-27- Ice Break II 1
A very fine morning.
My body was light and my heart had been satisfied. However, I and Hiiragi-san overslept together today as well.
After we fixed our clothes and descended the stairs, there was n.o.body remaining. No, next to the wall is Higashiyama looking this way with a gloomy face.
I don"t want to die.
Therefore, I won"t take risk like putting my life on the line. I can understand her reason. However, she lacks imagination.
Will the food be safely available forever? Won"t a person behaving recklessly out of hopelessness appear? Who guaranteed that this is a safe place?
The law doesn"t exist. There is also no arrangement that the things that had been decided will be followed. She doesn"t notice how her situation is like standing on thin ice while it started thawing.
History has proven that strength means everything in the end.
For me, I and Hiiragi-san are important.
To live together with the girl who is preparing the food before my eyes. For the sake of that, I must choose. I can"t make a mistake with my priorities.
「Come to think of it, Tsuzuki-san"s side seems to have split the party into two. Sagarkun certainly also said that he would partic.i.p.ate as a member, right?」
While waiting for it to heat up, one of my problems was resolved by the topic that was brought up.
I see. Usually, he should be munching on a snack that he retrieved from the food he holds in his hand while we are eating, but was that the reason why his figure is nowhere to be found?
「Heidi-san doesn"t seem to be here too. Is she still resting in her room?」
「The plate of her room moved into walking so isn"t she in the dungeon? I"m not sure whether she joined some group or acting alone though.」
「You often look at the room plates, don"t you? Since it warmed up, shall we eat soon?」
The plan for today is to explore the dungeon during the day.
I want to get used to the changes in the status and because there are also various things I want to confirm. I understood in the previous exploration that it is difficult to advance to the depths of the dungeon unless we earn points without working too hard and properly strengthen our abilities.
I put the ingredients in the taco sh.e.l.l and eat it.
It would be delicious if there are fresh raw vegetables, but unfortunately, that wasn"t the case. We can get them if we exchange with PP but it would be a waste of points, and I"m worried about dealing with it because there is no suitable facility to store them.
I combine the cooked pork and onion with the hot red salsa sauce and eat it. It"s disappointing that the dough is a bit powdery. Surprisingly, my stomach bulges.
◆
The shadow sways matching the movement of the hand.
She steps forward relying on the gray light spilling out of the lantern. A small stature walking ahead, without showing any hesitation, chooses the road with certain steps.
Today, Hiiragi-san is leading by making use of the magic skill she just learned last night. The ability sense, in comparison to detection, was a significant improvement. However, it can"t imitate the controlled expansion of the range that can be perceived the same way as detection. Still, as there seems to be a big difference in the recognition range, there are also a lot of times that roads leading to dead ends were chosen.
When I think about it, it"s convincing that we overtook and quite ahead of the group that didn"t learn detection.
Hiiragi-san stopped and looked back.
That gaze isn"t looking at me. I focus more of my senses behind and look with a piercing gaze to see through the cave"s darkness.
「I thought it was my imagination, but it seems like we"re being followed.」
「Hiiragi-san noticed it too. I don"t know who it is, but it"s from the time when we entered the dungeon.」
「What should we do?」
While grasping the weapon tightly, there was no expression on her face as she asked.
Three hours have pa.s.sed since we entered the dungeon. During that time, the pursuer follows behind us precisely without reaching and drifting away from us. I don"t know what their purpose is.
We can ignore them and continue, but maybe we can also wait? Fortunately, I know that they"re alone. If they have hostile intentions, we are in an advantage since it"s a two to one situation.
「Shall we wait for a bit?」
I sat down on the floor, dropped my weapon and backpack, and got into a comfortable position.
「I agree. Let"s try to rest for a while and wait.」
I handed the PET bottle with water in it and chocolate included in the ration to her as she sat.
◆
The pursuer also stopped since we stopped moving. However, I guess they might have noticed that we won"t be moving at all even with how much time has pa.s.sed. So the pursuer, who might have sensed our intention, heads toward this spot with confident steps.
To be on the watch for the approaching pursuer, I and Hiiragi-san stand up. I brushed off the dirt from my behind, held my weapon in my hand and turned my gaze towards the direction where he will appear.
