Chapter 126 Reunion
――The Spirit-sama that my childhood friends helped was visiting me, and I was brought to a mysterious space that I couldn't understand.
"W-where is this..."
I was so confused that the only thing I could manage to ask was that question. However, Spirit-sama, who had brought me here, was too small to hear me, and the young-looking Spirit-sama started walking towards a path that stretched out from the central platform, pulling my hand.
I was dragged along, unable to resist, but I couldn't just let myself be swept away like this――I tried to regain my composure and stop, but it was too late.
'Wentle! Why did you bring her!'
A small, red glowing orb――it looked like the ones I had seen at The Drinking Water of the Spirits, similar to the small Spirits――hit Wentle-sama's head with a loud *Thud!* Wentle-sama didn't get angry, but instead beamed with joy.
"Ah, Avour! This is Laura, the one the Heroes were talking about!"
I was introduced, and instinctively judged that Avour was probably another Spirit-sama like Wentle-sama. As I desperately searched my confused brain to remember where I had heard the name Avour, I took a few steps closer to the red glowing orb――
'Don't let go of my hand.'
"Huh?"
In response to those words, I reflexively grasped Wentle-sama's hand, which was about to leave mine due to the physical distance.
'This is a gap dimension where Spirits gather. If you let go of my hand, you, a human, will be swallowed by the dimension and never be able to return.'
I couldn't help but let out a pathetic "H-huh..." as the explanation continued. It seemed that this wasn't a place where humans were supposed to be. The small hand I was holding onto, Wentle-sama's, had become my lifeline.
Suddenly, a red orb of light transformed into a boy's figure before my eyes. He looked around the same age as Wentle-sama. His red hair and burning red eyes gave off an otherworldly aura. The boy, who exuded an air of mystery, gently extended his left hand towards me.
"I am Avour, the spirit of fire. As a fellow spirit, I apologize for Wentle's rudeness. It would be better if we joined hands as well."
I thought to myself, "This is ridiculous, increasing the number of lifelines to 2..." and grasped Avour-sama's hand. It was then that I remembered. Avour was the name of the volcano that Lukas and the others had mentioned earlier. Given that he called himself the spirit of fire, I suspected that he was a spirit who resided in the volcano.
Having somewhat regained my composure, I looked around again. Above me was a peaceful sky, and beneath my feet were cities from all around the world. The breathtaking view was impossible in the ordinary world, and I couldn't help but recall Avour-sama's words, "This is a gap passage of time and space."
But where did the gap paths connecting the central platform lead to?
"Um, didn't you say this was a gap passage of time and space earlier?"
"Ah, yes. This space is connected to the dwellings of our spirits. If you take that path, you'll reach my dwelling, Avour Volcano, and if you take that path, you'll reach Wentle's dwelling, Wentle Cave."
Avour-sama pointed out each path, explaining them carefully. As he explained, I began to understand the nature of this place.
It seemed that all the spirits' dwellings were connected. And as a spirit, one could travel through this narrow passage of time and space to visit their dwellings as they pleased. That's why Wentle-sama had brought me to this place once, intending to instantly move to the location of The Drinking Water of the Spirits.
I thought to myself, "This setting wasn't in 'Last Brave'," as I looked around. Then, I noticed that several of the narrow paths had collapsed and were no longer passable.
"What about over there?"
"It's a place that has fallen into the demon king's hands now."
I nodded in understanding at Avour-sama's concise explanation.
Even so, the path extending from the central pedestal has way more spirit stones than 5. Only high-ranking spirits with spirit stones can possess them, and it's likely that other spirits can also reach this place from their dwellings. Thinking about it, it's like there are warp points all over the world, which would be incredibly convenient.
"You can reach the Fountain of Fontapuune by following this path."
Avour-sama's explanation was convincing, so I nodded and looked ahead. The narrow path ahead was filled with light. Although I couldn't see the scenery beyond, I probably could reach the location of The Drinking Water of the Spirits by diving into that light.
