Chapter 4: Your Shadow
Once Rio, Celia, and Aishia left Amande through the east gate, they proceeded walking east down the main road. After some time passed, they confirmed that no one was around them before taking off into the sky. They continued through the air towards Galtuuk, the capital of the Kingdom of Galarc, and arrived at the outskirts of the capital before sunset. After they’d searched the rocky areas of the outskirts for somewhere isolated, they set up the rock house.
Celia sat down on the living room sofa and stretched. “It feels like it’s been a while since I’ve lived in this house.”
“We only stayed for a few days, but a lot happened in our time at Amande.” Rio placed the tea he had prepared down on the table and agreed with a smile of amusement.
“...Yeah. It feels kind of strange. I’ve only lived in this house for a short time, but it feels like I’ve come home,” Celia said keenly.
“Thank you for saying that. Maybe it’s because there’s no one else around, so you can mentally relax,” Rio guessed.
“Yeah, that must be it.” Celia nodded bashfully.
“Also because we can start taking baths again, and eating meals together with Haruto,” Aishia interrupted. Celia giggled, agreeing along happily.
“Ah, that’s true — you’re right there. I look forward to that.”
“I have to leave for a while starting tomorrow, so we’ll only be able to eat together tonight and tomorrow morning, but I’ll put my everything into cooking tonight. Professor, Aishia, you can relax and take a bath in the meantime,” Rio suggested to the two of them.
“...Mm, that’s a tempting idea, but could you teach me how to cook tonight? You promised me before, remember?” Celia asked, her cheeks turned a faint shade of crimson.
“Of course. I don’t mind at all, but wouldn’t you rather we do it at a less rushed time?” If she was cooking for the first time, it’d be better to learn continuously for a few days in a row. Rio would be leaving tomorrow, so there wasn’t much he could teach in just one lesson.
“Nope. I’ll be living together with Aishia while you’re gone. Aishia can cook some simple foods, but I should be able to make at least one thing myself, right? And I can practice while you’re gone too,” Celia said in slight embarrassment.
“...I understand. Then, let’s see if I can teach you some simple recipes,” Rio suggested with a gentle smile.
“Yup!” Celia responded happily, and the three of them made dinner together that night.
The next morning, as Rio prepared to depart for the village...
“I’ll be going now,” he said after he’d stepped out of the rock house. “I’ll be gone for two weeks, so please look after each other.” He looked at Aishia as he spoke to Celia.
“Of course. Leave Aishia to me,” Celia said proudly.
“Will do. You take care too, Aishia,” Rio said with a chuckle.
“...Got it,” Aishia said, before suddenly hugging Rio.
“Wha?!” Rio himself was surprised, but Celia was even more surprised than him. Her eyes were round as she watched Aishia hug Rio dumbfoundedly.
“What’s wrong, Aishia?” Rio asked Aishia quietly. While the two of them were always close to each other, this was the first time they had hugged like this.
“No matter how far we’re separated or where Haruto is heading towards, I will always be with you. So don’t fear, don’t falter, and go down the path that you choose,” Aishia said in a rare show of talkativeness. Her words were rather hesitant and vague, but Rio could make a guess at why she had chosen to speak like this. It was most likely because Rio had fulfilled his fated reunion with Lucius in such an unexpected way.
“...There’s nothing that gets past you, Aishia. Thanks,” Rio said a little awkwardly with a faint smile.
Ever since his fight with Lucius, the desire for revenge had been boiling intensely within Rio’s chest. Despite that, he had thought he had been behaving normally to those around him, but there was no fooling the one his soul was bound to. While it was a little awkward to have his own heart seen through so easily, it also felt comfortable for some reason. Rio obediently entrusted himself to Aishia’s embrace, but Celia returned to her senses with a gasp and spoke up in a panic. “H-Hey, hey! How long are you going to be hugging for?! That’s so unfair — let go already! I can’t let my guard down at all around you!”
“Okay.” Rio nodded in amusement and slowly distanced himself from Aishia.
“I was just saying my farewells. Aren’t you going to do that, Celia?” Aishia cocked her head sideways.
“N... R-Right. You’ll be gone for a while, s-so I guess...” Celia reflexively tried to decline, but then blushed as she agreed reluctantly.
“Well...” Rio tried to object, but Celia began to approach. Since he had been certain Celia would be too flabbergasted to do anything, Rio swallowed his words in slight surprise.
“...B-Be careful, Rio. I’ll practice the recipes you taught me and wait here!” With a bright red face, Celia hugged Rio with all her might. Celia’s body was small, but warm.
“...Yes. I’ll be back soon.” Rio smiled a little uncomfortably and returned Celia’s hug.
Rio moved a small distance away from the rock house and took out the teleport crystal. He could have used it in front of Celia, but if he did he could imagine how her panicked eyes would search Aishia for an explanation. Even if he told her about it beforehand, the discussion would’ve become pretty long-winded.
“Transilio.” Rio chanted the spell and activated the teleport crystal in his hand. The air distorted and warped around the teleport crystal, vanishing Rio into thin air. In the next moment the forest surrounding the village filled his vision. His teleportation was successful.
“I’m sure someone will come here if I just wait, but...” He decided to approach the village himself this time. Kicking off the ground, Rio rose into the air with spirit arts and moved across the forest. The buildings of the village were lined in rows just below him, and towering past them was the giant tree that was Dryas’ main body. Rio flew along leisurely, heading for the tree where the village’s town hall was located — which was large, but nothing compared to the size of Dryas’ tree. Before long, a large bird rose into the sky from the ground. It was Ariel, Orphia’s contracted spirit.
“Onii-chan!”
And the first one to welcome Rio was, as expected, Latifa. As an adopted sister, she didn’t want to give up that role to anyone else. Riding on the back of Ariel, she waved her arms enthusiastically from a dozen or so meters away. Orphia and Miharu were also on Ariel’s back.
When Rio first spotted Latifa, his mouth softened in a smile, but when he spotted Miharu next, his face clouded faintly.
Miharu...
He averted his eyes; he couldn’t look at her directly. She was so bright, it felt like someone had a stranglehold on his chest.
“...?” Miharu noticed that Rio had averted his eyes and made a worried face. She continued staring at Rio’s face after that, but he still refused to meet her gaze. In the meantime, Rio and Ariel made contact midair.
“Welcome back, Onii-chan!” Latifa called out with a beaming smile.
“...I’ve returned, Latifa. You look like you’ve been well,” Rio replied with a gentle smile on his face.
“Yup!” Latifa nodded energetically.
“It’s nice to see you again too, Orphia, Miharu. I’m not used to the sight of having the two of you come out to greet me; it’s rather unexpected,” Rio said to the two of them, somewhat shyly. This time, he was able to give his usual warm smile to Miharu without averting his gaze.
“Is that so? While you were gone from the village, we became really close friends. Isn’t that right, Miharu?” Orphia giggled.
“Yup. We’re always together, after all,” Miharu said with a happy laugh. Perhaps the averted eye contact with Rio earlier was just her imagination...
“Say, Onii-chan. Can I jump over there?” Latifa pleaded restlessly, seemingly without the patience to wait until they arrived on the ground.
“Of course not — it’s dangerous. It’s just a little longer until we reach the ground. Be patient,” Rio admonished Latifa with a wry smile.
“Hmph, why can’t we go faster?” Latifa puffed up her cheeks a little and looked downwards. The town hall was already right before their eyes as the group slowly descended past it.
“Come to think of it, I don’t see Lady Aishia with you...” Orphia said.
“Aishia’s watching over the house back in Strahl.”
“Oh, really?” Orphia’s eyes widened.
“Yes. The teacher I am indebted to is actually under my protection right now, so we’re living together. She’s staying back to look after her, like an escort.”
“That indebted teacher is the one you mentioned before, right? The woman who was five years older. Her name was Celia, if I recall correctly?” Orphia asked. Latifa’s fluffy fox ears twitched when she heard that Rio was living with a young woman. However, she didn’t make any moves to interrupt their talk.
Rio’s eyes widened slightly. “Yes. You have a good memory.”
“Fufu. Of course I’d remember — it was something we discussed together. But that aside, why are you back this time? It hasn’t been that long since you last left...” Orphia said slightly bashfully, before tilting her head and changing the subject.
