"I heard you're soldiers from the world on the other side of the 'gate'? Thank you for helping those villagers," Rory said.
She repeated the same line she had spoken earlier, but this time, thanks to Eriri's translation field, Kuribayashi and Kurokawa fully understood her.
"No need to thank us. It was our duty," Kuribayashi quickly replied, waving her hands in a fluster. "And you're right, we are from the other side of the 'gate.' If it's okay, could you tell us your identities? I noticed the villagers were praying to you earlier, so we were just curious. I hope you don't mind."
"There's nothing to mind. My name has been known in this world for over nine hundred years. Even if I didn't tell you, you could learn it just by asking the villagers," Rory said nonchalantly.
Her response, however, stunned the two soldiers.
"Nine hundred years? Are people in this world really that long-lived? Or are you maybe some kind of elf or other long-living race?" Kurokawa asked in shock.
"Also? So you've seen elves before?" Rory didn't answer the question and instead latched onto Kurokawa's wording with interest.
Kuribayashi and Kurokawa exchanged a glance, then nodded in agreement to share a recent event.
"Yesterday afternoon, when we arrived near this area, we found a forest engulfed in flames. It wasn't until this morning that the fire finally went out."
"Afterward, we discovered the ruins of a completely destroyed village within the forest."
"We searched through the wreckage to see if anyone had survived, and eventually found an unconscious elf inside a well. She appears to be the only survivor."
Kurokawa calmly recounted what had happened a few hours earlier.
Rory nodded. "I see. That village must have been destroyed by the Flame Dragon."
"Yes, exactly. Yesterday evening, we saw the dragon flying over the forest, breathing fire. After we barely managed to explain what was happening to the nearby village chief, the villagers decided to abandon their homes and flee."
At this point, Kurokawa glanced at the villagers nearby.
Some had perished in the dragon's attack, but in a world like this, death was a common occurrence. Though the villagers were saddened, they weren't devastated.
"So, where is that elf now?" Rory asked again.
"Probably traumatized by the Flame Dragon's attack. She hasn't regained consciousness and is currently resting in our vehicle."
Standing quietly beside Rory, Eriri knew all of this clearly.
The elf they were talking about was one of the heroines from the original story: a 165-year-old elf girl named Tuka Luna Marceau.
Because of Eriri and Rory's unexpected involvement, Tuka hadn't yet awakened at this point in the story. Without Rory's axe-spear pressure and without the long, bumpy ride in a military vehicle, she was still peacefully asleep.
But Eriri chose not to say anything. Letting Rory discover the truth herself wasn't a bad thing either.
However, Rory didn't seem too interested in Tuka. After learning her situation, she lost focus and didn't bring her up again.
Instead, she turned to Kuribayashi and Kurokawa. "I see. Well, take good care of her then. You two don't seem like bad people."
Almost reflexively, Kuribayashi blurted out, "Of course we're not bad people! We're law-abiding soldiers!"
A moment later, she realized she might have overreacted. Sticking out her tongue playfully, she offered Rory and Eriri an apologetic smile.
"Would you like to come see her?" Kurokawa asked, addressing both Eriri and Rory.
This time, Rory didn't answer immediately. Instead, she glanced over at Eriri, as if waiting for her opinion.
But Eriri wasn't particularly interested in Tuka either, so she shook her head gently. "No need."
Since Eriri declined, Rory didn't insist. She said nothing further, silently agreeing with her companion's decision.
"Alright then."
Most members of the Third Recon Unit had hoped to entrust the elf to someone from this world, and Eriri and Rory seemed like the best candidates.
But since they had no interest, Kuribayashi and Kurokawa didn't press the matter.
The base near the "gate" was already under construction, including a residential area meant for accommodating otherworlders.
If needed, they could arrange for the elf to stay there.
"Come to think of it, we haven't introduced ourselves yet," Kurokawa said with a smile. "I'm Mari Kurokawa. It's nice to meet you."
Kuribayashi quickly followed suit, extending her hand. "Hi, I'm Shino Kuribayashi. Nice to meet you."
Since handshakes weren't part of this world's culture, Rory looked a little puzzled by the gesture.
But before she could voice her confusion, she noticed what Eriri did.
"Hello, I'm Eriri Spencer Sawamura," Eriri said with a pleasant smile. She took Kurokawa's hand briefly, giving it a light shake before letting go.
She then repeated the motion with Kuribayashi.
For Eriri, the handshake was just a simple courtesy.
But to Kurokawa and Kuribayashi, the brief contact stirred something inside. Eriri's charm was far too potent.
Still, as trained soldiers, they quickly suppressed their emotions and regained composure.
When they extended their hands to Rory, she finally began her own introduction.
"Hello. I'm Rory Mercury, apostle of Emroy, the God of Darkness."
