Published at 17th of August 2019 7:46 am

Volume 10, Chapter 2: Searching for Her Mother

This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml

Part 1

After their pinky swear, Koutarou and Kii returned to the Cradle for a moment. The reason was because it was getting late. Since plenty of time had already passed since night had come, wandering around the mountain without direction would be bad. And so, Koutarou had decided to return to the Cradle for dinner and sleep.

Koutarou had been worried that Kii might oppose this idea, but she was unexpectedly obedient. She fully believed in the pinky swear that they had exchanged. Together with Koutarou, she would find her mother's star and watch the Kabutonga movie. To her, that was about as certain as reality, so she didn't disobey anything Koutarou said would be necessary.

“...And that's how I'll be looking after this girl for a short while.”

“You really do like getting into trouble no matter where you are, don't you?”

After having the situation explained to her, Clan’s shoulders dropped, and gave Koutarou an amazed look.

The first thing he had done upon returning was reporting this development to Clan. He had left Kii behind in the Cradle's living quarters and entered Clan's laboratory alone.

“It can't be helped. It's not my fault.”

“Well, that is true... but I have things to do, so you'll have to look after her.”

“I know. I won't cause any trouble for you.”

Clan had to make preparations for their return to their own time. She would freeze the time onboard the Cradle and return to the world ten years into the future. Though it sounded simple when put into words, there were a lot of preparations to be made. Freezing time was a very delicate procedure, so looking after Kii naturally became Koutarou's responsibility.

“Oh, and Clan, do you have anything that would be worth something?”

“Worth something?”

Hearing an unfamiliar term, Clan's eyes opened wide and she tilted her head.

“I don't have any money usable in this age. Since I have to take that girl to the movies, I will need money.”

The money currently in circulation in the time they were in would be replaced in a few years. Though Koutarou had new money in his wallet, it couldn't be used here. In order to move around in this age, money was needed, and that was why Koutarou asked if Clan had anything valuable on her.

“I'll work and repay you later, so could you give me something that would be worth some money?”

“I see, that's what you mean.”

As a princess, the idea of trading something valuable for money hadn't struck Clan. It wasn't until she heard it explained that she understood what he meant. She then approached a big shelf with materials she was using for research.

“Bertorion, platinum was a precious metal on this planet, wasn't it?”

“It should be, yes.”

“I'm sure I had some platinum to use as catalysts around here somewhere...”

Clan opened the shelf and began searching. Unlike the shelf in Koutarou's room, this one was neatly arranged and she was able to quickly find what she was looking for.

“Ah, here it is.”

Clan pulled out a mass of platinum from the shelf and brought it near Koutarou.

“Please use this.”

Clan casually put the mass of platinum down on a desk.

Pure platinum is very dense and was much heavier than one would guess just from looking at it. When the platinum was put down on the desk, it let out a heavy, profound sound loud enough to make the desk shake.

“This is some spare material, and I still have plenty more. Feel free to use it as you please. If it doesn't seem like it's enough, let me know right away.”

But after seeing the platinum, Koutarou yelled at Clan with all his might.

“Are you an idiot!?”

“W-What now all of a sudden!?”

Surprised by the sudden shout, Clan jumped back from him while Koutarou continued his assault on her.

“As if I could pawn this in a pawnshop! I only need a fragment!”

“W-Was that so!?”

The platinum that Clan had put on the desk was at the very least five kilos. Since platinum was worth around 4,000 to 5,000 yen per gram, that mass would amount to several ten million yen. It was unlikely that a pawnshop would be able to buy it right away.

“Just how spoiled are you! You should learn what it's like to be a commoner! Don't you want to become the empress!?”

“T-Then I'll just appoint a commoner to―”

“Don't be so over-reliant!!”

It wasn't until a little while later that Koutarou grabbed a few grams of platinum.

Part 2

When Clan was targeting Koutarou and Theia, a TV had been installed inside the Cradle's living quarters. She had been using it as one of her methods to gather information; she studied culture and language, as well as analyzing broadcasting techniques to get an understanding of Earth's technological level. For example, by examining the encryption used in digital broadcasts, she could calculate the standard processing speeds of computers.

When Koutarou returned to the living quarters, Kii was stuck in front of that TV and was deeply invested in the program currently airing. Since the TV had been made using one of the spaceship's multipurpose monitors, it was over 100 inches big. Because of that, Koutarou could see what was on the TV despite Kii being right in front of it.