Rio looked at Miharu. “I’ve found the whereabouts of Miharu’s upperclassman, Sumeragi Satsuki. I wanted to report that and discuss my plans for the future, if possible.”
“...You found... Satsuki...” Miharu must have been quite shocked, as she was blinking with a blank look on her face.
“First I will go inform the head elders of my return, but then I’d like to have Aki and Masato join my explanation of the situation. Where are they right now?” Rio asked.
“Ah, I think they’re training with Sara and Alma right now,” Miharu answered with a gasp.
“But Sara and the others must have realized that Onii-chan’s returned, so maybe they’re heading towards the town hall already?” Latifa added.
“That’s true,” Orphia agreed. “I think we should just head to the town hall like this,” she said, gesturing for Rio to continue descending.
“I understand. Actually, I see them now.” Rio looked down at the square in front of the town hall and smiled when he spotted Sara and the others. A short time later, they reached the ground.
Latifa immediately went to hug Rio. “Once again, welcome home, Onii-chan!”
“Good to be back, Latifa. I’m glad to see you all look well, too, Sara.” Rio caught Latifa’s body with a smiling huff, then looked at Sara, who had come running over earlier.
“Welcome back, Rio.” Sara greeted Rio with a lively voice, either from running over or out of happiness at seeing Rio again. However, she wasn’t out of breath. Sara hadn’t endured all her tough training just to be out of breath from a little jog. Which meant the reason for her lively voice became obvious enough.
It was at that point that Alma finally appeared, dashing over with Masato and Aki in tow. Alma wasn’t particularly out of breath either, but Masato and Aki were huffing slightly.
“Sara was so fast, we could barely keep up,” Alma said tiredly while shooting Sara a look.
“Honestly. We have enough trouble as is running fast without magic artifacts,” Masato agreed with a grin.
“Ahaha,” Aki laughed in amusement, looking at Sara.
“Fufu, is that so? Why were you in such a rush, Sara?” Orphia asked, also laughing.
“I-I just didn’t want to lose sight of Rio, so I ran ahead of everyone to catch him first and wait for the others,” Sara answered in a high-pitched voice, having placed a strong emphasis on the fact that she’d done so for everyone’s sake.
“Geez, even if you didn’t hurry he would have waited. Right, Rio?” Orphia asked, turning to address Rio.
“Yes, there was something I wanted to tell Aki and Masato too, after all,” Rio said calmly with a nod.
“...To us?” Aki and Masato exchanged glances and looked at him in confusion.
“I’ve found Satsuki’s location.”
“R-Really?! What about my brother?!” Aki stammered, being the first to react right away.
“Unfortunately, I still haven’t been able to locate your older brother...”
“I-Is that so...” Aki’s shoulders slumped in disappointment.
“But now that we know Satsuki is here, it’s almost certain that your brother is in this world too. So far, all the heroes have been affiliated with a kingdom without exception, so I think it’s more than plausible.” While being affiliated with a kingdom brought up more problems in itself, Rio had said that to cheer up Aki. Latifa watched their exchange closely while still clinging to Rio.
“...Yes. Just knowing where Satsuki is makes me happy. It might be possible that my brother and Satsuki are together, or something,” Aki thought optimistically.
“That’s true. For now, I’d like to go to the head elders to make my report, so let’s continue discussing this there,” Rio suggested with a small smile.
“Yes!” Aki agreed enthusiastically. Meanwhile, Miharu had been staring at Rio’s side profile as he conversed with Aki.
“...” Her memories were vague and indistinct, but that dream she saw the other day... She couldn’t forget it. It was the trigger that caused her to strongly overlap this man and her childhood friend.
“What’s wrong, Miharu? ...Miharu?” Because Latifa was clinging onto Rio, she felt the gaze Miharu had directed to him and called out to her.
“...Eh? What?” Miharu snapped back to her senses and tilted her head awkwardly.
“Nothing, you were just watching Onii-chan in a daze...” Latifa said, giving Miharu a searching look. Rio and the others were also drawn in by Latifa’s words and looked at Miharu.
“Ah, really? Was I doing that?” Miharu noticed that attention was gathering on her and ducked her head uncomfortably.
“...Oh, was it because you wanted to hug Onii-chan too, Miharu?” Latifa asked in a bright voice. At that, Sara, Orphia, and Alma all looked at Miharu with great interest.
“Huh? ...Ah, no, that’s...” Miharu was taken aback, her body shaking with a flinch. When her eyes met Rio’s, she hid her face to avoid his gaze.
“Hey, Latifa. Don’t go picking on Miharu,” Rio warned her with a wry smile.
“...Okay!” Latifa agreed obediently and turned her gaze to Miharu to observe her expression.
“All right, let’s go then,” Rio urged the party to head towards the head elders.
Sara took the lead and agreed, walking towards the entrance of the town hall. “Yes, let’s.”
Orphia and Alma glanced at Miharu before following her. Similarly, Aki and Masato sent Miharu a look before walking off.
Before he started walking after Sara and the others, Rio stopped and looked down at the girl that still clung to him. “Are you not going to walk by yourself, Latifa?”
“Hmm... Then, can I hold hands with you, Onii-chan?” Latifa asked Rio like a spoiled child. She probably valued every short moment she could spend touching Rio, which was why she could speak so openly to him.
“Yeah, sure.” Rio nodded immediately.
“Yay! Ehehe.” Latifa’s features relaxed as she grabbed Rio’s left hand. Her expression was one of pure bliss.
“...” Miharu stood still as she watched their exchange.
“Shall we go, Latifa?” While Rio noticed Miharu’s gaze, he chose not to look at her and pulled Latifa’s hand as he walked off. Latifa seemed to sense that and nodded awkwardly as they walked, before looking back.
“Let’s go, Miharu!”
“Ah, yeah. That’s right.” Miharu smiled widely and slowly started walking, but her gaze was still fixed on Rio’s back —
“...Is that you, Haru-kun?” she whispered inaudibly at his back, but her voice must not have reached him, as Rio did not react.
The group headed up to the top floor of the town hall to meet the three head elders of the village. Rio greeted them first, then told them about how he had located Satsuki, just as he had told Miharu and the others already.
“I see — I understand now. So what do you intend on doing, Lord Rio?” High elf Syldora asked Rio.
“In a month and a half’s time, there will be a banquet to officially introduce the existence of the hero, Satsuki. I have actually made a connection with a certain noble that will allow me to attend that banquet.”
“Ah, so you plan on meeting that Satsuki girl at that banquet, then?” Elder dwarf Dominic asked.
“Yes, that is correct,” Rio replied. Ursula, the werefox head elder, looked doubtful.
“...But will it really go so smoothly?”
“It should. The other party is a fairly well-known noble of the Galarc Kingdom, and is aware of my aim to meet Satsuki. My request to accompany them to the banquet was accepted on top of that,” Rio replied.
“I see. Did you tell them about Lady Miharu and the others?” Syldora asked with wide eyes. Rio shook his head slowly.
“No, I’ve kept Miharu’s situation hidden.”
At that, the head elders looked at each other and tilted their heads.
“...It seems like the conditions are rather favorable for you, Lord Rio. Are you sure there is no ulterior motive here?” Syldora asked on behalf of the other head elders.
“While I can’t say for certain, there shouldn’t be. The time we spent together was short, but I believe the noble is intelligent with a strong sense of duty,” Rio said on his impression of Liselotte.
“I see. If you are going that far to describe them, then we shall trust the character of this person too,” Syldora said, smile widening with a chuckle.
“However, this will be a gathering of heroes and human royalty and nobility. There’s no way they would allow you entry for free, no? Just what series of events occurred for you to gain access to the banquet?” Dominic dug a little further in regards to how Rio’s invitation came to be. Despite his rough appearance, he was actually a thoughtful person who didn’t have the role of a head elder for nothing.
“I saved the noble in question during their crisis. I had partially assisted them for that intent, but it seemed like they felt very indebted and made such arrangements in gratitude.”
“I see. So that’s how it is,” Dominic smiled in understanding.
“Knowing your personality, they must have good judgment too,” Ursula said with a small smile. Syldora huffed and smiled, too.
“Well, we can hear more about that later over a drink or two. We now understand the general situation. Based on what you’ve told us, there is no need for us to intervene anywhere for now. Is that correct?” Dominic asked.
