The Black Sky Pirate Laughs Beneath the Moon. The Crimson Mage Howls at the Stars (45)

After that, I talked with Lulusha-san about all sorts of things: Old Man Hinga, of course, and how Lulusha-san had lived her life. Mimino-san, Non-san, and Dantes-san came up too, and we talked over breakfast. Zelii-san was asleep.

Lulusha-san had met Old Man Hinga when she was very young and had never seen him again after that. More precisely, Hinga's whereabouts had become unknown.

The Forsha Kingdom still existed back then, and Lulusha-san's mother was still alive. Then the kingdom vanished in the turmoil that followed, and she lost contact with Old Man Hinga as well——or so it seemed.

"...It was fun hearing all those stories. Are you going to be in the Empire for a while longer?"

When Lulusha-san asked me that, I looked at Dantes-san.

"I suppose I'll stay until our next destination is decided... something like that. But I don't think it will be much longer."

"You should stay and take it easy for a little longer too, Lulusha-san."

"I'm afraid I can't. I'm returning to work today."

Apparently, she had to rebuild the Labyrinth Conquest Department's Fourth Section. Even so, Lulusha-san looked cheerful. I had thought she was simply happy to be returning to the Labyrinth Conquest Department—but in a country where neither her father nor her mother was present, having a place to belong seemed to make her happiest——.

Before noon, Lulusha-san left...