"Captain Lance!"

Woke up from a nightmare again, and once again, the man he loved disappeared from front of him. Pen Fun Pavilion wWw. ｂiquge。 Info was trapped by the lingering nightmare, and was about to cry, when suddenly the world changed suddenly, and when she came back to her senses, there were clean and tidy walls in front of her, and Vena realized that everything was over.

-- It's all over.

“......”

Silence is the best way to let boiling thoughts settle down.

"When you see that bastard Ralph, I'm going to teach him a hard lesson. ”

A better approach is to find a good diversion point for your emotions that have nowhere to dissipate. The pain in her body was basically gone, but the pain in her heart was still deeply rooted, and if it weren't for the fact that she was immediately hit by Ralph's sentence "Captain Lance is dead" after waking up yesterday, Vina would not still be so depressed at this time.

“...... It's so weak, me. ”

It's a pity that the "transfer point" Ralph did not appear in time. If she could have done some venting with this actually quite close partner, maybe she would have been in a better mood. At this moment, the tragic situation of Lance's death was still unresolved before her eyes. Vina no longer seems to have regained the courage to move forward in battle with that "demonic" man.

――What awaits me in front of you?

-- What is the purpose of human beings?

Before she met Lance, Vina had lived like a marionette, and the man who freed her from the abyss made her regain the meaning of living in this world as a human.

-- Humanity will always move forward. Repetitive standing still can only bring temporary peace, and it is only in the constant progress that human beings can feel alive.

-- We live for the feeling of being alive.

For Vina, only life with Lance feels "alive".

So, now that Captain Lance is gone, can I still say that I am "alive"?

I can't help but ask myself questions.

Her face did not become sad and distorted because of this, but was a little blank, and the chapters of memories that gradually began crossed her thoughts, and she suddenly remembered her oath.

-- Don't let the captain see your weakness, in other words, you must be strong.

Thinking about it, tears flowed.

Women love to cry, and crying is a woman's prerogative.

But human beings should be strong.

But is crying an act of weakness?

"Don't leave me alone...... Anyone is good, can you come and let me rely on it?"

He opened his mouth blankly, but he couldn't say a word. She wanted to ask for help, but there was something in her heart that organized her to do this, and in the midst of her tears, Vina suddenly heard an unfamiliar voice.

"Why are you crying?"

"Am I crying?"

Because of another person's reminder, she realized her gaffe at this time, and the woman who didn't realize that she was crying before hurriedly wiped the corners of her eyes with her palm, but the action was in vain, and the tears showed no signs of stopping.

"Crying...... Why cry? Or don't cry. The voice came again, but there was some confusion and hesitation, "You're crying, but my heart is beating faster." So, crying, it's not good. ”

Tears still blurred vision, but the sound was audible. Vina understood that the person seemed to be not far away from her, and that he was right next to him. It was a man who spoke, he didn't sound very old, and his voice was a little immature. The voice is not good, and it does not arouse the interest of the girl, but it is more like an ordinary country boy who is simple and slightly hoarse, but in general he does not feel annoying.

-- Why do you say that? That sounds really weird.

The sadness of Vina's doubts, which she could never get out of on her own, receded slightly, and the curiosity surged more into the content of the man's words.

It really doesn't feel like what to say to a crying woman...... If you want to say that it is comforting, this kind of comfort is too, well, too childish, right? No, no, it should be said, this is a disguised compliment to me? Also, it means that it is to persuade me not to cry, but why do you come to the conclusion that crying is not good because "crying causes your heart to beat faster"?

Based on all of the above, Vina came to the guess that the other party might be a child. But if it's really a child, how can it be like this, at least seventeen or eighteen years old?

Well, would a seventeen or eighteen-year-old man say such a thing? And the sentence break is a little strange, like he can't say a complete sentence.

I really don't understand.

His words also stirred up her doubts, and curiosity finally brought her a little high-spirited.

"Hmm, what are you talking about?"

Rubbing her eyes, which were finally showing signs of stopping with tears, she turned her head and wanted to open her eyes to see the appearance of the person who spoke, but she suddenly felt a chill on her body, and Vena recalled that she had woken up from a nightmare, in other words, she should have been sleeping before, but now she should be sitting on a soft bed, and if she was under the quilt, she was pushed away when she woke up......

"Ahh Quietly pulling the quilt that had been thrown aside back on her, however, as her vision gradually cleared, this time, the "familiar" face of the person in front of her made her really scream.

