Rion and Clair sat in silence for a moment before Rion's gaze drifted up to the wall. Something caught his eye.
"IS THAT—!?"
He shot to his feet, pointing at a circular wooden shield mounted on the wall.
Clair laughed. "Yup. The shield that saved my life."
"Wow!" Rion marveled. "Oh yeah, I wanted to ask earlier but never found the right moment—why can it grow like that? And how did it withstand that explosion!?"
Clair leaned back, and took a stretch. "It's a special shield I got in Alclain. It's made from a rare wood that reacts to magic—if you funnel energy into it, it'll grow however you want, within its limits of course. Also despite being wood, it can't be burned."
"Woah, that's incredible," Rion muttered. Then, after a brief pause, he asked, "Sorry if this is a dumb question, but… where's Alclain?"
Clair laughed as if he'd just made a joke—until she realized he was serious. "Wait, you're not joking?"
Rion chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head. "Uh… to make a long story short, I have memory loss. Still figuring out what I do and don't remember, but I guess this Alclain place isn't one of them."
"Woah… You're serious?"
He nodded.
Clair sat up, "Well, sorry to hear that, I'll tell you... Alclain is the continent east of here. It has the highest population of elves, and they're famous for producing all kinds of magical items." She gestured toward the shield. "One day, by chance, I helped out skilled smith, I called him Mr. Karn. He ended up rewarding me with this. As long as I imbue it with magic, it can expand and even surround me completely only bit of magic I know."
"Impressive…" Rion said, as he eyed the shield. He them set his mug down on the coffee table and turned to Clair.
"So… when are you gonna start adventuring again?"
Clair went silent. Her eyes drifted toward the glass walls of the lighthouse, staring out at the sea outside.
"…Dunno," she muttered. "I've told myself a dozen times I'd go back, but every time I pick up that shield—hell, even when I just pass by the guild while running errands—I think back to that day. And to tell the truth, I-I just don't know…"
The room fell into silence once again before Rion spoke up… "How about you adventure with me?"
Clair's eyes flickered up. She hadn't expected him to say that. Just as she opened her mouth to respond—
CREEEAK. The front door swung open.
Clair groaned. "Damn, I really need to start locking that thing."
Rion, however, immediately recognized the figure standing in the doorway. His eyes widened.
"LIE!? What are you doing here!?"
Lie, panting heavily, looked up in surprise. "Rion!? I could ask you the same thing!"
—
A short while later, Lie had settled onto the couch beside Rion, catching her breath. Clair handed her a warm cup of tea. And so, the two began to explain themselves to one another.
(And thus, Rion's adventure continues…)