Hajime becomes a Papa II
After they left the Meerstat aquarium and ate their lunches, Hajime and Shia strolled around the maze of flower beds and street performers' avenue. In Shia's arm, there were many wrappers of food item bought from various stalls, and she was currently occupied with the vanilla-like ice cream.
"You ate a lot... Were they that good?"
"Nom... Yes! They are really delicious. As expected of Fhuren, even the level of their food stalls are high."
"...You'll grow fat if you eat too much."
"...Hajime-san, those are words that shouldn't be said to a woman."
Because of Hajime's words, the hand she was using to eat stopped for a moment as she made excuses under her breath, "I will exercise later... I will also eat less tomorrow...," and Shia continued to enjoy the sweets from the stalls. While Hajime walked beside Shia with a wry smile, his expression changed suddenly to a dubious one. He turned around and looked down.
Shia noticed him and asked while inclining her head, "Nn? Is something wrong, Hajime-san?"
"Nn—? The sign perception perceived a worrying presence..."
"Did you use the sign perception?"
"I always activate it as precaution."
"U~n? But, are you that worried? And even if you say a presence..."
Shia looked at the surrounding, she tilted her head and said, "There are a lot of people around, you know?"
"No, that's not what I mean... What I perceived was from below?"
"Below?... you mean the drainage? Umm, wouldn't it be the maintenance staff?"
"If so, then I wouldn't be worried about it. It's a small and weak presence... Maybe it's a child? Moreover, a weakened one."
"Eh!? Th-That's bad! I-It is possible the child fell into a hole and drowned! Hajime-san! Let's chase after it! Show me the way!"
The moment Shia heard Hajime's explanation, she immediately ran. Although Aiko's words about his "lonely way of life" had been etched in his heart, but the truth was that Shia moved faster than him, which made him smile wryly. Shia's brightness and straightforwardness seems to have been a good influence on Hajime.
Shia and Hajime chased after the moving presence underground with a moderate speed. From the town's structure, they expected the drainage to flow along the street. When they immediately passed by the presence, he pressed his hand on the ground to transmute it. Red sparks kindled, and a hole connected to the underground immediately opened.
Hajime and Shia unhesitatingly jumped into the hole. He then used "Aerodynamic," held onto Shia right before they fell into the drainage that released the bad smell, and they landed on the passage on both side of the waterways.