The operation to recapture Shira concluded without a hitch.
With me and Rainer moving freely over the sea, the ship was helpless. We succeeded in taking Shira out with ease, and found ourselves facing her on a road away from the port.
Holding onto my hands and shaking them vigorously, Shira expressed her exaggerated gratitude.
“Thank you so much for saving me! I thought I was truly going to be sold as a slave! It was the start of my life as a slave, but I was determined not to abandon hope!!”
As Shira thanked me with energetic gratitude, Rainer nudged her head.
“Don’t give up so easily. If you disappear, I’m the one who’ll get blamed.”
“Thank you too, Rain-chi! You’re amazing, even though you’re new!”
After shaking my arms around for a while, Shira then patted Rainer’s head.
“I didn’t help you for my own sake. As long as you’re part of the party, I simply fulfilled my minimum obligation.”
“But you had the right to refuse that obligation, Rain-chi. The fact that you helped me anyway means you’re kind! There’s no doubt about it!”
“Haa… Well, you can think that if you want…”
Rainer grabbed Shira’s arm and started walking down the road.
If he let go, she’d get lost again. He held on with a strength that conveyed that very fear.
I walked alongside them.
The friendly Shira then spoke to me with a smile.
“Speaking of which, Aikawa-san is such a good person, isn’t he—? I was fooled all this time, darn it! If there’s anything I can do for you, please tell me! I want to repay you properly!”
So bright…! I narrowed my eyes at her pure sincerity, which reminded me of Dia in the past.
I felt a missing element in my current party and couldn’t help but shed tears. I felt ashamed of myself for having considered using her as a hostage during the Palinkron battle.
“She’s such a good kid, I almost wish I could trade her for someone in our party…”
My true feelings slipped out. But Rainer denied it with a bitter expression.
“Don’t be fooled, Christ. While she may seem like it, she’s the most troublesome one in our group.”
“She doesn’t seem like it…?”
“The fact that she doesn’t seem like it is what makes her troublesome.”
Apparently, I could get into serious trouble if I let my guard down. I remembered my goal and asked Shira, who was looking at me like a waiting puppy, “So, Shira, there’s something I want to ask you. Is it okay?”
“Yes, ask me anything! I’ll answer anything for you, Kanami-san, my savior!”
“Um, I came all this way because I have some business with Palinkron, and I was wondering if you knew where he is. Do you happen to know?”
It wouldn’t be strange for her to know, considering she’s his niece.
“I do! Uncle is a bit further north. I heard he’s commanding the army on the front lines!”
“…As I thought.”
When I was in Laura Via, Palinkron had muttered about being summoned as a general. It seemed he was indeed in the midst of a war.
“I don’t know the details, but he’s apparently acting as a staff officer for the ‘Southern’ Grand General! Uncle has become quite important, and it surprises me!”
“So, do you know his current exact location?”
“I do! I received a letter from him just the other day with his whereabouts. Our party is also heading that way!”
“Eh? You guys are also heading to Palinkron’s location?”
I was surprised that our destinations overlapped. I turned to Rainer, not Shira, to confirm the truth.
“Ah, that’s right.”
Rainer readily admitted it. Without hiding anything, he revealed his purpose.
“I need to ask Palinkron about Hairy’s origins in detail. And, of course, I’ll press him about my older brother too. Depending on the content, I intend to fight Palinkron.”
“I see…”
It seemed Rainer’s priorities had changed at some point. He wasn’t bloodthirsty towards me for a reason.
“I’m going to get some pocket money from Uncle!”
“Ah, I see…”
And so, I understood that Shira was unaware of the true situation. She viewed her uncle simply as family. I thought it would be best to distance myself from her as much as possible. With Rainer, it was one thing, but I couldn’t travel with Shira alone. Her presence alone would cloud my judgment. No, it was already starting to cloud. I had to avoid that any further.
I tried to ask for the necessary information quickly so I could part ways with Shira.
“Well then, Shira, I need you to tell me right away. Please give me the precise place name.”
“Yes! Um, let’s see, Uncle’s location is— Uh, I think it was, um… Hmm? Uh…”
Suddenly, Shira began to groan. Seeing her struggle, Rainer interjected from the side.
“Christ, there’s no way she’d remember details like that, so give up. If you want to know, come to our villa. You can see it in the letter there, you’ll know right away.”
Rainer also didn’t seem to know the exact location. He suggested that it would be better to look at the letter. That sounded more reliable. I had no reason to refuse.
