Chapter 194: Has Phonia Been Kidnapped?
“Huh?”
With a puzzled response, the man shrugged his shoulders in irritation. Was he worried about whether Phonia made it back to the inn? Who knows, but she’s probably enjoying some delicious food.
“Hey, Phonia. Where are you right now?”
I mean, it would be quicker to just ask her directly.
“Eh? … Big brother? What’s wrong?”
At least I got a reply. She doesn’t sound too panicked, so I can breathe a little easier for now.
“I was just worried you might be lost. Did you make it back to the inn?”
“U… yeah.”
Her response is a bit hesitant. Could it be that the guy in front of me is right, and she’s actually been kidnapped? No, but…
“You didn’t just follow some stranger who offered you food, did you?”
“I-I didn’t just follow a stranger!”
“Eh?”
“… Ah.”
Thank you for that “ah” that seems to convey nothing but regret. It’s pretty much confirmed now, but do I even know anyone in this town…?
“Phonia-chan… you haven’t returned to the inn?”
Rio asked with a worried tone, and it seems she really hasn’t.
“Seriously? I’ve always told you not to follow strangers, and I thought I drilled that into your head…”
It seems that even in this Otherworld, such warnings are necessary. But then again, compared to Japan, kidnappings might be more common here.
“B-but, the nice uncle in the cave was worried about me and said he’d feed me if I was hungry…”
The cave… is she talking about that adventurer who approached her in the mine tunnel? I didn’t really get a good look at his face, but if the guy in front of me says so, it does sound plausible.
“Eeeh…”
Now, Rio’s telepathic communication carries a tone of disbelief. She must have realized that Phonia was lured in by the promise of food.
“Well, it doesn’t seem like anything terrible has happened to her… though I doubt those guys could do anything to Phonia.”
“Believe what you want, but it’s dangerous for a kid to wander around alone. I think it wouldn’t hurt to show some gratitude since I protected her.”
It sounds like he’s demanding a ransom now. What a predicament. For the sake of calming Rio and Ivan, I’ll share the status of the fool in front of me through telepathic communication. His HP barely reaches four digits, and with a strength and stamina of 500, even if he had some skill that multiplied those numbers, Phonia could probably take him down physically. He’s likely an E-rank adventurer who was collecting iron ore, so his status would be similar to that of his companions watching over Phonia.
“You’ve got enough money to stay at that inn, right? You could consider this a small lesson and spare a little.”
“Haah…”
It feels like his demands are turning into desperate pleas. It’s becoming ridiculous to entertain this guy. For a moment, I thought it might be a twisted form of kindness, but perhaps I’m overthinking it. He doesn’t seem to be threatening Phonia with a weapon or anything, so maybe he hasn’t completely lost his conscience. I should just focus on getting Phonia back safely.
“Phonia. I’m not angry, so come back to the inn, okay?”
“… Really?”
“Yeah, really. But there might be some bad people trying to stop you from getting back to the inn.”
“Eh!? The person who gave me food is a bad person!?”
… So in Phonia’s mind, anyone who offers food is a good person.
“That’s right. They might not let you go outside because it’s dangerous, or they might come to catch you, but you need to be clever and dodge them to make it back to the inn.”
“U-Understood! I’ll do my best!”
“Good, good. If you make it back safely, I’ll let you have three of your favorite desserts for dinner.”
“Really!?”
“Yeah. But remember, for every time you get caught by a bad person, you’ll lose one dessert.”
“Eeeh!? So… if I get caught three times…”
Phonia’s telepathic communication trembles with a voice filled with dread. It seems the thought of no dessert is truly terrifying to her.
“Yeah. Unfortunately, if that happens… there will be no dessert.”
I delivered the news with a serious tone, and…
“Wha—!? I-I understand! I’ll do my best…!”
I can almost picture her clenching her fists with a serious expression.
“Ahh ha ha ha!”
“Bwah! … Hehe.”
As I let Rio and Ivan hear my exchange with Phonia, they couldn’t hold back their laughter.
“What’s so funny!?”
Well, yeah. You asking for money so desperately is pretty amusing too.
“Sorry to burst your bubble, but Phonia is a smart kid who can make it back on her own, so your concern is unnecessary.”
“… Huh!? There’s no way such a small child can be okay alone! Sure, she had a little pet with her, but still…!”
“So, Nil, I’m counting on you to support Phonia properly.”
“Woof!”
Just to be safe, I asked the little pet, and it responded confidently, as if to say it would handle it.