Prologue: The Beautiful Little Girl[1] in the Back Alley

――Strange.

While sprinting down the paved road, that word began to fill the entirety of her thoughts.

With pink colored hair gathered up into a side-tail, the tender girl of young age.
On the side of her leg that was concealed by a thin one-piece, countless lacerations and abrasions were carved into it.
Although her overall physique was slim, her calf and thigh were somewhat thicker and sturdier than other girls her age.
Possessing a childish body that looked no more than ten years old, she exhausted herself every single day in order to survive till today.

The girl was being chased by soldiers.
It was not only soldiers. The entire town was the girl’s enemy.
The girl was all alone.
A stained girl with neither relatives nor belongings, no one would come to her rescue.

*Haa Haa* while gasping for breath, she chose to plunge into complicated alleys and corridors.
If she were to conceal her childish figure in the shadows, nobody would be able to find her.
Up until now when she experienced such a situation, she would do that to shake off pursuers.
But this time was different.
Even if she ran and ran, there were two people who chased after the girl without being disorientated.

――Strange, Strange, It’s Strange!

While straining her slender feet, the girl dashed down the back street.
Without a home to live in nor anyone to support her, spending day and night in these back alleys made it become just like her own backyard.
Which road to take and where they all led, Where to head in order to get back to a certain place, she had full knowledge of all these things.
Even getting to know the beggars, there was not a single detail the girl did not know about these back alleys.
Even if you could sense her presence, there shouldn’t be anyone who could chase after the girl without losing their way.

Hurdling over garbage cans, Kicking off the walls, Running down the elaborate side-streets.

For a short time the presence that lingered until now disappeared, the girl let out a sigh of relief.
She turned around to check behind her but, not even the careless footsteps of people from the shadows could be heard.
Finally, that softhearted person had given up on her.

「……Finally, did I lose them?」(Girl)
「Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to be that way.」(???)

A gentle voice echoed towards her, The girl turned to it with a startled expression.

His body wrapped in a grey robe the black haired boy was, with an iris[2] colored book in one hand he was looking down at the girl.
The moment the girl lost her focus and revealed an opportunity, He used Earth magic to bring forth a stone wall. The girl had her escape routes completely sealed off.

「As expected of Kenja-sama[3]. Constructing a wall out of the Mana[4] extracted from a stone, being able to use such high grade magic, it’s amazing!」(???)

From behind the young boy stood a silver haired wo

man, with a fluffy[5] expression she intertwined her fingers.
Blushing while completely absorbed in him, she looked at the young man from the side.

Before answering the woman’s words, with a trouble expression the boy smiled and stretched his hand out to the young girl.
He gave a helping hand to the girl, this was not the first time he had done so.

「You don’t have to run away anymore. We, we’ve come to save you.」(Boy)

While letting out reassuring words, “He” ―― Kazami Ayame[6], embraced the girl with pink colored hair.

Extra note:
The Girl/young girl= Shoujo
The boy/young man= Shounen
The woman/woman= Jousei

1.

TL note: Originally Little Girl is spelled [幼女] which really means “An extremely young girl” (also known as a Loli)

2.

TL note: Irises (菖蒲) look like This. So basically a “bluish purple” color.

3.

TL note: Kenja-sama (賢者様) means “Wise man/Sage”-sama

4.

TL note: Originally written as 体外魔力 (マナ) it means “External Magical Power” but read as “Mana”

5.

TL note: Originally ほわーんとした顔 which is like “a soft/fluffy faced expression”. Basically she looked “Enamored” while locking her fingers/hands together

6.

TL note: His first name, Ayame, is another way to read “iris”. It’s a pun (his name is the same color as the book)