The Marionetteʼs Puppeteer (Volume 1)

Chapter 18: Mission: Onslaught Part 2

“If you have, where is it?” Mareine asked.

Marry lifted her right hand and— Snap!— she made a snapping sound from her fingers then a big card with a magic circle in the middle showed up beside her.

“It’s inside of my skill: Trickster's pocket.” She added.

Mareine was surprised to see a tent coming out from the center of the big card. She was agape looking at it.

“Amazing, I never knew such a thing existed.” She commented.

“It’s n-nothing amazing....” Marry was embarrassed by her complements and the symbol at the bottom of her eye change into a club ♣

“Then, let's settle our things here to eat and rest!”

“Y-Yes Mareine-san!”

The two dolls behind Mareine who keep silent seem to be happy as well as they float silently enthusiastically behind her.

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After setting and arranging everything, the sky was now dark and Marry was lighting the campfire outside the tent.

I should have agreed on Marry’s proposal on calling his noble brother for our carriage. And now, it's night and we're two girls which is very dangerous.

The tent was just at the perfect size for us and I'm really amazed at her skill that act as a pocket. I'm jealous I don't have that kind of skill.

The campfire she prepared feels like it's ready so I came outside of the tent.

“Perfect timing Mareine-san! Have a seat here beside me and let's eat.” She said pointing at the chair next to her.

The chair.... Does it also come from her skill pocket? Also, her voice doesn't look like she's shy or scared of me anymore. ‘Should I be thankful?’

“Yeah, sure.” I responded then took a seat beside her and she gave me a plate with rice and food on it with a smile.

“Actually Mareine-san... I have something to talk with you...” 

“Yeah sure, you can talk to me.” I answered then started to eat what's on the plate.

“You.... have a barrier right?”

“You can tell? Yes, I have.”

“Acquiring a barrier skill is rare but..... The barrier you have is.... weak...”

Both my eyes widened after listening to her. 

‘Weak? How can she say that?’

“The mission we are going Mareine-san is very dangerous. We might be in a fight but.... Only a barrier acting as a defense is a bit....”

“How can you say that my Skill: Barrier Shield is weak?” I asked her, because she really sounded very concerned.

“I have a skill ‘Trickery Eyes’ that can let me see the durability and strength of a person, skill or a thing.”

This is bad, her Trickery Eye sounded like the same as my eyes and her saying my Barrier Shield is weak is a very serious condition.

I don't even have a pain resistance or a health regeneration, so after a blow that can pass through my barrier, I might be in a total pain.

“The point you are telling me this, Marry was....?”

“I just wanted to help you Mareine-san. Although my eyes can't see through you, and I don't know the skill you possessed but.... I'm willing to protect you... So if there are monsters, please just go in my back....”

“I got it, but can you really protect me?” I can actually protect myself though, but Marry was really kind.

“D-don’t worry! I am a joker! I have many cards to play on!” She said, reassuring me.

“Yeah, okay, I will.”

We talked a lot about her skill and although I was worried someone might attack us or ambush us in the woods, Marry told me that her skill ‘My Battlefield’ allows her to sense any creature in our area and she said that there were no dangerous monsters lurking around.

Although there are still some non-active monsters such as slimes, mushrooms, or lone wolves in the radius, “They're sleeping.”— That's what Marry said and I trusted her.

After the light of the campfire turned off, Marry chanted something and a visible blue barrier appeared covering the area of the tent.

Then, we sleep with no one guarding us.

But.... I couldn't sleep.