“Yes.”
“Indeed.”
Syldora and Ursula both responded immediately.
“That’s how it is. The main players are the young ones, after all. Of course, we’ll give you our opinions if needed, but it would be proper for you to discuss and decide among yourselves. How about that, Rio?” Dominic asked.
“Yes,” Rio agreed. “That was what I intended too. Miharu, what do you think?”
“...I...” Miharu was unable to respond right away, a look of hesitation on her face. She returned the look Rio was giving her, but she bit her lip, at a loss for words.
“I-I want to see her! I want to see Satsuki! It’s possible my brother might be with her, and even if he isn’t, she might know something about him! I have to go and ask!” Aki said.
“Hmm...” Masato seemed to be thinking something, his arms crossed and a contemplative look on his face. Apparently, Aki was the only one with no doubt in her feelings.
“W-What’s the matter, Masato? Don’t you want to see our brother?”
“No, of course I want to see him. It’s just... I’m still in the middle of my sword training, and it doesn’t seem like we can come back that easily if we leave,” Masato said.
“T-That’s...” The look on Aki’s face changed, making her speechless with discomfort. Even Aki didn’t become emotional and say that Masato could continue his sword training elsewhere, because Aki knew that it wasn’t about that. Masato was able to devote himself to his sword training in this village, where he had friends he could compete with. Aki herself had made irreplaceable friends in the village, and she had seen Masato work his hardest on his sword training. He probably didn’t want to fail at it halfway through.
“Anyway, what good would come out of us going? We were brought to this village precisely because we’d get in Haruto’s way, no?” Masato said, making a sound argument.
“That’s true, but...” Aki was at a complete loss for words.
“You wouldn’t be a nuisance at all. It might be difficult, but it’s my job to do something about that. That’s why I want to hear what the three of you truly think,” Rio said in a calming voice. Masato and Aki exchanged glances before bowing their heads to Rio.
“...Thanks.”
“Thank you very much.”
Rio continued, “But there are several conditions attached, so I’ll inform you of those first. After hearing them, take some time thinking about it, discussing it with each other, then give me your answer.”
“O-Okay. What are they?” Masato braced himself and asked.
“First, the major premise of all this is that Satsuki is currently in a position of being a hero affiliated with the Galarc Kingdom — this is basically certain. The problem with being affiliated with a kingdom, however, is that she may not be able to move freely outside, and we can’t just go and meet her easily. You understand this, right?”
By having the hero Satsuki — a disciple of the Six Wise Gods — affiliated with them, the kingdom could increase their own power and influence. Basically, she was a portable idol to worship.
It would be a bad move to upset Satsuki’s mood, so the kingdom probably wouldn’t do anything to provoke her. However, they would still keep Satsuki’s movements under surveillance and indirectly try to manage her. It was hard to believe they would allow her to move freely.
“Yeah, pretty much,” Masato said hesitantly. Aki and Miharu nodded in agreement too.
“I’ve told you about the Six Wise Gods before, right? They’re the gods worshiped in the Strahl region. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that the royalty in each of the kingdoms of Strahl were formed on the foundation of the Six Wise Gods’ power. Now that the heroes — the disciples of the Six Wise Gods — have descended in each kingdom, they can’t turn a blind eye to such a serious affair. The religious value of the heroes is directly connected to their political value, after all,” Rio explained plainly.
“...” Miharu, Aki, Masato, and the other spirit folk all listened to Rio’s words intently.
“That, of course, applies to the Galarc Kingdom too. They will be trying to gain the most political benefit possible from Satsuki. Having said that, I’m sure you can imagine the potential dangers of the three of you suddenly appearing before Satsuki, right? The kingdom may try to take the three of you in as insurance, under the name of protection.”
“Uh...” Aki and Masato both gulped.
“I phrased it in a frightening way, but of course taking actions to upset Satsuki would normally be a poor move, so I doubt they’d try to pull anything so forceful,” Rio said with a bitter smile, shrugging his shoulders.
“That’s why I’m not saying you shouldn’t go meet Satsuki. But if you do go, I want you to be prepared. Just like Masato said, it’s very possible that you may not be able to return to this village so easily afterwards,” he continued.
“...Okay,” Miharu and the others nodded solemnly.
“And that’s all when it comes to the warnings I have to give. Of course, I’m willing to give my advice and present all the risks I can think of, but you all will make the final decision. I want to respect your opinions, which is why the three of you should think about it yourselves. And so I suggest we leave it at this for today,” Rio said, wrapping up the meeting for the day.
After that, the group decided to head home right away in order to give Miharu, Aki, and Masato time to think. A rather heavy air hung over them on the road home — over the Japanese visitors in particular, who barely said a word. Sara, Orphia, and Alma read the mood and decided to watch over them silently for now. Meanwhile, Latifa was similarly staying silent out of consideration, but her gaze was fixed on Rio rather than Miharu. She walked beside him quietly while holding his hand, occasionally looking up at Rio’s face with a gentle look on her face.
Thus, the party arrived home.
“Since Rio’s returned today, I’ll do my best to make something nice for lunch,” Orphia said with the brightest voice she could after entering the house.
“I’ll help,” Rio immediately offered.
“Ah, me too...!” Miharu chimed in, lured along by Rio to reflexively offer to help.
“No, Rio should relax in the living room, please. And Miharu, don’t you have a lot to think about today? Leave this to me.” Orphia shook her head with a cheerful grin.
“...Okay, then, if you insist.” Rio nodded with a smile.
“Thank you, Orphia,” Miharu said apologetically.
“My cooking skills aren’t as good, but I’ll help instead, Orphia.”
“I can assist too.”
Sara and Alma both took the initiative to help out.
“Yup, the three of us can make something together for once!” Orphia agreed happily.
“...Orphia, should I help too?” Latifa offered hesitantly.
“Fufu, you should go and be spoiled by Rio while you still have a chance,” Orphia said with a smile. Latifa nodded with a soft smile of her own.
“Okay, thank you!”
Everyone went about their own business. Orphia, Sara, and Alma headed to the kitchen, while Rio and Latifa went to the living room and sat down on the sofa. Miharu, Aki, and Masato each retired to their own bedrooms.
Latifa seemed to be reading the mood in her own way, as she wasn’t enthusiastically pleading for Rio’s attention as usual, instead sticking close to Rio’s side quietly. She must have felt completely at ease there, as Latifa fell into a peaceful sleep within ten minutes or so, her head in Rio’s lap as she breathed gently in her sleep.
“Zzz... zzz...”
“...” The corners of Rio’s mouth relaxed faintly as he watched Latifa’s peacefully sleeping face while gently patting her head.
Suddenly, Miharu appeared in the living room, and approached Rio nervously. Despite having noticed Miharu’s approach, Rio continued to pet Latifa silently.
Miharu found her resolve and called out to Rio. “Umm, Haruto, do you have a moment?”
“...Yes, of course.” Rio smiled a little fleetingly and slowly nodded his head.
Rio shifted the sleeping Latifa to rest on the sofa before following Miharu outside the house, at her request to be alone.
Rio stopped a slight distance away from Miharu and spoke up first. “What did you want to talk about?”
“...Umm, I wanted to know what you were thinking about all this,” Miharu began hesitantly.
“What I think?” Rio’s eyes widened slightly as he cocked his head to the side.
“Yes. What do you think we should be doing about this? I want to hear your opinion,” Miharu explained, clinging to Rio’s response.
“...Let’s see. I would attend the banquet alone and make contact with Satsuki. After hearing what Satsuki herself wants to do about all this, I’ll explore long-term solutions for what to do. Then, at possibly the same time, I’ll temporarily sneak Satsuki out of the castle and bring her to you guys, perhaps. Of course, I’ll have to have you three wait somewhere near the castle.” Rio offered what he considered to be the safest option.
“...That means you think we should meet Satsuki, right?” Miharu confirmed slowly.
“Yes. You would want to confirm each other’s safety with your own eyes first, right?” Rio asked.
“Yes,” Miharu nodded firmly in response.
“That would be the purpose of temporarily sneaking her out for a secret meeting. There’d be a fairly high risk in that alone, so it’s not an option that could be repeated often, but for a one time event there should be plenty of ways to make it happen,” Rio explained.
