I am back – Chapter 166

There are various types of friendships.

It’s generally not a good idea to categorize friends, saying one is closer while another isn’t. Some people might feel upset if they think others are ranking them, and most importantly, those who overhear the term “less close” might feel hurt.

However, while that’s idealistic thinking, the reality doesn’t always align.

After all, relationships don’t automatically blossom just because someone wants them to, nor do they fade away simply because someone wishes it.

If one person has known another since childhood, while another has only met them a few months ago, it’s only natural they’ll be closer to the former.

Especially if the one they’ve known since childhood is now their significant other.

Of course, just because someone is closer to one person doesn’t mean they can’t be friendly with others.

But…

Honestly, I still haven’t completely bonded with Siyun’s companions.

Sure, Arna has been helpful. I’m really grateful that she sat beside me in the middle of the night to praise me and lift my spirits when I was deep in thought.

Thanks to that, my relationship with Siyun has improved.

In Pia’s case, even if I don’t go out of my way to approach her, she’ll initiate conversation. Honestly, it’s hard to act awkwardly around Pia because of her cute looks and antics.

With Dana, while we haven’t had tons of conversations, her personality is such that she loves sharing knowledge as much as she enjoys learning, giving us plenty of chances to chat since we live under the same roof.

But then there’s Kalia…

Among the party members, she’s the oldest, closely followed by Arna, who’s tough to gauge in terms of age. Plus, since she used to be the captain of the knights, her speech is a bit stiff, military-like, and it seems leading plans comes naturally to her.

I’ve spent a fair amount of time living together, so we’ve built a certain rapport. I certainly don’t think of her as merely an awkward acquaintance.

However, that doesn’t mean she’s someone I can entirely relax around. It’s odd enough that when we’re with friends, we chat and laugh frequently, but alone, the atmosphere turns instantly awkward, and I find myself at a loss for words.

And typically, you don’t notice how awkward things are until you’re actually in that situation.

That’s the feeling I was having now.

…Come to think of it, when the five of them, especially Siyun, are around, someone usually brings up a topic even if I don’t have to open my mouth. There were a few who enjoyed conversing, so I could easily join in by listening and chiming in when I was with Siyun’s companions.

The problem is, Kalia isn’t the type to share her opinions or show her feelings actively; she’s more of a listener.

So when it’s just the two of us left, the atmosphere gets very awkward very quickly.

…Honestly, I felt a bit of jealousy toward the four who had traveled with Siyun in this world. I knew it was necessary for their mission, and it helped ensure Siyun’s safe return, but… I couldn’t help but feel jealous that all the people who got to share such a crucial experience were women.

Of course, I didn’t outwardly show it.

“…Ahem.”

Kalia cleared her throat and spoke first.

Maybe because I was a guest in Irrelaysia. It felt uncomfortable to say I represented Earth—or even a country or city—but being the lover of someone deemed the ‘most important person in the last war’ felt hard to brush aside.

In my eyes, Kalia was a just person. Her consideration likely made her strive to initiate conversation.

…Thinking that made me feel a bit petty for being jealous of someone like her.

“So… um.”

After a moment of thought, Kalia asked, “What do you think of coming to Irrelaysia? I heard you’ve never traveled abroad before.”

That was her way of trying to keep the conversation going, I suppose.

“It’s a nice place.”

That was heartfelt.

Of course, I was still surprised. It was significantly different from Earth.

But beyond that, there was so much to see: a majestic castle, church buildings one might only see in European tourist spots, and nobles and a king dressed in outfits straight out of a movie. There was too much that fascinated me.

And surely, as I spent more time here, I would encounter even more wonders. The atmosphere felt like something out of a European period drama, not to mention that this world had magic and mages. That thought filled me with a subtle excitement.

It may sound a bit odd to say this while being in another world, but I certainly felt like I was on a trip to a different country. Perhaps just meeting the king earlier made a huge impression.

“That’s a relief.”

Kalia sighed, seemingly relieved.

“However, to be honest, there aren’t many means to spend your time in Irrelaysia compared to Earth. Plus, there are quite a few inconveniences. Well, you’re clever, so I believe you came prepared for that already, but experiencing it firsthand is different from just hearing about it.”

“I’m not worried about that.”

I had made preparations. I realized I wouldn’t be able to return for a while, even if I wanted to, and besides that, I had no thoughts of going back unless I was with Siyun.

I somewhat regretted saying this, but I still didn’t have complete faith in magic.

If the mages of this world heard that, they might scoff. For them, magic would be as normal as the laws of physics in our world. Just like how an apple falls to the ground due to gravity, magic operates under perfectly set laws—at least that’s what Dana had told me before.

But still, to me, magic was magic. It was an entirely non-ordinary supernatural phenomenon.

Even the best-made programs have bugs, so can we be sure magic wouldn’t have its quirks as well?

What if something went wrong and Siyun couldn’t return…?

…In that case, I’d want to stay by Siyun’s side.

I had precious people back on Earth too. Yoori is a dear friend. Mom is important to me as well. If I vanished, I knew they would be very sad.

But more than that, I was scared of losing Siyun again.

We had barely reunited, and I couldn’t bear the thought of parting again forever…

“Honestly, the first time I traveled abroad was to the Republic of Korea on Earth.”

While I was lost in thought, I heard Kalia’s voice as she continued the conversation.

“Huh?”

“Why, does that sound strange?”

“Um…”

I had heard she was the daughter of a duke.

I didn’t really know much about the noble classes. There wasn’t much reason to learn it deeply in the future either.

But even then, I knew at least that a ‘duke’ was a significantly high-ranking noble.

From what I’d read, aren’t they the offspring of royalty? I’d heard it’s a title often given to the branches of royalty or to the spouse of a queen.

So it was a bit surprising that someone from such a family would never have traveled abroad.

“Earth is already filled with countries, and if you cross borders, you end up in another nation. But in this world, it’s not the same. Close to the kingdom, other ‘countries’ or communities exist, but the only one I know of is the Great Forest where elves live. I know other nations exist, but to visit them, you would need to sail for months across the sea.”

“Ah…”

“Due to prolonged wars, smaller nations have long since perished. Well… if you consider the lands occupied by the Demon King’s army as ‘other countries,’ then I guess you could say I’ve been there.”

I see.

This world was a war-torn one. No matter how high in nobility someone was, there wouldn’t be any leisure for them to visit foreign lands. Humanity was caught up in war for survival.

“Who knows, if it’s necessary or if I become interested… I might find myself with the chance to visit other countries.”

Kalia smiled at me as she spoke.

“All thanks to Siyun.”

“…”

For a moment, I was left speechless.