Ch.121Persuasion (5)

It was clear that dawn was not far off, but since there was no need to spend time in the cold outside, Sylvia, Alice, and I came into the cabin.

Of course, that didn’t mean we were going to bed.

I was struggling to keep my eyes open, fighting against their constant urge to close, in order to see off Alice before she left.

Though she would surely obtain a horse or carriage along the way, Alice, who clearly had a long distance to travel on foot, was hammering out the dents in her iron boots.

And Sylvia was helping her, pressing firmly to flatten the boots and gauntlets.

Watching these two women actually straighten those thick pieces of metal, I realized once again just how bold my statement had been.

Going to the Demon Lord’s castle was something that even these two—who could easily bend and straighten metal with their bare hands—were hesitant and afraid to do.

To them, my declaration that I would go kill the Demon Lord must have sounded like nothing more than childish nonsense.

But in the end, they decided to follow my opinion, or rather, my stubbornness.

In fact, the two of them were constantly conversing while keeping their hands busy, and the content was all about my training.

What the minimum standards should be, how much change was possible within a month, to what extent magic-based physical enhancement should be allowed, what the intensity and content of the training should be, and so on.

The two women exchanging opinions with such serious attitudes seemed so calm that it was hard to believe they had been growling at each other just moments ago.

“That training method would certainly be effective, but Ash won’t be able to endure it.”

“He made his declaration, so he should take responsibility. Though you’ll have to adjust the intensity so he doesn’t die.”

“I understand, but I don’t know how to do that sort of thing.”

“…Well, since the academy days, there were rumors that you never knew how to do things in moderation.”

“Maybe not as much as you, but I can also heal with holy power, so he won’t die.”

“Don’t go easy on him. If you get soft-hearted…”

“…”

“Ha, what am I saying? As if Sylvia with a sword in hand would ever go easy on anyone.”

I wasn’t entirely sure what they were talking about, but just hearing it made my hair stand on end.

Of course, since I was the one who proposed this, I had no intention of avoiding training because it would be difficult and painful, but listening to such conversations made it impossible to easily predict what would happen over the next month.

I broke out in a cold sweat and then turned my gaze away.

I tried not to focus on their conversation anymore.

However, contrary to my will, terrifying and frightening words kept creeping into my sensitive ears.

“Don’t go easy on him even if he throws up.”

“I know. What kind of training would it be if he didn’t throw up?”

“Right, I knew you’d say that.”

Ah, Laila.

Your brother is screwed.

*

Finally, a faint blue light began to shine in the forest sky.

Though the air outside was still a deep navy blue, Alice had almost finished preparing to leave.

She was sitting in front of the fireplace inside the cabin, warming herself while making a simple torch.

Watching her tie cloth around a thick branch she had brought from outside, I quietly spoke up.

“Sis.”

“What?”

“…Are you angry?”

“…”

Alice didn’t answer.

To anyone watching, that clearly meant she was displeased.

I carefully opened my mouth again.

“I know you don’t trust me… but,”

“I was surprised by your bold statement about going after the Demon Lord, but I’m not angry at you because of that.”

“…Huh?”

“The fact that you’re alive at all is practically a miracle, Ash. So I figured nothing should surprise me anymore, no matter what happens.”

“…”

Alice tied the wrapped cloth tightly, then took some resin powder from her pocket and began applying it to the cloth.

Her movements were so practiced and familiar, yet somehow she felt very unfamiliar to me.

Throughout our conversation, I could clearly feel that she was indeed the Alice who had shared my childhood, but at the same time, I also felt how long the time we hadn’t shared had been.

Even now, watching her skillfully make an improvised torch reminded me once again of the days of hers that I didn’t know.

As I stared at her, she asked me in a low voice.

“…Do I look angry?”

“Huh?”

“I asked if I seem angry.”

“…Yes.”

Alice pressed her lips tightly together.

She seemed to be trying to hold back a sigh, but her exhale came out as a long breath through her nose.

Placing the completed torch beside her, she looked at me.

“I’m not angry.”

“Really?”

“Why would I be angry?”

At her question, I lowered my head.

“…Because I didn’t know my place and suggested going after the Demon Lord, right?”

“I was worried about you, not angry. I was actually very happy to meet you, so there’s no way I’d be angry at you.”

