Chapter 94

In the midst of cherry blossoms dancing in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of promise written there.

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Surrounded by the campfire, the exchange between the girl offering dried fruit and the beast that unhesitantly ate from her hand seemed oddly out of place to Aldis.

The girl extended the dried fruit, and the beast, perched on her hand, ate it without a care. At first glance, it looked like a large dog and its owner, but the reality was entirely different. The girl extended her hand tentatively, and the beast, in turn, expressed its thoughts in human language, saying, "Delicious," and "Sweet," in a mundane manner.

The very existence of a beast that could speak human language was abnormal. While some monsters possessed a semblance of intelligence, none had been discovered that could understand human language and communicate their intentions. Faced with such an extraordinary being, Solute concluded that it must be a "divine beast."

"Powerful and able to speak human language, punishing the wicked. — This must surely be a messenger of the goddess!"

"No, this is just a beast, you know?"

"Golden fur that shines beautifully, clear eyes that embody purity, a dignified and noble posture. It even feels divine!"

"No, you were scared of me just a moment ago, weren't you?"

To the excited and agitated girl, Aldis and Rona calmly pointed out the inconsistencies.

It was fortunate that Solute was not afraid of Rona. Perhaps it was because Rona was a familiar face to Aldis, or because they could communicate. Additionally, Rona had saved her from a dire situation. Although the sight of Rona's power still left her feeling somewhat frightened, Solute might have unconsciously sought mental stability by deifying Rona.

The natural conversation between Aldis and Rona after the mock battle also helped to calm Solute's nerves.

"Zap is a foul move, Al. ... I was about to use my ultimate attack!"

"Ultimate? ... Hey, don't try to kill your old partner in a mock battle."

"Al wouldn't die from something like that, right? ... ... Probably."

"Don't use such a move so lightly! It would have been dangerous if the threads weren't connected!"

"Is that so? Then next time I'll do it without the threads."

"That's not the point!"

"Ah, I haven't had dinner yet, so I'll go hunting. Prepare the fire for me, okay?"

"Hey Rona! We're not done talking yet!"

Seeing this scene, Solute's caution towards Rona seemed to vanish. After some internal deliberation, she concluded that Rona was a "divine beast" that punished evil. This is why she offered her preserved food to Rona after they finished eating the large herbivore Rona had hunted.

"There's still time before dawn. Get some rest now."

Aldis urged Solute to rest. After hesitating for a moment, Solute couldn't argue with the need to sleep for the next day's journey. Confirming that Solute had entered the tent, Aldis turned to Rona.

"Alright, where do I start?"

There were many things he wanted to know. A world he had been suddenly thrown into, a clue he had searched for desperately for a year and a half. Various thoughts raced through his mind. Despite the dizziness, the first thing that came to mind was what he was most concerned about.

"Since then... What happened? Did anyone survive?"

Rona shook her golden-furred head from side to side.

"No one came back."

"Is that so..."

The word "annihilation" floated in Aldis's mind. Seeing his expression, Rona tried to encourage him.

"But! Maybe they're still fighting, or they might come back!"

"Don't be ridiculous. It's been over a year. If they were coming back, they would have done so by now..."

Rona reacted to Aldis's weak words, tilting her head in confusion.

"Over a year? What are you talking about, Al? It's only been two days since then."

"Huh? ... Two days? What are you talking about? We haven't seen each other in a year and a half, right?"

The golden beast blinked twice in surprise.

"We stormed the heretic's castle the day before yesterday. Are you okay, Al?"

This time, it was Aldis's turn to be surprised. Leaning forward, he asked with a puzzled expression.

"Wait. Hold on. What do you mean? Rona, are you saying you saw me the day before yesterday?"

"Of course."

"No, it's not normal for me. It's been a year and a half since then."

"...... What do you mean?"

Both Aldis and Rona were puzzled, sharing information about the two days since their separation and the year and a half Aldis had spent in Tria.

"So, you're saying that the battle that happened the day before yesterday for me was a year and a half ago for you?"

"That's right."

