Just as Melana had clung to the past and chosen Under Chain, Jeff had chosen Eden for the sake of the future.
It was I who had opened up that possibility.
I was the one who told him about Kult’s existence.
I had thought things might turn out this way. Even so, I gave him a chance.
I believed it was the right thing to do.
“Then take her and get lost.”
I issued my decree of expulsion.
Jeff had no intention of becoming our enemy. That was something I had already confirmed.
“Sorry, and thank you.”
Jeff wasn’t exactly suited to Eden. He had no sense of faith and no loyalty to Kult.
However, he was the kind of person Kult would take a liking to. Kult probably lent him power willingly.
—Are you capable of risking your life for someone else?
Jeff had answered with his actions, staking his life. That alone would’ve been enough to capture Kult’s interest.
But Jeff wouldn’t be returning to Eden. There was no way he could go back with a heretic like Melana.
The only reason he chose Eden was because he wanted the power to heal Melana.
He planned to use Kult.
Even if they tried to run away now, the only thing waiting for them would be a path of thorns.
They might end up being chased by the Empire, by Under Chain, or perhaps even by Eden itself.
But Jeff left with Melana as if none of that mattered.
***
After the battle.
Melana, who had been unconscious, opened her eyes behind Jeff’s back.
She understood the situation.
That was precisely why she had to speak.
“Jeff.”
“You’re awake? How are you feeling? I just did what I was taught, but I don’t know if it was enough.”
Jeff knew.
And Melana knew as well.
“You’re an idiot.”
“Yeah, I’m an idiot.”
Jeff was pretending not to know, even though he understood everything, and kept agreeing with Melana.
He didn’t know how to comfort her with words. He had probably decided to simply become the one and only person who understood her in silence.
“And I’m a fool.”
And Melana knew the choice Jeff had made.
Of course, they had spent a long time together.
They could easily notice changes in each other.
Melana quietly regretted everything from behind Jeff’s back.
It was a regret that came too late.
***
“Are you out of your damn mind?”
“Lady Ariel, someone might hear you. How could a noble lady speak such crude language?”
“You crazy bastard!”
At that moment, Ariel had me by the collar.
I understood. I hadn’t given her any warning about what was going to happen.
But it couldn’t be helped.
Nothing had been certain, and no matter what I said, it would’ve been nothing more than speculation.
“Please calm down, Lady Ariel. I didn’t expect things to turn out this way either.”
“And yet you calmly let a criminal go, claiming you didn’t know?”
“What could I have done there? Surely you’re not saying the delicate princess should have taken on both of them herself?”
“Why don’t you wipe your lips before you speak?”
“There’s no need. It’s winter and the air is dry, so I already applied some moisturizing gel befo—ugh! Ack!”
Now Ariel wasn’t just grabbing my collar. She had started choking me.
Good heavens, how could someone be so violent?
Such behavior was unthinkable for a high noble.
“Haah! Fine. It’s my fault for thinking someone like Sir Johan could be sentimental.”
“Exactly. Even though I let them go, you could’ve caught them. Why make me look like the villain all by myself?”
“…Do you always have to speak like that, Sir Johan?”
Surprisingly, yes.
I was fundamentally equipped with a manner of speaking that made people lose affection.
And it was all thanks to the princess and the others who dragged me into every imaginable incident.
“Hmph…”
Ariel looked up at me with a strange expression.
It was an unpleasant look.
“Sir Johan… could it be that you’re actually a warmer person than I thought?”
“Do I look that way?”
“You weren’t before, but today… maybe a little?”
“In fact, I’ve always been a warm person.”
“Looking at you now, I can see that’s not true.”
Ariel turned her head sharply with a refreshing expression.
What kind of rhythm was I supposed to follow with her?
No, I decided not to play along.
“Now that the job’s done, let’s go get some rest. I’ve been so tired the past few days I thought I might die. I need sleep.”
“Shall I walk you back?”
“No.”
“Aww, are you just shy? I’ll walk you back.”
“…This is driving me nuts.”
It seemed my image in Ariel’s eyes had changed somehow.
It appeared to be for the better, but still….her behavior was irritating.
Why was this little thing acting like she was my older sister or something?
“Ah.”
Ariel who was walking beside me while giggling like I was some kind of spectacle took a misstep.
“Ah-ko!”
Ariel ended up sprawled on the ground.