“Oh... so they're rebroadcasting that...”

The show on the TV was an anime, and the show was so famous that even Koutarou who wasn't into anime knew about it. It was called The King of Beetles, Kabutonga, an animated hero show featuring characters designed after beetles.

“Look out, No. 1! Behind you!”

On the screen, the show's protagonist, Kabutonga No. 1, was in danger. In order to keep him from losing, Kii was grasping her small hands and desperately cheering for him. She was a big fan of this anime; she had even run away from home just to watch the movie that was released the other day. Her cheering was so intense that she didn't even notice Koutarou returning to the living quarters.

By the way, despite it being night, this anime was being rebroadcasted to promote the movie.

“There! Give him your Kabutonga Kick!”

“...She looks like she's having fun.”

Since Kii looked so happy, Koutarou chose not to call out to her. Instead, he passed by her and entered the living quarter's kitchen. He was going to prepare dinner while Kii was watching the show.

Kabutonga?

However just as he entered the kitchen, he stopped. Something about the word Kabutonga had slightly caught his interest. But in the end, it was just regarding an anime. Without thinking too much of it, Koutarou stepped further into the kitchen. What was important to him now wasn't some anime hero, but dinner.

“Aaaaahhh!! That's unfair, Scarab King! Stag Man, hurry! You have to save Kabutonga!”

With Kii's shouting as background music, Koutarou opened the storage cabinet inside the kitchen. Inside were all kinds of ingredients.

“We should eat these up soon...”

Koutarou pulled out some of the ingredients from the cabinet. They were all food that they had taken with them from Forthorthe.

The storage had two kinds of food in it: food that was already in there before this entire thing began, and food that they had gotten in Forthorthe. The former was packaged so that it could be preserved, but the same wasn't true for the latter. That was why he had decided on eating the latter. Though the storage also functioned as a refrigerator, he couldn't get too overconfident.

“Stag Man! Your drill! You can just use your drill!”

“I see. So today's episode is 'Kabutonga dies at daybreak'. No wonder she's so fired up...”

Koutarou spoke to himself as he put various ingredients into a nearby basket. With the basket in hand, he now headed toward the living quarter's warehouse. Inside there were a lot of things besides food, including a lot of things from the past Forthorthe.

“Here we go.”

From there, Koutarou took some firewood. With that in hand, he returned to the living quarters.

“Kabutonga, wake up! Kabutonga!”

Koutarou passed behind Kii once more and headed towards the airlock.

He was planning on making dinner outside. Since all of the ingredients were from Forthorthe of 2,000 years, he believed it would be better to cook them using a fireplace rather than using a cutting edge kitchen. He also didn't like the Cradle's overly advanced kitchen. So with that in mind, he headed outside.

“First off is...”

Once outside, Koutarou gathered large stones and made a simple wind cover. With that, even if the wind blew, the fire wouldn't go out of control. This was some life experience he had learned in Forthorthe.

Next, Koutarou placed the firewood inside the wind cover. The trick was piling the firewood up while taking the flow of air into consideration. And with skilled hands, he built up the fireplace.

“Next up is this.”

After beautifully piling the firewood up, Koutarou held a single stick that he had also pulled out of the warehouse. More accurately, it wasn't a stick, but rather a beautifully decorated cane over a meter-and-a-half long. With the cane in hand, Koutarou held the tip of it in front of his face.

“Uhm... fire, appear!”

As if obeying Koutarou's words, a small flame lit up by the tip of the cane. Despite not having anything for fuel, it burned like a candle above the cane. It would have been a very bizarre sight for anyone who wasn't aware of the circumstances.

“If I give her this, Yurika will definitely be overjoyed...”

This cane was a present that Koutarou had brought with him from the past Forthorthe, for Yurika. It was actually a real magical cane.

This cane called Encyclopedia, was used by Koutarou's former enemy, the head of the court magicians, Grevanas. Though the magician himself had been thrown outside of the universe because of the super-space-time repulsion shell, this cane, which he had parted with during the battle, had been left behind.

Magical canes were normally used as an assisting tool for magicians to cast spells. The cane heightened the user's concentration and amplified their magical power to make their spells even more potent. There were also canes that had special abilities on top of that, and this Encyclopedia was one of those canes.

The special ability this cane had was the ability to read its user's mind and cast spells using its own power. As a result, the user of this cane could cast their own spell while simultaneously having the cane cast another. This was an incredibly useful advantage in a battle between magicians.

