CH 179

＊＊＊

Almost a day after Alfiris returned Rouge to the heavens. Miranda and others arrive safely at the north end of the swamp.

「Hey, Fair. Are you sure Alfiris is safe?」

「I guess the messenger called. Don’t be in a hurry. You’re not a brat.」

「Shut it!」

「Serpent, here he comes.」

Lisa is the first to detect it. The Serpent also didn’t use a fog breath to hide himself, so Lisa’s sensors were also able to detect him quickly.

Apparently there was Alfiris sitting on top of his head, but for some reason the figure seemed to be in low spirits.

「Is that her?」

「She doesn’t look so well.」

「More importantly, she’s on the head of a True Dragon…」

「What a puny girl she was.」

When Fairtuse and the rest of the group were dismayed, Alfiris was also troubled.

「Hey, Serpent. What should I do?」

「You’ve come this far to talk about this. How many times have we talked about it on the way here?」

「But it still seems awkward. Do you have a strategy for what to say first?」

「I don’t know. You’re on your own.」

「Stingy—!」

「This True Dragon of I let you go this far, and you’re calling me stingy!」

It was like this all day long. But when Alfiris fell asleep on top of his head, Serpent was repeatedly amazed and impressed by her brazenness or something.

「（Good grief, I haven’t had this much conversation with someone since I was a kid. Humans really don’t bore me with their emotional ups and downs.）」

Then, when they come in front of Miranda and the others, Serpent lowers his head and lets down Alfiris. Alfiris jumped down lightly, but kept her eyes downward and didn’t make eye contact with Miranda and the others. In this awkward atmosphere, Miranda approaches Alfiris.

「Alfie.」

「Miranda, uhh, err…」

「I’m sorry for worrying you so much!」

「Hiee! I–I’m sorry… huh?」

I noticed that Miranda was crying as she hugged Alfiris.

「I was really worried about you… I’m glad you’re okay. Does it hurt anywhere anymore?」

「N–No.」

「That’s good then… I was always worried that Alfie would go away, you know!?」

「Ah…」

「I was very happy to see that, because Miranda was half-crazy after Alfie was gone. It was difficult, you know, trying to find Alfiris even if she had to search the whole swamp, right?」

「Not at all. And the person who stopped her risked her life, too.」

Lisa and Aerial nodded yes.

「Well, let’s put that aside for a moment.」

Pang! And Lisa kicked Alfiris in the rear.

「Aww! What are you doing, Lisa!」

「This is your punishment for worrying Lisa. But let me give you a break on this. If the little kids had done the same thing, they would’ve been given a hundred slaps on the ass.」

Then Lisa also hugs Alfiris.

「We are friends, aren’t we? I have even left my lovely little ones in the care of the Church of Arnelia to follow you and work with you. Please rely on me more.」

「I see… Sorry, Lisa.」

「Alfie, me too.」

Aerial looks sad.

「You said I was a sister to you, Alfie. I also love Alfie like a sister. Sisters are supposed to help each other, aren’t they?」

「Aery…」

「I want you to rely on me more. Besides, I’ve made up my mind that I’m leaving the prairie.」

At those words, everyone looked at Aerial.

「Eh, but that would mean…」

「I’ve already decided. I have been thinking about it ever since Winthia told me. What is it that I really want to protect? The prairie is something to protect, not something I want to protect. What I really want to protect are my friends. Besides, Father told me to live my life according to my heart.」

Aerial’s expression is serious and radiant at the same time. The problem that had been troubling her for so long must have been answered. They can feel the firm determination in her eyes.

「That is why, I will follow Alfiris. And always will.」

「Aery…」

This time, Alfiris was the one hugging Aerial.

「I’m unreliable, okay?」

「Fufufu, I know.」

「I’m going to get in trouble, okay?」

「That’s okay. It’s more worth supporting you that way.」

「Well, if it bothers you too much, you can just leave it alone!」

At one word Euthy said, everyone looked at Euthy with white eyes.

「W–What?」

「Good grief… you’re a pot fairy who can’t read the air.」

「Because the air is heavy, and I’m just trying to liven things up!」

「That’s an unnecessary nuisance. Isn’t the air generally heavy because Euthy is making it damp?」

「What kind of Water Fairy you think am I!?」

Everyone looked at each other and chuckled when they saw Euthy begin to rant. That may have been the first time in a long time that everyone smiled.

「Add me to that list.」

「Nia! Is your body already fine?」

「Yeah. I’m not completely back to normal, but that’s pretty much it. I’ll be in perfect shape in a month.」

「Thank you, Fairtuse!!」

Alfiris waves to Fairtuse.

「Come on, Kaede, come over here!」

「Ha, but I…」

「It’s okay, the details are fine!! Or is it that you can’t take orders from me?」

「Haah… I understand.」

Kaede joined in, and they all formed a circle and chatted with each other. Serpent and Fairtuse were watching the scene with eyes like parents watching over children.