“If we wanted to keep seeing her we’d have to head to the castle ourselves, is what you mean?”
“If Satsuki is in a position where she can’t walk outside freely, that may be the only choice. Even if she could go out, someone would be keeping an eye on her friendships, so your existence would be revealed to the kingdom for sure,” Rio agreed with Miharu’s question with a contemplative look. What was more important was whether Miharu actually wanted to meet with Satsuki regardless of that.
“Then if — if the kingdom finds out about us, can we still remain with you even in that situation?” Miharu asked with an extremely worried face.
Rio hesitated slightly for a moment, before averting his eyes from the guilty-looking Miharu and answering. “I... wonder. If your existence were a weak point for Satsuki, I believe the kingdom would try to secure you and the siblings. Of course, that would depend on how much influence Satsuki has over the kingdom...”
There was a need to investigate in advance how the kingdom would treat Miharu, Aki, and Masato if they found out about them. Rio figured he’d be able to find out some of the specifics by contacting Satsuki on the night of the banquet. However, ultimately there was no way of knowing exactly what would happen until the moment unfurled.
At the very least, Rio currently had Liselotte of the Galarc Kingdom as a connection, which meant that relying on her assistance could be another option.
“Oh, right,” Miharu nodded, her shoulders slumping in disappointment.
“...However, if the three of you plan on returning to Japan one day, it would be ideal if you were to meet up with Takahisa as well. There’s no need to rush, but there’s no need to hold back from seeking assistance either, so please discuss it with Aki and Masato. Like I said earlier, you guys should be the ones to make the decision,” Rio said and smiled rather awkwardly.
Us... returning to Japan...
It was why the three were being protected by Rio. It was what they had discussed when they’d first arrived in this world and spoken to Rio.
However, the moment Miharu heard those words from Rio’s mouth once more, an indescribable sense of anxiety and panic rose within her, making her shrink in on herself. If Haruto was in fact the Haruto she’d once known, then would he have advised that they return to Japan? The thought overwhelmed her.
“U-Umm!” Before she knew it, Miharu’s mouth was moving.
“Yes?” Seeing the normally docile Miharu suddenly raise her voice in a rough manner made Rio’s eyes round in response.
“Do you — do you ever think about returning to Japan yourself, Haruto?” Miharu asked, looking extremely frustrated. She had avoided touching upon this delicate topic until now, but she simply had to know.
Rio hesitated for a moment before answering with a small sigh. “...That would be impossible.” He did not clearly specify whether he wanted to return or not.
“Why is that?” Miharu asked in a daze.
“Even if I were to return, the person I was in my previous life is already dead. If I were to return to Japan now, I would have no place to go. I wouldn’t even be on any kind of official record, you know?” Hints of a self-deprecating smile could be seen on Rio’s face as he answered with much difficulty.
“...But, don’t you have... I don’t know, regrets, or things you wished you had done?” Miharu asked. It was an intrusive question that was rare coming from her.
“...I wonder,” Rio replied, avoiding answering.
“Then, the Haruto of your previous life is...” Miharu tried to ask something, stumbling over her words, but Latifa’s voice suddenly echoed.
“Onii-chan?”
“What’s wrong, Latifa?” Rio said, looking in the direction the voice came from. At some point, the door to the house had opened, revealing Latifa standing there.
“Oh, it’s just that Onii-chan wasn’t there when I woke up, so...” Latifa said hesitantly.
“I see. Sorry, I was talking with Miharu,” Rio informed her, a gentle smile pasted on his face.
Latifa shook her head and approached Rio. “It’s okay. Are you done talking?”
“...Are we?” Rio asked Miharu.
“Ah, umm... Yes.” Miharu looked like she wanted to say something, but agreed indecisively instead.
“Then, I’m going for a short walk. I’d like to greet our neighbors now that I’ve returned, too. Orphia and the others seem to be making lunch, so I’ll be back soon. What would you like to do, Latifa?” Rio asked Latifa, distancing himself from Miharu.
Latifa paused for a moment, but slowly shook her head in the end. “...I’ll pass, it’s fine.”
“I see... Then I’ll be right back. Thanks, Latifa,” Rio said as he departed, patting Latifa on the shoulders.
“Yup, see you soon.” Latifa trembled with a flinch, nodding awkwardly as she saw Rio off.
So he noticed after all...
Latifa had been listening to Rio and Miharu’s conversation from the doorway from the middle of their talk — the reason why he thanked her was because of that. Latifa herself hadn’t even realized she’d timed her interruption as such, and felt an indescribable discomfort over that.
“...See you later, Haruto.” Miharu still looked like she wanted to say something, but swallowed her words as she saw Rio off.
After Rio left, Latifa and Miharu were left alone by the doorway.
Miharu suddenly opened her mouth. “...Say, Latifa.”
“Hm? Yeah?” Latifa replied awkwardly.
“Umm, do you...” While Miharu had been the one to start talking, she seemed extremely unsure of her words. Her inner conflict was quite visible. “Latifa, how much do you know about Haruto?” she asked fearfully.
At present, the only ones who knew that Rio had memories of a previous life were the council of elders and Dryas herself. Sara, Orphia, Alma, and Latifa had been showing Miharu around, so they weren’t present and didn’t know. Rio told Miharu that himself, so Miharu had avoided talking about Rio’s previous life in front of the spirit folk girls until now.
However...
Miharu had a suspicion that Rio’s adopted sister might know about his past life.
“...What do you mean, how much?” Latifa asked hesitantly.
“I was just wondering if you knew why he uses the alias ‘Haruto,’ or something like that, maybe.” Miharu avoided Latifa’s eyes and spoke falteringly.
Latifa paused for a long moment before cutting to the point that Miharu had been trying to describe long-windedly. “...Are you perhaps asking about Onii-chan’s previous life?”
“S-So you do know about it after all.” Miharu’s expression suddenly changed, and she bit her lip.
“Yup, Onii-chan told me as proof of our sibling bond,” Latifa nodded.
“Then... Then... do you know, Latifa? If Haruto’s — Haruto’s alias... Was that his name in his previous life?” Miharu asked in earnest.
“...I can’t tell you that. Onii-chan asked me not to tell anyone anything about his previous life.” Latifa shook her head slowly.
“He said that...”
Miharu wondered what exactly that could mean. It wasn’t something one would to want spread normally. She didn’t know why he didn’t want it spread, but she couldn’t accept it was just because of a matter of privacy.
That being said, she couldn’t force Latifa to tell her, so Miharu simply clenched her hands into fists.
“Even if you can’t ask me, why don’t you just ask Onii-chan yourself?” Latifa suggested with a very troubled look.
“...It might just be my imagination, but it feels like he’s avoiding me. Especially ever since he came back this time,” Miharu said, frowning sadly.
I kinda thought the same thing. But I also thought it was just my imagination...
Rio really did seem like he was avoiding Miharu earlier, Latifa thought. She first noticed something was odd during the exchange between Rio returning to the village and before they entered the town hall together. It was as though Rio was purposefully avoiding Miharu’s eyes...
But even if that were true, then Miharu was behaving strangely, too. Ever since Rio returned, her eyes and attention had continuously been focused on him.
“...Why do you want to know about Onii-chan’s past life?” Latifa asked, examining Miharu’s expression.
“If I answer that, will you tell me Haruto’s name in his previous life?” Miharu seemed extremely frustrated as she brought up a way for them to swap information.
“I can’t do that.” Latifa shook her head slowly.
“...Sorry, that was unfair of me to say. I’m sorry,” Miharu apologized shamefully. It was behavior she would have never shown under normal circumstances, so she must have felt exceptionally defeated.
“No, it’s okay...” Latifa said with a contemplative look, searching Miharu’s face for her feelings.
Maybe... no, it’s more likely that Miharu...
Based on their exchange up until now, Latifa was practically certain that Miharu suspected Rio was Amakawa Haruto in his previous life.
But... from when?
When had she realized it? Because their names were the same? If that was the only factor, she would have taken some kind of action long ago. There must have been some other factor, Latifa thought.
Ah, was it then...? Latifa suddenly thought of something and understood.
It was back when they had made the apple cake during cooking class — they were talking about the first time Rio and Latifa came to the village. As they described how Rio was thrown into a jail cell, Orphia and Alma said they had heard Rio mutter ‘Mii-chan’ in his sleep.
