The black gate that had been glowing white lost its luster as soon as Tsutomu entered and returned to its normal state. The two of them were unable to move in that state for a while, as their tears prevented them from seeing much of that scene, too.

　Then Amy looked at the mysterious paper that was left as if she was clinging to it, but its contents were just there, unchanged.


''I'm going home. If we stay too long it will only make us suspicious.


　And Garum, who was the first to return from his grief, called out to her, but Amy didn't answer as she just stared at the paper in a daze while sitting as a girl. She couldn't go back to the guild with her sinking too low, so Garum sat down on the grass, conscious of keeping the Eye of God away from her in case she got too close.

　The feel of the grass, which prickles a little when shaken against bare skin, reminded Garum of the time when he became an explorer, as well as the first time he came to this level with Tsutomu.

　At first, that was exactly what it was like to be a novice explorer itself, no different than a rich kid coming to play with an escort after his parents bought him some equipment. Those who did so would pale and offer to return as soon as they were shown the reality of the divine dungeon.

　But even though Tsutomu looked uncomfortable when he was shown the way the goblin skull was destroyed with his bare hands, he did not back down. Looking back now, he was different from the ordinary ones at that point in time.

　According to Tsutomu's biography on that mysterious sheet of paper, he had been playing a game similar to the God's Dungeon for many years and was a highly regarded healer. It's impossible to tell what kind of game he was playing from the text alone, but even if you take that into account, it doesn't change the fact that Tsutomu was a great explorer.

　He inspired me to give up on being an explorer anymore, and as the best healer, he showed me a way to break through to the Shell Club, which was an insurmountable obstacle for both of us as the best healers, even the fire dragons. Plus, his stoic routine of making God's dungeon the center of his life was inspiring, and I fell in love with the way he led a stampede to defeat a rampaging dragon.

　Thanks to Tsutomu for pointing the way, I was able to get to this point, and if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have followed him. He was proud to be able to work with Tsutomu as a tank, and all the talented clan members recognized him as a clan leader. From the point of view of his personality, there were times when he was a little too rational and cold, but he also had a hidden kindness in his roots.





　The one who had no such shadows had left.

　I was really glad that he wanted to come back here eventually. But I don't know how to do that. There's a good chance he won't be able to come back. The feeling from earlier that this might be an eternal goodbye returned, and Garum could only call out his name in a trembling voice.


''........What, you're crying!　Wow!　Tsutomu-uh!


　Amy, who was finally starting to calm down after she had shed her tears, heard Garum's voice and started crying loudly again because she was confronted with the truth again. The two of them continued to be so sad that it would be a bit of a story if they were seen on the God's platform.


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


　About thirty minutes later, they were finally released from the wave of emotions and sat down, trying not to look at each other awkwardly. All that could be heard was the sound of their tails wagging and pounding on the grass as they watched each other with a clatter.

　But they couldn't keep doing that forever, and they stood up at about the same time. Then Amy calls the God's Eye to her hand and begins to check the time displayed on the back of it.


'As for the time zone, is it time to return?'
Well yes.


　The two former guild employees knew the time of day when the guild would be less popular, so they were looking for the right time to return while checking such things. And after Garum disguised himself so that he wouldn't realize that Tsutomu was gone, he returned to the guild from the Black Gate of Return.

　From the black gate of the guild, Garum returns with a robe over his luggage and carrying Tsutomu on his back. Although he received some gazes from the less popular surroundings, no one wondered about it.


''Don't ... don't ask me for details.
Yeah, okay.
..........


　Garum told this to the dragonborn gatekeeper who had taken care of him since he joined the guild, and he saw through his disguise and gave him a nonchalant look. But he was also a little surprised that Amy had bailed like a borrowed cat.


(The challenges are piling up. How to explain it to the Clan members...)


　While keeping an eye out for Amy, who still seemed unsure of her footing and was folding her cat ears, Garum, who had left the guild, was also pondering the future, his dog ears snapping.

　It was unlikely that he would be able to penetrate the lie that he had returned to his hometown to the others, or even to the Clan members, so it would be better to show them the remaining forms Amy had in her possession and explain it to them. But I don't think that would convince Diniel, and I'm also suspicious of the other half threatened forms of Xeno and the emotional Amira. At worst, it's possible that they could even leave the infinite circle.

　As long as Tsutomu was in charge of the infinite circle until he returned, he wanted to avoid having someone leave. But if you ask me if I can do such a thing, I was not as confident as I could be. It's not quite like Weiss, who couldn't even speak a single word, but Garum also isn't that good at conversing with people.

　It's also nearly impossible to unite the endless circle of opposition between Tsutomu and Diniel from now on, unless you're very skilled in clan management. Amy was also unlikely to be able to rely on him now, as she was like a shell with her soul missing after her first heartbreak.


(Still, there will be at least five of us left. We have to do something from now on to rebuild.... (I can't rely on Tsutomu anymore...)


　Garum walked along the city streets illuminated by fire magic tools while carrying his pack on his back, and while he was thinking about things, he arrived at the Clan House. Just fortunately, I don't know if I can call it a blessing or not, but the other clan members seemed to be asleep already and it was quiet.

　Then, after entering the dimly lit entrance, I finally put down the luggage I had disguised to Tsutomu and sighed heavily.


''Well I'll explain to everyone tomorrow. Alright.
..........


　Nodding in response to Garum's question, Amy took off her shoes messily and went upstairs. After seeing her off, he sighed again as he aligned his shoes and went back to his own room.