“So how long have you been here? And where did this Nanashi go?”
I don’t know how long. Well… Since that kid was a baby. And Nanashi became a star.
“He died!?”
I’m kidding. He disappeared before I knew it. Maybe he escaped the forest. But he wasn’t strong enough to beat monsters outside of the forest. I can’t say for sure that he’s alive, but…
“But?”
He took my precious longsword! I can’t forgive that!
“That’s… Rough.”
Yes. Listen to this, I had so much trouble without that sword…
Number Two hears me grumble for a while, and at some point his silent aura is asking me to stop already. I notice that, but ignore it and keep going.
Eventually I hear complaints from behind me that it’s enough.
“Kyui!!”
Magic energy shines, as Hinata threatens me that it’s enough.
Having to listen to grumbling is getting him down too, you’re troubling Number Two, is what that flashing light tells me.
Fine, I’ll stop, so stop that bright light.
So, do you remember how you got here?
“That’s…”
Number Two hesitates to respond, and his eyes get cloudy and dark.
He looks like a simple young man. Like the opposite of Nanashi, who was like a wild animal. But that image changes once I see the darkness and hatred in his eyes.
Up until now, he felt like a very normal young man who would care about strangers. This nice young man has a look in his like he resents the whole world, and doesn’t even try to hide it.
Maybe he can’t afford to.
Hey, calm down.
“Ah… I’m sorry.”
I don’t know what happened, but you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. If you don’t want to be reminded of it, you don’t have to talk any more.
“…Yes.”
Anything else you want to ask?
“Yes. What should I do now?”
That’s up to you. You can live here, or try to return to the surface with us. It’s your choice.
“Didn’t you say we couldn’t escape the forest?”
For now. That’s no reason to give up, is it? So what if I failed ten or twenty times? That’s no reason to not try to leave.
“Yes. I want to go with you. There are things I have to do on the surface!”
I see, then first…
“First?”
Hellish training.
“Eh?”
◇ ◇ ◇
I knew it already, but he’s weak.
He reaches the limit of his stamina and magic energy, and collapses unconscious.
We had a match so I could see how strong he is, but this is pretty bad.
If Nanashi’s power was a ten out of ten when we first met, Number Two is at best six or seven.
He’s too weak. If he left the area around the lake, he would be attacked and killed immediately. I can easily imagine that.
If Hinata didn’t find him or Fuuma didn’t want to save him, he’d be dead.
Assuming Hinata knew that and went to save him because of it, maybe my previous worries were unfounded.
Hinata can care about others.
Just knowing that is already a good result, but I want Number Two to at least be able to protect himself. We could advance while Hinata and Fuuma look after him, but a mistake would lead to him losing his life. Of curse, I want to protect him too, but I go on the front and fight, so it would mostly be those two.
In the end, he’s a burden, something that holds us back.
I want him to at least be as strong as Nanashi.
Enough power to survive fighting monsters in the forest, that’s the minimum.
“Hn hnn~.”
“Kyua!?”
Hinata looks at Number Two as he wakes up, and casts Healing Magic to make him regain his consciousness.
Yes, Hinata learned how to use Healing Magic recently. Furthermore, she can also use Wind Magic, and different elements without skills.
I tried to use fire and water when I saw that, to no avail. I can do it with magic circles, but I can’t freely give it shape.
It must be down to Hinata’s species.
“Ah, thank you.”
“Kyumu.”
Number Two thanks Hinata while looking away, like he’s embarrassed about being saved by something smaller. Hinata nods like it’s telling him not to worry about it.
“Kyu!”
Hinata’s eyes shine as it hands him a wooden sword like it’s saying it will face him next.
“Yes.”
Number Two can’t refuse, and gets up with it in hand. And he loses consciousness again a minute later.
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