3 bar menu

The Boundary Between Worlds – Part 03

“Wh-Wh-Why did you do that, Selyse?” Sophie exclaimed the moment they boarded the carriage, her face mere inches from Selyse’s.

“Hold on, hold on. I’ll explain,” Selyse said, calming Sophie down. “It’s exactly what I said. I couldn’t celebrate getting a medal when so many people sacrificed their lives.”

“But your actions were truly remarkable. Oh, and of course, Serika’s magic was amazing too.”

“Sophie, do you want to become a priest?”

“What?! No, no, no. I’m perfectly content as a nun. Besides, becoming a priest would mean staying at a church somewhere, and I’d have to stop our activities as the Four Eastern Stars. Wait, don’t tell me.”

Selyse smiled. “That’s right. The Church wouldn’t leave you alone if you received that medal. We can’t afford to lose you now.”

“Selyse… You care that much about me?” Sophie looked at her with teary eyes, deeply moved.

I don’t want that kind of medal.

When the topic of the award was brought up, Selyse immediately associated the Holy Silver Grand Cross, which carried the same significance as a priestly rank, with the Grand Medal of Excellence that her father, who once aspired to be nobility, had desired.

At that moment, she thought she didn’t want it.

“Let’s just get back to Ponsonia quickly,” Sara chimed in. “Paula is waiting, and I want to visit Japan again!”

“Sara,” Serika said. “The reward this time won’t get us any large elemental magic stones. We need to open a rift to Japan and get in touch with them.”

“Elemental magic stones? I don’t know how, but Silver Face was in the great labyrinth, so it should be fine.”

Sara accidentally let it slip. Though she didn’t know how Hikaru returned to their world, she knew that as long as he was there, they could use the Four Elementals Fusion Theory to travel between worlds.

However, this was only understood by those who knew that Silver Face and Hikaru were the same person. Serika didn’t know this yet.

Seeing Sophie’s eyes widen in surprise, Sara gasped, realizing her mistake.

“What does Silver Face have to do with the elemental magic stones?” Serika asked.

“Uh, um, well, you see,” Sara stammered.

“Sara,” Selyse said sharply. “D-Did Silver Face say he was going to Ponsonia?” She sounded bashful.

“What? H-He did! He got some elemental magic stones, so he was going to sell them or something!”

“Hmm. Since we’re done here, we should head back to the capital quickly.”

“When did you even talk to Silver Face?” Serika asked, though she didn’t press further.

“Careful with what you say, Sara!” Sophie whispered.

“Sorry, it’s just so tiring keeping it a secret.”

“I see. He’s in the capital.”

Neither noticed Selyse’s smile as she looked out the carriage window.

---

“Such disrespectful people, weren’t they?” Luvain’s aide fumed after the audience and awards ceremony.

“Disrespectful? Is that what it seemed to you?” Luvain asked.

“Of course! Being awarded a medal personally by Your Holiness is the highest honor! Though we, as clergy, don’t receive such awards, so I can only imagine.”

“She made sure to save our faces.”

“What do you mean, Your Holiness?”

Luvain recalled Selyse’s words.

“While the chimera was indeed a formidable foe and I delivered the final blow, the weapon used was the Blue Flash, owned by Marius, the leader of the Rank A adventurer party Azure Blade Nebula. Additionally, the Rank B party Kinga Wolf also aided in cornering the beast. We did not accomplish this on our own, and thus, I feel unworthy of such an honor.”

She didn’t mention Einbiest’s Beastman army at all.

In other words, by emphasizing that the efforts of the adventurers—excluding Einbiest—deserved a medal, Luvain’s objective—highlighting that while Einbiest worked hard, the Adventurers Guild matched their efforts—was sufficiently achieved.

It seemed like wordplay of a cunning noble, but her words, which would be recorded officially, were likely to have an impact on future dealings with Einbiest.

Though she didn’t explicitly say that, Luvain judged that Selyse had spoken with all that in mind. How many present at that moment realized her intent?

“An interesting talent. Too valuable to remain just an adventurer.”

She was a lovely woman. Additionally, Sophie Bloomfield, who was highly regarded within the Church, trusted her as a party leader.

“In time, our paths will likely cross again.”

Luvain decided to keep the name Selyse Lande in mind.

---

Fujinota was nestled at the foot of the mountains, and by December, the snowfall brought a biting coldness.

“Is it a bit warmer here?” Lavia asked as they returned to Tokyo.

“Really? I think it’s cold,” Hazuki replied, burying her mouth in her scarf. Her breath came out in white puffs.

It was cold, but to Lavia, Tokyo’s chill was softer and gloomier compared to Fujinota.

