Even so, Noel didn’t let down her guard. And that, Allen figured, was to be expected. Before was before, and this was this. If she were the kind of person who trusted someone just for doing that much, he’d be more worried about her. And if she really was a queen, then caution was all the more necessary.
Still, Allen noticed a faint flicker of guilt in Noel’s expression. Her eyes dipped just slightly, enough for him to see it. Strictly speaking, it wasn’t the kind of behavior expected of a ruler. But at the same time, it was very much in line with who Noel was.
Even if she didn’t know Allen, even if this really was a parallel world, there was no doubt in his mind now. She was still Noel.
“Well, like I said before, it’s only natural not to trust someone right after meeting them. I’ll just have to work at earning it, step-by-step. We’ve got plenty of time on the road, after all.”
“Is earning someone’s trust really something you do to pass the time?” she asked.
“Well, having time to spare isn’t a bad thing.”
“That’s true, I suppose, though really, we can’t be sure that thing won’t attack again at any moment.”
“You still don’t know why it attacked you in the first place, do you?” he asked.
The demon had attacked them with no warning, no provocation. It never even explained why; it just launched into violence.
“Right. Or to be more accurate, there are too many possible reasons. We can’t narrow it down.”
“Do elves really have that many enemies?”
“Not elves in general. It’s probably more my personal issue, although...there are problems among elves too.”
“Sounds complicated. That must be tough.”
“Of course it is. But what can I do? I’m the Elven Queen.”
She shrugged as she spoke, and Allen couldn’t see any sign that she was forcing herself to act strong. If anything, she seemed completely natural, fully at ease with her position, as if being the Elven Queen was a matter of course. And maybe for this Noel, it was. That certainty, that strength... It was something that the Noel he knew had never quite possessed. It was a small difference, but one that hit Allen more deeply than he expected. He let out a soft sigh.
“Well, either way, if that guy shows up again, you don’t have to worry. I’ll handle it,” he stated.
“You say that with a lot of confidence. Do you even realize what he is? That thing’s a demon.”
“Of course I do,” he replied without hesitation.
Demons were generally known for their immense combat abilities. But that was only a generalization. It didn’t make them invincible. The man they had encountered clearly had confidence in his strength. He was probably strong. But Allen hadn’t felt the slightest hint of fear. He didn’t believe for a second that he’d lose.
“Besides, that’s the whole reason you let me ride with you in the first place, right?” He had offered to serve as their escort, and that was how he had ended up in the carriage with them. It was the most natural pretext for staying close, especially if he wanted to investigate the strange phenomena affecting either them...or himself. But truth be told, he probably could’ve come along even without offering that.
“You’re our savior. Honestly, we didn’t need you to do all that.”
“Exactly. Our destination was the same anyway. I told you we’d treat you with respect as our benefactor, and then you go and say, ‘No need for all that; just treat me normally if you really want to thank me.’ Can you believe that?”
“I’m not good with all that formality. This way works better for me.”
That was why this Noel, who had treated him with polite formality at first, was now speaking to him in the same relaxed tone as the Noel he once knew. Of course, the real reason Allen had asked them to treat him casually was because it made him uncomfortable to be addressed so formally by someone who looked and sounded exactly like Noel.
Still, it seemed to have been the right decision. If things had continued as they were, Noel and Mylène likely would have remained polite but far more guarded. And if he’d managed to soften even a fraction of their wariness, that was enough.
“Well, fine,” Noel said. “To be honest, I could act all formal if I had to, but I’d really rather not.”
“Same here.” Mylène added.
“Well, that’s good to hear.” Allen smiled at their agreement, feeling that, at least for now, things were moving in the right direction.
At the moment, it was best to simply observe. Jumping to conclusions about what exactly was wrong with the situation could be dangerous. It was still entirely possible that these two had been caught up in something that had made them forget about him, leading them to believe they were the Elven Queen and her bodyguard. Just as likely, though, was the idea that Allen himself had somehow crossed into a parallel world.
Either way, the only thing he could say for sure was that there wasn’t enough reliable information yet to take meaningful action. At the very least, there didn’t appear to be any immediate danger, and there was no harm in waiting a little longer before deciding what to do next.
Fortunately, Noel and Mylène happened to be heading to the same destination Allen had been aiming for. They were, apparently, also on their way to a remote Frontier town. Once there, Allen felt confident he could get some kind of confirmation, something to make sense of what was happening. There was no rush to draw conclusions. He could wait until then.
“Well, I’ve gotten used to getting caught up in weird situations and unexpected developments by now,” he said with a shrug.
After all, even his rise to becoming a hero had started in much the same way. It was nothing new at this point. And he knew all too well that rushing things never led anywhere good. Even so, he couldn’t completely suppress the unease in his chest. He had no idea how things would turn out, but somehow, he felt like it would be all right.
Watching Noel and Mylène—familiar in appearance, yet occasionally showing sides of themselves he didn’t recognize—Allen let out a quiet breath and let his thoughts drift.