041-060 · 052-ch46

Chapter 46: The Vanished Residents

As we exited the castle gates, Robo—who had been scouting ahead—came to greet us.

For some reason, when the Queen saw Robo, her body trembled and she began backing away.

"A Fenrir... larva!?"

"He's my friend. His name is Robo."

"Friend..."

The Queen murmured, as if she couldn't believe it.

Honestly, if I saw someone claiming to be friends with Robo after seeing what his species becomes when fully grown, I'd want to meet that person too.

That's just how insane Robo's species is.

>>A Fenrir!?

>>Did she say Fenrir!?

>>Robo was that dangerous of a species?

>>So it really is a Norse mythology kind of world after all

However, if she's going to be this frightened, we won't get anywhere.

I call Robo over and show her that he's not a threat by petting his chin.

"There, there, who's a good boy~"

>>Ah, but he does look like he's enjoying the petting—just regular Robo

>>He might be a Fenrir, but he's still Robo

>>Big ol' doggo

That said, that's a matter of species, not of Robo as an individual.

When I showed her me petting Robo's chin, she seemed convinced despite her dazed expression.

Meanwhile, the comment section appeared to have settled on the conclusion that Robo is just Robo.

"W-Well then, let us go."

"Yeah."

The two of us plus one wolf left the castle and headed toward the nearest house.

For the record, the Queen remained jumpy around Robo the entire time.

When we arrived at the house, I opened the door and stepped inside.

Apparently, houses in this world don't have locks yet.

Or perhaps it was a world with so many good-natured people that locks weren't necessary.

However.

"No one's here...?"

Just as I muttered upon seeing the empty bedding, the Queen dashed off as if spring-loaded.

I followed after her, and she rushed into the neighboring house, then rushed back out, then into yet another house—running around as if desperately searching for even one person sleeping inside.

>>Wait, don't tell me it's like that?

>>This suddenly turned into horror

>>No people? Why?

>>The Queen looks super panicked

While I wasn't running at full speed like her, I checked several houses following behind her, but as my presence detection indicated, there were no signs of people anywhere.

Well, to be honest, this situation was more or less what I had expected.

Rather, the fact that the Queen herself exists is what puzzles me.

Perhaps it's because she has the blood of the Wind People, the Children of Wind mixed in her, but who knows.

After running through several houses, she entered one of the plazas scattered throughout the city and collapsed right there.

"What... does this mean..."

While being considerate of the trembling Queen murmuring this, I think about what I should say to move the conversation forward.

Comforting her here again wouldn't get us anywhere.

"Isn't it possible that while you were sealed away, something else took the people's bodies? Like, some kind of black mass or something?"

I voice the idea that came to mind, but while we were checking the houses, I hadn't sensed any such presence, and there weren't any magic circles like the one in the Queen's room, so that possibility seems slim.

Alternatively, I could imagine they simply vanished naturally, but that's too absurd even for this situation.

But more than that, the Queen was in a daze.

"But, that seal was... unbreakable, something from... the gods..."

Just as I was about to try calming her down as her words became increasingly jumbled with frustration, the surroundings suddenly went dim.

Since this city is surrounded by mountains, natural daylight hours are shorter here.

Or rather, I really wonder what they were thinking building a city in this location.

Or perhaps the terrain changed that drastically over the several hundred years she was asleep.

Pushing aside such useless thoughts, I respond to her.

"Calm down, calm down. Let's go somewhere you can calm down for now."

I considered returning to the castle for a moment, but the castle is a place filled with memories for her.

If we approach it carelessly, she might remember her people and become even more distraught.

In that case, I'll deliberately take her away from there.

"I'll take you to our campsite for now."

She didn't respond, but taking her lack of resistance as a good sign, I picked her up, mounted Robo, and moved to last night's campsite.

While this was happening, the sun completely stopped reaching the city, and the surroundings grew dim.

Come to think of it, this city is somehow a mysterious space where neither moonlight nor starlight can enter.

Walking through the deserted townscape in true darkness is honestly a bit unnerving even for me.

After moving there, I place a relatively nice chair from my inventory on a flat spot and have the Queen sit down.

And I leave her alone in her dazed state for now and start cooking.

Even if I speak to her now, it might backfire since she's in a confused state.

Better to prepare a meal so that when hunger distracts her consciousness, she'll be drawn to it—that's my judgment.

Besides, I hadn't eaten lunch while exploring, so I'm hungry, and Robo's starving too.

On a small wooden cutting board, I chop carrots, potatoes, and onions in order with my knife.

As for the meat, bacon would be too strong a flavor, so I'll use the dried meat I brought—

『Woof』

Or so I thought, but Robo had hunted a fairly large deer-like animal, a monster, so I pause cooking temporarily to butcher that and use it for tonight's meal.

Stew and a large grilled cut of meat.

Plus the naan-like bread I prepared last night will be tonight's dinner.

『Gugyurrrrrrr...』

And there, a foolish-sounding noise echoed around us.

I turn my face toward the source of the sound to see the Queen looking at us with a blank expression.

Then after a few seconds, as if understanding the situation, she turns bright red again and covers her face like she did the first time.

"P-Please don't look..."

"At least now I know you're hungry."

>>A blushing beauty, (・∀・) Nice!!

>>Well yeah, she hasn't eaten in several hundred years, of course she's hungry

>>Didn't John say it was a gap in time

>>I want an explanation of what's going on

After all, she had been in the ice for so long—over 100 years—that she probably couldn't even measure the exact time accurately.

Even in a gap in time, she must be hungry.

For now, I decide to hurry up and finish the meal quickly, speeding up my cooking and completing it.

Then I place the finished dishes on a table—I usually sit on the ground and eat alone, but since the Queen is here today, I set out a table and arrange the food on top.

I also hang multiple magic items for lighting on spear shafts nearby.

"This may be too modest for Your Majesty, but please help yourself."

Saying this, I first place the stew in front of her, and the Queen smiles with a lonely expression.

"Please call me Selene. Without my people, I am no longer..."

When she says that, I have no choice but to agree.

Once again, I arrange the remaining dishes—the grilled meat and naan—in front of Selene.

By the way, the reason it's naan with stew instead of curry is simply because that's what I felt like having.

"Got it. Well then, Selene, be careful—it's hot."

"Yes, thank you very much. I'm so sorry. Not only did you listen to so much, but now this..."

I shake my head at her apologetic demeanor.

"I'm the one who should be thanking you. I was helped by learning the truth of the matter to a certain extent."

This is truly the case.

If she hadn't been here, or if she hadn't spoken with me like this, I would never have learned the truth of this situation.

Sitting across from her, we begin our meal.

>>Somehow the food torture started suddenly

>>I'm hungry too

>>Naan with stew is unacceptable

>>That should be curry, just saying

Though there's no conversation between us, seeing Selene's expression with sparkling eyes, she seems to genuinely find it delicious.

Feeling happy about that, the two of us—no, including Robo, three of us—continue our meal.