Nearly picked up while walking alone, Arisugawa
What in the world was that? Well, for the time being, I was lucky I didn’t have to draw my sword. Even though I could have easily handled those thugs with my cloak and the power of my sword. For the time being, I returned to my room.
“Ah, that was the worst. Hmm, what’s wrong with Piyo?”
Piyo, who I thought had gone out to play, was sitting alone on the bed. She looked dejected and out of sorts.
“Hiro, you’re back.”
“What’s wrong with you being alone? Aren’t you going to play? Where did everyone else go?”
“Everyone went shopping. Elena is sleeping, though. Hey, Hiro.”
Piyo, acting unlike herself, looked up at me sadly. I crouched down to meet her gaze.
“What happened to Philly? Nina won’t talk to me anymore either. Did they become men, so they won’t play with Piyo anymore?”
“I’ll go and listen to what’s going on. It’s not that I’ve come to dislike Piyo, so don’t worry.”
I gently stroked her head, and she gave a small smile. Just as she said, I knocked on the door of the room where Philiana was staying.
“Philiana, are you in? I’m coming in?”
“Ah, please do.”
When I entered the room, I found her sitting in front of a mirror. For some reason, she had taken off her clothes and was naked.
“Hey, why don’t you go out once in a while? It’s dangerous, but there’s plenty of food. It’s cheap and the portions are large.”
“Hahaha, thank you. But it’s okay, I want to stay here right now.”
“…Your way of speaking has changed, hasn’t it? What happened to you?”
When she turned to me, her face had already changed. I recognized this face from somewhere. A sharp face with strong-willed eyes, the strong arms of a knight… it was her brother. Her kind brother, Philiana, who had told her she could come back anytime.
Philiana gently stroked the mirror, as if she could see her brother inside it.
“I’m still me, even if my appearance has changed.”
“Piyo was worried, you know.”
“Is that so? I’m sorry. Don’t worry, I’ll protect everyone.”
She seemed somewhat entranced with herself. Next is Nina, and this one seems to be a more serious case.
“Hellooo, Nina? Are you in there? I’m coming in.”
*Click*. The door is closed. No matter how many times I pushed the doorknob, it wouldn’t open. Is she locking it from the inside? I knocked and called her name repeatedly.
“Nina, are you in there? Are you okay?”
Then, with a click, the door opened slightly. From the darkness, a gaunt Nina peeked out slightly.
“Close the door.”
As I stepped inside, fallen clothes hit my feet. The room, with its curtains drawn tightly, was pitch black, even though the sun was already up.
“Um, are you okay?”
“Are you okay?! Of course not!”
She screamed in a voice that had become very low. She scowled and averted her gaze uncomfortably, as if she disliked even her own voice.
“Sigh, neither the makeup nor the clothes fit. I’m becoming a strange-looking person.”
“Calm down, you don’t look strange.”
“Why are you so sane? I’m becoming a different person, and it’s only me.”
The mirror on the vanity in the room was shattered into pieces. She stroked the broken surface with trembling fingers. I had to see the sage as soon as possible. I should gather everyone and prepare for departure.
When I returned to the room where Piyo was, Sharin and Cecilia were there.
“Oh, Arisugawa, you’re back too.”
“We should leave as soon as possible. Nina and Philiana are in a bad way.”
Sharin tilted his head as I explained about the two of them.
“Hmm, it sounds quite serious. Me? I’m fine. I don’t have any problems like this.”
I suppose so. Sharin had become a bit muscular, but since he wasn’t that tall to begin with, there wasn’t much of a change.
“By the way, what about Sylvie?”
“Hmm, Sen no Tsurugi? If so, she went to buy books with Lauren. She’s become quite sociable. To think she’d initiate a conversation.”
I see, that’s good. I was worried because Philiana had been looking after her.
“I don’t think Sen no Tsurugi is the real problem. I don’t know where those two are right now.”
That was Cecilia, who was behind Sharin. The fact that Cecilia, who always stayed with Karubene, had lost track of them.
“We should stop them before they get involved in something dangerous.”
A while later, the other members returned. Sylvie spent the day with Lauren and looked satisfied. She told us about the day’s events with a smile.
Pauline also returned. But those two never came back. Well, they are nocturnal, so it’s natural, but we have important things to discuss.
The next morning, even by early morning, the two had not returned.
