What Changed in Pond, and What Didn’t – Part 02

Hikaru came to this town after a significant change in the Man Gnome village. The excessive use of the Starwhite Wedge had left most of the Man Gnomes in a coma, drained of their soul energy. About ten days later, however, they began to wake one by one. Hikaru took that as his cue to leave.

During the battle with the Great Labyrinth of Runay-aas, the Man Gnomes had attempted to destroy it with reckless abandon. At the time, it didn’t matter whether Hikaru was inside the labyrinth or not. They were ready to sacrifice everything to obliterate it. If they discovered the labyrinth was still functioning, they would likely launch another assault just as fiercely.

What’s more, the Man Gnomes would want to hear from Hikaru as he had reached the deepest part of the labyrinth. He didn’t want to get any more involved than he already was. Once the labyrinth sank underground, he regained the ability to cast the spell for crossing worlds, which was all he wanted.

His near-death experience during their Starwhite Wedge attack, which brought the labyrinth crashing down, had sapped any desire to cooperate further. Though he felt a twinge of guilt for leaving the rest to Yoshino and Granryuk, he trusted them to handle the aftermath. The Man Gnome village needed time to recover.

That said, there was still one concern that lingered in Hikaru’s mind: Soaarunay Saak, the current master of the Great Labyrinth. He believed she was still inside. She had ambushed him from behind, nearly killing him. While Hikaru felt the need to settle that score, the labyrinth’s sinking rendered any confrontation impossible for now.

I could just forget about her and return to Japan.

That was one option.

I have to ask the Four Eastern Stars about their plans. Where did they go anyway?

After Hikaru, along with Lavia and Paula, returned to the royal city via the Black Wedge Gate, a warp device, they began searching for the Four Eastern Stars. Selyse and her party had used the Tally Hikaru gave them to escort the adventurers rescued from the labyrinth to the Theocracy of Bios. But since then, their whereabouts had been completely unknown to Hikaru. Could they have run into some kind of trouble?

When Hikaru inquired at the Adventurers Guild in Ponsonia, he came up empty. Information on Rank B adventurers wasn’t publicly disclosed. Left with no choice, he used his Stealth ability to dig for clues within the guild. What he found was trivial but useful—the guilds in Ponsonia and Agiapole were arguing over the Four Eastern Stars’ affiliation. This confirmed the group’s current location: the Holy City of Agiapole.

Relieved, Hikaru decided to check on the situation in Pond before heading to Agiapole.

I only planned a quick stop… but things are getting messy.

He hadn’t expected to be summoned to Unken’s office at the Adventurers Guild or escorted around by Freya.

It was still early afternoon, and since Freya was still in her guild uniform, she drew quite the attention.

She seems to be enjoying herself, so I guess it’s fine.

The unsettling aura she’d exuded earlier was gone. Now she wore a cheerful smile, even humming a tune as though she might start skipping at any moment.

Hikaru also wanted to hear more about Pond, so he had been thinking of having some tea before he left.

“Oh, hey, Freya! What brings you here today? Running errands for the guild?”
“Freya! Come join us for tea!”
“Ah, it’s Freya! What’re you up to?”

Townsfolk called out to her frequently, and Freya responded to each and every one of them.

“Hmm? What’s the matter, Hikaru?”

“Nothing. Just… wow. You’re really popular, huh?”

“P-Popular? No way! I just know them through guild commissions, that’s all.”

It turned out the townsfolk often had concerns too minor to bring to the Adventurers Guild. Freya, however, listened patiently to their problems, turning even the smallest issues into proper commissions.

These tasks, though modest in scope or reward, were perfect for young adventurers around Hikaru’s age without combat skills. It gave them part-time work, helped them build a track record, and left the townsfolk satisfied. The downside? More paperwork for the guild. But Freya handled them all no problem.

I see.

Hikaru found himself even more impressed by her.

