"Yukito-sama! Yukito-sama!"
Vaguely, I heard that voice calling my name as if urging me to wake up immediately.
My body also felt like it was being touched and shaken by someone.
Which made my eyes, which had felt so heavy to open, finally open because of that person.
"Yuu-chan..." I said softly.
Ah right, Yuu-chan and I are trapped in this ravine, and I still haven't thought of a way to get out.
Our clothes were both very dirty from touching the dirt and other things.
Yuu-chan must be hungry by now, and so am I. The longer we're stuck, the more we'll suffer.
The situation was getting darker, making our visibility very limited and forcing us to rely only on instinct.
I got up from my lying position and began to look around us.
There were only trees waiting in front of us, and of course it wasn't possible for us to go into the forest and try to find our way home on our own.
And if we wanted to climb back up this cliff… the chances were very small.
This cliff was extremely steep, and we had fallen from quite a high place. That would make things even more difficult for us.
"U-um… I'm sorry, this is all my fault. If only I hadn't stood too close to the edge…" said Yuu-chan while lowering her head.
I understood why Yuu-chan felt guilty about what happened.
But even though she was about to fall earlier, I would still save her no matter what.
It didn't matter if it put me in danger, but I wanted this party to never be separated no matter what.
"This isn't your fault, Yuu-chan," I said.
"You were just a little careless, and I tried to save you because that was my own wish," I continued.
"I will still try to save you if we ever end up in a situation like this again," I tried to make Yuu-chan stop feeling guilty.
——
The night was getting darker, and the forest in front of us looked pitch black, making us constantly wonder what might be inside it.
We were very cold earlier, so we decided to sit close together to keep ourselves warm.
And it worked. We both felt comfortable with each other now.
"Yuu-chan, don't you have any magic or skills that could get us out of this ravine?" I asked.
Usually, Yuu-chan had some skills or magic she used when she was in critical situations like this.
I had also seen Yuu-chan try new magic several times, ones I had never seen before.
And the results were quite good, which meant she should have some skills usable to save us.
Yuu-chan looked at me for a moment, then shook her head.
"No, I don't have any skills suitable for getting us out of this ravine…" she said, her voice sounding so weak.
Huh… it seems we can only wait for someone to realize we're missing and come look for us.
——
(Hime side)
It's already late at night, but Yukito-san and Yuu-chan still haven't returned. What exactly are they doing until this late?
They left since the afternoon, and they're new people in this village, so they shouldn't be wandering too far.
Or maybe they got lost? But that's impossible—Yukito-san is with Yuu-chan, who knows so many places already.
Hah… I can't calm down.
"Charlotte, you used to be able to track people's whereabouts with your special skill, right?" I asked.
"Why is Hime-sama asking that all of a sudden?" Charlotte asked back, still not understanding my intention.
Then I told her about the two of them not returning, and the uneasiness in my heart that felt unbearable.
—
"No wonder Hime-sama is worried… alright, I'll try tracking their location," Charlotte said.
We immediately took two lanterns, which would make this search much easier.
One of Charlotte's skills: Search.
Different from the skill Vision, this skill allows the user to see the heat signatures of humans within a certain distance.
And Charlotte can do it for several kilometers ahead. Because of that, this skill is extremely useful in situations like this.
"Hime-sama! I found two humans who aren't moving… they're on that hill," Charlotte said while pointing forward.
"That might be them… let's hurry!" I said.
——
We began running as fast as we could to make sure they really were Yukito-san and Yuu-chan.
If it turned out to be someone else, then I would just keep searching until I found them.
I wouldn't stop until my wish came true.
——
(Yukito side)
"Yuu-chan… are you still awake?" I asked.
"Of course… for a former status screen like me, I won't collapse just from falling off a cliff…" she said, although her voice already sounded very faint.
I tried touching her hand—cold! Her hand was already too cold from being stuck here for so long.
At the very least, I needed to help her.
Bluk.
I pulled her body closer to mine, pressing her against my chest.
Instead of being annoyed or angry, she remained still as if she were enjoying the warmth from my body.
She leaned against me, curling up even closer.
Her hands kept gripping my clothes tightly, as if she were freezing and desperately needed warmth.
Her head resting against my chest made my chest feel so warm right now.
At this moment, Yuu-chan looked like a little hamster seeking warmth in the cold night air.
"Hime… please, save us…" I muttered in my heart.
Only Hime and Charlotte were our last hope.
If they didn't find us tonight, by tomorrow morning we would likely die from cold and hunger.
——
(Hime side)
"Hime-sama, here!" Charlotte shouted, calling me over.
We had walked quite far, even needing to climb this hill. And Charlotte stopped near a very steep cliff.
"There are two people right under this cliff… and it looks like a landslide just happened here because the ground isn't stable," Charlotte said.
That's true—standing here, the ground felt like it could collapse at any moment.
"Then, how do we get down there and bring them home?" I asked, already feeling confused and hopeless.
"…I might still remember the path through the forest down there, I've been here before," Charlotte said.
——
Charlotte then showed me the way, guiding me into the forest.
Honestly, I was relying on her completely at this moment, because this was the only remaining option to save Yukito-san and Yuu-chan.
"Hime-sama, we're getting closer!" Charlotte said.
This forest felt extremely cold, I was even shivering a bit.
Fortunately, the lanterns we brought were bright enough to light our path so we wouldn't trip over anything.
——
(Yukito side)
Damn… Yuu-chan has been asleep for a while, but I still can't fall asleep just like that.
She suddenly fell asleep, even though she was awake just moments ago.
But… well, I'll hold on a little longer. Even though my head hurts, I must stay conscious.
If I fall asleep, something from the forest might attack us while we're defenseless.
I need to protect Yuu-chan… and myself as well…
Ugh… my head is getting worse…
Wait… what's that light… two lights walking toward me and Yuu-chan.
Damn… I can't hold on anymore…