The Levs look almost the same as the dragonewts, so the dragonewts were surprised at first. However, their existence is proof of the âFront Worldâ that we came from, so some dragonewts gradually began to believe in the âFront World.â
Well, it was us who arbitrarily decided which is the âFrontâ and âBackâ, so from the perspective of the dragonewts, this world is probably the âFrontâ.
ăWell then, letâs begin.ă
Kimidori Papa led the meeting in the conference hall.
Although the conference hall was spacious, there were only a few dragonewts who looked like secretaries and officials in attendance, and the rest was us and the Levs.
ăUmm⊠are the elders not coming?ăI asked.
ăThe elders, huh⊠They have been in the bathhouse all day since the first day. They said, âWeâre already reaching the end of our life, so let us use the bath as we likeâ. So I canât really refuse them.ă
ăI feel somewhat responsible. Iâm sorry.ă
ăNo, no, donât worry, nu! Iâm sure theyâll get tired of it soon. Iâll give them mountains of work at that time!ă
Kimidori Papa laughed heartily.
Although he lost his fingers, he seems to have been assigned the role of coordinator due to the great influence he possesses in the city.
ăOkay, letâs start by exchanging information.ă
The Levsâ Master Sergeant was now the representative of the group. And he talked about his time in the âBack worldâ.\n
Kimidori Papa seemed to be particularly concerned about the situation in the Underground city, so he enthusiastically questioned that.
Most of the information was something I already knew. The only new information was that the other airship of the two had also crashed. It was bad news.
After all, we are interested in how to return back to our world.
ăThis is just my guess, but the crack in the sky which connects the two worlds must be in the sky above the âUndeveloped Land Canionâ. But itâs strange that Reiji-dono and we landed far away from each other.ăthe master sergeant said.
ăI have a theory about that. While moving through the crack, I felt like I could choose my own destination. I think it will be the same when we try to go back.ă
ăOur choice, huh⊠Perhaps because I was inside the airship, I didnât feel that. When I came to my senses, we were right in the middle of a large swarm of monsters. As we were trying to escape, we encountered a monster goat and were knocked down.ă
ăWe donât really understand the mechanism that connects the worlds, after all.ă
ăWhy did such a phenomenon occur?ă
ăThe sky broke after the pillars of light rose into the sky. That light was emitted from the Labyrinth of 9 Emotions, so I think La-Fisa created a system which connects the two worlds.ă
ăWhat do you mean?ă
I then told the story I heard in Dragonewt City.
La-Fisa is a dragonewt from the âBack Worldâ who somehow crossed into the âFront Worldâ.
After that, he created the âLabyrinth of 9 Emotionsâ.
ăDoes that mean⊠we can use the same way La-Fisa used to cross the world?ă
ăYes, but I donât know if itâs still usable. Though, it might still be a better idea than using an airship to rush into the monster swarm in Canion.ă\năOh, do you guys intend to leave the city, nu? I thought you were going to join our Army.ăKimidori Papa said.
ăNot joining.ăI said.
ăThen what about that child, nu?ă
Kimidori Papa pointed to Sumeria.
Sumeria was hiding behind me the entire time.
ăWell, it may take some time for her to be able to speak properly.ă
ăI see.ă
Kimidori Papa simply nodded, but he was right â I have to think about what to do with Sumeria.
After the meeting, I returned to the mansion with Kimidori Papa, took a bath in the last session of the bathhouse, and had dinner. After that, Sumeria started dozing off, so I put her to bed.
(Letâs go to bed early today⊠I feel like Iâm working a lot every day.)
However, on the way back to the cafeteria, Asha was waiting for me.
ăCan we⊠talk for a little while?ă
The moonlight shone on Asha.
The noises from the large public bath can be heard from the outside like a distant bustle.
I went out to the garden with Asha.\n\năIâŠâŠă
I didnât know what to say. She, who has incredibly strong self-control, had revealed her emotions. And it was only to me.
But I didnât know how to respond. Words wouldnât come out.
ăYou must be tired today, Reiji-san. Please take a good rest today.ă
Asha slipped past me quickly and returned inside the mansion.
What should I have said?
Should I have refused her?
Was it my imagination that she still looked happy?
ăâŠI donât know.ă
The moon was shining in the sky.
The same moon as in the âFront Worldâ.
When the snake anemone appeared above the Lev Magic Empire, I saw Lark under the moonlight.
I wonder if Lark is gazing at the moon as I am?
As that train of thought continued, I started feeling a little better. But on the other hand, the desire to return to the âFront Worldâ as soon as possible burned even more intensely.
ăFor now, finding a way back home is the first priority.ă