episode_0178

‘Or the sound of a deer grazing on grass raising its head?’

I smiled faintly and looked down at the book again.

I wondered what he would say next, but it seemed he had just come to joke, as always.

There’s no way a person could hear such sounds.

‘But you know what—I can hear them. Really! Every night, the wind of Dragonez whispers to my ears. When I close my eyes to sleep—mysterious sounds fill everything.’

‘…But do you know what sound among all the things the wind tells me makes my heart pound the most?’

I asked, turning a page.

‘What is it?’

‘It’s—’

The rascal unnecessarily drew out the suspense.

Finally, I tore my gaze from the book and glanced across from me.

Sparkling red eyes.

And a girl, gazing at me with a truly… truly beautiful smile.

‘—It’s the sound of Ritsu coming to meet me.’

Thump.

My heart pounded.

I hadn’t known such a feeling until then.

I was just a little kid who liked people simply because they were good. I was the child who had fearlessly held Tia’s hand and returned to the village.

Tia was my sister. I just thought of her as such.

But with a single, subtly trembling beat of that heart in my small chest.

I learned a new emotion.

Perhaps it was from then.

That sparkling gold dust began to settle at the bottom of this chest.

Every time I recall it, it glitters like countless stars, captivating me. But when I try to grasp it with my hand, finding it too beautiful, I am met with the thick skin that blocks me, and I face reality.

Squeeze!

My fingernails always scratch at my chest. Tearing at it enough to draw blood.

Because I want to take out this gold dust.

Because I want to see Tia from those happy memories.

“Ritsu Oppa?”

“……Gasp.”

I opened my eyes.

In the dark vision. Someone was staring down at me from the shadows.

“It’s morning.”

It was Marie.

“Ah. …Right.”

I rose from my spot, my voice hoarse.

It was a cool morning. It seemed dawn had only just broken.

I had safely passed the night again today, and opening my bag, the remaining provisions were still as expected.

Marie was quietly tidying up her spot.

Watching her, I took a sip of water from the pouch in my pocket.

There was nothing special about the journey walking the Mesrod.

If I were to say there was nothing special… that was actually the problem.

If I could express this journey with one word.

It would surely be ‘silence’.

I had been mistaken all this time.

The blunt and quiet one wasn’t Ruyef, but Marie.

It was strange. She spoke well when Ruyef was around.

Even now, walking this Mesrod for the third day, the words I had heard amounted to just five:

Ritsu Oppa, I’m going to sleep, It’s morning, It’s okay, Yes.

I thought it might be because walking was difficult, but seeing how she followed me without a single complaint, it didn’t seem to be that kind of problem.

I packed the sleeping bag I had slept in overnight tightly into my bag.

At first, Marie had been clumsy, but after watching me and imitating, she now tidied up quite skillfully.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes.”

And so, the silent march began again.

“……”

Amidst the monotonous footsteps, the only thing that changed was the surrounding scenery.

If I wanted to talk, all I had to do was speak first.

But soon, the thought that unnecessary conversation wasn’t needed, and the strange atmosphere I felt behind me, made me just keep my mouth shut.

Ruyef had said he didn’t know what Marie was thinking.

Honestly, I couldn’t understand it. Growing up with Tia, I could tell what she was thinking just by her expression. How could he not understand his own blood sister?

I just let it go, assuming Ruyef was simply clumsy when it came to emotions.

But now, I think I understand a little why he said that.

I truly don’t understand anything at all.

Why Marie wanted to follow me, and yet she says nothing at all.

She doesn’t even complain, so I can’t tell if she’s hungry or tired.

It was definitely a strange situation. But I didn’t have the energy left to resolve this minor question either.

Because there were no major problems.

Day 4.

Finally, we reached Mount Charlac.

My footsteps, which had been walking without rest, came to a sudden halt.

Outwardly, it looked like the foot of any mountain. Thick bushes and tall trees. There was no special meaning to it. It must have looked the same to Marie.

I was different.

Tia had gone up here to find a prostitute.

Whoosh!

I looked up. Though it was bright daytime, the path leading up Mount Charlac somehow felt dark and gloomy.

If Tia hadn’t gone in here… would there have been a different fate?

Embracing the question to which I could never find an answer, I set foot on the path.

The Mesrod grew distant. We were heading deep into the mountains. Just when I thought this was far enough.

‘That place’ unfolded.

It was the very spot where Tia had met Fosao.

A bleak wind whistled, rotten leaves rustled, and a spacious area with a large rock, where the outline of the mountain could be seen not far away, presented itself.

“……”

Standing in the middle of the forest where memory and reality intersected. I slowly knelt and grasped a handful of earth.

Trickle…

The soil slipped through my fingers, raising thick dust.

But the dust didn’t settle directly to the ground. Instead, it moved slowly and vaguely like incense smoke, beginning to emit a faint light.

