In the gradually restoring mismatched scenery, the panicked face of Hermila appeared.
Ah, ah—
Hmm… I don’t hear any sound yet.
I waved my hand gently at Hermila, unable to do anything else.
The expression on Hermila’s face distorted with a mix of relief and embarrassment.
Behind her, challengers started to wear the same expression as Hermila.
I waved my hand toward Yuria, my closest friend, with even more enthusiasm.
Then Yuria followed suit and started to wiggle her hand in a creak creak motion.
After a while…
The erratically twisted landscape gradually restored itself, revealing the current state of Cartia in all its glory.
A desolate ruin reminiscent of the eastern wastelands.
On top of it were harsh scars and a huge, deformed shield.
And, based around a thin blade mark, a grotesquely distorted retrocausality.
Amidst the scenery of this destroyed world, Cartia’s voice, laced with laughter, echoed.
[I could have sliced that shield and the summoning circle in one go.]
“Ah, it’s just that I can’t control my strength yet… Hah, seriously…”
…To be honest.
I feel like I’ve gotten pretty strong too.
If I can’t do it, wouldn’t Cartia also struggle…?
Of course, I’m not at 100% yet due to my lack of adaptation… but still!
[Comparing a dragon to a snake, huh? If it were me in my prime, I could have swung it around even after waking up and done better than this, you know.]
“What are you talking about… Don’t lie about not being able to show off…”
[If I show off, you’ll fall for me and it’ll be a disaster.]
Cartia’s unnervingly gleeful laughter was followed by a sharp voice.
“What the… what in the world…?”
The voice belonged to a twin-tailed wizard holding a short wand.
[Whoa, damn. The symbol of tsundere—twin tails. Plus, yellow hair! Didn’t I tell you? Everything you’ve seen so far is based on reality, not just fabrications?]
“Huff… shh… say that as a whisper!”
Hearing Cartia’s words, a sharp gaze pierced through me.
“Huh…”
Then the person suddenly turned their head toward where the masters had been lined up moments ago and raised their chin to the sky.
“Impressive…”
[Oh, that twin-tail seems to have a sharp eye.]
“It’s not a twin tail; it’s Delia. Lady Cartia.”
Delia, not the twin-tail, shot me a sharp glare as she strode over, her heels click-clacking.
“Are you Noah?”
“Y-yes…”
Her overly casual tone.
Her overly serious expression.
An exceedingly frightening atmosphere.
Memories of being bullied at a bounce castle came rushing back… ugh.
“How old are you?”
“…twenty…”
“I’m twenty-five. Can I drop the honorifics?”
“…Y-yes.”
“Well then, you drop yours too.”
“Eh…?”
“Don’t want to?”
“Ah, no…”
“Did you finish your trials well?”
“…uh-huh.”
Delia crossed her arms and stared at me for a moment, then pointed to the shield lying on the ground.
“Is that thing dead?”
“…No. It, it seems to have run away…”
How it managed to escape, I couldn’t tell, but it totally vanished without a trace.
At first, I thought it might be dead, but seeing that the ‘divine’ energy is still scattered around…
It must have survived.
“Then what about that? Did it delay time?”
“Uh-huh…”
“How long?”
“I’m not really sure… umm… about a month?”
“Is that so?”
I nodded…
“A month… I see. Finally… finally it’s over.”
Nodding and exhaling a short sigh, Delia casually reached out her hand towards my head.
“…Can I pet you?”
“Uh…?”
“Phew.”
Pat-pat-pat—
Without waiting for my answer, she started to ruffle my hair and said with a bright smile.
“Thank you. Seriously.”
“W-wait, thank you for what…?”
“Thanks to you, everyone… survived.”
Everyone survived.
That statement felt incredibly heavy.
It’s not wrong.
By pushing the masters out of the way here and delaying Brunhilde’s awakening, the remaining residents should somehow be able to preserve their lives.
But along with that, many people died.
Just in this area, lifeless bodies with empty souls are scattered everywhere.
Not just in Cartia, but likely in other places too. Everything must have turned into ruins, or lands uninhabitable by humans.
All because of my stubbornness—
“Hey. Don’t make that expression.”
Delia’s hand, which had been ruffling my hair, slid down and pinched my cheek.
“Ooh…”
“It’s not your fault. It’s those crazy Erden bastards’ fault. Seriously, being too kind-hearted is a problem.”
As she pulled my cheek, Delia took a small candy from her pocket and popped it into my mouth.
“Did you kill the residents?”
“Not really…”
“Then did you just turn a blind eye while they were dying?”
“Th-that’s not it…”
“See? It’s not your fault, right?”
“…uh-huh.”
Then, with a determined step,
Hermila, with a puzzled expression, walked toward us while talking about various things with bewildered companions.
“Oh, Hermila.”
“You’ve worked hard, Delia. And…”
“H-Hermila…!”
While rolling the candy around in my left cheek, I called out to Hermila.