Back then, Latifa noticed that Miharu’s expression had clearly changed. She hadn’t acted strangely after that, but it was possible that she’d started holding onto her suspicions then. Then, after actually seeing Rio again, that doubt grew stronger.
Has Onii-chan noticed Miharu’s change in behavior? Is that why he’s avoiding her? Latifa suspected.
“Latifa?” Miharu tilted her head awkwardly, peering at Latifa’s face. Latifa had been lost in her own thoughts, so Miharu was most likely wondering what was going on with her.
Latifa thought hard for a moment before slowly moving her mouth. “...Say, Miharu.”
“What is it?”
“I can’t tell you about Onii-chan’s previous life. But I can tell you about my past life,” Latifa stated, having made up her mind.
“Eh...?” Miharu was dumbfounded. For a moment, she didn’t understand what Latifa had said, as she had no idea that Latifa had a past life.
“I have a past life too. A story I’ve only told Onii-chan. But I’ll tell it to you too, because it’s you. My conditions are that you stay silent about what I say, and that you answer one of my questions after I’m done,” Latifa said with determination and looked directly at Miharu.
“Latifa...” Miharu was baffled by the sudden topic at hand.
“Well? Do you accept these terms? Though it isn’t fair to just say that when you know nothing about my past life, so I’ll tell you one thing up front. I knew Onii-chan in my past life. We died in the same traffic accident.”
“Ah...” Miharu gasped in shock.
“I might change my mind later, so I’m only going to wait ten seconds. Ten, nine, eight...”
“W-Wait! I want to hear it. Please tell me, Latifa. I promise to abide by your conditions.”
“Got it. Sorry, this time I was the one saying unfair things. But in exchange, I’ll tell you about my past life. I don’t think you’ll regret it,” Latifa said apologetically.
She wanted to know Miharu’s feelings. Just like how Miharu wanted to know about Rio’s past life, Latifa wanted to know why Miharu was digging into Rio’s past life.
Miharu shook her head politely, “It’s okay. I don’t want to be pushy, but will you tell me right away?”
“Yup. I was an elementary school student in my past life. Onii-chan was a university student, and we knew each other because we took the same bus to our schools.”
“...” Miharu was focused on listening, so she didn’t say a word.
“At first, I wasn’t used to riding the bus. I only used it occasionally on rainy days, but I once missed my stop and went somewhere I was unfamiliar with. When I got scared and started crying, Onii-chan brought me back home. That was my first meeting with Onii-chan. That was all it took for me to... No, the Onii-chan of my past life was so kind and handsome, I fell in love with him at first sight. Then I made mom let me take the bus to school. And that was one year before we died...”
Latifa paused there before continuing, fondly remembering the details.
“But in the end, even with one year’s worth of time, I never gained the courage to talk to Onii-chan ever again. Ah, I know I asked why you couldn’t talk to Onii-chan yourself before, but now that I think about it, I’m really not one to talk about Miharu, huh? I still have lots of things I haven’t had the courage to say, even now.” Latifa smiled sadly.
“Latifa...” Miharu clenched her fists tightly from the heartache.
“That’s why I wasn’t actually that close to Onii-chan in my previous life. Of course, since becoming the me of this world, I’ve heard lots of stories from Onii-chan, but I promised him I wouldn’t tell anyone about that. Sorry — I couldn’t tell you much, I guess?” Latifa apologized regretfully. Perhaps she had just wanted to tell someone about herself. Maybe she wanted Miharu to know about her — it was, perhaps, why she brought up such a topic.
“That’s not true.” Miharu smiled fleetingly, shaking her head.
“Thank you. Then, to finish things off, I’ll tell you a little about what kind of person Onii-chan looked like to my previous self. And to my current self too...” After saying that, a certain intention could be glimpsed in Latifa’s eyes. It was possible that talking about her impression of Haruto from when she was Suzune would be a violation of the promise she made Rio. At the very least, it was definitely a grey area.
But Latifa wanted to say it anyway. She had to say it, she thought. If she was to remain in love with Rio in the future, she thought she had to face Miharu directly right here and now. “Onii-chan always... The Onii-chan in my memory always had a sad look on his face. He had a faraway look in his eyes, as though he was watching someone who wasn’t there. Like someone very important was gone, and he knew they wouldn’t be returning...”
Latifa knew who that important person was. She was already treading on a dangerous line at this point, so she couldn’t say any further than that.
“Haruto was...” Miharu blinked.
“I don’t know... I don’t know if Onii-chan is still looking at that person even now. But, you know. I love Onii-chan. He saved me in this world as well.”
“R-Really?” Latifa’s sudden confession had Miharu recoiling her head.
“Yup. Come to think of it, I’ve never told you about what happened... About the life I was living before I came to the village...”
“I heard you were traveling with Haruto...” Miharu said nervously.
“It was before that. I-I was... I was a slave before. By the time I regained my memories of my past life in this world, I had been born and raised as a slave.”
“Ah...” Miharu was rendered speechless at Latifa’s confession.
“The Strahl region is human territory, so there are practically no communities like this village where people of different races live together. If there are, they’re slaves. There’s no place for us other than slavery.” Latifa continued on with a troubled look. “The nobles that owned me raised me as an assassin. They put a magic collar on me, to keep me from disobeying. That’s why, when I regained my memories of my past life, I had already killed people. After my memories awakened too, with these hands, I...”
Latifa’s body trembled a bit as she looked down at her hands. It must have been painful just to recall. It was a past she normally kept sealed deep within her memories.
“It’s okay, Latifa. If it hurts, you don’t have to force yourself to tell me.” Miharu approached Latifa and grabbed her hand. She spoke with a pained look in her eyes.
Latifa shook her head from side to side. “No, I need to do this... In order to ask you a question later. That’s why... You may not want to hear this, but I want you to. Is that okay?”
“...Yup.” Miharu frowned, nodding deeply.
“Thank you. As an assassin, I... I was controlled by the slavery collar, and told to kill Onii-chan like the others... That was what happened between me and Onii-chan, before we came to the village,” Latifa said shamefully, biting her lip as she stared at Miharu.
“...Latifa.” Tears gently fell from Miharu’s eyes. The story was just too much to bear.
“I pretended to collapse so that I could kill Onii-chan. But, there was no way I could win against Onii-chan, and I easily had the tables turned on me. I thought I would be killed, but I didn’t want to die, became scared, then completely threw a crying fit, at which Onii-chan knocked me out...” Latifa said bitterly. It really was a miserable recollection.
“Onii-chan didn’t kill me, though. Instead, he removed the collar that was controlling me. Then he brought me, who didn’t have a place in Strahl, who was nothing more than a burden, all the way to this village. He gave someone like me, who didn’t even have their own will, a chance to live an ordinary life,” Latifa continued in a quiet but firm voice.
“...” Miharu was overwhelmed and stood there in silence.
“I’ve caused Onii-chan a lot of trouble. I owe him so much, more than I can repay him in this lifetime. Onii-chan’s kind, so he’d deny all that, but that’s not true at all. That’s why I’ll spend my life returning this debt to Onii-chan. That’s what I think...” Latifa said, then paused.
“...You really love Haruto, after all,” Miharu said softly. It was clear as day that Latifa really loved Rio from their conversation just now. So clear, it was almost too bright to look at directly.
“Yup, that’s right. I love Onii-chan. I love him as my brother, and as a man. I fell in love with the same person twice.” Latifa nodded.
“I-I see...” For some reason, Miharu felt her chest clenching and made a pained face.
“That’s why, I think I get it. The reason why Sara and Orphia and Alma, why everyone loves him too... They still seem to feel guilty for how horribly they treated him over the misunderstanding when we first wandered into the village, but I can tell they love him.”
“...Right,” Miharu nodded with difficulty. Since they had been living together like a family, Miharu had somewhat realized that too.
“What about you, Miharu?” Latifa suddenly asked.
“...Huh?” For a moment, Miharu wasn’t sure what she was asking, her eyes widening. But she understood her meaning in no time and flinched in shock.
“Do you love Onii-chan too, Miharu? This is the condition I gave at the beginning. The question I wanted to ask you,” Latifa asked bluntly, staring at Miharu up close.
