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Chapter 5: The Beginning of a Tale

TRIGGER WARNING: Mentions of Suicide

Part 1

"......Huh?"

I could see my body from below.

I looked around at my surroundings in surprise.

I was——inside of the temple at Jinshan. My body was sleeping on top of some sort of carpet. There were several people around me. The candle stand at my side lit up their faces.

"They're all safe."

Both the Rittei and Ilfai looked visibly tired.

"I see, they must have used their powers to the limit to keep everyone safe after I left the barrier."

And yeah, Cowess and the other knights are all here too.

A lot of people were hurt, but I was glad that no one was in any sort of life-threatening condition.

"Wait. If they're here......huh? What's going on?"

Louie and Eru were here too. It irritated me that I couldn't run toward them even though I wanted to!

Eru continuously licked my cheek. Jeez Eru, you're cute, and I'm glad you like me, but my cheeks are dripping wet now!

I couldn't tell what kind of look Louie had on his face because he was facing down. He was simply kneeling on the floor and holding my hand.

"Actually, why am I looking down at myself like this!?"

No way, am I having one of those infamous out-of-body experiences right now?

——What nonsense are you going on about, Master?

"Solt, what should I do, I think my soul is floating outside of my body!"

I looked up and down my body lying on top of a thick blanket in a panic.

Solt, the divine sword, had been placed next to my body.

——You haven't awoken for nearly a full day now, Master.

Ehh?

"I slept in again?!"

Wasn't I sleeping a bit too much? I slept like a log back when I removed the poison out from Louie's mouth too.

——....... Listen, it wasn't possible for you to wake even after dawn had come because you lost too much blood, Master. The knights carried you to the temple under the sacred beast's guidance after I cancelled out my barrier.

"Oh, so that's how everyone met up."

I see......I thought in relief before I realized that it wasn't the time to be relieved like that.

"Um, what am I supposed to do about this?"

——Your flesh still needs rest, Master. But look. These restless ones are terrified of the second advent of night and are working to wake you up by force.

"By force?"

If I'd slept for nearly a full day, then it meant that it would be night again soon.

Just how were they planning to wake me up? I heard their voices as soon as I began wondering.

"What do you want to do, the girl isn't showing any signs of waking even now."

The person who had said this was a sturdily built man with dark blond hair and a look of distress on his face.