The sunlight's warmth felt especially nice today.
Even though I slept on the couch, because I didn't suffer from mana depletion this night, I slept like a baby and woke up with much more energy.
I had lost a few hours of rest because of what happened with Licia, and at first, I struggled a little to relax and sleep, considering I could very well close my eyes for the last time.
It helped me relax a little that I could escape to the [Kingdom] and block her from entering, as she still needs my permission to enter and leave, assuming I could react fast enough.
Thankfully, it seems like I didn't have to worry, after all.
I also tried to see this in the most positive light possible.
The fact that she didn't use an easy opportunity to attack me was a good signal.
Or, at least, this is what I wanted to believe, for the sake of more peaceful, healing nights in the future.
To trust her...
Since I was feeling better than expected, I decided to use the chance and work on the things I had been neglecting.
Not long after I had started, I heard from behind me the quietest, most careful steps coming from the room she slept in.
She was a bit disheveled, her hair messy, falling in uneven strands, and her eyes still heavy with drowsiness.
The redness in her eyes bothered me, but seeing her struck me with a mix of emotions.
Among them, I felt glad that, like me, she seemed to have enjoyed at least a few hours of sleep.
Of course, even in her messiest, the sight of such a beautiful woman first thing in the morning surprises me.
I never had another person sleep over before, and this was far from bad.
In fact, it was quite a pleasant feeling.
Licia: "Morning..."
She seemed calmer, yet her eyes weren't as cold as before.
The drowsiness was part of it, but she also seemed genuinely better than before.
The confusion and fear that made her tremble were almost completely gone, and she felt more... Alive.
Miwen: "Good morning. Did you have a good night's sleep?"
Licia: "Yes, your bed was amazing! Honestly… if not for this pleasant smell, I might've stayed there all day..."
I knew it was dumb.
It was such a small thing.
The bed wasn't even particularly good.
However...
Hearing her excitedly praise me and the things in the house made me so indescribably proud.
Yesterday, I tried to explain a few things I thought she might struggle with, but her reactions were so amusing, I ended up overdoing it.
Because of this, we ended up in a small loop where I'd show her something, wait for her to try and figure it out by herself, only to explain and wait for her reaction and questions, which only led to more explanations, amused reactions, and questions.
Miwen: "Whoops. Sorry for waking you up then. You can rest more if you want, but... I made breakfast for two. Would you like to give me a hand?"
Licia: "Absolutely!"
I was planning to take it to the room and give her some space, but that would've been a mistake.
It would've been a shame not to witness her eating so enthusiastically and happily.
I first started cooking for my sister and me a long time ago, but my skills hardly deserved the shower of praise I received from her.
It took me a little longer to finish breakfast since I was so distracted by her, but once we were done, I asked her to choose a set of clothes for me to summon for her.
The plan to have both of us wish for the same thing worked, and she got what she wanted.
This left me completely broke in terms of Kingdom Points, but it wasn't a big deal since I wasn't using them on anything else.
In a way, I was actually glad to have a use for them now.
She entered the bathroom to change, but for some reason, it was taking her a while.
Then, she yelled from there, asking if she could use my things.
I obviously didn't mind, but I couldn't help but giggle when I saw that she had fixed her hair.
No matter what, she would have looked great in the clothes she chose, yet she seemed satisfied seeing me struggling not to stare too much at her.
Actually, whenever I averted my gaze, she would make sure to move and look smugly at me, waiting for a comment.
I could feel an immense pressure to say something building up, but as someone not used to complimenting others, there was no way I could.
Instead, I tried the good old strategy of talking about something else, and in this case, I chose to ask about what we'd do next.
Miwen: "I will raid a Dungeon today. You're free to join me or stay home, if that's what you want. Also, if you decide to leave, I won't impede you..."
Normally, I wouldn't suggest something dangerous like this, but since she used to be a high-level adventurer, I thought there was a chance she would be interested...
Independent of what she decides, with a few more levels, she'll be safer.
Licia: "Hm..."
