It is like an endless ocean, and what you see in front of you is like a world made of flowers and glass......

Surrounded by a variety of buildings, it is like an endless paradise!

"Welcome to Midgard!"

Vane declared with a big smile to Natalie, who had already been stunned by the sight in front of her.

"That's, that's it...... It's like ......"

- It's like an ideal town......

"I can understand your surprise, but it would be a waste to put on such an unbelievable face from now on, let's go!"

As soon as the words fell, she took Natalie's hand without hesitation and stepped off the airship in a hurry.

She looked stupid.

But that's what to expect, right?

"Your Royal Highness, are you safe?! I'm worried about us! ”

However, after a while, the crowd swarmed like a stormy sea......

Sure enough, will it turn out like this?

"Welcome back, Your Highness Princess!"

"It's great that you're safe and sound!"

In the face of the same enthusiastic crowd, Vane could only smile slightly awkwardly as if looking left and right.

"I'm sorry to worry you, but as you can see, I'm fine."

Jumping around unscathed...... It's just a little tired.

As soon as the words fell, the crowd burst into thunderous cheers in an instant!

However, I feel a little unable to keep up with the rhythm on my side......

Sure enough, it's because I'm too tired, right?

I really want to take a break...... I always feel that my body is too weak to work, as if I am screaming.

"So, can you stop here? I can understand your feelings, but—"

In the middle of speaking, a discordant voice suddenly came out slowly......

And there was no doubt that it was sent by Vane herself, and she had to cover her stomach as if she were in a hurry—

"Why at this time?!"

The feeling of fasting has also reached its limit.

People couldn't help but let out a meaningful sigh......

"Ah, I was hungry......"

So teasing.

"That's it, so can you let me eat something first?"

Unexpectedly, the moment the words fell, the impenetrable crowd burst out with laughter!

Suddenly Vane was a little overwhelmed. However, it's obviously such a lively atmosphere, but there is a person who refuses from beginning to end-

And that person was undoubtedly Natalie......

To be honest, for such a "family"-like atmosphere, she will be more or less repulsed and unable to fit in no matter what.

However, even she couldn't find an answer that could convince her of why she felt this way.

She didn't even understand what the so-called "family" was all about.

And what does it mean......

Because, I have never had the concept of "home......

Therefore, if you want to accept it naturally, it is really a bit difficult to be strong.

And almost all of the reasons for this are due to that disaster!

So, she left the place in a witty way, away from them.

In short, it is to run away......

That's right, I'm just a coward, so ...... It's okay.

Because she knew better than anyone else, even if Vane didn't see herself as an outsider......

Even if it's a friend; Guests too.

But after all, I don't belong here; Not even more of a place to belong.

- Because it's so warm here, and I'm destined to exist only in the shadows.

This is not the destination......

It wasn't until now that she really saw this fact.

Having said that, I also looked forward to the day when I could accept myself as a matter of course......

Can I say a word-

"It doesn't matter if you stay here."

Then take yourself huddled in the shadows to a place where the sun is shining.

However, such a person never appeared......

"Huh? What the? ”

Unexpectedly, just when he was thinking about it like this, there was a person who stood in front of him with a gentle smile as a matter of course-

And stared intently at himself who suddenly fell into a state of dazed at this moment.

"I see, you're the guy's guest......"

She said this.

For a moment, Natalie was overwhelmed to the extreme: "So, that ......?" ”

Immediately afterwards, I saw her quickly retreat, as if she regarded the woman in front of her as an existence that "must not be touched".

"It's nerve-wracking, am I that scary?"

However, even his expression at this moment was full of distress and puzzlement,——

Even with an expression that has nothing to do with "Terrible", Natalie is still on high alert.

However, that level of vigilance is just a high level of nervousness in the eyes of others.

In fact, that's really just it.

Of course, Rivilia thinks so too.

"Who are you?"

She took a deep breath, and after finally calming down, she asked without hesitation.

And all over the body exudes a strong hostility.

It's the first time I've been so respected, and I'm honestly a little devastated.

"That's exactly the question I want to ask, who are you?"

In an instant, Natalie fell into a situation like a fish in her throat as expected.

“——”

Riveria said as if to herself, but her gaze seemed sharp and clear. There's no way to get out of control.

"Slow me down! Professor, what are you going to do to my friend!? ”

Vane ran over quickly with a lunge......

Well, sure enough, she still loves to make a fuss so much-

"As you can see, I didn't do anything, did I?"

