Mixed (2)

Elodie was strongly opposed, but I also agreed to take Mei to Constel.

Someday, Mei would have to enter the world. I couldn't keep her locked up in my workshop forever.

As long as Mei kept her appearance fixed and didn't try to change into someone else again, there wouldn't be any worries about being caught.

Since Mei's current appearance is very young, enrolling is obviously impossible, but a one-day visit should be fine.

Elodie tried to persuade me that Mei shouldn't go to Constel for all sorts of reasons, but honestly, they weren't reasonable at all, unlike Elodie, so they were all dismissed.

"...Fine then."

Elodie looked at me sullenly with half-open eyes.

"How are you going to explain that?"

"That?"

"That she resembles you and me."

At that, I looked at Mei. Definitely, she resembled both me and Elodie. Perhaps that's why Mei's appearance is so outstanding. It's so androgynous that it feels unreal.

I tilted my head and said,

"...By coincidence?"

"Rejected!!"

"Sometimes in life, you meet people who look like you."

"We're taking her to Constel, and you think it's going to pass as a coincidence that she resembles us?"

Come to think of it, it does seem awkward.

Hmm, I rested my chin on my hand and thought for a moment.

Anyway, to take Mei to Constel, we need a proper reason.

My reputation at Constel isn't good to begin with, so I need to make some excuse to clear the teachers' suspicions.

"...For now, let's say she's my relative."

"That's fine. So, let's say she resembles you, but what about me?"

"That's a coincidence."

"Hey!"

"Or do you want me to say she's your relative? I'm okay with being a coincidental resemblance."

"That's not the point!"

...Wasn't it?

Elodie seemed to dislike that Mei resembled her face.

Elodie trembled as she stared at me, not understanding. Then, she soon sighed as if giving up on something and slumped her shoulders.

"...Fine. Whatever happens, I don't care. Then what about during class?"

"It's okay. There's someone to be with her."

"Really?"

Yes.

The crow will be there with her.

"Then the remaining problem is..."

"Common sense."

Mei doesn't know about this world. It's not that she doesn't know about the world, but rather that she doesn't know much about people and society.

"We need to teach her about that too."

"Right."

After hearing Elodie's agreement, I looked at her. Mei was also looking at Elodie.

Mei bowed her head.

"Please take good care of me."

"Sure... Huh?!"

Elodie, who was absentmindedly answering, raised her head in surprise.

"Me, me?"

"Yes. I have to go back to Constel starting tomorrow."

"I have to go too, right?"

"You can't go yet. Osprey hasn't returned."

Ah, Elodie let out a short sound. It seems she had forgotten for a moment.

Elodie is still lost in this world. Only Mei and I can see her right now.

"I don't know how long it will take for Osprey to return, but there's nothing we can do right now. It was a big deal just to wake you up."

I knew the power of this magic from Elodie's disappearance.

And since even Elodie, who is attempting the Four-Element Combination, couldn't undo the magic and went into hibernation herself, it's best if I don't even dream of trying to do anything about this magic.

"Hmm, that's true, but..."

Elodie looked at Mei with an uneasy face.

"I'm not good with kids. I always made them cry."

"Mei is smart, so it'll be okay."

It's not just that she's smart.

In fact, there's not much that Elodie needs to teach. Greeting people, buying things, using vending machines - all these actions will be perfectly learned once shown.

What I'm worried about right now is actually Elodie, not Mei.

'If Mei can always see Elodie, then Elodie won't disappear again.'

Of course, I'm always aware of Elodie's existence, but since I haven't fully grasped this magic, no matter how much I prepare, it won't be enough.

If there's a proper reason to teach Mei common sense, then Elodie won't be so lonely either.

"...Okay. It's just as well. Since others can't see me, it'll be easier to teach Mei."

Since Mei will appear to be alone to others, we can make various arrangements. That's Elodie-like thinking.

I looked outside.

In the reality we returned to after waking Elodie from her sleep, the sun had long since disappeared beyond the horizon. The dark night was faintly illuminated by moonlight.

There are no light sources like street lights around here, so the lantern illuminating the cabin is the only light.

I got up from my seat.

"Then I'll get going. It's late."

"Y-You're leaving?"

"There's a bed on the first floor. Sleep there. Mei... can sleep on her own, right?"

Mei nodded.

I spoke to Elodie again.

"I'll come here every day after class from now on. At least until Osprey returns."

"...Do you know when he'll return? It might take years, no, decades?"

Elodie asked, looking at me with a dissatisfied face.

I tilted my head.

"That's possible."

"...Huh?"

"Well then, good night, Elodie. Mei."

With those words, I went up from the basement and left the cabin.

Since I had already set up a portal to come here in advance, it wasn't difficult.

"Originally, it was a portal I set up to have a workshop next to the cabin."

The cabin had somehow become a place to meet Elodie and Mei.

* * *

"...He should have finished what he was saying."

Elodie muttered with a dissatisfied face.

It might take decades.

The answer to that was 'That's possible'.

"What? Does that mean he'll come here every day after class for that long? After graduating from Constel, there's no such thing as after class. Idiot."

Elodie grumbled without even knowing why she was grumbling.

Then, a long time later, she quietly looked at Mei next to her.

"...I couldn't ask after all."

Elodie muttered.

Mei currently has a mixed appearance of Elodie and Frondier.

Because she observed Elodie and Frondier together in the dream.

In other words, Frondier entered Elodie's Eternal Slumber. To save Elodie.

The Frondier in front of Elodie's eyes wasn't a fake created by a dream. It was really Frondier.

Mei is proof of that.

That's why Elodie wanted to ask.

'...Did he really forgive me?'

Frondier is smart. He would have known exactly what method to use to save her, who was trapped in trauma.

So, did Frondier say something he didn't mean?

Did he just throw out words that Elodie wanted to hear to get out of the dream?

In fact, Frondier might still resents and loath Elodie, but he's just hiding it.

"..."

Naturally, Mei just looked at Elodie with innocent eyes at her muttering.

Elodie chuckled and shook her head.

"No, Mei. I wasn't talking to you,"

"Do you think the Frondier in the dream lied?"

"?!"

Elodie raised her head in surprise. There were a lot of surprising things today.

"How, how did you?"

"I said I observed the dream."

"I, I know that, but how did you come to that conclusion from what I just said?"

Elodie just said she couldn't ask.

Mei said,

"I thought that's what you would be worried about."

"..."

The current Mei seems to be imitating some of Frondier and Elodie's habits. Did she come to understand Frondier and Elodie better while imitating them?

"Don't worry too much."

"...It's a bit pathetic to be comforted by a child."

"Frondier risked his life to save you."

"......!"

Mei spoke with pure eyes, as if saying something obvious.

"There's no way Frondier would hate Elodie."

When she said that, somehow, she resembled Frondier again.

"...Yeah."

Elodie had somehow brought her knees together and buried her face in them.

"Right?"

The voice muttering softly trembled like a leaf, and the smile that bloomed was red.