Disclaimer:
form the previous chapter part. Millie's powers are not what you think, the clock on her arm is there for a different reason. It will be revealed later in the story.

Chapter 1 part 3 Someone Clueless


Cold winds blow by and play in her hair before moving on to the grey wall, curling around the dimly lit house as the moonlight casts a shadow on the other side of the house.

"Thank you for this. We were about to run out," an old man from the center says. "It was my pleasure," Asta replies. They say their goodbyes, and the old man closes the door.

Asta is about to head back to Millie. "Asta, wait!" Nero says.

"What is it, Nero?" he asks. "It's about Millie," she says. "What about her?"

"It's just... she is not exactly human," Nero tells him. "She isn't?" he asks and peeks around the corner, seeing her just sitting there.

"If she is not human, then what is she? I mean, her Ki doesn't feel like anything bad," he questions. "I believe she is a spirit," Nero tells him. "What? You mean like a ghost!" Asta slightly panics.

"No, not like a ghost, like an animal spirit," she tells him. "Oh, like Yuno's wind spirit?" Asta asks. "Well, kind of," she replies.

"Wait, how can you tell that she is an animal spirit?" he asks.

"Well, the kind of magic coming from the bell around her neck is one clue, and there is the part of her last name. I believe it belongs to a known family of her kind," Nero explains.

"So awesome, she must be really powerful then," he tells her. "Nope, animal spirits usually have about as much mana as an average human," Nero explains.

"What do they do then?" Asta asks. "They mostly serve whoever they have a contract with," Nero informs.

"However, animal spirits like this one have not been seen on this continent for almost 200 years now," she tells him. "What, seriously? Wait, what do you mean by 'like this one'?" Asta asks.

"Well, her kind is a little bit different from the ones that the Forest of Witches use. Her kind is more like a beast than an animal," Nero tells him.

"I see. Wait, why haven't they been seen for nearly 200 years?" he asks. "No clue. They just went off and left one day, so the question is... what is one doing back here after such a long time?" Nero asks, and they look at her.

"That does sound odd," Liebe says, reappearing on Asta's shoulder. "I guess it is a little weird, but she seems fine to me," he says. "All I am saying is we should be cautious," Nero says. "I agree," Liebe adds.

"Right, good thinking," he says.

He walks up to Millie. "I am all done. Are you ready?" he asks her, and she is snapped out of her thoughts, stands up quickly and gracefully. "Yes, sir," she says gently and walks.

"Uh, the path is that way," he tells her. "Oh, my mistake," she says and walks in the direction he is pointing in.

"Eh, she... seems kind of clueless to be anyone dangerous," Asta whispers to Nero. "You are in no position to criticize," Nero tells him, and Liebe chuckles. "You two really think so, huh?" he says, rubbing the back of his head.

Millie walks, again a step behind as they continue on their path.

Asta casts small glances at her while they walk. Millie puts her hand over her brown crystal brooch, which is formed as a tear with small silver wings holding it in place. She notices one of his glances.

"Something on your mind, sir?" she asks. "Not really. I just... uh, what are you going to Mozo Village for?" Asta asks.

"I am going to visit an old friend," she tells him.

"An old friend, huh? That must be nice. How are they like?" he asks as a raindrop falls on Asta's face, and he looks up.

"Wait, it's starting to rain now," he says, and he hears Millie's soft voice, "Life Shield Magic," she utters, and a transparent shield with a white-tinted glow forms over them before it starts pouring down.

"Wow, a shield spell. It's really handy," he says excitedly. "It's like a big umbrella that gives off warmth," he tells her while sensing the subtle, calming warmth from her spell.

Millie offers a warm smile. "Right, thank you, sir," she utters, and they both keep walking.

She is walking next to him now.

They walk in silence, and he looks at her as they walk. (Her Ki, when I asked about the village earlier, it felt a little sad?) he wonders to himself and tries to get a sense of her bell. (I guess I won't be able to sense it if it is made of magic) he wonders to himself.

For a split second, he hears the sound of a chain, and he looks at her and the bell around her neck. She moves her hand over her bell, and their eyes meet.

"Say, are you a spirit?" Asta asks. "Uh, what?" she utters. "Or not?" he says awkwardly.

(He is so blunt and direct) Nero/Liebe thinks.

"My bell must have given it away? Yes, I am a spirit. I am quite surprised someone of your age knows about it. You must be quite knowledgeable," she says softly.

"Well, I... uh, you know," he says and looks ahead. "I, uh, is it true that spirits like you haven't been seen on this continent for like 200 years?" he asks her.

"Yes, sir, it is true. 189 years, to be exact. I came here yesterday," she tells him.

"Seriously," he says and looks at Nero on his head. (She seems honest, and she doesn't really look like she is here to cause any trouble) he thinks to himself.

(And if it is true that she is a spirit like Yuno's Sylph, then she must be really good to have too) he thinks to himself, excited, and turns his gaze to her.

She looks up. "Uh, the rain stopped," she says as the clouds clear up a bit, and she undoes her spell.

They walk through a thick forest before arriving at a clearing, and they see the village at the bottom of the hill. Asta sees Millie look around and walk off.

"Uh, the village is down there," he tells her. "That is alright. My friend is over here," she says and walks to a big boulder. Asta sees her go to the other side of the boulder and crouch down next to it.

He looks at the boulder as it has a big old and torn-down red rope around it.

(Is this rock special?) he wonders and sees Millie take her hands up to her bell, and a bouquet of flowers appears in her hands.

(Wait, an old friend. No human is that old) he thinks to himself and walks up to her as he sees her pull off weeds and moss. He sees a gravestone in the grass.

(So that is why her Ki felt a little sad when thinking about her friend earlier) he thinks to himself and watches her take care of the grave, pushing away dirt from the gravestone, and she places down the flowers.

She then proceeds to touch the rope around the boulder, and it disappears into her bell. She brings out another new red rope and, using her magic, she ties it around the rock, making it fit properly.

She turns to the grave and crouches down, folding her hands, and closes her eyes in a silent prayer.

Asta looks away for a moment to show respect, and his eyes meet Liebe's eyes, who seems unsure about her.

Asta looks back over to her, and he sees her eyes slowly open and the way she looks at the grave.

(Whoever is lying there must have meant a lot to her if she has that look on her face) he thinks to himself.

He looks at the village at the bottom of the valley where a river flows in front of it. He sees the path going down and goes onto a bridge that stretches over the river and meets the road that goes into the village.

Millie goes out of her thoughts, stands up, and turns her gaze towards Asta. "I must thank you, sir. You brought me here successfully. And now, it is time for us to part ways," she tells him.

"Right... so what will you do now?" Asta asks, scratching the back of his neck.

"Now? I will be searching for a contractor, and after that, who knows," she says and looks into the distance.

The wind blows through her black hair and into Asta's messy ash-blond hair, which is slightly contained by his black headband with the Black Bulls crest on the left side and a red marking on his right side.

"Well, it was nice meeting you, sir," Millie says with a neat bow and turns around.

"Or..." he says, and Millie turns back to him.