And thanks to this ability, even people who weren't magicians could use magic recorded in the cane. Like its name, Encyclopedia, implied, it had a large variety of spells recorded. But as a result, the power of each spell was reduced. Since the cane's magical power was finite, the number of recorded spells was inversely proportionate to the power. So even if the person using the cane had absolutely no talent when it came to casting spells, they would still be about as capable as a mediocre magician. That was why Koutarou had gone out of his way to bring the cane with him to make Yurika a real magical girl.

“Magic really is convenient...”

Koutarou pointed the tip of the cane at the firewood and lit a flame. Before long, the fire had spread through all of the firewood and become a large red fire. It was more than hot enough to use to prepare a meal. Since normally just creating a fire would take a lot of time, the cane was quite useful.

“Alright, then let's get started.”

And as such, Koutarou used the fire he had prepared to make dinner.

Part 3

Despite the anime having ended, Kii was still excited.

The hero she adored had been defeated by his enemy, but after that he made a miraculous recovery and won in a huge turnaround. Kii couldn't help but be excited because of that and was eager to talk about the episode with someone.

“Onii-chan, where are you?”

That someone was of course Koutarou. He was the only one she had talk to now, and she felt like he would listen to her.

“Where did he go?”

Kii looked around the living quarters. Since this was the residential area of a small spaceship, it was only about as big as a normal living room. Because of that, she quickly understood that nobody else was there.

“Huh?”

That was when Kii felt like she could smell something. She took several sniffs to confirm what it was.

“...Something smells really good...”

The smell that Kii had picked up was the fragrant smell of something roasting.

With that smell in her mind, Kii's stomach let out a growl. That was when she finally realized that she hadn't eaten anything for a while.

“Is it... this way?”

Lured by her curiosity, Kii's nose twitched as she followed the smell. She walked out from the living quarters, through a corridor and headed outside of the ship through the hatch that had been left opened. That was when she finally found out the identity of the smell.

“Waa! It's a feast!”

A pot was resting on top of a red flame, and inside it were seafood and vegetables in a boiling soup. There was also a spit-roasted meat resting above the fire. Covered in lots of herbs, oils and spices, the large piece of meat was dripping meat juice down onto the ground. There was also bread lying next to the fireplace, being warmed up by the fire.

The smell that Kii had followed belonged to this food. Though she had been so focused on her show until just a little while ago, the only thing she could do now was stare at the food in front of her.

“So you came, Kii-chan.”

“Did you make all of this, Onii-chan!?”

“Yeah. I'm not really that good though.”

Today's dinner was fish and vegetable soup, chicken kabob, and bread full of nuts. The bread had only been heated, but Koutarou had made the other two dishes.

Koutarou was capable of doing housework. Since he had grown up with only his father, he could not only clean, but could also cook. But since the invaders were in charge of cooking in Corona House, he had no chance to show off his skills. When he was travelling for long distances in the past Forthorthe, he had plenty of chances to cook. As a result, he was now quite familiar with cooking outdoors. Though he couldn't call himself a professional, he was good enough to serve others. That said, in the end these were dishes from past Forthorthe.

“That's not true! It looks really good!”

“We'll find out if it's good or not when we eat it.”

“I want to eat it right away!”

“It'll be done in just a moment, so just sit down over there and wait.”

“Okay!”

Even though her stomach had been growling since she had found the food, she obeyed Koutarou and sat down on a log near the fire. Since she was a clever child, she knew that she would be able eat something delicious if she didn't get in his way as he cooked.

“How's the soup...? Ah, good, it came out nice.”

“Ehehe.”

Obediently sitting down and waiting, Kii followed Koutarou with her eyes. As she did that, she was being filled with a warm sensation, and it wasn't just because of the fire. It was thanks to the warm memories overflowing from the bottom of her chest.

“Mom, is dinner done yet?”

“In just a moment, so sit down over there and wait.”

“Oka~y! What are we getting today?”

“Fufu, it's Kii-chan's favorite.”

“This smell is... fish!”

“That's right. Just wait a little more for it to finish cooking, okay?”

“Okay! Kii will wait like a good child!”

Someone she was close to was making food for her. The person that had done so in the past was her mother. That was probably why Kii was remembering her mother when she stared at Koutarou's back, and it was those memories that warmed her chest.

“Kii will wait like a good child... so make it delicious.”