Feeling a bit dizzy from the crowds at Tokyo Station, they changed trains and headed to Hazuki’s and Serika’s hometown. Hikaru’s home was in the next town over.

By the time they arrived, it was dusk, and with the year’s end approaching, nightfall came quickly.

“Let’s head to Serika’s place first.”

“Okay.”

Though Lavia could probably find the apartment where Serika and the rest of the Four Eastern Stars lived by herself, having a local like Hazuki with her was reassuring.

When they returned to the apartment, everything was exactly as it had been the day Hikaru and Lavia left for Fujinota, right down to the Nitto newspaper on the table.

Lavia realized once more that Hikaru was not here.

“What’s wrong, Lavia?” Hazuki asked.

“It’s nothing.”

“Once we’ve dropped off our things, how about we go out for dinner?” Hazuki suggested, trying to comfort her.

Lavia wondered how Hazuki could be so sensitive to others’ emotions. Perhaps this sensitivity was why she had been able to stay with Hikaru, but Lavia also thought that someone so delicate must find it hard to live in this world. Ironically, Hazuki had once said the same thing to Hikaru.

“Life will be rough for you. You may be clever, but you’re also reckless. Someday, somewhere, you might just suddenly die.”

Though they were different in the sense that Hikaru actually died.

“So, about our next steps. We should stay together, right? Of course, even if we’re apart, the rift will still appear before either of us.”

“Yes, I think so. What’s concerning is that Paula hasn’t used the spell despite it being past the scheduled date. But I believe Hikaru will definitely use it.”

“It’s good it’s winter break, so I have time. Let’s hope the next semester doesn’t start.”

Walking from the apartment towards the station, they saw the bright lights of the downtown area start to appear in the chilly landscape.

“Looks like we’ll be spending Christmas together, just the two of us.”

“Christmas… It’s a holiday with strong religious significance, right?”

“Yes, and it’s very sentimental too.” Hazuki smiled. Lavia found her side profile lovely.

From that point on, Lavia and Hazuki spent their days together. With Hazuki preparing for her university entrance exams next year, she studied during the day while Lavia read Japanese books beside her. They went out for meals or cooked together. They felt somewhat like sisters.

It’s strange. We just met, but being together doesn’t feel uncomfortable or distressing, Lavia thought.

She wondered if Hazuki was just bearing with the situation, but she didn’t seem to be forcing herself.

They went to see the Christmas lights together, shopped, and visited museums and galleries. Lavia was especially delighted by the large bookstores in the city.

Hazuki chuckled.

“What is it?” Lavia asked.

After leaving one such bookstore, Lavia’s backpack was stuffed with many books and manga. She carried it effortlessly, as she was used to bearing heavier loads during her adventures.

“I was just thinking that Hikaru probably wanted to take you to that bookstore too.”

“He did?”

“And I took over his job.”

Hazuki flashed an impish smile.

“Wait, Hazuki? Is that you? What are you doing here?”

Three high school boys, Hazuki’s classmates, appeared.

Lavia instinctively wanted to use Stealth to slip away, but she didn’t have the Group Cloaking skill to take Hazuki with her. Leaving her behind wasn’t an option, especially when she saw the uneasy expression on Hazuki’s face for the first time.

“Who’s this? She’s super pretty!” one of the boys exclaimed.

“Uh, I’m Hazuki’s classmate,” another introduced.

“Hey, I’m supposed to introduce myself first!”

Hazuki’s frown deepened. “Sorry, we’re in a hurry.”

Then it happened.

Ah… what timing.

Under the cold sky, the dry air seemed to crack audibly. In the next moment, the air actually started to split apart with a crackling sound. It was the activation of the spell for crossing worlds.

“What?”

“What’s this?”

“Wait, is this that other world thing?!”

The large bookstore in the heart of the city was close to a bustling shopping district. There were many people about, and they all stopped in their tracks. Some even pointed their smartphone cameras at the scene.

The rift widened. Chaos spread like ripples from a pebble dropped into water. But Lavia felt a strange sense of relief. The spell for crossing worlds was functioning properly. And she was oddly sure that Hikaru was behind it.

“You sure took your time, Hikaru.”

She called out through the rift—in their language—and then she froze.

“What?”

Hikaru was supposed to be there. Probably Paula too.

But beyond the rift was pitch-black darkness. An all-consuming void that seemed to swallow everything.

“Wh-What’s going on?”

The rift started to close without explanation. Once it was fully sealed, it was as if nothing had happened.

“Holy shit! Was that a portal to another world?!”

“First time I’ve seen it!”

“Did you get it? Did you record it?”

The high school boys were in an uproar, and more people gathered around.

“Lavia, we need to go. Lavia, Lavia!”

But Lavia’s mind was in far more turmoil than the crowd.

The spell for crossing worlds had failed.