Volume 9 - Chapter 12 – Lost Child Elsa (2/2)

“If I don’t go back now they’ll get angry.”

Elsa felt guilty thinking of how by now Reiko had probably come back, found she wasn’t there and how they must be looking for her right now. She turned to rush to return, but then was shocked.

“There’s no… door.”

The door from which she surely exited just now was nowhere to be seen. Even though the door she came out of was supposed to be around the small dirt hill, no matter where she looked that door wasn’t there.

In a panic she tried looking for it by placing her hands on the ground and patting around the area, but there was no sensation of anything like a door.

“…No way.”

Elsa groped around some more. Her hands and knees became covered in mud, but she didn’t have the mindset to care about that right now.

After doing that for half an hour, she even lost track of the original location. All she could see were her own footprints. You could no longer tell where they began.

“What now…”

When she had been kidnapped Jin had tracked her down. He would look for her again, right? But supposing he got angry from her using the Warp Gate at her own convenience, he might not look for her.

“I’m… sorry…”

Unintentionally coming to a pessimistic conclusion Elsa became disheartened and wanted to cry, but at that moment.

“Onee-chan, who are you?”

Someone called out to her from behind.

Elsa looked and saw a girl eight or nine years old. She had slightly dazzling braided blond hair and was holding a basket with wild herbs in it.

“Where did you come from?”

Being asked once again Elsa pulled herself together and replied.

“I’m, Elsa. Where I came from, I don’t know.”

Then the girl said,

“Hm? So a lost child?”

Elsa replied with a nod.

“Is that right? Then follow me. Let’s try going to the elder-san’s place.”

The girl said and began slowly walking. With nothing else to do, Elsa followed the child.

Soon after following her they reached a small village. Stakes had been pushed into the ground around it to make a simple fence.

“Elsa onee-chan, over here.”

While holding the basket the girl kept walking on a road to the center of the village. Elsa who had stopped walking to look around quickly went after her.

There were curious things Elsa had never seen before here and there. One of them was something which looked to be made out of bronze that had a simple roof over it, and judging from how its surroundings were wet it was a place related to water.

She was interested in what it was, but the first priority was herself. Elsa followed the girl while matching her pace.

“This is elder-san’s house.”

The girl stopped in front a building that was slightly finer compared to the other houses and said.

“Elder-san!”

The girl raised her voice to reach beyond the door.

After a brief while the door opened and a young woman appeared. She was probably around the same age as Elsa was. However, one part of her was overwhelmingly more grown up.

“Oh my, what’s wrong? Uncle hasn’t come back yet. He’s perhaps making the rounds around the fields, I think.”

The woman said, then the girl pointed at Elsa and spoke.

“Is that right? You know, this onee-chan, she’s a lost child.”

“A lost child?”

The woman looked a little puzzled and turned to ask Elsa.

“Is that so? Ah, I’m Barbara. I’m the niece of the village headman Gheebeck.”

“I’m, Elsa.”

“Elsa-san, is it. Where did you come from? It doesn’t look like you’ve got any luggage…”

When asked Elsa nearly reflexively said Kunlun Island, but quickly held her tongue regarding that.

“I don’t know. I found myself here before I knew it. Then I met this girl.

Barbara tilted her head after hearing that and,

“What a curious tale, isn’t it. Well, such things happen too.”

She didn’t appear to consider it doubtful. She then looked up at the sky and,

“It’ll soon get dark, so if you’d like you’re welcome to stay at our house.”

She said, inviting Elsa. Elsa looked that the sky which had become dim and decided to accept the offer.

“Thank you. I’m very grateful.”

With that Barbara spoke to the girl.

“Good job, Hannah-chan. We’ll care for Elsa-san so there’s no need to worry.”