"I understand it somehow! What I mean is, are you sure you're the one who planned that?" She stammered with her words.
"Who else could have planned it." Other than Anna and I, only Alfen was with us and I don't think he was capable of that.
"That's not what I mean! Are you really a child?" So that's what she meant.
"I'm as old as the way I look," I answered. It's a vague answer, but she doesn't know of my circumstances so that wouldn't really matter.
She looks dissatisfied with my answer, but our time was cut short as Sophia entered the room with food in hand. The smell of freshly cooked mushroom soup whiffed my nose, further arousing my hunger, but I decided to ask for water first since my throat was dry as a desert.
I turned my gaze to the quiet Anna. I thought her silence was caused by the fact that another person came in on our conversation but my thoughts were overturned as her gaze simply followed the bread and soup placed on the small folding table over my lap.
"Sophia, could you also bring Anna a meal, please?" I turned my attention to Sophia, asking her so. She simply nodded before turning back and out of the room. I returned my attention to Anna who seems to have not heard of what I just asked Sophia as she continued to eye my meal, drooling from the corner of her mouth.
"...If you want it, you could have it," I called to her attention. She snapped out of the daze-like expression she was in with a flustered look.
"It's fine. You still haven't eaten anything yet so I'll just grab my food later." As if on cue, her stomach growled like a lion after she finished her statement. I didn't know if she had eaten or not, but her roaring belly made it clear.
"Don't worry. I asked Anna to bring me another serving so you could have that. To be honest, I'm more than satisfied with water for now." If I had to ask which felt more uncomfortable, I would say it's my raspy throat and not my rumbling stomach.
For my stomach, it did make me feel weak, but my body still hasn't recovered from imaginary potential which made my hurting throat feel like another problem altogether.
"Are you sure about this? No take-backs, you know?" She's speaking like a child in front of a child who's obviously younger than her. Come to think of it, even when I first met her, she was always like this with food.
Even if she cannot cook skillfully, she is always with Sitri in the kitchen. And all she does is help with small things and eat. I don't know if it's due to a trait, or due to a circumstance, but it certainly shows her true self.
"Yes, yes. Go help yourself." I picked up the food and placed it at the side of my bed in front of her. She looks a bit suspicious, but she instantly gave in to her desires and ate the meal happily with a child-like smile on her face.
"Just out of curiosity, but how old are you?" I asked her, taking the opportunity when her mind was clouded due to happily eating her fill.
"Thirteen!" She exclaimed in the middle of gobbling her meal. I did think she look a bit older than Sitri, but I guess I was right. Still, though, I'm not used to someone who looks this mature act like a child.
Sitri often also acts like a child, but she was more playful than innocent which gives the impression of a free-spirited mature looking teenager. On the other hand, Anna is the opposite, acting more innocent than playful. It's like comparing a young tiger and a wary rabbit.
She does have moments where she can also act mature, but I suppose that was made with the wall of caution she initially put up. Well, whatever. She's pretty interesting and I don't really have a problem with it.
Noticing my gaze steady on her, she composed herself and slowly raised her head to meet my eyes. "What is it?"
I didn't notice that I was staring since I was deep in thought. But since she's asking, then I guess a question or two out of curiosity wouldn't mind. "I'm just curious. Do all demons look like humans?"
Her gaze sharpened for a moment but then puffed her cheeks as she closed her eyes. "You haven't seen any demons? Even in your books?"
"No, I haven't." From the books that I've read and from the original White's memory, most of what we read were just plain novel-like books with little illustrations. There were depictions of what the hero looks like and the map of the world, but that was all there is.
Anna made a pondering expression. She gazed at me seriously before closing her eyes and opening them as if she had resolved herself. "Well, the "human" body is the basis of many lifeforms. Our race does resemble humans but we have features that are... more special than a regular human. Ah- now that I think about it, billions of billions of years ago, there were people known as the Gignesthai. Those were the people the majority of lifeforms are based on. So don't go thinking that everything revolves around your race, okay? You're also just a descendant of that special race!"
She made a proud and smug expression, which really caught me off guard. It feels like she's trying to do something like setting me on a path before I grow up which kind of feels condescending. "I see... So what are those "special" features that you guys have?"
Hearing my follow-up question, her gaze avoided mine as if to say that she doesn't want to show me. "We normally have horns and wings but... Sorry. I can't show them to you. Anyways, I want to hear more about what you did earlier. Wouldn't it have been faster if we just beat them up and tied them to the front of the gate?"
So she changed the topic, huh. "I thought of it as the best way to save time. That's all. If we beat them up, then we'll have to needlessly waste time over other matters."
It would have been great if this was the kind of world where power is everything. However, since the one who holds power also upholds the world's laws, weaker beings, despite the difference of power, are all just equals. The greatest evidence of that is the well-thought law system placed on this continent.
After a few moments, Sophia arrived with my meal. "White, Sean said he would be coming here in a few minutes," She said after placing my meal beside my bed and sitting on the opposite side of Anna.
"I see..." I was curious as to why she sat down next to my bed, but it turns out she wants to spoonfeed me. I turned my attention to Anna who seems to still be eating her meal. It would be bad if Sean and the others draw a connection with the incident to the both of us having a meeting here, but I suppose we can just use the excuse of having her also visit me.
It's not like I'm fully healed anyway, so it wouldn't matter that much. Just as Sophia has said, Sean along with Baron Bellos came into my room. They asked about my condition with some ambiguous questions in the mix, trying to be considerate towards me but at the same time keeping a neutral standpoint.
I just played it off all according to the role I gave myself and their doubts were easily cleared after seeing my condition. Sean also asked Anna questions, but she played it off along with me. I suppose this is one of the byproducts of her wariness.
Concluding everything we discussed so far, Lester and his companions would be held in the town hall's underground prison for a while until the Guild comes here to check on the remnants of the dungeon and give them the appropriate punishments as adventurers.
The baron also has the ability to give them punishment, but such punishments first need to go through the guild's approval in order to maintain the "fairness" of the trial. It's funny how even this world I thought of as amazing can still uphold something that caused the ruination of my previous world.
As for Alfen, he would have to stay here both for treatment and so that the guild can take accounts of him as a witness. I don't really care about that part anymore though. I was first feeling a bit guilty, but it was overshadowed by curiosity. What's more, that guilt disappeared when I learned that he was at fault too.
And it's not like I'm close to him. If anything, that was just a passing emotion. Damn. So even now, I still remember my previous world's teachings, huh. Well, I suppose the fact that we aren't obliged any further than this is appreciated.
"Then it seems we've done our part here." Sean held a hand out to the baron who took it with a relaxed expression. I suppose after the guild comes here to check the dungeon's remains, Bellos would be back in full action as a tourist spot. I honestly would have liked to come here again, but I'll probably save that thought for another time.
"How about you, White?"
"It's fine, no need to be so considerate. It's just a slight fever. We can go whenever you guys are ready," I affirmed Sean's inquiry. It's good that he's being considerate, but staying here any further is unnecessary. In the end, we decided to go tomorrow morning.