While listening to the two Levinas talk, I noticed a digital clock on the wall.
It was a clock that showed the date too, and the date was near the end of autumn.
'This world is a few months ahead of ours...'
Strange that they didn't know about hornless rabbits in this future world.
Had this world's Levinas never visited my hotown?
Since it was a different world, having different branching points wasn't particularly odd.
'...Maybe I should try talking to this world's Levinas too.'
Though I had many concerns, it was better than doing nothing.
Just as I clenched my fists and started walking toward the two Levinas-
"But who's King...?"
This world's Levinas showed a genuinely confused expression.
Did she call by a different nickna here instead of King?
I froze in place without aning to.
"King is King, who else...?"
Our Levinas pointed at '' lying in the bed.
This world's Levinas lowered her head when she saw lying there.
She seed to be struggling greatly.
I approached her.
"Levinas, are you going to keep being down like this?"
Startled by my sudden voice, this world's Levinas quickly lifted her head.
Life started returning to her empty eyes.
"Heuk! Princess!"
"P-princess?"
"What do you an Princess...?! It's the King...!"
So this world's Levinas called Princess instead of King?
Though surprised by the unexpected title, I pretended not to be for Levinas's sake.
"Princess, what happened?! Why are there two of you?!"
"I'm not a double - I ca from another world."
"Another world?!"
"Yeah. I ca to scold Levinas for being so down."
I put my hands on my hips and narrowed my eyes fiercely.
This world's Levinas frantically waved her hands.
"B-but because of Levinas..."
"You silly thing."
Stretch-
I pulled her cheek.
This world's Levinas's cheeks were just as soft as our Levinas's.
"Levinas, have I ever blad you for anything, even once?"
"N-no... never..."
"Right? So why are you blaming yourself?"
"Well..."
Levinas fidgeted with her fingers while mumbling, then lowered her eyes.
She looked terrified.
I stayed quiet for a mont to give her ti to speak again.
"...Because Levinas was a coward, Princess ended up like this."
"It's okay. I don't bla you."
"...Even though Gaeul died because of Levinas?"
Huh? Gaeul?
The unexpected statent left speechless.
'Gaeul died.'
It was shockingly hard to believe.
I felt arrogant for trying to comfort this world's Levinas with re words.
"G-Gaeul..."
Just as I slumped weakly into the hospital chair-
Far away, Gaeul ca running toward us, holding hands with Encia.
"Hi!"
"...?!"
This world's Levinas's eyes went wide seeing Gaeul.
She looked even more shocked than when she'd seen .
"Hi! Gaeul not dead."
Gaeul stamped her feet, trying to prove she wasn't dead.
She seed a bit excited, so I tried to calm her down.
"Gaeul, we're talking about a different Gaeul who lives here..."
"Yeah! Not dead!"
"She's not...?"
Was this world's Gaeul not dead?
Gaeul wasn't the type to lie just to comfort soone.
She must have known sothing to say that.
"Gaeul, is this world's Gaeul alive?"
"Yeah."
"U-um..."
Though it was just words, I believed our Gaeul.
But this world's Levinas didn't seem to.
"B-but, Levinas saw. Gaeul puppy..."
"Hah!"
Bonk-!
Our Levinas brought her fist down on this world's Levinas's head.
Then she declared boldly:
"Don't lose hope! Hope conquers despair!"
"H-hope...?"
"Yeah! Levinas will show you hope!"
Hehe.
Our Levinas smiled at the despairing Levinas.
Though I wasn't sure what exactly, I had no doubt our Levinas would accomplish sothing.
**
We all left the hospital room together.
As we left, I asked Sophia:
"Sophia, why did I end up like that?"
"...You were cursed."
"Cursed?"
"Yes, a terrible curse that leads to death. We're looking for a way to break it, but..."
Sophia smiled faintly while patting my head.
Though her lips curved up, sohow it didn't feel like she was really smiling.
"If we break the curse, won't I wake up?"
"Yes, but breaking it isn't easy."
"Hmm... don't lose hope though. I'm pretty tough, so I don't die easily."
"...The other world's Gyeoul is... no, never mind."
We walked outside in silence.
This world's Levinas followed us out but looked back at '' lying in bed.
Our Levinas patted her shoulder.