Her hat, unable to keep up with her sudden movement, floated down slowly through the air, and her rabbit ears drooped helplessly as she lay face-down by the sea.
She really was a piece of work…
“Sir Johan.”
“Are you just shy or something?”
“Ughk…”
I threw her own words right back at her.
Then I saw Ariel’s ears turn bright red.
I had done it on purpose. Her reaction was just as I expected, and it amused me greatly.
“C-Could you pick up my hat for me?”
“……”
“And it’d be nice if you could walk me back to the dormitory, hehe.”
Ha… what a pathetic situation.
It seemed like her incurable illness was acting up again. Was I really supposed to just let this be?
The Transcendence Syndrome, also known as the Archmage’s Disease, was characterized by a disconnect between the soul and the body.
In cases like this, the body would start losing strength from the limbs, and the senses would begin to expand unnaturally.
At this stage, someone like Ariel could probably still move using magic, but that would only worsen the symptoms.
I had a human heart too.
And I had just said with my own mouth that I was a warm-hearted person.
“Good grief.”
First, I picked up the hat and placed it back on Ariel’s head as she lay collapsed.
“Thank you.”
“Good grief…”
“Could you please stop grumbling so much?”
Then, I heaved Ariel’s limp body onto my back.
It felt like carrying someone who was completely drunk.
She was so floppy that even getting her onto my back was a struggle.
“…Maybe you should work on building some strength?”
“Are you really going to make me make a comment about Lady Ariel’s weight?”
“I’ll keep my mouth shut.”
She never stopped talking.
***
To get straight to the point, there was no need to walk Ariel all the way to the dormitory.
Though she had kept on chattering, maybe the earlier battle had worn her out…. before long, she quietly fell asleep.
At first, I thought I had no choice but to carry her all the way to the women’s dormitory…
“You’re working hard, Johan.”
“……”
But before that, I ran into Lobelia.
I had thought she was supposed to be away today, but apparently not.
It was quite an awkward situation.
“By the way, it seems you’ve gotten quite close with Ariel without me noticing.”
“It’s not really like that.”
“For someone saying that, the two of you look awfully close. Since when were you on back-carrying terms…?”
Lobelia smiled brightly.
Objectively speaking, she wasn’t wrong.
Here I was, carrying Ariel on my back, while she slept peacefully behind me.
At this point, it wouldn’t be strange for someone to think we were more than just friends.
Should I tell the truth?
Or should I just let her misunderstanding slide in silence?
“Here, take her.”
“No excuses? You’re not going to say anything?”
“There’s nothing to excuse. Nothing happened. It just… turned out this way.”
In the end, I chose to stay silent.
Ariel hadn’t told Lobelia about her illness.
It wouldn’t be right for me to reveal it.
Some might say it’s better if someone else speaks up… but—
More than anything, I believe that what she’s chosen for herself should come first.
“You’re a better man than I thought, Johan Damus.”
“Than you thought? I’ve always been a good man. Good background, good looks, and capable… well, capable enough if you don’t judge by Cradle’s standards.”
“Haha, fair enough. Though, you might want to revise the ‘good looks’ part.”
“……”
What’s wrong with my face?
Was it really that bad?
I always thought I looked decent enough.
“Oh, and you’ll have to pay me back later.”
“…Pay you back for what?”
“For borrowing my subordinate Ariel without permission.”
Lobelia said, grinning as she took Ariel from me.
She really was a troublesome person.
“And for lying to my face so boldly. I’ll let that slide—for a price.”
Seriously.
***
It was the start of another ordinary day.
However, there was one part that was clearly different from usual.
“Jeff and Melana are absent today. I wonder what happened…”
It was the fact that the two students who had always attended class diligently had disappeared.
I felt a mix of emotions.
Though the incident hadn’t even been publicly acknowledged yet, the absence of someone barely drew any attention beyond a passing glance.
I lowered my head.
I had fallen asleep. Ugh, I was so sleepy.
***
After school.
I had dozed off for a bit, and by the time I woke up, all the other students had left and I was alone.
Wow, seriously? No one thought to wake me up?
That was what I was thinking when—
“That’s kind of cold~”
As always, Yuna appeared before I even noticed, leaned her back against mine, and started grumbling.
“I’m hurt.”
I was startled when I suddenly felt the weight on my back.
