The bracelet itself looked a bit like it had some work put into it, with artisan patterns running down both its inside and outside. It felt like it had value in its own right, such that wearing it wasn't deserved by a young girl dwelling in a forest.
"You seem to have a pretty decent upbringing though, so where did you get that from?"
"This? This is a memento from my mom and dad. They left it to me when they died... That's why I always carry it around with me." Colette pointed at the bracelet as if it was some kind of mystifying object.
"A memento from your parents? I see."
"They were working on a job that took them out from the village. This bracelet was something they brought back from the outside as well. I was really small, so I couldn't go with them. They left me at my mom's sister's... my aunty's house. I learnt so much stuff there."
She probably meant she'd learnt these skills of life, like cooking, washing and hunting there.
The trauma of her parents' death must have been like a scab that was still healing inside her as well. So long as no one tried to peel it off on purpose, the wounds would slowly heal until one day, she would start to not be ailed by them.
That was the passage of time people lived under. ──Sweet music to Omega's ears.
"Colette, since it looks like it's still going to take some time for you to do the washing, you don't mind if I take a short walk, right? Come to think of it, lately I've been doing nothing but going back and forth between your house and the river."
"I did drag you from the river to my cabin, but..."
Colette's face looked meek when she heard her proposal. Omega tilted her head in response to her hesitation. Her reaction seemed rather odd in regards to an approval for just taking a walk.
"Is something the matter?" Omega asked, since Colette seemed to be a bit scared.
"No, no, nothing at all. It's just, like, I don't think you should go too far towards the east side of the forest. They erm... They say that a Witchbeast lives there, so the villagers don't go near it."
"I see. The east side of the forest, yeah. I appreciate your worries."
Omega left Colette behind by the river to continue with the washing as the latter saw her off, and went for her stroll. Then, she stretched herself up as soon as Colette was out of sight.
"So, a Witchbeast's appeared in the east?"
She could safely say that a dangerous Witchbeast appearing there would be a life-threatening problem for both Colette and the villagers.
Witchbeasts were pure, unadulterated threats to most human's lives. There were many different kinds of them, and their danger levels all varied as well; however, they'd no doubt be a danger to the average person, regardless of what species it was.
As she thought about that, Omega's feet slowly made their way to the "East Side" of the forest.
Of course, it wasn't like Omega was trying to disregard Colette's words of warning for no reason.
Though perhaps surprising, her warning made Omega feel unexpectedly grateful for Colette's kindness. If a girl with such pluckiness as her's was terrified of a Witchbeast, then she'd be willing to get rid of it.
However...
"...Hmm."
Omega came out into a small clearing in the east side of the forest. She gently stroked her pink hair, narrowing her eyes at the spectacle in front of her.
──Before her, lay slightly frosted ground, and atop it she could see some scattered piles of stones. There must have been more than thirty of them there, more or less.
If it had just been one or two of them, she could have dismissed them as being the work of a child's playfulness, but a deeper meaning started to take root with so many in one place.
Considering there were so many piles of stones that had been carefully stacked, their purpose was clear.
This place was a...
"...Who are you?" A voice rang out behind her, containing slight fear and menace.
Omega didn't show any particular signs of surprise at having heard a voice calling out from behind her.
She'd been able to sense that someone had been approaching her by the sound of their footsteps as well as their scent. What she hadn't expected was that her opponent had called out to her. She'd been sure that they would have attacked her without bothering to exchange any dialogue.
"First things first, I hold no animosity towards you. I'd just like to put it out there that the reason I treaded in here was, well, it was on purpose, but not out of ill will. Oh, that reminds me, I don't have any kind of weapon on me, so I'm going to slowly turn around now. You aren't going to freak out, right?"
"...Just quit your damned babbling and turn yourself around." The girl said as she demanded.
Omega held her hands up, showing she wasn't hostile, and then closed her mouth as well, so to show her opponent that she was doing exactly as they'd said. After that, she slowly turned back where she stood.
