"Um…,"
I was unsure of what to say.
When I thought I had released the seal on Agetha, she spoke like this:
"Do you know who I am?"
"Um, are you suffering from amnesia?"
"Amnesia… Well, considering the current situation, that expression might be correct."
Amnesia.
I had heard of this condition before, but this was the first time I had seen it firsthand.
"I know your name. Your name is Agetha Tsubaki."
"Agetha Tsubaki… For some reason, it doesn't ring a bell. So, where is this place?"
"This is inside a dungeon."
"A dungeon? What's a dungeon?"
"Um, a dungeon is a labyrinth where monsters inhabit."
"Monsters? What are monsters?"
"Monsters are creatures that attack humans."
Being bombarded with questions like this was getting a bit tiring.
"Hmm, it's like a story where I've wandered into a video game world or something. Maybe I'm being pranked?"
I couldn't quite grasp what Agetha was saying.
"But pulling a prank like this would be too elaborate; it must be reality after all."
As she said this, she was touching the walls of the dungeon.
"So, what's your name?"
She turned to me and asked.
"I'm Kiska."
"Kiska, huh. Hey, Kiska, that's a cool name. You might be my type."
As soon as she said this with a mischievous look, I couldn't help but shudder. I honestly would prefer not to be liked by her.
"So, Agetha, do you remember anything else?"
"I'm not sure… I remember words like this. But I can't recall who I am and what I was doing."
"Do you know anything about the Parasitic Sword Puppeteer?"
"The Parasitic Sword Puppeteer."
She repeated the words as if tracing them.
"I do know."
And with that, she whispered.
"Is that so?"
I couldn't help but raise my voice.
"W-wait a moment. When I say I know, it's more like I've heard the name somewhere before. So, I'm sorry. I don't really know any details."
"I see."
"But, yeah… the Parasitic Sword Puppeteer. I feel like I've forgotten something important about it, but I'm sorry. I still can't remember."
What could that important thing be?
Perhaps if that memory held the key to turning the Parasitic Sword Puppeteer back into a human, that would be convenient.
If I could be certain of that, I would want to help her recover her memories.
"More importantly, Kiska, there's no use staying here forever. Let's move forward."
"You're right."
So, with her leading the way, we continued through the dungeon.
Meanwhile, I was thinking.
Is it really the right decision to continue conquering the dungeon with her like this?
While I had a hopeful expectation that if her memory returned, we might learn something about the Puppeteer, I had no idea about how to restore someone else's memory. Even if her memory did return, there was no guarantee she would know how to turn the Puppeteer into a human.
I whispered quietly, "It might be better to rely on Vampire Judite."
Agetha turned and asked, "Did you say something?" But I shook my head to deny it.
If Agetha was suffering from amnesia, there was almost no chance she would attack me even if I contacted Vampire Judite. So, relying on Vampire Judite seemed like the most certain option.
I quietly solidified my plan for the future.
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