A small spot of light was visible on the distance that was plunged in darkness. The light gradually becomes bigger and finally arrives at the distance where I can catch hold of the pursuer"s figure.
「Stop.」
Following the order to stop, the pursuer stayed there. While showing a grin on her beautiful face, she looks at us.
A wavy blond hair. A foreigner with blue eyes. Adelheit Lichtenstein was the pursuer.
I"m stumped. It seems that we won"t be able to communicate well with the degree of my English conversational skills. I looked at Hiiragi-san to ask for help.
Maybe she also doesn"t have that much confidence and looks at my face. I nodded while sighing. I breathed in and was cut off the moment that I was just about to speak.
「Ah, I"m fine with j.a.panese. I"m well versed.」
That was very fluent j.a.panese.
I and Hiiragi-san were bewildered and words didn"t come out right away. As for the reason, it"s because Heidi should be unable to speak nothing but broken j.a.panese until a few days ago. The one she can have ordinary conversations within the cla.s.s, without question, was only Oyabe-imouto who has experience studying abroad.
Facing us who are surprised, Heidi pointed on her neck with her index finger. A collar composed of two colors, black and silver, is fitted in there.
「Looks like you understood.」
She told us who showed an expression of comprehension.
A device given by the demon for support. In the device that can display status and unique abilities, and also exchange items that used points, there seems to have been translation feature as well.
If I look back and think it over, the sheep-faced demon, Streiya, the monster with a bird"s face, Albacent, and the lizard-faced dragonian, Opelgua, maybe I should have doubts with them speaking in j.a.panese.
Will they, with their making different from humans based on physique, be able to p.r.o.nounce it similarly? No no, it might be possible if it"s a monster. Was it wrong to think with common sense?
「Heidi-san. Why were you following us?」
「Gathering information, maybe.」
「For what?」
「Yeah, frankly speaking, why don"t you two cooperate with me?」
She withdraws her face that was smiling and answered with a serious expression.
「If I"m alone, I won"t be able to go to the depths of the dungeon. There"s just the two of you, wouldn"t that be impossible?」
「Are you saying that we can reach it if we join Lichtenstein-san?」
「Yah, although I was relying on others, I reached the bottom and have useful information so I think we can go.」
A few days ago, Heidi was moving together Wazuka"s group. The possibility that whatever information she has is significant is high.
It"s certainly true that we will reach the limit for capturing the dungeon with just the two of us. There is a merit in joining our hands.
However, is she someone that can we trust? If there was a support of the device, she should be able to speak j.a.panese from the start and would have been able to understand. Despite that, she didn"t show such behavior.
「Why is it us? I think it"s easier to join another group with a lot of people though.」
「There are several reasons. I was a burden for Mikan"s group. That"s why, and also one-sidedly protecting and being protected is a bit unpleasant.」
「And it won"t be that case if it"s us?」
「Yah. Although I"ve been observing everyone in the cla.s.s since this morning, I wasn"t expecting that it will be just three people including the two. The other person has joined a party with other people so I gave up.」
Was the purpose of her following our tracks was to probe our true strength? Her basis is unclear, but it seemed consistent with Heidi"s judgment.
「Although you were able to speak words, why didn"t you speak about it?」
「I was not asked. Because the one who talks to me was only Mikan. Therefore, it"s what appears to the girls.」
Hiiragi-san presses the details that haven"t been spoken about yet.
「So what are the other reasons?」
「Personal preference or should I say since it seems to satisfy my taste, I wonder.」
As she says that, Heidi exchanged looks with me with her blue eyes.
She is subtlety looking at me with a blush and a gaze filled with strange interest. Surely, is she saying that she has a liking for me or something? We practically never had conversations though.
I was a bit shocked. Shivers run at the same time.
It"s all right, I have a girlfriend who I swore my future with. I don"t intend to have an affair at all. So don"t look at me with such cold eyes, Hiiragi-san.
「Anyway, I"ll show one of the merits of cooperating with me so hold your weapons and deal with me, okay?」
The foreign girl raised her beautiful lips.
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