Shirone in my dream

　I walk into the self-serving Kroki's room.

'Hello? You're still sleeping, Kroki.

　I mutter to myself as I step into the room.
　Sure enough, Kroki is still asleep.
　It's already eight in the morning.
　Even though it's a holiday, isn't he sleeping too much?
　This is unusual.
　Kuroki is rather regular in his life.
　That's why he often gets up early, even on his days off.
　However, today is the only time he's slept in.
　What could this mean? Well, good, we just need to get you up.
　I approach the bed.
　Perhaps because it is summer, Kroki is sleeping in just a shirt and trunks.
　The towel is off, revealing Kuroki's well-trained arms.
　It looks like he's worked out again.
　He was very disappointed that he lost to Rage-kun.
　And it makes me frustrated too.

'I used to be stronger than you. ......

　I was better than Kroki in everything I did.
　I remember how many times I made Kuroki cry because I was better than him at sword, running and tree climbing.
　But if I had a match with Kroki now, I would lose.
　That's very frustrating.
　Kuroki the crybaby is gone. And that makes me miss him a little.

Don't grow up without me at all: ......

　I have never been able to appreciate Kroki's growth.
　In my mind, Kroki will always be a little boy.
　Then I look at Kroki's lower half.
　Kroki's growing thing is sticking out of his trunks because it can't fit.
　It won't have to grow, especially here. It is too much growth. It's not pretty.
　That's what I'm thinking about.
　Now, let's get him up.

You son of a b*tc*! Kuroki! Wake up!

　I shake Kroki.
　But Kroki shows no signs of waking up.
　I promised to go shopping today.
　I'm going to buy a swimsuit to go to Rage-kun's villa.
　Chiyuki and a beautiful woman named Kyouka are going with me.
　I want to buy a swimsuit that I won't be embarrassed about.

'Hey Kuroki! Get up now! If you buy a bathing suit, I'll show you later!

　Kuroki's lower half of his body jerks as I say this.
　Then Kroki suddenly opens his eyes.

'Good morning! White! It sounded like you said you were going to show me your swimsuit now, is that true?

　I almost squirm.
　After all, Kroki hasn't grown up.
　This part of him has never changed.

''It can't be! What are you talking about? Totally! Look! Get up now!

　I let out a sigh.
　At first I was going to show it to him at all, but Kuroki is so naughty that I've lost the urge to do so.
　Kroki is slumped on the bed.
　When is he going to wake up?
　Hmm? Wake up?
　So, something stuck with me.
　I felt like it had to be me, not Kuroki, that had to wake up.
　I hear a voice calling me from a distance.
　This voice is Chiyuki's voice.
　Other than that, Rage-kun, Sahoko-san, Reno-chan, Nao-chan, Kyouka-san and Kaya-san are also calling my name.
　Ah yes, .......
　I have to wake up.
　My consciousness becomes a little clearer.
　When I wake up, I see a white ceiling.
　This is not my room in Japan.
　It's my room in another world.
　Nearby, Chiyuki-san is peering into my face, looking worried.

''Shirone-san! Good, you're awake!

　Chiyuki is looking at me with teary eyes.

'What's wrong? Mr. Chiyuki? What's going on?

　Hearing this, Chiyuki-san makes a gasping face.

''What? ......, Shirone! You were poisoned by the Scorpion God! I've been asleep! We were all so worried about you!

　I'm surprised by that statement.
　Come to think of it, I don't remember what happened after we fought at the Castle of the Sweets.

'You're right. 'Yes, Sirone. I was worried that even though we administered the antidote to the water magic, she didn't wake up fast enough. But I'm glad you're awake.

　Rage, you look relieved.
　Everyone else looks relieved as well.
　Apparently, I've caused everyone to worry.

''About that antidote, Rage-sama and Chiyuki-sama had to go to Gypseal to make the antidote. It seems it was quite difficult.

　Kaya adds.
　'If that's the case, then I've been saved by both of you.

''That's right. Thank you, Reiji-kun and Chiyuki-san.

　When I say that, Rage-kun gets a troubled look on his face.
　In contrast, Reno beside her is smirking meaningfully.

'Hmmm. To tell you the truth, Shirone. I was able to obtain the antidote, you know. It's thanks to Shirone-san's childhood friend.

　Reno says happily.
　I nod my head at her words.

'What's your childhood friend? Kuroki?

　What does that mean?
　Wasn't it Reigi-kun and Chiyuki-san who went to get the antidote for me?

Sirone. That's it: ......

　Nao explains to me.
　I don't know where he found out about my fall, but apparently Kuroki was working to get the antidote apart from Reigi-kun and Chiyuki-san.
　Then he fought the Scorpion God who stabbed me and tore his tail off.

'Yeah. Kuroki did it for me: ......

　It warms my heart that Kuroki has acted on my behalf.

'Good for you. Sirone.

　Sahoko-san, who has a big belly, says to me with a few tears in her eyes.
　Sahoko-san is very happy for me, as if it were her own.
　It makes me happy too.

