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“Chapter 60: Takaya and Meirir”
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“What a cute looking boy”
Meirir saw the boy leaning against a pillar in the middle of a meadow.
She found him as she was coming back to Bay Road from a job.
They were investigating a small forest fire caused by an explosion.
No real conclusion came out of it. When there’s a forest fire, the flames usually get carried by the wind, which makes the fire propagate. But this wasn’t the case. Only a specific radius was burning. As if it was burnt by some sort of special fire.
There’s a clear border between the burned and unburned areas.
It was the first time they had seen something like this.
– Yo, Meirir. What are you doing? The road is this way
 Hmm?
When Dike came to check on Meirir, he saw the boy.
– An adventurer? Was he knocked out?
– Maybe. But something’s off. Aside from his weird clothes.
All he had was a simple knife, a small blue backpack, and a sake bottle.
Her wrists had scars of recent cuts.
– What’s going on here?
After Dike came Roar looking for his friends.
Roar has been a reliable leader ever since they started working together.
– Roar, look at this kid.
Meirir stepped aside to show him.
– Must’ve been something serious.
– 
Right?
It’s not often you see a scene like this.
He was holding the knife on the hand opposite to his cut wrists.
Rotting away, face full of snot and tears, he obviously did this to himself.
If this was the top of a snowy mountain or a forest in the middle of nowhere, maybe.
But here? In a safe area with almost no roaming magical beasts or any other possible danger?
– Just leave him alone. His wounds are deep, but the bleeding has stopped. He probably just passed out from the sake.
Roar wanted nothing to do with this.
– Yeah. We already finished our job. I’d rather not bother. Let’s just go back.
Dike was in the same wavelength.
Meirir tried to be logical. This person might be trying to deceive them. The wounds weren’t bad enough to cause suicide, so why would he do it?
But she couldn’t just leave him behind.
Would a bandit really look like this?
His lips were bitten, probably because he was trying so hard to hold back his tears. His resting face gave her a horrible sense of anguish.
“He’s not making this up”
She couldn’t bring herself to do it.
– Dike, please

– No. I don’t want to. That’s what I’d like to say but I know you wouldn’t let me hear the end of it.
– Come on, this isn’t just a stray dog.
When she gets like this, they can’t not listen to her. Even if they went on ahead, she would stay here to help the boy.
Also, Rudra and Feria would get mad at them for leaving her behind. Her innocence is sometimes unfitting for an adventurer, but her skills are too useful.
Dike doesn’t really have a choice.
– Alright. Whatever. I don’t need to use my special powers for this, just a simple heal will be enough. But only this time. Once we get to Bay Road, he’s on his own.
Reluctantly, Dike started getting the medical procedures ready.
He can be reliable sometimes.
– I’m sorry. I can’t leave you like this. Don’t worry, everything will be fine. (Meirir)
“What is he dreaming of?”
Meirir thought as she patted the boy’s head.
This was the crucial moment in their lives when they, especially Meirir, made the right choice.