“Then tell us, where are we right now?”

The place I am now, the star-shaped Island as I last remembered it to be from above the skies.

From the surroundings it greatly resembles that of an untouched forest on Earth.

Behind me is the vast ocean dyed in azure blue, like looking at the sky itself.

Beneath me is the silver sands to the shore, it’s really glittering.

In front of me is the entrance to the untouched great forest, along with two bowing trees as if gesturing to welcome people who enters, it’s a gate perhaps.

Oddly, even though I couldn’t what beyond the entrance it doesn’t give a dangerous aura more of a friendly aura is being emitted through it.

“This place is called the Birth Island, the land where the beings from the other worlds is being received just as I did for the two of you,”

Aru-ia with her chest puffed out.

I avert my gaze for the moment there.

I think this gesture should only be limited to girls with small chest sizes.

“Like the two of us?”

Riela asked Aru-ia curiously.

“Ah! Yes I haven’t told you yet! Apparently each other world beings or simply called visitors are subjectively assigned one of the existing races in this world.”

Oh like a game where you don’t have the ability to choose freely, I HATE those games.

Aru-ia glanced over me for second and smiled, impishly.

???

“So, are there other people like us?,”

Riela asked,

“Yes, quite a lot apparently, though-”

“Though?”

“They don’t seem to be as flustered as you two, when they first came here.”

Aru-ia giggled.

I listened to the two girl’s conversation while having a monologue of my own all the while.

They don’t seem to be flustered as we are.

These answer that Aru-ia said me a bit curious.

Why would someone not be troubled if someone is transferred to another place that you aren’t familiar with, even if you have very flexible way of living wouldn’t someone be wary or cautious if you find yourself in an unfamiliar territory?

As to why I am asking this to myself, I don’t know, because as I am in the exact same situation of what I have been thinking or pondering about for a while now.

As the saying says ‘Coming from your own experience.’

Though as of the moment the surroundings and the people around are quite harmless except for the-

I quickly glanced over Aru-ia for bit, which for some reason is still talking to Riela about something.

“Hmm?”

Aru-ia looked in my direction and smiled, chills ran through my spinal cord.

Now as to why chills ran through my spinal cord, for the sake of my life pleading for help as to who know what reason could it be, please don’t. Well I did have a vague idea of what but please don’t.

Setting that thought aside for now, I planned to further rack my brain of what is practically happening to me and what my situation is, and then light a tap in my left shoulder halted it.

“Miho!”

“A-ah! Riela, what is the matter?”

“You seem to be in deep thought for quite a while,”

Riela then glanced over Au-ia which I unconsciously followed.

There Aru-ia is sitting with a straight posture and an aura of elegance is surrounding her, looking at our direction.

Scratch that she is staring at my direction,

Specifically me,

Particularly me,

Does she have a grudge on me or something?

I haven’t even said a thing nor done anything to her.

“Aru-ia said that you are too quiet that maybe you are thinking of something bad,”

I smiled bitterly in that statement,

[Ugh… Why do I always forget that woman can read minds! Dammit brain do you have bird type memory? ]

“Huh… E-err- Why do you think she said that? ,"

“I have no idea,”

She replied with a blank expression while tilting her head a little.

Is that some form of expression?

Sorry but I have absolutely no clue what that gesture means.

As I deemed that if I dwell more on that topic, it will conclude as me being bad in various ways more than one. I decided to change the topic.

“Hmmm… so what are you discussing to her? You seem to be quite absorbed in the topic of other visitors other than us. Is it really that interesting, Riela,”

Riela looked at my face after I ask her. Is there something on my face? I recall that Aru-ia said something about ‘doing something on my face’, did she really do something and now Riela somehow noticed it?

As I remember she said, I quote: “Oh~, but we didn’t do anything to your face, if that’s what you’re worried about”, I end my quote. Based on that statement, they didn’t do anything strange to my face, but I am missing something here.

[Hmmm… It’s seems strange if they didn’t do something on my face, then why is Riela looking at my face as if there’s something in it? ]

[ARGHHH… I can’t even confirm it since there nothing in here can show my image]

“Ehehe…”

She smiled bashfully.

Eh?

Why is she laughing?

What is it?

Is something on my face really that funny?

Huh? Ah! I got it!

The point I am missing about that statement.

Aru-ia did say ‘We’ not ‘I’, meaning she already did something on my face before she met Riela, leading to my conclusion that woman did something on my face earlier.

Am I being tested for my tolerance here? If that’s the case then I had reached my limit.