Wentle-sama hurriedly pulled my hand. I followed him, but there was something I had to confirm beforehand.
"Wait, just a minute. I'm being targeted by a monster right now, and if the village where I'm hiding knows about it, then――"
"Don't worry! Even monsters can't enter up to this point, so it's fine!"
Wentle-sama laughed as if he could see right through my anxiety. I didn't doubt his words, but I couldn't shake off my unease, thinking about what might happen to Gina-san and the others who were hiding me.
"If you go through here, even monsters won't be able to follow your trail. Moreover, the village where you're hiding has a spirit dwelling ―― an entrance. You can return by heading towards that entrance from here."
I was taken aback by Avour-sama's words. At the same time, I remembered Wentle-sama saying something about "this village having an entrance." Back then, I wasn't paying attention, but now, believing the words of Spirit-sama, it seemed I could return to that village directly from this narrow space.
"Is Spirit-sama also living in that village? I've never seen them even once..."
"In places filled with holy power, spirits are born. The spirit born in that village is weak, and only those with strong power can see it, that's all."
It's as if Spirit-sama is invisible to my eyes, but they're there. In any case, I can return to the village directly ―― if I don't get seen by monsters from the outside, the chances of them finding out the village's location will decrease significantly. Even if I get caught by monsters in Flaria, I can escape into this gap dimension and they won't be able to follow.
As I look ahead, I see the light. My heart is wavering.
"Are Lukas and the others already in Flaria?"
"Yeah, it seems they're at the Fontapuune spring right now."
Even if I go, I might not be of any help. But still, if I can assist in even the slightest way...
I took a step forward without thinking. Wentle-sama, who didn't miss a beat, smiled brightly and pulled my hand, and we took off running.
"Laura, let's go!"
"W-wait, just a sec!"
I mustn't let go of their hands. With that thought, I grasped Wentle-sama and Avour-sama's hands tightly and ran.
The light drew closer and closer. The brightness was so intense that I couldn't keep my eyes open, and I ended up closing them. Relying only on the warmth of their hands, I kept running. I ran and ran ―― and once again, I felt the same floating sensation I had when I first arrived at this place.
I entrusted myself to the fluffy, airy feeling and, after a few seconds, a massive amount of water poured down from above. I opened my eyes in surprise. And then I realized ―― it wasn't that a massive amount of water had poured down, but that I was now underwater. The light ahead was connected to the Drinking Water of the Spirits!
I looked up in a panic. The Drinking Water of the Spirits wasn't a large water source like a spring anymore. It was more like a gushing fountain. ――But for some reason, the water's surface was far away.
I wondered if such a deep spring could exist in that place, but I didn't have time to think about it. I swam towards the water's surface. At some point, my hands had become free. Wentle-sama and Avour-sama had disappeared somewhere.
Puff, I surfaced from the water. In an instant, my feet touched the "bottom" of the water. Wait, that's strange, I thought, looking down at my feet――
"――L-Laura?"
I looked up at the familiar voice.――There stood my childhood friend, staring at me with his bright blue eyes.
I remembered Avour-sama saying that Lukas and the others were currently at the spring, and I was taken aback by this unexpected reunion, so I called out to Lukas.
"Uh... it's been a while, hasn't it? Luka, are you doing well?"
After hearing my voice, Lukas seemed convinced that I wasn't a hallucination and rushed over to me with a burst of energy. And with that same energy, he tightly grasped my arm.
"You're soaked to the bone, aren't you? Hurry up and get out of there!"
With Lukas's help, I climbed out of the water, and as expected, I was drenched. While my childhood friend used a traveler's cloak to dry my body, the others gathered around, drawn by the commotion.
Lukas was worried about me catching a cold and kept asking if I was okay, Arnold was shocked but quickly used magic to start a fire, Diona used a traveler's cloak and a hand towel to dry my body, Vake took on the task of keeping watch around us, and Marta was the first to ask the question everyone wanted to know: "What are you doing here?"
As I looked at their faces, I thought to myself, "I really did come, didn't I?" like it was someone else's business.
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