"Levinas! Don't be afraid of parting for a little while!"
"O-okay... I understand..."
Click-
When the door closed, we could no longer see lying in bed.
Only then did this world's Levinas turn toward the park.
The withered park and hungry people.
Growling stomachs could be heard everywhere.
"Mom, I'm hungry..."
"The guild mbers went to find food, so let's wait a little longer, okay?"
"Okay..."
A young boy curled up in his spot.
The park was so crowded people couldn't even stretch their legs.
"This is terrible. How can we feed all these people..."
Haah.
Sophia exhaled heavily.
Shadows fell across Encia's face too.
"Sophia, there are so many people in the park."
"We decided it was better to gather and protect them together. Thanks to that there haven't been many casualties, but proper production activities have stopped..."
"Ah..."
I'd thought many people had died because everything was devastated.
But there weren't many casualties?
I slowly looked around the park.
Indeed, it seed like everyone from our neighborhood had gathered here.
Watching them, Levinas rummaged in her pocket.
"We'll give everyone hope!"
"Hope?"
"Yeah!"
What Levinas pulled out were seeds of various plants.
My tail perked up seeing them.
"Food...!"
"Yeah!"
Levinas and I moved to where the vegetable garden used to be.
Though there were many people there too, we found space to plant seeds.
"Let's plant seeds together."
Saebyeok and Gaeul took seeds and planted them in the ground.
Sophia and Encia just hesitated watching this.
"Gyeoul, that's good, but won't plants take ti to grow?"
"Huh?"
With Levinas's magic they'd grow instantly.
Had this world's Levinas never made plants grow?
Rather than explain everything, I decided to show them Levinas's magic.
"Levinas, make them all grow."
"Yeah!"
Levinas swayed her shoulders rhythmically.
The seeds we'd planted started growing rapidly.
There were vegetables like carrots, radishes, and cabbage, and next to them grew fortifier trees.
"What is this..."
"The plants..."
This world's Sophia, Encia, and Levinas expressed their amazent.
Levinas puffed out her chest at them with an "ahem."
"Everyone shouldn't lose hope!"
"Hope!"
Gaeul's ears perked up at Levinas's words and she started running sowhere.
Toward where we'd first arrived through the portal.
"Gaeul, where are you going?"
"Hope!"
"Hope?"
"Yeah."
Was Gaeul trying to find hope in her own way too?
If so, I decided to let her do what she wanted.
**
BOOM-!
A giant ogre corpse lay fallen on the ground.
Soone was rcilessly stomping on its head.
Crunch-! Crunch-!
Though the ogre was already dead, she wouldn't stop stomping its corpse.
"Saebyeok."
"......"
SPLAT-!
The ogre's head burst and its contents sprayed everywhere.
Saebyeok watched this with an expressionless face.
"Saebyeok, let's rest a bit. Okay?"
"...I'm fine."
Han Yeoreum grabbed Saebyeok tightly as she tried to move to the border area.
Saebyeok gripped Han Yeoreum's wrist hard enough to make her wince, then slowly let go.
"Saebyeok, let your sister handle what's left, don't push yourself too hard. Okay?"
"...We're short on hands."
Though Han Yeoreum pleaded, Saebyeok just responded indifferently.
Han Yeoreum bit her lip hard seeing Saebyeok's still, unmoving tail.
'Can we never go back to how things were?'
Just months ago they'd lived without any worries.
They used to laugh endlessly together.
Haah.
Just as Han Yeoreum sighed and looked up at the sky-
"Yeoreum! Saebyeok!"
In the distance, a guild mber approached waving sothing.
Looking closer, they weren't waving their hand but a carrot.
"Where'd you get a carrot? Those are hard to find these days."
"Hey! Amazing news! We don't have to worry about food anymore!"
"...What do you an?"
"The guild is overflowing with food right now! They say it even gives buffs when you eat it!"
Scarce food suddenly becoming abundant.
What could this an?
Han Yeoreum took the carrot from the guild mber and handed it to Saebyeok.
"Look Saebyeok, it's a carrot."
"......"
Sniff sniff.
Saebyeok slled the carrot.
Her still tail started wagging slightly at the sohow familiar scent.
Very slightly, tap tap.
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