Putting that thought aside for now, a girl in front of me is restlessly fidgeting around with her hair.

I probably should focus on this matter right now.

“Err-”

Lost for words to say these are the things that came out.

“It’s refreshingly nice to hear other people say my name,”

She says while trying to hide her embarrassment.

“E-eh? ‘That so…

That was all the staring and fidgeting about?

So it’s had nothing to do with my face then.

[Haaaaaaa…. So I am only over thinking about stuff, my brain still constantly change focus from one thing to another. ]

“Yep! Ah- about the conversation I had with Aru-ia-”

She said to quickly switch back to our main topic.

The subject of the conversation of Riela and Aru-ia had is about the other visitors aside from us, from what she heard visitors that was summoned here are quite numerous. So I glanced at Aru-ia for the further information regarding the subject.

“For clarity’s sake, would you mind telling the exact or maybe estimated amount of visitors that came here Aru-ia”

Aru-ia became silent, closing her eyes and putting her index finger in both of cheeks, puffing them even, gesturing that she was in deep thought.

[Shhh…. I know you’re flattering me but please tone it down a bit, even I get embarrassed. ]

Ugh..

There it is again, her mind conversation technique. I know there is a name for it but I can’t remember it, but, she to be embarrassed by my flattery is unlikely to be true. Then again, though still puffing her cheeks and poking both of her index fingers in it; her reddened face most like to say otherwise.

[Uhm… S-sorry! ]

“Hmmm… Putting it in numbers that you visitors count it will be five thousand five hundred ninety-eight.”

“Eh?”

“That is roughly the estimated number of visitors that came here adding the two of you will be…”

“Five thousand six hundred people”

”That is a lot of people.”

Riela joins the conversation with a correct answer to the addition of 5,598 + 2 with her chest puff out; well it’s not like it a very difficult math problem, but she is filled with overflowing confidence now better not ruined it.

After that I ask about a lot of things but to my expectation she strongly refuses to answer any questions I ask.

Then she made a proposal.

“I’ll answer any of your questions BUT I will be your companion. ,"

Yep, she did emphasize with that ‘but’ there, though I thought from the start that she will eventually come with us and guide us with the basics, kind of like a tutorial NPC. So a proposal like this should be no problem.

“Okay,”

“Eh? Really?”

She replied flusteredly.

“Yeah”

“Really? Really? ,"

“Y-yeah! I wouldn’t mind, what about you, Riela? ,"

I glance at Riela to get her confirmation if she would mind that Aru-ia can come with us, it’s because that we’re both visitors, both beginner, both in the same place, so might as well go together.

“Ehehe…”

“Uhm.. Reila?”

“ EH? Ah- I’m alright with it.”

“T-then you should prop-”

Aru-ia fell silent and coughing for the next moment.

“Properly tell me that you want me to your companion."

“Urgh.. so troublesome, I already said you can come with us."

“R-Right! But there are proper procedures to follow here, but not to worry it only has one instruction given. ,"

I’m currently getting tired with my exchange with this woman and Riela is quietly looks at us and having fun herself, I don’t understand women, but anyway who does?

Resigning myself, I’ll gladly do the procedure this woman is talking about just to end this.

“Haa- Fine, what’s the thing I have to do? ,"

“Glad you understand! ,"

“And-? ,"

“A-ah! Yes!, You’ll have to repeat the phrase I’m telling you. ,"

“And?”

“Miho, if you irk your eyebrows too much you’ll have wrinkles on your face fast!”

Riela whispered while smiling.

Well you look like you’re having so much fun, unlike me.

“Then what is the phrase?”

“Repeat after me and say in a loud voice, ‘I’”

“Haa- fine, I”

“want you, Aru-ia”

“WANT YOU, ARU-IA”

“to be my companion.”

“TO BE MY COMPANION”

“forever”

“FOREVER! ,"

A light emitted from Aru-ia eyes and shoots up in the sky and the next instant it vanished.

Realizing what I just said my face began to burn up, even I can tell that my face can resemble a tomato right now in terms of redness.

“Wh-what kind of phrase is that? Are serious? You made me to say such embarrassing phrase. ,"

Aru-ia then quickly turned to face the other way and that she will prepare for the journey, so she will be leaving for a moment, after saying that she hurriedly gone to the forest as if she is running away from something. I soon began to calm down and tried to think nothing of what just happened because if it would be this way from now on.

I might lose my mind not so far in the future.

After that, Riela and I introduced ourselves again and think of some clues about why are we here but to no avail we are still in the dark about our situation.