48 Stillness

It reminded me, once again, that he was merely a child who hadn't even lived for a full year.

Perhaps that was why he clung to me, seeking someone to rely on, someone who would always be there for him whenever he needed.

However, that didn't necessarily mean I could take him with me, which would be even more dangerous. I could venture out knowing he was in a secure location. Otherwise, I wouldn't have let him out of my sight.

Yes, he possessed a certain degree of strength, but right now, he was nothing more than a frog in a well. He understood this inherently without anyone having to explain it to him.

Monsters instinctively know that there is always a larger and stronger creature out there. Hiiro, in particular, had the opportunity to encounter the apex predator of this world that were known as True Dragons, whose strength and power knew no limits and bound and Hiiro met one of them, Storm Dragon, Veldora and all of this happened when he didn't even have a proper consciousness.

But whether this opportunity was a curse or something else, I couldn't discern.

Much like when we faced trial, a single misstep in a foreign land, particularly in front of an unforgiving king, would be a challenging ordeal, irrespective of my or his strength.

Taking him with me wherever I went was simply not an option. He was needed more in the village in my absence, just like when I went to the Dwargen Nation.

Had he not been present at the time, I'm confident that the migrants would have overwhelmed the entire village. The hobgoblins wouldn't have been able to repel them, especially not with the assistance of 500 goblins.

However, a much more concerning issue weighed on my mind at this moment.

I couldn't sense anything from Hiiro, not even a trace of his voice.

Hmm... Now what...

His emotions appeared stable, and there were no evident problems as far as I could discern through the Link. Yet, he remained utterly motionless.

I attempted to get his attention.

"Hiiro, hey, can you hear me."

But the slimy figure showed no reaction despite the clarity of his emotions.

Worry, regret, and unease began to gnaw at my heart.

What if something had happened to him?

I couldn't help but ask that question. It seemed Great Sage, sensing my worries, had an answer for the issue at hand.

<Notice: Individual Hiiro's body has shut down completely in order to negate any further mental damage. But he should wake up after resting for the time being.>

Sigh

A sigh of relief escaped me.

It had been a quite eventful day, and it wasn't over yet.

"We should head back to the village. We've been gone for far too long, and they might start worrying."

I transformed into a Tempest Star Wolf, placing Hiiro's unconscious form in my back. He really found comfort and enjoyed sitting on the fur of the tempest wolves like Ranga. But....

Only this time, he wasn't awake to enjoy the ride.

I slowly descended from the hill, careful not to drop him and I met her in the way, who was still waiting for us or rather him even now.

I explained the gist of what had conspired to her. 

With Hikari by my side, who radiated palpable worry, regret and sadness upon seeing Hiiro's condition, we made our way back to the village. I knew this wouldn't be the end of her concerns, given her personality. However, at that moment, I held onto the hope that Hiiro would soon wake up and alleviate her worries. Little did I know that this hope would be far from reality.

I wanted to know what exactly had happened to make his emotions go out of control by this much and so much more. Nevertheless, it seemed like I had to wait because Hiiro had gone unconscious and was out cold.

But at that time, I could've never imagined I would wait for weeks, just to hear his voice again, let alone discover what else had happened to him.

However, even after he woke up, not everything was as simple as it seemed.

***

Author/n: Might take a break.