However, in fact, Rivilia really "didn't do anything" either.

It's just that her attitude makes people a little unsure of how to deal with it......

"Oops, Vane...... Why are you so nervous? As you can see, I didn't do anything, right? ”

She emphasized it again as if understated.

But that subtle hand-in-the-way attitude is really nerve-wracking......

And that faintly wicked laugh.

"Even then, you're too close, okay?"

Unfortunately, however, Riveria doesn't eat her clever rhetoric—

"Is there one?"

"Absolutely! Besides, people aren't the subject of your research, so please don't be so explicit......"

- The more I deal with Riveria, the more I understand how unpredictable this guy really is.

My brother's words are not wrong at all.

"Hahaha, what's so bad about that? It just so happens to increase the understanding of each other, doesn't it? ”

"Increased understanding?"

For a moment, Vane didn't know where to start complaining about this far-fetched reason.

"You're clearly scaring people, aren't you? Or have you been in the lab for so long that you're too slow to see it? ”

So, she could only say it bluntly......

"Hahahaha, that's really sorry. But the guy behind you is gone, huh? ”

- "If you understand, you can do it in moderation—what do you say?" ”

For a moment, Vane was dumbfounded......

"Huh? Why, why are you running?! Natalie! ”

But no matter how much Wayne shouted, she didn't want to stop.

Even just being in that place would make her feel breathless.

"Sure enough, I really don't belong here!"

Then, aimlessly, she rushed into a church in the blink of an eye like a headless fly—

This made the priest who was praying look surprised.

But after a while, as if he understood everything, he asked-

"Isn't it lost? Miss? ”

As soon as he finished speaking, Natalie blurted out as if asking, "There's no place for me to hide here?" Please, someone's chasing—"

"Huh......?"

Before the priest could react, she was already under the table in the antechamber......

"Just for a while, please say I'm not there, or you haven't seen me!"

“...... Trouble"

The priest said this with a smirk, then closed the book in his hand and nodded......

"Anyway, that's a good deed every day, right?"

Then, I convinced myself with such a reason-

"Okay."

After that, he really helped her hide from Vane, but at the same time, he also noticed her troubles at this moment......

And waiting for her question-

"Father, what the hell should I do? What exactly is the right thing to do? ”

However, Natalie knows the answer to this question better than anyone......

And because of this, she was more afraid than anyone else to come up with that answer.

So she naturally chose to escape......

But it would be pointless to go on like this. So now she wants to know the answer—

"Really? Is it the right thing to do? ”

The priest muttered to himself and fell into a thoughtful expression in the blink of an eye—"The so-called right is different from person to person, and everyone has their own answer. ”

"If you want to be accepted by others, you must first try to learn to accept others......"

"It's not a good idea to say no. You should know this better than the old man, right? ”

"And you chose to run away, right?"

Faced with such a question, Natalie acquiesced without hesitation -

"You're right, I've been running away from it all along."

"But you didn't run away from my question, did you? This is undoubtedly progress, right? ”

In the blink of an eye, a little surprise flashed through her otherwise gloomy eyes.

"What do you mean?"

The priest was happy—

"In other words, you have already made up your mind in that moment."

A few words made Natalie suddenly brighten......

She seemed to understand something-

"I see, thank you!"

Just like the priest said, at this moment, I seem to have become a little different.

And just as she wanted to walk out of the church, she was stopped......

"Now that the matter has come to this, the old man might as well send you another word-"

"Say—"

And at this moment, the whole church, as a matter of course, was enveloped by the sound of bells as if they were rubbing shoulders one after another—

Finally, what did the priest say?

I don't understand, it's so hard to understand......

"Does this mean that I'm actually stupid...... Alas! ”

Thanks to it, Natalie has been thinking about this question that has puzzled her all the time, even now after leaving the church.

- "Finally ...... Got it! Really, let me find ......."

"Did you know that this place is so big, it's easy to get lost if you don't know the specific route and run around like a headless fly!"

She looked genuinely worried about herself......

But what exactly is to say at such a time?

"Sorry for the trouble!"

But in short, she bowed her head and apologized.

"Really, it's not an example, understand?"

"I see, there won't be a next time."

However, Vane didn't care about this, but the reason why Natalie suddenly disappeared at that time-

What is the reason for her to avoid herself in every possible way?

"Anyway, why did you run away without saying a word? Is it because you're not good at dealing with Riveria? ”

Can you really see through it at a glance?

It seems that it is better to stop lying in front of this person in the future......

