Chapter 34

Summary of the Previous Chapter:

(Excerpt)

Everyone present was frozen in place at the sudden appearance of the girl.

Despite the events unfolding right before my eyes, I didn't see a single thing of her attack on the Green Caterpillar. It was unbelievable.

"Even in a skirt, she can move around and be 'invisible'...!?"

"Who said that just now!?"

(This excerpt contains some fictional elements)

16

As I switched my thoughts and raised my face, Lily quickly stood up.

"I'll go out."

Lily hid Ayame, who had jumped onto her, under her clothes. I quickly rewrapped the bandage on my left hand to hide Asarina. After confirming that we were ready, Lily unlocked the door and peered through the gap.

"Who is it?"

This cautious response was part of her role as a bodyguard. Lily was making sure the visitor couldn't see me.

However, this meant I couldn't see who had come either.

I was guessing that the preparations for the reception were complete and that the man from earlier had come to call us, when—

"Oh, oh? What?"

A rather odd voice was heard.

It seemed the visitor was a young man, or rather, a boy, judging by the tone. He was likely one of the students. ...No, but this was—

"This is supposed to be Kousuke's room, right? Why is Mizuishi here?"

"That's... Oh, you are...?"

Something seemed off.

By the time I realized this, I was already standing up.

It was a familiar voice.

I ran to the door and opened it wide.

Lily, who was surprised, turned around, and the male student outside turned to look at me.

He was a bit shorter than me but had a sturdy build in his school uniform. His messy hair looked unkempt. He met my eyes through his glasses.

"Is that you... Kankou?"

It was someone I knew.

More specifically, a classmate and friend.

"Hey, Kousuke. Long time no see."

He raised his hand with a carefree smile. It seemed he hadn't mistaken me.

"I'm glad Kousuke is safe. I thought I'd never see any of my friends again. Haha. This world is way too hard to clear. Or maybe we just have the wrong difficulty setting? Life is hard enough as it is."

"Is this a game?"

While I pointed this out, I thought it was very much like him to say something like that.

After all, Kankou was the otaku friend who, after I was transported to this world, enthusiastically told me about knowledge of isekai reincarnation, transfer, and cheats, which I had no prior knowledge of.

In the colony, he was part of the same group as me, but he didn't have any cheat abilities. I had assumed he died on the day the colony collapsed...

"But, it really has been a long time, hasn't it?"

"...Yeah. It really has been a long time."

His carefree tone was unmistakably Kankou's, and it eloquently told me that the person in front of me wasn't a ghost or an impostor.

I felt a sense of reality that he was alive.

Before any other emotions could set in, Kankou spoke up.

"Anyway, Kousuke. I have one question. Why is Mizuishi here?"

"Why...?"

"Isn't this Kousuke's room? I heard it was and came here."

It was a rather abrupt and trivial question, but Kankou's expression was serious.

He compared us, sighed deeply, and dramatically looked up to the sky, then let his shoulders drop.

"Could it be... Is it that kind of thing? If so, I'm a bit shocked."

"Haha. You're still the same, Kankou."

Lily, who seemed to have referenced the memories of Mizuishi Mihō to understand who the boy in front of her was, said with a wry smile.

"Hey, Mizuishi, do you know me? We've never talked, right?"

"Given how noisy you always are, it's hard not to know you."

"Ouch! Mizuishi, you're pretty harsh for someone who looks so gentle."

Kankou playfully hit his head. I couldn't help but chuckle.

"You haven't changed, have you..."

He really hasn't.

For a moment, I almost forgot that we were in a different world, in a room prepared in a fortress in the middle of a dangerous forest.

It was a joy to be able to speak with a friend I thought I'd never see again.

It was even more so because he showed me a side that hadn't changed.

"Really? You seem a bit different, Kousuke."

"Is that so? I don't really notice it myself."

"It's hard to explain, but... more rugged? More manly? Something like that."

As I touched my face, Kankou laughed.

"Mizuishi looks more beautiful than before. Both of you have grown up... What is this, it's so deep!"

"...What are you talking about?"

Mostly, it was true that Lily and I had that kind of relationship. Except for the fact that Lily was mistaken for Mizuishi Mihō, Kankou's words were correct.

"Stop talking nonsense and come in."

Since he had come all this way, it would be rude to stand and talk. I invited Kankou into the room. He waved his hands in front of his body.

"No, no. I came here to call you and Kousuke. The preparations for the reception are ready. I heard Kousuke was here, so I thought I'd come."