“…Then is it because of Sylvia? Do you dislike having to move together?”

Alice shook her head and muttered, “I told you I’m not angry.”

Then she looked straight at me and said:

“To be clear, I dislike that woman, Sylvia.”

“Yeah… I know. I understand why you dislike her too… I wouldn’t be able to easily forgive someone who hurt me either.”

“No,”

Alice let out a slight snort and continued.

“You don’t know. You don’t understand. Much more than you think. I hate Sylvia.”

Her eyes were deeply imbued with obvious hatred and contempt.

I responded with slight bewilderment.

“But… you were conversing just fine a moment ago.”

“Because we had things to do.”

Sylvia had gone out a few minutes ago to cut down trees, saying she needed a wide clearing by the lakeside.

Alice muttered, looking at the cabin door through which Sylvia had left.

“Sylvia probably hates me just as much,”

“Reconciliation…”

“That’s not going to happen.”

“…”

I closed my mouth tightly at Alice’s resolute response.

Her knife-like rejection felt so vivid that it was as if she was telling me not to even dream of it.

But in my opinion, reconciliation between the two was absolutely necessary.

How could they entrust their lives to each other if they didn’t trust each other?

I gathered my courage and opened my mouth again.

“The journey to capture the Demon Lord… you said it would be dangerous, that we could die… How can you entrust your back to someone you dislike? Both you… and Sylvia…”

“I can entrust it.”

“Huh?”

Alice asserted firmly once again.

“Of course I dislike Sylvia. But I can entrust my back to her.”

“How…?”

Alice finally let out an audible sigh.

“…Ash, do you know why I wanted to join the hero’s party?”

“I don’t know…? Maybe because you couldn’t stand by and watch citizens trembling in fear…”

“It was because of Maria.”

When the name of Sister Maria came up, I nodded.

Indeed, she had strongly reproached Sylvia several times about Maria’s death.

“I thought Maria’s tremendous talent would surely become a pillar of the hero’s party. I thought that to stay by Maria’s side, I too had to join the hero’s party… Of course, it was impossible with my insignificant strength…”

Despite her composed expression, there was a hint of sadness in her moist voice.

I thought that the reason she disliked Sylvia might be more because she failed to protect Maria rather than because Sylvia had crushed her body.

And surely, self-blame for not being able to join the hero’s party and protect Maria was also fueling her inability to easily reconcile with Sylvia.

Alice closed her eyes tightly and said:

“But… that’s why I can entrust my back to her. Because I know how strong she is. Strong enough to be by Maria’s side, no, strong enough to keep Maria by her side.”

“Sis…”

To me, it was a truly strange kind of trust.

To resent someone for failing to protect Maria, yet trust them because they were strong enough to be by Maria’s side.

No, what Alice trusted was not Sylvia as a person, but rather her combat prowess and role.

She was evaluating Sylvia not as a trustworthy person, but as someone with trustworthy skills.

And surely, Sylvia’s view of Alice would be the same.

Indeed, when Alice brought up the topic of training me.

Sylvia understood Alice’s words without needing detailed explanations.

It meant that despite how much these two disliked each other, there were aspects where they understood each other without words.

The world of the strong, of which I couldn’t even catch a fragment of the scent in my current state.

But I couldn’t help feeling regretful about the relationship between these two.

Probably because they were both among the few people precious to me in this world.

“I understand about you, but… why does Sylvia… go that far…”

“…What?”

“Of course it’s difficult to be kind to someone who dislikes you, but Sylvia should be the one who feels sorry toward you… Why does she go so far with you…”

“Ha, look at this guy.”

“…?”

Alice shrugged her shoulders as if in disbelief and said:

“It’s obviously because of you.”

“Huh?”

I looked at Alice with slight surprise at the unexpected accusation.

She looked at my face and let out a hollow laugh.

“She doesn’t like that I’m your fiancée.”

Yes, Sylvia had said the same thing.

But wouldn’t things be a bit different now that she had accepted my proposal?

“And I also dislike Sylvia because of you…”

“Huh?”

“…No, never mind.”

Alice shook her head, picked up the torch she had made, and slowly got up.

“Are you leaving now?”

“Yes.”

Alice answered briefly, bringing the torch to the fireplace to light it.

As soon as she left this forest, a very busy month would begin.