"You!" The crying stopped instantly, and the tears were boiled by the anger that had just arisen along with the weak emotions! Evaporated! Throwing the poor quilt that had just been pulled over into the air again, Vina jumped off the bed with the fastest movement she could, and as she distanced herself from the man, bright spots of light began to converge from all directions in her hands.

The tense body was in severe pain due to this excessive movement, and the injuries on the body did not seem to have fully recovered. However, Vina did not care about this. The process of gathering the magical elements continued, and she put her left hand on her right arm, and her right palm condensed with red light pointed directly at another person in the room, who was the "demon" who had appeared in the church in the past.

With an innocent face, he was looking at himself with curiosity!

-- Anger.

"Why are you here!...... The murderer of Captain Lance !!"

Do you think I'm going to let you go if you don't understand anything?

-- And the pain.

The roar was hoarse, the situation was tense, and the murderous aura released from Vina's body made her beautiful face distorted, and in the blink of an eye, she was on the verge of collapse, and the magic in her hand had already taken shape, as long as the "demon" on the opposite side made the slightest movement, the blazing flames would devour it mercilessly.

"What is this for? Lance, who is he? ”

"Die!"

The man's speech, which seemed to her to be completely pretending to be stupid, suddenly reached the peak of anger in her heart, and she couldn't help but say that the magic element was transformed into physical magic. The flames reddened the room, and it seemed as if it was about to erupt in the next moment, burning its enemies to ashes.

......

"Smack. ”

From a man's point of view, everything in front of him is too unpredictable. He didn't know what had just happened, but he saw that after countless bright red particles gathered, a flame-like light flashed from the hands of this petite woman he had never met, and then, before he could react, a pitch-black figure jumped out from the side, "horizontal" in front of him, and also blocked the light that seemed very wonderful to him.

I forgot the sound of something else landing, and the very rare frowning action was because of the woman's seemingly malicious "die", which had some doubts, and he had to speak again after rarely speaking.

"This girl, it's not good to call people to die, and although I don't understand what 'death' is, my father did tell me so. Even he himself was a little surprised when he spoke, it turned out that it was not so difficult to speak fluently.

A little excitement, a little inner throbbing, to be able to express himself completely like this was an experience that a man had never experienced before, and the excitement deepened his insistence, and he wanted to make Vina realize that he shouldn't just say such a thing.

However, there was a "giant bear" in front of them standing between the two.

"This ...... "However, the bear's hair will not be so small, and it is not easy to realize that it is not a beast in front of him, but a man who is too tall and too muscular. He had never seen a man as muscular as this, and there was a hint of reverence in his eyes, and his doubts were not dispelled. How do you get to build such muscles? Be sure to ask for advice when you find time. "Allow me, that, let me what? Ah, this muscle is so enviable, ah, I almost forgot!

"Hahahaha!

The sound of wild laughter shook like a giant bell, making the whole house, and even the whole building, shake a little. Who else but Uncle Ralph can do this? It is a great luck that he did not receive a complaint from the next door, but the culprit who created the "noise" did not know it at all, and while laughing non-stop, he suddenly turned around and made the man who could not avoid it sit directly on the bed.

――It was as if I had touched a stone.

"See, little Vina, I'll just say that there are still people who can appreciate this guy from my uncle! Hahahaha! Eh, little Vina, why are you crying again? No, no, no, no, no, I should greet you first. ”

"Hey, little Vina, are you awake again?"

Turning his gaze to this side, he was greeted by a face that looked fierce at first glance, but was actually somewhat cute.

"Hey, boy, are you awake too?"

I have to respond to other people's greetings, so I don't know what to say to this overly friendly stranger, but I still nod my head as a compliment. After Ralph turned sideways, the man's vision suddenly widened, and he wanted to thank the person who helped him, and the word "thank you" came out, but followed by an "ah", and suddenly realized that he had something else to do.

"This girl, you ......"

“......”

The man was stunned, and he didn't finish what he wanted to say, just because the woman in front of him had crystal tears in her eyes at the moment, and her slightly open demeanor attracted him so unreasonably. The place that has never been reached in the depths of the heart, without warning, as if the heavens and the earth have opened up, the warm sunlight dispels the gloom of the sky, hits the earth, and the seedlings of some kind of feelings thrive, but in an instant, they have become towering trees with lush leaves.

Why didn't I feel this way before?

I seem to have known her for a long time.

"I, you......"

The preaching that came to his lips choked back, his face was a little hot, and it was a novel experience that he had never had before, and the man was a little overwhelmed for a while.

"Haha, alright, now it's my turn to ask questions. Little Vina, why are you ...... again?"

