— — — — — —
In the blink of an eye, several more months passed. The country had finally settled into complete stability, and Erza was officially crowned queen.
As for Kazuma, he had found a very special spirit outside the capital. He brought that spirit to a guild that had just received official recognition as a legal Magic Guild. No, not exactly a Magic Guild anymore. It was now known as the Inventors' or Adventurers' Guild.
The Inventors' Guild focused on researching all kinds of magitech, while the Adventurers' Guild used those inventions to explore the unknown.
They helped people who didn't understand magitech, or those who lacked combat talent, handling tasks that would otherwise be impossible for them.
...
"Mira, morning."
Kazuma stepped into the guild, waved at Mira behind the counter, then walked over and took a seat.
"Well, if it isn't our great king," Mira teased with a smile. "What brings you to a tiny place like this, chatting with a poor common girl like me, hmm?"
She poured him a glass of wine that was, as usual, diluted with water. At the same time, Lisanna came out and set some food in front of him.
"I really don't have much time," Kazuma said calmly. "I'm here on official business this time."
As he spoke, a figure emerged from the shadows behind him.
The moment Mira and Lisanna saw who it was, both of them froze.
"Li… Lisanna? Is that really you?! My Lisanna."
The cup slipped from Mira's hand and shattered on the floor. Her eyes immediately reddened, tears welling up.
She rushed forward and reached out to touch Lisanna's face. Cold. Far too cold. Nothing like the warmth a living person should have.
"Mira, it really is me."
Lisanna smiled, then suddenly wrapped Mira in a tight hug. After that, she even lifted her up and spun her around.
"I missed you so much, Mira!"
She shouted it out loud.
"That personality really is Lisanna…" Mira laughed through her tears, then hesitated. "But you… are you really Lisanna from our world?"
"And why are you suddenly so strong?"
She was overjoyed, tears pattering down, but the doubt quickly surfaced.
"Relax. This isn't a Lisanna from another world," Kazuma said with a grin. "Traveling through time and space isn't that easy."
"I can't just hop between worlds whenever I feel like it. The one standing here is the Lisanna from this world."
He took a sip of his drink and immediately tasted the water Mira had added.
"I originally thought I'd need to research resurrection magic or something," he continued. "Turns out Lisanna's soul never left the area. I stumbled across it by accident and used my magic to bring her back."
"The only issue is her body temperature is low and her skin's a bit pale. Other than that, there are no problems."
"As long as Lisanna is back, that's all that matters," Mira said, gripping her sister's hands tightly, as if afraid she might disappear again. "Everything else doesn't matter."
"L-Lisanna…"
Earthland Lisanna looked at her counterpart. She pressed her lips together, unsure what she should say. Should she congratulate her, or apologize?
After all, for all this time, she had been living under this girl's identity, receiving the care and affection that should have belonged to her.
"It's okay, other me," Edolas Lisanna said gently. "Don't make that face. Let me tell you a little secret."
"After I died, I couldn't let go of Mira and the others, so I stayed in this world. You couldn't see me, but I could see you."
"Seeing Mira cry over me hurt so much. And when you arrived and took care of her and my friends in my place, comforted them… I really wanted to say thank you."
Lisanna was gentle and kind, no matter which world she belonged to. She always cared about everyone.
"And I've always been curious," she added with a mischievous smile. "Are we really exactly the same?"
Edolas Lisanna stepped behind her and suddenly grabbed her boobs, kneading shamelessly.
Earthland Lisanna let out a startled cry and hurriedly covered herself, darting aside.
"W-What are you doing?!"
She looked like a frightened kitten.
"I'm just verifying it," Edolas Lisanna said seriously. "Looks like we really are the same. No difference at all. Even our figures match."
She compared the feel with her own, nodding thoughtfully. Same size. Same shape.
"Well…" Mira tilted her head and smiled. "Both Lisannas are gentle, but the one from my side is a little more mischievous."
Compared to the more reserved Lisanna, the Edolas version loved playing pranks and making people laugh.
"Hmph. No wonder Mira could tell I wasn't from this world," Earthland Lisanna snorted. "The Lisanna here is way too improper."
"Even if you wanted to check, you shouldn't just grab me there! You could've secretly asked for my measurements!"
She glanced at Kazuma without thinking. There was a guy here, after all. How embarrassing.
"I'm just touching my own body," Edolas Lisanna laughed. "What's improper about that?"
She even made a grabbing motion in the air. "Let me check again."
"No!"
"Don't run!"
The two chased each other around until they were both out of breath. When they finally stopped, they looked at each other and smiled. The last bit of awkwardness faded away.
"Mira… Lisanna… you've reunited," the Earthland Lisanna said softly. "I guess it's time for me to go back and find my sister."
There was a hint of sadness in her eyes. Leaving still hurt, after all.
"No matter which world it is," Mira said, stepping forward to hug her, "you'll always be my little sister. My adorable little sister."
"Yeah."
Edolas Lisanna turned to Kazuma. "Your Majesty, let's go back."
Kazuma blinked. "I never said we were leaving now."
"I still have a lot to take care of here. It'll be a while before we can go back."
"Just wait a bit longer. Once I finish up here, we'll leave together. For now, keep living like you have been."
He really couldn't leave yet; government affairs were piling up. He really wished Beel would grow up faster so he could take the throne as the next Fairy King.
"Uh!"
"And Mira," Kazuma added with a smile, "I kept my promise. Shouldn't you be paying me my reward now?"
.
.
.