“I can't make any promises, but I'll try.”

That was the warmth of a person that Kii hadn't felt for a while.

Part 4

Koutarou turned the basket he had used to carry the ingredients and made a table for Kii. He put the soup, bread and kabob down along with tableware. With those three dishes in front of her, Kii's eyes opened as wide as they possibly could and sparkled.

“Can I eat it!? Can I!?”

“Go ahead. Make sure you don't get it stuck―”

“Thank you for the food!”

“―in your throat.”

Kii had started eating before Koutarou could even finish his sentence. Holding a spoon for the soup in her right hand and a kabob in her left, she alternated between eating the soup and chicken. Her pace was rapid, and one could imagine that she liked the taste.

“I'm glad you're so energetic.”

Sensing that Kii was satisfied, Koutarou showed a small smile and picked up some bread for himself. He then split the bread and put chicken between it. That was his favorite way of eating in Forthorthe. After a bite, a familiar taste spread throughout his mouth. It was a nostalgic taste that reminded him of his time in Forthorthe.

I'm sure Clan will give this a passing grade...

While eating his dinner, Koutarou thought of his partner, who had shut herself in her laboratory. Since she was raised as a princess, she was picky about taste. But he was sure she would surely compliment today's dishes. He was proud of the dishes he had made today.

That was when Koutarou looked up as he sensed someone's glance.

“...”

As he did, he found a pair of large eyes. It was Kii who was staring at his hands.

“I want to try too!”

Kii mimicked Koutarou; she split the bread, put some meat in between and took a bite.

“Delicious!”

She seemed to enjoy that way of eating as she took even more bites. And now she looked like a squirrel eating a nut.

“If you eat that fast, you'll―”

“Hueh.”

Just before Koutarou could warn Kii about choking on her food, a piece of bread got stuck in her throat.

“Uuuh, Huhuhuu.”

“Here, drink this.”

Koutarou quickly presented Kii with the soup. In response, Kii began drinking directly from the plate. After doing that for several seconds, Kii removed her lips from the plate while sighing.

“Haaaah, I thought I was going to die...”

Fortunately, the bread that Kii was choking on slipped down her throat and into her stomach. Relieved, the girl's expression returned to the normal cheerful one.

“It's because you eat it so fast.”

“But it's just so good.”

Kii had an embarrassed blush when Koutarou admonished her.

“I'm glad you like it, but nobody is going to take it from you, and there's more to get, so you can eat slower.”

“O-Okay, I will. Ehe, Ehehehe.”

Eventually Kii let out an embarrassed laugh. Seeing that, Koutarou showed a small smile and began eating again.

This kind of reminds me of everyone...

It was a noisy but fun dinner, just like in room 106 and the past Forthorthe. Even though he was far away from either of those, it reminded Koutarou of his everyday life. Kii's appearance right now reminded him of that.

“Hehehe... ehehe... uhhh.”

While Koutarou was reminiscing, Kii's laughter changed its tone. It was a soft laughter, with what sounded like sobs mixed in. And the light from the fire reflected off the tears running down her cheeks.

Kii was crying.

“What's wrong? Did it taste bad?”

Koutarou panicked and tasted his own soup, but the taste was alright.

Then why?

Confused, Koutarou looked at Kii. Despite tears running down her cheeks she had a calming smile.

“That's not it. It's good, it's really good. And I'm so happy...”

Kii shook her head as she said that. But even though she said she was happy, her tears weren't stopping.

“It's just... it's been a long time since I had such a good and happy dinner... so, so I... ehehe, I don't... understand either...”

Hearing her words, Koutarou could imagine what was going on in her mind.

I see... Kii-chan really misses her mother...

After losing her mother, Kii and her father misunderstanding each other was the final straw that caused her to run away from home. It had been quite a long time since she had been able to smile at the dinner table. It reminded her of the times when she had been happy. Just like when Koutarou was reminded of his everyday life, Kii was reminded of her time with her family. Since Koutarou had gone through a similar experience as her, he understood how she felt.

“B-But you know? I made up my mind! Hehe, w-when I grow up, I'll be able to cook! Uuuhhh, I'll learn to get as g-good, as Onii-chan...”

Kii became convinced that the best way to meet her mother again was through a delicious dinner and smiles at the dinner table.

After that, Koutarou and Kii discussed all kinds of things while eating. Though they had introduced themselves, they still barely knew anything about each other.