"yes, to be honest, I'm not very good at getting along with people with that kind of personality."

At the same time, because this is one of the reasons in the final analysis, I am not lying.

"I knew it was ......"

As soon as the words fell, Vane's appearance looked quite shocked.

Because, if the first impression is bad, you may also stumble along in the future.

"Actually, don't look at her like that, she seems to be frivolous and likes to play tricks, but there is no doubt that she is a person who can open her heart without any worries."

Not only that, but it seems that she is also trying to get Natalie to reverse her first impression of Riveria.

"Really?"

- Unbelievable......

Unfortunately, she had already crossed out Riveria from the "friends" column.

"I'm sorry, but at least now I can't try to get along with her like you said."

Not only that, but he said it to his face......

This suddenly made Vane's original smile seem a little unnatural.

But—

"Huh? Of course I know that. But now isn't the time to worry about this, is it? ”

So I can only forcibly change the topic -

"Are you hungry? I'm so hungry that my chest is pressed against my back now! ”

And for such a question, or invitation, Natalie really has no courage to deny it.

Because her current situation is almost the same as hers: "I won't tell you that I'm hungry now!" ”

"After all, I haven't had a good meal after that! So in that case, let's go together, shall we? ”

Of course, you can't refuse this anyway, right?

"Yes! Be sure to bring me with you if you can! ”

"Well, that's a good answer—"

After receiving an affirmative answer, Wayne led the way, and the two arrived at the restaurant after a while.

- Finally able to fill my stomach!

- It's not as opulent as you might think......

Rather, it's the opposite arrangement.

If you ask what makes you feel like you're "different"......

Then there is no doubt that there are only two relief murals hanging on the wall opposite the two of them.

And the area of the whole restaurant is also quite wide, and the rectangular table in front of me is also shrouded in emerald green, like a firefly light-

It feels like you're in the forest on a summer night.

"Don't be so reserved, you're a guest, if you behave so stiffly, I won't know what to do. So – just find a seat and sit down. ”

Eventually, Natalie sat down in the seat opposite Vaane.

And it was Lemuel's seat on weekdays – yes, he always liked to sit in that position.

"Okay, I'm not very good at drinking."

Her words suddenly made Vane laugh out loud -

"I'm not going to drink it, don't be so nervous."

Immediately after that, the few maids brought today's lunch-

"Then, please slow down."

As soon as the words fell, I saw them waiting in all corners of the restaurant as a matter of course.

But this makes Natalie feel even more uncomfortable-

That is, she is not used to eating under the premise of being watched......

“......”

"No, just ignore us."

But when she raised such a problem, the answer she got was diametrically opposite-

"Don't worry too much about them, it's their job after all!"

In the end, under the persuasion of Vane, he finally let go of this concern.

"Shall I take you to your room next?"

Of course, she had no reason to refuse.

"Let's go, then?"

However, when she saw the incredibly spacious room, she suddenly felt that a feeling that had been forgotten by herself gradually began to stir again-

"Thank you! It's true...... Thank you! ”

- Not only did I eat so satisfied, but I also spent time and effort arranging such a good room......

Really......

"Hey, hey, I can understand your mood right now, but you don't need to cry, right?"

"I'm sorry!"

As a result, I could only hold back tears; While apologizing......

Obviously, there are a lot of things I want to say, but when it comes to my mouth, there are only a few words that look so thin-

"It's useless, I...... In the end, you still rely on others everywhere, don't you? ”

However, it seems that this feeling that someone can rest assured that you can rely on is also good.

Although I know that this may be a sign of weakness, my original self is not as strong as I am now......

It's about having to do it to survive.

"Vane? Ay? Huh?! ”

The moment I suddenly came back to my senses, I realized that I didn't know when I was the only one left in the room.

But maybe that's the better of that. "Finally, I can sleep soundly."

And for her thoughtfulness, I am also very grateful.

However, at this moment, Vane came to the D1 medical facility.

"Brother, how's he doing?"

And now she was in the office of the doctor in charge of Lemuel's care, asking all sorts of things about Lemuel—

"Don't worry, I'll give you a satisfactory answer!"

"And now His Highness's various physical functions are still gradually improving......"

"It's not possible to recover immediately, but with some time, you can always heal."

Hearing this, she finally breathed a sigh of relief, and at the same time felt a sense of relief after a long time......

Because now, my brother is undoubtedly the most important existence for me, and his meaning is even more important than this, more important than the whole of Midgard.

