Chapter 95

Today, Chapter 1

"Welcome back! Are you hungry already?"

"Back."

(Hmm...?)

That's strange.

Ferrin, who is usually full of energy, seems to be down.

Not even interested in the food, something must have happened.

...Did she see something she shouldn't have in Palmera?

"Are you okay? I don't think it's a good idea to go to the cafeteria right away... Should we get some food and eat here?"

"No, I'm fine."

Even as she said that, Ferrin sat down on the bed right away, which was definitely not normal.

In that case, there's no point in being overly polite.

"Did you see something you shouldn't have?"

As I asked, Ferrin nodded.

"I found someone who I think might be a transfer like Loki. It was a skeleton, though..."

"I see..."

That was something I had expected.

So I wasn't surprised to find a skeleton.

But Ferrin found traces on the second day of exploration.

This might mean that more people have been transferred than we thought.

In that case, there's something we need to confirm.

"What made you think the person was a transfer? Did something happen?"

If she had only gone a little deeper into the forest, it could be a resident of this world, a hunter.

If it's already a skeleton, it could have been missing for years, so it wouldn't be unnatural for there to be no urgent search request posted at the guild.

"I found an unfamiliar bag nearby. It didn't look like something the people of this town use. It was more advanced in design."

"I see. What was inside—did you check?"

"Yeah... I heard the process of being transferred from Loki, and I felt bad about forcing someone to be here. Plus, with the [Separate Body], I couldn't bring it back."

"..."

I sat down in a chair and thought.

(Should I go to Palmera to confirm? I might be able to get information about who was transferred from their belongings.

There's also the possibility that the items could be useful for the development of this world's civilization. However, even with the [Separate Body], it would take about a day and a half to get there. If I go now, it would take at least two days one way, four days round trip. I might barely make it back by the day we planned to leave Bezart. Considering what I need to do in the meantime, it might be better to assume I won't make it.

If they are still alive, I should go regardless. But if it's already a skeleton, there's no need to rush.

The important thing is the location where it was found. I don't know where I was transferred to, but if the acorn has a specific place where it sends Earth people, that could be the most important point for finding future transfers.

And if the goddesses can accurately drop the [Separate Body] at a location, they could mark it. By exploring the area around the discovery site and finding more traces, the chances of finding transfers before they die could increase...)

"Loki?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry, sorry. I was just thinking. Did you bring [Mind Reading]?"

"No? I haven't brought it since then. I don't want to do something you dislike, so I decided not to use [Mind Reading] on you anymore."

"Huh? Oh, I see..."

She must have made up her mind somewhere...

Well, it's good that I'm not being suspected. Hmm.

"Then, let's go eat. I'll talk about what I was thinking while we eat. It might be useful for the goddesses' search for transfers."

---

"Ah, I see... Indeed, we can see from a bird's-eye view! If we gather this information, we might be able to narrow down where transfers are sent!"

"Only if the place they are sent to is somewhat fixed. The more traces and bodies we find, the more likely it is that the place they are sent to is fixed."

We are in our room now.

We thought about eating in the first-floor cafeteria, but the innkeeper's gaze was too sharp, making it hard to talk.

I think she was more concerned about "This pervert is in the middle of the day! And he's bringing a different girl to his room again!" than the content of our conversation. I gave up and retreated.

What we got was a sandwich made from the leftovers of the breakfast we had before.

This can be brought to the room on a plate without any problems.

And it seems that once we started eating, Ferrin perked up. So, we can talk calmly now.

"Then, what should we do? Should we not go to the place you found today, Loki?"

"I'd like to confirm if it's a transfer from the belongings, but a four-day round trip is a bit much..."

"Yeah, I know."

"Hmm. Ferrin, can you draw a picture of the bag you saw? It might help identify it."

I thought of asking her to draw a picture.

If it's a business bag or a Jura aluminum case, no one in Bezart would carry it.

If the shape alone can identify it as a transfer, and if it's a leather bag commonly carried by the people of Bezart, it's more likely to be a hunter from this world.

I laid out a pen and some paper on the table, and Ferrin, holding the pen, started to groan.

