A few moments later, they arrived at the spot where Dahlia had first been attacked.
The boy set Dahlia down and handed her her bag, before beginning to pick up some medical supplies scattered on the ground.
The large bag Dahlia had previously been given had been bitten by a monster, leaving some of its contents scattered.
"Take off your clothes."
Dahlia was slightly taken aback by the request. She saw the medicine in the boy's hand and immediately knew he wanted to treat her.
Still aching, Dahlia slowly removed her clothes and allowed the boy to treat her.
Dahlia was once again surprised by what lay before her. From the boy's palm, a faint indigo aura emanated from the boy's palm and seeped into the area being treated.
The medicine applied to her body worked more quickly, and she could feel the pain in her body begin to subside.
The boy attentively treated each aching area.
Dahlia didn't know who the boy was, but she could sense the sincerity in his every action.
Dahlia was delighted to meet the boy.
"Is there anything else uncomfortable?"
Dahlia shook her head. "No. Thank you."
"There's a refugee camp about 30 kilometers from here. You'll be safe if you keep walking southwest."
Hearing the boy's words, Dahlia quickly hugged his hand, knowing he was about to leave her.
"Please... don't go."
Dahlia pleaded with him not to leave her.
Seeing Dahlia, who looked close to tears, the boy agreed to go with her.
"I'll just take you to the refugee camp."
"I want to look for my parents."
"Huh... Okay. Let's look for your parents for a bit."
Hearing this, Dahlia immediately perked up. She smiled happily and introduced herself. "I'm Dahlia. Who are you?"
The boy thought for a moment before answering seriously. "Azazel."
"Nice to meet you."
"Yes. Me too."
After introducing themselves, Dahlia took out a map and showed it to the child.
"This map...?"
"This is the map I prepared for this search. I didn't find Papa and Mama at the battle site. They went to fight the monsters and didn't return."
"Um..."
"I've marked several places they might have gone. But there are too many."
"If they're in good condition, they won't go there and will prefer to return to you directly. If they're seriously injured, they wouldn't have gone that far."
Azazel took the pencil from Dahlia and marked several locations around the battle site where Dahlia's parents had fought. "Places with medical facilities or where monsters can't easily penetrate will be their targets. We don't need to go that far."
"That's right." Dahlia surveyed the locations they needed to check, which were now fewer in number. "Then let's get there."
"Let me remind you. It's getting dark, so we'll just check one or two places before settling in for the night."
"Okay."
Dahlia and Azazel checked the nearby location, as well as several nearby locations. However, the two locations they visited yielded no results.
"Next place..."
"We've already spent almost an hour on this one location and its surroundings. There's also the travel time. If we keep going, we'll have a hard time. Magis monsters are more active during the day, but that doesn't mean they won't be active at night. It's time for us to rest... You're exhausted."
Dahlia wanted to deny it, but after Azazel said it, she began to realize and feel that her body was indeed feeling tired.
She had no choice but to admit it.
"Where are you going?" Azazel asked.
"To look for kitchen utensils, of course. Otherwise, we won't be able to heat up the food."
"I see."
"Let's find a house we can enter. Sometimes they're unlocked."
For several minutes, they searched for a house they could enter, but they still couldn't find one.
'Brag!!!'
Dahlia was surprised when Azazel kicked in the door without warning.
"Continuing to wander around is just a waste of time," Azazel said as he entered the house.
After they got some kitchen supplies and tableware, they dusted them off before using them.
All the machines in town were dead, but the water taps were still working. While there wasn't much water, it was more than enough for some things.
With the fire Azazel had started and the pile of rocks Dahlia had made, they managed to build a traditional stove and began cooking.
Dahlia had initially only intended to reheat some leftover canned food she had cooked for breakfast and lunch. But now those leftovers had become a delicious-looking dish.
After her parents disappeared, Dahlia had been eating only what she had. So when she saw that Azazel could cook, she became very happy and enthusiastic.
Dahlia eyed the food in the pot and began to help herself.
As she tasted it, she felt a sense of well-being.
The meat and vegetables no longer tasted like canned food, which was sharp or somewhat bland. The thick broth warmed her body.
Dahlia smiled softly.
Although it was just ordinary food, and not comparable to the food she was used to, Dahlia felt quite satisfied... because she no longer felt alone.
After eating, they quickly rested while discussing plans for the next day, and soon fell asleep together as night fell.
Dahlia and Azazel lay down, gazing at each other.
Their hands slowly intertwined, and their bodies grew closer.
Seeing that the boy didn't seem to mind, Dahlia continued to lean in until her body was pressed against Azazel's.
When Azazel hugged her, Dahlia felt warm and comfortable. A few moments later, she finally began to fall asleep.
*****
The next day, they continued their search.
Every location they had visited was marked with an X.
They searched everywhere, even focusing on the streets, thinking that her parents might have dropped something or left a clue.
Morning turned to night, and Dahlia still found no trace or clue of her parents.
She looked at the map, where all the locations were marked with an X, and considered adding more locations.
"Our search ends here. Finding them may be important, but your safety is more important right now."
After Azazel stated this, Dahlia became even sadder.
With that, they returned to their final destination, and also Dahlia's parents' primary destination: the official refugee camp.
During the journey, Azazel didn't say much. But Dahlia didn't mind the silence, because she knew that Azazel often glanced at her and cared about her.
Dahlia had experienced so much every day, but when she felt the tightness of the boy's hand, she didn't feel tired, but rather awkward.
The boy, who always guided her through the darkness of the night, made it hard for Dahlia to feel anxious... She felt safe, even in such a difficult situation.