After breakfast, the two of us left the inn and we flew towards Ralouyne at high speed again. The morning wind nearly freezes us, but I conjured some heat around our bodies with magic energy so we won't freeze to death.
During the flight, Ren stayed silent. I noticed that he has been silent ever since at the inn, so there must be something going on inside his mind.
So, I left him be. I will wait until he is ready to open up.
We arrived around an hour and a half later on Ren's island. I have acknowledged that my speed has increased by quite a bunch, but it was still an hour and a half trip.
Right after we landed, Ren stayed silent and walked to the beach. He glared to the seas silently, letting the wind play with his hair madly.
Given how dramatic people are these days, I can tell he is finally going to say some deep words.
"Melvin. Do you… ever miss our world?"
From the way he asked, it seemed like he had given this a lot of thought. We've been in this world for two years now, and that question definitely went to his head.
Hearing that he is starting this topic, I took off my mask and hood and I nodded.
"Every damn second."
Ren turned his sad expression to me and then chuckled. Then he turned back towards the seas just like before.
"… I don't."
Ren said, and I nodded grimly.
As I expected.
"I liked it here. There are more things that I wanted here than there. The peace, the lack of discipline among the people, the… Freedom. I loved it all.
So I was very confused. This world, even though it was so amazing and wonderful, how can there be someone who doesn't like it?"
Ren quickly turned to face me, showing a rather pissed off expression.
"Last night, I spent some time by myself just walking around Mazino."
O-Oh… okay?
"Tell me you have done that before."
"... I have been out during the evening many times."
"Then, how can you not love it!?"
Huh…?
My brain tried to process what he meant, and it began imagining what things that occur during an evening at Mazino.
The night scene, the crowd, the liveliness. Everything was indeed so much more fascinating than during daytime. Even just walking around by yourself is already really nice.
What Ren felt when he came to Mazino must have made him love the world even more. What he saw last night, and what he experienced yesterday, made him not want to leave this world even more.
"This world has many more things than that one! That world may have movies, or games, or whatever kind of hobbies that just waste your time. This world, you can literally spar with other people with Real Fucking Swords, and everyone will think you're cool.
This world has magic--You have magic! How can you say whatever is over there is any better than the ones over here??"
He gave his argument angrily towards me, but I only turned away.
Hearing his excitement, I feel a little hurt. There are only so many things that can make you despise this world, but Ren hasn't experienced one. There are definitely things that will only make you love the other world more, but Ren may not have them.
For example… love.
Ren had a disastrous past. His parents broke up and both got remarried. And being the only child, he chose to live with his grandparents. He was quite poor as well, most of his hobbies came from hanging out with me since my family was quite well-off.
Considering all of those factors, it makes sense if he loved this world more than me. I loved that world simply because that world has given me so many things, because that world has never once let me down.
For Ren however, it was not the case.
Maybe… he is the chosen hero?
He fell in love with this world, so much more than I do. Normally, the hero should love the people he is protecting, more than anyone else.
Should the hero… fall in love with this world?
Is Ren… really the hero? Has me bringing him to Mazino catalysts his heroic part?
There is a chance that his journey just hasn't started yet. There is a chance that his story as a hero just isn't there yet.
Then… what the hell am I?
If he's the hero, then what am I?
God or goddess who brought the two of us here…
What the hell were you thinking by bringing me here?
All of those thoughts began clouding my mind again, which for sure will cause me nightmares tonight. So, I shook my head and cleared my mind of all negative thoughts.
I turned my gaze back to Ren, and remembered he was waiting for my answer.
"I guess… we aren't exactly on the same page."
Hearing that, he let out a disappointed sigh. He then tilted his eye away from me.
"Right… sorry. I know you probably went through a lot, but you have known me for a long time, so you should know why I despised that world."
I do.
Ren noticed my silence, so he continued.
"I really do enjoy living here. The fishermen, they are like a family I never had. The daily life, experiencing them in person rather than in movies is just priceless. And the… magic."
He lifted his hand and a ball of light was conjured.
He just trained that with me yesterday, and he was able to use it naturally now. Just like I thought, the two of us are really talented with magic.
"This is just the cherry on top. But, without a doubt, I will never want to leave this world."
He said to me firmly while letting go of the magic from his hand, and the light ball he conjured disappeared to thin air like smoke.
