Chapter 41

Summary of the previous chapter:

(omitted)

"Despite the tough situation, what do you plan to do, Rose?"

"I'll take a chance and throw this axe—"

"I thought you'd say that, but I think you should reconsider."

"—Alright!"

"From the angle, I think that slime will probably fall here... Ahhh!?"

It fell.

23

—The third day of staying at Cheria Fort. It was a peaceful morning, just like the day before.

"…I'm sleepy."

"Master, you're still weak in the morning, as always."

While listening to Lily's voice, which was a mix of exasperation and something that seemed rather endearing, I stifled a yawn.

It was still early in the morning, and the sky was still dim. We were waiting in the room for Shiran to come. We had made an arrangement the day before to learn swordsmanship from her.

Shiran has a habit of moving her body early in the morning, and she invited us to join her.

Shiran is a good teacher. For me, who had been swinging a sword in my own way, yesterday's training was more fruitful than I had expected, and it was a fulfilling time. Being able to receive guidance from her again, despite the early morning, was not a problem at all.

However, one regrettable thing was that Shiran said she would be on patrol duty from the morning until around noon. She was supposed to be on leave for a long expedition into the depths of the forest, but due to the shortage of personnel in the allied knight corps, she had to give up her holiday.

If we had more time to talk, I had something I wanted to tell her. It was important. However, it seemed that I would have to wait for another time. There was no particular reason to rush. As long as we were in the fort, there would be plenty of opportunities.

While I was still half asleep, Lily had prepared everything, including getting ready to meet Shiran. With a smile that was fifty percent more radiant than usual, she allowed me to sit on the bed in a semi-awake state until Shiran arrived. After a while, I heard a knock on the door.

Lily, who was clinging to my left arm in a good mood, quickly stood up, went to the door, and opened it. In the corridor, there was a slightly short, bespectacled boy with his hand raised.

"Hey, good morning, Takahiro, Mizuhashi-san."

"Huh? Why is Kusakari-kun here?"

Takahiro peeked from behind the surprised Lily and waved at me, who was in the room.

"I came."

"…Good morning."

"About my friend ignoring my joke. Also, is Takahiro half asleep?"

As Takahiro entered the room, he asked Lily, who had a wry smile, and then his eyes widened.

"A man and a woman alone in a room. A sleepy man. …Is this the legendary 'Did you have fun last night' situation!?"

"…You've known I'm weak in the morning since we were kids."

"Oh, that's right. Haha, my apologies. …But, Takahiro, you didn't deny my statement, did you? What do you think, Mizuhashi-san?"

"Huh? Ah, yeah. —What do you think? Hehe."

"Meaningful!?! I shouldn't have asked! Comfort the leader! …But that's impossible. That guy is so guarded, but I still like it!"

"…You're energetic in the morning."

Well, thanks to that, I'm awake now, I thought, and I shook my head while pressing my slightly aching forehead.

"So, why are you here so early in the morning?"

"Um. Well, about that."

When I asked again, Takahiro scratched his messy head, a bit embarrassed.

"I heard that Takahiro is learning swordsmanship from Shiran, so I thought I could join in."

"Takahiro? What's the sudden change of heart?"

"…Hmm. Well, since the story isn't progressing, I'll just say it."

Takahiro's eyes darted under his glasses.

"I also sometimes get training from Shiran. So, that's the case."

"…"

I know he's the type who is embarrassed to be seen making an effort. I was seized by a small fit of laughter. It seems that 'as always' applies to him as well.

"Besides, if I'm with Takahiro, it's at least more fun than moving my body with the Hero group to aim for cheat abilities. Shiran is trusted by the leader, and I can also use some basic magic and physical enhancement, so—"

"Ah, I see. So, it's more efficient to train with someone at the same level as me. …But I can't use magic."

"I can only use water attribute magic of the first tier. But, if I hadn't learned this, I would have died in the forest. So far, it has been more than enough. I learned physical enhancement after coming here and have been focusing on 'this' since then. It seems to have more potential than magic."

Saying that, Takahiro flicked the hilt of the short sword at his waist with his fingertips.

"By the way, do you use a short sword, Takahiro?"

"Yeah."

Four sturdy short swords, each about thirty centimeters long, hung from Takahiro's waist. With a 'shing' sound, Takahiro drew two of them in reverse grip. The smooth movement showed that he had been seriously training. Even just that much revealed that Takahiro had been dedicated to his training.

"…Dual-wielding?"

"Yeah, isn't it cool?"

