I was confused by the message. After rubbing my eyes, I decided to read it one more time.

Mikage. Sorry to bother you while you’re on a quest but there’s something that happened while you were away. Do you know someone named Yogiri?

Yogiri... That was a name I haven’t read in a long time. How did Temma know about Yogiri? My face paled as an answer appeared in my mind.

“Mikage? Are you alright?” Yuzu asked.

“Are you finally realizing how much money you earned?” Oga grinned.

“Oga... What’s the earliest we can arrive in Westa?” I asked.

“Well... It’s still early in the morning. If we push our horses, we can probably arrive in the afternoon”, he answered.

“Did something happen?” Yuzu asked.

“Yeah... I need to come back as soon as I can.”

“Then what are we waiting for?! Let’s go!” Oga said and our horses galloped.

The blue sky turned orange when we finally arrived in Westa. Oga and Yuzu were going to be the ones who will report to the guild and will return the horses so I was free to do my business.

I was supposed to go to a hospital in the Northern District of Westa. Because I was focused on rushing towards Westa, I couldn’t reply to Temma’s message. I contacted him when I finally arrived and he told me that he was waiting there.

A blond man waited outside of the hospital and when I approached him, he gave me his trademark warm smile.

“You’re back already?” Temma asked.

“I had to rush. Luckily, I read your message when I was done with my quest. You talked about Yogiri... Did she get summoned to this world?”

Temma’s smile faded as a frown formed on his face. His eyes looked straight at me as if he was trying to analyze my emotions.

“So she is from another world too... This is the second time.”

“Second time?”

Temma and I entered the hospital as we talked.

“The 3rd unit has been investigating a certain summoner who was acting suspicious lately”, he said.

“Suspicious?”

“When Captain Noel found you, the 13th unit was investigating a man named Shiroe. The higher-ups said that we had to find out as much as we can and capture him alive.”

“Why though?”

“That’s something I don’t know. We weren’t given a specific reason why he was supposed to be investigated. We just know that it was a direct order from a higher-up and we had to bring him alive.”

“So... What happened after that?”

“When you were sent to the 13th unit, the job was passed to the 3rd unit and they were trying to find him. However, what they found instead was a girl named Yogiri who was lying on a magic circle.”

“And how did you find out about my connection with her?”

“Captain Reagan made a comment about her being a possible resident of another world and mentioned your name. She reacted to it and so we were supposed to bring you to her in order to verify things.”

“That explains a lot of things. So all I have to do is find out if she was the Yogiri I know or not?”

“Yes.”

We arrived in front of a room. Temma greeted the knight who was guarding the door and we were ushered inside. And that’s when I saw her again.

A red-haired girl was sitting on a bed. She was wearing a plain white shirt and white bottom. Her red hair flowed down freely while her yellow eyes stared at the window.

When she heard us enter the room, she turned her head. Her eyes widened when she saw me.

“Chizome no Byakko?! Is that really you?!” she asked.

Yep... This was Yogiri.

“Yogiri... Long time no see”, I smiled at her.

“Long time no see?! That’s what you’ll start with?! What’s going on?!” she asked.

“You might want to relax for a bit.”

I pulled a chair and sat near her. Temma stayed in one corner of the room and watched the two of us.

“First off. What’s the last thing you remember?” I asked.

“I went to sleep. And when I woke up, I was in this place. A nurse with animal ears greeted me and I was confused. A bunch of guys wearing the same uniform as yours talked to me and they said something about being from another world.”

“Yes... We are from another world. This isn’t Japan or even Earth. This is a different world and you’re in a city called Westa.”

I told her the key differences from our worlds like the existence of magic and other races. When I showed her how I manipulated my shadow, she no longer thought I was joking.

“So... What am I going to do now? Can’t I go back to our world?” she asked.

“If I know how to get back, do you think I’ll still be here?”

“That’s right... What am I going to do? I don’t have anyone here. I don’t even know if I can get a job.”

I looked at her and I totally understood how she felt. She was the same as me when I got sent to this world. That’s why I had to step up.

“Temma... Is it alright if she lives with me?” I asked.

“Sure... I think it would be better if that’s the case. And besides, she looks like she doesn’t know a thing about the man named Shiroe”, he replied.

“L-Live with you?” Yogiri asked.

“Yeah. I already have a job here as an administrative officer. While the 13th unit’s dormitories are closed, you can live with me and find a job that can support you. Or are you saying that you have other solutions?”

“That’s true. It’s better if I stick with you.”

“Alright then... Since that’s settled, I’ll talk with Captain Reagan to get his approval. In the meantime, you can ask permission from Amelia to let her live with you two”, Temma said.

Ah... I forgot that I have to get Amelia’s okay to let her live with us... She doesn’t seem like a person who would turn away my friend who was in need, right?

If she’s not comfortable with it, I can just move out and rent an apartment myself. With the money I’m going to receive from the quest, I would be able to afford an apartment for many months.

But I was hoping that Amelia would be okay with me bringing Yogiri along. I took out my Excellular and sent a message to Amelia asking about what kind of dinner she would want me to buy. If I was going to talk to her, I should put her in a good mood.

Hopefully, I can bribe her to let my friend stay with me...