Ch.125Interlude, Dieta (2)

“So, what’s the matter, Najin?”

Dieta asked as she tidied her hair. Najin didn’t answer immediately. A moment of contemplation. A moment of silence. Najin silently gazed at Dieta.

“W-what is it? Why are you staring at me like that?”

“I was just thinking for a moment.”

“About what?”

“Actually, there’s no special reason I came. Since you always visited me when I was sick, I thought it would be nice if I visited you for once.”

“You worry about the strangest things. How are you feeling?”

“Much better, thanks.”

Najin patted his shoulder.

“After drinking high-grade potions like they were water, I recovered quickly. I’m completely fine now.”

“The doctors said you should rest for at least half a year… but you just got up and recovered instantly as if it’s nothing?”

“I have a unique constitution.”

Half joy at the news of Najin’s recovery.

And half regret.

Dieta looked at Najin with a bitter smile. The news of his recovery also meant that the time for him to leave again was approaching.

“If you’re all better, I suppose you’ll be leaving?”

Her voice tinged with regret.

“I do have something to say about that. I’ve been meaning to tell you, but kept putting it off.”

“Are you going somewhere far away?”

“It seems that way.”

“How far are you going?”

Najin looked out the window.

After a brief silence, he spoke.

“Shall we talk while taking a walk?”

“I don’t mind, but won’t there be too many eyes watching? It might be difficult to talk. You’re quite famous now.”

“I know a place where there aren’t many people.”

A place without people? Dieta tilted her head. Najin pointed out the window as if giving her a hint.

“A place with a good view. Where you can see the sunset well.”

Dieta let out a small “Ah” as she realized what he meant. Meanwhile, Najin opened the window, stepped outside briefly, and had a short conversation with Passion.

From outside the door came Passion’s incredulous laughter and the response, “Do as you please.” As Dieta turned her head, curious about their conversation, Najin strode over to her.

“Let’s go then.”

Najin extended both arms toward Dieta.

“Um… what are those arms for?”

“An excellent mode of transportation?”

Dieta blinked, then smiled at Najin’s outstretched arms. Eventually, she let herself be embraced by him. Najin lifted her up lightly and kicked off the ground.

Whoosh, and then a thud.

Najin leaped, stepping on the windowsill. Proving that his recent fame was no exaggeration, Najin’s movements were light and fast. Even while carrying a person, his footsteps were barely audible.

Only the rattling sound of the window shaking in the wind could be heard.

“Our charge has been kidnapped. Should we be standing here like this, senior?”

“We couldn’t catch him even if we chased him with all our might, Lord Romanov.”

“That’s true, sadly.”

“Honestly, if he were determined to kidnap someone, I wonder who could stop him. Could you, Lord Romanov?”

“If I could, I wouldn’t be standing here.”

Klaus and Passion burst into laughter as they watched the two figures disappear in an instant.

“Youth. It’s youth indeed.”

2.

An open view. A low hill overlooking Cambria, City of Opportunity. It was the place Najin had once brought Dieta when he was assigned as her escort.

Arriving at that place again, and in the same manner as before, Dieta couldn’t help but laugh. Because her own reaction had changed so much in just a few months.

‘Back then, I thought I was going to throw up.’

Now she felt comfortable being carried in Najin’s arms. After all, she had spent days in his embrace and on his back during their escape under the moonlight. Najin’s embrace was still cozy after all this time.

She wished she could have stayed in his arms a little longer.

With a tinge of regret, Dieta got down from Najin’s arms. She straightened her clothes and looked down the hill. The panoramic view of Cambria, City of Opportunity. Looking at that scenery, she spoke.

“It’s been almost a year already. We first met in spring, right? Winter is ending, and it seems spring will come soon.”

“I would have liked to see snow falling, but it seems it doesn’t snow in Cambria.”

“It’s warm here. It’s in the south.”

“Have you ever seen snow, Dieta?”

“Yes, many times. Though they weren’t particularly good memories.”

Arbenia Duchy.

The snow she had watched from the window of that cold villa didn’t leave her with pleasant memories. Unlike children who think of snowball fights and sledding when it snows, Dieta only had memories of staring at bare thorn trees.