"Ah, I see."

"Come with me. I'll show you the way."

There was no reason to refuse. I followed Kankou's lead.

We walked out of the room and proceeded down the brick corridor. Kankou led the way, with Lily and me following behind.

The short swords, similar in design to those of the knights, hung from Kankou's waist, clinking against each other as he walked. This was the only thing that had changed about my unchanged friend.

"Walking side by side like lovers, damn. You guys are so close? By the way, I didn't see any signs of the other bed being used just now."

"You pay attention to the details, don't you..."

I sighed and regained my composure, then spoke to Kankou, who was walking on the other side of Lily.

"You were one of the survivors who made it through the forest before us, Kankou."

"Ah, you figured it out."

"Well, it was a process of elimination."

Kankou wasn't among the students protected by the knights, and he wasn't part of the exploration team. So, the possibilities were narrowed down.

However, the very idea of those possibilities was hard to believe.

"Good to see you made it, Kankou."

Unconsciously, my tone might have carried a note of admiration.

Surviving the chaos of the colony and walking through the forest infested with monsters was no small feat. Of course, there was luck involved, but the fact that he didn't give up and kept walking through the forest was worthy of admiration.

He wasn't just a guy who always joked around. This proved it.

"Well, I almost died a few times. But Kousuke did too, right?"

"…Yeah, I guess."

"Besides, I wasn't alone the whole time."

My response was a bit delayed, but fortunately, Kankou didn't notice.

"I barely made it out of the colony. I thought I was done for, but then I was picked up by the leader of the Alliance Knights."

"We had a similar experience. We were with the deputy leader."

"Ah, Shiran. She said she wants to talk to you later. She had promised to explain things to you when you arrived at the fortress."

"I think we had that conversation."

I thought it was something that could be delegated to a subordinate, but it seemed Shiran was, as her demeanor suggested, a conscientious person.

"I heard she is in a meeting now."

"Yeah, she's probably discussing the rescue operation for the surviving students right now."

He nodded and continued.

"The Alliance Knights only visited a few of the bases this time. They can't protect too many students, and long-term operations in the forest are dangerous. So, they're discussing how to proceed with the second wave. But since the exploration team has come, I think it will be the Imperial Knights who will go out."

"Wait, Kankou."

I stopped Kankou, who was talking casually. This was another thing that hadn't changed... or rather, hadn't improved.

"I'm having trouble following the story. Can you explain it in order?"

"Ah, right. You guys haven't heard much yet. Sure, I'll give you a brief overview if that's okay."

Kankou, who had arrived at the fortress before us, seemed to be well-informed about the situation here.

This was a good opportunity. Although the journey was short, I listened to Kankou's story.

***

According to Kankou, the First Expeditionary Force reached another fortress, the Evinus Fortress, in the east, about ten days ago.

Around the same time, the news of the colony's collapse reached the expeditionary force.

Kankou didn't know the details, but there was a story that Takaya Jun, a childhood friend of Mizuishi Mihō, had sought help from the expeditionary force and headed east. It's possible that someone else headed east or that Takaya Jun brought the urgent news.

Then, almost immediately, the news reached this fortress, Cherea.

There is a significant distance between the two fortresses, but a means of communication for such emergencies is in place. It apparently uses magic, but Kankou didn't know the details.

As a result, the Third Alliance Knights, led by Shiran, set out from the Cherea Fortress to rescue the students.

On the other hand, a small team of the exploration party, prioritizing speed, was dispatched and arrived at the Cherea Fortress two days ago. Shiran didn't know about their arrival until they reached the fortress.

"Up to this point is the background. But the plan for the future is that the Second Wave will set out after the return of the Alliance Knights. The members of the exploration party also intend to participate in the rescue operation. The Second Wave will likely be the Imperial Knights, though that's just my guess."

Currently, the Cherea Fortress is occupied by three organizations: the Imperial Southern Army, the Second Imperial Knights, and the Third Alliance Knights.

There are several reasons for the coexistence of these military organizations, which are clearly different in affiliation.

"Kousuke, didn't you find it strange that there's a fortress in the middle of this forest? Fortresses are built to defend against external threats, but there are no human settlements beyond this forest."

"That means..."

"Yeah. The Cherea Fortress was built to protect the human world beyond the forest from the threat of the monsters that inhabit the tree sea. In other words, it's a bridgehead to stand against a common enemy of humanity