After the battle ended, I was invited to the Kobold’s den.
Veronica remained asleep even as night fell. Pauline, barely eating anything, stayed by her side to nurse her.
“Pauline, I’m going to head back to camp for a bit to check on everyone. You must be exhausted, so make sure you get some rest.”
“Understood. Please be careful.”
I managed to step outside into the darkness. Inside the cave, despite it being night, the Kobolds were working busily. They too were striving hard for recovery. Everyone else was resting by a bonfire near the entrance.
“Ah, Hiro’s out! Hey, how’s it inside? Piyo wants to go too!”
Upon spotting me, Piyo ran over at full speed. Nina, drawn by Piyo, approached as well.
“Honestly, we were worried about when you’d come out. So, did Veronica get well?”
“Ah, well, she hasn’t woken up at all. Pauline is watching her right now.”
I sat down by the bonfire and accepted some tea from Philiana.
“But I was surprised, to think she would turn out like that. I just thought she was nocturnal.”
Everyone nodded at Philiana’s statement. I also hadn’t expected her to collapse from sunlight. Cecilia then spoke up.
“Dark Harpies are inherently born with dark energy. It seems they burn when exposed to sunlight. The damage is greater the stronger their magic power, it’s like a double-edged sword.”
In that case, Veronica must have been even more deeply wounded than other Dark Harpies. To have been able to move so much until the end in such a state, she had considerable mental fortitude. For now, I couldn’t leave Pauline alone, so I decided to return to the cave. Naturally, Piyo insisted on coming along, so I had no choice but to bring her back with me.
Pauline was in a small room, constantly changing towels. Piyo, who had been watching with apparent enjoyment, suddenly lost her smile. I went to her side and peered worriedly at her face.
“Pauline, are you okay? Should I take over? Piyo is here.”
“No, I’m fine. Thank you though. There’s not much else I can do. Piyo and Hiroaki-san, please get some rest.”
Even so, I couldn’t possibly leave Pauline alone. I’d rest a little first and then take over the nursing duties midway. I leaned against the corner of the room and closed my eyes.
Ugh, what is this… something is licking my face. I can hear voices nearby. Right, I was supposed to relieve Pauline. I almost forgot. I opened my eyes slightly and saw two Kobolds peeking at my face. Next to me, Piyo was sleeping soundly, her belly exposed.
“Huh? Ah, what, do you need something?”
“H-H-Hiro, your companion, has disappeared.”
Morning… Morning! I hadn’t realized because I was inside the cave. Did I end up sleeping all night? Come to think of it, where was Pauline? I frantically looked for her and found her asleep in the same spot as yesterday, still clutching a towel. And Veronica, who should have been lying in the center, was gone.
Banging my head against the ceiling, I somehow managed to escape the cave. Everyone else seemed to have slept at the camp. Just seeing them made me sigh with relief. But Veronica wasn’t among them. Where on earth had she gone? The sky was starting to lighten, and the morning sun was beginning to peek through.
Suddenly, the scent of tobacco tickled my nose. Turning around, I saw her taking a smoke near the cave entrance.
“Ah, Veronica! Thank goodness, I was worried.”
“Oh, were you.”
Is that all? I was so worried because she wouldn’t wake up. Even now, burn-like scars remained on her face, but it seemed she had managed to survive.