This is typical of Takahiro. The fact that he had prepared backup weapons suggested that he was thinking of actual combat, not just playing around. Sheathing his swords, Takahiro puffed out his chest and said,

"Aiming for all martial arts. I want to be the leader's knight. I thought I'd start with an easy weapon and learn from Shiran. So, where is Shiran?"

"We're waiting for her too. She should be here soon…"

Just as I was saying that, there was a knock on the door. It seemed that rumors bring shadows. Lily headed for the door again.

This time, it was Shiran who appeared. She was wearing white armor, which seemed to be in preparation for the patrol she mentioned she would be doing in the morning. Her elf-like, clear appearance was covered by the armor.

"Good morning, Takahiro-dono, Mihō-dono. …Oh, Takahiro-dono is here too?"

"Yes, good morning, Shiran. …Is something wrong?"

I frowned. I noticed a shadow that clouded Shiran's well-arranged expression.

"I apologize, Takahiro-dono. Regarding the training, could you please wait a moment?"

Shiran, with a worried look, bowed her head.

"It's not a problem, but did something happen?"

"Yes. The person I instructed to prepare for this morning's training, Kei, is nowhere to be found."

"…What?"

I narrowed my eyes involuntarily.

"This has never happened before, so I am worried."

Shiran seemed genuinely troubled, as she said. I knew from our interaction in the spirit tomb yesterday how much she cared for her niece, Kei. It was understandable that she was worried.

"I apologize, but I plan to look for her. Since this breaks our arrangement, I should inform you first…"

"I understand the situation. If that's the case, it can't be helped. Look for Kei. …Actually, we can help you look."

"Ah? No, that's—"

Shiran tried to decline my offer, looking embarrassed, but Takahiro, with a wry smile, interjected.

"It's fine, it's fine. We have nothing to do and are just bored."

Takahiro pushed Shiran out into the corridor. We followed behind. When we stopped, our eyes met.

"Besides, it might be our fault… right?"

"Takahiro-dono? What do you mean…?"

"Just go, Shiran."

"Y-Yes. I apologize, but please take care of it."

Shiran bowed, looking confused, and left. As we watched her go, Takahiro turned back to us. His expression was stern.

"It's the third day since we arrived. It's about the right time for fools to start acting foolishly, isn't it?"

"…You were thinking the same thing, Takahiro?"

I couldn't help but frown. From our conversation yesterday, Kei seemed to be a very serious child. It was unlikely that she was slacking off and playing somewhere. If something had happened, it was the right way to think.

If something had happened that hadn't happened before, it was highly likely that it was due to the trouble brought by the recent visitors to the fort.

Unlike Shiran, Takahiro and I knew that the transfer students who had come to this land were not heroes but just ordinary teenagers. If they were pampered, it wouldn't be surprising if someone misunderstood and acted selfishly.

"Damn, I should have kept a closer eye on them!"

Takahiro kicked the floor in frustration.

"Calm down. It's not decided yet."

I admonished Takahiro.

That's right. It's not decided yet.

But if it were, what would I do…

What came to mind was the body of Mizuhashi Mihō, who had chosen to take her own life, and the figure of Kato I had seen in a mountain cabin.

"…Anyway, let's find her quickly."

Shaking my head, I said, and Takahiro, with a stern expression, nodded.

"Right. Even if someone saw, they might keep quiet out of 'special consideration for the hero' when it comes to Shiran. We are on equal footing, so we can get information."

"Let's split up. I'll move with Mizuhashi. Takahiro, search in a different area."

"Okay. That sounds good. It might be dangerous for Mizuhashi to deal with fools. See you later."

Waving, Takahiro hurriedly left. We started searching for Kei.

We walked quickly down the corridor. The soldiers who were bowing politely were not a concern to us. We had no intention of questioning them, as Takahiro had suggested.

It seemed that Takahiro was too focused to notice, but we couldn't handle the questioning. We couldn't understand the language of this world. Takahiro, who had been here for a long time, might know someone with a 'translation magic stone,' but I had no such contacts.

However, we didn't intend to wander aimlessly.

"Lily"

"I understand. You need my 'nose.'"

In sync with my thoughts, I arrived at the room where I had received sword training from Shiran yesterday.

I had planned to move my body here this morning as well. Therefore, it was highly likely that Kei, who had been instructed to prepare, had come here or nearby.

I asked Lily to mimic the nose of a Fire Fang wolf and track the latest scent of Kei. Led by Lily, my feet headed towards a less crowded area.

Lily sniffed.

"I can smell old iron. It's probably armor."

"Then, this area is probably a storage area."

In simpler terms, it's a warehouse. No wonder it's so quiet.

What was Kei doing in such a place? …