"I don't understand."

"Neither do I."

They already knew each other well, but that made it even harder to accept the discrepancy in the time they had spent apart.

"Speaking of which, why are you in the form of a child?"

"How should I know? When I noticed, I was already in this form."

The reason for his current form, that of a young boy, was still unknown. He had grown accustomed to it, but he hadn't accepted it unconditionally.

"Hmm... I don't understand at all. By the way, Al, have you noticed that you've become weaker?"

"...... I'm aware."

Aldis answered with a disgruntled expression.

"Is it related to being a child...?"

"Well, it doesn't matter. By the way, Al, have you noticed that you've become weaker?"

"...... I'm aware."

Rona looked up at the sky with a light tone, her amber eyes reflecting the pitch-black night sky.

"The fact that this is a different world from ours... You can tell just by looking at that night sky."

Rona's gaze was fixed on the endless darkness stretching to the horizon, and a circular area of brightness, as if a section had been cut out, spread out. The countless specks of light, like grains of sand, prevented the night from becoming complete darkness.

"Anyway, that crazy woman is a 'goddess'... It's quite a laughable joke."

"Yeah, I agree."

"So, Grace is an evil deity? That's an interesting story in its own right."

"It's not funny for me."

"Sure, I get that, Al."

Words that might have enraged Aldis if spoken by someone else, but the atmosphere between them remained calm. It was a light-hearted remark only Rona could make.

"So, what are you going to do now, Al?"

"Well... I didn't have any leads before, but since Rona is here, there's a good chance that woman is here too."

"Maybe... That could be."

"If so, I have to settle the score. I won't just let her die. I'll make her suffer as much as she did to us—"

"Al."

Rona interrupted Aldis. Looking at him seriously, she spoke with a firm tone.

"I understand your feelings, but you can't beat that heretic alone, especially in your current state."

"...... I know."

Seeing Aldis's bitter expression, Rona's face softened.

"That's good. I also have a debt to settle. I'll help you when the time comes."

"... Thanks."

"Don't worry about it. Rue was a very important friend to me. So, Al—"

Rona's eyes were suddenly filled with a burning desire for revenge.

"Let me take care of gouging out and crushing her eyes."

It was a look that undoubtedly matched Aldis's own resolve.

"Sure. I'll let you do that."

"Thanks."

Rona returned to her usual light tone and thanked him.

"Still, we need to confirm whether that woman is in this world first."

Thanks to Rona, Aldis had calmed down. He lay down, resting his hands behind his head. The cluster of light in the corner of the night sky was unusually bright.

If it were a year and a half ago, he would have immediately decided to travel the world to find the goddess's location without hesitation. But things were different now.

There were people waiting for him in the forest near the capital. The self-proclaimed followers could be left alone, but the twin sisters couldn't.

He couldn't abandon them after extending a helping hand. At least, Aldis intended to take care of them until they could live on their own.

For the time being, he would work as a mercenary and gather information. If the goddess appeared before him, he wasn't sure he could control himself, but he wasn't about to abandon the twins for an uncertain goal.

"What about you, Rona? What are you going to do?"

"Hmm. Since I've met Al, I might as well stay for a while. Is that okay?"

"Sure. I don't mind, but—"

Aldis started to answer casually but then jumped up.

"Hey, Rona. Did you just say 'stay'?"

"Yeah?"

The golden beast nodded.

"What do you mean? It sounds like you can go back anytime."

Hearing Aldis's question, Rona looked puzzled.

"Huh? Can't Al go back?"

"Go back... How?"

Rona, surprised, tried to explain, but her puzzled expression made it difficult to convey her thoughts.

"Like... Using magic to open a hole in space and slip through?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Aldis pressed Rona. Surprised, Rona tried to explain, but her sensory explanation was hard for Aldis to understand. After a night of trying to communicate, they still couldn't bridge the gap. Whether it was due to the difference in species or Rona's poor explanation, no one could determine the cause.

2019/08/11 Typo correction: 浸食 → 侵食

* Thank you for the typo report.