“Uh...” Miharu was unable to answer on the spot, a terribly hesitant look on her face.
“You don’t have to rush. I want to hear your true feelings,” Latifa said calmly.
“I... I had someone I loved when I was little.” Miharu slowly opened her mouth, thinking hard. “I probably loved that person just as much as you are currently in love. It was natural for the two of us to be together every day, and I thought it would only be natural for us to be together forever... Me, and my childhood friend. Aki was also there, and the three of us would play together,” she continued.
“Mhm...” Latifa nodded, urging Miharu to go on.
“But our time together didn’t continue on for very long. When I was seven, that boy had to move far away with his father, after his parents divorced. Only Aki and I were left. Aki was that boy’s little sister, you know. She’s grown to hate him now, but back then, she loved her brother. After her brother left her, she shut herself away in her room for days and cried,” Miharu said slowly, looking back on those times.
Latifa’s eyes had widened when she found out Aki hated Haruto, but she chose not to touch upon that and instead asked nervously about Miharu at the time. “...Did you cry, Miharu?”
“I was three years older than Aki. I say that to make myself sound cooler, but I cried too. I cried the whole day he moved,” Miharu answered with a bitter smile. “But, when we parted, he made a promise to me. That when he grew up, he’d come to get me. That’s why we should get married. Then we could always be together, he could always be by my side, and protect me with his life...” she said with a sad, faraway look.
“Miharu...” Latifa felt like her chest was about to rip apart. In the end, Haruto was still able to keep that promise, even now. He would protect Miharu with his life.
“I’m a simple person, so I was really happy and stopped crying because of that. I don’t know if I still love that person now that I’ve grown up, but my memories of that time are a precious treasure to me. That’s why... That’s why... I couldn’t imagine having that kind of relationship with another man until now. But...” Miharu said in embarrassment, frowning at the end.
“But?” Latifa gulped.
“...I don’t know. Something like this, I’ve never... While living with Haruto, I started overlapping his existence with the person I knew. I know that it’s the wrong thing to do — I keep telling myself that — but lately my feelings keep surging up. The timelines don’t match, though, so it couldn’t be possible.”
Around and around, in circles. Miharu’s thoughts and feelings were sucked into a cycle of negativity. Her face twisted in pain as she ducked her head, but after a while, she raised it again.
“The person I loved when I was young was named Amakawa Haruto. The same name as Haruto.” She stared at Latifa as she spoke quietly, as though seeking an answer.
“...Sorry. I know what it is you’re trying to ask. Even so, I can’t tell you anything about Onii-chan’s past life from my own mouth.” That was what she had promised, after all. Latifa shook her head apologetically.
“Yeah. I’m sorry too, for troubling you like this... The reason I haven’t asked Haruto myself is probably because I still haven’t reached my own answer yet. I’m too scared to make sure...” Miharu bit her lip out of shame.
“...That’s understandable. You’re an older sister to two, so you have to consider Aki and Masato.”
In reality, Miharu was in a position as the eldest where she always had to consider the other two, not just herself. However, the point that ultimately made Miharu hold her ground was the mismatched timelines. There was no way Amakawa Haruto could have been a university student, since he was a first year high schooler like her. That’s why, logically speaking, there was no way they could be the same person.
That was the binding spell. Because she understood there was a time discrepancy, Miharu was unconsciously afraid of confirming with Rio. She believed it wasn’t something she should confirm, having the vague feeling something would change if she did.
“...Yeah. I have to keep it together. For the sake of those two,” Miharu said to herself.
While it could be interpreted as a way of avoiding the problem with Rio, it was also true that she had to face the issue with Satsuki head-on too. If anything, in terms of urgency this was more important. After all, meeting Satsuki wasn’t just something that concerned Miharu; it would affect Aki and Masato greatly in the future too. Rio had prepared such an opportunity for them, so they couldn’t let that go to waste.
It was their own matter. They couldn’t just leave it to other people, and they couldn’t shove it all at Rio either. Miharu calmed down a little, forcing her miserable feelings into her chest.
“When I’m watching you, I think to myself that I have to try harder too. Thank you — for listening to my story, and for answering my question.” Latifa’s mouth relaxed into a smile as she thanked Miharu, glad that she had been able to have a frank conversation.
I don’t think this current state can continue, either, Latifa thought from deep inside her heart, though she couldn’t explain it logically. Now that she knew Miharu’s feelings were inclined towards Rio, she knew the problem between Rio and Miharu had to be solved before she could proudly face Rio herself. She couldn’t give Rio her all before that.
“Umm, is that all you wanted to ask of me?” Miharu asked nervously.
Latifa glanced at the entrance and smiled sadly. “Yup. I know what your feelings are now. Like I said at the beginning, you can’t tell anyone about what I told you, okay? Especially not Onii-chan.”
“Yup, I promise,” Miharu agreed, returning the smile gently.
“Let’s go, then,” Latifa said in a slightly louder voice, turning towards the door. It creaked slightly, moving faintly as though a wind had blown. On the other side was —
...Miharu. Is that true?
It was Aki. She had been searching for Miharu to discuss things with her when she found the two of them conversing outside the house and ended up eavesdropping. Aki ran into the house to avoid being caught.
“What’s the matter, Aki?” Upon running into the living room, Aki encountered Sara, whose eyes widened slightly.
“Ah, no, I was just walking a little, thinking it might help process my thoughts, or something...” Aki said, making up an excuse on the spot.
“Oh, I know that feeling. Sitting still doesn’t suit me either,” Sara agreed with a giggle. Just then, Miharu and Latifa came back inside.
“We’re back!” The moment Latifa entered the living room, she greeted Aki energetically.
“Welcome back. Wait, where did you go? What about Rio?”
“We were talking just outside of the house. Onii-chan went for a short walk outside. He said he was going to say hi to the neighbors. I’m sure he’ll be back soon.” Latifa answered Sara’s question in her usual tone.
“I see. Let’s have lunch as soon as Rio’s back, then. All the preparations are done.”
Latifa’s nose twitched as she sniffed, then she smiled with a giggle. “Yup! You made all kinds of food today. It smells great. The smell reached all the way outside the house, so I’m starving.”
“It... smelled? I could only tell once we got inside...” Miharu’s eyes widened in wonder.
“That’s because I’m a werefox! I’m super sensitive to smell.” Latifa puffed her chest up proudly.
“I see.” Miharu giggled in amusement. Latifa looked at Aki, who was standing still somewhat awkwardly, and called out to her gently in worry.
“Aki, are you okay? You don’t look too well...”
“N-No, I’m fine. There’s nothing wrong at all.” Aki shook her head awkwardly, her voice high-pitched.
Shortly after that, Rio returned, and it was soon time for lunch. The dining table was packed with the feast that Orphia, Sara, and Alma had prepared, but the atmosphere in the room was a bit awkward. There were conversations happening, but it wasn’t as lively as it usually was.
Aki, Masato, and Miharu in particular had stiff expressions on their faces. The reason being, of course, was what Rio had outlined upon his return. Even the normally-boisterous Masato was thinking seriously about what their plan of action needed to be.
“By the way, Rio,” Orphia suddenly said.
“Yes?” Rio replied immediately, looking at her.
“What kind of person is the noble that’s bringing you to the banquet?”
While they may not be directly involved, it was still a person that Miharu and the others would be relying on. She figured it wouldn’t hurt to learn more about what kind of person they were.
With that, everyone’s attention gathered on Rio.
“Let’s see... As I said to the head elders before, she’s intelligent with a strong sense of duty. She was placed in charge of the city at a young age, and also operates a huge organization that she established herself. I believe no one is more befitting of being called ‘talented’ than her,” Rio explained.
“She’s a woman? I had assumed it would be a man...” Orphia blinked in surprise. The others also seemed to have the preconceived notion that the noble was a man, so they were all slightly taken aback.
“Yes, I believe she’s around Orphia’s age,” Rio confirmed calmly.
“The same as me?” Orphia murmured in awe.
“Haruto, is that person possibly Amande’s...” Miharu suddenly said. It seemed like she had someone in mind.
“Yes. She’s the governor of Amande and the president of the Ricca Guild too,” Rio confirmed.
