“Hiriluk? What is it?”
We go inside, and are greeted by a woman holding a broom. Or rather, cleaning.
“Miss Suiren, I brought visitors that Mister Ghido asked me to guide through our village.”
I immediately notice her pointy ears, which show she’s an elf like Chris. Her blond hair stretches all the way to her lower back, and her face is so beautiful that I’d probably do a double take if I saw her walking down the street normally.
“Visitors?”
She looks our way, specifically at Chris, me, and Hikari.
“Come in. Let’s give the children some sweets.”
“M-Miss Suiren, don’t spoil them too…!”
“It’s fine. I made a lot.”
The kids cheer when they hear Suiren. Could it be that this is actually the real reason why they tagged along?
The kids are handed bags that seem to be packed with candy, say thank you, and run off.
Hiriluk is exasperated, and Suiren has a smile on her face.
“Well then, this way everyone.”
We’re taken to a room where several adults could gather and eat together, with a big table in the middle and chairs around it.
“So, what is it you wanted to talk to me about?”
Suiren looks at me and asks.
“H-hum! I’m the one who wishes to talk… Hum, I’m looking for my older sister.”
“Older sister? None of the elves in this town have sisters…”
“…I see…”
Says Chris, and Suiren says she’s sorry.
It’s not like it’s her fault, but she probably said that reflexively after seeing how sad Chris is.
Chris really is that visibly dejected. She’s dropping her shoulders and looking down, to the point where even Rurika and Sera don’t feel like they can say anything without reserve.
The silence is broken by a loud noise, as the door is opened.
Everyone turns their eyes to the door, including Chris.
The source of the noise looks startled, or rather, surprised, and steps back after feeling all our eyes on her. But then she looks at me and smiles broadly, and… Runs?
I’m not sure if I should say run, because it looks like she’s running, but she’s so slow that at the same time it doesn’t feel like she is.
Her breathing is a mess despite the short distance, and she’s breathing heavily in front of me.
Now that I look at her from the front like this, her face seems familiar. She has brown hair and brown eyes. Yes, I’ve met this girl with a bob haircut before.
“I-is it really you? D-do you remember me? Hum, we were summoned together…”
And then I remember, and cast Appraisal just to check.
Name – (Amano Kotori) / Job – (Spirit Mage) / Race – (Otherworlder) / Level – (80) / Condition – (-)
I’m surprised by her high level. I guess if you gather about six otherworlders with this level, they could probably fight demons, right?
“Yes, I’m Sora. I go by just Sora now.”
“Yes! I’m Amano Kotori. Kaede and Miharu were also worried about you.”
I assume they’re also people who were summoned with us, but honestly, I can’t tell by their names alone.
No, my memory of that time is fuzzy because everyone else read high level skills, and I was shocked by how bad mine was.
“I-I see. I honestly don’t remember a lot about that… Sorry.”
“No, I understand that they’re bad memories. And…”
I wait for her to continue, and she opens her eyes widely.
“C-c-c-cat!”
She says loudly enough to surprise me, and runs over to Sera.
As I see her run off, I remember something. It was right after we were summoned. She, Kotori, was scared by her surroundings, and was very reserved. She didn’t stand tall like she is now, and was all scrunched up.
And now it feels like she’s full of energy… I don’t remember much about them, but I guess this shows she’s now living with people she can count on.
And this is a town where people of various races live.
“Look. I’ve never seen one before. It’s a cat beast person! Wah… I love cats so much. I even had one at home. Can I hug you!?”
You’re already doing it. And Sera is perplexed by her excitement too.
Rurika laughs, because it’s rare to see Sera so flustered. Rurika also looked down when she learned that Eris isn’t here.
But then, I hear a dull sound. I turn to where it came from, and see Chris fallen on the table.
“C-Chris!”
I quickly hold her, and see she’s having trouble breathing. There are large beads of sweat on her forehead too.
“Maybe the exhaustion caught up to her. We have a room ready, so let’s let her rest.”
Suiren quickly starts giving instructions.
I was going to carry Chris on my back, but Suiren tells me to keep holding her the way I am, so I take her to a bed while holding her in a princess carry.
Then I leave the room, followed by Hikari and Kotori shortly after.
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Happy Holidays!
Thanks for the treat.
I’m sure she will like being carried that way if she finds out