"… I see. That's all right, I respect that decision."
Hearing that, he grinned in relaxation. He then turned his body straight to me and moved forward.
"Then, I will tell you. If you want to go back home so badly, there might actually be a way to return."
He said that with a wide grin.
…
"… What…?"
He turned his body towards the forest and lifted his hand to gesture, telling me to follow him. I followed him deep inside the forest, and we arrived on the pile of furniture from before.
"What do you mean? A way to get back, like back home? You mean like a portal or anything under these… rubbles?"
I asked as we arrived on the pile of trash, but Ren shook his head. He is still having his grin up, so he must be telling the truth.
"Not under. Up."
"Up…?"
"Can you like, feel anything, up there?"
"Feel what?..."
I turned my gaze upwards, following where his finger was pointing. His finger was pointing dead straight upwards, straight to the skies. And so, I followed where his finger pointed.
The moment my eyes are locked with the bright blue skies, is the moment my entire body shivers.
VWOOOOMMM!!!!!!!!!!
I didn't sense it before, but there's a massive energy surge coming from above this pile, far-far up there in the skies. It was so powerful, that it's incredibly odd that I didn't sense it the first time I came here. Probably because I was too distracted by the things, but still.
This much pressure… how is it possible that I missed it? Even if I have my attention averted to something else, there is no chance in hell that I missed this purposely.
The moment I turned my eyes up there, a massive black sphere immediately appeared out of the clear blue skies. It's as if it was hidden by a powerful layer of magic, and that the magic has been partially removed when my eyes are focused towards it, revealing the item it was hiding.
Is that… a wormhole?
Here?
"Yikes… that thing still shook me even now."
I turned to Ren, and realized he was kneeling on the floor.
I just remembered that this much amount of magic energy could actually flatten the entire Naverne territory if it decided to explode, so standing right underneath it is actually really deadly, even for an abnormal newbie from another world like Ren.
And yet, you can only sense, see, or spot the entire thing after you place your eyes on it and focus.
I waited as Ren stood back up, and he continued explaining. It seemed like he had diverted his attention away from it, so he can calmly breathe once again.
What a… unique magic.
"If you want to go home, then go ahead and use that thing. Because that thing is the one that got me here."
How is this possible?
It has been two years since Ren came to this world, since he came at the exact same time I did. That portal should've ran out of energy three seconds after he arrived. And yet, it is still there.
What the heck is powering it? For it to have this much pressure just by standing this far away from it…
Will the wormhole… be stable?
Is it usable…? Or will it kill me?
"Go ahead and try that. I'm not exactly sure if that thing still works, but it should definitely do something."
I looked up again and tried to see. The entrance to the wormhole is invisible, but it does exist, thousands of meters in the air.
I see… this is… my one and only chance.
Who knows if in the future the wormhole closes. The chances are slim, but it was never zero.
There is also a chance that the wormhole isn't stable, which could result in my death if it is world-ripping dangerous. However, it is worth trying.
I have healing magic. I have a large amount of magic energy. I can cast any amount of protection with both magic energy and shadow magic. I won't die.
I… have to give it a try.
I turned my gaze and nodded at him. Seeing the confidence in my expression, Ren knows what I am going to do.
"If I die, please tell the princess of Mazino."
"... Huh? Why the princess, specifically?"
"Remember when I said I have a girlfriend?"
"W-What? Your girlfriend is the princess?!"
"… jealous?"
The guy chuckled, and he lifted his palm forward. Of course, I lifted my palms as well.
PLAK!!
We did a high five, and wondered when the next time we might meet again.
"Be careful, and good luck."
He said to me and nodded.
"Yeah."
I nodded as well, and I turned my firm expression upwards.
This is it… my chance.
I'm going home.
FWOOSSHHH!!!!!
I opened my shadow wings and I flew upward. I flew at high speed towards the entrance, and slowly it became more and more visible to me. It is merely ten meters away from me, and I can already see it clearly.
The mouth of the worm hole is dark blue, with warped waves inside it.
I could actually die going in there, so I enhanced my entire body with intense magic energy, as well as my shadow armor alongside my already worn Nychromium armor. Then I also casted continuous Emperor tier healing magic on my entire body.
Now, I am unkillable.
World-ripping force or whatever… can't harm me.
And if it does, I have my devil mode prepared.
And so, I began entering the wormhole.