Chapter 31 - Up to Now: Nikokado Sakito

Self-edited.

“Phew~~!”

Sakito collapsed onto the sofa. He’d definitely had too much drink today, thanks to finally sorting out those otherworldly issues that had been stressing him out.

—It’s the first time I’ve seen Ambient laugh so much.

Today, he had offered alcohol to his partner in this other world, Ambient. Though she was hesitant at first, one sip was all it took for her to fall in love with the canned beer.

Now, Ambient was tidying up the dining table. Taking advantage of her offer to clean up, Sakito let himself sink into the sofa.

—Today was fun. It’s been a while since I’ve had such a lively drinking session with a woman.

As he reflected on the pleasant evening, his eyelids grew heavy, and they began to close.

—I-I shouldn’t… But, I’m so sleepy.

Thinking he might be inconveniencing Ambient, he nevertheless succumbed to sleep.

Maybe that’s why he dreamed of the time he first met her.

§ §

It had been about a year since he retired and started hiking. Having conquered most of the nearby mountains that could be tackled in a day, Sakito began considering overnight stays in mountain huts and longer trail traverses.

Then a friend invited him to use a lodge he owned. Eagerly accepting the offer, Sakito set off, planning to enjoy his mountain adventures with the well-maintained lodge as his base.

The anomaly occurred on the morning of his third night there. Or rather, it had already taken place. Sakito set out early to climb one of the nearby mountains that was supposed to be a day’s hike. But no matter how far he walked, he couldn’t reach his destination.

He looked at his map, convinced he was lost, but couldn’t make sense of it. The terrain didn’t match the map, even though it had been accurate just the day before.

Somehow managing to retrace his steps, he headed back towards the lodge. Along the way, he came across a small stream. He’d ended up walking farther than he’d planned, so now his water bottle was empty, and his throat was parched.

He knew he shouldn’t, but his thirst was overwhelming.

Sakito drank the untreated water and ended up feeling extremely unwell. Enduring the intense stomach pain, he struggled to get back to the lodge, but his body just wouldn’t cooperate. He soon collapsed to his knees. Right then, a figure emerged from the bushes. He couldn’t afford to miss out on this chance.

Desperately, Sakito called out for help.

Standing before him was a girl with platinum blonde hair and emerald green eyes—Ann. She said she couldn’t help him and that he should get help from the villagers. Confused by her response, Sakito pleaded, saying she was his only hope.

Despite her initial hesitation, Ann eventually offered her shoulder for support.

With Sakito guiding her, they made it to the lodge. Ann looked surprised but quickly helped him onto the bed before quickly leaving. However, from the next day on, she started observing Sakito from outside.

Gradually, as he interacted more with Ann, Sakito came to realize that he was in a really strange place.

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