Confused by Nina''s sudden statement, I go inside the house I''m renting to listen to the story.


    If we''re talking outside, there''s a chance that the people in the village will hear us when we wake up.


    I''m not going to tell them what the secret mission is, but as far as we''re concerned, it''s about as much of a requirement as it gets.


    "Felix Gladio''s sister...


    She''s not even related to my brother by blood.


    I walked into the house and explained to Tina about Nina.


    ''Yes, what...''


    Since she''s Felix''s sister who attacked the village, it would be impossible to ask her to get along with him right away.


    I thought it would be impossible at first, too.


    No, or rather, as for me, Nina would have had more mixed feelings.


    I was the one who killed the brother I admired so much.


    But Nina seemed to have heard about Felix''s ambitions and really wanted him to stop.


    She even said she was grateful that I had killed Felix.


    So we can have a relationship that is nothing to worry about as far as I''m concerned.......but what about Tina?


    ''Tina used to live in that village. My brother, I''m sorry.


    ''No, it''s not Nina''s fault. In the end, everyone in the village is safe, and Eric and I are both alive.


    But....


    And because of that incident, I have a goal to stand next to Eric.


    Tina says and looks at me and smiles at me.


    I turn my head away, a little embarrassed.


    ''You two are good friends, aren''t you?''


    That''s right, we''ve known each other since we were little.


    Well we''ve been together since we were little...


    Nina turned over for a moment and made a sad face as she said it to repeat Tina''s words.


    What part of what she just said made her look like that?


    As I thought that, Nina looked up and spoke.


    ''''I too........Elena and I were good friends, together since we were little.


    -Oh!


    Yes, we went into the house to talk about it.


    Were Nina and Elena close to each other since they were little?


    That means..........


    Hmm..........uhhhh, my head.......!


    I heard a voice from behind me, and when I turned around, I saw that Yulina-san had just raised her upper body from the bed.


    Come to think of it, Yulina-san was still asleep after drinking too much yesterday.


    I had forgotten about it for a moment.


    Tina approaches Yulina-san, who is holding her head in her arms, and takes care of her.


    ''Yulina, are you okay?　Can you drink water?


    ''Yeah I can drink, but why am I so sick...?''


    Do you remember drinking last night?


    ''Booze ... I think I''ve had it, but ...''


    As I thought, I''ve been drinking so much that I don''t remember yesterday.


    Well, at the end, her attitude and so on were too different from the usual Yulina-san, so it might be better for Yulina-san if her memory had flown away.


    But looking at Tina, who offers me water, I remember something.


    ''''........I too was interceded for by Elena when I used to drink alcohol.


    Huh!


    Nina''s blurted out words startled me.


    Because right now, I was remembering that, too.


    The day after I met Christo again, the day after I drank to celebrate meeting and becoming friends with him for the first time in this world.


    I was hungover and had a headache when Elena handed me a glass of water.


    I didn''t doubt it, but after all, Elena-san, the one Nina was looking for, must be a match for us.


    After that, we managed to get well enough for Yulina-san to listen to us and introduce Nina to her.


    Yulina-san didn''t know Felix, so I told her only that he was someone who knew Elena-san.


    ''You know Elena-san!　I.........!


    Don''t scream too loud. It''ll go over your head.


    ''Oh, yeah, I guess so...''


    I don''t think he''s in the best condition yet.


    I''m going to have to make sure Yulina doesn''t drink anymore.


    She''s okay this time, but it could be a problem for the mission.


    So, where is Elena now?


    Holding her head lightly, Yulina asks.


    ''I don''t know about that,''


    Mmm, don''t you get it?


    So I want you to help me find it.


    It''s...


    Yulina-san looks at us.


    Even if we say we''re looking for Elena-san, we''re allowed to look for her as long as it''s within the scope of our top secret mission.


    That''s why it would be impossible for me and Nina to look around for Elena-san alone.


    For now, I want to ask Nina a few questions.


    ''Nina, you and Elena-san have been together since you were little, so you''re a childhood friend, right?


    Yeah, yeah.


    So, you''re telling me that Elena is from the underground?


    Elena told me that she grew up in the underground city and Felix saved her from dying.


    ''Yes, she did. Elena lived with me in the underworld.


    I knew it...


    It never occurred to me that Elena-san was in the underground city of the Harzion Kingdom.


    ''''What kind of place is the underground city?''''


    Yulina, who didn''t know the place that said that at all, asked that question.


    ''''A place with all the filth of the Harzion Kingdom. There are no laws, no light. A place where you can only survive by scavenging for garbage.''''


    ''　Yeah, well I''m sorry, that was an uncaring question.


    No, I''m fine.


    ''But well, Elena-san grew up in a place like that...''


    The Elena we knew was bright and very kind.


    You wouldn''t normally expect her to have grown up in a place like that.


    ''I met Elena again a week ago. I thought Elena was dead until then.


    And why is that?


    Was there something in the underground city that could mistake someone so healthy and alive for dead?


    Jurina-san and Tina wouldn''t know, but I already knew.


    And it turned out that I was right, after all, what I thought was the right thing to do, Nina''s words.


    ''Because Elena was in the underground city - because she was kidnapped.