"Get lost..."
"No."
I wasn't entirely sure what was happening, but for now, I led the girl who appeared to be Ais toward Orario.
There was no way I could just leave her there. If she had refused, I was prepared to drag her along by force, but fortunately, she seemed to have enough judgment to realize the situation. The girl stopped resisting and quietly began the journey back with me.
Thank goodness. For some reason, this girl who looked like Ais seemed dangerously fragile in a number of ways.
Between that and the suspicious gaze I'd felt earlier, I had plenty to worry about. Maybe I should take a closer look at her later.
Meanwhile, the girl herself was puffing out her cheeks, her entire body radiating a clear message: I'm mad!
'Is she really... Ais?'
It was absurd, but strangely enough, I didn't feel like she was a fake. She truly felt like the Ais Wallenstein I knew.
More precisely, she felt younger, dumber, more oblivious, and far more stubborn than the Ais Wallenstein I knew...
Huh? Why am I thinking this?
No, my admiration isn't like this! I need to erase this memory immediately...!
"Hey."
"...? Yes."
"Who are you?"
"Me? I'm..."
I started to give my real name, then hesitated. Was it actually okay to tell her?
If she were just a stranger, it wouldn't matter. But if she really was a person from the past, revealing my name would be a tactical error.
No, was that even the right way to think about this? How could a person even travel to the past?
As far as I knew, it was impossible. It was as ridiculous as a man who sealed a spirit with a kiss, a cat that crossed time and space, or a man who turned into a giant while swinging through the air with grappling hooks...
'Wait... actually, that sounds totally possible.'
Strangely, I felt like I'd experienced far more impossible things than time travel. Why was that?
"I'm... Vesta."
"Vesta..."
As if I had truly time-traveled, I ended up giving her an alias instead of my real name.
Even as the word left my lips, I felt a jolt of regret.
A crushing sense of guilt pressed down on me.
It wasn't just the fact that I'd lied; it was the name I had chosen as a cover.
Vesta. The epithet of the god I revered, and the undeserved title the gods had bestowed upon me.
The fact that I had shamelessly claimed that name for myself now felt unbearably heavy. But once spoken, words cannot be taken back; this was simply a trial I had to endure.
And I had to endure it. I had that duty.
I had to.
"Vesta..."
Ais seemed to like the name, as she kept repeating it over and over, as if she were carving it into her heart.
Feeling overwhelmed by her persistent chanting, I forcibly looked away and turned toward the Dungeon entrance. Just then, I felt someone rushing toward us.
I didn't sense a gaze; they weren't close enough to be seen yet.
But why did that presence feel so familiar?
I quietly guided the girl toward the source of the presence. I had a rough idea of who it was, and if I was wrong, I could deal with it then.
As we drew closer, the other person must have sensed us, because they picked up speed. When they were almost upon us, Ais also sensed the presence and flinched, trying to bolt, but I grabbed her and held her in place.
"L-let go...!"
"No."
If she ran now, things would get tedious. I felt like my sanity couldn't take any more of this.
After a brief struggle, the person who appeared was...
"Ais! I told you not to go into the Dungeon alone...! ...Huh?"
"R-Riveria..."
A stunning beauty with green hair.
If Ais was a radiant beauty, then this woman was a masterpiece.
And there, embroidered on her robe, was the clown emblem—the symbol of the Loki Familia.
Seeing that crest again after so long stirred a sense of nostalgia in me, but suddenly, she swept in, pulled Ais away from me, and retreated in a flash.
...Huh?
"Who are you? What did you do to Ais?"
At that razor-sharp pressure, I instinctively took a step back.
Judging by her aura, she was Level 4 or 5. She wasn't an opponent I should be struggling against right now, and yet why did she feel so threatening?
'Is this the power of a mother?'
I'd heard that Riveria had raised Ais from a young age. They said they were like mother and daughter—so it was true.
I was momentarily moved by a bond that transcended levels, but I didn't want to keep receiving that piercing stare.
