The Temple of the Galal Blue

Was this the Temple of the Galal Blue? Looking around, one could see holes in the walls and ceilings were already gone. But although the ceiling had fallen, the rubble had been removed around the magic circle.

... Maybe when the monsters attacked, the survivors were desperately moving the debris until the very last minute, hoping that help might come from somewhere.

"Wha...why Sensei???"

I turned around at the voice and saw a pale-faced Kimishima standing there.

"Kimishima... it's all right, come on, let's go where the people are."

"Where people are... Wh-what??? Where is this place?"

I said that lightly to calm Kimishima, but I didn't realize how hard it would be to tell the truth...

Kimishima had no idea where we were. But judging by the panic in her eyes, she may have had a vague sense of it. Telling Kimishima the truth would be like telling someone that they have cancer. I was at a loss for words.

…I looked Kimishima in the eyes and told her.

"This is the Temple of the Galal Blue, a city that perished in a Monster Parade some fifty years ago."

Hearing this, Kimishima was speechless! She couldn't speak.

"That's... a lie ..., isn't it?"

"...It's true."

I didn't know what to say to the stunned Kimishima.

Of course, Kimishima and the others must have heard about this kind of incident as they listened to the explanation of this world.  There was no doubt about it, since Kohinata fiddled with the tablet and chose this place as the destination.

I don't know what the current situation here was, but for now, it would be better to hide in the shadows and wait until Kimishima calmed down. I told Kimishima to hide in the shadows, but she was panicking a lot.

"... What about Domoto-kun? What about the temple teachers and others?　They're coming, right?"

"...No,... they are not coming."

I could only shake my head at Kimishima's question, which sounded like a frantic wish.

"!!! Because ... Sensei is ... just a mob..."

"That's ..."

"The Temple of the Galal Blue... where the ... Monster Parade set back human living space by almost 100 kilometers...100 kilometers!"

"Let's do our best."

"Do our best, how!?"

"We'll escape at all costs."

"... Impossible... Impossible..."

"Let's give it a try, huh. Before you give up."

I was waiting for Kimishima to calm down behind the barely standing wall.  But I couldn't just sit idly by and wait. I put the sword that Domoto gave me at my waist and adjusted its position.

Once I cut the mouth of the scabbard, I got a feeling similar to that of the sword I used to handle in Japan, just like the small sword. The resistance of the sword was not a problem. Somehow, I felt that it must have been created by the same maker as the small sword.

...Good. I was so excited that I pulled the sword out several times and put it back in to get a feel for the blade's length. After all, the length of the sword compared to a small sword was more reassuring.

"What are you doing ...?"

Kimishima, who must have calmed down a bit, asked when she saw me fiddling with the sword.

“When I came here, Domoto gave me his sword. I was carrying a short sword, so he probably thought it would help me."

"Domoto-kun?"

"I'm sorry I couldn't bring everyone with me. I'm going to do everything I can to help. Don't give up hope."

"I know..., but ..."

When I looked at Kimishima, I wondered if she felt a little better after crying. No, the expression on her face seemed almost like she had given up.  But since she talked to me, I asked her some questions to get a better understanding of Kimishima's equipment and magic.

Kimishima's weapon of choice was a short spear. At first, she wanted to choose a sword, but she had practiced Naginata at a dojo run by an old woman in her hometown until she was in middle school. Perhaps because of this, she had acquired two additional skills, "Swordsmanship" and "Spearmanship".

That was one of the reasons she thought she might be able to use a longer spear. However, she could not find a long spear designed like a Maginata, so she chose a short spear that looked like it could cleave like one.

This was a good choice for a woman who lacked strength. With a spear, she could reach farther than with a sword. For a woman with no experience in combat, it might be less dangerous.

I didn't know if it was right for me to speak so highly of her, but I praised her choice of weapon in the hope that it would make her feel a little more positive.

“What kind of magic can you use? I'm not very proficient."

“Magic? I can manipulate ... plants. That's what I'm best at. I'm not a fighter."

"Not for fighting?... No. But ... We just arrived in this world and we haven't even climbed up the ladder yet. It's not worth trying to use magic attacks in a place like this, is it?"

"... Then what are we supposed to do!?"

"Shh. Don't shout too loud. ... Okay? If you can manipulate plants, maybe we can hide ourselves in ivy or weeds, or hide our scent behind the smell of flowers."

"Hide?"

"Yes. Fighting is a last resort. Quietly. So that the monsters don't find us. Quietly, aiming at where there are people. Isn't that a good magic?"

"Don't be found by monsters..."

In fact, I didn't know what kind of senses monsters had. I had no idea what sounds, smells, magic, or anything else they might be using to find their prey. But if we could use magic to hide ourselves, even just a little bit, it would be effective.

Then, wondering if I could cheer Kimishima up, I took one of the portable meals out of my bag and handed it to her.

"Sakuragi shared a portion for us."

Kimishima heard that and squeezed the portable food packet in her arms. After a while, she put it away in her bag like she had made up her mind to do something. Kimishima seemed to have chosen a shoulder-slung bag, which, like my bag, seemed to have a larger interior, but the opening was larger than my bag, so perhaps it would be easier to use.

I opened the map in my bag while looking at Kimishima with a sideways glance.

"It's early in the morning, and the sun is over there. That means..."

I looked at the direction of the sun and guessed the approximate direction.

Be positive. If I showed too much anxiety, I would reduce Kimishima's hopes for survival. I smiled as I made my plan, assuring her that everything would be all right.

To be honest, the map was a map of the world, with two continents drawn on it. There was no way to know the detailed topography of the area. We could only read that the way straight down to the south might be the closest.

"How is it? Let's get moving once things settle down."

To be honest, the amount of food we had from Sakuragi and Nishina had only increased our supplies. We couldn't take too much time. We began to search for a way out of the structure, looking carefully at our surroundings.

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