“Well then. We’re going back to the alfar village.”
“Yes. I will send these two idiots back after they think about what they’ve done.”
And so, Katima and I walk away from Miss Sheryl’s temple.
And the nameless silver girl in my arms is still sleeping.
“…Are you sure we can just leave like that?”
Katima turns around to face the temple, but I stop her.
“Katima, no.”
“But…”
“If you turn around now, there will be no going back.”
“…Yes, you’re right.”
I speed up just a little bit, and Katima does the same, matching me.
“Heeeeeeeyyyyyyy! Help uuuus!!”
“I’m going as well! So let me out…”
“You two think about what you did!”
“Ohfu!”
“Ohfu!?”
I feel an impact big enough to make the earth tremble behind me, and powerful magic energy blows through, but we still don’t turn around.
After all, if we take Mister Guen and Mister Giarth with us now, it’s going to be trouble for sure.
“W-what is the darkness great spirit doing to make great spirits raise weird voices like those!?”
“I said no, Katima! Don’t mind, and look ahead!”
“U-uuuuu… Katima wants to know… Katima wants to know…”
We keep hearing them make weird voices here and there, but we have no idea what Miss Sheryl is doing to them.
All I know is that if we turn around, we aren’t going to see something very pleasant.
“Ah… For some reason, I really want to see Reina…”
“Katima wants the elder and grandma too…”
We ignore their weird voices again, and hurry to get away from the temple.
◇ ◇ ◇
The path in the volcanic area is rugged, and filled with a lot of monsters that look like lizards.
Katima mows them down again, and after traversing the same path we crossed before, we reach the alfar village.
“Katima’s back in the alfar village!”
“I feel like it’s been so long.”
It took us days on the way there, because we were looking for the great spirits, but since we came back without any detours, it didn’t take very long.
And yet it feels like it’s been very long, because our encounter with the great spirits left a mark.
I peek to my side, and see Katima feeling emotional about coming back, and look around.
The brownish red precipice and the white houses.
I thought about it the first time I came here too, but it really is a great sight.
“Hn? Daddy?”
“Ah, you’re awake.”
My eyes meet the ones of the girl that was comfortably sleeping in my arms this whole time.
She blinks her azure eyes, and moves her head to look around.
I don’t think she’s fully awake yet.
“Do you want to go down?”
“…”
She puts more strength into the arm around my neck. I guess that’s a no.
“I see.”
I keep holding her like she wants, and feel the warmth typical of children.
But at the same time, she feels a little chilly. It’s a strange sensation.
I can’t see her face, but I can tell she’s looking all over.
“Ooh…”
A small, surprised voice reaches my ears.
Apparently she’s impressed by this village.
I think it’s a little funny, so I laugh.
“Is it interesting?”
“Yes! Wow!”
She’s a great spirit, but she’s also just been born.
Everything is new and interesting to her.
“Let’s go see the elder.”
Says Katima, before cheerfully clinging to the wall and climbing.
At this rate, I’m going to end up having to look at her lower body, so I quickly use floating magic and go after her.
“Ooh!”
The girl in my arms laughs, having fun flying in my arms.
“Hold on tight so you don’t fall.”
“Yay! Wow wow!”
She’s so innocently happy, that it makes me have fun too.
I might as well speed up and fly around while I’m at it. She’s laughing with excitement, so I go faster and…
“Arata! If you get carried away too much and just keep doing that, Reina’s going to be mad!”
“…Ah.”
Yes, I was kind of getting carried away because it felt nice.
If Reina saw this, she’d probably look at me with weird eyes again.
“Already over?”
“We need to go back first…”
“Uu… All right…”
The girl looks a little disappointed.
I kind of understand how she feels. She’s like a kid that doesn’t want to leave an amusement park.
“How about we play more later?”
“Yes!”
I didn’t have children in my previous life. Is this what it’s like?
As I think about that, Katima, who already reached the top, looks at me with an exasperated expression.
“I think Arata would make a bad father.”
“Eh… I’m playing with her and everything.”
“You’re just another, big, kid. Poor Reina.”
Well, I really do cause Reina problems. But still, isn’t it mean to treat me like a kid?”
“Daddy, are you a kid?”
“I’m not. I’m an adult.”
“Ooh, daddy’s great.”
“See?”
“I don’t know what Katima’s supposed to ‘see’. Let’s just go.”
I say that with full confidence, and Katima just looks kind of bothered.
We have this back and forth on the way to Katima’s house, and Reina just happens to be leaving it.
“Ah, Reina. We’re back.”
“We just got back.”
“Welcome back, Arata, Katima, and…”
Reina’s soft smile stiffens a little.
Her eyes are on the small girl holding on to me.
“…Katima’s going in first.”
“Hold on, Katima. We came all this way together, we might as well stick together until the…”
“No. Katima doesn’t want to get involved.”
I try to catch her, but she escapes.
But if I really try, even Katima…
“Arata? I have a little something to ask…”
“…You’re wrong.”
“I see… I haven’t even said anything.”
I look at Katima like I’m asking for help, and she looks at me like she’s telling me to give up.
What useless eye contact!
“Arata?”
“It’s a misunderstanding…”
Reina’s eyes deep with meaning are scary.
This is an island where many strong races live, but to me, it feels like she’s the strongest.
“This child…”
“…Mommy!”
“…Eh?”
The girl in my arms suddenly jumps down, and holds on to Reina’s leg.
“Mommy! Mommy!”
“Eh? Eh? Eh?”
Reina looks baffled.
And the girl keeps calling her mommy with a happy tone.
I don’t really understand what’s going on, but…
Go for it! So Reina doesn’t feel mad anymore! Go!
I cheer the girl with all I have.
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