Chapter 35
I reflexively grabbed the steel axe hanging at my waist and swung it.
Well, I tried to swing it.
“…?”
If Kaizen hadn’t caught my wrist in time, I would have thrown the axe without hesitation.
Blinking in surprise, I watched as Kaizen pulled an illumination device from my backpack and lit the way ahead.
“This isn’t an enemy.”
The dim light revealed who—or rather what—was running toward us.
A scruffy little figure. A girl, maybe fifteen at most, looking far too young for her age.
My heart lurched.
I almost swung an axe at such a tiny girl…
I quickly hid the axe behind my back and cautiously approached her. As I got closer, a flicker of wariness crossed her face, but she didn’t run.
“You lured us here?”
“……”
The girl didn’t answer, just stared at Kaizen and me as if observing us.
So I observed her in return.
A typical Volcano Village resident.
Her long crimson hair fell to her waist, and her eyes were red—the colour of the village itself. A girl from Volcano Village wouldn’t have wandered here by accident…
Does she live inside the mine?
Her clothes were small and short-sleeved for her body, her hair tangled, her nails long and unkempt—there didn’t seem to be an adult caring for her.
She’s probably been living down here for a long time.
Even her tiny clothes looked roughly made, as if she’d sewn them herself.
At that moment, a sudden sound came from her stomach: a grumble. —
I blinked.
“Hungry?”
“……”
I immediately regretted asking. If she’d been stuck in the mine all this time, she probably hadn’t eaten properly. I swung my backpack forward and fished out some jerky.
“Want some?”
Hesitation crossed her face. I rolled up the jerky in a handkerchief and tossed it to her. She grabbed it greedily.
As she sniffed it and was about to bite…
“Rabbit…”
She had spotted Hamma and opened her mouth in surprise. Alternating her gaze between the jerky and Hamma, she quickly shoved the jerky into her mouth and approached him.
Oh… she’s wary of Kaizen and me, but Hamma’s around her age, so he seems less threatening.
Her little hands reached out toward his white hair and perky ears, fascinated. Hamma, confused but cooperative, bowed slightly so she could touch him.
“Rabbit…”
“Hmph. Not a rabbit—a beastman. I’m human too, you know.”
“Pretty…”
She was completely smitten. Clearly, Hamma had stolen her heart.
I nudged Hamma gently in the ribs and whispered:
“You ask her. Why did you lure us here?”
Hamma’s ears twitched with excitement at the task, and he approached the girl.
“Ahem. What’s your name? I’m Hamma!”
“Ria…”
“Ria? That’s a pretty name. But why did you bring us here?”
Ria hesitated, then softly answered in a tiny voice:
“Near the mine entrance… I heard thieves coming… I had no choice…”
Kaizen raised an eyebrow in surprise.
“You sensed activity outside the mine?”
“My… hearing is good.”
Ria shyly said this, then pointed to Kaizen.
“I saw this brother drawn on paper….”
“Paper?”
Hamma tilted his head, then realised something and pulled a wanted poster from his backpack.
“Is this what you mean?”
“Yes.”
Ria smiled innocently and nodded slowly. She seemed less wary now that we’d given her food.
Kaizen, looking at the wanted poster depicting himself, asked indifferently:
“You know me?”
“My mom… said the enemy of my enemy… is my ally…”
She pointed to the poster. My gaze naturally followed.
The Kaizen in the poster looked much younger than he does now. When was this even drawn?
“I heard the thieves say that if you come to the village… we should kill you… The thieves are enemies, so… you, the thieves’ enemy… are my ally…”
“What?”
“I don’t quite understand.”
Ria gave a small groan and stayed quiet, then quietly grabbed Kaizen’s sleeve and pointed beyond the vines.
Kaizen looked at the small hand holding his sleeve, relaxed, and followed Ria.
“My parents will explain everything…”
She wasn’t alone after all. I exchanged glances with Hamma and followed behind.
Ria led us to the opposite side of the Mystical Spring that Kaizen had initially wanted to go to. There was another spring there, separate from the first.
“Whoa! I’ve never seen so many springs inside a mine!”
Ria squatted before the spring, pointing with her tiny fingers. Following her gaze, I saw large water plants and tiny droplets floating above them. Faint human-like shapes were visible inside.
I widened my eyes.
“The tiny people in those droplets… are your parents?”
“Yes…”
“Good heavens… What is going on here?”
Hamma muttered, covering his mouth. I was just as shocked.
What is this? There aren’t supposed to be tiny people in Tales World.
To investigate, I’d first need to retrieve the water plants.
But how do I get over there?
The plants were at the edge of the spring, close to the cavern wall.
I sighed in frustration.
How deep could it be?
I can’t even swim.
While I hesitated, Kaizen approached from a distance.
“I know what you’re thinking, but just stay put.”
“Huh?”
“You want to pretend to faint and keep your eyes closed again?”
He was referring to the time I had jumped into the lake. I scratched my cheek, embarrassed.
“That… I didn’t know I couldn’t swim.”
Kaizen let out a low sigh, the slightest crease forming on his forehead.
“Don’t try to do everything alone. Haven’t you forgotten I said I’d cooperate? Why wouldn’t you use the person best at getting things done?”
“Uh…?”
Kaizen lifted me onto a large rock and sat on his knees before me. His gaze met mine, firm and inescapable, reflecting in the spring’s water as a particularly deep blue today.
In a low, almost whispering voice, he said:
“I mean, sit here and rest.”
Then he removed his shirt and dived into the spring.
My head felt a little dizzy.
Right. Why did I try to handle everything alone?
Kaizen was here with me. Hamma, too, though Hamma probably wouldn’t be much help in the water.
I guess I underestimated Kaizen.
As I reflected, Kaizen returned holding the green water plants. I rose, almost entranced, and approached him.
“Careful taking them.”
Kaizen extended the plants to meet the spring. Each movement rippled the water. Droplets ran down his neck, tracing his collarbone. I couldn’t look away.
“Romi.”
“Huh? Uh….”
My throat went dry. Even wet, he was impossibly handsome. He looked at me silently, a faint crease visible on his brow.
“Won’t you take them? People are anxious.”
“What?”
I finally looked at the water plants. Indeed, tiny people, no larger than a palm, were gathered on them—each trapped in a droplet.
“Mom…! Dad…!”
“Ria! You made it safely!”
Eleven tiny people in total, two appearing to be Ria’s parents, smiling gently at her.
Why are they like this?
This wasn’t part of any game event in Tales World. I was completely baffled.
“There are more water plants inside. I’ll bring them all.”
“More inside? How many more?”
“About twelve.”
“Then please do.”
I sent Kaizen ahead and examined the people floating on the plants. Crimson hair, faces strangely familiar… My eyes widened.
These people are Volcano Village NPCs.
