A Quiet Departure, Unbeknownst to All; A Quiet Encounter, Guided by Fate (31)

"I have to go..."

With each passing day, I felt Lark drifting farther and farther away. Once she knew I could live a safe, secure life on my own, there'd be no reason for her to keep watching over me.

"Lark...!"

I pulled out my jacket and slipped my arms into the sleeves. The clothes Mimino-san had mended for me were frayed and ragged in places, but they were still perfectly wearable.

I could hear Mimino-san and Non-san talking in the next room. Maybe it was thanks to 【Enhanced Hearing】. They both sounded cheerful, so Dantes-san must be all right, too.

But if I told them I was going outside now, they'd stop me without a doubt, so I used 【Sprinting】 to silence my footsteps and slipped outside—and found the sky still dark just before dawn.

Had I slept for more than half a day? That would explain why I was hungry, but I had more important things to worry about now.

I checked the area around the inn. No one was there. As I ran down the deserted streets, I occasionally passed people heading to the market to stock up. Despite the huge incident yesterday, the city was beginning to stir and move as usual today. It felt strange, as though I alone had dreamed a bad dream.

But it was only when I drew close to the battle site that I realized it hadn't been a dream at all—it was reality.

The smell of smoke drifting through the air seemed to cover a wide area. Most of the buildings were made of stone, so the fire hadn't become a conflagration, but many places nearby had been scorched black.

The closer I got to the battle site—as I walked down the street I'd once tried to flee through—the faster my heart pounded.

Lark had been at the battle site. That much was certain. But the battle had happened yesterday, and the possibility that Lark was still there was vanishingly small—even so, there was nowhere else I could investigate.

A domain soldier stood there, stifling a yawn. He was probably guarding the battle site—the Talent Administration Bureau building had collapsed, and there might still be Talent Gems inside.

But if he was just standing there alone, I could slip past him easily enough. I muffled my footsteps and made my way past the domain soldier's post, keeping to the shadows.

"Ah..."

The battle site lay just around the corner. White smoke still rose from the smoldering rubble, carrying the sickening smell of charred flesh, and I felt nauseated.

Hold it together, hold it together...

I looked around. But—just as I thought, there was no way Lark would be here.

"No good..."

The dragon's corpse was gone, as were Raikira-san's and Krista's bodies. They must have been carried away.

I figured the place where the dragon had died was where the large amount of blood had spilled, and walked over.

"Hmm..."

Then I noticed a particular stone. It was about the size of a roof tile and flat. The other rubble was covered in blood, but that stone alone had been placed atop the bloodstain.

I picked it up and turned it over—words had been carved into it, gouging the stone.

'Someday, somewhere'

It was too short, and the handwriting was terrible.

Come to think of it, even though I was learning a little writing from Old Man Hinga, she hated studying and could barely write at all.

"Lark... You really were here..."

I fought hard to hold back the tears welling up as my chest tightened. I couldn't cry here. After all, I had rejected the helping hand Lark had held out to me.

And yet, to cry over Lark now would be unbelievably selfish.

I understand.

Lark.

Let's meet again someday, somewhere—because we're the only siblings we have, just the two of us.

"—The holder of six stars was here?"

At that moment, my ears caught the sound of someone talking.

Startled, I looked around and ran to hide behind some cover.

A few domain soldiers came along, talking with a man who was clearly their superior at a glance.

"—We believe there is no doubt. It was a Skill involving a black sword I'd never seen before. It seemed equivalent to the Skill used against the mine manager after the duke's death."

It was about Lark. Were they looking for her? Because she had such a rare six-star Skill?

"—Hmm... There should have been no survivors among the mine soldiers, and the reports from the mine were supposed to have been scant..."

"—They must have prioritized what seemed important when making their report. Or perhaps that Talent was simply so shocking..."

"—Entirely possible. Also, regarding the report from the castle gate yesterday... Are you saying there really was a black-haired, black-eyed slave?"

"—Yes. Apparently, the slave was allowed through as an adventurer's slave. According to the mine-slave records, there were only two child slaves: 'Lark,' who possessed a six-star Skill, and the black-haired, black-eyed slave 'Nameless.' It's entirely possible the two had dealings after escaping."

