episode_0112

Conditional Accompaniment

“…. A subterranean facility? You mean there’s a building underground?”

“Yes. But seeing the moss growing there, I realized it wasn’t a facility where people lived. It was more like… the remnants of a vanished civilization, perhaps. A ruin of some kind…. You can think of it as a relic from an era that would have had electrical wiring, like the one I just showed you.”

“Hold on… just a moment, Dio V Runner-nim!!”

The moment Dio V Runner recalled what he had seen while looking at the map and began to explain the facility to us, Aria urgently stopped him. Dio V Runner turned his head to Aria and said,

“What is it, Aria? Calling me so urgently all of a sudden.”

“…. Ah, it’s already too late….”

“Too late for what….?”

When Aria sighed, looking at something, and said it was too late, Dio V Runner tilted his head, not understanding, and asked her. At that moment, something caught Dio V Runner’s eye, and seeing it, he instantly understood why Aria had reacted that way. It was none other than….

“Hehehehe…. So…. you’re saying there’s a very…. very mysterious place here, Dio V Runner-ssi…. And what’s more… a very interesting place that reeks of the Otherworld…!!!”

“…. Ah, right…. Zeke introduced himself as an explorer earlier… But I didn’t realize he’d be such a passionate one….”

As I shivered with uncontrollable anticipation and excitement about the facility, Dio V Runner’s expression stiffened, and he said he hadn’t known I was such a passionate explorer. But….. what can I do!!! This pounding feeling…. I can’t stand it!!! The excitement of going to a new place!! Ughhh…!!

“…. Zeke-nim. You don’t know what dangers might lurk there…. Sigh…. You’re just going to say it’s fine because I’ll protect you again, aren’t you?”

“Of course! I already have you, reliable as always, by my side, and I also have strength from many people… No problem!!! Besides, this place!! It’s right behind the dragon’s nest!!! It’s close by, so… Ughhh… I’m so excited!!”

“I thought only Aria was strange, but it seems you’re no different…. No, actually, I’ve seen people like you before, so it feels somewhat familiar. Anyway… you’re going there no matter who tries to stop you, aren’t you, Zeke.”

“Of course! Thank you, Dio V Runner-ssi! For telling me about such a great place!!”

When I said I would, of course, go, Aria and Dio V Runner both sighed simultaneously. It might seem like I’m acting like a moth drawn to a flame…. But isn’t that the spirit of explorers?! Realizing that stopping me was impossible, Dio V Runner scratched his head and said,

“I wanted to investigate that place myself anyway…. So, how about this, Zeke? If I accompany you….”

“No. I’ll refuse that on my end.”

“Huh….?”

“What?”

The moment Dio V Runner suggested he accompany us, Aria firmly stated that she would refuse it. Both I, full of curiosity, and Dio V Runner, surprised by Aria’s unexpected answer, were taken aback. I mean, even though Dio V Runner-ssi didn’t know, he was someone who had helped us…. And still, it’s a no?!

“Earlier you said you didn’t want anyone else next to Zeke…. Is that why?”

“Yes. No matter how much Dio V Runner-nim has helped me…. I still don’t want Zeke-nim to have another companion. I get jealous.”

“Hmmmm…. This is this, and that’s that… I see. Then…. how about I watch over you from the sky? You don’t want another companion because you want to spend time with Zeke while walking, don’t you?”

Dio V Runner, having seen through Aria’s reason for not wanting me to have a companion, suggested he would follow from a distance. Aria seemed tempted by the offer and began to ponder it. That works…? Well…. no one had ever suggested accompanying us from afar until now…. But watching us from the sky…. No, more importantly…

“Dio V Runner-ssi, are you sure it’s alright for you to leave this workshop? And from the sky, you say. Can you even use magic…!!”

Expressing my skepticism about Dio V Runner flying in the sky, I suddenly recalled an Otherworlder who had flown using a machine before. Come to think of it… Estur-ssi also flew using the power of machines… So does this person have a machine similar to the one Estur-ssi used?

“Ah, this workshop can be cleared out quickly. And these boots, they spout flames and at the same time…. Hmm…. Simply put, they’re equipped with a device that allows me to fly. So I can fly in the sky.”

“Alright. I’ll permit that much. Normally, I would have said no to that too…. But thanks to you, Zeke-nim was able to comfort me, and I was able to protect Zeke-nim.”

“Good… then, how about I tidy up this place?”

“Tidy up? How…. Wh…. Whoa!?”