When they had finished talking for a while, Miranda made a suggestion to Alfiris as if she had just remembered.

「Ah! Right!」

「What’s wrong?」

「It’s about Lanna.」

Miranda tells Alfiris how it happened.

「Lanna, come over here!」

Lanna comes shuffling in when called.

「I wanted to get Alfie’s opinion. What shall I do?」

「I don’t mind at all, in fact I welcome her… Eyy!」

「Kyaah!」

Alfieres suddenly yanked off Lanna’s hood, causing Lanna to scream in surprise.

「Ah…」

「Wait, Lanna can speak!?」

As if to say, “Oh no,” Lanna hurriedly put her hood back on and hid behind Fairtuse. Lanna’s appearance in the sun was still eerie, but Alfiris looked unconcerned.

「I like her as a traveling companion, but why don’t you put that face back on?」

「Phew, I guess you can’t be fooled after all.」

「? What do you mean?」

Miranda and the others listen to the exchange between Alfiris and Fairtuse with a look of uncertainty on their faces.

「No matter how it may seem, but this girl Lanna’s face is fake. I don’t know why.」

「「「「Ehhhh!?」」」」

Fairtuse wasn’t at all offended by surprised group’s reaction.

「She had to do it this way, or else the swamp people’s courtship would have been too depressing. Well, they didn’t even care about this appearance. I just wanted to see how you would react. After all, I am entrusting a child like my own daughter to your care. It looks like it was all over in the end, though. Wait a minute.」

Fairtuse takes a bottle of something out of her pocket and applies it to Lanna’s face. After a while, she carefully peels off Lanna’s face from the hairline. And what do they think, when a dainty-faced girl emerged from below?

「Fuu…」

「Lanna, I’m sorry. You’ve had this look on your face ever since these kids arrived, and I’m sure it must have been very painful for you.」

「No, Fairtuse-sama. This much is nothing to sneeze at!」

A girl smiles at them. With her hood off, Lanna has brown eyes and black hair. Her hair is pulled back in a braid, and a smaller braid hangs down the side of her head. She’s a girl who still retains her innocence, but there is something strangely glamorous about her. Her dainty and lovely appearance made everyone sigh involuntarily.

「Once again, I would like to greet you all. My name is Lanna.」

The girl picks up the hem of her robe and greets them a little. The gesture is also adorable.

「Since when did you notice that, Alfie?」

「From the beginning. Because even though her face was such a mess, her hair seemed fine, and generally her neck and other parts of her body seemed to be fine, right? Well, I didn’t know how she was disguising herself.」

「I see, her disguise is not quite up to par yet.」

「I don’t think so?」

Alfiris stares at Fairtuse with meaningful eyes. But Fairtuse pretended not to notice.

「Well, anyway, I’d appreciate it if you’d take care of Lanna for me. She’s like a precious daughter to me!」

「Don’t worry, I won’t make it worse.」

「Well, I’m off then, Fairtuse-sama.」

「Ahh, how masterful. Now, you girls, get on this magic circle over here!」

When Fairtuse chanted the spell, a large rock shifted and a magic circle appeared from below. Alfiris and the others move on top of that magic circle. Once again, Fairtuse and Lanna shake hands, and Fairtuse activates the magic of transition.

「See you, Fair. Thanks for your help.」

「Don’t thank me. Just bring me a good drink next time.」

「Hahaha, I’ll do that.」

「I’m sure we’ll meet again. Until then, be good.」

「Don’t let it go to waste, Fair, okay?」

「Hmph! Don’t say something stupid!」

But whether the last word was heard or not. Alfiris and her group had already completed the transition. After witnessing the scene, Serpent takes on human form and slowly calls out to her.

「Fairtuse, let’s talk.」

「Ahh, I need to talk to you, too. Come hang out with me for a minute.」

Then the two returned to the swamp. Two more eyes gazed at the scene.

＊＊＊

「They’re not coming, Lifeless-sama.」

「No… They just came out of the swamp. The familiars confirmed it. But it looks like they used transference.」

「Eh? Wouldn’t that make it tough to pursue?」

「…Not really. Apparently, it’s not so much a transition as it is a long distance. At most, it’s about three days away. They were transferred to the vicinity to a Northern Town, near Febran. This was also just confirmed by the familiars.」

「You have familiars that far out?」

「I told you, I’m serious this time, so be on your guard. I have 50,000 familiars in entire perimeter of the swamp and they’re now within my observation range. And this time, she’s well rested. Let’s go, Doltmund. Let’s fight!」

「Hah! I have been waiting for your words!」

With that said, Doltmund kneeled down to the Lifeless, and Lifeless summoned some giant birds. Then they all split up and rode in together with the Archfiends, and all that was left was a gust of wind.