Otome Game no Heroine de Saikyou Survival [WN] - Chapter 161.5

“Did you notice anything? Rena.”

“…are you on a break? Ron.”

Elena responds to Ron, who had come down from the rooftop where he was repairing the hot air balloon, and Elena responded with a that seemed to draw a line.

Both Elena and Ron were aware that their names were aliases for each other; Ron was probably a nobleman from some country, and he probably realized that Elena was a nobleman, as well.

Elena had been involved with them for some time and trusted their personalities. However, as a noble, she could not afford to reveal her name to them and even if she did trust them.

 (It’s mutual, but…) 

Aria did not trust them with all her heart, but she did trust Elena enough to trust her (with some calculation) with the children, seeing how much they loved her.

Elena would not have wanted to be with them if it were not for those young children and Chaco who took care of them.

Of course, Elena had assumed that Ron and Camille would be somewhat wary of them as well….

“Oh…what, are you having trouble? Life in the desert is hard, isn’t it?”

“Well. I’m fine…but?”

Recently, Elena felt that Ron’s attitude had softened, especially since she had seen him taking care of the children.

It was not as drastic a change of attitude like Camille’s toward Aria, but perhaps Ron’s trust in her increased after she showed him her true self toward the children.

 (Children are cute…) 

Elena did not intend to show her true self either, but although Noi, a slightly older Dark Elf, was too shy to approach her, the two infants, Rana, a Dwarf, and Naru, a Dog Beastman, were very friendly to Elena, almost as if they were clinging to her.

But…that likability could be a problem.

“…Rena, big sister.”

“Oh my, what’s wrong? Rana.”

Rana, a little girl who was only four years old, came up the stairs with a face like she was about to cry. Elena thought that she was still napping, but Chaco, who had gone to work in the fields when she woke up, had probably not returned yet.

“Did you have a scary dream?”

“No, no…Naru went outside.”

“…What?”

Naru was only three years old. He was a boy and a beastman, so he was more active than a human toddler, but he was still too young to go out by himself.

“Where did Naru go? How long has he been gone?”

Elena, hiding her impatience, looked at Rana and asked softly, causing Rana to bite her lower lip and almost cry.

“Umm, Naru, I went to pick medicinal herbs…”

“Medicinal herbs…?”

“It’s my fault. I told him that there was bright red grass with a strange smell on the rocks.”

“Oh…”

That reminded Elena of something else.

Red grass. It had a different name, but it was a succulent plant that grows in certain areas of the desert. Unlike the edible ones in this area, it could be one of the ingredients for making advanced potions if it was processed in a special way.

Unlike the deathroot that blooms in the miasmaic areas, it was relatively easy to collect since one did not have to go to the ruins, but Naru probably realized that the red grass was in short supply when he heard Aria and Camille talking about it as they were collecting the materials.

Naru then thought about what he could do and took action, in his own childish way.

Instead of just sitting and waiting because of his young age, he searched for what he could do and acted for the sake of everyone here.

“I’m sorry…”

“Rana…”

Elena hugged Rana, who started to cry. She did nothing wrong. But if Naru was injured, it would leave a scar on her heart.

“Rena, I’ll go look for him.”

“Ron!”

Ron, who was listening to the conversation, said, his usual light smile fading.

The two combatants would collect materials together, sell advanced potions for money, and collect repair materials to fix the hot air balloon. That was decided by the older group, including Elena and Ron.

He probably felt responsible for carelessly talking about it in front of the children because they were still young.

Ron, like Elena, may be feeling the same inexpressible anxiety.

“…”

Naru’s behavior; Ron’s sense of responsibility. Seeing these things, Elena thought.

Elena and Aria had no responsibility for the children. Elena and Aria’s goal was to return home and let their country know that they were alive, and other things were secondary.

But was this the right thing to do? 

Elena’s return to her country would prevent the nobility from splitting up, and she believed that any sacrifices made to achieve this were necessary sacrifices.

Elena had to return, even at the cost of everything.

But to what extent? How far must she go to achieve her goal? 

A ruler was a lonely person. They would have to abandon even “oneself” in order to serve the people.

Was it really right for a [Queen] to sit and wait while everyone else was struggling in unison to do what they could, even infants, to survive, when she had decided to abandon even herself for the sake of her people? 

How was I any different from her brother, who just sat and waited for the throne to come to him? 

Saving a child. Save everyone here. And then complete your purpose. Who would follow a flimsy [Queen] who could not do that much?

“Ron, I’m joining as well.”

Can’t wait to read more? Want to show your support? Click here to be a sponsor and get additional chapters ahead of time!

Also check out my other novels: Reincarnated into a Game as the Hero’s Friend, Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear, and A Girl Who Was Told “You Have No Talent” Turned Out To Be A Talented Monster