Chapter 79 - Her Over-Seriousness is Also a Problem

Slowly opening my eyes, I found myself in a dimly lit room—– seeing a ceiling I don't know... isn't the case at all. I didn't get sent to another world again, I'm just seeing the ceiling of the inn we're staying at.

Trying to raise my upper body up, that's when I suddenly realized something. Arehh? Isn't my body injured from fighting?

I'm pretty sure my arm was broken, and I think I also broke a bone around my ribs... but there wasn't even a trace of it anymore.

I see... It was all just a dream huh.

Since my body is so cleanly restored, it occurred to me that the fight against the Black Bear was just a dream, but that's when the door of the room was suddenly vigorously opened.

[Kaito!]

[Huh? Whoa!?]

The person who appeared from the opened door was Isis-san, who isn't supposed to be here.

Jumping on me with great speed, Isis-san's impact towards my body made me lightly slam against the bed.

[...Thank goodness... Kaito...]

[Eh? Arehh? Isis-san?]

The heck, what's with this situation?

I may not know why Isis-san is here, but I know that most of all, the current situation is very dangerous.

Isis-san's tightly hugged my body like she's clinging onto something, and her very soft and slender body is pressed against my whole body.

How should I say this… It's like I just experienced one dream after another... Just when I escaped from that hellish dream of mine... I woke up, arriving in heaven.

[...Kaito... It's already alright... Those who hurt... Kaito... I already killed them.]

[...Huh?]

I didn't quite understand what she was talking about.

Those who hurt me? Is she talking about that Black Bear?

However, the Black Bear that I fought was slashed by Lilia-san in half... Does that mean there were more of them?

When I asked Isis-san for more information, it seems that a swarm of Black Bears appeared after I passed out, and Isis-san wiped them all out.

Unnn. I see... That Black Bear I fought was monstrous enough, and even if she said there was a bunch of thousands of them, I can't imagine the scene where Isis-san is beating them up at all, even if it actually was the case.

Anyway, it seems that thanks to Isis-san, there was almost no damage to the city of Rigforeshia.

Isis-san stayed still and kept hugging me for a while before she stood up with a slightly sad look on her face.

[...I should... go home now... If I'm here... Lilia and the others... would get scared.]

[...Isis-san.]

I see, the reason why the always worrying Lilia-san and the others haven't come to my room even after I woke up, I guess the better way to describe it is that they can't get close due to the effect of Isis-san's magic power of death.

A magic circle manifests beneath Isis-san's feet... probably a Teleportation Magic Circle leading to her castle.

[U- Ummm! Isis-san.]

[...What is it?]

[Thank you very much for today. And, ummm, I'd like to thank you properly... Would you like to, errr, have dinner with me another time?]

[...!? ...Is that alright?]

[Yes. It will be my treat at that time. Otherwise, I won't be able to repay you.]

[...Unnn... I'm really... looking forward to it.]

I can understand that "thanking someone = buying them a meal" is quite a short-sighted thought of me but... That was the only thing I could think of at the spur of the moment.

However, the effect of those seemed to be immense, as Isis-san's expression, which looked sad, changed to a bright one as she nodded in response.

And with a small wave of her hand, Isis-san left, wrapped in the light of the Teleportation Magic.

After Isis-san left, I left the room and walked down the corridor of the inn to apologize to Lilia-san and the others for making them worry about me.

This inn is one of the most high-class lodgings in Rigforeshia because it's only used by Lilia-san, who is a Duchess, and the wide corridor is so quiet that anyone would think that this place was reserved for a private party.

Walking for a while, I found myself in front of some kind of lobby or a lounge, but I arrived in a rather large room, and in the distance, I found Lilia-san and the others.

[Huh!? Kaito-san!?]

[.....!?]

[You've finally woken up huh. Thank goodness.]

The three people there were Lilia-san, Lunamaria-san and Sieg-san, and they all looked relieved when they saw my face.

[I'm sorry for causing you to worry.]

[No, do you still feel any pain anywhere?]

[Not anymore, I'm feeling completely fine.]

[Is that so... That's really good.]

Answering to Lilia-san, who spoke to me with concern, that my physical condition is now perfectly fine.

[Speaking of which, Kusunoki-san and Yuzuki-san don't seem to be here... Could it be that they have been injured?]

[Ah, no, neither of them were "injured".]

Since Yuzuki-san and Kusunoki-san weren't here, I asked if they have been injured after I passed out, but it seems that they are both fine.

However, why do I feel like there's some meaning behind her words when she said that they're not "injured".

[Did something else happen to them other than being injured?]

[Aoi-san and Hina-san are now sleeping in their room.]

[...They were exposed to Death King-sama's magic power of death and lost consciousness.]

[A- Ahhh...]

Lilia-san and Lunamaria-san answered my question with a slightly pained tone.

