After the incident, Haruto and Elina decided to leave the restaurant. The owner had treated them to a free meal as thanks for dealing with the thugs.
"Come again next time!!" the owner shouted, waving enthusiastically at the two as they stepped outside.
It was already evening, and Haruto needed a place to stay for the night. Feeling a little desperate, he turned to Elina.
"Hey, Elina. Do you know where I could stay tonight?" he asked, still holding the cake in his right hand.
"Hmm, let me see," Elina said, thinking for a moment.
"Oh yeah! You could spend the night at a nearby inn. Like the one over there."
She pointed ahead of them as they walked. About fifty steps away stood a small inn. It didn't look very busy, and most people simply walked past it. The building itself looked old and worn down, almost like a haunted house.
Isn't there any better place? Haruto thought, his face showing clear disappointment.
"Well… I guess I don't have a choice," he muttered.
The two continued walking side by side, but neither of them said anything. The silence made the atmosphere awkward.
"Oh, anyway—" Finally, Haruto broke the silence.
"Can you tell me more about the rumors you mentioned earlier?" he asked, looking at Elina with curiosity.
"Hah…" Elina let out a deep breath. "Well, when I was a kid, my neighbors used to talk about people coming from another world. They said those people would destroy villages and conquer kingdoms."
"Destroy… conquer…" Haruto repeated quietly.
Elina suddenly stopped walking."Yes," she continued, "and we call those people the Wanderer Outlanders."
Her expression looked both sad and angry.
"Wanderer Outlanders…?" Haruto repeated, confused as he noticed the emotion on her face.
"They're heartless… emotionless," Elina said, her voice slowly filling with anger. "They don't even care whether they die or not."
She clenched her fist.
"My neighbors told me that when I was just four months old, a Wanderer Outlander attacked our village and killed my father."
Haruto stood there in silence, unsure what to say. He simply felt bad for her.
"My mother told me it was just a rumor," Elina continued softly. "She said my father died from an illness." Her voice began to weaken. "But… I guess the rumors were true after all." Tears slowly rolled down her cheeks.
"I'm so sorry for your loss," Haruto said quietly. It was the only thing he could think of in a moment like this.
After a brief pause, he spoke again with a sad expression.
"I guess… you must hate me now."
Elina looked up at him in confusion.
"Since I'm from another world… that means I'm also a Wanderer Outlander." Haruto turned around. "Maybe I should go now."
He began to walk away—not because he truly believed she hated him, but because he thought it would be better to leave her alone.
"Wait!" Elina suddenly grabbed his arm, stopping him.
Haruto turned back, surprised. "I didn't say I hate you," Elina shouted angrily. "And I never said you're a Wanderer Outlander, dummy!!"
"Wha—what do you mean?" Haruto asked, even more confused.
"You're not like them," Elina said softly, her voice warm. "You're like the others."
"Others?" Haruto repeated.
"There are also people from another world who protect the weak and stand for justice," Elina explained. "It was a rumor my friend told me when I was thirteen. She said she was saved by a Wanderer Outlander during an invasion."
Elina slowly withdrew her hands and held them together.
"I didn't believe it either… until now." She looked directly into Haruto's eyes with her diamond-like blue gaze. "You stood up for me when those thugs were harassing me. You fought them for my sake." She smiled warmly.
"That's why I believe there are Wanderer Outlanders who will bring justice to this world."
Haruto found himself unable to look away from her eyes. For a moment, he simply admired her beauty.
Slap!
Suddenly, Haruto smacked both of his cheeks.
"Huh?" Elina blinked in surprise. "Are you okay?" she asked with concern.
"I'm fine, don't worry," Haruto replied quickly, rubbing his cheek. Then he looked back at her. "So… what happened to those Wanderer Outlanders?" he asked curiously.
"Well," Elina said, scratching her cheek with one finger, "some people say they died when fights broke out among themselves."
"And others say they simply disappeared without a trace."
"I see…" Haruto muttered thoughtfully, holding his chin between his finger and thumb.
"I don't know whether those rumors are true or not," Elina continued. "But one thing is certain."
Her expression suddenly turned serious. "They conquer a kingdom every two years."
"Every two years?" Haruto repeated. "Then… when will they appear again?"
Elina looked straight ahead and answered firmly. "Next year."
"Next year…?" Haruto whispered.