I'm sure the idea of leaving and trying her luck out there by herself crossed her mind a few times, as did staying home, but ultimately, after being deep in thought, she decided to accompany me to the Dungeon.
Licia: "It's been a long time since I stepped inside a Dungeon. It might be weird for you, but I kinda miss the feeling..."
While yes, a little weird, I could totally understand.
Sometimes, people get used to certain lifestyles, and even if it's dangerous, suddenly changing can feel uncomfortable.
Licia: "I was looking for a way to pay you back for everything you've been doing for me, so this is the perfect opportunity."
I was surprised by how confident she was.
As rookies, having someone more experienced point out our mistakes and guide us would help our party improve drastically.
If her skills matched her attitude, that is.
Miwen: "Got it. I'll tell the others you're coming too."
It usually takes me a long time to trust someone else, but perhaps because of how much time we've spent struggling together, I feel I can trust Roy and Sam at least this much.
So far, they don't seem like the type to start trouble.
Licia: "That's fine. I don't mind waiting..."
As I was preparing myself to leave, Licia sat on the couch, looking around while fiddling with her thumbs.
Seeing this, I stopped on my tracks, looking confused at her, only for her to answer in kind.
Miwen: "Why would you need to wait?"
Licia: "Even if you live in a small village, you'll need a few minutes, no? Unless... Have you established a telepathic link?"
I knew from how she reacted that there was a disconnection between us, but I never expected it to be so big.
Telling them personally was the middle ground.
Even nowadays, this would be totally normal.
However, ignoring the existence of phones and suggesting something as advanced as a telepathic link was surreal.
Miwen: "...Remember the thing you used to look for clothes? It can be used to communicate with others over long distances too..."
It would be impossible to explain every single thing a phone could do.
At the same time, I noticed from my experience with her that explaining too much can do more harm than good.
She's pretty smart, all things considered, and when we get to the finer detail, my knowledge can be a bit lacking, so I try to keep explanations simple and let her experiment as much as possible to figure things out on her own.
Licia: "Impressive... A magic tool this convenient must have been expensive..."
Miwen: "Not really. The ceiling can be somewhat high, but this model is pretty standard... It's also not a magic tool, but that explanation can wait."
It's great that she's curious.
I love her reactions to everything I introduce to her.
However, she usually assumes things to be either mechanical or magical, and I have no idea how to explain electrical energy to her.
I tried once, but the more I explained, the more she understood it as lightning magic, and I couldn't for the life of me explain how it was different to her.
By the end of it, I felt like I was the one who should learn a little more before trying to explain things.
In any case, since then, I've focused my explanations on the use of things, rather than how they worked.
I thought that was more important, so that she wouldn't get hurt.
Somehow, thinking that there'll come a day when she won't react amused at me controlling the flames of the stove or the lights of the house without magic made me a little bad.
After a few minutes, I got an answer from Roy and Sam saying they didn't mind me bringing someone new today.
They were curious about her level and Gifit, though.
While I knew her level, her Gift was a different story.
Not knowing about it was dangerous, but at the same time, I wanted her to feel secure around me, and having her Gift remain unknown should work well for that purpose.
However, this couldn't be avoided for long, and after a night without any problems, sharing information about her Gift shouldn't be too big a request.
Licia: "I don't really mind..."
Her Gift's name was [Magic Swordswoman of the Freezing Degree].
The title was a handful, and it didn't make it look impressive, but what it lacked in name, it more than made up for in effects.
Not only did it give her the ability to freeze most things without using mana, even at level one, she had [Ice Magic] unlocked.
It also decreased the cost of [Ice Magic], gave her the ability to apply a special [Freezing] property to weapons and armor in the form of a frost coating, and came with two other skills, [Swordsmanship] and [Mana Control], both starting at level 1, just like her [Ice Magic].
On top of that, it increased the power of her [Ice Magic] and her control, alongside the decreased cost of casting ice spells as she leveled up.
While it was incredibly combat-oriented, it also seemed fairly resourceful.