My heart pounded so loudly it seemed to shake my whole body.

They've already investigated that much.

"—Understood. Start by searching this area. Search thoroughly for any trace of slaves that may have been left behind. I'll contact the Adventurers Guild and ask about the black-haired, black-eyed slave."

This is bad. If they searched the guild, it was only a matter of time before they reached "Silver Balance." I'd changed my hair color, but my eyes were still black. Hair dye would give me away immediately.

(...I can't drag everyone into this.)

If I told everyone everything about my circumstances, they might say, "Let's run away together." But Dantes-san was badly injured and still receiving treatment. He wouldn't be able to move anytime soon.

If I was going to flee, it had to be today—before they sealed off the domain capital's entrances and exits.

I have to go—as I was about to start walking, I caught sight of a scrap of expensive-looking fabric at the edge of my vision. I didn't immediately realize it was part of Krista's cloak, but what caught my attention even more was... the silvery light the cloth had been concealing.

"What is this...!?"

As I drew closer, I realized what it was.

When Krista's upper body was cut away, this must have been torn loose and sent flying as well.

The registration card of a Heavenly Silver-ranked adventurer reflected the dawn sky, retaining its rich, deep silver color.

(So this is mithril—this is...!)

I had no idea where I'd gone or what route I'd taken; before I knew it, I was back at the inn. The adventurer's card clenched in my hand was sticky with sweat. Realizing it would be bad if anyone saw it, I hurriedly shoved it into my pocket.

When I returned to the room, no one was there. Though I was concerned that Mimino-san was gone, I placed the adventurer's card on the table.

'Adventurers Guild Issued by the Capital Adventurers Guild of the Kingdom of Geffert, Keithgran Federation

Name: Krista=La=Krista

Rank: Heavenly Silver

Party: −

This registration card certifies the above-named person's affiliation with the Adventurers Guild. It also requests that the relevant authorities of each country promptly grant permission whenever the above-named person passes through.'

That was engraved on the surface of the plate. Perhaps because mithril was special, the letters glowed with a faint bluish-white light.

Just looking at the writing, it seemed almost like a passport... I suppose that kind of authorization was necessary for adventurers who traveled from place to place.

Since the country controlled the circulation of mithril itself, the mithril used in this guild registration card certainly wasn't something I could simply take out of the country.

But I'd secured it myself.

—A leaf like a maple leaf, its tip split into five more sections. (Leaf of the Tree of Life)

—A metal of incredibly deep silver. (Mithril)

—A creature that wriggles like an earthworm. (White Earthworm)

This was the last material.

"Um... white earthworm, white earthworm..."

Near where I had left my jacket, I found the tool pouch I had been carrying. It was battered too, but still usable. I took out the leather pouch that had contained the Leaf of the Tree of Life and White Earthworm.

"Hmm...?"

When I opened the pouch, the inside was gooey, sticky, and stringy. According to 【All Creation】, it was the mucus excreted by a white earthworm that had eaten the Leaf of the Tree of Life. Seriously? That's disgusting.

Still, I couldn't afford to be picky, and according to the great 【All Creation】, there was no problem with it. So I placed the guild registration card on the table and turned the leather pouch upside down—a sticky lump oozed out. At an agonizingly slow pace, the lump landed on the registration card.

And then—

"Huh?"

Black spread from that spot, gradually staining the entire mithril card.

"I-is this right? Hmm... Looks like it's okay..."

According to 【All Creation】, this was the medicine—the cure for Dantes-san's petrification. I was certain of it.

"..."

I reached for the registration card in silence. I touched it gingerly, and it had softened despite being metal, like a sheet of wet cardboard, then curled up with the sticky substance. The world's least appetizing sushi roll was complete. Well, I didn't actually need to eat it.

Mithril really is a fantasy material... I'm starting to lose track of whether it's metal or not.

I knocked on the door to the next room, but there was no answer. It wasn't locked, so I opened it—and was met by the sharp smell of medicine. Non-san lay asleep on a bench with a thin blanket over them, eyes closed in deep sleep.

Dantes-san lay on the bed, wrapped in bandages.