At this rate, she was going to catch me off guard one day.
“I’m seriously hurt.”
It was getting harder to ignore her.
I eventually responded to Yuna, who was now half-leaning on my back.
“…About what?”
“Why didn’t you ask me? Even without magic, I can do close-range protection 24/7, you know.”
Yuna grumbled like a child.
And honestly, she had a point.
Compared to Ariel, who was a mage, Yuna who was an assassin was more suited for a bodyguard role.
She could strike more easily, and she would’ve been able to respond immediately to Melana’s surprise attack at close range.
Still, I had deliberately chosen Ariel.
A truly sharp blade is most dangerous when it stays hidden.
“You don’t use a butcher’s knife to kill a chicken.”
Yuna’s presence was, at this point, the most threatening secret weapon I had.
Wasn’t I the only one who had noticed her existence?
At that point, however, Kult was at least aware of her presence.
Eden had already suffered a bitter defeat during the last attack, so it was likely that they were keeping an eye on someone like Safe Clown.
It would still take time before that awareness began to fade.
“Liar. Do you really think I’m a fool just because I act like one?”
“……”
My breath caught in my throat.
Her normally cheerful voice sounded chilling today.
“You just got involved under the pretense of making a deal because you felt sorry for that girl, didn’t you?”
“No. Do I look like someone with that kind of luxury?”
Was it all just in my head?
At Yuna’s teasing tone, I felt the tension drain from my body.
But at that moment—
“Right? You don’t exactly have the luxury, do you?”
Yuna, who was leaning against my back, pressed down with even more weight.
It wasn’t her body’s weight. It felt like her very presence was crushing me.
Still leaning back-to-back, Yuna tilted her head until our cheeks touched.
“If you really don’t have that kind of luxury, then why are you acting like you do?”
Her cheek was soft.
Her voice whispered right by my ear.
A sweet voice, tickling and soft.
“You don’t have that kind of luxury.”
And yet, it felt terrifying.
It was like I could feel a blade pressing against the base of my neck.
“You’re not unable to use your ability. So why aren’t you using it?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Really?”
She definitely wasn’t someone I could afford to take lightly.
Even though she was acting like a whining child now, her true nature was that of an assassin who had massacred hundreds.
I knew that, and yet Yuna’s performance was so natural that I often forgot the truth.
It was truly terrifying.
That ease, that naturalness with which she might just walk up with a smile and slit your throat without hesitation….t gave me chills.
“I get what you mean, but you’re making assumptions.”
“Really? Funny, considering there’s talk that you awakened your ability when you were four.”
“Where on earth is all my personal information leaking from?”
“It was written in the student records. And those wouldn’t even exist unless you’d awakened your ability in the first place.”
“Huh…”
Only then did it start to make sense.
Yuna must have been interested in my ability from the start.
Come to think of it, the idea that she wanted to take me in as a disciple just because of my acting skills never really added up.
I felt a surge of betrayal.
Of course, there would be no point in pointing that out and getting angry.
If she were the type to care about things like that, she wouldn’t have become an assassin in the first place.
There was no way I could lie to her.
She wasn’t someone lies would work on.
When it came to psychological warfare, she was on a level far beyond mine.
“I really can’t use it.”
“…….”
“Because of certain circumstances. Do I need to explain those to you too?”
The ability I possessed was thought-splitting.
It was the power to divide my thoughts in two and think about two things at the same time.
Depending on how it was used, there was no ability more useful than this.
When I held a staff, I could double-cast without any risk.
When I held a sword, I could walk the path of a magic swordsman.
And when I became Yuna’s disciple, I could wear the most perfect mask.
But starting a few years ago, it became an ability I could no longer use.
I didn’t tell a lie. I just didn’t reveal the reason.
“Sorry, are you mad at me?”
Perhaps sensing my irritation, Yuna who had been resting her head on my shoulder suddenly sat up.
She then trotted over to stand in front of me.
Her expression was slightly sour.
So, she did pay attention to people’s moods after all.
“Come on, cheer up. I’ll help you out for free once when you’re in danger later.”
“I said I’m not mad. But you really mean it about helping, right?”
“Of course! So you forgive me now?”
Yuna sat down right in front of me, rested her chin on my desk, and looked up at me with sparkling eyes.
…She really was annoyingly pretty.
And the way she used her looks. That part was downright malicious.
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