'Thank you, Sahoko-san. Sahoko-san.

　Kroki did his best to help me.
　After all, Kroki is kind.
　That Kroki is not here. I'm very sorry about that.

"Hey, Kaya. It seems that Kroki is just as good a man as I thought. I don't think he's the beast you think he is. I'd love for you to come to us.

　Kyouka nodded yes.
　I don't know about the beast and all that, but I agree that Kroki is coming to us.

''My lady. It is true that that one saved Shirone-sama. But the beast in that one is absolutely dangerous. I am against welcoming him.

　Kaya disagrees with Kyoka.
　This is very unusual.
　What happened to me while I was asleep?

'Kaya. Kuroki may be naughty at times, but he's not dangerous. I'll make sure of that. Hey, don't you think so too, Chiyuki?

　I look at Chiyuki.
　Kuroki worked hard to save me. Chiyuki-san, who was watching the situation, would understand.
　However, a ray of sweat runs down Chiyuki-san's cheek.

'Well, it's true that his beast might be dangerous ....... Brulelun or something like that .......''

　Chiyuki-san makes a very confused face and agrees with Kaya-san.
　Everyone else who heard her words also looked surprised.
　I'm sure everyone else was also surprised.
　Chiyuki-san agreed with me about getting Kuroki back before.
　So what does that mean?

Hey, Mr. Chiyuki?　What's going on?　You agreed to bring Kroki back before, didn't you?　What's going on?　What's Burlun?

　I get up and stand in front of Chiyuki-san.
　But Chiyuki-san awkwardly turns her eyes away.

'No ....... What can I say, ....... He's coming here, you know, a little too exciting for me, or maybe .......
Bye!　I don't know!　Mr. Chiyuki! What happened?!

　I put my hand on Chiyuki's shoulder.
　However, Chiyuki-san did not answer me with her eyes turned away.





Tona, the goddess of knowledge and books

Welcome. My girls.

　My mother, Feria, smiles at us.
　Raina and I are sitting in front of her in the Heavenly Palace in Elyos.
　Tea and sweets are laid out in front of us.
　The sweets are lovely and full of cherries.
　They go well with the rose tea, which also has a nice aroma.

What's wrong with you today, sir? Lady Feriah?

　Raina asks with a graceful laugh.
　What's certainly going on?
　As I was in the storeroom as usual, my mother's messenger suddenly arrived.
　They said that my mother was calling me, after all.
　If you don't listen to them, the rest is a problem, so I reluctantly decided to go out.
　When I arrived at the Palace of Heaven, Raina had just arrived as well.
　I was surprised by that.
　I didn't expect Raina to be invited along with me.

Actually, you see, Tona and Raina. I just received word from Fana that Toles is awake. It's also thanks to you. We called you here today to pay tribute to that merit.

　My mother laughs at that.

'Yes, your brother woke up ....... 'Good,'

　I'm relieved.
　That's my sister.
　My sister Phanakea is the goddess of medicine and herbs.
　She may not be as good as the great witch Herukert, but she's still very skilled.
　If you have the right ingredients, you can make an antidote.

It's all thanks to you. Thank you.

　He tilts his head slightly at his mother's words.
　She doesn't seem to know that I had the help of Kroki, who is of Nargol.
　It seems that Raina did not tell him about me and Kroki.
　What does she mean by that?
　Well, it seems that Raina also used Kuroki to save the brave men of light, so I'm not going to be blamed for my actions.
　Maybe Raina didn't tell her mother because of that past, too.

''No, Feria-sama. I only helped her a little at the end. I didn't do anything worthy of praise.''

　Raina says humbly.
　'Totally good at playing nice in front of my mother.

'No, Raina. 'No, Raina, I heard you were worried about Tona and rushed to her, didn't you? So the rumors that they were not getting along were different. I was very relieved.

　My mother seems very happy.
　Me and Raina don't get along with each other, but as expected, we are very quiet in front of my mother.
　That's why my mother doesn't know how close Raina and I really are.

You are sisters. You care for each other, and if there are hardships, you work together to face them. That's how it should be.

　My mother looks at me and Raina as she sips her tea.
　I can't help but look at Lena's face.
　Raina has a subtle look on her face. I'm sure I have the same subtle look on my face as well.
　I'm troubled by the fact that we are called sisters.

''Hmph, surely you two are connected in a deep way. Perhaps you will fall in love with the same Highness.

　My mother says happily as she eats her candy.
　I almost shouted, "No, I don't.
　I will never like the brave man of light.
　It is true that he is a ridiculously beautiful figure.
　But for me, I prefer Kuroki.
　It's Kroki that I love.
　And Kroki has won him over, the lover of Lena.
　The man I love has beaten the man Lena loves.
　And I rejoice in that.
　I feel bad that I'm taking advantage of Kroki. But I couldn't stop this thought.
　I must have a bad character.
　I can't laugh at the black-hearted Reena.
　Gently I touch her lower belly.
　Thinking about Kuroki gives me a warm feeling.
　I think back to the night of the gypseal, which was a bit of a tough one.
　Gently, I look at Raina sideways, and she's looking at me, too.
　Their eyes were somewhat quizzical.




