Chapter 209
The sun beat down fiercely; it felt like the height of summer.
Apparently, both the "surface world" and the "hidden world" had the same seasons.
Despite the heat, the dragonfolk wanted to soak in hot baths. Their goal was to remove the scales left behind during molting—and apparently the sensation was so pleasurable that even a human like me couldn't imagine it—so the communal bath was packed every day.
"I can never go back to the days when I didn't know about baths, nu-roh..."
When I saw the Green Elder grin, I wondered if perhaps I had taught them something truly terrible... Though, well, it was only a bath.
"So this is the oldest residential area you know of?"
Today, I was once again questioning the elders, who were the most knowledgeable people in the dragonfolk city. For the record, they were floating in the communal bath while I took notes outside it.
There shouldn't have been any scales left to remove, but the elders still came to the communal bath every day.
What I wanted to know was La-Fitsa's trail.
I wanted to know how he had crossed into the "surface world."
So, among the dragonfolk settlements scattered across the continent, I asked them about the oldest one. It was near the capital of the Holy Kingdom, and somewhat close to the underground city as well.
(But, hmm... There was something El-san had said that still bothered me.)
El-san, the rabbit who was a special-grade priest of the Holy Kingdom, had said this:
——Well, to begin with, the 'hidden world' cannot currently be observed. It seems there was travel back and forth in ancient times, but we closed the gates connecting the worlds to put a stop to it.
I had no idea how long ago "ancient times" meant, but I could only hope it was far earlier than the era when La-Fitsa had been alive.
(For that matter, who exactly was controlling "the gate" after it had been "closed"? God? It must have been God.)
This world was full of things like magic and Talent Jewels—things beyond the reach of science—so it wouldn't be strange if gods existed, too. Non-san of the "Silver Balance" belonged to a church, and the church was supposed to worship a god. I didn't know whether one actually existed, though.
"Sumelia-san, at least use a spoon to eat."
"..."
"Please answer when someone speaks to you."
"..."
At the dining table in Kimidori Papa's mansion, Asha admonished Sumelia for eating with her bare hands, while Sumelia pointedly ignored her.
Apparently, things between the two of them weren't going well. Or rather, there was the problem of what to do with Sumelia, who had regressed to behaving like a toddler... I had taken her away because I felt it would be dangerous to leave her in that state, but on further thought, perhaps I should have properly listened to their side of things, too.
But when I asked the other day, apparently Sumelia had no parents. She had innocently told me, "They're already dead"—and, if anything, that may have been exactly why Asha was so determined to teach her.
"Well, well, you can take your time learning, nu!"
"Yes, yes. Now that Kimi-chan doesn't need looking after anymore, I was feeling lonely..."
Both Kimidori Papa and Kimidori Mama said so.
"——Reiji-kun, have you decided to leave this city, nu?"
Startled by the unexpected question, I lowered my fork.
So they must have realized it from my changed demeanor.
"What do you mean, Reiji-san?"
Asha looked confused, and Sumelia glanced around.
"Yes, actually, I was thinking of leaving as soon as possible. I was planning to discuss it with Asha after the meal."
"Have you decided on a destination, nu?"
I nodded and told them that, first of all, we would head for the residential area said to be the oldest.
There might be some clue there—though it was more likely there wouldn't be any—but since we had no other possibilities at all, we had no choice but to go and see.
There might also be a rift in the "Unexplored Land Kanion," but I thought we should investigate it after tracing La-Fitsa's footsteps. No matter how I looked at it, the place was full of danger.
"I see... Um, Reiji-san. I'll come with you—"
"Of course, Asha. You're coming too."
Asha's worried expression suddenly brightened.
"Y-yes!"
Taking her along was dangerous.
But after putting her through such loneliness, there was no other choice.
I should ask the Lef sergeant major as well. I doubted he would outright forbid me from taking Asha along.
"..."
Sumelia was looking at me.
That's right. The only thing I was still unsure about was whether to take her with us.
"It's best for you to stay in this city, nu."
As though anticipating what I was about to say, Kimidori Papa spoke up. Sumelia raised her head with a startled expression. She used toddler speech when she spoke herself, but she seemed to understand about eighty percent of what was said to her.
"No."
It was a clear denial, leaving no room for misunderstanding.
"He has something he needs to do, nu. Your role is to see him off."
"No."
"I understand how you feel..."
Kimidori Papa crossed his arms and looked up at the ceiling.
I thought it would be wrong to make Kimidori Papa say anything more. I was the one who had taken her away, and I was also the one now trying to leave her behind here.
"Sumelia——"
"Reiji-san."
It was Kimidori Mama who stopped me. She shook her head slightly, telling me not to say it.
Why? If I didn't say it, surely Sumelia wouldn't accept it.
"You understand very well that the world outside the city is dangerous, don't you, Sumelia? Reiji-san can protect himself, nu. But you—"
"Nooooooo!"
Shouting to cut him off, Sumelia stood up and pointed at Asha with her food-stained fingers.
"Nn! Nn!"
She must have meant that Asha was no different. If I was taking Asha, who was younger than Sumelia, why wasn't I taking Sumelia too?
"She has the resolve, nu. If she decides she is a burden, she will take her own life... She has that kind of resolve."
Huh.
Had Asha really been thinking that way?
At Kimidori Papa's unexpectedly heavy words, I looked at Asha. She pressed her lips together and said nothing.
"No! No, no, no! No-o!"
Sumelia shouted as tears streamed down her face, then ran out of the dining room.
This was the first time I'd seen her lose control like that since I had taken her away.
After a while, her deathly pallor gave way to healthy color, and her lips regained their luster. It was obvious that removing her Talent Jewel was responsible; although her memory problems remained, she had no trouble managing her daily life.
She had recovered that much.
"Why didn't you let me say it? If I'd said it, Sumelia would have accepted it."
I found myself asking that. Kimidori Mama then said,
"You don't have to shoulder so much... You're still a child yourself, after all."
Suddenly, despite the distance between Kimidori Mama and me, I felt as if she had patted my head.
It was like a mother patting the head of a crying child.
(Still a child, huh...)
It had been a very long time since anyone had treated me like a child. So long that I didn't even know what expression to make.
Kimidori Mama had thought that I was carrying a burden by taking responsibility for what I'd done.
"The memories you make with Sumelia shouldn't be painful ones, nu. Those of us staying here can make any number of happy memories with Sumelia. So you two can set out without worrying about what you've left behind, nu."
Kimidori Papa said the same.
"Thank you... very much."
Even as I felt the warmth of their consideration, I was still filled with the feeling, "Is this really okay?"