Reborn Into A Dark Social Game World With Completely Loyal Friends. - Chapter 5: The fateful encounter.

The fateful encounter.

To avoid a tragedy that was about to unfold, Minato attempted to act, but it was ultimately averted by none other than Mia. The bewildered girl, unaware of what was about to happen to her, remained in a daze. Mia approached her with a cheerful smile and spoke gently,

“Did I surprise you? Some bad guys were hiding, so I took care of them.”

“Th-that’s what happened… You’re so cool, Mia-sama!”

“Thanks! It seemed like you were in a hurry, did you have something to do?”

The startled girl nodded and quickly ran off. After neutralizing the criminals hiding in the darkness and showing mercy to the girl, the people erupted into cheers, impressed by Mia’s actions.

“…Well, that was resolved on its own.”

“Hmm… Master, was this unexpected?”

“Yeah…”

It couldn’t be… was it a completely different child? Minato entertained the thought but realized it wasn’t the case. The vivid memory of that event, the composition of the scene, the handed-over gem, and the girl’s appearance all matched perfectly. So, it truly was unexpected… that the girl was saved, and by Mia.

“I remember Mia talking to the Commander about an incident in France… If he hadn’t handed over the gem, would the girl have been saved?”

“Hmm… We lack sufficient information, but regardless, it’s a relief that the girl was saved, isn’t it?”

“Yeah…” Minato nodded in agreement.

While they were talking, all the men lurking in the darkness were captured, and under Mia’s instructions, they were taken away one by one.

“Well, that was something. But this might be a good opportunity.”

“Mia-sama?”

“I’m sure those guys from earlier came from outside France. Well, that’s one thing, but the fact that they infiltrated Leirinia illegally means our security is compromised. I’ll have to give the person in charge a stern talking-to.”

“…”

“What’s wrong? Did I make a scary face or something?”

“N-no, not at all!”

In response to Mia’s words, the man under her shook his shoulders as he denied it.

Smiling softly, Mia glanced around and said, “Anyway, let’s search to ensure the safety of the people. Anyone illegally sneaking into the Leirinia now? Luckily, I don’t have a mission from the first to the second… Can we do it?”

“Y-yes!”

The man took out a communicator and began to make contact. Seeing his favorite character relied upon by others for important tasks, Minato couldn’t help but wish to see more of her in action. However, this situation had become troublesome in its own right.

“Tana-chan… We’ve entered Leirinia unlawfully.”

“That’s correct… What will we do?”

“Let’s disappear quickly. But I want to make sure of what happened to that girl earlier.”

“Understood.”

Before the crowd gathered, Minato moved away from the scene. As soon as Minato left, the main street became noisy, indicating the incredible speed of reporting and communication. With the help of Thanatos’ magic to completely suppress their presence and receiving instructions on the girl’s whereabouts, Minato proceeded.

“…Here?”

Guided by Thanatos, Minato arrived at a small house. Compared to the vibrancy of the main street, this place exuded a gloomy atmosphere, reminiscent of the light and darkness of France. However, this wasn’t exclusive to France. Poverty was a problem in every country, pushing desperate people into the paths of thieves and other evils.

“…Let’s focus on the girl’s situation for now.”

Temporarily putting aside his thoughts, Minato approached the house. Luckily, the door was slightly ajar, allowing Minato to peek inside. Fully aware of the rudeness, Minato mentally apologized before looking inside.

“This… I didn’t expect her to recover this quickly.”

“I got really good medicine! Mia-sama helped me, but before that, there was someone who gave me a gem!”

“W-wait… Your condition has improved, which is good, but could you start from the beginning?”

That seemed… quite tough for the mother.

However, what unfolded was nothing more than a conversation between mother and daughter… The mother’s expressions shifted as she listened to her daughter’s story, smiling happily now that her condition had stabilized. Knowing what fate the two should have originally faced, Minato couldn’t help but feel deeply moved, almost as if it were his own happiness.

“Tana-chan… This world is cruel and harsh, full of tragedies.”

“I know. I’ve heard stories from you… I’ve also heard your regrets about what you could have done differently at that time.”

“But… just a small change can bring such a smile. Even though it wasn’t brought about by my own hands, I still think it’s a good thing.”

“As a dragon, I may not understand those feelings as well as humans do. But I can understand the movements of your heart… Master you are happy, aren’t you?”

“Ahh…”

“Master, it would be wise to remain calm. Even though the other person is Mia, if it were me, I could escape in an instant. Now that we’ve been found, perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to engage in a casual conversation?”

Minato nodded, but then straightened his back as Thanatos warned to be cautious.

However, Thanatos neither cast any magic nor attempted to forcefully pull Minato away from the scene. It seemed that there wasn’t any immediate danger—after all, if Thanatos didn’t even notice the presence, then the opponent wasn’t much of a threat in a certain sense.

“Yeah, yeah! Smiles are better than sad faces, right?”

Since when was she there…? Minato muttered inwardly, ‘Are you a ninja or something?’

Appearing right behind Minato, Mia smiled brightly. Minato’s heart skipped a beat, but the excitement from before wasn’t there anymore, replaced by a strong sense of confusion.

Taking a deep breath, Minato turned around. There was Mia, smiling cheerfully – the same smile Minato had always seen through a screen.

“You… uh… Mia… No, this isn’t right, Mia… I’ve made up my mind about someone else… Yet, why do I feel this way with your similar aura, your gaze…? Oh no, am I cheating?”

“Huh?”

Mia quickly turned around, muttering softly. By the way, neither Minato nor Thanatos heard Mia’s mutterings, so to them, Mia suddenly seemed like a strange person writhing in discomfort.

Clearing her throat and composing herself, Mia began to speak.

“I was really curious about what happened to that girl earlier, and I’m glad it all turned out well! Why were you watching, though? You didn’t seem like you were going to attack them like those men earlier… In fact, you seemed really gentle when you looked at those two? Are you acquainted with them? But then again, there’s also an atmosphere that doesn’t seem like it at all, right?”

“… “

It was unstoppable… Mia’s words just kept flowing! It was like a machine-gun talk that didn’t allow any room for interruption or response from Minato. However, this was also a characteristic of Mia when she was in a good mood, which, just knowing, was reassuring and brought some joy to Minato.

“…I just thought it was nice. It’s like a kind world, or something precious… It makes me feel like even in this darkness, beautiful flowers can bloom.”

“You have a poet’s way of speaking! But I get what you mean.”

Mia continued

“Smiles are better than sadness, right? So, it’s embarrassing for me to admit, but even though this isn’t exactly my jurisdiction, knowing there are places like this in the realm I protect…”

“…”

“Alright, I’ve decided! I’ll gradually eliminate places like this and provide support to those in need! At worst, I could use my own pocket money to make a difference!”

What Mia was saying was very admirable, but her innocent smile while discussing reform was quite remarkable.

“Master, you seem to be lost in thought,” Thanatos interjected.

“Oops…”

Minato was now wearing the face of a fan who had just seen their idol up close. He turned away from Mia, who had started to mumble to herself, pondering what to do next and what was necessary. Just as he began to hurriedly leave the scene, Mia called out to him.

“Hey, could I see your entry permit? I don’t think someone as kind-hearted as you would break the rules, but I’m still on duty, so I have to check, right?”

“…”

“…”

What will Minato do?