Huh? I'm tired.

　That night, Solstice rubbed my shoulder and returned to the house assigned to us in the 'Pioneer Village and Base'.

'Welcome home,'
Thank you for your service, Sol.

　We greeted the girl.

　Solstice has been healing people who were injured in the daytime battle, along with other users of recovery magic, until now.

　Poof.

　A girl collapses onto the slump of her bed.

''Anyway, we didn't have any dead people this time~''

　He said.

(Oh, good.)

　Soltis said there were more than 50 people injured this time around.

　Some of them badly hurt.

There are several other skilled recovery wizards in here besides me~

　That's why he survived.

(That's right, an elite group of chosen "pioneers.")

　Incidentally, they brought medicines and medical equipment with them, and the doctors were there, but they weren't on hand this time.

Medicines are finite, you know.

　And, Illtimina-san.

　That's exactly what they plan to use in an emergency situation where there aren't enough people to use recovery magic, or they all run out of magic power.

　........I hope that such a situation doesn't come.

　Firs, firs, firs, firs.

Oh, it's working.
..........

　I noticed that Po-chan was silently rubbing Solstice's slumped shoulders and waist.

　You're so sweet, Poe.

　Solstice seems to feel very comfortable.

　Iltimina-san and I couldn't help but laugh.

　And.

'Huh?　Speaking of which, where's the quilt?

　The girl finally seems to realize that Mr. Kilt is not here,

　I say.

'Headquarters. The four delegates are talking to each other.

　And I haven't left yet.

　Solstice looks surprised, "Oh, yeah.

　I looked out the window.

It's almost night.

　I muttered.

(Yeah....)

'After the daytime demon incident, you know. He's probably struggling with his future plans.

　That's what Mr. Illtimina said.

　I also remember those black demons.

　Big monkey-like black furry demons with human masks.

(...they were strong, weren't they?)

　I think so.

　The ridiculous grip, the rocky palms that play the blade, and the tremendous physical ability.

　..................

　Illtimina-san says.

''Honestly, I think there's still some way to deal with one of them, but it's hard to deal with a group of them coming in that many.

　Yeah, I know.

　In the end, there were almost 200 bodies against us.

　There were 400 of us, the Pioneers.　

　And 250 of us were exploring.

(Even I can see that it's not a good idea to go head to head with them.)

　The Dark Continent after all, it doesn't look like it will be so easy.

"..........

　It's only day 4 and what's going to happen now?

　Suddenly, I look out the window at the night sky.

　The red and white moon, which has not changed even on the Albac continent - while looking up at it, I let out a short sigh in my heart.


　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇.


　It was an hour later that Mr. Kilt returned.

'What's that, then? You weren't asleep yet?

　Mr. Kilt walked into the base house and looked surprised to find the four of us awake.

　I said.

'I couldn't sleep because I was wondering what was going to happen now.　　

　The other three nodded.

　Mr. Kilt chuckled, "I see," he said.

　Then, with a heavy motion, he sat down on his own bed.

　One long exhale.

(............)

　I looked at her and I thought.

Welcome back, Mr. Kilt. Thank you for staying late.

　I called out to him.

　Mr. Kilt looks surprised again.

　Then he laughs.

I'm home.

　I crumpled my hair and stroked it roughly.

　Illtimina-san's eyes narrowed gently at us, too.

　But she quickly returned her expression to

So, have you decided what you're going to do?
Mm, sort of.

　Mr. Kilt nodded.

'As a matter of fact, I just finished deciphering the 'Voyage Log' that I found on the 'Third Frontier' ship that was wrecked on the beach.

　Well, the ship's log.

I couldn't read much of it due to the damage, but I did find something else of interest.
A statement of concern?

　I ask, parroting back.

　Mr. Kilt's eyes look around at the four of us.

'It's the presence of the ruins,'

　I said.

(Ruins...?)

　Then Mr. Kilt told me.

　According to the voyage log, the "Third Frontier Group" also started their search from this place 30 years ago.

　Naturally, they encountered that "black monster".

"I heard that the 'Third Frontier' was called the 'Black Ape'.

　The Black Great Ape........

　And I heard that even in the battle 30 years ago, the "Third Pioneer Group" was defeated before the "Black Great Ape".

