It’s been two days since they lost consciousness, and we’ve safely… Can we call this safely? Anyway, we’ve left the dungeon, because their condition hasn’t changed at all.
“What is the matter?”
Yuini asks, sounding surprised, and after I explain the situation to her, she has a room prepared.
“I’ll try contacting grandma.”
“Yes, please.”
As Chris leaves, Sirk comes running into the room with heavy footsteps.
“Hikari collapsed!?”
He must have really come in a hurry, because he’s out of breath.
Then he notices Hikari lying on a bed, and rushes towards her.
“Calm down Sirk. And you’re all sweaty too.”
Yuini pushes Sirk back, and casts purification magic.
Sirk takes a deep breath, closes his eyes, and then turns to Yuini.
“Are you feeling calmer? Then let me explain.”
Sirk stays silent as he hears her explanation, and when she’s done, he glares at me.
“H-how did that happen if you were there!?”
He comes at me to hit me, but Alfriede, who I didn’t even see arrive, stops him.
It looks like he calmed down, but hearing about Hikari’s condition got his blood boiling again.
“Be quiet Sirk. If you can’t do that, you have to leave. We have sick people here, you know?”
Sahana is tough with him, as always.
I get that he’s acting out of affection, but apparently Sirk doesn’t understand it, and I can see tears welling up in his eyes.
He opens his mouth to argue, but closes it after Sahana glares at him.
“And it’s clearly tougher on Sora and the others. Don’t you understand that?”
That was the killing blow, and Sirk trudgingly drops his shoulders and leaves the room.
Yuini has been smiling awkwardly at their back and forth, but doesn’t really move to stop Sirk.
However, Alfriede does go after him after bowing.
“I’m sorry about my idiot brother, Sora…”
“No, he’s right. I was the one in a position to stop it.”
Sahana apologizes, but what Sirk said hit me in the heart. I was wary when I saw the crystal tree, but didn’t really feel a sense of danger.
That’s partially because my skills didn’t warn me of any dangerous elements, but also because I was fascinated by that magical, otherworldly sight.
It would’ve probably been fine in a normal place, but it was a dungeon. I tried to tell myself not to rely on skills so many times, and yet, I can’t deny that I created a fatal opening that time.
“I will look after Hikari and Rurika for the time being. How about you three rest as well? We have civil officials looking through books to see if they can find anything”
At first I don’t know what to do, but after Chris comes back and says Morrigan and the others will investigate it too, we decide to just rest.
We’ve been marching pretty hard on the way back, so I’m sure Chris and Sera are tired in more ways than one too.
◇ ◇ ◇
I wake up, and the room is completely dark.
We came back before it got dark, so I think it’s still the same day.
It’s at times like these that I wish I had a proper watch.
I get up from the bed, and notice light coming from the communications device. The color tells me it’s from Kotori. It doesn’t let people leave messages, but I can tell who tried to contact me.
But I can’t call her back now, when I don’t even know what time it is.
At least that’s what I think, until the communications device starts blinking.
“Hello…”
“Sora! Is it true that something bad happened to Hikari!?”
Yells Kotori through the communications device.
I think it’s nighttime, but she sure is full of energy. And apparently Morrigan or Suiren told her what happened.
“I was thinking that maybe Miharu should go to the Dragon Kingdom or something.”
“Ah, I can use Holy Magic too, and there are also others here who can use it.”
Although my Heal and Recovery didn’t work.
“I see…”
Then I tell Kotori more about what happened, and once I’m done, we talk about what’s been happening. Actually, it’s more like I’m hearing what they’ve been doing.
Apparently they’ve been really working as adventurers. Mostly to look for the missing Shizune, the Sorcerer King.
And since they don’t really know what to do, Argo and people that moved from the faraway town have been helping them.
Argo and his party have been teaching them about how to be adventurers, and people from the faraway town have been working as members of their party.
“But the reason is awful. Because they can’t rely on me, they said.”
Kotori is complaining, but I can’t find any fault in that.
It’s not just her either, the others also lack knowledge of this world. Although the people of the faraway town are suspicious too, because they’ve been isolated all this time.
I guess it’s up to Argo’s party.
“I know there’s a lot of stuff going on, but good luck.”
Yes. Call me from time to time! And please look after Hikari.”
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Thanks for the treat.