Chapter 127…………………………………..
I understood what he was saying.
I gripped the paper in my hand tightly.
The coordinates were already deeply imprinted in my mind.
“My feelings…”
My heart was undeniably directed toward Ron.
Just as it had been when I first met him, and even now—it hadn’t changed.
But all this time, I had deliberately suppressed these feelings, even though I was aware of them.
I kept telling myself, I’m possessed—can I really love Ron?
What if, at some point, it felt like I had suddenly come to this world, and one day I returned to my previous world?
Would Ron still like me even if he knew my secret?
I was plagued by all sorts of inner anxieties.
And besides…
“I’m really not Mary Ann.”
To receive Ron’s heart, to give him mine, I had to reveal the truth about my possession.
“Anne! What are you thinking? We have to hurry!”
“Oh, yes.”
Sherbert grabbed me and spoke, noticing the change in my expression.
“Anne, just remember one thing at this moment.”
“……”
“That you like Ron. Then stop thinking about anything else and go save him, right? Ron is trapped in the landslide.”
His unwavering voice snapped me back to reality.
Right—what was in front of me needed to be resolved first.
After briefly locking eyes with Sherbert, I clutched the teleportation spell.
And just as I was about to engrave the coordinates…
“Ah! Right!”
I suddenly thought of Kautz.
Like me, Kautz must be worried and longing for someone he deeply loved.
I hurriedly went to find him.
“Miss, you understand my feelings! I will never forget this kindness for the rest of my life!”
Overwhelmed with emotion, Kautz quickly packed a suitcase she had prepared in advance.
Even without me saying anything, it was clear she was determined to go to where her beloved partner, Gurtor, was, on her own if necessary.
I couldn’t help but feel my eyes prick with tears as I showed Kautz the coordinates Sherbert had given me.
Seeing it, Kautz said it was too far to reach in one go.
For me, whose mind was solely focused on Ron, I adjusted the plan.
We would pause midway to prepare for any possible danger and then continue.
After passing through the neighboring Hemel Kingdom of the Triya Empire, we finally reached the coordinates Sherbert had given.
However, I couldn’t enter the landslide site itself, having already expended a lot of mana. We arrived nearby instead.
Feeling my head spin, I barely managed to stand upright.
“Miss! Look! Look over there!”
I lifted my head and immediately saw piles of rocks.
Surrounding them were scattered debris and broken trees.
All of it bore the marks of the landslide.
“There’s no one around. Maybe… they’re all in there…”
“Probably. No one’s here to help. Then I’ll use magic…”
I tried to blast the rocks with magic but realized I couldn’t.
There was a risk of injuring the people on the other side.
“And your condition isn’t great either, Miss.”
“…Then what should we do? We need to save Ron immediately.”
“Wait a moment.”
Kautz rummaged through her suitcase.
Out came all kinds of items:
A magical whip, long enough to seem endless.
A mysterious purple powder.
A soft, long rod.
And many other strange things.
“When did you even pack all this? But is there anything here that’s actually useful?”
“Of course.”
Finally, Kautz pulled out a metal plate about the size of a palm.
She confidently held it, walked to the rocks, and crouched down.
A moment later, the metal plate beneath the rocks acted like a lever, slightly lifting and pushing the boulder aside.
Thunk—
The rock, which hadn’t moved before, began to roll slowly.
“Wow, truly the top researcher of the magic school!”
Bang.
But that was all.
Only a gap just wide enough for one person appeared, and the rock wouldn’t move further.
“…Hmm? It’s too narrow, isn’t it?”
Kautz admitted that she probably stole a defective item from the magic school.
“Miss, I’m sorry.”
“Oh, it’s fine. Even this is something.”
I reassured her and let a weak flow of mana fix the rocks in place to prevent them from moving.
A gap wide enough for one person to pass through appeared.
“Kautz, ready?”
“Yes, Miss!”
We carefully passed through the gap and finally reached the people trapped at the end.
“Look! People are coming out over there!”
“Someone’s coming out from the rock pile!”