“What about you… I suppose you’ve never seen snow?”

“Unfortunately not.”

Najin was from an underground city and had been out for less than a year. When he thought about it, it was strange. Despite experiencing such tremendous events, not even a year had passed, which Najin sometimes found awkward.

Looking at each day individually, time passes slowly. For Najin, who lives a dense life, a day is long and time is slow. But when reflecting on past events, time feels too short.

Slow yet fast. Long yet short time.

In this arbitrary flow of time, Najin had formed bonds with many people. When thinking of them, the first to come to Najin’s mind were Merlin and Dieta. Precious connections he had made after leaving the underground city.

“Dieta.”

“Yes, Najin.”

His first friend.

For Najin, who had never had a friend before, Dieta’s presence was more significant than he had expected. Perhaps that’s why he felt he should tell her first. About where he was heading, and that the path wouldn’t be easy.

“I’m planning to leave for the Outer Continent soon.”

“You went there before, didn’t you? Before hunting the dragon…”

“That was brief, but this time is different.”

Najin had reached the level of Sword Seeker, slain a dragon, and obtained a Star. This meant he had completed what he needed to do in Cambria, and…

“I’m leaving Cambria.”

It meant it was time for Najin to move on to his next stage. Dieta took a sharp breath at those words.

“I suppose that makes sense. Your goal is to hang your star at the highest place…”

“And to do that, I need to go to the battlefield of stars. To obtain more stars, that’s what I must do.”

Dieta spoke, and Najin continued.

Dieta knew Najin’s goal. She knew that someday Najin would leave Cambria. Of course, that day had come much sooner than she had expected.

“Once I leave for the Outer Continent, I won’t be able to come to the continent often.”

“It’s far. Both physically and conceptually.”

The Outer Continent, the land beyond.

And the “battlefield of stars” Najin spoke of was far not just in distance but in concept. The other shore and this shore. The afterlife and this life. In all religions and books, the battlefield of stars is described as truly another world.

A place where ordinary humans cannot set foot. A place where even the strong Sword Seekers cannot guarantee their survival. The battlefield where transcendents who shine in the night sky reside is such a place.

“It will be dangerous.”

“It will.”

“And you’ll get hurt more than you do now?”

“Certainly, I will.”

“I want to tell you not to go, but you wouldn’t listen, would you?”

Najin answered with silence.

Dieta let out a long sigh. How did I fall for such a man? It was a thought she’d had countless times. Dieta looked into Najin’s eyes.

Sunset-colored eyes, now almost platinum.

Those eyes weren’t looking at her.

Those eyes always gaze at distant places. A place far, difficult, and immeasurably high. To reach that place, Najin runs forward, looking only ahead. While that’s admirable, Dieta sometimes felt disappointed.

Because it seemed like she was nothing to Najin.

If only he would look to the side a little.

If only he would look at me.

At this rate, I’m the only fool whose heart races, who hopes, who gets excited over his smallest actions.

A one-sided relationship naturally tires one party. While she’s so excited she can barely make eye contact, the other person seems to have little interest in her. This fact made Dieta feel both disappointed and embarrassed at her childish behavior.

‘Instead of supporting him, I’m feeling disappointed.’

Didn’t they promise that day? To run toward their respective goals. To meet at the top. After saying that, she felt disappointed that he was solely focused on his goal.

‘This isn’t like me.’

Calculating, thorough, and rational. Far from emotional. That’s the usual Dieta. But why? Whenever she stood before Najin, Dieta would become a fool.

While she did feel disappointed, she had no intention of showing it. This was a date that Najin had initiated. It would be a waste to spend this precious time consumed by such emotions. Dieta smiled slightly and looked at Najin.

Just as she was about to continue the conversation…

“I mentioned earlier that I’ve never seen snow.”

Najin, who had been looking at the sky, lowered his gaze.

Those eyes turned from the stars in the sky to Dieta.

“Actually, it’s not just snow. I’ve never seen the vast blue sea that’s said to stretch beyond the horizon. What is that? I’ve read about it in books, but honestly, I find it hard to believe.”

