The day after Anastasia and Fana stayed at Marina's... after breakfast, Ray took Seto, Anastasia and Fana to the forest of Trent.
　...and there was a slight awkward or sweet and sour atmosphere between Ray and Elena at breakfast, but no one pointed it out.
　Bune knew the atmosphere was strange, but I don't know why.
　Emotions about love may not have developed yet.
　Those who knew the rest of the situation looked at Ray and Elena warmly.
　Anastasia and Fana didn't understand at first, but if they spent breakfast together, they would have understood why.
　Anastasia gave Ray and Elena a warm look, and Fana didn't do anything to Ray or Elena, especially because of her shyness.

"Well, Ray's going to do it, too. No way, with such a beautiful woman..."
"I don't mind being curious, but please do your research well."

　I didn't mention the name Whisp directly because it was in the city of Gilm, but I guess he understood Ray's point. Anastasia smiles confidently, asking him to leave it to me.

"There's Hwana, so it's pretty good,"
"I'll do my best."

　When she concentrated on one thing, she lost all attention to everything else, but Fana was tasked with bringing those things back to life... or bringing them back to this world.
　For Fana, she knew full well what Anastasia had to do with her longtime acquaintances.
　That's why, given the current situation, I believe, I have to take good care of Anastasia as an assistant.
　...and, of course, I'm very interested in Whisp, who I've heard from Anastasia.
　Whisp is capable of transferring various objects and people from another world to this world.
　The first time I heard the story, I couldn't believe it honestly, even in the words of my esteemed Anastasia.
　I looked at her under the mask with suspicion, which she saw through and scolded, and when I saw her, I realized that such a wish really existed.
　Of course, you can't be sure until you see it with your own eyes.
　So, as they spoke, they came out of the guillem and found themselves on their way to the forest of Trent.
　...but not on Seto's back, but on foot.
　Given the size of Seto, it's not impossible for Ray, Anastasia, and Fana to ride together.
　I actually thought about doing that at first, but...Fana couldn't stand Seto's speed.
　It doesn't mean exactly that he's out of touch with the speed, but that Seto's speed was too fast for Fana to bear the fear.
　As for Ray, running and flying on a set have been countless times, and I don't know if it's influenced by the fact that he's been made by the zepiles. I don't know about that, but for the time being, Ray doesn't seem to care about it.
　At any rate, we were walking slowly alone towards the forest of Trent.

"It's not bad to walk slowly like this once in a while."
"Glu?"

　At Ray's words, Seto bends his head, asking, "Is that so?"
　...as I tilt my head, I'm getting closer to the yellow flowers that are blooming a little further away.
　Seto didn't seem to particularly agree with Ray's words, but as far as I could see, he definitely walked... yes, he seemed to enjoy a walk.

"Well, I don't think it's bad, but I'd like to do some research soon. I've brought some of the tools."

　Frustratedly, Anastasia says so.
　Ray's Mistilling contains a variety of inspection instruments that Anastasia has now brought from her room in the evening Wheat House.
　However, since Anastasia didn't come to Gilm to do any research, most of the inspection tools I brought were simple and easy to carry around.
　What's missing is the inspection equipment Fana brought from her house, which is naturally in the mistling.

"Don't say so. Now, I see the forest of Trent, and you've got a lot to think about while looking at it."
"Really? Well, it's rare to say so, but if you think about it, the presence of Whisp underground in the forest of Trent may be another world."
"Ah... there's a possibility, but what do you think?"

　Ray tells Anastasia's predictions with a subtle expression that he agrees with, says otherwise.
　Being directly involved in this Trent forest affair, Ray did not think Anastasia's prediction was completely wrong.

"The monsters that came out in the forest of Trent had magical stones... ...of course, they told me that monsters in the Zozo world had magical stones, so I can't say what to do about it."

　It remains to be seen how many worlds that Whisp can be summoned from.
　The world where the zozos were, and the world where monsters without magical stones exist.
　There is a possibility that these two worlds alone could be summoned from the rest of the world, and the possibility that they summoned the Forest of Trent from such a world is not wrong.

"Leave it to me. I'll look into that area. Well, now that I think about it, I'm glad I came to Gillum. I could thank Father Skebe."
"... Father Skebe?"

　Ray doubts Anastasia's words.
　However, from Anastasia's words, I could have guessed and at the same time understood that he had come to Gilm because of his father.
　Anastasia is an intellectual beauty.
　As such a beautiful woman, I would like to make use of her position, property, and many other things to get to know her... more specifically, some people might want to have her.
　Contrary to her beauty, her breasts are in a situation worthy of being called the Great Plains.
　But if you're going to have a beautiful woman like Anastasia, many people won't care about her breasts.

"I had a moment in the royal capital. Anyway, it's amazing that I've come across such a wonderful subject of research."

　As they walk along like that, they finally reach the forest of Trent.
　As I did yesterday, I went to the middle of it, avoiding encounters with woodcutters and adventurers.

"Wow!"

