Then Come With Me

Galan felt as if he were in endless darkness.

There was nothing around him except himself; it was so empty that it was as if he had been forgotten by the whole world.

Am I still alive?

Could it be that we've time-traveled again?

Although he thought this way, he was convinced in his heart that he was still alive.

I'm so tired... so tired I don't even want to open my eyes.

He finally realized just how exhausted his body was.

He couldn't be bothered to even bend a finger.

How wonderful it would be if I could just lie here like this forever.

A familiar aura crept into the darkness, like a flash of light.

Galan's fingers twitched involuntarily, and he suddenly touched a soft patch of skin. Based on his experience, it should be someone's arm.

Whose could it be?

It feels so delicate, it can't be Frog. Although that guy is a weakling, he still has some muscle in his arms after years of hard work, so it wouldn't feel this smooth.

It couldn't be Lancelot either; that guy never took off his armor, which made Galan always feel that he might have some connection with that bull warrior who never took off his mask.

If he were beside me, the feedback from my hand would be cold metal, not warm skin.

It was even warm, like a small animal.

So familiar...

It seems like I experienced the same scene not long ago... When was it...? Yes, it was in my own little house...? That cat-like girl was lying on top of me.

Finally, his thoughts stopped there. Like the dawn breaking through the darkness, Galan slowly opened his eyes. The bright light filled his blurry vision. Even so, he could still see a blonde girl sitting beside him, her hand comforting his chest, like a mother soothing a baby to sleep. Her golden hair, like a waterfall, cascaded down to his pillow, exuding a faint fragrance. His hand was brazenly touching her arm, trying to tell whether it was Frog or Lancelot.

"Lia?"

The moment their eyes met, Galan realized that his behavior was a bit too lewd, like a pervert taking advantage of someone. So he sheepishly withdrew his hand and hid under the covers, as if nothing had happened.

However, Lia didn't seem to care much about it, just staring blankly at him, giving him the feeling of watching a gorilla through glass in a zoo.

He was that gorilla. "Why, why do you know my name? I don't know you... and I've never told you my name..."

Upon hearing this, Galan's body involuntarily trembled, and his heart began to race, as if he were on a pirate ship, screaming that he was about to suddenly plummet from the highest point, experiencing the weightlessness of a space walk.

Yes, I should have pretended not to know her name.

It's obviously too unusual for someone to suddenly call you by name when they've never met you before.

Even if he encountered something like that himself, he would only feel terrified. The other party might be some kind of assassin who came to take him away.

But having just woken up and seen Lia, how could I possibly think about any of that?

Just like before, because it was so familiar, I called out without thinking twice.

So how should we answer that next?

If I say something carelessly, it will definitely make her feel even more uncomfortable, right?

"After all, this is the first time you've met me, so it's normal that you don't know—it's a long-lost magic [to know the name of the first person you see upon waking]—hmm—it's normal that you don't know either, since it sounds pretty strange, doesn't it?"

"Indeed—how strange—hmm. So this kind of magic exists? Even the village priest probably hasn't heard of it..."

"That's right, after all, this is a rather unorthodox form of folk magic—well, human ingenuity can sometimes veer in sinister directions."

"Hmm..."

She lowered her head slightly, her eyes fixed on her swaying toes, and said nothing more.

So, did I manage to get away with this?

Did you really believe this answer, which clearly sounds like utter nonsense?

It seems that she's been too well protected these days, and her mind isn't very mature. Anyone could easily fool her with a random concoction, although she didn't really mature much later on.

Galan turned his head slightly, glancing at Lia with a guilty look, worried that she might suddenly realize she'd been tricked.

Seeing the still skeptical look on her face, she was probably still considering the truth of what he said. She remained silent for a while without saying anything more, so he probably believed her in the end.

The two of them sat on the bed and on the edge of the bed, neither of them speaking, quietly listening to the noise coming from the street outside the window.

He then realized that he was lying in an Inn room.

The interior here is similar to the Inn he Singer Town, but much more luxurious. It truly lives up to its name, Äußerst; big cities are indeed different.

He was almost certain that Frog and his group had booked the room.

Even if it weren't for their own sake, the caravan members needed a good rest during the time they were delivering goods here.

After such a long journey, no one could keep going without taking a break like this.

However, the current silence and the immense sense of division made Galan feel as if the inside and outside of the house were two completely different worlds, and they were the observers of these two worlds.

"You weren't injured there, were you?"

Seeing that Lia had run out of things to say, Galan had no choice but to start a conversation and ask about what happened yesterday.

When I arrived, it was already at the most critical moment, and I didn't know if she had suffered any other injuries before that.

"No... The villagers and my father protected me and prevented me from being captured by the Demons... In the end, it was also..."

Thanks to you for saving me back then... Thank you.

She turned her head and said this very sincerely, but Galan could still sense a hint of despondency in her tone. "So she still hasn't gotten over the deaths of her family and clansmen...:... That's true, it seems we still need to help her process this."

"Is there anywhere else you can go? Like to other members of your tribe?"

1

... That's it... Our branch lost contact with other Elf over a hundred years ago, and I don't know where else I can go..."