“Come to think of it, I didn’t get to hear the details. Did the continental tortoise really sink into the pool at the end of that creek?” Sara asked Allen. Nelly only ever explained the gist of things, so she hadn’t gotten a detailed version of the story from anyone yet.
“I’d like to hear about it too. You were there, so how would you describe it?”
“Well, let’s see... It did sink into the pool. I guess it was like when it went through the dungeon’s walls. It looked like it was disappearing into the surface of the water.”
If that was the case, then why had the golden trouts jumped out of the pool? Sara found it strange until she decided that maybe it was like when she’d shocked them. They must have felt some sort of impact from the turtle’s intrusion.
“The thing I really realized following it was that the roads up there are really convenient.”
“That’s what you noticed?” Sara asked him.
“Well, I went up there prepared to have to travel through places where there wasn’t any road. Even on the road, steel armadillos came rolling at us and mountain wolves were attacking, so I was a little scared wondering what we’d have to deal with off the road.”
“I’d think you’d be excited about that, Allen.”
Allen smiled and shook his head. “You know I’m the careful type, Sara.”
This time around, Allen was the hero who had clung to the continental tortoise even after losing consciousness, but Sara realized that back in Rosa, he’d always put his life and his livelihood ahead of any kind of glory.
“Now that you mention it, I guess that’s true. You were so reckless with the continental tortoise that I forgot.”
“I was reckless, wasn’t I?” He could laugh about it now, though. “Anyway, the reason I thought that was because the continental tortoise followed the road the whole time.”
“That was nice of it... Or does that just mean the road is where it’s easiest to travel?” Sara decided.
“We went up to the caretaker’s cabin and then turned toward the pool where the golden trouts are right before hitting it. We didn’t get why we were turning at the time, though.”
“Huh. That must have been rough.”
“No, not really. I mean, we were all riding on top of it. It really wasn’t hard at all.”
Sara regretted worrying about them.
“I guess it would have been hard for Kuntz or Noel, though.”
“Why’s that?” Noel asked, looking a little peeved.
“Because the mana pressure was way worse up there. It was like this.” Allen released the mana pressure he usually kept suppressed. Well, Sara assumed he did, anyway. She could never sense it herself.
“Hey, cut it out, Allen. I’ll throw you out of the kitchen,” Mize’s low voice cautioned. Sara looked up and saw everyone in the kitchen giving them a sour look.
“S-So that’s mana pressure. Yeah, I might not have been able to handle that...”
“Right?” Allen bowed his head apologetically as he drew his mana back in. “I was on the thing’s shell three times, in Hydrangea’s dungeon, outside the capital, and right before we got to Rosa. Inside the Dark Mountain was the fourth time.”
He spoke about it like it was a vehicle or an amusement park ride, but the continental tortoise was a monster people compared to a natural disaster. As they worked, everyone in the kitchen gave Allen exasperated looks, and Sara thought they were absolutely right to do so.
“So I can tell. Sara...” Allen said, still peeling. “The turtle’s mana was climbing the whole time until it reached the Dark Mountain. I think it was even hard for Nelly to handle at the end. We still rode on the shell, though, since we were sick of chasing it with physical strengthening.”
Sara almost laughed, thinking, So even Nelly and Allen can get sick of physical strengthening.
“But it got better on the Dark Mountain. It was like the mana was going out of it. I think it felt the same as it did in Hydrangea’s dungeon at the end.”
Noel looked like he wanted to write all this down even as he also continued peeling.
“Do you think that means it was transferring mana from dungeon to dungeon? While sucking up mana on the road the whole way there?”
“That still leaves some questions, though. I wonder why it moves from south to north.”
“Yeah...”
Sara wondered why the goddess did things in such an annoying way, but maybe it wasn’t any more annoying than having to invite people into the world from elsewhere.
“It’s kind of like the Invited since it can suck up mana and make use of it.”
“You’re practically a natural disaster yourself, Sara.”
“Rude,” Sara huffed.
“You’re a good natural disaster, though.”
“I don’t think it can be a compliment if it has ‘disaster’ in it,” Sara said grumpily.
Mize’s voice came from deeper in the kitchen. “You don’t have to be anything that dramatic, Sara! You should just sit right there. It helps us out and you fit right in.”
“Huh? I do help out, don’t I?! See, Allen?” Sara prodded Allen with her elbow, cheerfully exclaiming. “It might be nice to stay in Rosa too.”
“I’ll stay in Rosa too, then.”
“Huh?” Sara hadn’t been expecting Allen to say that, since he was fitting in so well in Hydrangea. A strange silence settled in the kitchen.
“Ugh, we’ve got enough potatoes! Go and help set up the party!”
Mize was rather selfish, telling them to peel potatoes and then telling them to get lost.
“Yeah, you two can’t get a nice mood going all on your own. Where does that leave me? Come on, Allen, help me write my notes.” Noel pulled the wryly smiling Allen away somewhere, leaving Sara alone with the potatoes.
“Huh? Wait, what about me?”
“You can finish those.”
“That’s no fair...”
Sara sat back down and picked up a potato, going over what Allen had said one more time. She didn’t know what role continental tortoises played and why protection fields weakened around them, but maybe this world had so much mana that just calling a few Invited over every so often wasn’t enough to handle it.
“No, maybe I’m thinking about that wrong... Maybe they bring the Invited here because the continental tortoise can’t suck up all the mana...”
It would be an eternal mystery since she’d never have a chance to talk to the goddess again, but she could at least hope that no one would be as stupid as the knights the next time the continental tortoise showed up in the south.
She looked up and found that Mize was preparing the golden trout. Sara felt like she’d gone back to the time when she was working hard to earn her Hunter’s Guild ID.
“I wanted to go up to the caretaker’s cabin with everyone, but...” She was sure the mountain wolves were lying around in the sun and trying to eat anyone who came out of the caretaker’s cabin at the first chance they got. “I saw them for a little bit, so I guess it’s fine.”
Mountain wolves could stay confined to her memories as far as she was concerned.
“I’m good on wolves,” Sara murmured to herself.
“Sara! Can you help out over here too?!” Vince’s voice carried to the kitchen.
“Mize?”
“Yeah, go ahead. And Sara,” Mize said in a much gentler voice than he usually used. Sara turned around to face him. “I’ll hire you here anytime. Something happens, come on back to Rosa.”
Sara wanted to answer, but she felt a knot rise in her throat and the best she could manage was a big nod.
“Sara!” This time, Nelly called her.
This wasn’t her last day here or anything. If she wanted to, she could go wherever she wanted, be it Rosa or anywhere else. For now, all she wanted to do was enjoy the peace after the chaos with her friends.
“Coming!”
Sara left the kitchen and took a step out into the guildhall.