CH 78

“What the ……!?”

“Fufu, what do you think? With the [Single Bank] ability, I can now take out and put in the contents of Ed’s… Stranger box? I can now put things in and out! I was going to surprise you, but I forgot all about it. …. It’s rather heavy.”

Tia laughed happily and tried to put the sword on the floor in front of me as I exclaimed. But I took her hand with a serious expression on my face, and went straight to Tia’s side.

“What do you mean!?”

“’W-What do you mean?’ Ah no, no, no. It’s not like I’m going to do anything with Ed’s belongings. If I misled you–“

“No, Not that! How… can you use your skills here!?”

“Wha? What do you mean, …… how?”

“Why…..”

I repeated “why” and stumbled over my words in front of Tia, who looked slightly frightened by the pressure of the situation. I hurriedly tried to open the [Stranger’s Box] too, but my skill was still not activated and my hand only gripped the void.

Why? Why was Tia the only one who can use it? Since when? I wanted to ask a million questions. ……

“Hah!”

“Hey!? What are you doing, Ed!?”

""

I hit my head on the table, and Tia yelled out in panic. Perhaps I couldn’t or wouldn’t get hurt in this world, but still, the intense pain that hit my head brought some calm to my thoughts that were about to go out of control.

“Phew. …… okay, I’m calmed down. Sorry, did I scare you?”

“That’s fine, but ….what’s really going on?”

“Ummm …… I may have explained this to you, but I can’t use my banishment skills here in the ‘white world’.”

“What? Does that mean you can’t take out a sword or anything here like I did just now? I’ve never thought about it because we always go to the next world right away.”

“Well, yes. Because now, Tia used that… [Single Bank]? I was surprised to see you use that. Since when did you become able to use skills here?”

“Eh? Since when …… not the beginning?”

“……What makes you think so?”

“I can go to different worlds with Ed because I can use the first skill … that I was given, right? If I couldn’t use that power in this world, then I wouldn’t have been able to go with you in the first place, right?”

“…………………… wha?”

I gave her the dumbest look I’ve probably ever made in my entire life as she said this with a scowling face. OH YEAH. That’s right!  Tia’s first banishment skill, [Shake Hands] which enabled world travel with the person you held hands with. If that wasn’t triggered, then surely Tia would be the only one left here!

“……………………”

“Ed?”

“……, no, it’s nothing. I’m just feeling dumb and stupid.”

“Uh, …… I am sorry?”

“You didn’t do anything. But, yeah. That would make a lot of things …..Fufufufu”

I could think of a myriad of things that could be done if the [Stranger Box] could be opened at this location as well.

For example, updating initial equipment. If we converted to different equipment here than we have now when we went to a different world, it would be somewhat useful if we could equip ourselves with that equipment from the beginning. … If this initial equipment was the equipment that we had when we crossed the world. Hopefully, We may be able to multiply valuable armaments.

That’s not all. For example, if we could bring materials from other worlds into this world and build a forge, we would be able to create armors to our satisfaction in this world where time seemed to stand still. Then we’d be able to create time-consuming things and things like that without any worries, and other things like ….Urghhh, I can’t stop being excited

“Uwahh, Ed has that look on his face again…

“W-What? I am not thinking anything bad! What do you mean, again?”

Tia looked at me with a frown as I giggled uncontrollably. I hurriedly tried to mend my expression, but Tia’s attitude did not change.

“Well whatever. Ah, and what ability will I get this time? Funfun~~”

Humming happily, Tia placed her hand on the pale, shiny crystal. As usual, the light absorbed into Tia’s body, and her eyes, which were originally large, widened even more.

“Wow, I can get something like this. Fufu~.”

“Oh, what kind of ability did you get this time?”

“Do you want to know?”

“Of course, or are you going to say ‘it’s a secret’ again?”

Except for the first time, Tia had been annoying every time and never told me what skills she got on the spot. Up until now I thought that We had to go to another world to use it, so I thought, “I guess she wants to practice before actually using it,” but if she could use her skills here without any problems, then I don’t have to worry about that.

“Mmmm, okay. Then hold my hand.”

“?Like this?”

When I held Tia’s hand, which she surprisingly agreed to show me easily, her body suddenly relaxed as she closed her eyes.

“What!? What’s going on!?”

{Yeah!}

“Wha!? What the hell is this!?”

I heard Tia’s voice in me as I saw her suddenly lose consciousness. I looked around, but there was no sign of Tia’s ghost. So that meant ……?

“I’m possessed by Tia!?”

{Don’t be so presumptuous! Well, but yes. The name of the skill is [Heart Engage] and the effect is to make my heart …… consciousness reside in the person you hold hands with. But I can’t move my body during that time, and you can’t go inside anyone. At least, it seems that the only place I can go right now is inside Ed.}

“I-I see… what can I say except what? I don’t know what to say. ……”

{Fufufu, what’s that?}

“No, because you, even if you say that there was another person in me…”

Somehow, an image of a chibi Tia giggling in my head came to mind. It was not that I was uncomfortable with it, but I didn’t know how to accept this situation.

“If you just look at the effect, it’s like an enhanced version of [Missing Talk] no? No, but it’s not a fusion of consciousness … instead of the body being unprotected, is it like coexistence? Is that much different?”

{I think so. By the way, you should be able to use your skills in this state.}

“Uwaa!? Wow, Seriously!”

When I activated the [Stranger Box] as told, my hand aws easily swallowed by the void and touched the contents. So, in this state, I could not only take out the contents of the [Stranger Box] but also use all my banishing skills.

“It’s amazing. This is seriously going to expand the range of things we can do, y’know?”

{I’m glad you’re pleased. I’m going to go back now. Can you hold my hand one more time?}

“Hmmm? Like this?”

I put the dagger I had taken from the [Stranger Box] on the table and held Tia’s hand instead, who was lying prostrate. Then something warm flowed out of me, and in exchange for the indescribable sense of loss, Tia in front of me let out a small moan.

“Ugh …… haha, I’m home.”

“Welcome back. Is there anything wrong with your body?”

“Ummm……I’m fine. I don’t feel particularly worn out.”

“I see. But in this world, you don’t get injured in the first place, so there’s no wear and tear because of that. But the effect is an effect, and if it is to be used in another world, it must be carefully examined.”

“Ah, yes. Well, if there’s a safe place in the next world, we’ll check it out there.”

“Sure.”

And with that, we both got up from our seats. The possibilities in this world have expanded exponentially, but in order to solidify them, it was imperative that we leave for the next world.

“Then, let’s go to the next world, shall we?”

“Yes! By the way, what kind of world is the next one?”

“Ah …. no, I seriously don’t know. I don’t think it’s going to be like it was before, but just be prepared.”

When it came to the ambiguity of the law, not the ambiguity of memory, the only way to deal with it was to be prepared. Well, I was sure there was no world that would be in danger the moment we enter, so unless we were sent to a completely new world that we didn’t know at all …… then I’ll do my best to abuse God.

“Yeah, Ed you really are rapidly becoming unreliable these days.”

“Ugh!? That’s …..”

“Just kidding, Just kidding! Come on, let’s go.”

“Urghh, I feel defeated”

With a big smile on my face, I firmly grasped Tia’s hand. We walked side by side and soon arrived at the fifth door.

Well, let’s see what comes out. Well, whatever comes out of ……

“……? What?”

“Hah, it’s nothing.”

With Tia, it didn’t matter. Checking the warmth of our joined hands, I vigorously opened the door in front of me.

(T/N: From Sunday Next arc will begin. Need to stock up on chapters ahead)