As Aria finally granted permission for the conditional accompaniment, Dio V Runner stood up and said he would tidy up the place. Then, he pressed a button, and a sound like thunder began to echo inside the cave. Wh-…. What?! What on earth is about to happen?! As the cave suddenly began to tremble with the sound of thunder, Aria pointed her staff at Dio V Runner and spoke in a chilling voice.

“Are you by any chance trapping us, Dio V Runner? That’s quite rude.”

“Ah…. I forgot to explain. This isn’t a trap or anything. Why don’t you look around?”

“Around? Why around…. Huh?”

At Dio V Runner’s words to look around, Aria glanced about, and when she saw the surrounding structures gradually begin to shrink, she was greatly flustered. Of course, I was too. But while I was surprised, I felt a stronger sense of wonder. Ooooh….. So this is the technology of the Otherworld!!!

“This was a gift from the R.S guys, hoping it would help me on my journey. It’s a device called a portable workshop. Now…. if I just put these completely shrunken items into a cloth wrap….”

When the thunder ceased and the cave fell silent again, I saw all the items installed in the cave had shrunk to the size of a finger. Dio V Runner then simply placed the items into a small cloth wrap, tied it, and put it inside his protective suit, saying to us,

“That’s it for tidying up. Well…. then we’ll be parting ways temporarily until we reach our destination. I suppose it’s fortunate that Aria has shown that much consideration.”

“Hmm…. I’m only allowing it because it’s Dio V Runner-nim. Even Riera-nim probably wouldn’t be allowed to do that much. Dio V Runner-nim has helped me twice, after all.”

“It was indirect, though. Alright, let’s go out.”

Dio V Runner chuckled softly, recalling that he had indirectly helped us, and headed out of the cave. We followed him outside. The Otherworld truly possesses diverse technology… A tool that tidies up items in an instant, a device that spouts flames to allow flight, and even a shield device that can disguise itself as a dead end….

“Zeke, I’ll say this again, but you must keep it a secret. Even though I couldn’t account for Aria’s power and ended up being exposed to you two… I still hope you’ll grant this request.”

“Don’t worry, I always keep my promises. Besides, Dio V Runner-ssi is someone who helped us indirectly, right? So I will definitely keep my promise.”

“Understood. You’re trustworthy. Aria certainly has reason to fall for you.”

“Hehehehe…. It was I who first recognized Zeke-nim’s generous heart! Zeke-nim said that no one in his hometown ever fell for him! He said he’d never received a confession!”

“…. I thought he’d be somewhat popular with such a good personality…. That’s unexpected.”

Realizing I’d never received a confession in my hometown, Dio V Runner turned his head to me, who was behind him, and said it was unexpected. Is that… unexpected? I hadn’t really thought about it that much since it didn’t concern me…. Now it feels like I’m the strange one….

“Alright…. We’re outside again. The weather has cleared up, perfect for flying….”

Upon exiting the cave, Dio V Runner immediately checked the outdoor weather and confirmed it was good for flying. Well…. the rain had stopped, the clouds had cleared, and the sun was shining brightly…. But how would he fly…. Huh?

“Wow… flames are really coming out of his boots, Zeke-nim.”

“Indeed…”

Curious about how Dio V Runner would fly, I was dumbfounded when he truly began to spew flames from his boots and slowly ascend into the sky, just as he had told us. His words were real….

“Alright…. You said we needed to stop by the dragon’s nest first, right? Then I’ll have to fly even higher than the dragon’s nest.”

“Is that alright? What if it suddenly breaks down?”

Aria expressed concern for Dio V Runner, asking what he would do if the device malfunctioned and he fell. She must still worry about him since he’s her benefactor…. Hearing Aria’s concern, I let out a wry chuckle, thinking that Aria seemed to worry about Dio V Runner, her benefactor. When Aria worried about him, Dio V Runner nodded and said to her,

“This is certainly a high-risk device. But just as we handle dangerous fire, this too is used while accepting such risks. Well… still, this protective suit will guard me, so rest assured. This suit also helps me maintain my balance while suspended in the air. I’ll follow you, Zeke, by looking at the map. See you there.”

“Yes, I understa…. G-Gasp?!”

At Dio V Runner’s words to see him at the dragon’s nest, I was about to say I understood. But when Dio V Runner shot into the sky at an astonishing speed, I was dumbfounded. Wh-…. Why is he so fast…? A-And again… the technology of the Otherworld….

“Hmm… Dio V Runner-nim seems to be in the sky. Then, as for us…. Hehe~”

“Huh?”

