A complete defeat. The words that came to the minds of five people, including Nainiae, who fought the Abyss, were completely defeated.
“I couldn’t get it right even once…”
“…I can’t believe we were beaten.”
In particular, the two people, Nara and Iril, who had no idea who he was and were confident that they would win as he was young, looked blank as if they were shocked by the current defeat.
“I, I will treat you first.” When the atmosphere calmed down after the battle, Priesia, who was looking at the situation, carefully gathered the other five and checked their condition. “First of all, I will start the treatment from Nainiae… Hmm?”
Tuk, tuk, she opened the hem of her clothes that had been crumpled like a whirlpool by Abyss’s fist and looked at Priesia, tilting her head as if to ask what was going on. “What’s wrong?”
“Nainiae, is there any place where you feel uncomfortable?”
To Priesia’s question, Nainiae, who was looking at the crumpled part of her clothes, answered with a strange expression.
“…no, there isn’t.”
Responding to Nainiae’s answer that there was no uncomfortable place, Priesia turned to Nara and Iril and asked both of them as well.
“Both of you, are you two uncomfortable?”
“What?”
“Well?”
The two people, who were confused by Priesia’s question, raised question marks. They also tilted their heads like Nainiae, but didn’t say they were sick or bothered.
“What about Ms. Sera and Mr. Ian?”
Ian only had a snowball fight with Abyss, and he had never physically bumped into him, so there should be nothing uncomfortable, but… In Sera’s case, Abyss grabbed her ankle and threw her like a ball, so there was a high probability that her body was seriously injured.
“Me, me too…”
“Me too, no problem.”
Even though they took a pratfall or rolled on the dusty ground… Far from being hurt, everyone was in a state where they didn’t even get a scratch.
“Th… this…” Priesia muttered in disbelief as she saw Nainiae’s body float in the air by Abyss’s fist and saw Nara’s body bend like a bow.
Abyss opened his mouth. “Priestess, are the children okay?”
“Yes?”
It’s not awkward at all for a child much younger than her to ask without honorifics, but Priesia asked back in honorifics instead.
“It’s been a long time since I moved around with this unfamiliar body. Honestly, it was difficult to control.”
Noticing that they weren’t hurt, Nainiae recalled what Riley had said before coming here. ‘I’m worried about everything.’
Nainiae was convinced that even if Priesia didn’t use her divine eyes, Abyss wouldn’t do anything harmful to the five people, including herself… and she was sure that Abyss wouldn’t do that to Riley either.
“Yeah, I’m glad you all weren’t hurt.” Abyss, who was looking at the group, nodded as if he was relieved and sat there.
“The warriors… no, I was expecting that since Riley brought you here, I’m sure they are good friends. But I didn’t expect you to be such good friends. It’s fun.”
When Abyss, who was muttering to himself, started laughing, question marks appeared on the faces of Nainiae and the other five.
“I didn’t mean to do anything to all of you. I simply thought it would be better to warm-up and go… That’s it.” Abyss, who looked closely at the six faces, asked with a grandfather-like look with a young face. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to tell you about your strengths or weaknesses with the warm-up we just had, is it okay?”
They were still looking at him suspiciously as if the alertness had not been completely resolved. Abyss sighed and changed the topic as if he couldn’t help it.
“You don’t seem to like talking about it, so let’s talk about something else. For example… the story about Riley you don’t know?”
Only Nainiae, who knew about his past life, wriggled her eyebrows, while curiosity arose on the faces of the other five.
“The story of the young master that we don’t know?”
“No way… I have been with him since he was born. There can’t be something about the young master that I don’t know…”
When Ian shook his head and tried to deny Abyss, Abyss burst out laughing and looked at Nainiae.
“Looks like you know about that?”
“…”
“Nainiae?”
As the group’s eyes turned to her, Nainiae, who was frowning, looked at Abyss and asked.
“Are you called… Abyss? Why are you asking me that question?” When Nainiae asked the boy in honorifics, Priesia looked at Abyss with a glance, ‘As expected, there is something.’
“If you’re not going to talk, I’m going to tell them. For your information, I already told the lizard child his story. The child seemed to be more interested in where he lived than his story.”
The rest of the group, who were listening to the conversation between Nainiae and Abyss, started to look around thinking what to do. They were curious about the ‘Riley’s story’ that Abyss mentioned. They wanted to ask, but they couldn’t because there must be some reason why Nainiae frowned.
“I hope you don’t think badly. I’m just trying to save time.”
“Save time?”
“By the way, if we want to go into that world together, it will be better for them to know his story to some extent… Don’t you think it’s better to tell them in advance to save time while Riley is away?”
When Nainiae crumpled her face with an expression of ‘still…’, Abyss shrugged and asked. “Did he tell you not to talk?”
“That’s…” There was a time when Riley said it would be better not to talk about his past life, but Nainiae, who had never heard the word not to talk about it, blurred the end of her sentence.
“I guess you were warned.” Abyss, who nodded as if he understood, said. “Well, I would have done that too. If it’s known for no reason, you might get caught up in troublesome things. However, things have changed a little now… They have to know his story and go. Doing so is a shortcut to avoid the ‘annoyance’ he’s worried about.
They know what’s bothering him.”
Abyss, who looked at the group with a look of curiosity, added seriously.
“It’s not a good thing to hide secrets between colleagues who will go to the other side together.”
