Chapter 8

Wol was huddled in the corner, curled up and crying. The tears he had shed pooled around his small body like a lake.

His ears were flattened, and his watery tail hung limply.

I placed the lamp on the ground and ran to Wol’s side.

“Wol! Wol, it’s me! Are you hurt!?”

“……Sue?”

As I crouched beside him, Wol slowly lifted his head. Seeing that he wasn’t seriously injured or fading away, I let out a sigh of relief.

The moment Wol’s emerald eyes met mine, he burst into even more tears, sobbing uncontrollably.

“Sue, Sue, Sue! I thought I’d never see you again! I managed to get this far, but I couldn’t move anymore… I thought I’d be all alone here forever!”

“…You must have been so scared. It’s okay now.”

“I’m sorry, Sue! You came for me, right? I’ve caused you so much trouble…”

“It’s alright, as long as you’re safe. I’m so relieved.”

Wol continued to sob, hiccupping and crying. I gently stroked his head to comfort him.

But why did he come to such a dangerous cave alone? Even if he was influenced by a book, it was still reckless, and I gently scolded him for it.

If something like this happens again, I won’t have enough hearts to handle it.

“Um… this is… this.”

Wol timidly extended his short front paws. When he opened his fists, a small piece of the blue phosphorescent stone, a fragment of the Luminous Stone, sat there.

“I wanted to give this to you, Sue.”

“To me…?”

I picked up the fragment and examined it closely.

It was only about the size of a thumb, but it could be made into jewelry or a decoration. Even as it was, it was beautiful.

As Reis mentioned earlier, it might be a similar color to my eyes. Mine are a bit more gray, but at first glance, they do look alike.

“I wanted to give you something special to commemorate the day we met. I saw it in the book and thought it matched your eyes perfectly…”

“So you came to get this…?”

“I wanted to surprise you… I wanted you to be happy and want it.”

Wol’s transparent tears splashed onto the stone in my palm, making it sparkle even more.

A feeling of overwhelming tenderness gripped my heart, and I lifted Wol and hugged him tightly.

“S-Sue?”

On my chest, Wol’s eyes widened in surprise. As I felt his fluffy texture, I smiled and said, “You silly thing.”

“Coming to such a dangerous place and worrying me like this. Saying it’s for me… You really are a silly Wol.”

“…I’m sorry, Sue.”

“Don’t do anything reckless in the future, okay?”

---But thank you.

I whispered this and gently touched my forehead to Wol’s. When I smiled, Wol finally relaxed and smiled back.

“…Is everything settled?”

Reis, who had arrived later to be considerate, stood behind me. Maro, who had silently watched the situation, finally exhaled and said, “It’s all over now.”

Wol, still in my arms, tilted his head at the two of them.

“Why is Maro here? What happened to Blackhead?”

“Oh, Wol. Maro and Reis came to help you. They both did a great job.”

“Wow, really? Thank you. And I’m sorry for worrying you, Maro.”

“I was asked by Fie. He was barking wildly, so when you get back, say the same thing to him.”

“Yeah, I’ll apologize to Fie. …And Blackhead, um…”

Wol clung to my clothes, glancing at Reis nervously. Despite the distance between them having decreased, it was still difficult for Wol to face Reis and say thank you or apologize directly. I could sense his determination, though.

I gently patted Wol’s back to encourage him. Wol’s watery tail trembled uncertainly.

“B-Blackhead, thank you!”

After saying this to Reis, Wol quickly buried his face in my chest.

Reis slightly widened his red eyes and then replied, “…Don’t cause Sue too much trouble.” If I wasn’t mistaken, his voice was a bit softer than usual. Wol, in a voice only I could hear, whispered, “Yeah.”

I found their awkward interaction endearing and chuckled.

In their own way, they might be getting along.

“Alright, let’s head back quickly! We shouldn’t stay any longer. Knight, please guide us back.”

“Sure.”

“Once we’re out of the cave, I’ll take you back to the Spirit Maiden’s house. There was a party today, right? I want to report back to Fie quickly, so let’s get moving!”

Spurred on by the efficient Maro, we finally began our journey back. Maro moved from my shoulder to Reis’s, and I placed Wol on my shoulder as usual. Wol, now fully recovered, was excitedly splashing his tail, saying, “I’m looking forward to the party!”

What a resilient kid…

As we left the blue space, I turned back once to take in the magnificent scenery, storing it in my memory. The spirit user who came here long ago must have been a whimsical and playful person who loved spirits.

When I get back, I’ll read that book again carefully. I’m sure it has a wonderful happy ending.

“Sue, what’s wrong? Is something else happening?”

“No, nothing.”

I carefully put the Luminous Stone fragment in my skirt pocket.

The countless shimmering blue lights seemed to be sending us off. I waved goodbye and walked alongside Reis, feeling much lighter than when we arrived.