“Understood. In that case, I’ll accompany you a little longer.”
“S-Sorry! Kanami-san! It’s all my fault for being so foolish!”
“No, it’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”
“Wow— You really are a good person—!”
Shira clung to my waist from the side. It seemed like an act of gratitude, but her restless movements made me flustered. Shira was small, but her spirit felt even younger than her small body. I felt a distortion similar to that of a Magic Stone Human, but her status didn’t show the word ‘Subject’.
While playing with Shira, who had grown fond of me without my realizing it, we headed towards the villa. It seemed to be located far from the sea.
We passed through large plazas and markets, arriving at the outskirts of the city where plains were visible. There stood a magnificent mansion, albeit one that wasn’t well-maintained. Dead grass grew everywhere, and the exterior looked aged. However, the path from the gate to the entrance was clean, indicating at least basic upkeep had been done.
“This is the Legacy family’s villa. Though, we’re using it without permission since it’s been abandoned.”
With Rainer leading the way, we opened the large door of the villa. It was a simple wooden mansion. There were few furnishings, making it look lonely compared to the mansion we had surveyed in Laura Via. The interior was not much different from the exterior. The prominent areas looked clean, but upon closer inspection, a lot of dust had accumulated in the corners.
“Alright! I’ll go grab the letter quickly—!!”
Shira dashed off into the depths of the mansion. Rainer and I were left behind at the entrance, with nothing to do.
“I’ll guide you to the guest room. Please come with me, Christ.”
Rainer seemed to consider me a guest. Leaving a guest standing at the entrance would go against his principles. He led me in the opposite direction to where Shira had gone. We proceeded down a corridor with cobwebs on the ceiling, and after opening about three doors, we arrived at a room with a large table in the center. Unlike the other rooms, this one hadn’t even been minimally cleaned. Dust covered the table and chairs, making it appear unusable.
“—Wind.”
Rainer chanted a wind spell, attempting to blow away the dust. I covered my mouth, preparing for the dust to fly towards us, but none of it came our way. Rainer’s precise wind manipulation guided the dust to the corners. Within seconds, the guest room had transformed as if it had been cleaned. Of course, if you looked closely, dust still remained in the corners. However, the air was certainly not bad. Rainer’s magic ensured perfect ventilation.
“Sorry about this, Christ. Please bear with it.”
“No, it’s more than enough. It’s a hundred times better than any cheap inn.”
I sat on the now clean chair. Rainer also sat down, intending to rest for a moment. A brief silence enveloped the guest room. Neither I nor Rainer felt the silence was painful. However, I felt it was a waste of time to just wait, so I thought about a topic to bring up with Rainer. I decided to ask about his family. I was sure he had other siblings besides Franryure and Mr. Hein. As I was about to speak, intending to discuss our families—that’s when it happened. The guest room door burst open with a loud bang. Two children in eccentric clothes entered. Although they were children, they were taller than Rainer. If Rainer was in the lower years of middle school, these two seemed to be in the upper years. The two children clung to Rainer amicably.
“Welcome home! Rain-kun!”
“Welcome home, Rainer…”
The two children looked identical. They had the same face, like twins, and their voices were similar. However, there was one major difference. Their colors were different. The one who greeted loudly had red hair, while the quieter one had black hair. The colors of their frilly outfits also distinguished them as red and black. I wasn’t sure, but they were probably both girls. I felt it would be rude to check in Dimension, so I had no way of confirming.
“You guys seem really energetic, huh—?! Didn’t you say you couldn’t move this morning because you had a cold—?!”
Rainer’s veins bulged as he pushed away the two who were rubbing against him.
“Huh? A cold? Oh, we’re already over that?”
“Liar! You were fine from the start, weren’t you!”
“Well, if Rouge and the others fight, the magic stones inside us decrease. Do you want us weaklings to die young? Rain-kun?”
The red girl, who had been pushed away, smiled devilishly, striking a pose. It was a gesture that must have come from understanding her own appearance. She spun around, letting her red frilled dress flutter, displaying her cuteness to the fullest.
“I never said that, you idiots…!”
“We’re sorry. We’re sorry, Rainer. We couldn’t keep up with Noir and the others.”