"...Never seen you before."
A tall girl looked down at Omega as she said that.
She was dressed in black clothes, had long dark hair, and was rather pretty. However her sanpaku eyes were incredibly sharp, giving her an awfully piercing impression.
"Hmm." Omega regarded the girl, unsure of what to say.
Just after she'd finished processing her initial impressions, she noticed that the girl in front of her wasn't that old either. At most she was fifteen years old; thus there didn't seem to be much of an age difference between her and Colette. The only differences in their impressions came from her atmosphere and height.
"What's with that reaction. You're such an irritating girl."
"Aren't you the one being awfully snappy at a young girl that you've just met? Besides..."
"What?" The girl snapped again, annoyed at Omega.
"I mean, the fact that you're carrying around something like that was quite a shock for me too you know."
She'd realized from the signs she'd felt when she'd walked up behind her── Mostly from its stench; that held within the arms of the girl with the baleful eyes was something really shocking.
Namely, the cadaver of a living creature that had been wrapped up in white cloth.
It must have once been in decent shape she thought, but right now it didn't retain any of that.
"That's far too much of an overkill to call it hunting. Doing that would have ended up ruining both its flesh and hide. The way you went about it would be awful for securing them for their pelt or as food. Even so..."
Omega first trailed her words off and then continued, all the while examining the girl's reaction.
"If you're just killing them for the sake of it, then I won't say anything to you." Omega said, showing her clear disdain.
"──. Don't speak to me like you know everything."
Sullenly flinging those words at her, the girl made her way past Omega, and placed the cadaver on the ground── Or rather, maybe she ought to call it something that was once a rabbit. Regardless, she placed it on the ground and began to dig a hole with the Habou she'd brought along.
Note: Habou, literally a digging stick, was an instrument used to dig out root crops and digging holes for the seeds for various grains. Basically an ancient shovel.
She buried the body, covered it with soil and piled stones on top of it. ──As she looked at her doing this, Omega was convinced that the impression she'd harboured at the start wasn't a mistaken one.
Just like she'd mused, this place was a graveyard. The remains of many critters must have been buried beneath the piles of stones, just like the rabbit from now, to be memorialized.
"I've been around graves a lot too after all."
"...Who are you? Where did you come from?"
The girl finished her burial work, stood up, and asked that from Omega.
There was quite an intensity about her in not bothering to hide her bloodstained hands. It felt to Omega like she was going to end up in this graveyard along with them if she screwed up her reply.
Omega vied for friendly relations, hence she introduced herself, though not specifically due to the aforementioned reason.
"I am Omega, I'm pretty much a travelling vagrant. I just happened to drop by in the vicinity en-route down the river. I won't be staying long so I hope you won't be too harsh on me."
"A traveller, huh. At your age... No, rather, those ears of yours... are you an elf?"
Noticing Omega's distinctive ears, the girl's face turned to one of open discomfort. It made sense that a strong tide of discrimination remained towards elves in this era, even so, her reaction seemed different to usual ones. She must have had still another reason for despising elves── However, before Omega could question her about it, she'd begun to walk back the way she'd come, with her hands still stained with blood.
"Sorry to barge in, but the river's over there if you're looking to wash your hands."
"...You said you wouldn't be staying long, right? Take my advice and kindly hurry up and leave this place."
"I'm not really catching what this talk is about. I guess I must suck at this?"
The girl paid no heed to her casual chit-chat and started to walk away from the river without pause. And, just before the back of her slipped out of sight, she spoke up,
"Because if you don't, then you too will eventually be torn apart by the "Beast"."
The girl left behind only those words before her figure vanished from Omega's sight.
"...A "Beast", she says." Omega hummed as she pondered the information her contractor passed onto previously, and smiled.
"Well, the Book also needs some fixing, so after that happens, we can go on the path we want." Omega said to the air, wondering how her contractor is doing as she returned towards Colette's cabin, intrigued at how the future would unfold.