Despite the massive influx of workload caused by the Mermaid Dungeon, Freya still took on extra work to benefit the community without a word of complaint.

As Freya spoke to an elderly woman who’d approached her, Hikaru noticed a young boy staring at him. The boy, no older than five or six, had a faint smudge under his nose from wiping away snot, a common look for kids around here.

“Hey, you,” the boy suddenly spoke. “Who are you to Freya? Her boyfriend or something?”

“What?”

“Get lost! You’re annoying.”

The sharp insult hit like a slap.

“Uh… I’m not Freya’s boyfriend, though.”

“Of course, you’re not! I said, get lost!”

This wasn’t going anywhere. Before Hikaru could respond, the boy aimed a kick at his leg. Hikaru shifted slightly, dodging with ease.

“Don’t dodge!”

“Sorry, but I’d rather not get my clothes dirty.”

“What?!”

The boy tried again, but Hikaru sidestepped, moving with a smooth, rhythmic grace like he was dancing.

Freya returned after her chat with the elderly woman. “What are you doing?”

“Wah!” Startled, the boy tumbled and fell on his backside. “Th-This guy was picking on me!” The boy pointed at Hikaru, tears in his eyes.

“Oh, my. Is that true, Hikaru?”

“Well, depends on your definition of picking.”

Hikaru shrugged off the accusation without denying or teasing. The boy, seeing no reaction, scrambled to his feet and bolted, wailing like a wounded animal.

“W-Were you actually picking on him?”

“Just a little reminder that being too nice can sometimes cause more trouble.”

“Are you talking about me?” Freya frowned, clearly offended.

“It’s just that someone as pretty as you being so kind might give people the wrong idea.”

“P-Pretty?!”

“The café you wanted to visit is over there, right? Let’s go.”

“Wait! D-Did you just call me pretty?” Freya stammered.

“Hm? Well, it’s true. Generally speaking, guild receptionists are all pretty.”

“…”

“Uh, Freya?”

“Generally speaking? You were talking about receptionists in general?”

“Uh, what?”

“Never mind! Let’s just go!”

Turning her face away with a pout, Freya stomped off ahead.

Hikaru didn’t fully understand what was going on, but he followed Freya into the café anyway.

It was the same one he’d visited with her before, crowded as ever. But luck was on their side this time. A table by the window was available, and they were seated there.

At this time of the year, it was far too cold to enjoy tea outside. Freya ordered tea and a tart, while Hikaru stuck to just tea.

“I was worried you might go for that Twin Tornado Juice again, like last time,” Hikaru said.

He was referring to a drink served in a melon-shaped metal container with two straws, clearly meant for couples. They’d ended up sharing it, though.

“I figured you wouldn’t want to drink Twin Tornado Juice again with someone as generally pretty as me.”

“W-Wait, are you mad? Is it because I made you take on more work?”

“No, it’s not that. You really don’t understand how girls feel, do you?” Freya sighed. “Anyway, just tell me what you’ve been up to. I was so worried! The Great Labyrinth of Runay-aas was flying through the air, and there was talk of a legendary Fire Drakon over the royal city.”

“Ah.”

Hikaru’s eyes took on a faraway look. He was directly involved in both events but couldn’t exactly tell her that the labyrinth had already sunk back underground, or that he was the one who summoned the Fire Drakon.

“I’m a coward, so I didn’t do anything dangerous,” he said.

“Really? Then where were you?”

“Hopestadt.”

The lie slipped out easily. Hopestadt, the capital of the Confederacy of Einbiest, had hosted the Ruler’s Rumble tournament. He was at least familiar with the place.

“Wow, that’s pretty far.”

“A merchant caravan was heading there, so I tagged along. I was curious about their multiracial society. By the way, has anything changed in Pond?”

“Hmm.”

Freya’s order arrived, a tart topped with citrus fruits Hikaru didn’t recognize. She ate happily while continuing the conversation.