Item Synthesis 1-25 part 1

 

Chapter 1-25 : Shards of Departure [Side A] (part 1)

 

I was in a pure white space. There was nothing here but white.

「Where… am I…?」(Kako)

I didn’t know where I was but it felt so comfortable here.

My entire body felt like it was wrapped in a warm white fluffy thing.

Something like a white fluffy carpet that was spreading to the horizon.

「Am I flying above the clouds now…?」(Kako)

I felt like I was flying… But…

Hold on… Why am I flying in the first place? I can’t even fly.

As soon as I realized something was off, I opened my eyes wider and raised my head.

It seemed that I was dreaming, and the white fluffy carpet that looked like clouds was actually Nyat’s stomach.

「Nyat, huh…? Hmm? Pweh! Pweh!」(Kako)

Some of his fur got into my mouth…

Seems like I’ve been sleeping while hugging him.

I had a hard time falling asleep after having such a long and scary night, so I slept with Nyat as my pillow.

「Hahh… I still couldn’t believe I had been kidnapped by those scary men last night…」(Kako)

Thanks to everyone, especially Nyat, I was able to come back.

I looked around the room and confirmed that I was in my inn’s room and not in the cold, dirty room in the basement where the kidnappers had put me in.

「I’m really back to my room…」(Kako)

I exhaled in relief as I bathed in the morning sunlight that came in through the window.

ーKnock knock

While looking at the window, I suddenly heard someone knocking on the door.

「Good morning, Kako Mayama-sama, Nyat-sama. Can I have a moment?」(??)

Eh…? Who is that?

Is it the innkeeper? ーNo. It’s a man’s voice. The innkeeper is a woman. Besides, I don’t remember asking for a wake-up call.

I think I should wake Nyat up.

「Hey, Nyat! Wake up!」(Kako)

I shook Nyat’s huge belly while whispering to him.

「Hmm…? What’s wrong-nya…? It’s still too early to wake up-nya…」(Nyat)

「Someone’s looking for us! I think he’s one of those kidnappers!」(Kako)

「Really-nya…?」(Nyat)

ーKnock knock

「Kako Mayama-sama, Nyat-sama.」(??)

He knocked and called us again.

「Hmm… Those bad guys wouldn’t have politely knocked on the door and called our name-nya. It must be the inn’s employee-nya.」(Nyat)

「Are you sure?」(Kako)

「Anyway, you should ask him what he wants-nya.」(Nyat)

「Uhh… Alright…」(Kako)

I reluctantly got off the bed, approached the door and opened it a little just so I could peek outside.

「Umm… Yes…? Who are you…?」(Kako)

「I’m a part-timer here. I’m sorry for waking you up this early, but there are guards looking for you. They’re waiting on the first floor.」(employee)

Seems like Nyat’s right. He’s an employee.

But… Why are town’s guards looking for us?

I glanced at Nyat, wondering what to do.

「Perhaps they want to ask us about what happened last night-nya.」(Nyat)

「I see…」(Kako)

That’s possible.

Last night, the members of Wings of Steel took the kidnappers to the guards after we parted ways with them.

Perhaps the guards wanted to ask me the details.

「Alright. We’ll be there in a minute.」(Kako)

「Understood.」(employee)

 

◆◆◆

 

After I changed my clothes and washed my face, Nyat and I went downstairs and saw a few adults wearing armor sitting at a long table at a corner in the dining hall.

As we approached them, the person who seemed to be the captain stood up and greeted us.

「I’m sorry for disturbing you so early in the morning.」(captain)

「N, No, it’s alright.」(Kako)

「Please have a seat.」(captain)

Nyat and I then sat down at the same table.

「So… How can we help you…?」(Kako)

「Miss Kako, it seems that you went through a lot of trouble last night. As someone who is responsible for protecting the peace and the security of this town, let me apologize to you. I’m deeply sorry…」(captain)

Saying that, the captain bowed his head.

「Eh? N, No, no! You shouldn’t do that! Please raise your head! There was a big swarm of monsters attacking this town yesterday, so it can’t be helped!」(Kako)

The guards who were remaining in the town were busy evacuating people and making barricades yesterday, so I don’t blame them. Besides, I was kidnapped because of my own carelessness.

There’s no way I could blame the people who did their best protecting this town.

「Oh, what a strong-minded girl. You’re still a young little girl but you have a big heart.」(captain)

「Littー!? Ahem! …Th, Thank you…」(Kako)

He said the L word but he also praised me at the same time, so I couldn’t be mad at him.

「Anyway, we came to hear from you about what happened last night. We’ve heard it from the Wings of Steel members but we still need to hear from you, the victim of this incident. I know you don’t want to remember, but please let me hear it.」(captain)

As we expected, they came to hear about last night.

As he said, I don’t really want to remember it, but I want to help them, so I nodded at the captain.

「Alright.」(Kako)

「Thank you.」(captain)

I explained to the captain what happened last night in detail, but of course, I didn’t say anything about my Synthesis Skill.

I told him that I was kidnapped when I walked through a small alleyway on my way back to the inn.

He asked me how I could escape from the basement and I said that the kidnappers didn’t realize that the door of the room where they kept me was broken and then I found a small hole enough for me to pass through in the wall of the storage room. That’s why I could escape from the basement.

After that, Nyat and the Wings of Steel members rescued me when I tried to run away from the kidnappers to the forest.

Of course, I also told him the most important information which was the identity of those kidnappers’ boss who actually was the owner of Keema Shop, the well-known adventurer shop in the town.

「I see… The Wings of Steel members also told me that the owner of that adventurer shop might be the culprit… Miss Kako, did you see his face?」(captain)

「I did, but not that clearly. It was so dark back then, so… I don’t quite remember what he looked like, but I think I remember his voice. I can probably tell it’s him if I meet the person.」(Kako)

I could tell his height and his body shape but I couldn’t see his face clearly because the person who was holding the lantern was standing behind him back then.

After listening to me, the captain groaned with a troubled face for some reason.

「Hmm…」(captain)

「Umm… Is there a problem, Sir?」(Kako)

「After interrogating the kidnappers, they also said that they were working for the owner of Keema Shop, but…」(captain)

「But…? Have you arrested him?」(Kako)

「…No. We actually went to Keema Shop before coming here to see the owner. He said that he didn’t know the kidnappers and insisted that he was framed by someone.」(captain)

「H, Huuh!?」(Kako)

 

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