"…Thank you, Shion. I think I’ve finally calmed down a bit."
Orun had been weeping silently, but as his tears subsided, he spoke those words and gently pulled away from me.
I’d wanted to hold him just a little longer. A shame.
"I’m glad to hear that."
When I smiled at him, Orun looked a bit bashful, his face flushing as he averted his gaze.
"Hey, Orun. Will you tell me what happened to you?"
As I asked, a shadow gradually fell over his expression once more.
He hesitated for a moment, but then he began to speak, his voice low and halting, about the events that had led him to this point.
I sat down beside him, nodding as I listened to the rest of his story.
What Orun told me was harrowing: the Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky headquarters had been overrun by the Cyclamen Cult, and even his disciples and friends had been slaughtered.
He also mentioned that he had encountered Christopher—Chris—just before returning to Tsutrail.
"In the end, I was almost killed too, but Grandpa protected me."
"Who is this… 'Grandpa'?"
Both of Orun’s biological grandfathers were supposed to be dead.
I couldn't help but ask for clarification.
"…Ah, I suppose I can tell you. Grandpa is Cavadele Evans."
"Cavadele Evans? You mean that magic artificer?!"
"So you really do know him, Shion. I figured he was the same one you'd have heard of."
I was left speechless.
Because he was…
Oblivious to my shock, Orun continued.
"We’re getting sidetracked. Anyway, Grandpa vanished right after that, and the next thing I knew, I was here."
Having finished his account, Orun clenched his right hand so tightly it trembled.
I could easily imagine the vortex of complex emotions swirling inside him, far too heavy to be put into words.
Cavadele Evans vanished, and we ended up here. I see, so that was it.
"Thank you for telling me. …And I’m sorry for making you relive such a painful memory. But because you spoke up, I think I understand what kind of place this is."
"Really? Where are we?"
Orun latched onto my words instantly.
"If I had to give it a name, I’d call it the Hidden World. This place is a pocket of existence, severed from the time and space of our world."
Even before hearing his story, I’d had my doubts.
Specifically, why were Orun and I the only ones who existed here?
But hearing what happened right before he arrived made everything click.
"First, I want to confirm something. How much do you know about your childhood? Specifically, the time before you became an explorer."
If Orun’s story was true, then I had been asleep for nearly half a year.
And while I slept, Orun had made contact with Chris.
It seemed he had already heard a general outline of his past from him.
It rankled slightly that so much had happened while I was out of the loop, but I decided to let it go. This was a rare chance to talk slowly with Orun, after all. —Wait, I’m the one getting sidetracked now.
"…Nothing in detail. I heard that before I became an explorer, the place where I lived was attacked by the Cult, and… everyone was killed. …Say, Shion, were you and I… were we acquaintances?"
Orun asked the question hesitantly.
Being asked that directly made the reality sink in—Orun truly didn't remember our past. It was a lonely, melancholy realization.
"…Yes, we were. We were childhood friends, in a way. We lived in different places, but we played together all the time. Along with Oliver and the others."
"I see. So I even forgot my own childhood friend… I’m sorry…"
Orun’s shoulders slumped as he apologized.
I simply shook my head.
"Don't be. It’s frustrating, but Perception Alteration is powerful magic. It couldn't be helped. —More importantly, does your head hurt? I’ve heard that if a strong stimulus is applied to a rewritten perception, it can cause a headache, like a rejection reaction."
When I checked on him, Orun tilted his head, looking puzzled.
"…Now that you mention it, my head doesn't hurt at all. When I heard about my past from Christopher, and even when I was in Tsutrail, I was hit by headaches so intense it was a chore just to move. But right now, there's no pain. I still feel like there's a mist in my head, though."
Is his body starting to adapt? Or is it because of the nature of this place? Either way, this was a golden opportunity.
"Good. In that case, we can talk about something more in-depth."
"In-depth?"
"Yes. —About your Ability, Orun."
According to Chris, the Perception Alteration that the noxious woman—Philly—placed on Orun was designed to prevent him from accurately perceiving his own Ability.
Normally, a special ability user understands their power through some kind of catalyst or realization.
However, it was believed that the noxious woman was forcibly obstructing that understanding in Orun.
Chris’s theory was that his childhood memories were clouded as a side effect of that interference.
And yet, Orun was undoubtedly exercising his Ability.
That meant that, at least subconsciously, he was maintaining a sense of consistency in his mind.
If Orun could accurately recognize his Ability again, it wasn't impossible that he might regain his lost memories.
"Orun, what do you believe your Ability is?"
"I think my Ability is Gravity Manipulation."
"…………I see. Gravity Manipulation… That’s a broad enough interpretation, I suppose."
When it came to Gravity Manipulation, the closest match was the Ability held by Felix Roots Kreuzer, the Hero of the Empire.
Orun had fought Felix last year.
At the time, to be honest, I thought Orun would lose.
In reality, he had managed to defeat Felix, but perhaps that was because he had tapped into his true Ability to find a way out when cornered.
But since he couldn't consciously perceive his true power, he’d likely forced a sense of logic onto his mind by convincing himself it was Gravity Manipulation.
"Based on your reaction, Shion… am I wrong? Is it not Gravity Manipulation?"
"No, it isn't. Your Ability, Orun, is All Creation. It is the same power wielded by the Fairy Tale Hero—the one said to be the original special ability, the origin of them all."