Has she never drawn before?

Yeah, she's a goddess, so probably not.

Her hand holding the pen was awkward.

"You don't have to force yourself. It's just for reference."

But she said,

"I'm fine! ...Probably!"

So I let her draw without saying anything.

Scritch scritch scritch...

"..."

"..."

"Is this a bag?"

"Sort of."

Hmm. What was drawn was a big circle.

On top of it, what looks like a handle? A half-circle was added, that's all.

And some lines were wiggly, making it questionable if it's even a drawing.

"I see... Thanks for the reference."

"Liar! You're definitely lying, Loki! I can tell even without [Mind Reading]! It's written all over your face that 'This isn't a drawing!'"

"Well, you only drew two circles! I thought it was a mirror cake from my world or a melting snowman!"

"Ugh! I don't know what that is, but it's really frustrating! I'll try harder, so wait a minute!"

She said, and disappeared in a mist.

But she reappeared right away.

"I'm an artist now!"

"Huh?"

As soon as she said that, Ferrin grabbed a ballpoint pen.

With a gaze so sharp it made me imagine a beret, she started drawing.

When she showed me the finished "drawing" with a proud face, I was amazed at the difference from before.

"Wow..."

"Right?"

"No, you must have brought the [Drawing] skill."

(Shudder!)

"I just checked my status screen, and you have that skill. So, the [Drawing] skill must be amazing to have improved that much."

"Mean! Loki is mean!"

"Don't misunderstand. I was really happy that Ferrin said she wouldn't use [Mind Reading] on me anymore. So, I wanted to be honest with you."

As I said that, I patted Ferrin's head.

"Thanks for bringing the skill."

"Hehe... Hehehehe..."

I think it's better to be honest with Ferrin rather than pretend.

It feels like I can act more respectfully, and it should be a win-win situation.

However, this—

I asked the smirking Ferrin,

"By the way, what color was the bag?"

"Hmm? How do I put it? The color of the bread I just ate?"

"I see, cream color. So, from the shape, the person Ferrin found is probably an Earth woman, an adult."

"Really?"

"Yeah, probably. Men don't usually carry cream-colored bags, and the design is clearly for women."

"I see..."

In that case, I'm curious about the contents.

Of course, not in a weird way. I, of course, and the items stored by the guild from six years ago were mostly men's, based on the shoe size.

I don't have much knowledge about women's items, and it could be a chance to introduce Earth-made women's items to this world.

And the acorn's "found" still lingers in my mind.

If it applies to this woman, we might be able to identify commonalities with me from her belongings.

(If I shift the schedule to go to Malta, it might inconvenience Yagov and the others who want to go to the commercial guild in Malta... What should I do...)

"Ferrin, is it impossible to retrieve the bag you saw today with the [Separate Body]?"

"It's not impossible. When going, you can drop the [Separate Body] at the point you saw it, but on the way back, you have to bring it back as is."

"Ah, I see... It would be too much to ask to bring it back on foot without shoes."

"Do you want to retrieve the bag, Loki?"

"Sort of. It could be a chance to introduce Earth-made women's items to this world, and there's a possibility that we can identify the reason for my transfer from her belongings."

"Huh? Weren't we chosen randomly like us?"

"I don't think so. If they said 'found,' it means they met some condition. Probably."

"I see..."

Well, there's a possibility that monsters could destroy it, but since it's not urgent, I'll retrieve it when I have more time.

"..."

If I wait, there's a chance that one of the goddesses will find other remains nearby.

That way, there's the benefit of retrieving multiple items at once, so it's not entirely a disadvantage to wait.

And if the bag is placed on a branch, the risk of it being destroyed by monsters would be reduced.

As I thought about this, I noticed that Ferrin's behavior was a bit strange.

She was looking down and muttering something.

"Ferrin? Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I was just thinking, or rather, worrying..."

"I see. If you need to, we can go to the cafeteria and get something to drink. Sometimes you just need to think alone."

"No, it's fine. I just couldn't make up my mind. ...But Loki is really kind. So... I've made up my mind!"

"Huh?"

"I'll go get that bag for you!"