The black-haired girl repeatedly apologized to Rainer. I wasn’t sure if this was a conscious act due to her appearance, but her figure, begging for forgiveness with an upward glance, was undeniably charming. Any boy of that age would surely be taken in. Rainer told the black-haired girl with a pained expression, “I’m not angry anymore, so you don’t need to apologize.” Hearing this, the two brightened up and sat on chairs near Rainer.
“Still, how were you able to save Shira-chi when you couldn’t use either of your hands? You’re a knight, right, Rain-kun? Can you really fight without your sword?”
“It wasn’t just my strength. I had help from the hero of Laura Via.”
Rainer shifted the conversation to me. The eyes of the red and black girls turned towards me. The red girl, looking amused, confirmed with Rainer.
“Oh? This guest is a hero?”
I answered before Rainer could.
“Stop calling me a hero, Rainer. …Um, I’m Aikawa Uzunami, an explorer. I’m not a hero or anything, so let’s get along normally.” While denying it, I introduced myself to the girls. However, the girls didn’t accept my denial.
“No, Rouge and I are quite capable, so we can tell just how capable our guest is. You’re quite strong, Aikawa Kanami-san. Hmm, I’ve never seen a hero in person before. Nice to meet you too. The red one is Rouge, and the black one is Noir. We’re trying our best to make it easy to tell them apart, so please judge by color.”
“It, it’s nice to meet you… Hero-san.”
Seeing the two bow their heads to the existence of a hero, I glared at Rainer.
“It’s your fault.”
“I’m not wrong, I just stated the facts.”
Rainer smirked maliciously. I thought about getting some form of revenge later. Fortunately, he had an interesting older sister, so I could probably tease him endlessly using her as material. After the greetings were finished, Rouge immediately stood up.
“That’s right. Since a hero-sama has come to visit, I’ll go call Aid-sensei too. It’s rare, he’ll surely be happy.”
“Ah, wait, Rouge-chan. I’ll go too.”
Shira’s party seemed to be quite large. She apparently had more companions. Noir, swayed by their actions, also stood up, and the two left the room. Their friendly demeanor was like that of sisters.
“Are those two twins?” I asked Rainer about the girls who had left.
“They’re not twins. They just have similar ‘ingredients’.”
However, the words that came back from him were very cold. From the word ‘ingredients,’ I understood that they were ‘Magic Stone Humans.’
“…So that’s what it is.”
“Hairy brought them out from the research institute. She said, ‘They’re like me,’ so I had no choice.”
‘Ingredients,’ ‘Magic Stone Human,’ ‘Research Institute,’ ‘Like Hairy.’ From those cold words, I could only imagine terrible things. The ‘Magic Stone Human’ research conducted by the country was clearly inhumane. As I felt a surge of righteous indignation, Rainer shook his head.
“You don’t need to remember their faces. They’ll be gone soon anyway. This is fewer than before.”
He then taught me that it was beyond help. From Rainer’s expression, I could tell he had witnessed several deaths. The air in the room immediately became heavy and quiet. Still, I tried to speak to Rainer. However, I was interrupted by another visitor.
“Hello, young man.”
Unlike the previous girls, the door opened gently. Appearing from beyond was Hairy, the white-haired girl. And beside her was Shira. Shira was supporting Hairy. Then, Shira helped Hairy sit in a nearby chair. Slowly, as if handling a sick person.
“I’m sorry, Shira. It’s all because I’m unreliable.”
“No, this much is a small favor. Oh, Kanami-san, here’s the letter. I’ve already finished reading it, so you can take it with you.”
Shira placed the letter on the table. As I received it, I felt confused. Hairy’s appearance, like that of a sick person, was unexpected. She should have recovered after Rustiara’s treatment, but her symptoms seemed to have worsened again. Rainer, worried about Hairy’s appearance, yelled.
“W-What are you doing out here! Hairy, you should rest!”
“I couldn’t stay in bed when I heard the young man had arrived.”
Hairy replied as if it were natural.
“No, Rainer’s right, it’s better if you just rest without worrying about it.”
I agreed with Rainer’s opinion. However, Hairy simply smiled faintly and continued to talk without considering her own condition.
“Young man, you’ve already arrived on the mainland, haven’t you? Hehe, I’m so ashamed to show you such a pathetic sight.”
“I really wish you wouldn’t push yourself. You’re clearly worse than before…?”
“I can’t help it. Observing you, young man, is my hobby.”
Hairy stubbornly refused to leave. It seemed she had no intention of moving, no matter what I said. And with her determined eyes, she ‘gazed’ at me.
