After lingering at the cafe for a bit of small talk, Falce-san and I headed back out to find the Teleportation Gate. Since teleportation magic was off the table, we had to walk, but the Gate wasn't far. It shouldn't have taken us long at all.
"By the way, shouldn't you check in with Laguna-san?" I asked.
"Ah, good point. I'll send off a Hummingbird... There, that should do it."
"What did you write?"
I watched the Hummingbird dart into the sky as I questioned her. She answered with a perfectly nonchalant expression.
"I gave her the facts straight. I told her I left home early to head for her place, that I'm currently in the Sinfonia Capital, and that I'm about to head to Hydra via the Teleportation Gate."
"I mean, it's accurate, but... Laguna-san is going to be scratching her head when she sees that."
There was absolutely no reason to pass through the Sinfonia Capital when traveling from Rigforresia to the Hydra Kingdom. Whether traveling by magic or by boat, the only way you'd end up in the capital was by taking a massive detour by land and then veering wildly off-course.
Well, Laguna-san had known Falce-san for a long time. She would likely realize her friend was lost the moment she read the message.
Sure enough, the Hummingbird returned almost immediately. Judging by the speed, it was a panicked reply.
"WHERE ARE YOU?! Send your location, and then don't you dare move a single inch from that spot!!"
It was a short message, but the sheer intensity behind it was palpable. It vividly conveyed the constant struggle of dealing with Falce-san’s total lack of direction.
To keep Laguna-san from worrying further, I sent a Hummingbird back letting her know that I was with her. A few moments later, a message flew back addressed to me.
"I see. Kaito, sorry for the trouble... Let me give you a warning: do not take your eyes off her. If you can, tie her up with a cord or something. Honestly, if you have a collar handy, you should probably just put it on her."
She was saying some pretty extreme things. I could only imagine how much she’d suffered over the years. I let out a wry smile at the thought, but when I looked back, the spot beside me was empty.
Falce-san, who had been right there a second ago, had vanished.
Wait, what? Since when?!
I looked around in a panic and found her a short distance away, peering curiously at a street stall.
"Ooh, I could use this for my research. As expected, once you leave Rigforresia, you find all sorts of rare things. It’s quite stimulating. It might be a good idea to stock up on materials while I’m here. Come to think of it, that stall over there looks interesting too..."
...Right. Laguna wasn't kidding. This was definitely a person you could never leave unsupervised.
Serious-senpai: "So she’s the type who forgets everything else the second research is involved..."