I couldn't be certain without seeing her in action, but from the effects alone, I had the impression hers was the strongest Gift in our party.
Even though her level only qualified her as a B-rank adventurer in her world, this Gift, paired with the level she had, would put her among Earth's top adventurers.
Yet, someone so powerful died so young...
I knew it wasn't good to think about this, and rather than asking, I definitely should wait for her to tell me about it, but the thought stuck in my head.
Miwen: "...Can you do me a favor when we reach the Dungeon today?"
Unfortunately, I had a selfish request for her.
Miwen: "...Also, they don't know about my true Gift. I've lied and told them my Gift was called [Godspeed] and that it simply increases my speed, so if you can, please, don't expose [Gacha Kingdom Building]."
She seemed like an honest person, so my requests made her a little troubled.
I could tell she disapproved of them, but she forced herself to accept my conditions anyway.
Licia: "I know you have your reasons, but... Being able to trust your party can be the deciding factor for the success of an adventurer..."
As I thought, she wasn't too comfortable with my way of doing things...
While I had no choice when it came to her, I still wanted to keep my Gift a secret, at least until I was strong enough not to worry.
However, I kept her advice in mind and took a step out of the house, only to look back and see her mesmerized by the city surrounding her.
I thought she could get used to this world passively by watching TV, but it was still too much for her.
Licia: "What is... Everything?"
That was hard to answer.
Actually, it was impossible.
Miwen: "...Let's try to focus on one thing at a time."
I was worried about her running straight into a car, so I asked her to walk by my side and stay close to me.
She seemed a little surprised, but quickly approached me.
Her reactions were the most charming yet.
As we walked, I tried to explain to her how traffic works and why it would be better to cross the road at a crosswalk, if possible.
While listening, she pointed to cars and buildings, and flooded me with questions about them.
Licia: "Hm... What about the yellow light?"
Surprisingly, even though she was so curious about the world around her, she was also paying attention properly.
Miwen: "It's meant to warn the driver that a red light is coming. In theory, they slow down and prepare to stop."
Licia noticed that there was only one car in the street, and from what she had seen so far, it wouldn't be able to reach the crosswalk before the red light at the speed it was.
Thankfully, she was close to me, so before she could take a second step, I was able to pull her back before the car zoomed past us.
Licia: "Eh? That wasn't slowing down, was it?"
Miwen: "To be safe, keep the traffic lights in mind, but focus on that little stick figure signal, alright?"
Licia: "Okay..."
My heart almost jumped out of my throat.
Meanwhile, she seemed more embarrassed than frightened.
It didn't take long for her to calm down, but just in case, she kept holding onto my arm.
Licia: "Of all the different worlds I've ever been to, yours is by far the most unique. There are so many things I don't understand, and you live your lives so differently..."
I was surprised by her words.
In many ways, they didn't make any sense.
Her Gift didn't seem to possess any power to transfer her to other worlds, and she didn't seem like she had lied to me.
But even if she had, why wouldn't she return home?
While I tried to process what she said, she looked at me, her eyes filled with confusion.
In that moment, seeing her innocent reaction, I realized that instead of cracking my head thinking about it, I could just ask her.
Miwen: "Oh, so you've been to other worlds?"
Licia: "Yes, have your people never attacked another world from the Dungeon?"
Miwen: "No? We've never met people from other worlds, only monsters."
The Dungeon, even to this day, was full of mysteries.
However, throughout the world, innumerable adventurers explore the Dungeons for hours, days, even months on end.
Be it Easy Dungeons, Hard Dungeons, high floors, low floors...
If somehow other worlds were connected to our Dungeons, we would know about it.
Licia: "That's... Strange..."
Yet, even though logic would dictate Licia should be wrong, there wasn't a trace of doubt in her eyes.
Licia: "Every world has access to the dungeons. Unless yours are unique, you should've met otherworlders inside them. No... At least one of your Dungeons should also exist in another world, it's just too unlikely for them not to..."
She seemed adamant.
But no matter how questioning her stare was, I had no answer to give.