Najin shrugged.

“Snow, the sea, snowy mountains… and countless other things. I’m surrounded by things I don’t know. Everything I’ve experienced since leaving the underground city is unfamiliar to me. That’s why each day is new, and sometimes frightening.”

“Frightening? You?”

“Isn’t that natural? The joy of discovering the unknown is just greater than the fear, but I still have some fear of the unknown.”

Dieta looked at Najin with disbelief. Najin chuckled and leaned against the fence on the hill. The breeze tickled his hair.

“So.”

Words he had been meaning to say.

Najin felt that now was the right time.

“I’ve always wanted to thank you.”

“…What?”

“Because you were also my first.”

And, Najin smiled.

“I consider it fortunate that you are my first friend.”

Najin’s grayish-white hair swayed.

The smile Najin showed through his wind-tossed hair was unlike any Dieta had seen before.

“Yes, to be honest, I find it quite enjoyable to talk with Dieta. You smile so brightly at every word I say, and seeing that smile makes a corner of my heart feel at ease. It’s hard to express this feeling…”

Mischievous, playful, and comfortable.

The kind of natural smile a boy of Najin’s age would show. The moment she faced that natural smile, Dieta unconsciously parted her lips slightly.

“It’s enjoyable. Being with you.”

“……”

“I feel a bit regretful about leaving for the Outer Continent, and I think it might be because of Dieta. Since I won’t be able to talk with you often when I go to the Outer Continent. Ah, I’m not saying I won’t visit at all? Even if not frequently, I plan to return to the continent occasionally, and then…”

Najin rambled on. But from the middle, his voice didn’t reach Dieta. More precisely, the sentence “I think it might be because of Dieta” was the decisive blow. The subsequent words from Najin sounded like a buzzing noise to Dieta’s ears.

He says he enjoys being with me.

He says he feels reluctant to leave for the Outer Continent because of me.

So, he’s saying… he can’t see me often?

Did I hear wrong?

The corners of Dieta’s mouth twitched. Dieta covered her mouth with trembling hands. Her eyes gleamed like those of a beast.

“I hope we can continue to be friends like this…”

“Najin.”

Dieta interrupted Najin.

Then she took a step closer to him. A distance where their breaths would almost touch if she moved a little closer. Standing at a distance where their eyes reflected each other, she moved her lips slowly, very slowly.

“What you just said, could you say it once more?”

Her eyes looked as if they were entranced.

3.

“Pardon? Which part?”

“The part where you said it’s enjoyable. The next part. The wind was blowing too strongly, wasn’t it? I couldn’t hear properly, so just once more…”

It was a lie, of course.

Was the wind really that strong? Najin tilted his head but repeated it once more.

“It’s enjoyable. Being with you.”

Thump, Dieta’s heart beat loudly.

Dieta staggered backward. As she retreated, she quickly covered her mouth with her hand, and she was truly grateful that she wasn’t too late in covering it.

Because the corners of her mouth had risen uncontrollably. No matter how much she tried to control her expression, she simply couldn’t. She was probably making an unpleasantly grinning face.

‘No, this is unavoidable, isn’t it?’

With her ears turning bright red, Dieta looked at Najin. Does this person not realize what he just said? Isn’t this practically a confession? Should I confess too? Is this the moment?

A critical hit that numbed her reason. She couldn’t make proper judgments. Dieta’s head was spinning. If the usual Dieta could see her now, she would cry out, “You crazy girl, get a grip,” but…

‘Should I really do it now? Just go for it?’

Naturally, the usual Dieta couldn’t be heard now.

Of course, she had her excuses.

Who was Najin? He was a man as stoic as a wooden block who wouldn’t even blink when she openly showed her affection. A person who rarely expresses his emotions properly, only occasionally showing a charming smile.

And suddenly, he says something like this?

Of course, she knows. That those words don’t have that meaning. Najin still doesn’t understand romantic feelings, and he probably meant it in a purely innocent way, as a friend to a friend. Dieta isn’t unaware of this fact.

