Katou Mana immediately started to make a move after seeing Majima Takahiro off and returning to her room. Her fellow travelers—Aker’s delegation, the Alliance Knights, the residents of Draconia who’d stayed behind, Kaneki Mikihiko, and Shimazu Yui—hadn’t come to the capital. The only others inside the room were Rose, Gerbera, and Iino Yuna.
“Are you listening, Gerbera? Be careful not to break anything,” Rose said, attaching some kind of magic bag to Gerbera’s waist.
“You don’t need to tell me that.”
Rose stared up at Gerbera’s beautiful face. Rose wasn’t actually using her eyes to see, so this would normally be an unnecessary gesture. As she was now, her movements were indistinguishable from a human’s.
“Oh, Gerbera, you’re looking a little pale,” Rose said.
“Hrm? No, I don’t think I...” Gerbera started, then furrowed her brow. “Hrm? Hmmm? Now that you mention it, my body feels a little strange. I don’t really get it.”
“How do you not understand?” Rose asked. “Actually, how did you not notice until I mentioned it?”
“I’ve never been in poor health,” Gerbera said. “Hmm. Thinking back on it, I found it a little hard to move during the battle in that labyrinth too. What can it be? I don’t believe I have some manner of disease.”
“A lot has happened lately,” Rose said. “I doubt you’ve gotten sick, but you may be more exhausted than you think. Unlike me, you do have an organic body. You should be more careful with your health.”
It was charming to watch Gerbera obliviously endure Rose’s gentle, considerate admonishment. Nevertheless, now wasn’t the time for that.
“Can I say something?”
“What’s the matter, Mana?” Rose asked, straightening herself back up and turning to face Katou Mana.
“I think it’s about time to start making a move,” Mana said.
“A move...you say?” Rose repeated, cocking her head curiously. “I believe the plan was to remain as a group like this until the others return, right?”
“Of course, that part hasn’t changed,” Mana confirmed. Even though they judged that they weren’t in any particular danger here, they weren’t going to go out of their way to show any enemies an opening. “I want all of us to move together. We should be doing what we can instead of just waiting for the others. I need to ask everyone to come along, though.”
“I see,” Rose said. “I don’t mind.”
“Neither do I,” Iino Yuna agreed. “I’m your guard, after all.”
She was still doing her duty while keeping pressure on her wounded leg. This could be interpreted as a facet of her serious personality, but she also seemed fretful to do anything of use. Katou Mana was grateful either way. Even without her greatest weapon, Iino Yuna still possessed the strength to match a warrior. The title of strongest hand-to-hand combatant in the exploration team wasn’t just for show.
“Mm. I don’t mind either,” Gerbera said, her lips curving into a smile. “So what are you scheming this time, Katou?”
“Don’t make it sound like I’m the bad guy. What kind of person do you think I am?” Mana complained, narrowing her eyes before answering the question. “I’m thinking of visiting Harrison. There’s something I want to ask him.”
The three others looked at her in shock.
“I didn’t expect to hear his name,” Gerbera commented. “But isn’t he bedridden?”
This was a state of emergency that involved the potential end of the world, so he’d gone out to give directions to the pursuit force. However, by all rights, he was on his deathbed. He wasn’t in a state to receive guests.
“Is there any reason for me to care about Harrison’s condition?” Mana asked, smiling.
“R-Right...” Gerrea said, her expression shifting uneasily at how pretty Katou Mana’s smile was.
“I have a proper reason for visiting,” Mana added. “There’s something I want to ask. Some time has passed since everyone left on the chase, so he should be done giving orders to the knights by now. I’m sure he’s left everything else to Sir Gordon and is getting some rest. If he’s not accepting guests, nobody will get in the way, so this might actually be convenient.”
“O-Oh. That’s good. So you’re not just harassing him,” Gerbera muttered.
“Of course not. I just don’t feel the need to be considerate,” Mana reiterated. “Well, I won’t deny that I’m still angry at him.”
Katou Mana sighed to expel the heat of the emotions building up within her. Seeing her like that, Rose smiled. She knew her best friend well. It was clear that Katou Mana’s compassion was deep, unexpectedly so from the point of view of those who feared her. That said, at the same time, she was prepared to cut loose all emotions and reason if it was necessary. That was precisely why she shut her feelings deep down inside and was considering visiting Harrison.
“If you say so, Mana, then it must be necessary,” Rose said. “Then shall we get moving right away?”
There was no time like the present. Just as Rose made that suggestion, Gerbera’s brow twitched. Her red eyes turned to the door. A few seconds later, a knock came from it. They had a guest, an unexpected one at that.
“Aoi?”
“H-Hi, Mana.”
With an awkward expression, the exploration team’s Stalwart Snow White, Mitarai Aoi, stepped into the room with unreliable steps. Nobody was accompanying her. Katou Mana could tell by her behavior that Mitarai Aoi was here to visit her.
Katou Mana hadn’t expected this development. She got her thoughts moving to try and figure out what this was about. The last time she’d seen this girl was during the meeting with the exploration team. At the time, Mitarai Aoi had criticized Majima Takahiro for having relationships with the women around him and had used that as a reason to object to his joining the exploration team. This wasn’t just to annoy him, of course. She’d done it purely out of consideration for her friend.
However, that same friend hadn’t wanted that at all. To protect her loved one’s position, she’d had no choice but to take on an attitude that had practically severed all relations with this girl. She was aware that this had been merciless of her and was something she’d never displayed back in their own world. Mitarai Aoi had been quite clearly shocked at the time. That was why it was unexpected for her to come to see her like this.