“By the way, what do you do, Onii-chan? Are you a cook?”

“If I was a cook, the meal would have tasted better.”

Kii had now stopped crying. Instead, she was now showing an even more affectionate and energetic smile towards Koutarou. Seeing that she had regained her smile, Koutarou felt happy. A child should always be smiling.

“That might be true. But Kii knows.”

“What?”

“Taste alone doesn't determine if a dish is delicious.”

Kii smiled and brought a kabob towards her mouth as she said that. She seemed to have taken a real liking to Koutarou's cooking, and while she cheerfully spoke, she chowed down on the food at a fearsome pace. She had already taken her second helpings of all the dishes.

“Onii-chan could become a cook.”

“Ahahaha, that's an honor. But I'm not a cook. I'm actually in the middle of a journey.”

“A journey? Is that thing where you go somewhere far away?”

Unfamiliar with the word, Kii tilted her head as she asked. In response, Koutarou gave her a firm nod.

“Yeah. To be more accurate, I've already finished my journey, and now I’m on my way to my hometown.”

“Hmm, so that would be around here?”

“That's about right.”

Koutarou kept his explanation vague; even if he told a six-year-old girl that he was returning to the future, she would only be confused. Just telling her that he was on his way to his hometown was the most comprehensible way to explain.

“A hometown is where you are born, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Going back to where you were born...”

After talking about hometowns, Kii began thinking of her own. However, Kii had ran away from there. She shook her head to chase the thoughts out of it and smiled at Koutarou again.

“So where did you come from, Onii-chan?”

“Hmm, that would be hard to explain, but...”

Koutarou racked his brain for a moment trying to come up with an answer for Kii's question. It was difficult explaining it to a six-year-old girl.

“What if I were to say, I came from an endless time and a countless distance.”

In the end, Koutarou answered in a theatrical tone and gesture. Seeing that, Kii's attention was brought away from what he had actually said to what he was doing, and she started to cheerfully laugh.

“Ahahaha, you're acting too cool, Onii-chan.”

“I actually thought the same thing.”

Koutarou smiled wryly.

I'm really not suited for acting... I'll have to retire after my next play...

After thinking that, Koutarou looked at Kii and dropped his shoulders.

“So where did you really come from?”

Kii understood that Koutarou's answer was a joke, and after the two of them had stopped laughing, she asked him again.

“From nearby. But getting there is a bit complicated, so I don't think you’d be able to reach it, Kii-chan.”

“Is it like a maze?”

“Yeah. But when you grow up, I bet it'll be really easy.”

“Hmm...”

Not quite sure if she understood it or not, Kii looked towards the city at the foot of the mountain. She could barely make out Harukaze city, and thanks to the headlights of cars passing by, she could see the roads all the way from where she was.

I could get lost...

Kii felt like she would get lost walking down the complexly intertwined roads. Satisfied, she looked back at Koutarou again.

“But, it's around here, right?”

“Yeah. Once I've taken a break here, I'll go home.”

Seeing Koutarou nod, Kii smiled.

“Fufufu, I see...”

“What is it?”

Kii seemed very happy.

Curious about why she was smiling, Koutarou asked her.

“No, it's nothing. It's a girl's secret.”

But Kii wouldn't answer him. She was hiding the reason behind her cheerful smile.

“Girls have a lot of those.”

At this moment, Kii looked just like the invading girls. It was the smile they'd show whenever they wanted to trouble him. So even though Koutarou's shoulders slightly dropped, he felt happy.

“Ehehe, a maiden's heart is an eternal mystery.”

Kii was smiling because she was thinking of what would happen after she had separated with Koutarou.

If he is from around here we will meet again...

Since Kii had promised that she would go back home after finding the star and watching the movie, they would eventually separate. But if she were to return to this town later for some business, she might meet him again. And that made her really happy.

Part 5

After finishing his own meal, Koutarou headed to Clan to give her some too.

Clan was still in the laboratory, working on getting them back to the present age. While staring at a hologram floating in the air, she quickly calculated something on the computer.

Koutarou set the dishes on a table intended for taking breaks. If he put it here, Clan would eat it while taking a break from her work. After setting down the dishes, he quickly headed towards the exit to not get in Clan's way.

“Thank you, Bertorion.”

“...I just hope you like it.”

That was all the two spoke before Koutarou left the room.

I just hope that Clan doesn't ruin her body...

