Whoosh!
In the eastern dry wilderness of the Alpharion Empire.
Standing alone on that vast land, Chris wore an expression full of dissatisfaction.
"Just where on earth is she and what is she doing these days?"
[Swordsman 'Drizzle Rain' (Busy with other matters)]
Even though she got off work early for the first time in a while, Rain didn't welcome her. She was logged into the game.
Chris also logged into the game. Then, when she tried to ask where Rain was and what she was doing through messenger, it said she was in a situation where she couldn't receive messages, busy with other matters.
Chris, who left a note for Rain that could be sent even to offline contacts, screamed towards the horizon of the vast wilderness.
"Aaaargh! Just you wait! I'll..."
I'll what?
Is she saying she'll do something to her little baby bird?
"Maybe I'll spank her bottom just a little."
Chris could only grumble.
○
Whoosh!
I almost screamed when I saw Nagi's small body engulfed in flames.
Chris unnie, I'm sorry.
Is this how you felt when you saw me fighting?
To only be able to watch a small child endure pain while fighting.
I can't save her. Instead, I didn't close my eyes.
Nagi needs to overcome this.
In future dungeons, such wide-area attacks will welcome her plenty.
With my eyes wide open, I watched Nagi's actions until the end.
Whoosh!
Finally, as the wyvern's breath, the flames, cleared, inside was.
Nagi with a slightly surprised expression.
She didn't burn. She wasn't hurt.
I unknowingly let out a loud voice.
"Kyaa...! Nagi! W-Well done! Now clear the remaining baby wyverns!"
"Ha!"
Nagi, who had been standing dazed for a moment, quickly came to her senses and lunged towards the baby wyverns with little HP left.
Thud.
Finally, as the Black Wyvern collapsed, Nagi sat down on the floor, catching her breath while wiping her chest.
"Hee, hee."
Pitter patter.
I quickly ran to Nagi.
And hugged her tightly.
"Oh."
Soft.
With such a small body, she really works so hard.
Nagi's body twitched for a moment and then calmed down.
"...?"
I tilted my head.
Nagi's strange reaction.
It was like that last time too.
When I saved her from danger during tries, she didn't react much as if she was out of it, but this child seemed extremely awkward with human contact.
Well, I hadn't seen her with other people either. Even in front of the dungeon, she preferred secluded spots where people's eyes didn't reach.
A child who avoids people.
This was just like how I was before meeting Chris.
Nagi always felt awkward when embraced in my arms, making an expression like she didn't know what this feeling was. But she was clearly accepting it pleasantly.
Even if I'm a bit of a strange case, Nagi should be an ordinary girl.
Why does a child at an age when she should be loved dearly feel awkward about others' kindness?
Could it be.
"Does Nagi not have a family?"
"Huh? Family? I have an older sister."
"Ah... Aah!?"
I was so surprised that I covered my mouth.
What I had been thinking in my mind burst out of my mouth.
"Sorry, I'm sorry!"
"For what?"
The light brown head tilted. I didn't even have the mind to smile at that cute sight. I hated myself for carelessly saying something that could hurt Nagi's feelings.
Knock knock knock.
After hitting my own head for a moment, I finally grasped what Nagi had said.
She has an unnie?
Unnies are very good people.
Chris is like that, and all the companion sisters I met in this continent in the past were good people.
When all my sisters disappeared and I was alone with a hurt heart, I was similar to Nagi but.
Since it had come to this, and since I confirmed that Nagi didn't take it badly, I decided to ask a bit more about Nagi's family.
"Doesn't your sister hug you like this, like me?"
"Umm..."
Nagi's expression darkened a little.
"Ah, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."
"I think my unnie hates me."
"Eh..."
I gaped blankly.
All unnies I had met were good people.
But Nagi's sister seemed a bit different.
"I can meet her once a week. But she just stares out the window without saying anything. And she disappears after I fall asleep."
"..."
"I think she's tired from work. I'm okay. I can understand."
Nagi smiled brightly.
And she didn't bring up that story anymore.
I had many questions, but I couldn't say anything.
2nd Named, 'Statue of the Family Head'.
A boss with a corridor-shaped battle area and 'Knight Statues', mob monsters that keep being added as time passes.
Nagi mastered dribbling the Knight Statues without many tries. She absorbed my experience like a sponge at a fast speed.
Ooooh-!!
Thud.
The Statue of the Family Head, having consumed all its HP, crumbled into pieces of stone and collapsed.
