This sudden reunion is surprising, but I need to take Reese back to Majolica before we can really talk.
“I’m sorry things got so hurried near the end.”
“It’s all right, and thank you. I got to meet Miss Suiren and the others again, and I had fun going back to the town.”
Reese says when we say goodbye.
Then I go back to the faraway town to try to talk to Arlon this time, but they’re still arguing.
Actually, it’s more just Shizune who’s talking.
“I told you I’m staying.”
“But, you know…”
When Arlon sees me, he looks at me like he’s asking for help.
I think the first thing to do here is hear why they’re together.
“I just happened to find her injured in the dark forest, so I took her in. It was only later that I found out she was an otherworlder like you.”
Then Shizune looks at me with a kind of surprised expression.
“…I remember you. You’re the one who was summoned but was benched.”
That’s harsh. I mean, I guess it’s true.
“Hum, have you told her about what’s going on, or how things are now?”
“…I guess we haven’t.”
Arlon says, so I talk to Shizune about the current situation. Mostly about what happened with Elesya.
“I see. So Kotori is all right. And Kaede and Miharu…”
And then, Shizune talks about herself.
“I don’t remember a lot though.”
She says that her memories from before Arlon and the others found her cut off when they were on their way back from the Prekes dungeon, and were attacked by demons.
“…But… I was probably being controlled.”
She says while biting her lip with frustration.
I think she might have faint memories of what happened.
“I was throwing around magic like crazy, under the knights’ orders.”
So she was ordered to fire magic at the monsters in the dark forest. I assume using all that flashy magic drew in monsters, and she was swarmed by them when she ran out of magic energy. And that’s when she lost consciousness.
And then, the demons found her, wounded.
“And that’s why I want to repay them.”
She emphasizes.
This might sound rude, but she has a stronger sense of duty than it looks.
The problem is that the demons are busy right now, and Shizune isn’t really strong enough to not just get in the way.
Her level is pretty high, but compared to Arlon and the others…
“Just one thing…”
“Hn? What?”
She glares at me. I think she just feels like I’m getting in the way of her talking to Arlon.
“Well, Kotori and the others are worried about you. How about you get in touch with them?”
“Get in touch… How?”
I take out the communications device, and contact Kotori.
They’re probably working right now, but she answers.
‘Sora? Why are you calling at this hour?’
“Can you talk right now?”
‘Yes, it’s fine.’
They’re actually in the middle of a break, taking it easy in the room.
I tell her about Shizune, and pass the device to her.
‘Shizu?’
“Is that really you, Kotori?”
‘It’s me.’
They probably have a lot to talk about, so let’s leave them be.
“Wait, where are you going?”
“Well, you can take it from here!”
Arlon says quickly before flying away, while Shizune is busy talking to Kotori.
He erases his presence too, so Shizune doesn’t notice.
I’m not sure about this, but I also don’t try to stop him, because he tells me why he’s doing it just before he leaves.
He could have just said that to Shizune directly, but I don’t know if you’d call it stubbornness or strong will, but he probably thinks there’s no convincing her.
“Oh? Where’s Arlon?”
Shizune asks after she’s done talking, so I just tell her he left.
“Why didn’t you stop him?”
“Because he told me why. I think you understand too, don’t you?”
She glares at me after I say that, but the fact that she doesn’t say anything proves I’m right.
Arlon told me, he’s been where the demon king’s castle used to be. He didn’t tell me a lot, but it’s a dangerous area right now. Apparently just getting near it is harmful.
He actually wanted Shizune to leave right away, but just didn’t have the time to take her.
Also, demons like Arlon are fine there, but the younger ones… The ones with one horn, have also been evacuated.
“You should just do what they say right now. You don’t want to get in their way, right?”
She twitches when I ask that, and reluctantly decides to go back with me.
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Thanks for the treat.