Instead of playing, the others wanted to ask me what it was like outside this village, and they hadn't seen anything else except for a few forest areas around the village. I hadn't seen much myself either, but I told them about the underground Sanctum and the city of Astel. I also told them of places from my memories, for example, the beach and the sea, or mountains that had a snow-capped summit even in summer.

 

They were all fascinated by the places, and I was lucky that they didn't ask exactly where all the places were.

 

It was just before noon when the five of us separated. Taaro and I returned to Relena, and she was already cooking when we came into the house. Isaak, however, had not returned yet.

 

“Welcome back, and how was it? Did Taaro show you everything?”

 

*clap*

 

"Taaro?"

 

Taaro made a facepalm.

 

"I-I... I'm sorry!"

 

"Why are you apologizing?"

 

“I forgot about it. I showed Erika the place where I always play with my friends, they were there and...”

 

"And you were stopped by them?"

 

"Exactly!"

 

"Taaro! That is not an excuse!"

 

"I know, but…"

 

"But nothing! You will show Erika the village then this afternoon. ”

 

"Is g-."

 

"Unfortunately, that won't work."

 

Isaak was entering and stopped at the door. He interrupted Taaro.

 

"Grandpa?"

 

"Well, Eri-Erika and I have something important to do right now, and that can't wait."

 

"We must?"

 

It gave me the impression that Isaak and I had received information that could help us.

 

"Yes! The elder wanted to get to know you.”

 

"...OK."

 

"So enough of that, let's eat."

 

Relena lifted the steaming pan and turned to us.

===

Relena roasted a type of meat at lunchtime that I did not know, but it still tasted good, although it was still somewhat unusual for me that I, a horned rabbit, ate meat.

 

I don't know... can I still call myself a horned rabbit?

 

I looked down at myself.

 

...I don't know…

 

"Is something?"

 

"I don't know…"

 

Isaak led me to the big house on the outskirts of the village. The house was not much larger than Isaak's, but there was a small office building next to the house.

 

"Andro was like a big brother to me, so please don't be disrespectful, ok?"

 

Andro was the name of the elder.

 

“Wherever it occurs to me, it may be that Darwas appears, after all, you are a new face. If it comes to that, try not to say anything ruthless.”

 

...

 

*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*

 

Isaak knocked on the office door.

 

"Come in."

 

A grumpy male voice rang out.

 

Isaak opened the door and shoved me into the building in front of him.

 

"You have to be Eris."

 

I looked irritatedly at Isaak and then at the man in the chair.

 

The man was old, he looked a good ten years older than Isaak, despite his muscles. His hair was gray and shoulder-length. He had only one eye, and the other eye socket was open and empty.

 

"That's right. I am Eris, but for the others in the village, I am called Erika. You have to be Andro.”

 

“I am. Come sit down.”

 

He pointed to the chairs opposite him. Isaak and I accepted the invitation and sat down.

 

“Isaak has already told me a lot. He also mentioned that your comrades met Tisso. ”

 

"Tisso?"

 

"Tisso is Andro's little brother, who was able to transform into the void digger."

 

"Ah! The shift manager.”

 

"Exactly him!"

 

"Didn't you mean he should be in prison?"

 

"Right, he would have."

 

Andro intervened.

 

"The problem is officially he's still in prison, so let's visit "him" soon."

 

"Why not now?"

 

"We still have something."

 

"And what?"

 

"That a "thing" is planned today."

 

"So, you know about that too."

 

"You, too?"

 

"I also heard about it from one of Taaro's friends being asked to come with them."

 

“Taaro's friend? They are all-around ten years old. What do they think?”

 

Isaak's face flushed with anger.

 

"Do you know who, and who invited him?"

 

“Yes, the boy named Ray, and his cousin asked him. His cousin also talked about today and that they would leave later. Ray was with us by noon, but now... I don't know.”

 

"Sh*t! Good to know! Isaak, can you?”

 

"With pleasure!"

 

Isaak quickly disappeared from the room.

 

"Since he's gone, I'll show you our prison."

 

Suspicious!

 

He led me from the office to a guarded cave entrance not far from the house.

 

There was a guard on each side of the entrance.