Mimicking Eriri, she gently took both their hands in turn and gave a brief handshake.
"God of Darkness? Apostle? So, you really aren't ordinary humans?" Kuribayashi exclaimed.
"That's right. I can't really be considered human anymore. Ever since I became the Apostle of the Main God 903 years ago, I've completely left behind my humanity. I'm now a true demi-god."
Hearing Rory's words, Kuribayashi couldn't help but swallow nervously. "What's the difference between a demi-god and a true god? Are they connected?"
"Demi-gods and gods are fundamentally different," Rory explained. "But after a certain period, a demi-god will eventually evolve into a true deity. I'm currently 961 years old. When I turn one thousand, I will officially ascend as a goddess."
"That's... incredible!" Kuribayashi exclaimed in awe.
She then turned to Eriri. "What about you, Miss Sawamura?"
Compared to Rory, Kuribayashi and Kurokawa were even more curious about Eriri. That moment when she obliterated the Flame Dragon had etched itself deep into their memories.
With such overwhelming power, even if Eriri claimed she was a real goddess, neither of them would have doubted it.
But Eriri's answer was completely unexpected.
"Me? I'm not some apostle or anything. I'm just your average sixteen-year-old beautiful human girl~" she replied nonchalantly.
"Average... girl..."
Her response left not only Kuribayashi and Kurokawa speechless, but even Rory twitched slightly at the corner of her eye.
Kuribayashi wanted to argue and say, "Please don't joke like that," but recalling Eriri's terrifying strength, she chickened out and held her tongue.
"Um... Miss Sawamura, I have a question, if that's alright?" Kuribayashi raised her hand and asked politely.
Although Eriri claimed to be sixteen, Kuribayashi couldn't believe it. Since Rory was over 900 years old, surely Eriri, her companion, couldn't be that young.
And with power like that, respect was definitely in order.
"Sure, go ahead. What do you want to ask?"
"Could you tell me the name of the outfit you're wearing?" Kuribayashi asked, eyes scanning over Eriri's uniform.
This question had been on everyone's mind in the Third Recon Unit. They had simply kept it to themselves until now. With the opportunity right in front of them, Kuribayashi didn't want to miss it.
"Oh, this? It's my school uniform from Toyogasaki Academy~" Eriri replied with a cheerful smile.
She had no intention of hiding her identity. On the contrary, she was curious how Kuribayashi and the others would react upon learning she wasn't from this world.
"Eh?"
As expected, the moment they heard Eriri's answer, Kuribayashi, Kurokawa, and even those listening in via radio, like Itami Youji, were all stunned.
Originally, when they first saw Eriri, they had dismissed the possibility that she was wearing a school uniform. And now, that very assumption had been turned on its head.
Suddenly, Kuribayashi balled her right hand into a fist and smacked it against her open left palm.
"Ah, so your name is Eriri, not Sawamura, right?"
"Uh... That's what you took away from that?" Eriri gave her an exasperated look.
She had expected Kuribayashi to be shocked and ask a bunch of questions about how she came to this world. Instead, she focused on something entirely trivial.
"Well, you're not wrong," Eriri sighed. "My full name is Eriri Spencer Sawamura. Both Sawamura and Spencer are my surnames. Eriri is my given name."
"Ehehe, sorry about that. I blurted it out without thinking," Kuribayashi said sheepishly, scratching her head.
Compared to her, Kurokawa remained composed.
"Miss Eriri, if I'm not mistaken, you must have come to this world during the 'Ginza Incident,' right?" Kurokawa asked confidently.
Ever since the Ginza Incident, the Gate had been under strict government control. Aside from authorized military personnel and select individuals, no one could pass through it.
That's why Kurokawa was convinced Eriri must have come through during the initial chaos when forces from the other world attacked Ginza.
As for Eriri's immense power, whether she had it before crossing over or acquired it afterward remained a mystery.
Naturally, Kurokawa leaned toward the latter.
Like she had mentioned over the radio earlier, if someone like Eriri had possessed that kind of strength in their world all along, it would have been impossible to hide it from the government. Eventually, the authorities would have discovered her.
In the minds of soldiers like her, the state apparatus was the ultimate force—no one could escape its gaze.
"Sorry to disappoint you, but you're wrong," Eriri said with a cheerful grin. "I actually arrived in this world just today~"
"That's impossible!" Kurokawa immediately shook her head, rejecting the claim without hesitation.
"Wait, Kurokawa," Kuribayashi interrupted, raising her voice slightly.
"What if Eriri was specially dispatched by the government today? It's not like we have real-time communication with the base."
Kuribayashi's words made Kurokawa pause. What she said wasn't without merit.
If Eriri had come through via official channels today, it would make sense that the Third Recon Team hadn't received the update yet.
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