With my return from the past to the original timeline, it seemed safe to assume that the problems surrounding Hero Ageha were mostly resolved.
That being said, I still had plenty of other things to take care of.
The matter of the Parasitic Sword: Puppeteer remained, and the issue with Namia was still far from settled.
In my possession was the ring that Holy Knight Kanaria had used to resurrect the Demon King. If I used this, there was a chance I could bring the late Namia back to life.
I didn't let my expectations get too high, though.
Honestly, I found it hard to believe that something as convenient as resurrecting the dead could actually exist in this world.
"That ring... it's the one the Chaosism people used to bring back the Demon King, isn't it?"
As I held the ring and gazed at it, Hero Ageha spoke up.
We were currently resting in the Safe Zone—the hideout the Vampire Eudite had built as a residence within the Kataroff Dungeon.
After successfully breaking Ageha's seal, we were both feeling the weight of our exhaustion, so we decided to take a break here for a while.
"Yeah, that’s the one," I said, confirming her suspicion.
"What do you plan to do with it?"
Come to think of it, I hadn't given her a proper explanation yet.
"I thought I might be able to resurrect my childhood friend. She was murdered."
I remembered telling Ageha the story of how I’d been exiled to the depths of the Kataroff Dungeon. But had I mentioned that Namia was killed?
"Is this childhood friend a girl?"
I frowned at how quickly she fired off the question.
I wondered why she cared so much.
"She is," I answered honestly. Ageha immediately pursed her lips in a pout of dissatisfaction.
"Don't tell me this person was your lover or something?"
Ah, I see.
She was clearly jealous.
"No, nothing like that."
It was true; Namia and I hadn't been lovers. However, we had promised to marry each other. I decided it was probably best to keep that part to myself.
"Well, that’s fine then... just remember, Kiska, I’m your lover now. Don’t you forget it."
Ageha puffed out her cheeks as she spoke.
She was sitting next to me on the sofa, and now she leaned her weight against my side.
"I know," I said, nodding. When I reached out to stroke her head, she narrowed her eyes contentedly.
The gesture was almost cat-like. It was cute.
As that thought crossed my mind, I spent a few moments enjoying the silky texture of her hair.
If Namia really did come back to life, and if she told me once again that she loved me—what would I do then?
If I chose Namia, Ageha would obviously be furious. Her possessive nature had already given me plenty of grief.
But then, would I even be able to turn Namia away?
...I was overthinking it.
It wasn't even certain that she could be brought back. There was no point in worrying about it yet.
"Hey, do you really think this ring will bring Namia back?"
"I don't know. But there’s no harm in trying, right? If things don’t work out, we can just do it over."
"—After all, we have <Save & Reset>."
Ageha wore a daring, fearless smirk.
She was right.
After resting in the hideout for a while, we began making our way out. We couldn't stay in the dungeon forever.
However, there was one place I absolutely had to stop by first.
"Is this the 'Puppeteer' you were talking about, Kiska?"
Before us stood the Parasitic Sword: Puppeteer, now a complete beast.
Its entire body was wreathed in black, shadow-like energy, bristling with fangs and tentacles. Its form was grotesque, something far removed from even a typical monster.
"Yeah. I want to find a way to turn her back into a human. Do you know how?"
"Why? Is there really a point in making it human?"
"Well..."
I faltered at her question. I suppose from her perspective, not knowing the history, it was a reasonable doubt.
"She wants it for herself. Besides, I owe her a debt. I want to help her."
"I see," Ageha replied flatly. I couldn't tell if she actually understood. "I don't think a beast can ever become human, though."
"Maybe not, but..."
"Well, it’s a weapon manufactured by Chaosism. We might find an answer if we squeeze it out of their people."
I already knew that Chaosism was responsible for creating Puppeteer.
"What was it even made for in the first place?"
"To kill me, obviously."
"...I-I see."
I didn't know how to respond to that, so my reply came out sounding blunt.
It occurred to me that asking her to help me save something specifically designed to murder her was probably a bit much.
"Anyway, I'll look into it in my own way."
"You'll help?"
I was surprised by her willing response, especially since she seemed so disinterested a moment ago.
"Yeah. I’ll cooperate with anything if it's for your sake, Kiska. Besides, studying an enemy weapon might be useful for me later on anyway."
"I see. I'm really glad to hear that. Thanks."
"You're way too happy, Kiska. We haven't even solved anything yet."
Even so, I was relieved.
I knew how capable Ageha was. If she was willing to help, I was sure we’d make progress.
"Right. We might as well take it with us."
"Take it with us?" I asked, not following.
"Yeah. I have just the thing."
She opened her <Item Box> and pulled out a bracelet. It was made of a polished metal, simple and unadorned.
"It’s called a <Carrier's Bracelet>. It's an item for transporting monsters while they're still alive. Just watch."
Ageha stepped toward the Parasitic Sword: Puppeteer.
The beast lunged at her with feral aggression. I felt a surge of worry, but then reminded myself that it was Ageha. She could handle herself.
"I have to weaken it a little first."
As she spoke, she delivered a punch.
It was a staggering blow. The Puppeteer recoiled violently. Deciding that was sufficient, Ageha pointed the bracelet at the creature. The metal began to glow, and in an instant, the Puppeteer vanished.
"Ugh, how revolting."
The bracelet in Ageha's hand, which had been plain a moment ago, was now stained a deep black. To make matters worse, a set of beast-like eyes had appeared on it like some macabre decoration. It really was gross.
"Kiska, you carry this."
Ageha handed it to me, clearly not wanting to hold onto the creepy thing herself.
"I don't mind..."
I slipped the bracelet onto my wrist.
"Is the Puppeteer really inside this?"
"Yeah."
"I see."
She said it so casually, but it still didn't quite feel real.