The black-haired wise man Chiyuki.

　I managed to escape Sirone's pursuit and I am in the archives.
　There's no way I can explain Brulrunn.
　I'll stay here for a while.
　Then I decide to organize the information I've gathered until the antidote arrives.
　In my hand, I have the material from Gypseal that I gathered through the magic of copying.
　I read it and let out a sigh.

''What's the matter, Chiyuki-san? Letting out a sigh?
What the hell?

　I can't help but shout out as I'm suddenly approached from behind.
　Before I know it, Nao is behind me.

'Hey, Nao-san? What are you doing here? Since when?
It's been a while. More than that? What's going on? What were you reading and letting out a sigh?

　Nao looks at the material in my hand.

Oh, this. I had some doubts about this, so I gathered up some materials and found that they were getting more and more confusing. So I just let out a sigh.
Is this what you're wondering about?
Yes. Like, for example, the Gypsial thing. I didn't see any specific mention of them in the mythology of St. Renaria, so I had to look them up.

　There is no mention of Gypseal in the myths I have researched in the archives of the St. Renarian Republic.
　So I gathered the material from the Gypsies.

So, how did it go?
'The result was just a headache. According to Gypsir's mythology, this world was created by the brother and sister gods of Ushalus and Sekhmetra. And I didn't see any mention of the Demon King Modes in Raina or the God King Odis at all.

　Nao looks surprised when I say this.

'It's a bit of a contradiction, isn't it? As I recall, wasn't it the gods of Elyos who created this world? What do you mean by that?
'I'd like to hear that. I've asked Ishtia about that, and she says she created this world. I don't know if she's serious or not, though.

　I think back to my conversation with Ishtia and hold my head up.
　She doesn't take the past seriously, as if she doesn't care about it in the first place.
　To begin with, Ishtia is said to be the goddess of falsehoods.
　I guess the truth doesn't matter as long as it's interesting.

It's a good idea to talk about it with Reno-chan next time. I'm sure Reno would know if it's a lie or not.

　He shook his head at Nao's words.

'I've thought about that, but if she uses the magic of falsehoods, even Reno can't help me. In fact, she could do it.''

　Among the benefits that the Ishtia congregation gets is the blessing of falsehood.
　There is no reason why she, the person herself, cannot use that magic.
　When you use the magic of falsehoods, you can cheat your lie-sensing.
　In this case, if Lino's magic power is higher than Ishtia's, he can detect a lie, but Ishtia's magic power seems to be high.
　Even Reno's lie-sensing ability might not help.

'I really don't know what to believe, do I?
Really. ......

　Nao is right.
　We each talk about what we want to do.
　I've read a novel called "In the bush" and that's exactly what it is.
　It's difficult to grasp the truth because each of them is so contradictory and complex.

The only thing we can do now is to make a steady study of the situation and make a selection of information.
Well, that's what it comes down to, isn't it?

　Me and Nao let out a sigh together.

'Yeah, right. Speaking of not knowing, there's another one.

　Nao clapped her hands together as she remembered.

'What I don't understand? What's that?

　Is there anything more?

What's a burleen? Actually, Sirone asked me to go and ask her.

　Hearing this, I slid off my chair.



Raina, the goddess of wisdom and victory.

　From Tiangong to my room, I return to my room.
　In the end, I didn't let Feria-sama know about Kuroki and Totona's relationship.
　Because that would have meant that I would have also saved Rage with the help of Kuroki.
　And I'm not going to admit that Kuroki and Totona are close.
　So I'm not going to say anything.
　Besides, there's no way that cowardly Totona could have done something so bold. That's why there was nothing to say.
　I tell myself that.

'Ma!'

　When I enter the room, Kouki toddles over and clings to my leg.

'Welcome back, Lady Raina. Apparently, she's noticed you're coming back.

　We get a report from Denebola, the war maiden who was taking care of Kouki.
　Kouki is getting bigger and bigger.
　It will be difficult to raise him in my palace as it is.
　I want to keep Kouki's existence as secret as possible.
　I feel sorry for him, but he needs to be kept in a safe place.
　But where do we put him?
　You're with your father, Kroki? No, you can't! Kouki becomes the Dark Knight.
　Where would you go then?

So that's it.

　A human country called Eldo or something like that, built by Rage and Chiyuki.
　I will leave it in my temple that was built there.
　Koki, who is my blood, has power. As such, it stands out in the land of ordinary humans.
　But it would not be noticeable on the side of Rage and the others who are equally powerful.
　Thinking about this, I held Kouki in my arms.
　You will find a happy face on Kouki.

'Kouki. You're a strong boy, you can put up with it. Be a fine knight to protect your mother.

　Then he smiled at Kouki.