After spending some time with Leona and Ana, I met up with Aoi, Saemi, and Fujiwara. Together, we read the letter Sylvia sent us. As mentioned before, I was pretty much injury-free from the start. Even though I passed out during the fight against the king, he didn't seem to have hit me in any other way to cause injuries.
Anyway, putting that aside, we now have Sylvia's letter. Summing up her words in the letter, it seems that a group of kids and a few adults arrived in Arclight. According to Sylvia, she sent some knights to observe the group for a while and found out that they were my peers.
Of course, though it was obvious, they also went to the castle, where they were received by the royalty. While the royalty provided some help to some extent, Sylvia described that it doesn't compare to the help she provided us.
Thinking about it also left me with another question: I completed the Arclight dungeon, but what will happen when someone else enters? In a way, the Lich didn't seem like just any monster, so will it be possible to replace it with another? This question was lingering in my mind.
Anyway, in the letter, Sylvia also asked when we could visit her again. She made it quite clear that she was really missing Saemi, Aoi, Ana, and Fujiwara. I won't lie; I felt a little disappointed that she didn't mention me, but I won't be sad about it. At least, I believe we still maintain a good friendship.
When I shared the news with the girls, most reacted quite indifferently, including Saemi, who showed no interest in the matter. Leona was in the middle and asked curiously about what we were discussing. Of course, I didn't reveal to her that we were from another world, but I shared to some extent about our mission.
Leona was visibly surprised as she listened to the story. The way her tail and ears moved from side to side while she looked at me attentively was truly cute, resembling a little kitten waiting for its reward after a job well done.
“By the way, we haven't been properly introduced, right?”
After the conversation ended, Aoi approached, followed by Fujiwara and Saemi. Leona observed them calmly, and her eyes stopped at Fujiwara, who greeted her with a smile on her lips.
“I'm Aoi, also one of Makoto's lovers”
Said Aoi with a warm smile on her face. The way she introduced herself was a bit peculiar, but I chose not to comment. Anyway, she wasn't wrong.
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“I'm Saemi, I guess you could say I'm his first lover”
Said Saemi as she pointed at me, her proud look indicated that, for some reason, being the first among them was considered a kind of status, although I wasn't sure what that meant exactly.
Anyway, the conversation between Leona and Fujiwara started a bit shy, but soon both became more comfortable with each other. After that, we all prepared to sleep, deciding that we would visit Sylvia the next day. Also, we needed to prepare ourselves to enter the Anima dungeon. I believed I was strong enough for it, or at least that was my hope.
I won't hide that being defeated by Leona's father left my spirits somewhat shaken. However, I don't believe I lost due to a lack of power. Honestly, I might sound a bit arrogant, but I'm sure I would have won if I had more combat experience. At most, if I had anticipated the possibility of him breaking free, I wouldn't have lost so embarrassingly.
After that, I plunged into sleep while mentally reviewing the recent battle I had fought. When I opened my eyes, I found myself in a white space, not so strange to me at this point. At least, I had an idea of where I was.
“Welcome back, Makoto”
Listening to a melodic voice echoing nearby, I turned my gaze to the spot and found myself face to face with Aurora-sama, seated at a table with a parasol shielding her – even though it didn't make sense since this place lacked a proper sun. By her side, there was also Artena-sama.
Furthermore, a third figure joined them – a woman with a relatively wild appearance, but that didn't hinder her beauty from shining. Her tan skin provided an exotic sensation, while her flaming vibrant red hair and eyes with vertical pupils, like those of a predator, gave her a captivating air.
Although the situation was already strange with the appearance of a new person, easily assumed to be a deity, I had not yet understood the reason for being there. Normally, I only entered this place when something significant was about to happen.
"How long do you intend to sit on the ground with that idiotic expression? Sit down already so we can get this over with"
The voice that uttered these words belonged to Artena-sama. Her delicate finger pointed to a chair next to her and Aurora-sama. The unknown person was positioned in front. Hearing this, I sighed and stood up, heading to the indicated chair. As soon as I sat down, Aurora-sama promptly served a cup of tea, and I remained stunned for some time, trying to understand the situation.
"Drink, Makoto, this is one of my favorite teas. I'm sure you'll like it"
Hearing these words, I turned to Aurora-sama and found her smiling at me. As always, her appearance was stunning, and I couldn't describe her in any other way than divine.
Putting that aside, I returned my gaze to the tea again. Slowly, I picked up the cup with my hand and brought it to my mouth. As I sipped the tea, a sigh of relief carrying away all my worries echoed. It was as if all my problems had disappeared; I felt my body incredibly light, and I felt very well.
"I knew you would like it. I really wanted you to taste a bit of this tea"
Said Aurora-sama happily, seeing my reaction to trying the tea.