— — — — — —
What happened on Gildarts' side had nothing to do with Kazuma anymore. He wrapped up a few matters within the guild, then, as promised, took Wendy and Carla into the forest to look for Porlyusica.
...
In front of a massive tree house, Kazuma knocked on the door.
"Did that old bastard Makarov get injured again?"
Porlyusica opened the door, glanced at Kazuma, then let her eyes drift to Wendy. Not seeing any wounded patients, she frowned and asked bluntly.
"Nope. The old man's perfectly healthy. Nothing wrong with him at all."
"Then go back. I hate humans."
Without another word, Porlyusica started to shut the door.
Kazuma didn't get angry, nor did he stop her. Instead, he lowered his head and looked at Wendy.
"What do you think, Wendy? Don't you feel like this person is worth meeting?"
Wendy's expression turned strange.
"She smells like Grandeeney… and her voice sounds the same too. But she doesn't seem to recognize me."
As she said that, her voice wavered. A flicker of fear crept into her heart.
Maybe Grandeeney hadn't disappeared at all. Maybe she had just abandoned her.
After all, she was small, clumsy, weak, and bad at everything.
"Wendy, could you be mistaken?" Carla said gently, worry in her eyes as she watched Wendy's face. "Didn't you say Grandeeney was very gentle? She should like humans, right? But that person clearly hates humans. She just shut the door on us."
"Mm… you're not wrong," Wendy murmured after thinking for a moment. "The smell and voice are the same, but her attitude and tone are different."
"She's really fierce. Kind of scary, actually."
Compared to the Grandeeney she remembered, this woman was completely different. Too sharp, too intimidating. Standing in front of Porlyusica made Wendy a little nervous.
"Um, Niisan… who exactly is she?" Wendy tugged lightly at Kazuma's sleeve.
"Porlyusica. She's our guild's Healing Mage, the one who treats injured members."
Kazuma patted Wendy on the head reassuringly. "If you want to learn about Grandeeney, you'll have to get the information from her."
With that, he knocked on the door again. This time, there was no response.
"… she really doesn't want to see us," Wendy said softly, staring at the tightly closed door. Her worry was obvious.
She had finally found a clue about Grandeeney. Was it really going to end like this?
She couldn't accept that.
"It's fine. I've got a way," Kazuma said calmly. "But before I use it, you need to promise me something."
"From now on, if anyone in the guild gets hurt, you'll use your magic to help heal them. There's no such thing as a free lunch."
He said it with a smile. Sky Dragon Slayer Magic wasn't just powerful in combat. Its real strength lay in healing and support.
Large-scale healing, cleansing negative statuses, even high-level group buffs. In major battles, it could easily tip the scales of an entire war.
"Okay," Wendy nodded without hesitation.
She was the kind of person who wanted to help whenever she saw someone, or even an animal, get hurt. Kazuma's request felt completely natural to her, and it was something she could genuinely do.
"Good. Then it's your turn now."
Kazuma knocked on the door once more. Without waiting for an answer, he spoke loudly.
"Porlyusica, I found you a little trainee."
"She'll be learning the secrets of Dragon Slayer Magic and medical skills from you. Oh, and her name is Wendy."
"That's all I had to say. I'm leaving."
He turned to Wendy and grinned. "Do your best. Porlyusica's sharp-tongued but soft-hearted. She won't keep you out forever."
"Cheer up. Stick to her. Be shameless. Absolute persistence. Relentless harassment."
After cheering Wendy on, Kazuma actually turned around and walked away. In the blink of an eye, he disappeared into the shadows.
"I… I can do this!"
Wendy looked at the now-empty forest. She felt a little scared, but it was okay. She wasn't eight years old anymore. She was already in her teens.
She was a big girl now. She wouldn't be afraid. And Carla was with her.
"Right, Carla? Let's do our best together!"
Wendy hugged Carla to her chest and stood right in front of the door, completely still, waiting for Porlyusica to open it.
"..."
Such a good kid, really. She didn't even know how to pester people.
---
Inside the tree house, Porlyusica watched Kazuma leave, then glanced at Wendy still standing outside.
"Forget it. She'll leave on her own eventually."
She went back to brewing her potions, fully focused. Time passed without her noticing. Half a day slipped by in the blink of an eye.
When she finally snapped back to reality and looked outside again, Wendy was still standing there.
"Is this girl an idiot?" Porlyusica muttered irritably. "Didn't I say I hate humans? Does she really think standing there will make me open the door and take her in?"
"No chance. Even if she's Wendy, it won't work. I'm not giving that Grandeeney any face."
"So what if she's her daughter? What does it have to do with me? I hate humans the most!"
Despite grumbling like that, Porlyusica stormed to the door anyway. She grabbed a broom, ready to chase Wendy off.
But when she opened the door, what greeted her was Wendy's bright smile.
"Porlyusica, you really opened the door!" Wendy said happily. "Just like Kazuma-niisan said. You really are very gentle."
Her voice was innocent, her smile dazzling.
Porlyusica's hand tightened around the broom, then suddenly went limp. For a moment, she couldn't lift it at all.
And the words she had prepared to drive Wendy away got stuck in her throat.
.
.
.