"Yay~"
Nagi and I met hands with bright smiles, as if high-fiving.
And finally, we reached the 3rd Named battle area.
Now, in the middle of that circular dome surrounded by a huge lava lake, the final battle between Nagi and the demon was taking place.
Raaawr-!
[3rd Named]
[Level 25 Sealed Demon]
[HP 117,050 / 500,000 (23%)]
Slash slash slash!
Moonlight keeps flashing around Nagi's body. With Nagi's sword strikes flowing like water, the demon's HP decreases rapidly.
"Nagi fighting...!"
I clasped my hands together, taking in the sight of Nagi fighting with both eyes.
Her light brown bob hair sways. Her determined green eyes are fierce. Her slightly parted lips as she breathes are cute.
Did Chris unnie always watch me fight like this too?
Clang! Swish.
Nagi raised her sword at the exact timing to block the demon's forearm. But Nagi's light body was pushed back. I could see Nagi's brow furrowing. Even when blocked, a certain amount of damage was coming through.
Certainly, the demon's attack power is strong compared to its level, and Nagi's blocking skill doesn't have 'Just Guard' judgment yet, but if blocked perfectly, it's a level of damage that can be sufficiently endured.
In fact, if you're just careful of the fast 'Grab' pattern and the 'Magic Sphere' pattern with AoE judgment, that demon is no different from a sandbag.
"Haap!"
Twirl.
Swoosh!
Nagi's sword, shedding the final moonlight, cuts across the demon's body.
Raaaargh-!
Thud thud thud!
The huge demon's body sprawled on the ground.
Pitter patter!
I ran to Nagi with a bright smile.
"Good! Lesser Demon's Tomb, all clear!"
"Wow...! It was hard!"
"You did so well! I think you cleared it faster than when unnie first did it?"
"R-Really?"
"Yes."
This is true.
Of course, it's possible because there's a teacher like me who walked this path first, and the performance of invincibility skills has improved compared to before, but Nagi did the actual fighting with her own strength alone. It's certainly a great achievement.
A newbie growing by clearing elite dungeons solo? If this becomes known in certain communities, it would be a sensational event.
Nagi cupped her cheeks with both hands and swayed her body left and right.
Is she embarrassed by the praise? Or is she feeling good? Anyway, Nagi's gesture of twisting her body was too cute.
"Well done, good job, cute."
I smiled brightly, muttering softly, and kept patting Nagi's head.
After sending Nagi off, I checked the time.
"Wah."
It was already late at night. Today, I didn't even raise much experience, I just played with Nagi all day long.
And, there was one note in the messenger.
[Note from Yin-Yang Master 'Chris']
[Unnie got off work early, but Rain is in the game?
You even blocked messages. Are you busy?
I was lonely hunting alone today too.
Where are you and what are you doing?
I ordered chicken thinking you'd be done soon, but it's going to get cold.
When you're done with what you're doing, let's eat together.]
"Ah."
I jumped up.
Chris's yearning heart was conveyed through the note.
What excuse should I make?
That I was focusing on hunting with my messenger status set to 'Busy with other matters'?
I couldn't even raise experience today?
If Chris hunted in the wilderness, she could have known my location as a guild member in the same area, but I was in a different area at that time. She wouldn't have been able to find me.
What should I do if unnie scolds me?
○
Whirr.
I quietly entered the kitchen, pulling my wheelchair while watching for any reaction.
The lights were off.
On the table, there was a lonely chicken that looked cold.
And.
"Ah!"
Flutter!
If this body had normal legs, I would have definitely jumped up.
Chris was sitting blankly at the dining table with sunken eyes, without even turning on the lights in the kitchen.
Chris, with unfocused eyes.
Looked at me and smiled blankly.
"Rain, let's eat."
"Eek...!"
That's not Chris unnie!
Some kind of evil spirit must have possessed her!
I'm sorry for what I did, but this is too scary!
I urgently tried to maneuver my wheelchair to escape that terrifying dining room.
Grab.
But the hand of 'Evil Spirit Chris', who had approached without me noticing, grabbed my wheelchair.
Tremble tremble.
Unable to move, I faced her scary eyes, trembling in fear.
What should I do?
If an evil spirit has possessed my beloved unnie, how can I exorcise it with this body?
That thing in Chris's form smiled blankly again.
"Rain, let's eat."
"Hee, hee."
I whimpered like a child.