Timing it in her head, Theresa decided it was about right and stopped pretending to be asleep, naturally opening her eyes at a leisurely pace.
"Bishop Theresa...!"
Tifa's voice was hushed, after all, there was still a dragon sleeping nearby.
"Tifa... why have you come back?"
The newly awakened Theresa showed a rare, slightly dazed expression.
Tifa had seen this side of her before—so different from her usual 'Bishop mode'—but every time, it made her want to reach out and pinch the girl's cheeks.
Even though she knew full well that Theresa was older than her, a senior... no matter what, Bishop Theresa's cuteness was absolutely second to none in the world.
"I saw the barrier disappear and was worried about your condition, so I turned back to check."
Though feeling utterly soothed inside, Tifa didn't forget the matter at hand. "Bishop Theresa, that red-haired girl...?"
"She's the dragon."
Theresa, now much more alert, adjusted her position on the Valkyrie and then hopped down to the ground.
"I've already restricted her magic. Right now, she can't harm anyone."
Tifa felt a bit disappointed inside. Even though she had held the Bishop for a long time earlier, a conscious Theresa was different from a sleeping one.
"Restricted... is it this cross?"
The Valkyrie also jumped down from the tree. "I knew before it wasn't an ordinary cross, but I never imagined it could do something this incredible..."
As the captain of the Valkyrie guard closest to Theresa's daily life, Tifa had often seen her use this cross.
But back then, she had just thought of it as a large Swiss Army knife—casually producing pots, pans, bowls, brooms, mops, and even opening up to reveal a bed.
So many things that shouldn't possibly fit into such a small cross.
So she had long expected the cross to be unusual.
"Judah can do far more than just this."
Theresa proudly straightened her posture, then made Judah hover in mid-air. "Tifa, place the child on the cross."
"Yes."
Suspecting that Theresa might still not be in great shape, Tifa tossed Ilulu onto the cross.
"The townspeople haven't gone too far, but the path here isn't easy. Do you need my help, Lady Theresa?"
"...I'll trouble you, then."
The hovering Judah didn't require their attention; as long as Theresa held the chain, it would follow along behind.
With no more worries, Tifa carried Theresa and, using the markers left by the Valkyries, reached the main group in just five minutes.
They had arrived at a small stream by now. After moving this far, everyone needed water, but the area around the stream lacked tree cover.
Though there had been no further signs of the dragon, there was also no definite news, so no one dared venture out to fetch water, all hiding in the woods and glancing at each other uneasily.
"Still no word from Lady Theresa?"
The priest made his way from the front to the rear, asking Lainer worriedly.
"...No, but we sent people to search an hour ago. They should have returned by now..."
'Should have returned' but hadn't—that wasn't good news.
Lainer's expression turned grim, and the priest's face paled considerably. But before they could say more, a Valkyrie came running from the distance. "I see Captain Tifa and Bishop Theresa!"
"They're back?"
The news immediately steadied both their hearts. Before long, the black-haired Valkyrie in her tactical suit appeared, carrying Theresa back to the group.
At the same time, everyone noticed the cross following behind them and the red-haired girl lying on top of it.
What drew intense attention were the girl's distinctly non-human dragon claws and the horns on either side of her head.
"Lady Theresa, thank goodness you're safe! But this is...?"
Lainer expressed his relief at Theresa's return, but his expression grew somewhat complicated as he looked at the red-haired girl.
Anyone would immediately connect this girl to the dragon, right?
"This is Ilulu, the dragon from earlier."
Theresa made no attempt to hide it. "But don't worry, I've used Judah to restrict her magic. Right now, she isn't much different from an ordinary little girl."
Well, there were still differences. Restricting magic also limited her strength, but even restricted, her power far surpassed that of a Valkyrie.
"In short, she poses no danger now, correct...?"
Lainer still found it a bit hard to accept. Even restricted, it felt like a ticking time bomb to him.
But Theresa was the only one in the group they could rely on now.
At the very least, Lainer didn't think his own judgment held more weight than Theresa's.
"May the Lord forgive her..."
The priest harbored no such doubts. In their eyes, Theresa, as a Bishop, was already an agent of God. Her every action surely held deeper meaning; if they couldn't understand it, it was only because their own spiritual insight was lacking.
"The Bishop isn't in the best condition. We need to find a suitable place to rest as soon as possible," Tifa stated.
"The dragon problem is resolved, Father. You can organize the townspeople to fetch water, and then we need to reach a suitable resting spot quickly."
Only then did Lainer notice Theresa had been carried back. Chiding himself silently, he quickly made arrangements.
"Do we still have any tents, sleeping bags, or anything convenient for rest? Even one would help!"
After instructing the priest, Lainer turned to the scout team.
He didn't think they'd find a place for so many people to rest today, but it was essential for Theresa to regain her best condition.
"Because we left in such a hurry... so..."
The scout team shook their heads helplessly.
After all, who could carry heavy, bulky items while fleeing for their lives?
"I can take a few people back to the town to fetch some supplies," Tifa suggested.
The Valkyries' original orders had been to help the townspeople evacuate, so they hadn't had time to gather supplies either, busy clearing obstacles and helping the elderly, children, and pregnant women move quickly from the danger zone.
"No. There's still another dragon back at the town. I didn't have time to deal with him. He's pinned by Judah's spears and shouldn't be able to move, in theory, but accidents could still happen."
Theresa vetoed the suggestion.
"But... in that case..."
Tifa's expression darkened.
Their current situation in this other world depended entirely on Theresa's condition. If Theresa couldn't get proper rest, it would be bad for everyone.
"Don't worry. As for a temporary shelter, I have a solution."
Theresa looked toward Ilulu, who was snoring away.
To help her better integrate into the group, it was only normal for her to contribute a little effort, right?
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.