"Smack. ”

Seeing that the situation was not quite right, the palm handed out by the big man who instinctively wanted to break the siege was slapped open, and before he could stop it, Vina had already rushed out of the door. "Smack!", and then there was another sound, but it was the sound of her simply tripped over something and fell directly to the ground.

It was the tea tray that Ralph had just served, but simply threw it on the ground because he saw that the situation was critical.

What had happened in that moment, was Ralph suddenly rushing up and blocking Vina's flames in the flesh or somehow, or was Vena just trying to intimidate the other party and didn't really cast her magic at all?

Or maybe something else, this "third possibility" is probably the reason for Vena's subsequent actions.

- What was she thinking?

"Vina?" Even Ralph could see the strangeness of Vina's body at this moment, and when he wanted to take care of him a few more words, a cold "Don't worry about me, I'll be back soon" choked back his rare words of concern.

- What happened to her?

I didn't feel the slightest bit of an atmosphere because I was an important companion, so I thought about it three seconds longer than usual, reaching an astonishing five seconds. Of course, I still didn't come up with a satisfactory answer.

Although she was worried, since she had said so herself, it was inconvenient for Ralph to stop her, and as for Lance, she knew that Vena was in the moment when she stepped out of the inn anyway, and she would be scared back by the terrible scene of crowds, right?

However, right away, after getting back on her feet, Vina only took one step and turned around again, and she didn't even step down the stairs.

She stiffened back into the house, and after looking around under the gaze of Ralph and the man, the sound of grinding teeth came from her mouth, and the expressionless Vena turned again, this time actually walking downstairs.

"That's right. The right fist smashed into the palm of the giant palm, and the northwest man raised the corners of his mouth proudly because of his "amazing" discovery, "She came back to look for clothes, but it was useless, the previous clothes were too tattered, and they have been thrown away by the uncle haha." ”

"I see. Not only a strong body, but also extraordinary wisdom...... You are my role model!"

There was a triumphant laugh, but here, the man who stood still suddenly realized, and his eyes began to be full of adoration when he looked at Ralph.

"Hey, hey, where, where. Hey, boy, you guys just ...... No, uncle, I asked from the beginning. Because of a few words of boasting, the favorability of this man who was once an "enemy" skyrocketed. In fact, Ralph still hasn't been able to figure out the connection between him, Lance, and the tentacle monster, he just understands that Lance didn't die at the hands of this ordinary-looking man. Since he was not the murderer of the captain, he also accidentally obtained the magic power of the captain, so there was no need to be vigilant.

In his heart, he already regarded him as his little brother, and Ralph, who had always been familiar with him, put his arm on the other party's shoulder casually, looking like he had brought a one-meter-eight man upstairs.

"What's your name, I seem to have seen it before, but the uncle is not impressed, let's hear it?"

"Troy. Faced with an overly intimate behavior that most people except the Northwater couldn't bear, the man who seemed to be immersed in the charm of Vina at that moment did not have a look of resistance on his face, but said calmly.

"My name is Troy. ”

"Roar, Troy...... Well, although it doesn't seem like the name of a good fighter, the uncle has written it down!"

"Hmm. ”

"Well, I always feel like there's something wrong with your kid's reaction...... Do you know who Uncle is?"

The man named "Troy" shook his head blankly.

"So, do you have anything to say?"

"Not yet. ”

"Shhhh

I thought that the other party would ask for his name as a matter of course, and Ralph, who was about to report his resounding name, was like being hit by a basin of cold water, and he was suddenly angry.

"Then I ask you, where do you live?"

"I live in the village. ”

"Well, can't you answer my question properly? I'll ask you again, who do you have in your family?"

"There was me and my family. ”

"Hey, why is it so annoying to talk to you!"

Several attempts to start a conversation were inexplicably frustrated, and Ralph was inevitably depressed. It's really weird to say.,Although it looks a little ordinary, it's not a problem.,How does the conversation feel like it just can't go on?

No, just give up the prestige of the insulting uncle! Look at how I handle you!

"Do you know where this is?"

"I don't know. ”

“...... I don't know if you don't ask?"

"Because I don't want to know. Or does it matter where I am?"

- I'm so angry uncle!

His heart was already thunderous, and what was even more infuriating was that he had an expression of "Is there anything wrong with these answers?" on his face. No, hold on! Hold on to Ralph! I can't let your future henchman look down on you, but damn it, what the hell should I say to him to keep the conversation going?

"Troy...... Ah, Troy...... How old are you this year?"