Though I would be quite busy with training, the person who would have to move around the most busily among us was Alice.

She would need to obtain armor, a sword, and supplies necessary for the adventure, and would also look for information about the Demon Lord again.

And she would probably also search for information about spirit sorcerers.

Though it was unlikely to yield much since it was practically a fairy tale…

“…Wait,”

At that moment, a thought flashed through my mind.

“Ash? What’s wrong?”

“Sis, this might be a waste of time… but I just thought of something that might be a clue.”

“…Tell me.”

I pressed my aching temples, which were throbbing from my complicated thoughts, and mentioned a name.

“…Malice.”

“Malice? You mean the sage Malice? That magician from the history books?”

I nodded and continued.

“That person. He was actually a spirit sorcerer. Those feats like building a castle in a single night weren’t magic.”

“Magic scholars would faint if they knew that.”

“I don’t know if it will help, but it might be faster to look into Malice than to search for spirit sorcerers from scratch… Though it might still be a waste of time…”

“…Hmm,”

Alice pondered with her hand on her chin, then soon nodded.

“No, thank you for telling me. It’s much better than having no clues at all. I’ll look into Malice as well,”

“Won’t you run out of time?”

“It’s fine. I have someone who can help.”

“…Someone who can help?”

“Yes, someone you know too… Ah, that’s right.”

Alice opened her mouth as if she had just remembered something.

“Ash, come to think of it, there was something I wanted to ask you. I completely forgot until now because I never thought I’d actually meet you…”

“Yes? What is it?”

Alice turned to me with a rather serious expression and slowly asked.

“What happened to Uncle Hardy?”

A familiar name that had been buried in a corner of my mind until now emerged.

Uncle Hardy.

The coachman who drove the carriage for Laila and me.

“Ah…”

I could only let out a short sigh, unable to answer.

Alice seemed to judge that was enough, as she turned her head without asking me anything more.

“I’ll tell Eric.”

“…Brother Eric?”

“He’s doing well.”

Alice answered before I could even ask.

She seemed to have decided that if she prolonged the conversation any further, it would truly never end.

She flung open the cabin door and stepped outside.

The world, which had been a deep navy blue, had now brightened to a light blue.

“Whew, then. I’ll be going now.”

I followed Alice out and said:

“Take care.”

“You take care too. You’ll probably want to die from how hard it will be.”

Alice gave me a mischievous smile and ruffled my hair with her hand.

The rough yet gentle touch of her fingers running through my hair felt inexplicably good.

It was a strange feeling.

Like realizing you’ve wanted something all along only after experiencing it—I hadn’t known I was longing for this touch, but as her hand stroked my head, an old nostalgia bubbled up, spreading a mysterious satisfaction inside my chest.

I quietly enjoyed her touch.

Perhaps Alice was feeling the same way I was right now.

Her hand lingered on my head for quite some time.

After a while, slowly removing her hand, she said:

“Now I’m really going.”

“…I was so happy to see you again, Sis. Really.”

“Me too,”

Alice’s bright smile was visible in the flickering torchlight.

She slowly turned around and walked forward.

Then, without looking back even once, she slowly disappeared into the undergrowth.

“…”

“Finished talking?”

“Ahhh! You scared me!”

Startled by the sudden voice, I turned around to find Sylvia right behind me.

“You scared me!”

“Huh?”

“What?”

“You’re using formal speech again.”

“…”

Sylvia gave a slight smile.

For some reason, it looked ominously threatening.

“Decide whether you’re going to use formal or casual speech.”

“…Which do you prefer… ma’am?”

Sylvia answered immediately.

“I like both, but casual is a bit better.”

“Alright, then…”

“But not now.”

“…?”

Sylvia was holding a thin, switch-like branch in her hand.

She slowly pointed at me with that branch and said:

“For the next month, at least while I’m training you, use formal speech.”

It was a reasonable request.

For the next month, she would be my teacher and instructor.

I nodded and said:

“I will. By the way, when do we start train—”

“Hehe,”

Sylvia extended her arm so quickly it was almost invisible, and poked my chest with the tip of the branch.

“—ing ARGH!”

I flew backward before I could finish my sentence.

I felt a pain as if my chest had been pierced by a large stake.

As I fell and rolled on the ground, Sylvia said to me:

“Starting now.”

.