Koutarou had seen Clan be serious several times before this. Like when she was desperately trying to treat the virus in Forthorthe, or when she was trying to freeze time for the first time. When she was serious, her expression got stiffer and she changed from a girl to a researcher. When she was like that, she would focus entirely on her research and ignore her own needs.

I can't leave her on her own, though for a different reason than Yurika...

While Clan was in her serious mode, Koutarou's job was to look after her health. He would give her as healthy a meal as possible and do housework like cleaning and washing. If he didn't, the Cradle would just end up as a mess. As a result, Koutarou was practically working as her attendant.

“I guess I'll clean up for now...”

Koutarou's next job was cleaning up after dinner. He would put out the fire and put the leftovers in the fridge. It was a plain, but important task. Koutarou rolled up his sleeves and left the Cradle again. Outside, he saw that Kii had dozed off next to the fire that had grown weaker.

“Zzz... Zzz...”

Kii was exhausted, having spent a lot of time walking around the mountain, and she had been very energetic the entire time. So after having a delicious dinner, all of the day's exhaustion hit her and she dozed off.

“Well, it's only natural...”

It must have been hard for a young girl like Kii, having run away from home after a fight with her father. Koutarou showed a small smile and reached out to Kii's body. In order to make sure that she didn't wake up while he was cleaning, he would put her to bed in the Cradle's living quarters first.

“Mmm... mom...”

However, just before he reached her, he stopped upon hearing the words she had spoken in her sleep. The next moment, Kii's expression changed into a sad one.

“Where... where are you... Kii is here...”

Kii's hand moved slightly as she spoke in her sleep. She was moving her hand in her dream, so her arm moved a little in reality as well.

“She's looking for her mom, even in her dreams...”

Because of what Kii had said in her sleep and her sad expression, Koutarou could imagine what she was dreaming of. She was wandering all alone in the dark forest.

“If only she could at least find her star... find her mother in her dream...”

Koutarou knew that Kii wouldn't find her mother's star in the real world. She would without a doubt never find it, and end up disappointed. Sadly, there was nothing Koutarou could do for her about that.

And now she was looking for that star in her dreams. She must know that she probably wouldn't find the star as well. That's why she couldn't find the star, her mother, in her dream. Koutarou found that incredibly sad. He wanted her wish to be fulfilled at least in her dreams.

“But, there's not much I can do when she's dreaming...”

He knew that Kii was sad. But he couldn't do anything. There was no way he could be of her help in her dreams.

“Something magical like that can't...”

Koutarou was overcome with helplessness. It was hard for him to watch a child crying while dreaming. Even more so since he knew it was his and Clan's fault that she was crying.

Wait, magical!?

However, that was when Koutarou found a solution in his own words. It was a revelation.

“That's right, magic! With magic I just might be able to help!”

Koutarou stared at a cane lying next to the fireplace. It was the cane called Encyclopedia that he had taken with him from Forthorthe. Using the magic from this cane, he might be able to be of Kii's help.

“No... that might be even better...”

Next, Koutarou looked towards the Cradle. A sword had been left in his room inside that ship. It was much more potent than the magical cane in front of him.

“I'm sure Signaltin would do it!”

It was a power intended to save people that he had gotten from Alaia. Using the sword imbued with Alaia's feelings, it would surely be more effective than the cane when it came to helping Kii. With that in his mind, Koutarou rushed inside the Cradle.

Part 6

Inside the dream, Kii herself wasn't aware that she was dreaming. She was wandering the mountain, created by her own desire, all alone.

“H-Huh? What, am I doing here...?”

A person's dream often starts without any connection. But most of the time, that abnormality goes by unnoticed. The person's ability to make decisions was hindered, and even more so in a world produced from one's own desires.

“That's right, I'm looking for mom!”

That was true for Kii as well. Without doubting why she was in the mountains on her own, she began to wander. Since deep down she wanted to continue looking for her mother, she didn't think it was strange that it really happened, and her last memories of eating dinner with Koutarou had slipped away. Dream worlds were irrational.

“Mom!! Where are you!?”

Kii combed through the dark mountain forest while calling for her mother. However, no one answered her calls.

“Where!? Where are you!! Kii is here!!”

Kii believed that the blue star that had fallen from the sky was her mother. But at the same time, she felt uneasy; she was worried that she might not find it, or that her mother hadn't noticed her. It could also be that the star wasn't her mother, but she didn't want to think about that.

