Chapter 31

“Isto-san!? Dangerous, isn’t it!?”

“Rodo, why are you getting in the way?”

That was close…

Our weapons nearly reached each other.

Carefully, so as not to let them notice my racing heart, I glanced at the wolf.

This intelligent creature seemed to nod as if to say, “I understand.” It pushed the girl away, creating some distance between us.

I could leave the persuasion to it.

I gently placed my hand on Enestia’s spear to calm Fiole.

“It’s okay. She’s not an enemy.”

“But she suddenly attacked Isto-san!”

“She probably thought we were part of the kidnappers’ group.”

I turned my gaze to Raderia.

“Although it’s a misunderstanding, depending on the perspective, it could look like we were forcibly shoving a child into a carriage.”

“After all, I am a trash can…!”

I gently patted Raderia’s crystal.

“More importantly, Fiole, don’t you remember the girl’s characteristics?”

“Huh?”

I looked at the girl alongside the now quiet Fiole.

The adventurer tag, a colorless crystal, was shining on her chest.

And the large wolf that accompanied her.

“Ah!” Fiole exclaimed, placing her hand over her mouth.

That’s right.

That girl shares the same characteristics as the daughter mentioned by Domirudo and the guild staff.

It seemed the conversation with the wolf was over, as the girl walked over to us. She had already put her staff away on her back, and her expression was calm.

When she stood before us, she slightly bowed her head.

“I’m sorry. It was my misunderstanding.”

“No, we also did something confusing. By the way, could you be Almoa Savans?”

“…How do you know my name?”

Her eyebrows drew together in a wary angle.

I raised both hands to show I meant no harm.

“The mayor of Miniigel and the guild staff asked me to look after you. They were worried because you’ve been away from the town for a while. They thought you might have gotten caught up in an adventurer disappearance incident.”

“I see…”

“They were worried about you. If you happen to see her, they asked me to let you know. They want you to come back to town.”

Almoa averted her gaze.

She turned her attention to the fortress and fell silent.

Her profile radiated a strong sense of determination.

I observed her again—Almoa.

She was smaller and thinner than Fiole.

By appearance alone, she looked younger than her actual age of 16.

Her rich silver hair flowed in waves.

Her slightly droopy eyes appeared calm, though they could also be interpreted as sleepy.

Yet, looking into the depth of her eyes, one could see the sparkle that showed she was a person of her age with strong will.

After a while, Almoa spoke.

“Thank you for the message, but I cannot listen to it. I can’t return until I save the children.”

She clenched her small fist.

“I finally tracked down their hideout. I can’t just back down now. We will infiltrate the fortress and save the children.”

Her dragon-like eyebrows arched with resolve.

“…I will definitely save them!”

Those were words of determination.

I looked at Fiole.

The girl with the spear and shield averted her gaze awkwardly.

That probably meant she no longer suspected Almoa.

At that moment, the wolf—was it Rodo?—moved smoothly toward Raderia and sniffed around.

Raderia’s crystal was shaking violently. No, it was too scared.

“M-Master… what should I do?”

The one who reacted to the whining was Almoa.

“You can talk…!? Who are you!?”

“Hiiiii! I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I’m sorry for being a trash can!”

No, I mean, you’re way too scared.

On the other hand, Rodo returned to Almoa and spoke something to her.

Of course, Rodo’s words were unintelligible to me.

It’s probably something only they could understand as companions.

Or maybe… they were using some special skill.

Almoa looked confused.

“What’s that strange black creature? It has an unusual aura, but it feels a bit different from a monster.”

“This here is my companion and a precious family member. she can be a bit cowardly, so please don’t bully her too much.”

“I see. The strange presence I felt for a while was you guys. I wasted my caution.”

She turned her back to us.

“Anyway, I’m leaving. Don’t get in my way.”

“Wait!”

“I told you not to get in my way.”

“We also want to save the children. We feel strongly about it. So let’s work together. If we combine our strengths, the chances of rescue will increase.”

Almoa looked skeptical at first, but after Rodo’s words, she slowly nodded.

We all squeezed onto the driver’s seat.

I was in the center, with Fiole on my right and Almoa on my left.

…How did it come to this?

“Um, Master.”

Raderia whispered to me.

“About that person, Almoa…”

“What? Is it not okay to have an outsider?”

“Hii! No, no! I’m sorry for being cheeky, Trash Can!”

Raderia, who had been glared at, fell completely silent.

I told you not to bully her.

“You don’t have to be so scared…”

Almoa looked a little hurt.

—Then we began to devise a plan to rescue the children.

“Fiole, Almoa. You two are the main forces. Do you have any ideas?”

“We charge in!”

“Let’s annihilate them!”

The voices of the two overlapped.

“…A frontal breakthrough.”

“…Let’s take them down all at once.”

They overlapped again.

“Um, are you two surprisingly compatible?”