Although things had been hectic at first, the conversation with the Goddess of Time commenced.
In front of us was a luxurious crystal table, and as soon as we were seated at the Goddess of Time’s prompting, tea was served.
[Please enjoy some tea, Kaito-sama, Lilia-sama.]
[Thank you very much.]
[Eh? A-Ah! T-Thank you very much.]
As always, her movements were impossibly quick. Having already witnessed her work like this before, I wasn’t surprised, but watching Lilia-san’s bewildered reaction was amusing, just as I’d expected.
It reminded me of how Acht and the others must have felt, seeing me react similarly when we had the barbecue.
[…Oi, you bitch… What the hell is this…]
As I was lost in thought, the Goddess of Time raised her voice, clearly trying to suppress her anger. When I glanced over at her, I saw a tankard—no, it was more like a pitcher, given its massive size—sitting in front of her, filled with some sort of white liquid.
It looked like milk, but putting milk in such a ridiculously oversized container was absurd. In fact, at this point, it was obviously just harassment.
[What? I even went out of my way to get you something to drink… Though I have to wonder if it’ll actually do anything for that cliff of yours.]
[…I’m going to crush you, you bitch.]
[If you think you can, go ahead and try…]
Are you two about to start fighting again!? Do you hate each other that much!?
[………]
[………]
[Errr, the two of you… The talks won’t progress like this, so please, let’s leave it at that.]
[…That’s amazing, Kaito-san. How can you step in like that in this kind of atmosphere…?]
I asked them to restrain themselves, not wanting them to start clashing again. Thankfully, it seemed they understood, as they turned their glares away from each other and settled back into their seats.
Meanwhile, Lilia-san was looking at me with a strangely moved expression. I couldn’t help but feel uneasy, wondering if her admiration might raise the bar in some strange direction again. Still, at least the conversation could finally move forward…
[You’re right, my apologies. Well then, once again, I thank you for accepting my invitation on such short notice and for the trouble I’ve caused you. Lilia Albert, Miyama Kaito.]
[N-No. It’s a great honor for me to have this opportunity to speak with the Goddess of Time.]
[You don’t need to be so formal. I’m the one who called you here, so in a sense, you are my guests. Please, make yourselves comfortable.]
[Y-Yes!?]
Despite her haughtiness, the Goddess of Time’s voice has no sharpness in it, and sounds somewhat gentle. However, that’s only when she’s talking to others aside from Ein-san…
In stark contrast, Lilia-san is so tense that it’s painfully obvious—her back is ramrod straight, and her shoulders are trembling slightly. It’s reminiscent of how she acted when she first met Kuro.
[Well, that aside, I’ve already resolved most of the questions I had for you lot.]
[ [ Eh? ] ]
[The reason I called out to you before was because of you, Miyama. I felt an unusual pressure emanating from you.]
[A pressure…?]
[Umu. A pressure that showed signs of surpassing mine. Its origin became clear when that arrived. I see now—it’s fragments of the Underworld King’s magic power, huh? If that’s the case, it makes sense why I felt that pressure.]
The reason the Goddess of Time was interested in me was because she sensed Kuro’s magic power lingering on me when we encountered each other before.
However, what did she mean by “a fragment of Kuro’s magic power”? The first thing that came to mind was the necklace with the magic crystal that Kuro had given me. But I had temporarily left that necklace with Lilia-san, and it wasn’t returned to me until after Kuro formally visited Lilia-san’s mansion. At that point, I’m certain I didn’t have it in my possession.
[However, that fellow really doesn’t change, huh… Still wandering around the world, I see.]
[Well, that’s just the way Kuromu-sama is.]
[…Fuuu, she hasn’t changed.]
It seems they remembered Kuro, who truly embodies the word “free-spirited.” Not only Lilia-san and I, but even Ein-san and the Goddess of Time let out soft chuckles, easing the atmosphere in the room.
The conversation continued as the Goddess of Time asked Lilia-san several questions about the hero summoning this time, delving into how this unusual situation came to be.
[As I suspected, the cause is the accumulation of residual magic in the magic circle, which has been in use for over a thousand years. That’s why it went out of control. Well, there’s no issue. We’ll make the necessary adjustments as planned, and the repatriation should proceed without any problems.]
[So that’s the reason, huh… In that case, that’s a relief.]
I found myself getting lost in their conversation about halfway through, but it seemed that Lilia-san and the Goddess of Time had come to an understanding, as both wore expressions of relief.
As their discussion continued—likely about minor details regarding the future arrangements or something along those lines—the conversation was filled with technical terms flying back and forth. Occasionally, Ein-san would interject with a comment.
Before I realized it, I had been completely left out of the discussion. Or rather, I had no idea what they were talking about anymore, leaving me entirely behind.
The atmosphere felt like that of a classroom where students were excitedly working together in groups—while one sat alone, left out, merely watching. What I’m feeling right now isn’t just half as lonely as that.
Even if I wanted to join their conversation, it’s painfully clear that it would be impossible with my limited knowledge. I can’t even begin to understand the magical mechanics of the summoning circle or the flood of jargon they’re throwing around.
I’m begging you—can someone please explain what they’re talking about?
(Apparently, the summoning magic circle passively gathers magic power from the surrounding air over time. However, since they might need to send multiple people back this time, they’re worried about replenishing the necessary magic power through other means.)
Ah, I see—wait, wait… What was that just now? Why is there a voice answering the question I was only pondering in my mind?
Don’t tell me… Have I become so lonely that I’ve awakened some kind of strange new power!?
No, but that voice just now sounded really familiar.
(Do people in other worlds awaken abilities through loneliness?)
If that’s the case, then all the loners in the world would have supernatural powers by now.
Anyway, as I thought, that voice really does sound familiar. This distinct way of speaking, completely devoid of intonation… Could it be—Shiro-san?
(That’s correct.)
Unn, just as I thought. But putting that aside, what’s with you talking directly into my mind like it’s the most natural thing ever!? Wait, you can actually do that!?
(I can.)
Seriously, you can do just about anything if you want to, huh… Well, anyway, I guess “it’s been a while” doesn’t fit here, so “hello” it is, Shiro-san. Thanks again for the ridiculously expensive tea you gave me before.
(I’m glad to see you’re doing well too, Kaito-san. When I saw your sorrowful back, I remembered the word “loner” that you taught me before.)
Why did you have to throw in such unnecessary commentary!? I mean, how come you’re talking with me at this time!?
(Oh, it’s just that the topic they’ve been discussing all this time seems to have gone completely over your head. Before you knew it, you couldn’t follow what they were saying, right? I noticed you were just sipping your tea, occasionally throwing in a “yeah, I get it” kind of response. You looked like you had some time to spare, so I thought of telling you a story.)
This absurd Goddess is already gouging a hole in my heart, and we’ve only just met again!? I really don’t want to hear that kind of objective information…
W-Well, anyway, if Shiro-san can explain things to me… then maybe I can keep up with this incomprehensible conversation for a little while longer—
(It seems you’re planning to attend a festival. If we’re talking about a festival around this time, I suppose it must be the Elves’ festival, huh?)
Unnn. I knew it… I already knew that Shiro-san acts on her own terms, in a way completely different from Kuro, and honestly, I’d get sick if I kept dwelling on things from the past.
It felt like I had already strayed light years away from the original conversation, and I’d completely given up trying to follow it, so I just went along with talking to Shiro-san. Let’s just roll with it.
Dear Mom, Dad—I’m definitely struggling to keep up with the conversation, but despite that—Shiro-san was still the same.