Chapter 104 (1/2)

We somehow were able to set the plot to capture Grond.

I walked through the mountains outside of Dartlas after getting one part of the plan ready.

It wasn’t the Audilus mountain range, but the forests in the mountains weren’t very deep, and parts of the mountains were very easy to move across. Because of this, it was more like hiking than actually climbing a mountain.

『Hey! Adventurer! Let me practice with you! If I get stronger, I can protect everyone!』

『Brother Adventurer, lemme give you this! I can’t depend on Kelly, so just like you did with Toria, can you help all of us when we need you?』

『Sh…Shen Fa?!!!』

『Shen Fa, you’re…you need to have more pride like a man….』

In the bright and clear weather, feeling the warm, clean air, I remembered the picnic I took with those kids.

『Brother Kaito! Toria made this! Eat it! Eat it!』

『Which? Which? Ahg! Toria! Are you even my friend anymore?!』

『Huh? Weren’t you just trying to eat the piece that I just gave Mister Kaito?!』

『Oh, oh yeah. Will you be my friend later then? Will it make you happy if I pat your head, Toria?』

『Geez! Don’t treat me like a kid!』

『Hah hah hah hah!!』

The sun flooding through the trees in that wonderful memory only made the pain I feel worse.

「Master, are you okay?」

「Why are you zoning out like that?」

I noticed that they were talking to me.

「Ah, no, nothing…」

「You really are stubborn about things sometimes, master.」

「Mister Kaito, don’t you believe us to?」

I was about to object but stopped myself, looked, and simply shrugged my shoulders in surrender.

「…nah. Sorry. I was just remembering things.」

This was to check if the condition was right for the final event.

The final event I chose was made from my mistake the first time, in this disgusting, vice-ridden school.

That day, as that rotten reality seemed to laugh before me and drive me insane, that collapsed place was now covered by swaying fields of grass.

「Really, like remembering a story all over again.」

Yeah, a story, all over again.

I didn’t need to even think it over, the feeling of it had permeated my organs.

The regret, anger, sadness, loss of faith.

That girl whose hand I never reached, never grabbed hold to.

Not able to do anything, just a bloody hand to extend with no help.

Then, the only word she said, help, was the only word I heard that day.

「No, even with that memory, it’s different than that. Nothing’s over yet.」

No one thing has been completed yet.

Nothing has been forgotten, it still is fresh in my mind.

「No time to get lost in your emotions, master.」

Minnalis said with a lightly urgent tone.

「They don’t know anything. They don’t remember a thing. They live as if that first world was nothing, that only these scars of a second world exist.」

But, even with all my anger for them steaming out of me, Minnalis just kept smiling in her alluring way.

「Well, it’s not nothing. It can’t be nothing. Let’s show them, everything. Cut it into their souls.」

「I think this is why I became your ally. Never forgiving or getting used to all the pain and anguish, anguish, anguish you feel, just let the pain fill inside you. We’ll kill all of them.」Shuria said.

Shuria laughed happily, while Minnalis continued.

「Yeah! So let’s get working until we get back at them!」

Not holding back, I was thankful for the right words of these girls at the right times, as we continued toward the goal.

Where we arrived was in the middle of Audilus Mountains, far from the road, in an open place a bit from a grove.

「…」

I wasn’t prepared for the scene I saw, as for a second the image of that wooden-built school’s image stood with the current empty field in my mind.

「Ok, we’re here.」

There was a 50 foot hole in the middle of the field dug there.

「Squeek! Squeek!」

One mouse came close to my feet.

Mouse One, or Mousuke.

Yesterday, as I was observing Grond with Mouse One, Shuria strongly stated 『Mouse One? What kind of name is that? It’s so cute, don’t give it a lame name like that!』

I thought Mouse One was a good name for it, and when that newly named Mouse One, or Mousuke, heard it, it got depressed.

When I asked about it later, he said that he liked it so much that he cried and said he’d take it to his grave.

So that’s why the Mousuke liked his name, and improved his skill.

His new skill 「Leadership: Mice」was received, and he took over the destiny of other mice through leading them.

With that new power, Mousuke used his power to dig a hole for this last event.

I usually had to do all the work alone with Minallis and Shuria.

But with Mousuke using his new power, the hole was quickly done.

「Yeah, this size of a hole is perfect.」

After getting close and squatting to look, it had a depth of 10 feet.

「Squeek!」

Mousuke jumped on my shoulder and squeaked with an exclamation like 「Praise me now!」

Also, Mousuke liked to look good, so if he found a river nearby he’d wash up and set his hair in place, and if you rubbed a little soap on him, he’d lather up happily and get completely clean.

Because of that, he was different than all the other mice and had beautiful fluffy hair.

「Oh, cute guy, cute guy! Did well!」

「Skweeek!」

I thanked him while rubbing his head and Mousuke squealed at it.

「「…」」

「You don’t have to say anything, you two. We know what you’re thinking.」

The two others looked a little jealous. Leticia would have called me stupid or something, but these two, nothing.

「Here, you can rub him all you want. Mousuke’s not going to object at all.」

「Master…」「Sigh…」「Squeek Skweek!」

「…Huh? Did I say something wrong?」

The two girls looked at me and the mouse with disappointed eyes, and I felt as if I had made a mistake.

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