I see, it seems that they weren't injured by the Black Bears, but they fainted because of Isis-san's magic power of death.

[Incidentally, Rei-sama and Fia-sama are attending a reorganization meeting for the almost destroyed security force.

[Almost destroyed!? Reorganization? Eh? I heard that the city received no damage though...]

[Yes, the Black Bear didn't cause any damage. However, after being exposed to Death Kin-sama's frightening magic power of death, almost half of them had their minds broken...]

[That's not surprising. Even I couldn't stop shaking for a while. It was rather fortunate that Kusunoki-sama and Yuzuki-sama were among the first ones to faint.]

In the aftermath, she broke the Guard Force's mind!? How outrageous could her magic power of death be...

How terrifying Isis-san was at that time can be seen by looking at the three of them trembling just as they remembered what they've seen.

It seems that Kusunoki-san and Yuzuki-san were fortunate that they passed out before their minds could process the horror caused by Isis-san's magic power of death.

Just when we were speaking about that, Lilia-san stood up with a serious expression on her face, she walked up to me... and suddenly got down on her knees.

[...Eh?]

[Kaito-san, I'm really sorry.]

[Li- Lilia-san!? W- What are you suddenly doing!?]

I'm really confused about why suddenly kneeled on a dogeza, and Lilia-san just held out the necklace I gave her last night.

[Kuro's necklace?]

[...This necklace had a defensive magic imbued on it, though not a powerful one... That is to say, if I hadn't borrowed this, Kaito-san wouldn't have been injured like that.]

There's defensive magic in Kuro's necklace? That's the first time I've heard that though.... I thought there was only search magic in it, but it seems that there are lots of other magic in it as well.

Lilia-san didn't seem to understand all the details about this necklace either, but after the earlier incident, she asked the former court mage Rei-san to take a look at this necklace and found out that it contained defensive magic.

Deeply bowing her head, Lilia-san's voice was trembling as she continued to speak.

[No, if only I had been more level-headed right from the start... I said I would guarantee the safety of Kaito-san and the others just when we met, but I was so preoccupied with myself that I forgot to even have someone guard Kaito-san and the others, and because of that, Kaito-san got hurt. Everything is… Everything's my fault.]

[...N- No, it's not like it's Lilia-san's fault or anything like that...]

[No, it could have been prevented if I had only been more level-headed. If I had just been more careful... I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry.]

Lilia-san's voice began to distort with tears, as she continued to bow her head, keeping on apologizing to me... The heck, she's starting to get annoying.

I repeat, I'm not some kind of saint. I don't remember it happening that much, but I can also get angry at times.

[Kaito-san. I'm really sorry...]

[...Lilia-san. I'm going to apologize in advance.]

[...Eh?]

After I told that to Lilia-san who keeps on apologizing to me, I swung my knuckles down on her head as hard as I could.

[Ow!?]

Even though Lilia-san is a person with great abilities, she isn't always using Body Strengthening Magic.

My knuckles that struck her unprotected head seemed to be quite painful, and Lilia-san held her head down with both of her hands.

[If you just shut up there, and stop murmuring like a creep there... How serious can you be that you distorted the facts and reached towards that conclusion!?]

[Eh? Eh?]

[What happened before was just an accident, right? I got hurt because I got careless, and me being careless isn't Lilia-san's fault at all! Or rather, shouldn't I be thanking you instead, Lilia-san? Thank you for saving me before!]

[Eh? Ah, y- y- yes. Y- You're welcome?]

Hearing the words I blabbered about, LIlia-san flusteredly nodded, though she still had a puzzled look on her face.

[Good. Then, this is the end of this conversation! If you say anything more about it being your fault or anything like that, I'll hit you again.]

[Y- Yes!]

[In the first place, thinking that everything is your fault is a bad habit of yours, Lilia-san. I know that Lilia-san is a serious person, but it still depends on the time and circumstances. Even that time too...]

Lilia-san, whose position quickly changes from a dogeza to a seiza, and I go on with my lecture-like words.

(T/N: dogeza is the bowing, seiza is the sitting upright on your knees.)

I honestly don't think that this is something she's always doing, and maybe it's not something I should have said to her, but I think someone should tell off this overly-serious person.

[Terrific. I am now inclined to give Miyama-sama a heartfelt round of applause. That's really well said...]

[...]

[Lu- Luna!? Sieg too, don't just nod there, please help me out. Kaito-san somehow looks kinda scary right now...]

[Lilia-san! I'm still not done talking yet!]

[Y- Yes!? I'm sorry!]

Lilia-san looked like she's becoming teary-eyed in a way different from a moment ago, but since I don't intend to be lenient to her, I'm going to continue my sermon.

Dear Mom, Dad——- I don't really think that this is something she's always doing, but I still scolded her for that. Well, how should I say this—– her over-seriousness is also a problem.