But… knowing doesn’t make it easy to calm down. Extending her arm to stop Najin from approaching, Dieta turned her head away. Looking at that face made it impossible for her to calm down.

“J-just a moment.”

Dieta took a deep breath.

Long and slow.

She calmed her heart as she regulated her breathing.

Get a grip, Dieta. Didn’t you resolve to build the relationship slowly? Didn’t you decide to take down Najin slowly but surely? Approaching so suddenly, so emotionally, isn’t like you.

The Snake that Swallows the Gold Coins is an excellent merchant.

An excellent merchant always acts rationally.

After taking deep breaths for nearly three minutes, Dieta raised her head. With a relaxed smile, she was about to respond with something like, “You say you’re happy to be with me? That’s an embarrassing thing to say, but I don’t dislike it.”

“With me, um, so…”

But she couldn’t.

“Ugh…”

The moment she looked directly at Najin’s face.

Dieta’s mind went blank.

She couldn’t remember what she was trying to say.

…The Snake that Swallows the Gold Coins becomes an ordinary girl when standing before Najin.

Eloquent speech to win the other’s favor, plans, schemes, acting, gestures—all are useless before this man. Everything that adorns her is stripped away. What remains is just a girl named Dieta, who stammers and rolls her eyes, not knowing what to do.

While Dieta finds this embarrassing…

She doesn’t entirely dislike it either.

“……”

A mind blanked out. Lips that move without forming words. Normally, she would stop here. She would either turn her head away in embarrassment or mutter in a shrinking voice, “It’s nothing…” and flee the scene.

But why?

Today, she didn’t want to do that.

Because Najin showed a smile she had never seen before? Because he shared a sincere sentiment that was embarrassing but pleasant? Because when the other person confronts her with sincerity, she doesn’t want to respond with falsehood?

Or is it because the fact that he’s leaving and they won’t see each other often makes her anxious? Because she wants to move forward from their current relationship? Because of desire?

She couldn’t pinpoint just one reason. All those reasons combined into an unknown force that pushed Dieta’s back. It made her lips move.

“Najin.”

“Yes, Dieta. What is it?”

All words are spoken with planning. Considering how the other person will hear what she’s saying, how these words will function later, how they will help or harm—that’s how the usual Dieta chooses her words.

But not now.

Now, she’s just saying the words that come to mind.

“You said earlier that you’re thankful for me being your friend. That you’d like us to remain friends like this in the future.”

Najin nodded.

Dieta looked up at Najin. She doesn’t know what expression she’s making right now. She didn’t care. She just wanted to say what she wanted to say.

“About that. Being friends is nice, but um…”

Dieta knows.

That she’s being hasty right now. That she’s excited. And she also knows that there’s no need to be so rushed.

Despite knowing, she doesn’t stop.

Rationally thinking, this is the wrong answer. It’s full of risks. There’s no need to rush into this. If a merchant were to make such a deal, Dieta would mock them, saying, “That’s third-rate.”

But.

‘So what?’

The corner of Dieta’s mouth twitched.

What’s wrong with not acting rationally? What’s wrong with acting emotionally? What’s wrong with acting on impulse? There’s no law against it.

Being calculating is enough for the “Snake that Swallows the Gold Coins.”

Before Najin, Dieta wanted to be a girl.

“Unfortunately, that won’t work.”

The girl smiled mischievously.

“Because what I want is more than friendship.”

A boy advancing to a broader stage.

A boy who will experience countless things and meet countless people in the future. Dieta didn’t want to be remembered by him as just “a memory from the past.” She desired to be an intense memory that wouldn’t fade with the passage of time.

Dieta took one step closer than usual.

She added one more word than usual.

Ignoring her reason, which was screaming that if she was going to stop, now was the time, that she could still salvage the situation, Dieta approached Najin. One step, then another. At a distance where their breaths could touch, she took one more step.

Thud.

She approached until only she was reflected in Najin’s eyes.

Then she spoke, emphasizing each word.

“I like you, Najin.”

So that even this boy, who was clueless about romance, could understand, Dieta charged head-on, leaving no room for escape.

A straightforward and honest attack.

In terms of swordsmanship, it was like the sword of Atanga.