The Black Sky Pirate Laughs Beneath the Moon. The Crimson Mage Howls at the Stars (56)

★

When I woke with a start, what I felt was the smell of something scorched—and the dense presence of mana filling the surroundings.

Since I had little mana left in my body, my head spun, and I was overcome by a sensation like seasickness. I hurriedly pulled a potion from my tool bag—thank goodness it was in an especially sturdy bottle—and chugged it like an energy drink. The taste, however, was horrific. It was so foul, it tasted as though spinach and komatsuna had married and distilled only their bitterness.

It was Mimino-san's special "Ultra Mana Recovery Potion." Incidentally, the "Ultra" referred not to the taste but to its effectiveness.

"Ugh, cough, hack—"

Even as I choked, I saw the back of the girl standing motionless right in front of me.

Parts of her clothes were blackened with soot, her hair was singed and uneven in places, and her exposed skin was covered in burns—it was Anastasia.

"Your Highness—"

Before I could ask why Your Highness was here, she turned around.

"Oh... thank goodness. You're awake."...