(Just like us.)

　After that, they too changed the course of their search.

　They gave up the search for the forest across the river, which led to the southern mountains, and instead of crossing the river, they took a course from the sandy beach to the forest to the east.

''The eastern forest?''
"Mm.

　According to a survey at the time, the Black Great Ape's main habitat was on the other side of the river, and in the area before the river, the number of sightings was low.

(Huh, really?)

The "Third Frontier" proceeded to search in a southeasterly direction, bypassing the southern mountain range to a large extent.

　And

They have discovered the remains of an unknown civilization in those woods.
!

　Kilt's words startled us.

　A curious Solstice leaned out of bed.

'What do you mean, an unknown civilization!

　Mr. Kilt replies.

''It is what it means. Apparently there was a civilization different from the ancient Thanatos Magical Dynasty as known to the wanderers, and the remains of that civilization.
A different civilization than Thanatos!

　I didn't think there was such a mysterious civilization in the Dark Continent....

　This is amazing.

(I'm starting to get a little nervous too, now, aren't I?)

　Solstice is also snorting with excitement, her eyes sparkling with excitement. At any moment, he's going to run off into the forest at night to find those ruins.

'Calm down, then.'

　Mr. Kilts chuckles at the state of the two of us.

　Then I heard that the Third Settlers investigated the ruins and headed further southeast into the forest, but

The account in the logbook stops there.

　Ohhh.

　Me and Solstice are bummed.

　We both get down on all fours on the bed and fall into a depression.

　Pom, pom, pom.

　An expressionless Poe tapped us on the shoulder as if to comfort us.

　And Mr. Quilt.

The damage to the logbook is quite extensive. Unfortunately, we don't know anything about it.

　And so it went on.

(Terrible no... this is killing me alive, right?)

　I cried inside.

　Solstice was the same way.

　The mature Illtimina-san looked at Kilt with a calm expression.

''So your plan for the future is to discover those ruins?''

　with a bang

　Me and Solstice looked up.

　Mr. Kilt nodded.

''Mm. I have no information on the 'divine spirit stone' at present. If that's the case, I thought it would be a good idea to follow in the footsteps of the 'Third Frontier' for a while.
Yeah!
I think it's very nice!

　I nodded widely, repeatedly.

　Mr. Kilt chuckles.

　Then he stares straight into my face with those golden eyes.

'Merle,'
Hmm?
You really think that's a good idea?

　Serious voice.

(???)

　I nodded.

'Yeah. I think it's fine, but...
..........
..........
Okay.

　Checking my expression, she nodded.

　Um...?

"Quilt?

　As if wondering, Illtimina-san also asked.

　Noticing our gaze, Kirto-san laughed.

'What? I was just checking.

　Have you checked...?

''Call it a 'divine intuition,' if you will, Marle has attracted and paved the way for many destinies in the past. Hence, I wanted to make sure that Marle would approve of this policy as well.

　All eyes are on me alone.

(.............)

　Eh ... wait a minute?

What, that's a big responsibility!

　I panicked.

　Kilt laughed and Iltimina nodded her head in agreement, as if to say, "I see." for some reason.

　Solstice was.

Hmm?　If this keeps you away from looking for the 'Divine Spirit Stone', then it's Marle's fault.

　And he says it like it's someone else's business.

　Pom Pom.

　Poe tapped me on the shoulder again, as if to comfort me.

'............'

　I don't know, really.

　I was feeling a little overwhelmed, but Mr. Quilt laughed at me, as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

Good. We have an early start tomorrow. Everybody get some sleep tonight.
Yes, sir.
Yeah.
.......................

　The three of us reply cheerfully.

　I'm a little late.

Yes.

　I replied emphatically.

　Then we turned out the light and went to sleep.

　I'm Illtimina's hug pillow, as usual.

　A sweet smell.

　The softness of our bodies against each other.

　And then.

'It's all right. Marle just has to follow her heart and that's all that matters.　

　Suddenly, he whispered that into my ear.

(...yes...)

　The gentleness of it soothed my heart and lightened it somehow.

　As it was, I closed my eyelids.

Thank you, Illtimina. Good night.
"Yes, good night, Merle.

　--The fourth night after coming to the Dark Continent, it passed peacefully like this.