After finishing his own meal, Koutarou headed to Clan to give her some too.
Clan was still in the laboratory, working on getting them back to the present age. While staring at a hologram floating in the air, she quickly calculated something on the computer.
Koutarou set the dishes on a table intended for taking breaks. If he put it here, Clan would eat it while taking a break from her work. After setting down the dishes, he quickly headed towards the exit to not get in Clan's way.
“Thank you, Bertorion”
“...I just hope you like it”
That was all the two spoke before Koutarou left the room.
I just hope that Clan doesn't ruin her body...
Koutarou had seen Clan be serious several times before this. Like when she was desperately trying to treat the virus in Forthorthe, or when she was trying to freeze time for the first time. When she was serious, her expression got stiffer and she changed from a girl to a researcher. When she was like that, she would focus entirely on her research and ignore her own needs.
I can't leave her on her own, though for a different reason than Yurika...
While Clan was in her serious mode, Koutarou's job was to look after her health. He would give her as healthy a meal as possible and do housework like cleaning and washing. If he didn't, the Cradle would just end up as a mess. As a result, Koutarou was practically working as her attendant.
“I guess I'll clean up for now...”
Koutarou's next job was cleaning up after dinner. He would put out the fire and put the leftovers in the fridge. It was a plain, but important task. Koutarou rolled up his sleeves and left the Cradle again. Outside, he saw that Kii had dozed off next to the fire that had grown weaker.
“Zzz... Zzz...”
Kii was exhausted, having spent a lot of time walking around the mountain, and she had been very energetic the entire time. So after having a delicious dinner, all of the day's exhaustion hit her and she dozed off.
“Well, it's only natural...”
It must have been hard for a young girl like Kii, having run away from home after a fight with her father. Koutarou showed a small smile and reached out to Kii's body. In order to make sure that she didn't wake up while he was cleaning, he would put her to bed in the Cradle's living quarters first.
“Mmm... mom...”
However, just before he reached her, he stopped upon hearing the words she had spoken in her sleep. The next moment, Kii's expression changed into a sad one.
“Where... where are you... Kii is here...”
Kii's hand moved slightly as she spoke in her sleep. She was moving her hand in her dream, so her arm moved a little in reality as well.
“She's looking for her mom, even in her dreams...”
Because of what Kii had said in her sleep and her sad expression, Koutarou could imagine what she was dreaming of. She was wandering all alone in the dark forest.
“If only she could at least find her star... find her mother in her dream...”
Koutarou knew that Kii wouldn't find her mother's star in the real world. She would without a doubt never find it, and end up disappointed. Sadly, there was nothing Koutarou could do for her about that.
And now she was looking for that star in her dreams. She must know that she probably wouldn't find the star as well. That's why she couldn't find the star, her mother, in her dream. Koutarou found that incredibly sad. He wanted her wish to be fulfilled at least in her dreams.
“But, there's not much I can do when she's dreaming...”
He knew that Kii was sad. But he couldn't do anything. There was no way he could be of her help in her dreams.
“Something magical like that can't...”
Koutarou was overcome with helplessness. It was hard for him to watch a child crying while dreaming. Even more so since he knew it was his and Clan's fault that she was crying.
Wait, magical!?
However, that was when Koutarou found a solution in his own words. It was a revelation.
“That's right, magic! With magic I just might be able to help!”
Koutarou stared at a cane lying next to the fireplace. It was the cane called Encyclopedia that he had taken with him from Forthorthe. Using the magic from this cane, he might be able to be of Kii's help.
“No... that might be even better...”
Next, Koutarou looked towards the Cradle. A sword had been left in his room inside that ship. It was much more potent than the magical cane in front of him.
“I'm sure Signaltin would do it!”
It was a power intended to save people that he had gotten from Alaia. Using the sword imbued with Alaia's feelings, it would surely be more effective than the cane when it came to helping Kii. With that in his mind, Koutarou rushed inside the Cradle.