“Huh? Wasn’t the Ricca Guild the place that sold the underwe... the swimsuits that we were trying to reproduce?” Orphia nearly said underwear, but corrected herself to swimsuit. The village was currently manufacturing experimental modern underwear and swimsuits based on what Miharu and the others brought to the village. Since there was an overwhelming number of opportunities to use underwear, Orphia had said underwear by reflex, but she apparently thought that word was a little embarrassing to say in front of Rio.
“Yup. Amande was a nearby city back when we lived in the Strahl region...” Miharu nodded, thinking hard. She knew that the Ricca Guild sold a lot of items that resembled modern Japanese products, so it was possible that the president, Liselotte, could also have been reincarnated like Rio...
Which meant Rio might have shared information about his previous life with Liselotte.
“You said that you saved Liselotte during some predicament, but what happened?” Alma asked out of curiosity.
“It’s a long story, but to summarize: there was a large-scale monster attack on Amande, and I cooperated with the extermination efforts,” Rio answered broadly.
“Did everything work out okay?” Miharu asked worriedly. She had never imagined such a thing would occur after they left Amande.
“Yes. I wouldn’t be here otherwise. Just to be safe, I had Aishia wait in a location away from Amande,” Rio replied with a smile.
“We don’t get monsters in this village, so it’s a little hard to imagine, but if Rio says it was large scale then there must have been an exceptional number of them,” Alma muttered.
Monsters seemed to live in areas close to human civilization, so there were barely any that took up residence in the Wilderness. Instead, all kinds of savage creatures ran rampant. She knew well how they could be threatening when they ganged up.
In the meantime, Sara’s interest as a warrior was piqued. “Could you tell us what battling monsters was like, if you don’t mind?”
Perhaps it was also because they were gathered for a meal where they were more taciturn than normal that she thought it was a good topic to go with.
Latifa raised her hand. “Ah! I want to hear about the circumstances under which Onii-chan and his teacher Celia lived together instead!” It was something that had bothered her ever since Rio returned to the village and casually mentioned they were cohabiting. Now that everyone was gathered together, she figured this was the perfect time to ask.
“Geez, Latifa, don’t interrupt other people while they’re speaking... Wait, living together! You’re right! Was it true you were living together?!” Sara tried to object to Latifa in exasperation when the topic of Rio cohabitating with Celia came up and she flipped sides instantly, her expression changing.
“Y-Yes. This is also a long story, but...” Rio was a little surprised, but he replied with a wince.
“How curious indeed, Sara,” Alma said with a giggle.
“Ah, no, that’s not...” As Sara had shown an excessive reaction already, she mumbled her words while blushing deeply. Orphia giggled as she watched Sara act in such a way.
“Hey hey, is she your local mistress, Onii-chan?” Latifa suddenly asked.
At that, the spirit folk looked surprised and coughed.
“...She’s not. Where did you learn such a word?” Rio must have felt a headache coming on, as he was pressing his head with his hand lightly.
“From Dominic,” Latifa revealed honestly.
“Got it. I’ll have a word with him the next time I see him,” Rio said with a sigh. He figured there was a need to emphasize not teaching Latifa strange things like that...
“Good grief, that old man... I shall scold him too. I’m sorry about him.” Alma felt ashamed of her own family and apologized to Rio with a dejected slump in her shoulders.
“Say, Onii-chan. How did you end up living together? She’s a noble lady, isn’t she?” Latifa was still curious and pouted her lips as she pressed Rio to talk. Sara and the other girls also seemed interested, staring at Rio closely.
“All right, I’ll tell you,” Rio nodded with a strained smile, explaining the series of events that led to Celia’s rescue.
Later that night, Miharu called Aki and Masato to her room. The three of them sat in chairs around a small table.
“Have the two of you settled on your thoughts about the situation?” Miharu asked, immediately getting straight to business.
“...Yup,” Aki nodded.
“I’m still in the middle of thinking, but I want to hear your opinions too,” Masato said, scratching his head roughly.
“I see. Then let’s talk about it. Aki, could you start by telling us your thoughts?” Miharu asked.
“I... I want to return to Strahl. If there’s a chance that my brother is there and there’s a possibility that I can meet him... Then I want to attend the banquet,” Aki said seriously.
Miharu nodded. “I see... Then what about you, Masato?”
“The main issue stopping me is the possibility that we won’t be able to return here. Being with Haruto might mean he can teach me swordcraft, but... My first goal was to win once against Arslan...” Masato said, pondering to himself. “But we have to meet with Satsuki and my bro at some point, I guess. Well, it doesn’t feel great knowing we’ll be a burden, but I do want to go see them,” he added.
“Will we really be unable to return to this village? With my brother and Satsuki,” Aki muttered.
“Didn’t they say that the king wouldn’t approve of that? At the very least, Satsuki’s affiliated with the Galarc Kingdom now,” Masato repeated Rio’s words from earlier, stating the predicted outcome.
“But we don’t know how my brother and Satsuki feel about that.”
“That may be true, but isn’t that why we have to meet them to find out? Bro and Satsuki could have made close friends within the kingdom already, you know?” Whether they could or could not leave the kingdom aside, there was a possibility that they didn’t want to leave.
“That’s why I’m saying we should go see them and ask them directly. We also have to talk about whether we can return to Earth or not. That’s our problem, right?” Rather than have Rio act as an agent, there were things that could only be conveyed by the people involved.
“Mmgh, I see... But even supposing that Bro and Satsuki wanted to come to this village, and that we can return here too, are we even allowed to bring them along? Isn’t this place meant to be a secret? We made a promise.”
“That would... require consulting Rio and the elders...” Aki trailed off towards the end. She seemed to feel as though they had caused enough trouble for Rio and the village, so she had an uncomfortable look on her face.
Masato raised his hands in a gesture of surrender and looked to Miharu. “Mm... it’s no good. I still have no idea what to do at all. What do you think, Miharu?”
Aki’s gaze followed him to Miharu too. Miharu had been listening to the two of them talk in contemplative silence the entire time. “...I can understand both of your concerns. On top of all that, I want to follow Haruto.”
“Me too!” Aki chimed in.
“Wait, Aki. Let me continue.”
“O-Okay...” Aki was taken aback and nodded uncomfortably.
“Like Aki said, this is our problem. That’s why it isn’t something we should leave completely up to Haruto... It would be preferable to meet up directly and discuss things. Isn’t that right?”
“...Yeah,” Aki agreed fearfully.
“But, like Masato said, we’d most likely be burdens and get in the way. That’s why... This isn’t exactly a compromise, but I’m thinking I should represent the two of you and attend the night banquet with Haruto,” Miharu said.
“Then what about us...?” Aki asked worriedly.
“You’d stay back here at the village. If you insist, we can ask if you can come along to Strahl, but I’ll be the only one to attend the night banquet. I want you to wait with Ai-chan somewhere safe near the castle,” Miharu said, peering at Aki’s face.
“But that’s... That means that even if Masato and I follow you to Strahl, there’s a chance we won’t get to see Satsuki at all, doesn’t it?” Aki asked, looking terribly frustrated.
“...Yeah. Haruto said he would try bringing Satsuki out of the castle if possible, but that doesn’t guarantee that he will, just that the possibility is there. Of course, I’ll try discussing it with Satsuki too to see if we can get the two of you inside the castle, but that’s not guaranteed either,” Miharu explained to Aki honestly. “Do you still want to go to Strahl regardless of that, Aki?”
“Uh...” Aki was unable to respond straight away, a tearful expression on her face.
“What about you, Masato?” Miharu continued.
“I...” Masato hesitated with a sour expression.
“We don’t know what kind of position we’ll be placed in at the castle, so having the three of us present would be an even greater burden on Haruto, don’t you think? That’s why I want you to let me talk to Satsuki alone first.” That way, even if Miharu became unable to move in the castle, Aki and Masato could return to the village.
“...Miharu, you...” Aki suddenly raised her head, trying to say something with a look of deep thought.
“What is it, Aki?” Miharu looked back at Aki, listening in earnest.
“Miharu, you... Haruto...”
Do you like Haruto? Is it because you’ve overlapped Haruto with that man so much? Is that why you want to be beside Haruto?
That’s what Aki wanted to ask, but the words got stuck in her throat and her mouth wouldn’t move. Instead, a very sulky expression fell across her face and she pouted with tears in her eyes.