They were startled by the movement of the rocks.
And among them was the one I had longed to see the most.
“…Ron.”
Was it really him?
Was this truly Ron Kerace?
I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand and carefully looked at him from a slight distance.
He looked different from three years ago.
He had grown taller and more muscular, but his deep blue hair and the way he looked at me affectionately remained unchanged.
Tears streamed down my face again from happiness.
I was grateful that he wasn’t dead, that he wasn’t hurt, that he was simply alive.
“His hair… long, just like before.”
Just as when I first met him in the cave, just as when the Dubl organization held him…
His hair had grown to cover his eyes and reach his shoulders.
“His gaze… unchanged.”
I met his eyes, which didn’t leave mine for a moment.
Finally, I was reunited with the Ron Kerace I had waited for.
“Anne!”
“Ron!”
He ran toward me.
Just as I was about to laugh with joy, I suddenly tasted dry, dusty lips.
He glanced at me briefly, seeing how dirty I was from passing through the narrow rock piles.
Even without seeing, I knew my hair and face were a mess.
Especially my long red hair—it must be all tangled.
“…Oh no!”
Only after confirming that Ron was safe did I notice my appearance.
I couldn’t believe I was meeting Ron like this.
We hadn’t seen each other for a very long time.
And I truly liked him.
I had finally realized the depth of my feelings.
I couldn’t show him this state.
I remembered how I had absentmindedly wiped dirt from my face earlier.
My face must be a mess.
“Fawn!”
“Black bear!”
Meanwhile, Kautz had already run ahead and was hugging the large Gurtor.
Smooching sounds followed continuously.
They had revealed that they were lovers and were openly showing affection.
While watching them enviously, I realized that Ron had come closer.
I quickly lowered my head like a guilty criminal.
“Ron… you came.”
“…Anne.”
“Yeah. It’s been a while… you’ve been well, right?”
Unable to show my face, I muttered awkwardly.
His hand gently touched my chin, and slowly I had no choice but to meet his gaze.
“…Ron.”
“…Anne.”
Joy at meeting him, but also sad resentment for why he hadn’t looked at me sooner—both emotions mixed in his bright red eyes.
His Adam’s apple moved as he spoke.
Then his other hand gently touched my eyes, nose, and lips in turn.
“You really are Anne. The Anne I was looking for.”
“Yes, I’m Mary Ann.”
Like Ron, I reached out my hand.
And slowly, I felt as it moved.
“You really are Ron. The Ron Kerace I was looking for.”
Ron smiled.
Ah, my heart swelled.
He was the Ron I knew from back then.
Being able to feel him, I was truly happy.
My messy appearance didn’t matter at all in this moment.
It had been a needless worry.
I leaned into Ron’s tight embrace.
The fast, pounding sound of his heart was wonderful.
Before the landslide
Until the rear guard left the Loudne region, everything had been fine.
Everyone was excited about having cleared the monsters and was happy to be heading home.
Then, KWA-KWA-KWANG!
A sudden, enormous roar froze over a hundred knights in place.
“It’s a landslide!”
The support soldiers from the Hemel Kingdom shouted.
Having encountered such events often, they skillfully guided everyone to avoid the falling rocks.
A long time passed. Only after the dark night ended did the loud noises stop.
At first light, the number of casualties and missing people was confirmed, and a messenger bird was sent nearby.
“The answer will come soon.”
The speaker was the princess of the Hemel Kingdom, Reatrice.
Ron was with the knights of the Triya Empire.
Before he could feel disappointed about their delayed journey home, he realized something.
The gem on his necklace was hot.
Damn it… Anne might have received the signal too.
It was the worst-case scenario for him.
He had always kept the necklace separate when fighting monsters, to prevent her from coming into danger.
Even though he had desperately wanted to see her after a long time apart, he could never call her to such a dangerous place.
He regretted noticing too late that the sudden landslide had activated the necklace.
No… she can’t come here.
And yet, within less than a day, Anne appeared right before his eyes.
