Haruka like a radiant star enthusiastically embraced the girl.
“Welcome back, Jupi-chan.”
“Yes, welcome back, Haruka.”
No, you’ve been energetic from start to finish.
“Kyouchiro, welcome back too. Are you feeling better?”
“Thanks to you, I was able to rest well.”
With a mysterious nod, the small-framed girl replied.
Her expression remained unchanged.
“Where are Onee-san and Al?”
“They’re at home preparing for the party. I’m the one sent to pick you up.”
Ah, so she’s the designated escort. She’s been entrusted with an important task.
“Then, please escort us properly, Ms. Escort.”
“Leave it to me.”
With a light tap on her chest, the silver-haired twin-tailed girl.
Her slightly flushed crimson eyes seemed to be brimming with confidence.
◆Dungeon City Sakurabana – The 88th Dungeon [Great Mother]
…It was just an illusion.
The sound of two sets of footsteps echoed on the steep mountain path.
One was me, the other was Haruka.
And as for the third set of footsteps that should have been heard…
“Hey, Ms. Escort, what’s the meaning of this?”
“…I’m sorry.”
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT GADGETIZEDPANDA.COM
A troubled voice came from behind.
There was the sight of a girl being carried on the back of a freshly discharged patient.
“I underestimated my own physical capacity.”
You underestimated it way too much.
Why do I, a recovering patient, have to carry a middle school girl up the mountain? Where’s the one in charge?
“I’m starting to feel a little sleepy.”
The one in charge was dozing on my back. Damn, they’re doing as they please!
“Now, now. Since Jupi-chan invited us, let’s overlook this little thing, okay?”
“Say that after you’ve carried her yourself, Haruka-san. I’m ready to take over anytime.”
“Eeh, Haruka-san, I’ve never carried anything heavier than a sword before…”
At least lie and say chopsticks or something. That won’t show your weakness like a great sword would.
“So, Jupi, is the destination just a little further?”
“Yes, it’s a bit up ahead.”
I nod casually as we tackle the steep, treacherous slope.
If I think of this as a type of muscle training, there’s nothing I can’t do.
[Before going home, there’s a place I’d like you two to see. It’s a bit far, but can you come with me?]
—-Jupi had brought this up just as we left the hospital.
Since this was a proposal from Jupi, who had not actively asserted anything until now, we readily agreed to go along with her detour.
At first, it was a lot of fun.
While taking the bus and streetcar, the three of us enjoyed the scenery of Sakuraba. “A non-combat adventure is nice once in a while,” Haruka had said, the fool.
The tempura soba we had for lunch was delicious too. Since my diet at the hospital had been devoid of fried foods, my stomach was overjoyed, overjoyed. I even ended up ordering three refills, nearly giving myself stomach ache.
—-The ominous clouds started gathering once we reached a place where our means of transportation was limited to walking.
The 88th Dungeon [Great Mother], one of the five major dungeons, a dungeon that exceeded fifty floors.
We were led to this unexpected place, but we didn’t explore the facility itself. Instead, we followed Jupi’s guidance to the mountain trail within the premises.
And this pint-sized escort had already started complaining at the beginning of the hike.
Her stamina is severely lacking.
Even with the boost of the spirit’s power, this is her condition.
It seems I may have to open the Kyouchiro Boot Camp after all.
Well, the fact that she’s now proactively asking for a “piggyback ride” can be considered growth, I suppose…
“Relaxed, Relaxed”
……Is this really growth?
It also feels like I’ve just become more arrogant.
And one is enough for the “thing”.
◆
After climbing the mountain for another thirty minutes, we finally reached our destination.
“We’re here.”
Slowly, Jupiter climbed down from my back, being very careful with their footing as they merged into the scenery in front of us.
“No way…!”
Haruka next to me involuntarily held her breath.
It must have been quite shocking.
I can understand the feeling.
This was truly a breathtaking view.
What filled my vision were colorful flowers.
No, to be precise, it was flowers of all four seasons.
Hydrangeas stood next to sunflowers, and fully bloomed cherry blossoms supported cosmos and spider lilies.
There were roses, lilies, gerberas, marigolds, osmanthus, sasanquas, daisies, cyclamens, and tulips.
