Five months have passed since my last world journey, where I returned in just two days.
After those five months――the day has finally come for me to set out into the world once again.
「Thanks everyone. Thank you so much」
I waved with a smile at the people of Meiyu Village and Lukumine Village who had gathered once again.
「This time I’ll really go see the world. Thank you. I’ll do my best」
Just like last time, many villagers had gathered for my farewell. With loud applause and cheers, I walked through the village.
…Actually, why are they all here again?
Isn’t it enough already? We made such a big deal out of it last time, didn’t we? How did this happen?
Honestly, it’s embarrassing. The last world journey already ended like that, and just restarting is embarrassing enough, but now there’s another grand send-off. This is quite humiliating…
That said, I’m grateful for everyone’s support. I really am.
After all, they’re cheering me on again even after I came back in just two days last time. I should at least be thankful for that.
So, while twisting in embarrassment, I kept moving forward, thanking everyone――
「Thank you. Thank you… Ah」
…There’s Ralina-chan.
I spotted Ralina-chan ahead.
At least this time, she isn’t tied up. She’s standing normally.
「R-Ralina-chan」
「Onii-chan」
When I called out to her and approached, Ralina-chan greeted me with a smile that carried a hint of madness.
「Y-you came, Ralina-chan」
「Yes. Because I made a promise…」
「A promise?」
「A promise to send you off with a smile, onii-chan」
「Ah, right, that promise」
…So that’s why she was smiling like that.
It was a smile hiding the sadness of being separated. Calling it a crazy smile earlier was pretty harsh of me.
「You kept your promise too, onii-chan, so I have to keep mine properly…」
「I see. Thank you, Ralina-chan」
The promise I kept must be the one about going on the boat with Ralina-chan when summer came.
I’m pretty sure that wasn’t the original promise… but with Ralina-chan’s unique interpretation, it somehow turned into a promise that I wouldn’t leave during summer because we’d be riding the boat.
Because of that, my journey ended up being delayed until autumn.
That said, it’s not a bad deal. If delaying a little means I can depart safely, then it’s a good condition. If anything, it’s an incredibly generous one.
「It’s finally time to leave, onii-chan」
「Yeah, it finally is」
「Be careful」
「Thanks, Ralina-chan. But it’ll be fine, Jis―― it’ll be fine」
I was about to say, 『It’ll be fine, Jisrare-san is with me』, but I stopped myself when I felt Noh-mask Ralina-chan about to appear.
「…By the way, where is Jisrare-san?」
「Eh? Ah, she’s at my house right now. It looked like the farewells would take a while again, so I had her wait there」
「I see」
After muttering that, Ralina-chan stared intently in the direction of my house.
…Wait. Did I just say something careless?
「Ano, Ralina-chan?」
「Yeah」
「Um, Ralina-chan?」
「Yeah」
She kept looking toward my house, giving only absent replies to my calls.
…This feels very unsettling.
◇
After finishing my farewells and leaving the village, I ran into my childhood friend, Jered-kun.
After exchanging goodbyes with him, I asked him to go call Jisrare-san.
Just like during my previous world journey, it seems I had once again passed right by Jered-kun, so he had to chase after me, and I ended up asking him again.
「She should be here soon, right?」
「Kii」
After seeing Jered-kun off, I summoned Hezrat-kun, the giant rat, and the two of us waited for Jisrare-san.
She should be here any moment now. Unless she got caught up in some kind of trouble, she should be arriving soon…
With a vague sense of unease, I put a saddle on Hezrat-kun and practiced mounting and dismounting in a cool way――
「Ah, Jisrare-san!」
I spotted Jisrare-san walking toward us from a distance.
Good, good. That’s a relief.
Ralina-chan had been acting a bit unsettling, so I was a little worried, but it seems it was unnecessary concern.
Jisrare-san came up close to us and gave a small wave.
「Sorry to keep you waiting」
「Was everything alright?」
「About what?」
「…Ah, no」
…Well, that makes sense. I asked if she was alright even though she just walked here from the village. Of course she’d be confused.
Still, how should I respond to that?
It’s not exactly easy to ask, 『Did Ralina-chan attack you?』
「Um… did anything happen while you were coming out of the village?」
「There were a lot of people gathered, and they cheered for me. I suppose I was a little confused」
「I see」
It seems Jisrare-san also received the same enthusiastic support as I did.
She doesn’t seem like the type to smile and wave back at cheers, so I wonder how she walked through it. Maybe she at least gave a small wave?
「I see. So, you were also cheered on――」
「I also met Ralina」
「Oh…」
So she did meet Ralina-chan… no, wait, I don’t know yet. Just meeting her doesn’t mean anything.
Maybe she just asked something like 『Please take care of onii-chan』――
「For some reason, she was in stealth mode」
「…………」
Why… what was she planning, Ralina-chan…
「Um… so what happened after that?」
「Hm? When I spoke to her, she dropped the stealth and just cheered me on normally」
「I see」
I don’t know what she was planning, but it seems she gave up once she was noticed.
「By the way, you can see through Ralina-chan’s stealth too, Jisrare-san?」
「I can tell at that level of stealth. She has improved compared to before, and it seems she’s been putting in effort, but she still has a long way to go」
「Before?」
「When I returned from my solo journey, Ralina was also waiting outside the village in stealth for some reason」
「Waiting outside the village… in stealth…?」
Wait, does that mean… if Jisrare-san hadn’t returned to the village, then I wouldn’t have been able to depart again… is that what this implies…?
No, that can’t be right. There’s no way… yeah, no way…
next chapter: VS Giant Rat 10
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