From Now On, Too

“Ah, ahahahahahaha!”

While slapping Kikori on the shoulder, Orphe laughed with a truly happy expression.

It was a smile so bright that he had never seen one like it before… but well, that was only natural.

They had slaughtered the wyverns that had flown around this place as if they owned it, the wyverns that had burned the fairy forest, until they vanished from the sky.

For Orphe… for the fairies, there was probably no greater victory than this.

“Ahh, that was fun! It feels so good! The best!”

“I’m glad you’re happy.”

“Mm-hmm! You’re the best, Kikori!”

Orphe looked as if she were at the peak of happiness, but for Kikori, there were still matters of concern remaining.

“Technically, we still haven’t defeated the one that seems to be the wyvern boss.”

“Who cares about that guy? After doing this much, they won’t be able to recover anyway.”

“Well, yeah.”

Even if they were called monsters, they were living creatures.

Furthermore, in a divided field like this, it was probably possible to wipe them out completely if limited to that area.

Even if the wyvern boss survived, unless it went to an area where other wyverns lived, it would not be able to increase their numbers.

In effect, it was as if they had already conquered this area.

“It was a cowardly method, but… a win is a win.”

“It’s not cowardly at all, is it?”

“You think so?”

“I do. We’re not idiots. Fighting head-on isn’t the only way to fight.”

Well, that was probably true.

No, it was true. And yet, why had he ended up thinking such a thing?

Kikori thought about it… and reached one conclusion.

“…Maybe I wanted to win head-on.”

“Idiot.”

“Yeah.”

But well, everything was already over.

Orphe seemed satisfied too, and Kikori thought this was fine.

“…Shall we head back?”

“Yeah.”

Kikori and Orphe headed toward the Transfer Gate to the Former Fairy Forest.

They would probably need to report that they had defeated the wyverns, but would anyone really believe they had done it through guerrilla warfare?

They had not had much time to recover the mana stones, but they had still recovered some… so perhaps that would make them believe it.

They passed through the Transfer Gate and arrived at the Former Fairy Forest.

But now, Orphe’s expression did not darken.

“Hey, Orphe.”

“What?”

“From now on too, how about teaming up with me?”

Yes, if Orphe’s revenge was over… then she no longer had any reason to team up with Kikori.

It would not be strange for Orphe to return to the fairies’ new settlement at any time.

That was why Kikori put it into words.

If it were Kikori and Orphe, they could surely continue advancing from here on as well.

Because he thought that, Kikori made that proposal.

Orphe stared intently into Kikori’s face.

“I’m expensive, you know?”

Kikori returned a smile to the smiling Orphe.

And then… and then.

Behind the two of them. From the Transfer Gate, a gigantic “something” appeared.