Chapter 372: Investigation

I lightly explored the surroundings and realized something. Near the sandy beach, there is nothing but forest, and beyond the forest lies a pointed mountain. For now, I decided to name it Mt. Triangle. The forest is dense with trees, making it a Dim Sea of Trees.

When I returned to the sandy beach, which seemed to be the only safe zone, I saw Arte and the others lying on beds made of Wood Blocks that I had whipped up for the time being. Just in case, I had built a fence around them like a cage to prevent magic beasts from approaching.

“In the end, I never did figure out who that Apkallu was.”

Muttering that, I touched a nearby piece of driftwood and created a new Wood Block. Wherever we are, you can never have too many Wood Blocks.

As I was thinking that, I heard a muffled groan nearby.

“Till?”

When I went to her side and called her name, Till opened her eyes slightly and looked at me.

“Ah, Lord Van…… Good morning……”

She is half-asleep. This version of Till is quite unusual. It is a Rare Till.

“Good morning. Does your body hurt anywhere?”

When I asked that, Till narrowed her eyes and smiled while still lying down.

“It doesn’t hurt, you knooow?”

Till replied in a sleepy voice. This isn’t just an R. It is an SR Till.

“I’m glad you aren’t injured. Arte and Ms. Panamera seemed okay too, so situation notwithstanding, that’s a relief.”

When I answered with a wry smile, Till let out a small “Hm?”, placed her hands on the ground, and pushed herself up to a sitting position. Then, she looked around and fell silent, as if thinking for a few seconds.

As I waited for her reboot time, Till finally made a startled face and whipped around to look at me.

“A-Are you alright!? Are you injured……!?”

“Ah, I am fine too. Full of energy.”

When I answered, Till leapt at me, wrapping both arms around my neck and hugging me tight.

“I-I am so glaaaaad! Waaaaaaah! It was so scaaaary!!”

In a complete turnaround from her sleepy mood just moments ago, Till clung to me and shouted while shedding large drops of tears. It seems she finally remembered what happened. Giving a wry smile at her state, I patted her back lightly with both hands to calm her down.

“Being in the sea was scary, wasn’t it? It is okay. You are safe now.”

As I smiled and said that, Till pulled away, grabbed my shoulders with both hands, and shook her head.

“I was scared because I thought you might die, Lord Van! Please do not ever leave my side again!”

“Eh? N-No, I didn’t do it on purpose, you know? I-I am sorry?”

Being spoken to by Till as if she were angry, I got flustered and apologized instinctively. Then, Till hugged me tightly once more and started crying again. This is troubling. I’m blushing.

Amidst this, I heard a small clearing of a throat and looked up. I met eyes with Panamera Carrera Cayenne, who was lying on her side on the Wood Block bed, propping herself up on one elbow with her chin resting in her palm. My heart skipped a beat at the pin-up model pose, but she was smirking.

“……You are quite popular, Boy.”

“……Do you have any pain anywhere?”

“Oh, changing the subject? Are you seriously embarrassed?”

Panamera Carrera Cayenne tried to read my emotions from my question. I glared at her with half-lidded eyes in silent protest. Perhaps sensing something from that, Panamera Carrera Cayenne shrugged and sat up.

“……This is not Tribute. Did we get washed away to somewhere else?”

Even though she just woke up, Panamera Carrera Cayenne analyzed the situation calmly. As expected of her.

“For the time being, there was nothing nearby. Just a deep forest and a pointed mountain I have never seen before. Not only is there no settlement, there is no sign of people at all.”

When I answered concisely, Panamera Carrera Cayenne fell into quiet thought, but she soon lowered her gaze to the bed she had been sleeping on and spoke.

“It seems you woke up first and took care of things. You saved me.”

“Not at all. Ah, by any chance, was it you who handled the magic beast, Ms. Panamera?”

“No, unfortunately, the current was too violent. I could only manage to grab Miss Arte, who was nearby. Next time I meet that thing, I will roast it whole.”

Panamera Carrera Cayenne muttered while suppressing the anger threatening to leak out.

“……Then perhaps the fact that all four of us are here together is thanks to you, Ms. Panamera. Thank you very much.”

When I thanked her, she returned a suggestive smile.

“……What is it?”

I asked, giving her the half-lidded stare again. In response, Panamera Carrera Cayenne pointed to her own chest and lifted the corner of her mouth.

“Laying us on beds was fine, but leaving us in wet clothes can hardly be called gentlemanly. The correct move would be to undress us, wipe off all the water, and dress us in furs. Well, if you had managed to start a fire too, that would have been a perfect score.”

“That’s impossible. And embarrassing.”

I answered, pouting at Panamera Carrera Cayenne’s critique. At that, Panamera Carrera Cayenne laughed out loud.

“Hahaha! Was that too soon for the Boy? Then, let me teach you. Look, Miss Arte is still sleeping in her wet clothes. Take them off and wipe away the water.”

“I-It’s impossible! You do it, Ms. Panamera!”

As I complained about Panamera Carrera Cayenne’s mischievous remark, her expression suddenly turned serious, and she pointed at Arte.

“Jokes aside, how long has Miss Arte been sleeping? If she hit her head hard, there are cases where one never wakes up. Is she truly alright?”

Being told that, I knitted my brows and nodded.

“……That is certainly true. I felt relieved just seeing that she was breathing.”

After answering, I moved to check on Arte. Lying on the bed, Arte had her eyes closed, facing straight up at the sky. Her hands were placed over her abdomen, and her fingers were trembling slightly……

“Huh? Are you awake? Arte?”

Surprised, I called her name. Looking closely, Arte had her eyes squeezed shut, and I could sense a tense atmosphere about her. While calling her name, I tapped her lightly on the shoulder.

Then, Arte softly opened her eyes and looked up at me.

“……I-I was…… awake.”

It seems she had been aware. It was good that Arte had woken up, but just when had she woken up?

“Tch, busted, huh.”

Panamera Carrera Cayenne muttered quietly behind me. It was then that I finally realized I had been played.

“Geez, Ms. Panamera! I was seriously worried, you know!?”

Even the normally gentle Van was furious. However, Panamera Carrera Cayenne just said, “My bad,” and laughed, showing her teeth.