"I'm V... Vesta. I found Ais while I was passing by, and we were just traveling together."
"Ais 'Miss'?"
"Yes, Miss Ais."
Honestly, if I said I had no hesitation calling a child like that "Miss," I'd be lying... but speaking casually didn't feel right, and calling Ais by her name without a title felt even more uncomfortable.
Besides, I use polite speech with almost everyone, so I hoped she would just let it slide.
"Is that true, Ais?"
"...Yes."
With Ais's confirmation, Riveria's hostility eased slightly.
She remained wary, but she stopped radiating killing intent, making the situation manageable.
"...I see. I apologize for my rudeness."
"Not at all. It was only natural."
"No, I am truly sorry. Lately, strange people have been clinging to Ais, and I've become a bit on edge. Please accept my formal apology."
"Haha, it's fine. If I received a formal apology from someone like you, Riveria, the elves of the entire world would probably try to kill me."
"...I am truly sorry."
For some reason, her last words made me glimpse the hardships she faced. I suppose the life of royalty isn't always easy.
"...Excuse me."
"Yes?"
"Did I tell you my name?"
...Right. Come to think of it, I hadn't actually heard it from her directly.
That was careless. I should have just played dumb.
More importantly, she's so sharp! That's an edge no natural airhead should possess!
Was the Sword Princess this perceptive from the very beginning?
"Ah, I already knew it."
"You already knew?"
At those words, the sharp pressure came flying back at me.
This is unfair.
"I mean, it's impossible not to know. You're famous, after all."
"...Well, that is true."
The "mother" withdrew her killing intent once more.
Does she let her killing intent slip too easily?
Still, Ais really is famous. Then again, it's not common for someone her age to enter the Dungeon.
Seven? Eight? Looking at her, she was still practically a toddler. The fact that she could even enter the Dungeon was a miracle.
Suddenly, a streak of mischief hit me. I felt a sudden urge to make the object of my admiration—who had just cornered me—suffer a little.
"I was quite surprised. The famous Miss Ais was fighting an Infant Dragon all by herself."
"...What?"
Flinch!
Our gazes met—golden eyes meeting mine. The girl looked at me with pleading eyes, begging me not to say another word.
Nope. I'm definitely saying it.
"The way you fought an Infant Dragon alone with such a small body was truly courageous. Charging straight into the flames, getting knocked back by its tail, and still screaming as you rushed forward. You could have died at any moment, but you never backed down. You were truly an adventurer among adventurers."
"Oh..."
Sneak, sneak—grab!
The fairy queen's arm mercilessly seized the shoulder of the girl who had been trying to sneak away.
When she turned around, trembling, she was met with a gaze of absolute zero. If a look could alter the world, that stare alone would have triggered a new ice age.
"Ais."
"R-Riveria..."
"You are getting a lecture the moment we get back."
KABOOM...! A bolt of despair flashed behind the girl.
Regardless of the drama, the fairy dragged the girl away. Judging by her expression, today's lecture was going to be significantly longer than usual.
The girl shot a resentful look at the white-haired boy.
"Get home safely~"
The boy only grinned, clearly enjoying himself.
Just you wait—!
The girl's cry echoed loudly.
Of course, it only echoed within her own mind.
*
After dealing with Ais(?), I also headed toward the Dungeon entrance.
It would have been awkward to walk back together, so I waited a while before moving, which allowed me to avoid another uncomfortable encounter.
I remembered my master teaching me that these small acts of consideration were the secret to winning over women.
Are you watching, Lord Hedin? Your disciple is faithfully following your teachings.
—Don't get smug over something so pathetic, you miserable rabbit.
Too harsh. At least praise me in my imagination.
Grumbling, I stepped out of the Dungeon entrance. Beyond this point lay Orario.
"..."
My steps faltered, but only for a moment. I couldn't live here forever, so I had to go out eventually.
One step, then another. Even though I knew it was impossible, I walked forward with the lingering fear that the ground might collapse beneath me.
Into Orario, the city I had sworn never to set foot in again after that day, I finally stepped once more.