CH 981

Lively and bustling, each of us is talking to each other as we pleased as we go along.

[……How should I say this…… Well, I’m relieved that our group is increasing in size again.]

[Hahaha, it isn’t often that you run into someone you know into such a large venue after all. What are the odds of that even happening?]

[……No, it’s because of those odds that we’ve encountered you, Fors-san.]

[Now that you pointed it out, I’m feeling troubled. However, the map shows that we’re already near the middle-level, but I don’t really know what to do…… Unlike Tre-kun, even if I were to go to the middle-level, I just couldn’t go where Laguna is. As expected, I’d like to excuse myself from that place where the rulers gathered, and I would also be annoying everyone if I kept on following your group. However, I’m definitely going to get lost on my own, so I’m feeling troubled.]

[……No, well, that aside…… Fors-san, you could read a map?]

When Fors-san muttered that while looking at the map, I couldn’t help but ask her the question that popped into my mind.

[Oi, oi, as expected, please don’t treat me as that much of a fool. I can at least read a map.]

[……Then, why do you get lost?]

[I’m the one who’d like to ask that…… I don’t really think it’s just that I personally don’t have any sense of direction. There definitely must be some external factors involved here, don’t you think? For example, a curse…… How someone who is capable of casting a curse without me knowing it can see any benefit in leading me astray is a mystery to me though.]

I think that Fors-san, who gets lost in a straight path of several hundred meters, is already on a slightly different level of being directionally-challenged…… No, can someone who gets lost in a straight line still be called directionally-challenged? Just as Fors-san, I feel like it could already be called a curse.

Anyhow, Fors-san has no sense of direction, but she can read a map just fine…… Seriously, why is she getting lost?

As I was tilting my head together with Fors-san at her indescribably nonsensical problem, I suddenly heard a familiar voice.

[Kaito-san and the others…… and Tre-sama and Fors? What a strange group you have there. Rather, it seems like just like usual, Cento-sama and Cien-sama aren’t with you huh……]

[Oya? If it isn’t Hika——– Neun, what a coincidence, meeting you here. And the one beside you is……]

[Eh? This shorty is Fors? How did this happen? From what I know, High Elves don’t shrink when they grow older, do they?]

[Oi, oi, now this is quite a surprise. I’m deeply surprised…… I never thought I’d see you again after a thousand years…… Rather, it seems like you’re still alive huh, Hapti.]

Yes, it was the duo of Neun-san and Hapti-san that we encountered. It seems that they just registered each other’s hummingbirds when they met back in the royal capital, so I’m surprised that they used that to contact each other and go to the festival together.

Fors-san seemed to be even more surprised than I was. Her tone of voice was the same as usual, but her expression was tinged with astonishment.

Seeing Fors-san’s reaction, Neun-san and Hapti-san lightly explained the situation, and even though Fors-san was surprised to see that Hapti-san was still alive, she was still happy to see her again.

[I see…… Well, strange coincidences really do happen. I’m also surprised that I met you two here. No, this festival is this big of a scale, so it wouldn’t be surprising for you two to attend, but I can’t describe my surprise when I saw you two walking together.]

[No, I’m more surprised to see the recluse Fors here, you know? Within the time I haven’t you, have you finally become an outdoor person?]

[Don’t get me wrong, I’m still very much an indoor person…… I was brought here by Laguna, but she left me alone to go to work. I was literally like a lost child on the roadside, when Miyama Kaito-kun found me. But looking at the result, I guess you could say that it was a good thing. I suppose I should be grateful for this coincidence that I was able to see my old friend again like this. In that sense, I guess it would be thanks to Miyama Kaito-kun for finding me. No, of course, I’m originally grateful to him for helping me when I’m lost but……]

[Uwaaa~~ Just like usual, she still had that annoying way of speaking huh. Is this what happens when you become too much of a recluse?]

[……It seems like you’re also just like usual, as relentless as ever.]

Hearing Hapti-san interrupt her words, Fors-san wryly smiled.

At that moment, Neun-san spoke to me.

[I understand the situation. In that case, would you mind if Fors go with us? We’re planning to visit Laguna later, so it’s great that we met here.]

[Ahh, that’s a great idea. And thus, Miyama Kaito-kun, everyone, I really appreciate your help. I’ll make sure to thank you again in the future.]

[No, no, please don’t worry about it.]

Since Fors-san was wondering what she should do in the middle-level, Neun-san’s invitation seemed like a perfect opportunity.

That’s alright and all that but…… I’ve already run into five people I know by the time I’m about to go to the middle-level. Seriously, what the heck are the odds of this happening?

Encounter ④ : Neun

Now that she’s been able to get in touch with her, she invited Hapti to the festival. It’s been a while since everyone in the party has gathered, so she’s happy.

As for Tre, she heard from Kaito that she was planning to meet up with Cento and Cien in the middle-level, so she left her to Kaito and the others.

Encounter ⑤ : Hapti

She was invited by Neun to participate in the festival. Thinking that it would be a bad idea to resell the limited-edition items that could only be procured from God Realm’s middle-level, she’s wondering how she can make money at the White God Festival. She still hasn’t encountered Vier (temp) yet.

Serious-senpai : [They’re really coming out one after another. However, if we keep this tempo of each chapter having someone’s reappearance and separation, I guess we’d be able to see various characters?]

? ? ? : [Well, no matter how you look at it, it seems like the encounter flag still hasn’t been picked up yet.]