Pioneering the Apocalyptic World - Chapter 126

Chapter 56: A suggestion

“Rion-sama, are you here?”

“She’s here… but it’s best to enter quietly.”

When I knocked on the door of Rion-sama’s room, the voice that came back was Uru-san’s.
So she’s unable to reply, I quietly opened the door, wondering if she was concentrating on making something.

“…… Did I interrupt something?”

“Interrupt? Rather, you’ve come at a good time…. My legs are getting numb, so I’d like you to help me get her off me or take my place.”

“…… Is that so.”

I couldn’t help but say something when I saw Uru-san giving a lap pillow to Rion-sama, but Uru-san didn’t panic or seem bothered and answered naturally.
… Well, that’s right, this person was like that. That’s makes me feel relieved too.
In any case, if we can change places, I will be happy to replace her.

“Huh… Putting aside pain, I can’t get used to numbness…”

While watching Uru-san, who was dangling and bending her legs out of the corner of my eye, I looked at Rion-sama’s face, who was sleeping without noticing that the pillow had changed.

“Her eyes are red…”

“Umu…”

While gently using a healing spell, I heard Uru-san’s awkward reply.
It’s not like they had a fight… It doesn’t connect to giving a lap pillow. In the first place, there are almost no fights here, and it is peaceful. The most I’ve ever witnessed is Rion-sama doing strange things while making things and being scolded by Uru-san for it, or the earth god forcing Rion-sama to drink too much… Cough.

“What exactly happened?”

In response to my question, Uru-san stammered a little and then prefaced it by saying, “For more details, please ask Rion directly after she wakes up.”

“… She was crying because she would never be able to go back to her hometown.”

Rion-sama’s hometown. I haven’t heard the details, but… It seems like there are many people who are similar to Rion-sama and those who are even better than her.
From my point of view, Rion-sama is quite amazing, but she often laughed and said, “The person who thought of this that is amazing.”.
What kind of place is it? I’ve always wanted to visit, but… She can’t go back?

“I… I’ve never seen Rion cry, not from pain, but from sadness so much.”

That might be rare, indeed… I’ve never seen it either.
If actually saw her crying, I think I would either be confused or feel sad along with her… But to sound guilty like Uru-san right now… What happened?

“But I… Instead of comforting Rion who was sad… Even though I shouldn’t, I was relieved that Rion couldn’t go home.”

“–”

Uru-san is saying this as if it’s a truly bad thing, and if Rion-sama herself were to hear that, there’s a good chance she’d be hurt.
However, I was completely convinced. I ended up agreeing with her.
I found the idea that Rion-sama would never go far away, that she would never return, very tempting.

From what I can guess, Rion-sama’s hometown is very, very far away.
It’s not easy to her return. If she goes back… She won’t be able to come back here.
And perhaps… That place is a place that we cannot go together.

Therefore, I cannot blame Uru-san.
No matter how much Rion-sama will be sad for it.

“Ah, even after I told Rion the truth, she didn’t get angry at me.… I asked her to not get angry, but I think it would have been better if she got angry at me and let out all that stress.”

“… Rion-sama, she rarely gets angry over anything…”

No matter how much Uru-san destroys things, no matter how bad I am learning how to make things, or whether when Fin makes a mistake and breaks a device. Well, it’s not that I want to make her angry, but I do feel anxious when she doesn’t get angry.
Unfortunately, I’ve seen many of her troubled faces… But I wonder if behind that face there was a lot of anger and sadness. I pray that’s not the case. I would like to think that this does not mean that we are not being trusted or that we don’t are close enough to her open up her heart to us.

Even if it’s something that’s not enough to make Rion-sama angry, there may be many things that she was forced to hold back on.
Then, how to make her express her feelings more honestly, when thinking about that… In conclusion, we can only earn even more trust than we have now.

“Uru-san, lamenting won’t get us anywhere. Let’s think about the future first.”

“… The future?”

Even when I trace Rion-sama’s cheek, she shows no sign of waking up… I wanted to touch her lips too, but as expected, I was reluctant to do that.
I brushed her bangs away from her eyes, although I couldn’t know her true age due her being a miko, after looking at her sleeping face which looked like a child’s, I made a suggestion to Uru-san.

“Yes. If Rion-sama is crying because she can’t go back to her hometown, we should just make her think, ‘I’m glad I didn’t have to go back.'”

That’s something… That I can’t do by myself.

“The reason Uru-san feels guilty is because Uru-san thinks that you are the only one who is enjoying the benefits… I dare to call it benefits, okay? The fact that Rion-sama is there means that we are enjoying that benefit. In that case, don’t you think there will be no problem if Rion-sama can enjoy the benefits of our presence here?”

“…… I see?”

“So, what I’m saying is Rion-sama needs to be happy… So let’s make her happy. Here on this land, with our own hands.”

I look at my hands and squeeze them tightly.
Uru-san blinked her eyes at my story, but was it really that surprising?

“I like Rion-sama. I love her. Isn’t the same with Uru-san?”

“… Well, I still don’t really understand what that love is…”

She furrowed her eyebrows are and her mouth is curled into a frown. I wonder if there are also differences in racial sensibilities. There are differences even within the same race, so I can’t make a general statement… No, let’s put what happened in Alness Village out of my minds.
However, it is certain that Uru-san has goodwill and trust in Rion-sama.

“There’s no need to think too much about it. Don’t you feel happy when Rion-sama is happy?”

“Hmm, that’s true.”

“Then, wouldn’t you be happier if the cause of that happiness was the result of your own actions?”

… It may not sound convincing because I often trouble Rion-sama with my actions. I need to be diligent to not force her too much.

“This is just my opinion, but I think that to put the other person first before yourself, and to want to do something for that person, is one form of love.”

“…”

Generally speaking, I shouldn’t act in a way that does increase the number of my so-called love rivals.
But Rion-sama needs Uru-san.
… In addition, I hope she will start to think that I am necessary as well.

“I’ve been saying things like that, but I don’t think you need to be particular about love. You can do whatever you want, and I’m sure that will be the best for Rion-sama.”

I say this with a wry smile to Uru-san, who still has a difficult look on her face.