The past came rushing in like a tide.
That description did not suit the present-day Saria, yet she truly sensed something familiar. The shrine maiden smiled, but she could tell that the latter was surely carrying a heavy heart.
Ifrit was the most surprised of all.
"Will she die?"
"Don't say that. Besides towels and hot water, I've prepared a resurrection gift pack. We're just waiting for her to wake up."
Hoshino answered with remarkable ease.
"Shrine maiden, I have something to discuss with you." As though she had made up her mind, Saria sighed and slowly set the riot shield in her hand aside. After sending Ifrit away, she showed Hoshino the items she carried with her.
A large quantity of sedatives.
They were not ordinary injectable syringes, but projectile ones. Saria's injection gun could fire these rounds; once the vacuum glass at the upper end of the syringe shattered, atmospheric pressure would force the sedative into the target's body.
"These are for your little monster, right?"
"Yes."
Saria did not deny it. She was only responsible for security, but she naturally believed that the family's feelings should be respected.
"I usually don't use such troublesome things. I just knock them out directly."
Hoshino frowned. "You don't think I'm going to kill her, do you? I won't. She's a strong child. If she wakes up with purple eyes, I'll knock her out, then sit beside her and wait for her to wake again. I'll repeat that until she returns to normal."
"You're an admirable person."
It seemed that even when faced with similar circumstances, people still dealt with them differently.
The shrine maiden kept smiling.
Saria seemed to be affected by that smile as well. The stifling feeling from before vanished completely, and the initial unfamiliarity faded. She began