43 - CHAPTER XII "Black Hair"

With a light thump, Helian and Ceres land on the plain.

They walk up to the girl they have rescued and see that she is a human girl, just as Celes had said.

Her ears are short, she has no tail, no horns or scales. For all intents and purposes, she is a "human.

I had expected her to be a little younger than that, since Celes had said she was a child, but she appeared to be more than fifteen years old.

Her clothes are stained and the fabric around her breast is torn, but she does not seem to be badly injured. I breathe a sigh of relief at this fact.

"......I'm glad you're safe. I'm so glad I made it in time."

I was able to save a girl who was being attacked.

Thinking of this fact, I naturally let out a soft voice.

I smiled along with my voice. It may have been a poor expression, but I think I managed to make a smile at least.

The girl was very well dressed.

She was dressed for ease of movement, but the fabric was of a different quality compared to what the people of Latticewood were wearing. Even Herian, who has no great sense of beauty, could tell. Clearly, the quality of the clothing is different.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you earlier, even if it was on the spur of the moment. I apologize."

Helian pulled up his hood and spoke the next words.

Although he was in a situation where he could not afford to be, it was true that he had yelled at her in a harsh tone of voice. Even though I owed her a favor, I should apologize for my rudeness in order not to cause any trouble.

With this in mind, I tried to bow my head, but the girl in question had an astonished look on her face.

I wonder if it was that surprising that I ...... apologized to her.

The girl mumbled something to me.

Her arms, which were supposed to be pulled up to her chest, were somehow hanging down, and her unobstructed, fresh skin was glimpsed through a tear in the fabric.

It is very awkward. ......

Turning her eyes away from the undulating skin tone, Helian removes her cloak and walks over to the girl. He does not have the guts to continue the conversation in peace.

"Oh ...... by the way, that, that, that ...... you're dressed like that, is somewhat offensive to the eye."

As he was afraid to say so directly, he offered his cloak to her while slurring his words.

The girl, however, remained stunned and stared at him. I took another step forward and put the cloak on her slender shoulders, wondering if I had done something rude.

"-Can you tell me your name?"

Suddenly, a girl asked me a question.

Surprised that the first thing she asks is her name, Helian says his own name.

Herian.

The front clasp of the cloak is tied to cover the girl's chest.

Having finally caught his breath, Helian takes another look at the girl's appearance.

She was, quite frankly, a pretty girl.

Her eyes, nose, and nose are well defined, and her face is somewhat gentle. Her large eyes peeking out from her neatly cropped bangs are impressive. She was the kind of girl who would grow up to be a ladylike beauty within a few years.

However, her greatest feature is not her face, clothes, or eyes.

The most eye-catching feature was her hair, which hid her large eyes. Or more precisely, its color.

It was a color considered rare in this world.

As Celes had reported, it was a color that could not be overlooked.

It was as shiny as if it had been inked.

"Excuse me, what's your name?"

"...... Zion, sir."

The girl, who still looks stunned, utters her name half-conditionally.

Theon.

I don't recognize it.

But I was curious about her reaction when she saw me.

So, Helian asks her - the black-haired girl (・・・・・)Zion, with a ray of hope in his heart.

"Are you a player?"

+ + +

Helian recalls the conversation he had with Leifa when he first met her.

Leifa had told him that black hair was very rare among the human race.

At least, she had heard that none of the adventurers who visited Rattestwood had black hair.

Then a dark-haired person appeared.

The first person I met in this world had black hair just like me.

The person who rescued him - Zion was a black-haired girl (・・・・・).

I don't think it was a coincidence. I didn't want to think it was a coincidence. In the game [Tactics Chronicle], there were more male players, but that does not mean there were no female players.

And the player name [Helian] is well known in [Tactics Chronicle]. After all, he is the champion of one world. There must have been quite a few players who knew her appearance. If the girl in front of you is one of them, her reaction is understandable. Maybe that is why she asked me her name first.

So maybe.

She might be a transferee from the same world as me.

Helian asks the black-haired girl with such a gleam of hope in his eyes.

--But....

"Prayer ......?"

The dark-haired girl parroted the words back.

It was as if he had never heard the word before.

(............ oh)

Then I realized.

I realized.

Her reaction was genuine.

She's not acting.

Even Hellian could understand that.

So,

"What is ...... Prayer?"

Even when the question comes out of her mouth, which is not what you expect.

Helian was not shocked.

Her disappointment was already over.

"No, ...... don't worry about it. I must have been mistaken."

He smiles again.

She is innocent, so there is no reason for her to show her disappointment, even if the answer to her question was not the one she wanted.

Besides, nothing has ended in vain.

At least we were able to rescue the girl in front of us.

You have indeed saved a human life by your order.

Then that's good.

That's all that matters.

"I'm sorry for asking such a confusing question out of the blue. Anyway, it's all right now. We'll take full responsibility for getting you home. Don't worry. --Leve, Ceres. Take care of her clothes.

"Yes, sir. --Ceres, I'm sorry, but I need your jacket.

"Okay, but ...... my size doesn't fit you at all, you know?　This girl."

I don't care if it's just for the time being. I'll just do the first aid here."

Rieve and Celes approach, exchanging words, but the girl still looks stunned. Perhaps it was the shock of being attacked by bandits and nearly roughed up. Whatever it was, she needed time to calm down and talk.

Deciding this, Helian silently turned his back to the women.

He turns his back on the women and faces them, the result of the bandits, whom he had dared to keep out of sight until now.

"............"

No regrets.

This is what Hellian wanted.

Ceres shot as Herian had wished, and Levee rescued the girl as Herian had wished.

It is only as a result that the bandits have left their corpses in the wilderness.

"...... but still ...... if you die, you are a Buddha."

--That's why.

So, for once.

I hope you will allow me to join hands with the dead in this way.

＋ ＋ ＋

The dark-haired girl watched her.

She gazed at the dark-haired, dark-eyed young man facing the bandit's corpse with a serious expression on her face.

Then she remembered a story that her mother had told her repeatedly.

It is a very important story that relates to the mission of the Gardiner family.

When I saw the young man, I thought at first that I had seen him wrong or something.

Next, I thought it was some kind of dream vision.

But no matter how many times I blinked my eyes, the young man in front of me did not disappear.

Despite her incredulity, the girl realizes that this is not a dream vision.

And then, with a stunned expression on her face, the girl - the daughter of the Earl of Gardiner - let out a murmur from her small lips.

"--Master Aracht."

The whisper was small.

It was taken away by the winds of the wilderness.