Chapter 294: Kaede-san’s Return
“Um, could I have just a little time to think?”
Kaede-san hesitantly broached the subject, and her request was entirely reasonable. It wouldn’t be easy to leave this place suddenly without any preparation.
“Of course. Take your time. We barged in here without warning, and we’re not in a rush,” I replied.
“Though Jushiro-san and the others are probably waiting with bated breath.”
“Well, if you want, you could just pop over, have a quick chat, and come right back.”
“Eh?”
I said this with a wry smile at Rio’s comment, but Kaede-san looked back at me with a puzzled expression.
“Um, isn’t it going to take several days to get there…?”
Rio and I exchanged glances at Kaede-san’s words. It seemed like we weren’t quite on the same page, but was that really the issue?
“You can reach Jushiro-san’s workplace in under an hour.”
“…Huh? No way, that can’t be right.”
“Haha, magic is quite convenient, you know. It can do just about anything.”
She didn’t seem to fully believe me, but I was confident it wouldn’t take even an hour. From our apartment building, it was just a five-minute walk to the station. The train ride itself wouldn’t take more than thirty minutes, and from there, it was another five-minute walk to the Dragon Corporation building.
“I’ve also been able to do more since I learned magic, but there must be limits, right…? …Is that really true?”
“It wouldn’t make sense to joke about it here. Besides, once the day comes for Kaede-san to leave with us, it’ll be obvious anyway.”
“That’s true…”
Kaede-san pondered my words for a moment, then turned to Mirabel-san with a determined look.
“Excuse me, Mirabel-san. Would it be alright if I went for just a little while?”
“Of course, I don’t mind at all. You’ll be able to see your family for the first time in five years, right? Go ahead and enjoy your time.”
Mirabel-san sent Kaede-san off with a warm smile, despite Kaede-san’s apologetic demeanor.
“Thank you very much.”
Kaede-san bowed deeply, and Mirabel-san looked touched.
“Don’t worry about us. You can take a whole day if you want; just spend as much time with your family as you can.”
“…Yes!”
“Then let’s leave El here at the orphanage.”
As soon as Kaede-san’s temporary return was decided, Rio chimed in.
“Eh?”
The unexpected suggestion drew a surprised response from behind.
“It would be a hassle if we suddenly lost help. Since we’re leaving El here, feel free to put her to work.”
“That sounds good. Nil will stay here too, right? It’s a hassle to put her in a cage again when we take the train.”
“Woof…”
Upon hearing the word “train,” El’s ears drooped sadly.
“Train…!”
Kaede-san echoed the same sentiment.
“Um, I can’t let you go that far…”
“Don’t worry about it. We’re the ones who barged in, and we’ll make up for Kaede-chan’s absence. El, I command you to listen to Mirabel-san.”
“Understood.”
El stepped forward from behind, bowing lightly. I could sense her own desire to visit Japan, but I chose to ignore it.
“Nil, make sure to play with the children. Just don’t let them get hurt.”
“Woof!”
“Alright, let’s get going then.”
Phonia hopped off Rio’s lap, and we all stood up. After tucking our chairs under the table, we created some space behind us.
“Um, how are we getting there?”
“I’m going to open a rift here, and once you pass through it, you’ll be in Japan.”
“Ah…”
As Rio gathered her Magic Power, she swiftly opened a Dimensional Rift in the room. With each repetition, the activation became smoother.
“Well then, I’ll go ahead.”
“See you later!”
Ivan and Phonia stepped into the rift without hesitation.
“Come on, Kaede-san, it’s your turn.”
Kaede-san gulped nervously, her serious expression betraying her apprehension as she walked toward the table.
“Wow… this is Magic Power, isn’t it…?”
After gazing at the rift for a moment, Kaede-san steeled herself and stepped inside.
“Well then, we’ll take our leave now. El, I’m counting on you. And Nil, please take care of things too.”
“Please take care of Kaede.”
I nodded at Mirabel-san, who bowed deeply, and then I followed Kaede-san into the rift.
We emerged on the balcony of the apartment building we used as our base in Japan. Since most of us were still wearing our shoes, we typically exited onto the balcony when arriving here. While it wasn’t as bustling as the office district, it was still a residential area filled with apartment buildings. The sight of concrete houses and buildings was something that could never be seen in that Otherworld. It was daytime here too, but I wondered if the cycle of days was the same over there.
“This place is…”
Kaede-san murmured as she gazed out at the view from the balcony. As she slowly surveyed her surroundings, a single tear fell from her eye to the ground.
I decided to let her enjoy the scenery for as long as she needed, and I promptly took out my smartphone to call Mr. Jinpei.
“Hello, is this Shuu-kun?”
Before the first ring could finish, Mr. Jinpei’s voice came through the line.
“Yes. That was quick…”
“Of course! The moment you call, it means something must have happened, right?”
I thought I heard someone in the background shout, “President!” but I chose to ignore it.
“Yes. I found Kaede-san, and I’m bringing her over now.”
“…Huh?”
I delivered the news succinctly, but all I received in response was a bewildered exclamation from the smartphone.