“...Say, Aki. I know you might find it hard to rely on me, but I’m your big sister too. We’re not related by blood, but I’ve grown up with you this whole time, so I believe we are. That’s why... If you think of me in the same way, could you leave this to me just this once?” Miharu asked with a troubled face. Aki bit her lip in frustration and suddenly stood up.
“...All right.” She hugged Miharu, burying her face into Miharu’s chest.
“Thanks, Aki. I’m sorry.” Miharu smiled gently and patted Aki’s back to comfort her.
“It’s okay. But I still want to go to Strahl. Even if I can’t see Satsuki or my brother this time, I want to be beside you.” Aki shook her head and tightened her hold around Miharu.
“Aki...” Naturally, Miharu hugged Aki back tighter too.
“...Umm, are the two of you forgetting me?” Masato seemed to feel uncomfortable at being forced to watch the display of their sisterly love, as he reinforced his presence with embarrassment.
“What? You were here?” Aki said to Masato, her eyes slightly puffy with tears.
“Uh, yeah, I was. From the very beginning,” Masato stressed.
“Hmm... So? What, do you want to be hugged by Miharu too? Gross. What a pervert.” Aki shot Masato an unamused look, trying to hide her embarrassment.
“Wha— No, that’s not it! I wasn’t thinking anything about how jealous I was or how soft they must be!” Masato denied with a red face.
“You’re just digging your own grave...” Despite Aki’s exasperation, she couldn’t hold back her giggles.
“S-Shut up!” Masato yelled in a fluster.
“Well, whatever. What will you do, then? Do you want to stay at the village and continue your sword training?” Aki asked Masato, trying to recover their derailed conversation.
Masato scratched his head shyly. “Ah, well. If it’s come to this, I’ll have to bow my head to Haruto too. I want to go to Strahl as well.”
“Hmm, so you’re coming after all. You didn’t seem that enthusiastic about it...” Aki stared closely at Masato’s face.
“Shut up. I changed my mind.” Masato turned away.
“Oh, really.” A smile tugged at Aki’s lips.
“Fufu.” Miharu watched the two of them with an amused smile on her face. They finally felt like their usual selves again. But with that decided, they had to make haste.
“First, let’s all go to Haruto. Then we’ll call Sara and the girls over and give our report together,” Miharu suggested.
“Yup.”
“Okay.”
Aki and Masato nodded in unison.
With that decided, the three of them visited Rio’s room and knocked on the door, with Rio’s reply coming immediately. “Come in.”
“Wait, Latifa?!” It seemed there was something of a commotion inside.
“Excuse me...” Miharu opened the door fearfully. Rio was carrying Latifa on his back — or rather, Latifa was clinging to Rio’s back. “Good evening, Miharu.”
“Umm, good evening, Haruto. Do you have a moment right now?” Seeing Rio carrying Latifa on his back made Miharu hesitate.
Rio smiled faintly “Yes, we were just messing around. If the three of you are here together, it means you’ve come to a decision, right?”
“Yes,” Miharu said.
“Ahaha, you’re so attached to Haruto, Latifa.” When Aki spotted Latifa clinging to Rio’s back, she couldn’t help but give a slightly strained smile at the display of affection between the two.
“Yup!” Latifa nodded with a carefree smile.
“For now, please come inside. Latifa, can you go to the living room or back to your own room?”
“Eeh, but I wanna hear too.” Latifa pouted.
“It’s an important conversation. You understand that, right?” Rio warned her with a troubled look. At that, Latifa puffed up her cheeks and climbed off his back, obediently moving to leave the room.
“Umm, Latifa can stay,” Miharu said. “Actually, we were thinking of calling Sara and the others over too, so that we could all talk together. About our thoughts.”
“With me too?” Latifa cocked her head hesitantly.
“Yup. I want you to listen too,” Miharu said, smiling gently.
“I understand. Let’s talk in the living room, then.” Rio respected their decision and suggested they relocate.
Sara, Orphia, and Alma were called to Rio’s living room. Once everyone had gathered and taken their seats on the sofa, Rio spoke up.
“Now, could you tell us what the three of you have decided to do?”
Miharu took a deep breath. “Yes. Firstly, the three of us have reached the conclusion that we all want to go to Strahl.”
“I understand. If that’s first, then is there more?” Rio asked.
That request was well within his expectations. There was nothing to be surprised about. Neither Latifa nor the spirit folk girls seemed particularly shocked, either. However —
“I would... I would like to attend the night banquet with you.” Latifa and the spirit folk girls twitched in reaction.
“...If the kingdom finds out about you, the royalty and nobility may try to find a way to use you. I’m sure they will treat you politely on the surface, but that would mean revealing your name and face to the public from here onwards. It’s possible that people who will try to use that for their own plots may appear. You are aware of all this, yet still want to attend the banquet. Is that correct?” Miharu’s request to attend the banquet too had been a little unexpected, making Rio pause for a moment before confirming her intentions.
“...Yes,” Miharu nodded deeply, conveying her own determination. Even if she couldn’t attend the banquet, if she made herself available to meet Satsuki at any moment, she would be well-known at some point. It was just a matter of whether it was sooner or later.
But more than anything, Miharu hated leaving everything to Rio alone. While leaving everything to Rio might certainly be a wise choice, it also felt like Rio would go somewhere far away, which made her feel quite scared. This choice was Miharu’s own selfish desire — it was her chance to take her future into her own hands. Now, whether Rio would accept her selfishness or not was another thing.
Miharu watched Rio’s face closely, feeling a little scared.
“...Then, let me confirm one more thing. If this is for you, then what about Aki and Masato?” Rio asked, looking at them.
Miharu wrung out all her courage to answer Rio’s question. “I was hoping they could wait near the castle.”
“...Depending on how our discussion goes, it’s possible that Aki and Masato won’t be able to meet Satsuki even if they go to Strahl. You might be going for no reason, you realize?” Rio asked.
“Yes, we have taken that into account. After the three of us talked, I made this request of them. This is what we decided,” Miharu said resolutely.
“I see...” Rio gave a small sigh and looked at Aki and Masato once more. The two of them nodded and returned his gaze. They didn’t look like they had anything further to say; Rio could tell that they had truly accepted this.
Meanwhile, the spirit folk girls were all watching them silently.
“Is that okay, Haruto? Or is taking the three of us too difficult...” Masato asked fearfully and bowed his head toward Rio. Though Rio could use spirit arts to fly, there was no way he could carry Miharu, Aki, and Masato together while doing so.
“I have to make sure I fly safely, of course, but that doesn’t mean its impossible,” Rio replied to Masato with a wry smile. On the other hand, Sara, Orphia, and Alma all exchanged secret glances.
“Then...” Masato and Aki gulped, awaiting Rio’s conclusion.
“If that is the answer the three of you have arrived at after careful consideration, then we shall proceed with that.” Rio smiled gently. If this decision of theirs had been made lightly, he would have given them more warning, but he could tell that wasn’t the case.
“Yay!” Masato and Aki said together, high-fiving each other.
“That’s great.” Sara smiled with the other girls, watching Masato and Aki.
“...Are you sure?” Miharu had been expecting more resistance, so when everything went so smoothly, her eyes widened in surprise.
“Yes. You are the one who asked, no?” Rio said with an amused look.
“Umm, but, I thought you would oppose us going to the castle. It’ll be an inconvenience to you too, so... umm...”
“That’s not true. Like I said — I’ll respect your decisions. If it’s to help the three of you return to Japan one day, then I’ll exert every effort to help. All the more so if this is an answer you considered carefully. That’s why, instead of worrying about being a nuisance or burden to me, I’d like you to push thoughts like that out of your mind,” Rio said calmly to a frowning Miharu.
“...Okay.” When Rio had said ‘return to Japan,’ Miharu couldn’t help but feel vexed and saddened, her face distorting faintly. However, she immediately corrected it into a serious face and agreed slowly.
Latifa seemed to sense something, watching Miharu with a frustrated look herself.
“However, there will of course be precautions we must take in order to allow Miharu to attend the banquet, so I expect you to follow those. Is that okay?” Rio stared fixedly at Miharu, emphasizing his words.
“Y-Yes. Thank you for your consideration.” Miharu nodded deeply and bowed her head to Rio.
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