Chapter 283: Why Can You Read It?

When Nimi and Elysia came into my room and held Micon and Scon gently, the two of them who had stopped crying a little started crying again.

Micon held by Nimi buried her face in her chest. Scon held by Elysia buried her face in her neck.

I gently stroked the two of them’s heads, then asked Nimi and Elysia to take them. They smiled and accepted readily.

I do not know what to do at times like this, so I cannot hold my head up to Nimi and Elysia.

When I left my room and closed the door, Hiero and Pafa were waiting with smiles.

Hiero came up to me, grinned, took one hand, and pulled me to the dining table.

"You have not eaten breakfast, right? Micon and Scon prepared some, so eat."

"The two of them? ...Aah. I will thank them later."

"Un. Do that? They will be very glad."

"Understood."

Pafa walking beside me looked up and spoke. I smiled, nodded firmly, and answered.

Then I noticed Pafa was holding one old book in both hands. I tilted my head and looked at the cover.

...Another amazing book. I think she borrowed it from Hiero. As expected of the People of Rieralia.

A book about time made by a person named Popes.

In the game it was used in a free-play event. To get it you had to go around bookstores all over the world.

Well. What is hard is that it appears at random in bookstores all over the world, so finding it is rough.

And this book has an upper and lower volume, two books, so it takes time, takes time... I took three months in real time too~.

You cannot clear the event unless you have both books, and when you clear it you get precious equipment, so the players including me worked hard.

Remembering that I smiled wryly. Pafa tilted her head with a puzzled face, grabbed my clothes with a finger, tugged lightly, chon, and asked.

"What is it? A Handful thing?"

"A Handful thing. Even you, Pafa, spare me..."

"Nfu. Sorry. So, what is it?"

I thanked Hiero for pulling out a chair. Pafa sat on the right across still holding the book and smiled softly.

Hiero headed for the kitchen, maybe to prepare. Glancing at that I looked at Pafa’s face, smiled in that troubled way, and spoke.

"No. I was thinking you are reading an old book..."

"...Raide, do you know this book?"

"Hmm. May I see it a little?"

Pafa’s slightly startled look bothered me so I asked without saying I knew it.

It would be odd for me to know the contents of a book the People of Rieralia hold...

Then Pafa nodded with a puzzled face without saying ’anything’ and handed me the book.

I thanked her, took it, opened it, and checked inside... un. Same contents as in the game.

"Studying time?"

"...Un."

"Sorry to keep you! ...Nnn? Raide, that book..."

"Thank you, Hiero. Pafa had a book that interested me so I was looking. You lent it, right, Hiero? Time is written in detail. A good book, is it not?"

"Um... 「Un, Hiero lent it」 ...Un. I lent it~"

Pafa spoke as if cutting Hiero off. I felt the two of them exchanged looks in an instant. Imagination?

Not good. Maybe my head is not working fully. Too many imaginations today.

I tilted my head with question marks over it and stared at their reaction. Hiero shook her head hard. "It is nothing."

...If you shake your head that hard you will get dizzy, you know?

I laughed at Hiero’s look without meaning to, returned the book to Pafa, and started on breakfast.

Ooo. Bird-type meat and soup. Ah~~. It soaks into a morning body.

Is this Eima’s new bread? Fluffy, and it matches this soup incredibly. Delicious. The best.

Hiero

Raide ate breakfast, thanked us, and headed to pick up what he had asked the smithy for.

I put both hands on the table after we finished cleaning up and voiced while my body shook.

"Why can you read it? Why can you read it saaah!"

"Hiero, Nimi and the others will worry."

"I know. But it is odd, right? Why can you read it? We can barely read it! What are you really? Was Raide someone older than the People of Rieralia or something?"

"No. That is different. Nimi knows how Raide looked as a child, so that is not it."

That is a joke! If I do not joke I cannot go on ooooo!!

Haaa? Honestly already, I do not get it eeeee!

I was breathing hard, fuu fuu, when Pafa looked at that me, smiled happily, came beside me, and stroked my head.

Nn fuuuuu! Stroke more! There there, heal me!

I pushed my head, gui gui, so she would stroke more. She laughed softly and stroked harder.

After a while I got my calm back. I drank the tea Pafa had poured and let out a big breath.

Then when I sat across Pafa looked at me, laughed, kus kusu, set the book on the table, and started talking.

"Hiero, Raide knows this book."

"...You are lying, right?"

"You did not notice? Raide said ’time is written in detail.’ If you only glance you cannot tell if it is written in detail, or even that it is about time."

"Now that you say it, that is true. You would not know in that little time. If he saw the clock page like us it would be different..."

"Un. The part Raide opened was the beginning."

Well... would it not be faster to ask Raide directly?

We can just ask while hiding the talk of the invisible something... I give up ooooo?

When I turned that face to Pafa she nodded with a troubled smile, maybe thinking the same thing.

Something suddenly bothered me. I smiled wryly and asked Pafa, who was putting the book in a pouch-type Magic Bag.

"Heeey~, Pafa? How far do you think this is a hint?"

"Nfu. So you noticed too, Hiero."

"Well of course... so so? What do you think?"

"Fufufu. Then shall we say it together? You have roughly the answer, right?"

"That is true... fine, let’s say it together? Ready... go..."

"All of it."

"All of it."

"Right~?" We looked at each other without meaning to and laughed.

That invisible something absolutely expected this far and handed us this book.

Honestly... ahahahaha. A Handful enough to laugh at.

Other than Lady Riera there has never been anyone who made us, the People of Rieralia, this absorbed, you know?

I promised I would stay beside him, but I am the one whose interest has welled up and I do not want to leave... a troublesome person, Raide.

Kind, reckless, full of mysteries, a Handful who draws people in.

I took a sip of tea thinking that, noticed Pafa grinning, and tilted my head.

"Hey, did you fall?"

"I-I have not fallen!"

"Fall soon, all right? When that time comes we will have him do it together."

"Wh-wha-wha what are you saying! Do it... with Raide? ...I-it is early!"

"Huum. Early... is it?"

Honestly honestly! What is that face that says you know~~~~!

I stood, patted Pafa with both hands, pasu pasu pasu pasu. Pafa grinned and laughed happily.

Honestly~! I have not been talked into it yeeet!!