I turned my eyes, following the path created by the light. The faint light continued all the way to the eastern ridgeline.

…This was the ‘memory’ Tia had left behind.

As expected.

I was halfway certain. If Tia had fled to Charlac, she would have chosen the most familiar place here as a refuge.

Crunch.

I stepped firmly on the light of memory.

Climbing the rugged mountain, I headed towards the gradually rising ridgeline. There was no time to hesitate. I walked and walked as long as my strength allowed.

After walking for a long time, only looking forward. I suddenly felt an uneasy sensation and looked back.

“Marie?”

I couldn’t see the girl.

Startled, I walked back a few steps, then saw something struggling to move in the distance in the forest.

It was Marie.

“Haa—”

It seemed my pace had been too fast for her to keep up.

I decided to sit on a nearby rock for a short rest.

Plod. Plod.

After waiting a bit, Marie came walking laboriously. It was visibly clear that her speed had dropped compared to when she walked on flat ground.

I set my bag down beside me.

“Are you tired?”

“…No.”

“If you’re tired, just tell me honestly. I almost left you behind and went ahead.”

If she had just said to go slowly, I would have waited for a moment. Whether she thought it would be a bother to me, or if it was due to her pride, Marie wouldn’t speak at all.

“Let’s rest for a bit.”

“It’s okay. I can move soon.”

“No. We’re deep in the mountains now.”

I took out my water pouch.

“To get through this place, we need to rest when we can. If you push yourself too hard and collapse from exhaustion, you’ll end up completely unable to move.”

Marie shyly received the water pouch.

“Thank you, Oppa.”

It was an insignificant, trivial conversation.

But it was also meant to inform her that from now on, the journey would be arduous, and she should be prepared.

Recalling the hardships Tia had faced in this mountain range, there was no guarantee that I would be safe either.

Though I had prepared a lot. Still, mountains are dangerous.

It was when I was resting my tired feet comfortably.

Tap.

Suddenly, something hit my head.

I thought it was a pinecone, but when I looked up, I saw the darkening sky.

“…Is it a shower?”

Pitter-patter.

Suddenly, rain began to pour down.

If so, there was no time to sit idly like this. I immediately picked up my bag and got up.

“Let’s go, Marie.”

“Yes.”

Clouds gathered, and I could feel the raindrops getting heavier on my skin.

It would be a big problem if the dirt ground got wet from the rain. The path would become slippery, making it impossible to advance. Before that, I planned to quickly cross the steep slope.

It wasn’t a very wise idea, but if we didn’t hurry now, we didn’t know when the rain would stop. If we were to get stuck here for another day or two, that would truly be the worst situation.

Pushing through the bushes, a narrow, steep path finally appeared. The ‘memory’ continued straight in that direction.

Without hesitation, I stepped onto it. Just as we were walking slowly, little by little.

Crumble!

“Ah!”

The sound of earth collapsing came from behind. I quickly turned around and saw Marie cowering. Pebbles rolled down the steep slope.

“Marie! Grab on!”

I held out my hand.

If the rain poured harder, this slope would also become dangerous. We had to get past here quickly.

Click.

Marie, as if sensing there was no time for leisure, quickly grabbed my hand. And pulling her close, we pushed through the narrow path.

Pouring!

As expected, the raindrops intensified, and my vision blurred.

My shoulders were thoroughly soaked. My bag and boots were completely drenched and incredibly heavy.

Fortunately, before facing the storm, we managed to get off the slope and into a wider area.

“Phew—”

“Haah— Haah—”

“Marie. Are you hurt anywhere?”

“No. I’m okay…”

We needed a place to shelter from the rain. I wished there was a very large, leafy tree nearby, but most were small and only just sprouting new leaves, so they weren’t much help.

Pouring!

Water streamed down, forming small rivulets on the ground. My boots squelched, splattering muddy water everywhere.

“Damn it…”

For now, I was walking by following where the memory pointed.

But it was impossible to push through this harsh rain. And Marie didn’t look too good either, as if she had twisted her ankle on the slope earlier.

I wiped the rainwater flowing down my face and was thinking when.

“Ritsu Oppa. Over there…”

Marie pointed somewhere.

There, stood a small cabin.

I wondered if it was a mirage. To think there was such a cabin deep in this forest, where no one would live.

Anyway, it was a relief. If there were people, I would ask them to help us shelter from the rain, and if not, staying in that house for a bit seemed like a good idea.

Thinking that, I immediately approached the place.

“Gasp?!”

At that all too familiar sight, my breath hitched.

“Oppa?”

“……”

Memories resurfaced.

This was the house where Tia and Fosao had hidden from the rain.

Completely unchanged. The abandoned cabin stood before me.

As if repeating the same fate from that time, which had brought with it a storm.