Abyss, who said that there might be a split later, looked sadly at Nainiae, who was still shutting her mouth, and praised her. “He’s got a good man.” Abyss, who praised her with envy, said while scratching his hair. “Then, I have no choice but to say it myself.”
“But……” When Nainiae bit her lips again and blurred her words, Abyss told her as if she had nothing to worry about.
“If Riley asks what’s going on, this is it. Tell him, he’s being exposed. It’s not a lie or an excuse, it’s telling the truth, so there’s nothing to be afraid of. In my previous life, I fought like a horse. If it made me angry and tried to kill me, I’d rather run away… It’s a shame to lose a friend to fish with.”
Abyss began the story about Riley they didn’t know, staring at the five people with question marks on their faces.
*****
“Not yet?”
“…”
“Are you not done yet!”
“Just wait…”
In Andal’s cave, in the treasure trove… Riley was pondering over and over again with a few items in front of him.
“Hmm… what does she prefer?”
Looking at Riley, who was contemplating about what would suit her better than the one with better efficiency… Andal managed to resist the urge to smack the back of his head and asked, “What’s the problem?”
“No, not what she likes… I don’t know what suits her better.”
In his past life, in his present life… Riley, who only gave gifts to his mother, was contemplating about what to give Nainiae.
“What would you do if she liked either side? You said you’re going to return it. When you come back, you have to turn it back, what are you worrying about while grunting like this?”
When Andal glanced, Riley glanced back at him and opened his mouth blankly as if he had forgotten.
“Oh, right. It wasn’t a gift.”
“…”
“If it’s just rental, can’t I just take it all?”
When Riley asked with a bloody smile, Andal, who had tested his limits of patience several times from Abyss until now, opened his mouth, turning his eyes into those of the dragon’s.
“I’m going to kill you. For real.”
“…”
When Riley expressed his willingness to pay attention in silence, Andal muttered, turning his eyes back to a human.
“Specifically, I think that girl will like anything you give her… or maybe you can use your finger and say, ‘which one should I choose?’”
Riley, who was seriously contemplating using that method, shook his head and began to ponder once again.
“…no.”
“This jingle jingle rascal…”
[Note: jingle jingle = used when you’re sick of something, it’s a stronger expression than the word ‘tired’]
When Andal turned around as if he had lost and opened the portal leading to Ansirium, Heliona, who was flying by her master’s side, flew to Riley’s side as if she couldn’t help it.
<I was just going to watch Master Riley’s choice, but if it stays like this, the master will likely destroy the cave… I will recommend it for you.>
Riley, who glanced at Heliona who flew over his shoulder, nodded as if he would accept the favor.
<Let’s see what you chose…>
There were three treasures that Riley had on the floor. The first was the red coat he took first, the second was a white scarf, and the third was the ‘two’ small rings.
<The answer came right away.>
“Really?”
<Of course, this is it!>
What Heliona confidently pointed to was the third item, two small rings.
<The two are one set, right? You chose well! It wouldn’t be a problem for Nainiae to use it… The shape is simple, it’s a design she’ll love.>
On Heliona’s finger, who chose the ring without hesitation, Riley’s eyebrows were subtly distorted.
“Hmm…”
<Any problem?>
When Heliona asked if there was any problem, Riley, who glanced at her, scratched his cheek.
‘It feels awkward.’
The reason why Riley, who had given Nainiae the ‘Astroa’s Ring’ as a gift around the end of spring last year, wasn’t able to choose the ring was no different.
‘To me, the ring I gave her last year was very old … That’s why I was trying to give it to her, but it won’t look like it if you look around.’
It was because he was slightly embarrassed.
<I heard a rough story from my master, are there seasons in the world over there?>
Riley, who was scratching his cheek, nodded and answered Heliona’s question.
“There are.”
<Then, are the seasons over there and the seasons in this world the same? It’s spring now, but if it’s midwinter… the scarf is not bad either. If not, well.>
“A scarf…” As Riley turned his eyes from the ring to the scarf, Heliona shrugged and continued.
<If you feel that the ring is lacking, and you don’t need a scarf because the world’s season you are going to is spring right now, it would be best to choose the red coat with the elimination method.>
Heliona nodded with her eyes closed, saying that it would be best to take the red coat, except for the ring and the scarf… then a voice came from behind.
“…hey.”
<Or would you like to see other things besides these three? There! There was one thing Nainiae wanted to have up there that you couldn’t see… My master didn’t give me permission at that time, so I couldn’t…>
“Hey.”
<Hmm?>
With the voice coming from behind and the heat that seemed to burn her wings, Heliona turned her head.
<Ah…>
“What are you doing? Now?”
<Ah, that’s… that’s it…>
Heliona began to whistle to pretend she didn’t know, but it seemed that it wasn’t enough to extinguish the fireball on Andal’s eyes.
“…what should I do?”
Choose it or not… Riley was struggling, tilting his head as if he hadn’t picked one of the three items yet.
“Ah, this rascal for real!!”
It seemed that his frustration had finally exploded. Andal’s eyes flashed like those of a dragon, strikingly approached Riley, shoving the three items that Riley was struggling with into the bag he had in his right hand.
“Hey, what the hell…”
“Just eat it all! You rascal!”
As Andal shoved things into his bag and swung it toward Riley’s face, Riley’s hair was messed up by the wind pressure from his mouth.
<…>
When Andal, who dragged the bag on the floor, walked into the portal that had been opened beforehand, there was only silence in the cave where only Riley and Heliona remained.