“…I see. You’ve grown stronger again since then. Your level has increased.”
From her words, I realized Hairy had read my status. However, I detected a sarcastic nuance in her words and decided to return the sarcasm.
“I’ve gone into a few dungeons since then. But from your perspective, Hairy, don’t you think I haven’t grown?”
“Yes, that’s right. …Does that phrase still bother you, young man?”
The words spoken at our farewell were like a wedge piercing my heart. Because of that, my mind couldn’t rest. I found myself thinking about things I didn’t want to think about.
“Yes, it does. It’s like a dampener on my spirits, even though I’ve finally reached level 20 to be told something like that.”
“I apologize for that. However, the fact that it bothers you means you can no longer ‘remain as you are,’ young man. You still seem alright, but…”
Hairy spoke in veiled terms. To clarify their meaning, I asked Hairy again.
“What do you mean by ‘still alright’? It’s related to what you said before, when you saw me and Dia, that we might ‘remain as we are,’ isn’t it?”
“…Did you notice? That’s scary; to have even that momentary flicker of your gaze seen through.”
“At that time, Hairy, you were worried when you looked at me and Dia, weren’t you?”
“Yes, that’s correct. Of the two of you, only you two were unstable.”
“Me and Dia are unstable…? Not Maria or Rustiara…?”
“Your young lady and the half-guardian are stable thanks to you. There’s no doubt about that. That’s precisely why I worry about the collapse of you two who remained.”
“Me and Dia, collapsing…?”
The mere mention of such a grim word left me speechless.
“I hope you can last until you reach the deepest part. But that will likely be a fleeting dream. I want to believe it, but you both will become like me. You’ll become like me—and then—”
As Hairy spoke, her face turned red. Her body trembled, and her breathing grew ragged.
“I-Ugh—, so young man— you won’t become like me—!!”
Finally, Hairy clutched her head and began to writhe in pain. Shira, standing right beside her, frantically looked around for help.
“Th-This is bad, this is bad! Has it gotten worse again? We should call Aid-sensei quickly!”
“No, Rouge and the others should be on their way! They should be here soon—!”
Seeing the abnormal situation, Rainer also stood up. He immediately began to chant a divine magic incantation. Rainer’s light attempted to envelop Hairy’s body. However, another magic spell interrupted his. From beyond the guest room door, a bright green magical light was emitted.
“They’re already here. Leave the treatment to me, Lord Rainer.”
A tall man appeared from beyond the door. He had slender limbs like wires, white hair that reached his chest, distinctive thin eyes, and pale lips. He wore a white coat reminiscent of a researcher, and a pair of glasses unsuited to this异世界 perched on his nose. The gentle magical light, resembling fireflies, emanating from the man enveloped Hairy. Her breathing visibly calmed, and the expression of agony softened, her sweating subsided. Seeing that she had escaped the dangerous state, everyone in the room let out a sigh of relief.
“Hmm, it seems all members of my party are gathered here.”
The man, having finished the treatment, looked around the guest room and said ‘all members.’ The people present were— Shira Legacy. Hairy Weissplope. Rainer Helvirshine. Rouge and Noir. And— I ‘gazed’ compellingly. I couldn’t help it. The green magic this man emitted was too bizarre. It was clearly magic of an abnormal density. The last member of Shira Legacy’s party to appear. That man’s name was— —Monster. Rank Forty Guardian, Thief of the Laws of Wood. He was the guardian of the 40th floor, released by Hairy and the others. He was the ‘Thief of the Laws of Wood.’
“This should be fine for now. Now, about our guest—”
And then, my eyes met those of the Thief of the Laws of Wood. His intelligent brown eyes reflected my image.
“Wh-What, a-eh—?”
The Thief of the Laws of Wood’s eyes widened in surprise. He stared, then his magic surged with fighting spirit. I also hurriedly reached for my ‘Inventory’ and grasped my sword. I held it— but I didn’t intend to draw it. Because, upon seeing me, the ‘Thief of the Laws of Wood’ was trembling. The boss monster, possessing inhuman strength, was cowering as if it had encountered a ‘monster.’ I couldn’t possibly draw my sword.
“C-Could it be… are you Lord ‘Aikawa Uzunami’…?! N-No, that’s strange. Could it be… a ‘Thief of the Principles of Water’…?”
The Thief of the Laws of Wood called out my name and uttered the words ‘Thief of the Principles of Water.’
