Thanks, Haguruma.
When I opened my eyes, I saw my mother’s gentle face.
She often makes noises like, «Oh my» or «Fufu» But this time, she was smiling and silently stroking my head, which made me feel strange.
……Dan, dan, gacha.
«What? Tell me if you’re awake.»
«Oh, Anne! You’re awake!»
My dad and the gatekeeper uncle come in.
«Just a while ago.»
«Oh…….»
I try to sit up.
I felt something strange on my left arm, and found that there was a bandage wrapped around it.
Surprisingly, it didn’t hurt.
But my body was heavy.
«! Well, it’s still dawn. It’s been less than five deca since I carried you in.»
«Take it easy, girl.»
«……How’s the store?»
«Idiot. After all that trouble. We’re closed for the day.»
My mother supported me and I lay down on my bed again.
They carried me…… so of course they know I went into the woods.
«……Sorry.»
«Sorry for what?»
«That I went into the forest.»
«………….»
I thought I was going to get yelled at, but I got no response.
My dad and the uncles were both thinking about what to say.
My mother was smiling.
«……Aren’t you going to get mad?»
«……I’m at a loss for words.»
«Loss?»
I tilt my head back on the pillow.
«What you’ve done is shallow, that’s for sure. If something had gone wrong, you would be dead.»
«…… I’m so, so sorry.»
……What would happen to my parents if I died?
I can’t imagine that at all.
For example…… if these two stopped laughing……
That’s all it took for a horrible feeling to spread through my heart.
What a horrible thing.
I was about to change their lives.
«I’m really……sorry.»
«That’s it.»
«……?»
«You’re not an adult, but you’re fifteen. You’re not a child. You know what you’re doing and you know what’s going to happen.»
«……»
«As for my own daughter, I’d get mad and tell you to never do it again! I don’t know if it’s okay. But if I respect your will as a human being…… I don’t know if I can get angry.»
«That…… I am.»
You’re a stupid girl.
I can’t believe you’re going into the woods with the Berg Bear.
They’re not the kind of persons that can say that.
«I’m not……»
«And I’m not the smartest person in the world, but my gut tells me some things. ……Maybe if you hadn’t gone, Anna and Uta would be dead.»
«! The two of them!»
«Hey, girl…….»
I jumped up
Ouch! It didn’t hurt before, but now it hurts again.
Mom supports my shoulders.
The old man, the gatekeeper, breathed a sigh of relief.
«Are they okay?»
«Yeah, thanks to you, girl. Anna’s mother was very angry. Uta’s mother, after hugging him, started crying like a baby.»
«I’m sure they both have a lot to think about as children.»
«What did……the 2 say to you?»
««My sister An helped me.»»
«…………»
«That’s all they say. No matter what.»
Um…… I wonder if they keep what I said, «It’s a secret», before I passed out
I have beaten the Berg Bear.
I also put out a forest fire.
That’s crazy. It’s not normal.
Earlier, my dad said he respect my will.
So I don’t want him to think that I’m a stupid girl who’s going to use this power to run into danger.
I didn’t want to be the kind of daughter who would make her parents cry.
I wanted to hide my power.
«………Anti, I’m sorry.»
«What……?»
Dad starts.
«I just want you to answer one question.»
«……What’s up?»
«Did you meet Berg Bear?»
It was a question that made time stop.
It was dawn, and a gentle light was shining through the window.
My father, mother and the gatekeeper old man were looking at me in silence.
I didn’t want to make them worry about me.
I didn’t want to betray their compassion.
I couldn’t say, «Yes, I beat him, isn’t that amazing?»
«…..I saw a little something like that in the distance, so I ran away with Uta and the others. I was in a panic.»
«…………»
«There’s no way a fifteen year old maiden could take down a Berg Bear.»
«…..Oh, yeah, that’s right…….»
Dad let out a little laugh.
The old man looked serious and cloed his eyes.
Mom was smiling.
«Now go to sleep.»
«Eh…….»
I was expecting them to ask more questions about last night.
Uta and Anna, about the Berg Bear, about the forest fire.
Mom and Dad also got up and tried to leave the room.
For some reason, I felt a strange sense of loneliness, as if I had been abandoned.
But my dad came to my side one last time and wiped that misunderstanding away.
«…… Anti. I can tell by the look on your face, you’re my only daughter. You look like you’ve failed at everything, just like you did when you turned those eggs into charcoal when you were six.»
Dad put his hand on my head.
«But you didn’t fail this time, did you?»
«What, with ……?»
Pop, pop, pop.
«You protected them. All of that. You did it.»
What?
«You should be a little proud of yourself there.»
While I was dumbfounded, my dad walked out.
……………….
No way.……
You didn’t find out, did you ……?
I’m lying in a sunny room with my mouth open like a fool, looking at the ceiling.
White curtains swayed from the window, flickering with light.
────I protected.
What you said earlier.
All I cared about was that I had entered the forest on my own.
It’s true, I was able to protect them.
I’m sure I could protect my two little customers.
From the flames, the city.
I don’t know if I’m supposed to be proud of that.
Maybe I was dreaming.
From the beginning, there were no wildfires.
From the beginning, there were no Berg Bear.
From the beginning, there was no such thing as a Gear.
«No!»
──────I don’t want that.
I felt uneasy and searched above my head.
I don’t want my buddy to go away.
From both sides of my head, I pinched it.
I feel a definite metallic texture.
I gently bring it up in front of me with both hands.
──────There was a small, gold crown.
This thing was apparently spinning above my head again today.
The beautiful red jewel was just facing me.
«……Haha, what’s this guy?»
It’s a strange skill to encounter.
It spins.
It talks.
I’m not sure I would have been able to do that a while ago.
A while ago, I had a bit more of a fascination with magic.
I could use fire.
Manipulating the wind.
I could fight with lightning.
I had such longings.
But it had to be this guy.
I don’t know if I could have run through the forest like that with fire magic.
I wonder if he could have defeated a burg bear with wind magic.
Would I have been able to put out a forest fire with a lightning spell?
I was able to do it because of this.
I’m glad it was my skill.
I hugged Crown to my chest and expressed my gratitude.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you, Crown.
I’m glad it’s you.
I couldn’t have done it without you.
I’m glad I met you────
«I’m glad it was you. Crown────»
I’m not sure if I said it in my mind or if I just said it in my sleep.
I don’t know if I was able to convey my gratitude.
I don’t know if I was able to convey this feeling.
I don’t know if this kind of feeling can really reach the «skill» …… haha.
With tears rolling down my cheeks, I fell asleep in my brightly lit room.
It was a day of fresh breeze and sunshine.
Ki ~yuiiiiiin……
«──────────.»
«──────────.»
«──────Status analysis, on.»
«────Detected an unidentified error.»
«────Started searching for a solution to the problem from abnormal conditions.»
«────Analysis.»
«────Analysis.»
«────No functional failure detected.»
«────Self-analysis result: good.»
«────Unable to improve status.»
«────Status failure: Unknown.»
«────Error Cause: Unknown.»
«────I don’t understand.»
«────I don’t understand.»
«────I don’t understand.»
«──────It is impossible to restore to the original state. «
«Hmmm …….Good night, Crown……..»
«────…….»
«────…….»
«────…….»
«────Crown Gear is pending resolution of the error.»
«───────……Good night, Anti.»
The crown did not return to the top of my head today.
Munyamunya……….
MtlEnjoyer 