If Earth were the odd one out of the whole universe, however many worlds that may be, there must be a reason, but how would I tell?
I struggled to finish high school; there's no way I'm answering any mysteries about the world in this lifetime.
Miwen: "...If that makes you feel better, we know of other worlds because of Divine Events."
Because I already knew of their existence, Licia being from another world wasn't as much of a surprise to me.
There was also a chance she could have been summoned from the past, or maybe the future, but the first seemed unlikely due to the existence of Gifts, and the latter it's hard to believe.
It doesn't seem like technology is going anywhere, so if she came from the future, she would probably be saying things like "Oh, that's a 21st-century car, how very nostalgic", or something along those lines.
Licia: "Yes! You have those too! If you've participated in a Fallen God Subjugation, Divine War, or World Punishment, you must have visited other worlds temporarily!"
Right...
It was such a shame to rain on her parade when she seemed so happy...
However, unfortunately, even with the best technologies and the knowledge that other worlds capable of life exist somewhere out there, we haven't been able to locate them, much less contact their inhabitants.
We have a few hypotheses about the reason, but we can't know for sure.
Miwen: "Well... I don't know about those. We've only ever been to normal Divine Events..."
She had finally found something that was common sense to her in our world, so the revelation that even this was different shocked her to the core.
Fallen God Subjugations and Divine Wars did seem pretty cool, though...
Licia: "Your world doesn't make sense to me..."
She looked genuinely upset...
Miwen: "Who knows, though? Maybe those things have just not happened yet. After all, everything has been changing after Dungeons and magic started appearing..."
Licia: ".....?"
I tried to offer her a few comforting words, but it didn't have the expected effect.
Instead, something in what I said seemed to have made her even more confused.
Licia: "What do you mean by ever since dungeons and magic started appearing? Was there a time without magic?"
Miwen: "Yes, it was only 20 years ago when Catherine, the Goddess Of The Red Night, blessed our world with Dungeons and Gifts. Before that, magic was something of fantasy for us, something you'd read about in a book."
Every single one of my words was common sense to the people of Earth.
They were things I, having been born after the events of the First Contact, learned not to question and accept.
Yet, the more I spoke, the more surprised Licia became.
Although even in her shock, she still tried to make sense of as much as she could.
Licia: "20 years... Now it makes sense why the levels in your world are so low... But still... A world without magic and dungeons... Maybe this is why this world is so different from all the others ?"
It was hard for me to say since, unlike her, I had not gone to other worlds.
But the idea didn't seem far-fetched.
If we had magic, humanity would probably have focused a lot of its collective effort on it.
I'd like to believe technology and magic would walk hand in hand, and we'd be more advanced thanks to it.
I mean, while our world was chaotic for a while, nowadays there are regulations in place to prevent people from using magic carelessly in the streets and their workplaces.
There's no outright ban, though. It's more about preventing ruckus and injuries.
Magic and Gifts have proven themselves extremely useful to our society, even with our current technology.
Because of this, it's a little hard for me to believe other worlds wouldn't benefit from magic and technology at the same time, however...
Maybe there's a point where one stunts the other? And somehow, magic is preferred?
Neither Licia nor I had the answer to these questions, however...
I felt like we were each other's best chance to learn.
Miwen: "Maybe..."
It was too early to say, though.
Miwen: "Speaking of which, I have to tell you about the First Contact. It's common knowledge in this world, and I'm not sure how I could excuse you being unaware of it to others."
There was just no way to hide her origin without explaining this world's most well-known and discussed moment.
Licia: "Hm... Sure, go ahead..."
As such, I told her everything I knew about the events that happened twenty years ago.
I got a little passionate about it, and even included some slightly off-topic things, but given how curious she had been, I thought she'd actually appreciate it.
And sure enough, she attentively listened to it all.
Unfortunately, I only finished moments before we arrived at the Dungeon Gate, where Roy and Sam were already waiting for us, so I didn't get to confirm whether or not she remembered everything.
Somehow, though, I felt like she was smart enough not to raise suspicions, even with basic knowledge.