Truth be told, today wasn't the first day that Kii had gone looking for her mother. She had done this many times before.

If she would hear a sound whenever she was all alone in her house. she would rush to find the source of it thinking her mother had returned, only to find that something had fallen off a shelf.

Or she might think she saw her mother's back, only to find that it was a completely different person when they turned around.

Kii's hopes had been betrayed like that many times before. It was very hard for a six-year-old girl to accept that her mother had passed away. Even though she knew, she couldn't help but look, even though she would only get disappointed. Something deep inside of her just couldn't accept the fact that she would never meet her mother again.

“Mom! Don't be mean! I want to see you!”

This time, Kii had seen a blue star falling down with her own eyes. Since it matched with what her mother had said, Kii was certain that this time she would find her. But even then she was uneasy, worried that the same thing might happen again.

“Mom... why... why won't you come meet me...?”

Her dreams made that uneasiness a reality as her surroundings grew darker. Her surroundings went silent, and she was alone. Despite her earnest wish, she became trapped in a nightmare.

“Can't you hear Kii's voice!? Or do you hate Kii now!?”

The night grew darker; she couldn't even hear her own footsteps. Kii's solitude grew stronger by the second, and it made her uneasiness worse. Which in turn made her dream worse. It was a vicious spiral.

“Come meet me, mom!! Kii has never stopped looking!!”

Kii desperately called for her mother. She was practically screaming by now. However, there was no response from the darkness. Kii's voice was absorbed by the darkness instead; the night absorbed her grief and grew darker, surrounding her. Before she knew it, her entire surroundings were pitch-black, and Kii was all alone.

“Mom!! Uuuuhhh, where am I!? Uaaa.... aa... I'm scared, mom!! Uuuuh, hurry, come save me!!”

Kii could only continue screaming. Her hopes had been betrayed once more, and silence was the only response she got when calling for her mother. She couldn't deal with the solitude, and her heart was breaking. That was why she had gotten into a fight with her father. Even though she wanted him to dote on her, she never got any warmth from him and ran away from home.

“Noo!! I don't want to be alone!! Mom, mom, uuuhhh, uuu, uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!”

Since Kii was so clever for her age, she bottled that solitude and sadness up inside of her, and while she hid it from others by smiling, she was crying on the inside.

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaa, uaaaaaa, uaaaaaaaaaaa!!”

And just as Kii was about to break from sadness in the darkness–

“So this is where you were, Kii-chan. I've been looking for you.”

She heard a nostalgic voice.

And her crying stopped immediately.

“Ah...?”

In the corner of Kii's view, she saw a blue light. It was a gentle and clear blue light. It had the same color as the falling star she had seen.

“M-Mom...?”

Kii slowly raised her head and turned towards the blue light with a spaced out look.

“It's been a long time, Kii-chan... I wanted to meet you...”

Kii had found her.

She had found her mother that she had been dying to meet again. She stood in front of Kii, wrapped in a blue light.

“Mom!! It's mom!! It really was mom!!”

Her mother had an energetic appearance and gentle smile, just like when she was alive. When Kii saw that, she began running towards her.

“Mom! I came to meet you just like I promised! I chased after a star to find you!”

And when she was right in front of her mother, she kicked off the ground with all her might. It was a jump at full force, convinced that her mother would catch her.

“My, my, that's dangerous, Kii-chan.”

“Mom!!”

Just like Kii had expected, her mother caught her in her arms.

She felt a nostalgic warmth and a gentle smell.

Kii was firmly holding onto to the person she had been looking for, and she would never let go again.

“Mom, mom!!”

“What's wrong, Kii-chan... you're more affectionate than usual?”

And the mother embraced Kii back. She could feel Kii's warmth, Kii's momentum when she had jumped into her and Kii's arms around her body, and when she felt that, tears formed in her eyes. Just like Kii had always wanted to meet her mother, her mother had always wanted to meet Kii.

Part 7

Using Signaltin, Koutarou had made a wish, 'I don't care how, I just want Kii to meet her mother, at least in her dream'. Because of that, he didn't actually know what Signaltin had done. All he knew was that a large amount of magical power that contained Alaia's presence had begun flowing out of the sword and into Kii.

“...Did it... work...?”

A few seconds after the magical power began flowing into Kii, her expression changed from one of sadness to a gentle smile. At the same time, her breathing slowed down, and he could sometimes hear laughter coming from her.

