Chapter 167 – Chapter 167. I Like It, I Like It, I Like It…
After placing Ymir in a tent that had been set up in advance, the rest of the party continued to set up the camp.
Heira trimmed the meat and edible grass she had hunted in the forest, and Verdia set up traps just in case.
And I continued the work of setting up a tent for the party to stay.
“Me, over there!”
And Celica has not been given the job she deserves.
As she continued to set up the tent, Celica, who had been staring at her blankly, began to speak in a voice that seemed to be squeezed out.
“Hey, maybe… Is there anything I can do to help?”
“… Anything I can help you with?”
“Yes, even small things are fine.”
Celica looked at me with a nervous gaze.
She seemed worried that I might refuse, but no matter how she felt, my answer was fixed.
“You don’t have to worry about it.”
“Ha, but…”
“You don’t have to feel guilty about it. Celica-san is our party’s escort. It would be important to preserve her stamina for later.”
It wasn’t a lie.
In reality, it’s just because she needs to keep her distance from her, but she can’t really say it.
“Still…”
But even though she accepted my words as the truth, Celica, unlike before, did not back down and began to express her concerns about me one after another.
“Porter-san, until now, you’ve been carrying the party’s luggage all by yourself, haven’t you?”
“… Because that is what I do.”
“But you took care of Mr. Ymir just a while ago, right? You are still working non-stop.”
“I’m used to it, so it’s okay.”
“Anyway, I want to help in any way possible.”
“…”
The moment when her hands, which continued to set up the tent, stopped at the words she repeatedly emphasized.
In that state, as I slowly moved her stiff head, Celica’s body began to stiffen as I met her eyes.
I didn’t recognize her face.
It’s just that her face wearing her mask blends in with the gradually darkening surroundings, creating a bleak atmosphere.
“… Are you too far-fetched?”
Even though she seemed intimidated by him and backed off, Celica began asking cautiously as if she couldn’t bear to give up.
It’s remote…
Certainly, given the brusque attitude he has had so far, he must be uneasy about that.
But I swear to my heart, I’ve never been offended by the stupidity of the woman in front of me.
Because it just has to be.
If you don’t, your mind will be broken again like before, and something irreversible may happen from the beginning.
“… Then could you purify the water for me?”
However, it would be difficult if I pushed further and then triggered even stubbornness.
Concerned about that part, Celica began to tilt her head in doubt at the compromise he reluctantly uttered.
“Essence, you mean?”
“It is said that there are no demons, but it is a different environment from where we live. The water we brought has run out, so to procure water locally, we must boil the water or filter out the impurities.”
If the drinking water is wrong, the health of the party members will be affected.
Depending on your point of view, it could be said that it is more important than preparing a place to live.
“It’s important. Much more than I do now.”
When she finished her words firmly, as if emphasizing that point, Celica swallowed her saliva and began to clench her fists tightly.
“Yes, leave it to me!”
The image of him answering vigorously with his arms raised to his chest.
As she looked at that bright appearance, she felt a corner of her heart tingle.
Even before she lost her memory, she always looked so bright, because I could feel her nostalgia.
“Hey, porter? Why?”
“… It’s nothing.”
Are you worried about me being silent?
I tried to ignore her concerns and taught her how to use her water purification device.
I’m worried that my feelings hidden under the mask and hood will be revealed.
Feeling anxious that the throbbing feeling in the corner of her chest might be transmitted to her by her unknown bird.
***
– Tap, tap, tap.
After the camp preparations were in full swing, the party who had finished eating had time to sit around the bonfire and talk.
Of course, except for Ymir, who has run out of stamina and stretched out.
It wasn’t a problem since I could briefly tell you the decision later anyway.
“Looking at the map, it looks like we can get out of this forest in a day or so.”
And the conversation is led by Verdia, who is in effect the party leader.
She looked down at the map in her hand and rested her chin on it as she spoke, and Celica, who was sitting next to her, immediately began to show interest.
“Come to think of it, this place is the Demon King’s territory, but I managed to get a map.”
“Ah, what… There is someone on our side who also has information about the Demon King’s Territory.”
Verdia gave me a rough explanation and slightly turned to me.
Sensing her gaze, I quietly shut my mouth and ignored her interest, poking the bonfire in front of me with a tinder.
It’s fortunate that you made good use of the map I drew based on the information I gathered, but I wanted you to hide the source as much as possible.
“… Hmmm, anyway.”
Verdia reads my intentions, clears her throat, and continues to look at the map.
“Once you get out of this forest, after that you will aim for a city across a place called Beldus Plains.”
“Is there a city in the Demonic Territory?”
“Yes, after entering there, there will be people who will cooperate with us, but after joining them, we will go to find someone who can treat you in earnest…”
Then explain the plan
She seemed to be listening to that explanation well, but at some point, she could feel Celica’s gaze turned towards me.
It’s about having a meeting about future plans with all the party members (except for Ymir), but is it bothering me that they’re just tinkering with the fire?
“… Can I look around for a bit?”
Yeah, just being here for nothing might get in the way of our conversation.
Let’s keep our distance for now, and as I stood up from my seat thinking, Verdia took her eyes off the map and started looking at me.
“Are you going on reconnaissance?”
“Yes, just in case…”
It’s just an excuse to get out of here. Even so, as if Verdia understood me, she soon withdrew her gaze from me and spoke bitterly.
“… It’s dangerous, so don’t go too far.”