A profusion of flowers of all four seasons.
Is there any other way to describe this place other than calling it a paradise?
“Are all of these real?”
To Haruka’s reasonable question, the girl walking through the flower garden nodded.
“They’re real. James said it’s because of the influence of the dungeon.”
Dungeons with bosses whose power is overwhelmingly strong can sometimes even affect the outside world.
Probably the limitless life force of the “Great Mother” created this miraculous ecosystem.
The five great dungeons are truly on another level. The convincing power to make one think so was certainly present in the flower garden before our eyes.
“The flowers here never wither. They maintain their beautiful form forever,”
Jupiter told us.
This place, which is particularly susceptible to the influence of the “Great Mother” emanating from the dungeon, is jointly managed by the Union and the “Burning Ice Sword”.
“I used to come here a lot when I was at James’ place.”
“How did you get here?”
“The place I lived was nearby.”
The Great Mother of the dungeon is also the home of the “Burning Ice Sword”.
So this place must have been like Jupiter’s own backyard.
“I never really fit in at that place, but I loved spending time here…”
With a nostalgic and slightly melancholic expression, the girl in the straw hat looked up at the cherry blossoms out of season.
Her well-composed stance made me almost unconsciously try to capture Jupiter’s figure with my smartphone camera.
“Kyouchiro?”
“Ah, my bad, my bad. It’s just that, well, it was too beautiful, you know…”
“I understand. This is a very beautiful place.”
With a slight misunderstanding, the girl nodded and smiled.
…Smiled?
“Jupiter!”
“You just now…”
“?”
The girl, unaware of the unprecedented change in herself, simply smiled.
I quickly activated the camera app with the shape-shifting function and held the smartphone screen reflecting it next to Jupiter.
The girl’s crimson eyes were immediately filled with a mix of astonishment and delight.
“I’m…smiling…”
It’s not a full-blown smile.
Just a slight upward tilt of the corners of the mouth, and a slight narrowing of the eyes.
But the girl’s face was undoubtedly smiling.
Not a hysterical laughter, but a modest and gentle smile.
It was a more delicate and precious flower than any in this garden.
The corners of my eyes started to feel warm.
Haruka next to me was already in tears.
Jupiter, who had always suppressed their emotions to avoid hurting someone, had finally smiled for the first time.
There had been tragedies.
There had been anguish.
There had been battles.
But in the end, a smile was indeed there.
“The reason I called you two here today is to witness the beginning of my new self. In this place I loved so much, I’m starting a new me.”
Under the cloudless blue sky, Jupiter spoke in their usual tone.
“…I, uh…I…”
It’s unclear whether they were reminiscing about the past or looking forward to the future.
But one fact was that Jupiter was crying.
With their face scrunched up, they shed big, adult-sized tears, which was proof that they were no longer bound by anyone.
The girl who had suppressed her emotions to avoid hurting someone was now smiling and crying.
Overwhelmed by the magnitude and preciousness of what she had gained, my tear ducts finally burst, and hot emotions flowed down my cheeks.
“I…from now on, …ugh…I’ll be so happy. Surrounded by everyone I love…uuu, I’ll be the happiest…child in the world…”
While desperately holding back the torrential tears, we waited for Jupiter’s words.
Yes, Jupiter.
You, who have been so kind and worked so hard,
“will surely become…the happiest child.”
The rest of the words were unnecessary.
The three of us embraced each other, crying and laughing to our heart’s content.
Tears of overflowing emotions.
But there was no sign of a black thunderstorm approaching.
The sky remained clear as ever, and the gentle sunlight gently illuminated us.
I’m sure we will never forget this scene for the rest of our lives.
We will always remember the beauty of the smile that bloomed in this miraculous flower garden.
Always, always…
I’m dreaming
A dream where I gently reach out my hand to a lonely child I don’t know
Holding their hand, asking their name, and introducing myself
If that child is troubled, I’ll trouble myself with them
If that child smiles, I’ll smile too
That’s how I’ll make friends with someone who’s secretly crying, and create a big circle
Not for someone else, but for myself, I want to save someone
Dreaming such a grand dream, I live a happy reality today
End of Chapter 2
Proceed to Subquest 2
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