Hermila tilted her head for a moment, then suddenly hugged me tightly.
“Oof…”
This wasn’t the familiar warm scent of Hermila.
Instead, it reeked of thick blood, overshadowing the dust and sweat.
“It’s been a while… Noah.”
“Uh-huh… it’s been a while for you too…”
“Are we skipping the ‘Ms.’ now?”
“Uh… n-no, that’s not it—”
With a sway, Hermila’s hair swayed left and right.
“Hehe… it’s fine. Instead, it feels closer, and that’s nice, you know?”
Then once more, she hugged me tightly—
With a sigh deep enough to leave a mark, Hermila said.
“You’ve really gone through a lot.”
“You too, Hermila…”
“Did you finish your trials well?”
Like Ser and Delia, Hermila also asked if I had completed my trials successfully.
What’s with this… like giving gifts when moving… is there a culture unique to this world…?
“Yes. I did, I did well.”
While bobbing my head and pondering, Hermila smiled gently and pushed me back a little.
“The way you finish your trials affects the outcome a little, so I’m asking. Well… now it’s just part of the culture. Hehe.”
“I see…”
“Anyway, I’m glad it’s all over. The trials, and the immediate combat.”
Finally, with a voice that sounded like she could collapse at any moment, Hermila expressed her gratitude and bowed her head.
“I have a lot of stories to tell, but unfortunately, there’s too much to do.”
“Ugh… sister. I’m really exhausted. Can’t I take a short break?”
“You can rest once everything is done. Everyone’s already set off. Get up quickly.”
“Everyone… Everyone’s insane…”
Delia, with a clearly reluctant expression, shivered and stood up from her spot.
“By the way, Noah. Is Heinzel… okay?”
Then, with a slightly timid voice, she asked me.
“Uhh… cough. Uncle Heinzel… uh-huh. He’s injured, yes, but… he’ll recover soon.”
He was in a pretty dangerous state because of the curse, but after killing that sorcerer, all the spells binding Heinzel’s body vanished.
…If it were up to me, I would have wanted to make him suffer painfully until he wished for death.
But if I did that, it could have really killed Heinzel, so I had no choice but to take him out quickly.
“Is that so… I see.”
Delia spoke calmly, as if unconcerned, but the corners of her mouth betrayed that appearance.
Wiggle woggle.
[Hey… no way…]
[I… it kind of seems like… right?]
[Oh my…]
“Anyway, I get it. I better get going now.”
Swish— Delia turned on her heels, and with a much lighter step than before, click-clacked away.
“Hehe… isn’t she cute?”
[Oh. That was totally a smitten girl… no doubt about it.]
“Oh? But Lady Cartia, there are two smitten girls around you.”
[What?]
Cartia’s expression twisted the moment I responded, as she chuckled incredulously.
[You have to speak properly. Those aren’t smitten girls; they’re love-crazed monsters.]
“…Hehe. You might be right about that. Aha-ha…”
W-who is she talking about…?
“Anyway… Noah, you worked hard, and make sure to rest well.”
“I-I’ll help too.”
“No. That’s our job. You go rest next to Lady Rubia.”
With a firm but kind refusal.
I couldn’t help but nod.
“Oh, right. Be sure to set up soundproof barriers. There are quite a few people with good hearing around here. Hehe.”
“Soundproof…?”
[Oh wow. Pretending to be innocent again?]
“Y-yes? Why is soundproofing necessary…?”
Cartia looked at me as if asking why I was questioning something so obvious, raising both hands in a V-shape.
[When you meet after a long time, it’s only natural.]
She overlapped the two hands, rubbing them together vigorously.
[Let’s really get to it.]
“Oh my…”
“W-wait… what… what… what are you talking about!!!”
This is crazy.
This is insane.
This is too much!!
W-what kind of insane thing is she saying so casually… No, w-what?!
[Not going to do it?]
“I-I wouldn’t do such a thing in this situation!!”
[Was it peaceful last time? You did it even after a massive fight.]
“A- no! That’s… I, I mean! Quiet down!!”
In the end, I shouted back at Cartia, turning my back to her.
Even so, my exceptional sense stayed alert and did its job perfectly.
I set down my great sword, covered my ears with both hands, and curled up tightly.
So embarrassing.
I feel like my face is going to explode.
I might lose my mind.
This is crazy, crazy, crazy.
W-why would she say such things in front of everyone—
Tap-tap—
“Eek! D-don’t touch me!”
Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap—
“Ah, seriously!”
With fingers poking only the ticklish spots, I jumped up in irritation.
Then gripping the sword’s hilt tightly, I yelled,
“I-it’s not like I’d… even if I did that… I’d go to a quiet place with no one around! Ugh…?!”
I shouted, but there, standing—
“Long time no see.”
Was a very gentle-looking Rubia with a warm smile.
“Uh, well, Noah hasn’t really been that long, has it?”