"So, can you catch up with that incident tonight?"

However, when her voice just fell, the other party showed a considerable degree of embarrassment-

"Do you mean to ask His Highness to go to ......?"

"That's right? That's what I mean. Can it be done? ”

"I think you also know that I used to go alone, and this time my brother finally had such an opportunity, so I thought-"

However, it seems very ordinary; Even a very ordinary wish was rejected without hesitation-

"Although I can understand your feelings, I can also empathize. But I'm afraid it's still not going to work......"

Faced with that categorical statement, the atmosphere between the two instantly became much more awkward.

"Really?"

Although I can understand that this is also helpless, but it is still difficult to hide the deep disappointment in my tone.

"Is it one this year?"

Seriously, she's had enough of feeling like this.

However, she was in such a terrible mood, but she had no one to talk to, which undoubtedly made her feel more sad.

"I'm sorry......"

"No, it's not your fault, is it? In the end, it's just because my brother is too hard, and I'm too useless as an instant combat force. ”

Again, she took all the consequences and faults that were not caused by herself.

"It's all my fault......"

With this voice of self-reproach and guilt, the door was closed again as a matter of course.

"It's all my fault......"

"If, if it all started all over again—"

But in an instant, he immediately stopped his delusions-

"How is there a way to turn back time in this world? What a fool I'm ......."

Vane, who muttered these words, went straight to the shopping street without hesitation.

"As in previous years, please give me that ......"

However, she didn't come here to drink or eat, drink, and be merry......

When she came back to her senses, she realized that she was already standing in front of Lela's grave.

"Sister-in-law, I'm really sorry, I'm still alone this year......"

"Brother, you know, right? The guy was pushing himself as hard as ever, but this time it was my fault...... No, it's all my fault. ”

"What do you say...... Hey, you're really more troublesome than me......"

She's going to say that, right? With a tone of nonchalance......

"Well, I don't blame you—"

However, even if he knew better than anyone else, that person would definitely smile and say this.

As a result, it was in such an apology over and over again that all her words were squeezed out......

"If you were still here, sister-in-law, wouldn't it have come to this point? I can't even comfort my words......"

Because, it's just my sister.

With these words, Vane slowly placed the white rose in front of the tomb.

"Huh? You still have the face to come again and again? ”

Anyway, at this moment, someone's voice came to my ears. And the man's words were merciless...... And full of hostility.

But she didn't understand what was going on.

"You are?" I didn't know the person who was standing behind me at this moment......

There is no doubt that this is the first time the two have met, but listening to his tone and attitude, it seems that they have known themselves a long time ago.

"It's obviously an existence like a murderer, but do you still do such hypocritical superficial work? ...... It's shameless! ”

The moment the words of this person in front of him just fell, Vane felt as if he had been scolded in the face!

And at this moment, she can't even refute......

"You're right. Maybe I'm a complete hypocrite. ”

On the contrary, he accepted what he said without any justification—

"But, even so, I have the right to worship, and there is no reason for me to be irresponsible for this!"

"Because, she is my family!"

As soon as the words fell, she passed by the man as if she was silent.

"Actually, we all have the same position, right? What do you think? ”

In an instant, it suddenly made people feel that Vane, who was saying this in his ear, couldn't help but feel a little scary.

"What did you say?" But when the man wanted to say something again, he was muffled by the sound of passing by.

"Captain, do you really think that guy is someone to be trusted?"

"Yes, without a doubt."

Once, that's how Leela answered herself, but even ......!

How could he admit it; How is it possible to endorse the sister of a murderer?

If he could change something by doing something like this, he would do it no matter how many times......

But no matter how many times you do it, it's futile, right?

That's why he can't forgive—

But before that, he also gently placed his flowers in front of the tomb.

It turns out that this person is also here to worship? If so, who is he?

"Why would you die so willingly? Could it be that the man is more important than all of us? Do you think so? ”

However, no one has been able to answer this question to this day.

But even so, he could easily imagine the answer—

"Actually, this kind of thing; You don't need to ask this kind of question, do you? Because your answer won't change. In that case, what should we do? ”

Whether it is to be accepted now; Still forgive, he knows better than anyone that he will definitely not be able to do it on either side.

"Maybe I'm really a little bit of a chicken intestine. But what you can't do, you can't do anyway. ”

At the end of the day, the man left without looking back after leaving such a sentence.

No one knows what he's thinking at this moment......

Maybe it's hypocrisy to think like that? But even so, is it not permissible to have such thoughts?