Chapter 201
When the Mediator, its core destroyed, fell backward, the black flames shriveled from its body like water draining from a ruptured vinyl pool, and even its celestial-silver armor crumbled into powder.
"Phew..."
Suddenly, silence descended. The ground was cratered, buildings had collapsed, and dust hung in the air. Since the air circulated more slowly than it did in the outside world, visibility remained poor.
I walked over to Sumeria, who was still lying there.
(She's unconscious. Her body temperature is low. From the looks of it, she hasn't been eating properly...)
If she had continued using 【Insane Blade】 like that, she would have died before long.
"—You, the guy they call Marshal—you're there, aren't you?"
I had sensed the Marshal's presence in the shadow of a nearby building—the same Marshal from earlier.
After a short wait, he appeared, swaying into view.
"W-what... was that battle just now?"
"I never imagined the Mediator would be summoned, either. Who was that... rather fat, evil-overlord-looking person who summoned it?"
Perhaps my wording had been too blunt, because the Marshal blinked rapidly, but
"...The head of the Ulme Main Family, Salme-sama. One might say he stands at the top of the subterranean city."
"So that means he's a covenant-bearer even among the underground people?"
"A covenant-bearer... You mean someone who can hear the words of God?"
"Ah, so that's how you understand it there."
So they interpreted the covenant as the words of God.
Still, no one really knew who had devised the covenant. Something that spanned two worlds might not be something a life-form living within one world could decide.
That would mean outside the world, then.
So this is where God comes in.
I see.
(Even so, what does it mean that a covenant-bearer can summon the Mediator...? I'd like to know more, but it's not as though they'd tell me if I went to ask now.)
With that thought in mind, I said,
"...What will happen to Sumeria?"
"You care about her?"
"I went through the trouble of saving her life."
"She..."
The Marshal hesitated.
I took that as my answer.
Regardless of whether he could be trusted, this man was serious by nature. That was why he couldn't simply toss out a careless answer.
That meant Sumeria's future was uncertain. No—in light of her condition, it looked bleak.
"H-hey! What are you planning to do with her?!"
As I picked Sumeria up and stood, the Marshal called out in a panic.
"...She'd be much better off with me than with you people, her own kind, wouldn't she?"
"I won't let you do as you please—"
I sent the Marshal a look as he began to protest.
The look carried a clear message: Come any closer, and I'll cast a spell.
"Ngh..."
The Marshal gnashed his teeth, then lowered his head.
I carried Sumeria away cradled in my arms. The exit leading outside had collapsed, but it was easy enough to get through with 【Earth Magic】. And collapsing it again afterward would be just as easy.
I had no interest in going home with someone tailing me.
As we made our way through the dark passage, the door to the outside was still open.
"Oh, adventurer! You made it back safely?!"
A Lef sergeant was waiting there.
Apparently, he had the other Lef hide nearby while he waited for me alone.
"That person—is she the strong one? But this is strange. Is it because she's asleep? I don't sense any sign of strength from her..."
"Explaining everything will take a little time, so let's go for now."
"Right. Where should we go?"
I nodded.
"Dragonfolk City. They'll welcome all of you there."
★ Dragonfolk City ★
Anastasia heard the full story of what had happened at the airship from the returning reconnaissance team. She was shocked, then decided it was only to be expected of Reiji, and finally found herself overwhelmed by intense anxiety.
She knew Reiji was strong. But here in this world, wasn't he in a situation where he didn't even know right from left?
"Yowch, hot, hot!? This is boiling water, nu!"
The public bath Reiji had left behind became the talk of Dragonfolk City, and a new task was added to Anastasia's duties: heating the public bath.
The water had been piped in from a stream, and because the entire dragonfolk population had worked on the construction, it had been completed in a single day.
The next morning, after hearing the reconnaissance team's report, Anastasia's control over fire magic went haywire.
The public bath was boiling furiously like a cauldron in hell, and the dragonfolk, slick with cold sweat, stared at Anastasia in horrified disbelief.
"S-sorry, I messed up a little..."
"It's fine, it's fine, don't worry about it, nu. We can move the boiling water into the women's bath, where the water is still unheated, and warm it there. Then we'll draw fresh water from the stream to cool down what was used up."
At the Red Elder's words, the dragonfolk sprang into action.
As always, all the elders had gathered, wearing nothing but towels wrapped around their waists. As always, they were eager to soak in the baths.
The hot water softened their skin, causing the remnants of their molted skin to flake away. Their skin became lustrous, and people said they looked twenty years younger—though Anastasia had no idea how old dragonfolk were. The elders were quite pleased with the results.
But women cared more about their appearance than men did. The female dragonfolk took the initiative, scooping up the boiling water in basins and carrying it to the women's bath. They also vastly outnumbered the male dragonfolk among the bathers. To give an idea of how numerous they were, they surrounded the bath, which was almost the size of a twenty-five-meter pool, ten rows deep. They filled the morning with noisy chatter—wondering what it would be like, marveling that the lady next door was there too, fretting about getting any younger, and breaking into laughter.
There was no way they could all fit in at once.
In fact, Anastasia couldn't help wondering whether half the water would have been enough if everyone was going to bathe. The public bath was certain to overflow.
How many batches of water would she have to heat?
It looked like it would be a busy day—.
As a result, it was only natural that Anastasia came to be called the "Bath Girl." She was terribly anxious because there had been no news at all about when Reiji would return, but having work she had to do helped take her mind off it.
Three days had passed since Reiji's whereabouts had gone unknown.
The women's bath at the public bathhouse now operated in four sessions: once in the morning, twice in the afternoon, and once after dinner. The women loved to gossip, and the public bath was gradually becoming a social gathering place.
"—Honestly, he kept saying it was hunting, hunting, and I thought he'd been away from home awfully long, you know, nu?"
"—Could he be cheating?"
"—That's right~. He's having an affair outside the city! What is he thinking, nu?"
"—Men need collars, nu."
Such a dangerous topic floated over in light, cheerful voices. Anastasia had to visit the bathhouse from time to time to manage the temperature, so even when she had no intention of listening, she couldn't help hearing it.
And different dragonfolk kept repeating the same gossip. "Cheating outside the city" seemed to be a hot topic among the female dragonfolk.
It looked as though she would have to hear the same story again later... Anastasia was heating the second afternoon bath when
"Asha! Asha!"
Kimidori Goln, who was supposed to have been out in the city, came running toward her.
"He's back, nu!"
That one sentence told her everything.
It was about Reiji.
Anastasia fired off 【Fire Magic】 without controlling its strength, creating another cauldron of hell right there, but she ran off without looking back.
A crowd had gathered at the city entrance.
"Reiji-san!!"
When she called out, her emotions spilled over as four or so fireballs that scattered through the air.
Among the crowd were Lef people who looked much like dragonfolk.
And at the center of it all was—Reiji.
"Asha."
Reiji raised a hand toward her, and tears sprang to her eyes. Her feet nearly stopped as she ran, but she wanted to see him, talk to him, and touch him as soon as possible—so Anastasia started running again.
"Reiji-san, welcome bac—"
Anastasia reached his side, began to speak, and then the words died in her throat.
An unfamiliar girl stood beside Reiji, clutching his clothes tightly.
—Men need collars, nu.
The voice of a female dragonfolk sounded beside her ear, accompanied by peals of laughter: Ahahaha...