Chapter 39. The One Who Shouldn't Be Here
After I got what I needed from the goddess, I didn't linger on the fishmen's island. Of course, I had to fight off a couple of especially overeager bastards who were a bit too hungry for something "exotic," but in the end, even if it was clearly overpriced, I managed to buy a ticket for a ship and return to Noer.
To be honest, there was one question that wouldn't leave me alone throughout my journey: when would I finally be able to fulfill the conditions for settling down in this world? Especially considering how strong I'd become compared to most locals. There weren't that many threats left for me here, all the more so because, over the course of my travels, I'd managed to raise my level to 27, and now I could afford to take another trait with Lona's memories. Though I wasn't in any rush yet. First, I needed to be somewhere safe.
"Speaking of a safe place… That might be the answer," the realization suddenly struck me halfway to the tavern.
What exactly occurred to me? That I didn't have a home of my own. Merimi's tavern was nice enough, and she did protect me while I was there. But the fact remained: it wasn't my home.
So I firmly decided that my next goal would be acquiring a place to live. With that in mind, I strode into the tavern, where an even more irritable-than-usual Merimi was standing behind the counter, and across from her sat Indiana, gloomily drinking his beer. I headed straight for them.
"Merimi, get me a bottle of wine and some juice," I ordered right off the bat, sitting down beside the archaeologist and handing the big mama some money. He turned his alcohol-clouded gaze toward me and clearly didn't recognize me.
With a deft flick of her hand, Merimi swept the coins off the counter and then set two bottles in front of me: one with some far-from-good wine, the other with berry juice.
"And give me a big empty glass, please."
Thud — a large beer mug was slammed down in front of me.
"That'll do," I nodded, then uncorked the bottles and poured them into the mug in a one-to-one ratio. Only then did I finally take a sip and sigh contentedly. This kind of cocktail was definitely better than just cheap wine.
"What did you do to yourself, girl?" big mama asked darkly.
"I just found the sea goddess and awakened my bloodline," I replied after taking another big gulp from the mug.
"Was it worth it?" Merimi asked, glancing at the hood I was using to hide my cat ears. When you've already got something like elf ears, adding a second pair does look a little strange. Though in general I'm a total mutant anyway.
"Yeah, it was worth it," I nodded with a smile, acutely aware of my new connection to the water element, as well as the water spirits ready to appear at my first call and grow stronger along with me.
"You… you're Lona?" Indiana asked uncertainly.
"Yes. I'm back," I smiled warmly.
"You little brat. Just up and ran off like that. I was worried, you know," the man grumbled before taking another long pull from his mug.
"It had to be done," I answered without the slightest hint of remorse, then focused on big mama, who had just finished serving another customer.
"Merimi."
"What do you want, runt?"
"Who in this city should I talk to if I want to buy a house?"
"What's wrong with my tavern that you decided to leave?" the woman asked irritably.
"There's nothing wrong with it," I shook my head and, after taking a sip of my cocktail, continued, "I just need my own home. One I'll turn into my personal fortress."
"…Go to the Noer Bank. You can buy a plot there for about fifteen gold," Merimi replied after a brief pause, clearly displeased but answering anyway.
"Fifteen? That's it?" I was genuinely surprised, considering that a ship ticket to the mainland costs at least twenty.
"What did you expect? Most people who can afford anything at all prefer to ditch this damned island. You don't really think common beggars or these drunkards here can scrape together fifteen gold, do you?"
"Fair point," I admitted. It really is true that not everyone can manage that kind of money.
"I'll take care of it today, then," I decided, and after that I just quietly spent some time with them. We simply talked while I recounted what I'd gone through during my short journey—though I skipped over the details of how exactly I awakened the sea goddess. That particular act had been pretty immoral. We also talked about Cecilia and Greyrat who, once they learned I'd gone off alone, took the news rather calmly and just went about their business.
When the drinks I'd bought ran out and I'd fully enjoyed that light drunkenness that makes your head feel weightless, I simply used healing magic on myself so I wouldn't suffer later and to clear my thoughts a bit. I was just about to leave when I noticed a girl at the adventurers' guild reception desk.
Honestly, when she raised her gaze towards me, the first thought that flashed through my mind was that I'd made some massive mistake somewhere—otherwise, why would I suddenly be hallucinating?
Despite the obvious difference in age and her exhausted, half-starved look, she was still unmistakably recognizable as that girl from an anime. Black hair, red dress, black cloak with a golden trim, and a big pointed witch's hat. Her clothes were heavily worn, faded in places, and patched up by hand more than once. Her left eye was covered by an eyepatch, and her right eye was blood-red.
We stood there, silently staring at each other. I couldn't for the life of me figure out how an explosion-loving girl from a comedy anime had ended up in this nightmare of a world. She was completely out of place here.
Megumin, leaning wearily on her staff, was studying me in turn—probably because of my excessively exotic appearance. Apparently coming to some decision, she gave a short nod. She straightened up, lifted her chin proudly, and took a step forward. The ragged hem of her cloak flared theatrically. She raised her hand to her eyepatch, freezing in her signature pose.
"Hear me! My name is Megumin!" Her voice, ringing at first, broke into a rasp by the end of the phrase from hunger, but she stubbornly continued: "I am an archwizard, master of Explosion magic! The one whose path leads to ruin, whose power knows no equal among mortals!"
She froze, waiting for the usual admiration or at least some mockery, but the pause dragged on. I stared straight into her right eye—bright crimson, blazing with magic—but inside it… inside it there was a dull, bottomless despair. It was the look of someone reciting a sacred mantra they no longer believe in, simply because it's the only thread still tying them to their past life.
"For I…" She faltered, and the hand gripping her staff began to tremble slightly. The bravado started to crumble, like old plaster. "I… can also use minor spells… if necessary."
It was genuinely heartbreaking. I thought I'd already seen plenty in this world and knew just how horribly people could suffer here. But seeing what had become of that once-eccentric, cheerful, insanely single-minded girl—seeing how badly she'd been broken, to the point that she'd apparently even given up her beloved Explosion magic… I felt sorry for her on a very human level.
Silently, I walked closer, but when I noticed how tense she became, I stopped right away.
"You've been through a lot in 'this' world," I said calmly.
Hearing the way I stressed the word "this," the girl stared at me in shock. Her crimson eye widened with surprise and disbelief.
"Come with me. I'll buy you something to eat," I said, taking advantage of her hesitation. I came up to her, gently wrapped an arm around her, and steered her softly toward the counter. Merimi was already looking at me from there, shaking her head in obvious disapproval and giving a heavy sigh. To be honest, I still had no idea by what criteria she decided who deserved her pity.
But there was one thing I knew for sure: after seeing Megumin in this world, I couldn't just leave her. And looking at her, I suddenly realized, with painful clarity, who else I'd forgotten—about a girl you're not allowed to forget.
I need to save Kokona.