Project GB is an official initiative by Re:Library.

“Mm… I was thinking we could talk once Alice calms down.”
“We plan… to leave the city… right away.”

Honestly, we just don’t have much time. Once we got back up and rested a bit, I intended to suggest we just grab the hidden supplies and leave.

“I see, can’t be helped, nya. We can’t live there anymore, nya… Sorry, Filia.”
“N-no… um, it was scary, but I’m glad no one got left behind.”

Noche said it in a tone that didn’t sound remotely regretful, whether intentionally or not.

Filia’s reply, in contrast, carried a surprisingly strong sense of resolve for someone who had been so frightened all this time.

Even if half of Noche’s decision was her own, the one who suffered the most from getting caught up in the chase was Filia. Yet she didn’t complain and stayed with us until the end.

…Ah, I see now. She seemed a little timid, but at her core, she’s strong enough to make her own decisions, even in a chaotic situation.

“So, you two are going on another trip, nya? Carrying your weak little sister who can’t move much?”

Noche glanced over at us with a teasing tone. Sufi bristled a little, but I hugged her from behind to calm her down.

Even I, slow as I am, could tell roughly what Noche was getting at.

“Just now… Sufi and I… talked it over.”
“…Mhm.”

When I prompted her, Sufi nodded, letting me take the words.

“Say, Noche, Filia… do you want to come with us? To Alveria?”

We’d caused trouble for them and dragged them into mortal danger by coming here. But if they were willing to forgive that, I wanted to travel with them.

It had been a small adventure, scary and full of danger… but now that it was over, it had actually been pretty fun.

At the invitation, Noche’s eyes widened slightly in surprise, and she scrunched her nose with a little blush on her cheeks.

“…there’s no helping you sisters, nya. Well, I still have things we need to ask, nya, and we can’t use our hideout anymore anyway! Fine, nya, we’ll go with you to that Alveria place!”

To be honest, I was surprised. I had fully expected them to refuse, and part of me thought it would be understandable if they told me off for dragging them into all this.

And yet, Noche agreed far more willingly than I had imagined.

Filia, watching Noche fumble with words to hide her embarrassment, smiled warmly before turning to us with a serious expression.

“We finally got along, so I’m coming too… I don’t want to be alone again.”

Even Filia, whose decision had been the most uncertain, clearly expressed her intent to join. It was probably her honest feeling, but I didn’t point that out.

I understood too well the loneliness of being on your own.

“Leaving you two alone would make me worried sick, nya. I’ll lend you my strength! You should be grateful, nya!”
“…Actually, a little while ago, Noche and I were talking about what we should do when you two set off on your journey. We decided that staying in this city wouldn’t do us any good.”
“Hey! You can’t say that, nya! W-well, that’s how it is, nya. So don’t worry about this little incident. It actually worked out perfectly, nya.”

I thought they had made such an important decision almost casually, but of course, they’d clearly thought things through properly.

There was no real future for them in this city. Sooner or later they’d either be caught and sold, forced to steal and be hunted down until they died in a gutter, or get sneered at while being worked to the bone as low-rank adventurers. Just when they were sinking into that vague, dark vision of their future despite their youth, we had shown up, and that had made them start thinking about what to do next.

It was true that we had dragged them into trouble, but they told us it had also been the perfect push for them to go on the journey they’d already been thinking about… Hearing that honestly made me feel a little relieved.

“—Yeah! I’m looking forward to it, Noche, Filia.”
“We’ll be a burden, but… thank you.”
“Yeah!”
“Mm.”

For the first time, I had equals—strong, reliable companions—and we had rediscovered strange tools once again.

A road once closed off by despair now had hope in it. I wanted to believe that hope wasn’t just for us but also something bright for them. To make it so, I would give everything I had.

If you just sit and wait, you’ll never get what you want. That’s why you have to struggle with everything you’ve got.

In my previous life, I wasn’t allowed to do that. I gave up freedom and spent my days indulging in amusements within a room. It wasn’t that I hated it, nor that it was painful.

But I had always longed for a life where I could walk freely outside.

Here, I didn’t have to hold back. My body was still weak, but there was nothing else restraining me.

It was the first journey with family and friends. An adventure in another world. What should we do? What should we see? Even though I was feverish and dizzy, my heart was dancing with excitement.

“So first thing first, nya, I’m the leader, right?”
“No way, Sufi’s the leader!”
“Me!”
“Sufi is!”

While I was lost in thought, the fight over leadership had already begun. I chuckled wryly on Sufi’s back, and finally, we saw the light outside.

“The rain’s stopped!”
“Ah, it really has.”

Filia dashed forward, with Sufi chasing after her. The rain had completely stopped, and the thick clouds had vanished.

The gray world that was always there wherever I looked up, was now replaced with a blue sky, arched with a rainbow.

***

First Volume, “The World Above is Ash and Rain” is complete.

Finally deciding to leave town, the group grabs what they can and sets off toward the town of Forligen.

Their goal; Escape the Border! Even with the help of the mysterious items, the journey to the eastern part of the continent is still long.

Next Volume: “Ears Facing West, Tail Facing East”