The Ex-Machina on a Dimensional Journey

Episode Thirty-Nine: Perspective

"..."

Xiu Er silently "watched" the group racing toward the mountains. The person at the front was clearly one of the Mountain People, and Xiu Er could tell that he was highly skilled.

If not for the need to look after the others in the group, based on Xiu Er's assessment of that Mountain Person, he would have already entered the mountains long ago.

"Mashu."

"Yes!"

Hearing the boy call her, Mashu—who had just breathed a sigh of relief because Xiu Er had stopped the knight—immediately stood at attention.

She quickly gathered her thoughts and looked at him with utmost seriousness.

"Is there anything you need me to do?"

Having had nothing to do so far and acting as little more than part of the atmosphere for most of the journey, the girl was especially earnest now.

However, Fujimaru Ritsuka did not give her an "order" as she had expected. Instead, he looked at her with concern.

"Are you all right, Mashu? You've looked like you've had something on your mind since earlier."

Although the boy was usually rather careless, at critical moments, his observations could become extraordinarily meticulous.

Naturally, he had noticed Mashu's earlier abnormality.

"Ah?"

Mashu froze.

She had not expected him to suddenly ask that.

The girl immediately raised a hand and touched her face.

Her expression practically said, Was it really that obvious?

Under a night sky without any bright source of light, Fujimaru Ritsuka could still see the color of the girl's face through the vast "black curtain." That alone was enough to show how much he cared about her.

The concern in his eyes did not seem fake, and Mashu felt ashamed for a moment.

"Fou~"

Even Fou in her arms turned back at that moment and let out several worried