 

""Sir!""

 

They saluted him.

 

"Where's the captain?"

 

"Sir, the captain is currently by our long term guest."

 

“Oh, that's perfect! Come with me, Erika.”

 

He strode further past the guards. After a few meters, the passage swung to the side and went deeper underground. The walls were covered with runes at specified intervals, which illuminated the path ahead with a dim light.

 

There was a disturbing silence between Andro and me, which I wanted to end, but I didn't know how I could do it.

 

"The cell is at the end of the corridor."

 

Andro finally broke the silence.

 

“Why so far away? Why aren't the cells in the basement like in humans cities?”

 

"If it were that easy ... Since we are just a small village of shapeshifters, we have no one who deals with spells and can forge cells that absorb magic."

 

"And how is a cave supposed to have such an effect?"

 

"We don't know exactly either, but when we settled here three generations ago, some of our ancestors found that there was something between the stones that reduced the concentration of magic in the air."

 

Doesn't that mean the further I follow him, the weaker I get?

 

I stopped.

 

"What's it?"

 

"Doesn't that mean the further we go underground, the weaker we become?"

 

"Uh? No, you're confusing something, because of the lack of magic in the air you regenerate your mana much slower, as long as you don't use all your mana everything is ok.”

 

"Oh! Well, I was a bit worried.”

 

"Come on. It's over there."

 

We went around the last curve and ended up at a dead end. I could see a guard next to a massive steel door.

 

"Hey!"

 

"S-s-sir!"

 

"Where's the captain?"

 

The guard pointed to the steel door.

 

"With our prisoner."

 

"Then open the door."

 

"Yes, Sir!"

 

The guard opened several locks on the door. He opened the door and kept it open for us.

 

Andro was about to go through the door when I was holding his jacket on his back.

 

"What do you want?"

 

"He should go ahead!"

 

I pointed to the guard.

 

"Uh!? Why should I go in there?”

 

"I want you to get the captain out, why should we let a prisoner hear what we're up to?"

 

"She's right, go in and bring him out!"

 

"But sir!"

 

"Shut up. Be quiet!"

 

Andro got loud, but it was enough for me. I jumped forward and kicked the guard's leg.

 

He fell to the front and landed on the ground.

 

"How can you refuse such a clear command, it looks like you are a follower of Darwas!"

 

"What!? Miss, no!”

 

I looked at Andro, who nodded to me.

 

"Then, let's see why you didn't want to enter the prison."

 

Andro strode through the door. I grabbed the guard by the hair and pulled him through the door next to me. The guard groaned and swore. He tried to get away from me, but I blocked the attempt. I stepped on his hand with all my strength.

 

"AH! F*ck!"

 

"That is futile."

 

"How can that be!? You're just a kid!”

 

"If I were a shapeshifter, you might be right, but I'm not one of you."

 

"What are you then? You monster?"

 

"If you knew what I was, you would wish I had already killed you. Your life will be a single path of suffering from now on, believe me."

 

"Hey!"

 

Andro approached a person sitting in the corner of the room.

 

"What happened to you?"

 

"Andro? Andro, is it you?”

 

“Yes, you fool! Don't you even recognize my voice any more?”

 

“I don't know how long I am in this cell. Days? Weeks?"

 

“We can clarify that later. More importantly, how did you get in here?”

 

"I don't know... I was making a routine visit here when something hit me from behind. The next time I came to consciousness, I was locked up in the dark here.”

 

“Who was with you? Was it that guy? ”

 

Andro pointed to the still whimpering guard in my hand.

 

"Yes, he and someone else, the other person was Fereno."

 

"So, Phineas and Fereno."

 

"Yes."

 

“All right, Eris, you can leave Phineas here with us, he will have to answer a few questions. Look after Isaak, Fereno is the cousin of Ray.”

 

"Thank you very much, and please be careful, I think some other guards are also involved with your son."

 

"...We will pay attention to that. Be careful."

 

I threw Phineas on the floor in front of me and left the cell behind me.

 

I ran the tunnel towards the exit, I changed back to my default form while running and ran to the cave exit.

 

I sneaked away in the shadow of the rock faces without the guards noticing.