part2 · 094-ep94

Episode 94: Mizuki's Conviction

Night.

After Ren had fallen asleep, Mizuki sat alone in the living room.

The whole of today. Really — so many things had happened.

Ren, reunited after ten years. A haircut, and a shave.

When she saw Ren's groomed face—

Mizuki couldn't help but hold her breath.

Even long ago, Ren had always had handsome features. But. His body, changed over those ten years. And his hair and beard, now tidied.

The figure of Ren that appeared there was—

enough that she couldn't help but be captivated.

Her heart pounded, just a little. Enough that even she was surprised.

"...Somehow, my heart's racing."

Remembering that moment, Mizuki let her cheeks relax into the faintest smile.

"...Heheh."

But.

As she looked back over the day's events. One thing would not leave her head.

The magic stones.

The massive number of magic stones Ren had brought out. Their number exceeded a thousand.

That alone had been enough to astonish her.

But—

What had truly astonished Mizuki was not the number.

Those magic stones. They were clearly different from ordinary magic stones.

Magic content. Magic purity. And the size of the magic stones themselves.

Every one of them abnormally high.

As an A-rank adventurer, she had seen more magic stones than she could count. And yet— she had never once seen magic stones like those.

Moreover. It wasn't just one. There were huge amounts of them.

To Ren, it seemed like nothing at all.

"......"

Mizuki recalled that scene.

And then—

She remembered the other magic stone.

The Ancient Dragon's magic stone.

"......"

That one was—

Even now, remembering it, her body trembled.

She had only looked at it. And yet. Her body trembled on its own. She couldn't breathe.

Sweat poured from her whole body, and she couldn't even breathe properly.

The magic condensed within that stone. Magic like that, Mizuki had never felt before.

Just looking at it was enough to make her instinctively sense danger.

"......"

And.

Ren had that magic stone. He had defeated that thing.

Thinking about it that way—

Just how strong Ren was. Mizuki could no longer even imagine it.

Even she, an A-rank adventurer, had been overwhelmed by merely looking at it. And Ren had defeated the being that left behind a magic stone like that.

That wasn't all. He had over a thousand magic stones that even she had never seen.

"......"

Mizuki quietly closed her eyes.

There. She recalled a presence that had been at the corner of her mind for some time.

Unknown.

Rank 1 in the world ranking. The adventurer who had reigned as the unwavering number one for seven years. No one knew their true identity.

When she had heard that Ren had been trapped in the dungeon for ten years. Mizuki had thought, maybe—

But. She hadn't been sure yet.

Until today.

The massive number of magic stones. Magic stones even she, an A-rank adventurer, had never seen.

And—

The Ancient Dragon's magic stone, which had overwhelmed her just by being seen.

The one who possessed them was Ren.

"......"

There was no longer any reason to doubt.

"...Ren is Unknown."

Within Mizuki. Doubt had turned into conviction.

But—

Mizuki looked at the room where Ren was sleeping.

The Ren of now. Was not Unknown, Rank 1 in the world.

He was the one who had come back after ten years—

her own childhood friend.

Even today. He had bought ordinary clothes. Eaten out. Played games on his smartphone.

He had spent such ordinary time.

"......"

If people found out that Ren was Unknown. Everything would change.

He would draw attention from all over the world. Adventurers would gather. Requests, and interviews too, would surely increase.

If that happened—

Ren would no longer be able to live an ordinary life.

Ten years. Ren, who had kept fighting in order to live.

He had finally come back, and yet to be asked to fight again—

She didn't want to let that happen.

"...I won't tell anyone."

Mizuki murmured quietly.

"...I want Ren to live normally."

To wake up normally. Eat normally. Laugh normally.

To spend every day normally.

That alone was enough.

"...This time, I'll protect you."

Mizuki gazed at the sleeping Ren.

That Ren was Unknown—

She was already certain.

Even so. She had no intention of telling anyone that fact.

Ren's—

To protect his first everyday life in ten years.