“Yes, then…”
The moment I felt grateful for her care.
With that in mind, as I was trying to get out of the seat after lowering her head, someone silently took a seat next to me.
“Me too.”
I realized that it was Heira around the time when I was speechless.
“Can I follow you too?”
The moment she looked up at me and timidly asked, I unknowingly shrank her body and opened her mouth as if to make an excuse.
“You don’t have to worry about it. Are you just going on a reconnaissance trip to get some fresh air? …”
“…”
Heira staring at me without saying a word.
Feeling the gloom painted on her face, I realized that she had made a mistake and shut her mouth.
Yes, the only one I had to keep my distance from was Celica.
Serika, of course, was watching this moment, but when she finally looked away, it seemed that she didn’t want to take issue with Heira about her actions.
Was it because he considered Verdia’s plan more important, or was he trying to avoid paying attention to my circumstances?
“… Yes, then let’s go together.”
Whatever it is, it looks like hey has something to say to me, so she won’t be able to force it away.
After accepting the accompany, I got out of the camp for a while and had time to walk in the woods with Heira.
Without speaking to each other, we moved our feet along the path illuminated by the moonlight.
“Hey.”
It was around the time when I was a certain distance away from the campsite that I started to speak.
“Is it because of Celica?”
When I said what I had been paying attention to all along, Heira stopped her steps and started to look back at me.
I wanted to ask a question while looking into Heira and her eyes.
“I’m worried about keeping my distance from Celica…”
She usually just watched her, but the reason why she took action was because she couldn’t see me putting her distance from Celica anymore.
“No it’s okay.”
Contrary to expectations, Heira just shook her head and smiled bitterly.
“Because I understand now that Dave can’t help it.”
I feel regret, but I reluctantly accept it.
On the other hand, watching that figure that could be said to be mature, I felt a bit of bitterness attacking me.
Even the girl who had been swollen with anticipation of traveling at the first opportunity of exploring an unknown world, gradually felt the harshness of her reality and seemed to give up.
“… Okay?”
But even such pain will be called growth.
While trying to positively accept Heira’s appearance, Heira began to put her hand on my hand.
“I said I wanted to go with you because I wanted to show Dave something.”
“… What do you want to show me?”
“Yeah, there’s a place I found while looking around earlier…”
Heira looks up at me while carefully stopping and trying to wrap around my hand but not being able to catch it.
“… Hand.”
Soon she asked me with trembling lips.
“Can I catch it?”
He seemed to be worried that he might be harassed or rejected.
On the other hand, I felt uncomfortable with the atmosphere that was considered dangerous, so I took off the mask that hid her face and held her hand to alleviate the feeling.
If it wasn’t in front of Celica, I thought that this would be fine.
Heira, who gradually smiled as if she was relieved by my intention, soon began to move her feet somewhere while holding my hand.
“How much longer do I have to go?”
“You just have to go a little further.”
“I think I went too far…”
“We are almost there. Little bit more.”
Leaving worries behind, climbing over thick tree roots, passing through gravel fields and climbing hills…
In the valley area that reached the end, there were hardly any trees that had grown thickly in the places where they had been walking all along.
It’s a certain height and the surroundings are open, so it’s a perfect place for reconnaissance.
That is, it is not difficult to find danger here.
“I wonder if you found something dangerous while scouting here…”
“Topside.”
Heira, not paying attention to my concerns, quietly pointed her finger toward the sky.
“It will look good from here.”
After finishing her words with that, Heira began to turn her head toward the sky.
Heira fixed her gaze in that state.
As I looked up at the sky, wondering what she was doing, I began to see a group of stars illuminating the sky where the darkness should come.
It was revealed that it had been hidden in the forest all along…
The sky is just that.
“Dave.”
Heira, looking up at the sky, asked me indirectly.
“Do you like stars?”
“… Star?”
“I like it.”
Still a quiet voice.
However, a faint smile was drawn on his lips.
Even the worries they showed as they walked through the forest together seemed to have forgotten just this moment.
“Even when I was in the woods, I always looked up at the night sky whenever I had time. She was always like that even after she got out of the woods.”
“… Hey.”
The moment I vaguely realized why she had brought me here.
Before she knew it, she took her gaze from the sky and started looking back at me.
“Because I like you that much.”
With the same expression as when looking up at the night sky.
But she faced me with a clearer face than that.
“I wanted to see someone I like.”
That’s when she faced a girl who whispered her own wish in a simple way.
I realized later how much I had disrespected the girl in front of me.
All this little girl wants is to be with me.
It’s only a moment in her life, but she can’t turn back this time once it passes.
That I want to spend even a little more worthwhile is all this girl wants from me.
“How is Dave?”
But what am I doing now?
To the subject of her vow to be with her forever, to think only of her negative thoughts, worrying about things that didn’t even happen to her.
“… I like you.”
Realizing her mistake belatedly, as she answered, a sharper smile began to form on her lips.
“I’m glad. Because I like Dave too…”
“I like you.”
She fell in love with the girl who knew how to smile like that.
Forgive me for the mistakes I’ve made
Through the warmth I felt from him, this girl who made her true love bloom.
“I like you. Hey…”
“… Yes, me too.”
Heira holds her hand again as if accepting my heart.
“I like Dave too.”
She whispered tenderly with him, and she lifted her head again and began to look up at her night sky.
Even without eye contact. As if it teaches you that you have the same mind as me in this moment.