“Fufufu... mom... fufufu...”

“I see... you met your mother...”

Seeing Kii's smile and hearing her sleep talking, Koutarou sensed that he had succeeded. He then slowly returned Signaltin to its sheath in order to not wake her up.

Thank you, your majesty...

At the same time, he thanked Alaia. He had been able to restore Kii's peace of mind using Signaltin after his and Clan's arrival had dug up some sad memories. Since Koutarou wasn't sure if he could do the same using Encyclopedia, he couldn't keep himself from thanking Alaia.

“...I was looking for you with Onii-chan...”

“...Hahaha, do I have to make an appearance too?”

Koutarou smiled and decided to carry Kii to a bed inside the Cradle, like he had planned from the start. She would surely have a nicer dream in a fluffy bed, than outside.

“Hm?”

And while Koutarou was reaching out to Kii–

A person's presence?

Koutarou sensed someone's presence and turned to look behind him.

“...”

A lone girl was standing a few meters behind him. Based on her appearance, the small girl looked to be around ten years old. She was wearing some school's uniform and she was gazing at Koutarou.

Why would a girl be out here at this time of the hour?

It was already past midnight. Disregarding Kii who had run away from home, it was far too late for a girl to be walking around alone. Her being here was very strange.

“...What are you doing out here at this time?”

Koutarou asked the girl. The girl looked to be older than Kii, but like he had done with Kii, he would talk to the girl and get her to go home.

“I'm looking for someone.”

The girl answered indifferently, without a change in expression.

“Someone?”

“I thought it might have been you, but I was wrong.”

“Is that so. But it's already late, so you should stop looking and go home.”

Based on how the girl was acting, Koutarou believed that she might be quite mature for her age. He felt a mature presence like he had with Alaia.

“I'll do just that.”

The girl nodded and spun around, showing Koutarou her back, and proceeded to walk away.

What a strange girl...

Koutarou thought that as he looked at the girl walking away.

The girl had clear and earnest eyes. He could feel a strong intention, contrasting her youthful appearance. Koutarou had met several girls like that before, but this was the first time he had seen them on a girl this young.

And she had appeared in the middle of a mountain forest at night. It didn't look like she had ran away from home like Kii, so Koutarou found it very mysterious.

“That's right, there's one thing I want you to tell me.”

Just before she was about to vanish into the darkness, the girl stopped and turned around to look at Koutarou. And those earnest eyes of hers gazed upon him.

It's like she has her majesty Alaia's calmness and Flair's sense of duty...

Koutarou felt a strange sensation as the girl's powerful gaze stared through him. He felt it was bizarre that he could feel that from a girl around ten years old.

“You... what were you doing to that girl with that sword?”

“Wha...”

The girl's question greatly shook Koutarou. He found himself at a loss for words as his heart skipped a beat.

Did she see me!?

Koutarou finally understood why the girl had appeared in front of her. She had come to confirm why he had been pointing his sword at Kii.

What does she want to know... what should I answer her...?

Koutarou began hesitating.

She probably wouldn't believe him if he said that he had been casting a spell on Kii. And based on her behavior and way of talking, he probably couldn't hide it with a half-assed excuse. He also didn't want to say something bad and get the police called over.

Gathering his thoughts, Koutarou decided to tell her some degree of the truth, though leaving magic out of it. If he didn't he wouldn't be able to convince her. Koutarou took a deep breath to calm down and carefully chose his words as he answered her.

“...This girl just lost her mother. She was having a nightmare, so I was casting a charm on her with this sword. Apparently, this weapon had that kind of power.”

Pretty much everything he had said had been the truth. He had hidden the part about magic, so this was as realistic he could get it. A charm would be easier to understand than a spell.

“I see... then it looks like the charm worked. She looks like she's having a nice dream.”

Saying that, the girl smiled for the first time. It might have been because she had a serious expression the entire time, but Koutarou felt like the girl's smile was extremely gentle.

“...Children have the right to have good dreams.”

“I agree.”

Still smiling, the girl nodded and turn away from Koutarou again.

“Well then.”

“Yeah.”

With those few words as her good bye, the girl left and disappeared into the darkness.

She really was a strange girl...

Though they hadn't spoken a lot, Koutarou felt like he could believe in the girl. She was a mysterious girl that naturally made him feel that way.

“Damn, I forgot to ask her name...”

The name and goal of the girl that had suddenly appeared in front of him remained a mystery.

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