42. Shestia 2

Shiro descended from above, dismantled the barrier, and approached the three. Just as the eldest woman seemed about to speak,

"Shiro! I finally found you!"

And then, the girl clung to Shiro. A beautiful young girl, perhaps in her early teens—slightly younger than that, really.

After a moment of stunned silence, Shiro gently pushed against the girl’s shoulder.

The girl pulled away, her face coming into view.

Golden short bob. Eyes like translucent jade. A smile that says joy at finally reuniting after being apart—yet somehow, on the verge of tears, a complex expression held in check.

And yet, despite the face of a beautiful young girl and even the tearful expression, Shiro noticed the sharpness in her gaze.

"Um, hi, I guess?"

Shiro spoke to the girl, bewildered.

—This feeling... This girl’s pretty strong, huh... And yet, there’s something about her—like I’ve met her before, like a familiar face from somewhere. Probably just my imagination, though. No way something this fantasy-core, this beautiful, could exist on Earth. Besides, this is my first time meeting anyone in this world.

Shiro thinks this way.

A sudden surge of murderous intent cut through the air—then a shout from behind.

"Hey, you—how long are you gonna keep that up? Get the hell away from my sister already!"

The man standing behind the girl closed the distance and suddenly lunged forward with his blade.

“Whoa, close one.”

Shiro instinctively raised a barrier in front of the man and deflected the blade.

"Hey now, that’s a bit much. I mean, I can’t exactly blame myself for being suddenly tackled by a woman like that… but really, wasn’t that just unavoidable?" Shiro grumbled.

Mitoka’s half-lidded gaze flickers, but there’s a faint smirk tugging at her lips—doesn’t quite read as angry.

“Brother!”

Shestia glares at the man.

A chill seems to drift from around her.

—Is this guy actually the girl’s brother? Shiro thinks, a flicker of surprise crossing his mind.

The man who looks like a brother? Lean, tall, wiry, and solid—exactly the kind who’d be good at martial arts.

Black hair, slightly long. Crimson eyes—sharp, handsome. No surprise, siblings both look like this. Human in form, but… elf? They’re both too handsome. Again—handsome siblings.

“Al, cut it out. You’re being rude to someone who just saved you.”

Another woman shouts at the man.

Early twenties, also strikingly beautiful. White hair, short and messy. Sharp, pale green eyes. Lean, toned, defined where it should be, tucked in where it needs to be.

Looks like the eldest sister of the trio.

“Honestly, when it comes to Shestia, you lose all sense of judgment… First, thank you for your help. I’m Aria. This one’s Shestia. And the rude one here is her brother, Albert.”

Aria introduces herself.

“Ah, no problem. You were in danger there. I’m Shiro. And this woman here…”

“I’m Mitoka. Uh, hi, Shestia-chan.”

Shiro and the others exchange quick greetings.

“First, Aria, let’s treat that arm wound.”

Shiro takes her hand, brings it close to the injury, and murmurs 【Heal】. In an instant, the wound seals shut.

"Wait, no incantation, just like that...? Ahh, thanks..."

Aria murmured her thanks to Shiro once more, dazed.

"So, was it Shestia? I think we're meeting for the first time—do you know who I am?"

"Yes. No..." Shestia began to answer, then whispered, "This is the first time we've met in this world." And then,

But I’ve heard about Shiro from the goddess Firumia. And the moment I saw him, I remembered his name—Shiro.

And then, Shestia made a sudden, serious announcement. Her face was dead serious. Remembering someone she’d never met? Shiro felt a flicker of confusion at Shestia’s words. Yet—

"Wait—have you actually met Firumia-sama?"

Shiro couldn't help but cry out.

"Wait—heard that for the first time?"

Aria blinked, startled, and looked at Shestia.

Yeah, no, I haven’t met you in person. Just received a vision—more like a divine message. Aria, sister, sorry for keeping quiet.

And Shestia answered, apologizing to Aria.

"Divine oracle? So, a miko or someone with divine favor, then?"

Mitoka cut in on the conversation.

"Wait! You really figured it out...?"

And Shestia turns to Mitoka and answers.

The instant Shestia looked at Mitoka, she froze—then, for just a moment, a flicker of a smile, surprised and almost happy, crossed her face. Shiro didn’t miss it, though no words came to his lips.

Mitoka wears a smile that seems almost too pleased, and Shiro wonders, in the back of his mind, why exactly.

"Shes, you came here for the elixir... was it? Something to find ingredients for a potion? Said there might be a way to break Sheryna-sama and Althia-sama's seal..."

And Aria heard.

"Aria-san, that's right. But there was another reason. And that was the real one. A divine revelation from Firumia-sama said that if we go to a sacred site here—no, somewhere around here—we’d meet someone who could resolve our situation. The message was vague, though, so I wasn’t sure. That’s why I kept quiet."

Shestia answered, her expression apologetic.

Then Mitoka spoke up.

"Shes-tia-san, so you know what kind of being Shiro is?"

"Yes. Shiro is Firumia-sama’s apostle."

Shestia smiled brightly, answering.

"Wait, apostle?" Aria blinked, surprised.

But Albert didn’t seem particularly shaken.

"You knew, Albert?" Aria asked.

"No, I didn’t. But if it’s for Shestia’s sake, I’d go anywhere. Doesn’t change a thing."

—Is this guy a sissy? Shiro thought, hearing Albert’s reply.

"So, Shestia, you really came here to find Shiro, the apostle?"

"Yes. The divine revelation said to search for and guide Shiro. I think the way to break the seal probably lies with Shiro."

Shestia replied with a confident smile.

"Shestia, your story and your demeanor—have you met this person before?"

Aria asked, eyeing her suspiciously.

"No. I’ve never met him in person. But I’ve seen him in dreams—many times. The moment I saw him, I knew. I must have met Shiro somewhere before. And this meeting was our fate."

Shestia looked off into the distance, her eyes distant but her smile firm, as if forcing confidence.

"I get it. For now, I’ll show you to my place. Standing around here talking like this isn’t exactly productive."

And so, Shiro decided to lead everyone back to the hut for now.

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