If Elodie is still in this world.
She would have realized her state right away. As a magician, she would have immediately sensed that she was in a similar state to Osprey.
But knowing doesn't mean there's a solution. She's probably waiting for Osprey's magic to be undone.
Where would Elodie go when her body undergoes such a change?
I can't be sure, but there's only one place I can think of.
"So, we're back to this place after all."
I opened a portal and crossed over to the front of the cabin. The same place where I made the Dragon Heart with Mei just a few days ago.
This place is filled with memories of the past Frondier and Elodie. Of course, since Frondier's heart was quite twisted back then, they wouldn't be good memories for him, but it's an undeniable fact that the two of them spent a long time here.
Whenever I was attacked by Indus at the cabin, Elodie would fly straight here with Sybil. Both Elodie and I remember that.
...I don't know how high this chance is. I don't know Elodie's heart.
"...Where are you, Elodie."
I couldn't understand why I was so anxious.
Elodie is a much more proper and perfect character than me. She's the woman I worry about the least in this world.
This kind of anomaly, it wouldn't be a big deal for Elodie.
I turned around in surprise at the voice.
There stood Mei. Still in my form. I let out a breath in disappointment and embarrassment at myself.
The voice I just heard was exactly like mine. If I had been a little calmer, I would have known it was Mei, and even if I hadn't, it wasn't Elodie's voice in the first place.
What's the rush, Frondier.
"Mei, did anyone come here by any chance?"
"...Hmm, I don't know."
Mei gave an ambiguous answer. Neither a denial nor an affirmation.
"I thought something came, but I couldn't see it. So I thought it was just my imagination. But maybe it wasn't."
Is Mei sensing Elodie's presence to some extent?
'...Because she's a being from another world?'
[T/N: Using female pronoun for Mei from now on, though not confirmed.]
"Mei. Do you know where that something went? Even if it was just your imagination."
"...Hmm. I think it went inside the cabin."
I followed Mei's words and moved.
Even after opening the cabin door and stepping inside, there was no sign of anyone, no presence.
'...Use your sixth sense.'
Mei felt Elodie who came here. If that's really because Mei is a being from another world, then the 'sixth sense' I have might work too.
I've never tried to enhance my sixth sense further. I gained it by absorbing the soul of Helheim, but I focused on controlling it, not making it more sensitive.
I thought it was enough without needing to do that, and it actually was enough until now.
But that was until now, and now it's not enough at all.
"Elodie, where are you."
I drew up the mana of Helheim. If what Mei felt was Elodie, if she really came to this cabin, then this is definitely a signal to me, asking for help.
My sixth sense scanned the entire cabin. The mana of Helheim accelerated to sharpen my senses.
Like chasing a faint scent by enhancing my sense of smell, like narrowing my eyes to see something far away, I poured mana in that way.
Honestly, it felt like more mana was being wasted than actually helping my sixth sense, but for now, it was enough.
──Finally, barely feeling something like a thread, I looked down.
I immediately opened the door leading to the basement and went down.
Still can't see anything. Can't hear anything.
But there's something in front of me. I focused all my senses on the space before me.
And finally, as if peeling back the veil of reality, someone who was invisible until just a moment ago slowly came into my view.
That someone was lying still on the basement floor, curled up as if scared.
I went closer to confirm their appearance.
It was indeed Elodie before my eyes.
It was her, but a little different.
"Why are you so small."
Elodie's appearance was different from now.
Elodie had become a young girl, the same age as when she used to play with the past Frondier in this cabin.
She was sleeping soundly in the basement of the cabin.