"How old? ”

"That's, that, your age?"

"Age?ah, it seems that people outside would ask such questions, that is, the time that has elapsed since birth, right?"

"Yes, yes, that's it!"

"Hmm...... Let me do the math, it's been sixteen times in a row that the sky hasn't seen a moon thirteen times in a row......"

There is no moon in the sky thirteen times in a row, which refers to the "moonless month" that is divided into the last month of the year according to the calendar concept of the new earth calendar and lasts only thirteen days, so after sixteen times, it is naturally sixteen years old...... Really, that little village is still so remote that it doesn't even have the concept of a calendar? Ha, whatever, I have succeeded in coming up with a reliable answer from him...... What am I trying to do?

"Success? What does that mean?"

There seemed to be a twinkle in his eyes, and Troy's unpretentious gaze made Ralph's face a little hot.

"Ahem! Nothing. Hmph~"

Fearing that the teenager, who had not mastered the skill of "how to talk to people" at all, would continue to ask questions, in order to prevent himself from being "cooked" in turn, Ralph hurriedly squinted his weak little eyes and whistled.

- I don't think I want to know anything more from him.

Ralph's instinctive judgment was that these answers, which would sound incredulous to most people, were not intentional. If so, then this kid is a genius! a genius who has reached the pinnacle of knowing how to be annoying.

So, he must not have done it on purpose.

Ralph can conclude. How could a country boy with an ordinary appearance and no imposing appearance be a genius? How could a follower do something that even Uncle Ralph could do?

Even Lance's inexplicable magic could have attached to him for no apparent reason was definitely just an accident.

"By the way, when it comes to their families, where have they gone? and the villagers?"

On the one hand, he asked without any mood fluctuations, and on the other hand, Troy regarded Ralph's movement of wrapping his arms around his neck as the etiquette of the "outside world", and he also stretched out his arms to give him a "return gift", but he could only reach the waist of the big man - Ralph's back was too broad.

"Oh, they're all dead. ”

"That's right. ”

"Hmm...... Huh?"

- Oops.

Because of the previous conversation that was too abnormal, his mind became confused, and he poked it out so neatly without going through his brain for a while! Regarding life and death, although Ralph himself does not shy away from taboos, this does not mean that he will not consider the feelings of others.

In a word, the strong man almost wanted to slap himself with a big mouth, who said that this mouth could not survive for a long time? and yesterday in front of Vina bluntly said that "Lance is dead" is also ...... Alas, I really have to change this problem.

But before that, we have to find a way to make up for it...... What?

――What was this reaction?

The young man in front of him did not show the slightest sadness after learning of the death of his relatives and neighbors, and Troy's strange composure made Ralph, who was already about to smoke after a while, be stunned on the spot.

"Huh, anything else?"

- No, this reaction is absolutely wrong!

"Ah...... Yes...... I mean, your family is ......."

Sora opened his mouth, facing Troy as if he had only learned about a very ordinary little thing, and he found that he didn't know what to say.

"Well, they're dead, I know. ”

- This kid is too calm!

I was already shouting in my heart, but the words stuck in my throat. In the twenty-eight years since he was born, he has not seen anyone who can look down on life and death, and he has not taught one or two of those children who have no eyes and do not know what family affection is, but the situation of Troy is completely different from them.

In the face of Ralph, who is not familiar with this kind of event, and can even be said to be "meeting for the first time", the teenager's reaction is not to cry in a panic, "Why do you believe what you say?", but to accept it all calmly?

Not only does he despise life and death, in his eyes, life and death are probably things that should be taken for granted like eating and sleeping.

――I always feel that I am too detached, but what kind of environment did this kid grow up in?

"When they're dead, you don't feel ...... Sad?"

Letting go of the hand that was wrapping around the boy's shoulder, Ralph grinded his teeth and put his big hand behind his head, scratching the few dry hairs on his face, still with an incredible expression on his face, but he felt that something in his heart seemed to be broken.

"It's useless to be sad about what has happened, ordinary people like me just need to keep looking forward and keep trying to live. For themselves, and for those who return to the 'spirit world', the living just need to work hard?" Suddenly, a very philosophical sentence was spoken, and the eyes of the young man and Troy now showed a look that was very "great" in Ralph's eyes.

-- It's beautiful.

Ralph, who has always been rough about feelings, couldn't tell what a "great look" was.

But he knew that at that moment, the figure of the young man coincided with Lance.

......

"Who really taught you these words?"

"It's not. ”

Ralph and Troy, it seems that the "conversation" between the two will continue.

......

......

......