"Un, nya…"
Suddenly, the magician Nyau, lying on the bed, opened her eyes with a feeble voice.
"You've finally awakened."
"Ah… Where am I? What is this place?"
"This is an inn in the capital city. The second floor was collapsed, but the ground floor was intact, so I took the liberty of using it."
"You carried me all the way here, didn't you? Thank you."
Yes, after Nyau lost consciousness, there was no way I could just leave her, so I searched for a place where she could rest and brought her here.
"Also, I thought you might be hungry, so I procured some food. Would you like to eat?"
"I would appreciate that. And if there's some water, I'd be grateful."
Ah, I should be able to prepare that quickly since there should be a well nearby.
After giving her some water, Nyau and I had a meal together. It was a modest meal sourced from what was left in the attacked building.
"Hey, Nyau. What do you plan to do from here?"
While eating, I asked that question.
"Well…"
Nyau nodded, her expression somewhat heavy.
"I think we should start by looking for the supreme sword master who is in this capital city."
There's a worst-case scenario that he might be dead, but there's also a good chance he's still alive. So, first, we should search for the supreme sword master and plan our next move after reuniting with him.
I thought so and said it, but Nyau remained silent without saying a word.
I wondered what was wrong and observed Nyau for a while. Then, she opened her mouth and said one thing:
"I'm sorry…"
After that, she began speaking earnestly:
"Before coming to the capital city, I was so determined to defeat the Demon Lord. I feel really sorry for this, but… no matter how hard I try, I think it's difficult to turn the current situation around. I think it's already impossible for me. So, I'm sorry. It's all my fault…"
"But if we can join forces with the supreme sword master, there's still a chance to defeat the Demon Lord."
"I believe the supreme sword master is most likely dead."
"Why do you say that?"
As I asked, Nyau extended her index finger and displayed the status screen.
"It's because Nyau has been promoted to rank 10 of the master."
Indeed, on the status screen Nyau showed, the words "Master" and the number "10" were visible.
Originally, Nyau's rank was under the Diamond rank, which was below the Master's rank. The Master's rank is a special rank that only the top 10 can attain. Nyau's promotion to the Master's rank suggests, in other words, that one of the top 10 great swordsmen's positions has become vacant. That's the reason for thinking that the originally ranked 10th supreme sword master might be dead.
"Maybe… the supreme sword master may not be dead yet. Besides, there's also the Grand Sage, right?"
Just because Nyau became a Master doesn't mean we can definitively say that the supreme sword master has passed away. There's a possibility that the other Masters are no longer around. Moreover, when Hero Eligion died, a Master's seat might have opened up, which could have led to Nyau's promotion to Master.
So, I tried to convey this idea, but…
"That might be true…"
Nyau just nodded with a mournful expression.
Ah, I see. The reason she has become like this is not solely because she became a Master. It was just a triggering event, and the real issue is much deeper.
Perhaps her spirit has simply been broken.
Of course, it's no wonder. After witnessing the destruction of the city and facing the Demon Lord's forces, there might not be anyone left who can fight with hope in such a situation.
In this timeline, it might be impossible after all.
If Nyau, the sole hope, is in this state, it's probably impossible to defeat the Demon Lord.
So, it might be time to give up and reset again.
"I'm sorry…"
"Why are you apologizing, Kiska-san?"
"If only I were stronger, I might have spared Nyau from going through this."
"N-No… Please don't apologize. It's all Nyau's fault…"
While saying this, tears welled up in Nyau's eyes.
No matter how much I denied it and said it wasn't true, it probably wouldn't reach her heart. So, all I could do was stay silent.
◆
"Um, Kiska-san, I have a request…"
After searching the capital city in vain to find the supreme sword master Nidorg, we ultimately decided to stay at the inn again.
And as we got into bed to rest, Nyau spoke up.
"Kiska-san… I, um, want to sleep while holding your hand. Is that okay?"
"Uh, well…"
Sleeping while holding hands wasn't a big deal, but to do that, we would need to share the same bed.
"I think it might be difficult to hold hands without sharing the same bed."
So, when I mentioned this, Nyau just hung her head in silence.
It seemed quite pitiful in a way.
The Nyau I first met wasn't like this. She was lively, confident, and more demanding. But now, she had completely hidden those traits.
The current her was just full of melancholy.
"Come on, over here."
I couldn't refuse her request, and I guided Nyau to my bed.
She was very short, so even when she got into the single bed, it didn't feel cramped.
"Just hold hands, alright?"
"Thank you."
She overlapped her hands with a bashful smile.
Looking at Nyau's meek appearance, I couldn't help but think she was like a kitten. Cute like a kitten, it stirred my protective instincts.
"Um, Kiska-san, you're really kind."
"…I don't think that's the case."
I had no recollection of being particularly kind to Nyau.
"There's no such thing. Kiska-san, you're kind and very dependable."
"Is that so…"
"Yes, it is. Um… I said something like that earlier, but I want to try a little harder for the sake of defeating the Demon Lord."
I had thought Nyau's spirit was completely broken, but she was much stronger than I had imagined.
"So, I would be happy if Kiska-san doesn't abandon me."
"If there's anything I can do, I'll help."
"Thank you…!"
She expressed her gratitude with tears in the corners of her eyes.
I hadn't really done anything to deserve thanks, though.
When I had thought Nyau's spirit was broken, I considered giving up on this timeline and returning to an earlier point in time.
But perhaps I could still bet on her a little longer.
Nyau's power alone might not be enough to save the world.
However, I wanted to see how Nyau lived her life in this timeline.
And by spending time in this timeline, I might be able to find clues related to Agetha.
With that determination in my heart, I went to sleep.