　Fanah's mouth gives a cry of surprise when the entrance to the underground space is exposed.
　Fana probably didn't expect to see a scene like this.
　It's a familiar sight for Ray.
　For Anastasia, I'm a little used to it, but I'm still amazed at Marina's magic skills.
　Speaking to Marina yesterday, I noticed a lot of things.
　It's like an eye‐to‐eye scale.
　At least, Anastasia itself had enough response to believe that she had improved in her spiritual magic skills.

"It's going to go inside, right? Is it really okay?"
"Grull".
"Oh, my gosh.

　It wasn't Ray or Anastasia who answered Fana's words, but Seto.
　...because of the narrowness of the entrances and passages, Sett has never been to underground space.
　Still, Seto calls out, "It's all right because Ray's in there so many times."
　Unfortunately, Fanah couldn't understand the meaning of Seto's cry.
　scream in horror
　Anastasia opens her mouth with a touch of amazement at her appearance.

"Here we go. We're going to be busy today. We can't waste our time here."
"Oh, wow, I see. I see. Don't pull me."

　With Fana's hand pulled, Anastasia disappears into the basement.
　Watching it, Seto chants regretfully at the fact that she was scared by Fana and, above all, at having to stay here alone.
　Ray caressed her encouragingly and went into the underpass.





"Wow, wow, wow, wow."

　When Ray arrived in the underground space, Fanah muttered back and forth in the underground space as if it were a broken record... ...though Ray had never heard the record, even though it was broken.

"I think you were quite pleased,"
「あ」

　嬉しそうに走り回っていたファナは、レイの言葉で我に返る.
　今の自分が一体何をしていたのかというのを、はっきりと理解してしまったのだ.

「えっと、その……はい. こんな場所は初めて見ましたし、あんなウィスプも初めて見たので」

　照れ臭そうな声を発しながら告げるファナ.
　恐らく顔を赤く染めているのだろうというのは予想出来たが、仮面を被っている今の状況では、それを確認することは出来ない.

「それで、アナスタシアは……いや、聞くまでもないか」

　ウィスプの方に視線を向ければ、そこにはじっとウィスプを観察しているアナスタシアの姿がある.
　かなり集中しているのは、それこそアナスタシアのことをそれ程知らないレイであっても、すぐに分かった.
　だが……と、ふとした疑問を抱く.
　昨日もじっとウィスプを観察していたのに、ここでまた観察するのに意味はあるのかと.
　レイが見た限りでは、ウィスプは昨日とどこか変わったようには思えない.
　だというのに、アナスタシアはじっと……それこそ、視線でウィスプに穴が空いてもおかしくはない様子で見つめている.

「ファナ、そろそろアナスタシアに声を掛けた方がいいじゃないか？」
「いえ、あのくらいならまだ大丈夫です. 声を掛けてこちらの世界に戻すのは、もっと時間が経ってからになります」
「そうなのか？」

　レイにしてみれば、とても信じられないことではあった.
　だが、アナスタシアと親しいファナがそう言うのであれば、その言葉には納得するしかない.
　ファナの様子を見ても、仮面を被っているので表情は分からない.
　ファナの方がアナスタシアについては詳しいのだから、レイがここで何かを言うよりも、ファナに任せておいた方がいいのは間違いなかった.

（なら、俺はちょっと周囲の様子でも……増えてるな）

　増えていると表現したのは、何故かレイだけに分かる魔力の存在.
　アナスタシアが来るからということで、グリムのやっている実験を見つからないようにして貰っているのだが、何故かレイはそれを見つけることが出来た.
　その見つけることが出来た魔力の数が、昨日来た時に比べて間違いなく多くなっているのだ.

（うわぁ……グリム、ここぞとばかりに……見つからないといいんだけどな）

　地面にある魔力の数の多さを考えると、それこそアナスタシアやファナに見つからないかと不安になる.
　マジックアイテムや宝石といったようなグリムが置いている物は、あくまでも見えなくしているだけであって、実際にそこに存在しているのだ.
　であれば、もし何らかの偶然でそこにある物に触れてしまえば、見えなくてもそこに何かがあると知られてしまう可能性は十分にあった.
　何かがあるとファナが知ればアナスタシアに当然のように知らせるだろう.
　そしてアナスタシアがそれを知れば、これもまた当然のようにそれを拾ったりといったことをする筈だった.

（グリムに、危険だって言った方がいいのか？　いや、そもそもの話、グリムだってそのくらいのことは当然予想している筈だろうし）

　あるいは、グリムはアナスタシア達が地面の上に置かれている様々な物に気が付くのを前提として、置いているのではないか.
　ふと、レイはそんな風に思う.
　とはいえ、それが何を狙ってのことなのか分からない以上、レイとしても自分の予想――というか思いつき――が当たっているかどうかは、分からなかったが.

「アナスタシアさん、アナスタシアさん」

　レイがグリムについて考えている間に、ファナから見てアナスタシアの集中力が限界に達したのだろう.
　声を掛けて我に戻している様子が、レイの目に入ってきた.