Confirming that Dio V Runner had gone high into the sky, Aria smiled sweetly and took my hand. I then realized that Aria was excited to be alone with me again, and realizing this, I chuckled softly, took Aria’s hand with my left, unfolded the map with my right, and said,

“Alright, let’s go. So… the dragon’s nest, huh…. Aria, do you happen to know anything about dragons?”

“Hmm…. Dragons in this world are known to be arrogant. They reportedly look down on humans, considering them weaker and shorter-lived. So, if we were to set foot in a dragon’s nest, they might attack us for trespassing.”

Damn it…. It was so similar to the information I remembered about dragons that a sigh escaped me. So the knowledge I had wasn’t wrong after all…. I’d hoped it would be wrong, if possible…. Haaah…. I’m getting a feeling that something exhausting is about to happen…

“Hmmmm…. Still, if they’re a race that can’t be reasoned with at all…. I might have no choice but to kill them and take their meat. Zeke-nim probably wouldn’t want that, if possible….”

“That goes without saying. By the way, Dio V Runner-ssi will be with us at the destination…. Is that alright with you?”

“I already know that wherever you go, Zeke-nim, many people will gather around you. So, at least until we reach our destination, I’d like us to be just the two of us like this. Hehehe…. My stubbornness is probably a burden to you, isn’t it?”

“…. Honestly…. I’ve already experienced a lot of that, way back. Do you think you’re the only one who experiences a lot? I’ve adapted to you quite a bit too…. Even now, I’m trying to adapt to the grown-up you.”

When Aria chuckled softly and asked if my stubbornness was a burden, I chuckled faintly and said I was adapting too. Then, Aria and I just laughed. Neither I nor Aria had anything more to say, as it was true that we were adapting to and growing with each other.

“Come to think of it, I’ve changed a lot too. I feel like I used to have a truly gloomy expression back then…”

“Not ‘feel like’, your complexion really was a bit dark, you know? It brightened a little after the Cecilia incident, and then became even brighter as you learned the Radiance of the Holy Ring…. Now your complexion is so much better it’s incomparable to before.”

“Zeke-nim…. Ah! Zeke-nim! Come to think of it, I forgot to tell you something important!”

“Something important?”

At Aria’s words that she had forgotten to tell me something important, I tilted my head. At that moment, Aria let go of my hand, clasped her hands together, closed her eyes, and then…. Wh-what…?!

“Wh-what?! Th-that…. that’s the Radiance of the Holy Ring!!!”

The moment a yellow light began to leak from Aria’s body, her hands clasped and eyes closed, the yellow light formed a ring and started to swirl around her body. Additionally, a portion of Aria’s hair returned to its original blonde, and yellow decorations began to appear on her clothes as well. This was…. the Radiance of the Holy Ring that Aria used when dealing with the World Tree…. But she clearly hadn’t been able to use it again since that incident…?!

“Hehehe…. I realized it yesterday too, Zeke-nim! I can use this ability again! Now I can protect Zeke-nim even more reliably….. Huh….?”

Aria, who had been proudly boasting that she could protect me even more reliably now, saw something and her expression froze. Then, the yellow light swirling around Aria’s body began to vanish instantly, and the yellow decorations on her clothes also disappeared. Why is she suddenly like this…? As if greatly shocked…!! Ah…!!

“Oh…. Oh no…. My hair…. the hair Zeke-nim personally dyed for meeeeee…..”

“….. Ah, right… when she used that, her hair color reverted to its original state….”

Greatly shocked that her hair color had returned to normal, Aria picked up a strand of her reverted hair with her fingers to check it, then began to whimper. I sighed deeply and started searching for the repair fluid in my backpack again.

“Right, it had that drawback…. Sigh…. I’ll have to keep some repair fluid stocked…”

“Ughhh…. I don’t want to use this ability again…. If I use this ability, the hair Zeke-nim personally dyed for me keeps reverting…. I never want to use this ability again!!”

“…Still, let’s use it in urgent situations, Aria…. If there’s something even our strength can’t handle, that will be helpful….”

“But the hair Zeke-nim personally dyed for me….”

That’s what’s important to you, huh…. I sighed deeply at Aria’s preference for dying her hair over dying itself, and began to re-dye Aria’s hair. Meanwhile, Dio V Runner, who was watching us from high in the sky, suddenly saw me dyeing Aria’s hair and muttered with a bewildered expression.

“They haven’t even departed, what are they doing down there right now?”

Dio V Runner, who had been waiting for Aria and me to depart from high in the sky, was dumbfounded, unable to understand what was going on, as he suddenly saw Aria emitting light, and then me dyeing Aria’s hair.