Daylight (3)

 

-Anyway, that’s a brief explanation about the suturing treatment, and if you have any questions, feel free to come find me anytime.

“Haa.”

How am I supposed to find her, and where?

Erica sighed as she walked down the street.

The sun was setting and night was approaching. A rapturous vermilion tint colored the street for a few seconds.

Aureli seemed to show interest in the investigation of the criminal organization,

But since Erica had come down to the Gyeonggi-do branch, things had actually gotten busier, and she hadn’t even formed a preliminary team for the investigation, so there was almost no information she could give to Aureli.

After explaining the current situation like that, Aureli seemed to think for a moment, then simply said she’d come again tomorrow and vanished suddenly.

Then too, and last week as well.

She who became entangled with Erica and then disappeared while only uttering incomprehensible smiles and glib words.

It was impossible not to be concerned.

Of course, as a wanted top-tier Ranker, it was natural that she should be watched and guarded against, but for Aureli, Erica was feeling emotions of a different kind beyond just that.

It was natural.

Even though she had fought with the purpose of definitely killing Aureli, who was synonymous with evil, Aureli had engaged in combat as if enjoying it and instantly crushed her.

And then saved her life through treatment several times.

It was incomprehensible.

Why.

What on earth for?

If she wanted to, she could easily kill Erica or leave her on the brink of death and then negotiate with the Association.

In the strangely continued meetings afterwards, despite the abuse and curses Erica hurled at her, Aureli only gave a small smile every day.

It might be better to think about it in a different way.

Is that her preference?

Then what’s with that smile?

Thinking about it again, Aureli’s smile, seen along with those incomprehensible eyes looking at her, sometimes seemed powerless at a glance.

As if she thought she deserved to be treated that way.

“Haa.”

What on earth is it?

She grabbed her throbbing head and cut off her thoughts.

And so, one step.

As complete darkness dyed the street and illuminated the desolate atmosphere,

When the streetlights emitting pale light decorated one side of the road and welcomed her,

What began to drape over this street she was walking on was not just the streetlights and darkness –

Erica thought at that very moment.

A hazy vermilion hue settled on silver-white hair, exuding a dreamlike atmosphere.

Eyes as blue as the abyss, whose depths one could hardly guess, shone elegantly.

Along with the thought of whether blood was circulating, Erica looked at her pale skin, and then her gaze lingered on the smile at the end, once again drawn to those eyes, and she frowned.

“Hello.”

An unusually beautiful tone.

Still,

She was an incomprehensible girl.

 

This was indeed the right path.

The higher the internal magic power, the easier it is to search, you know.

It’s really convenient.

“…Aureli.”

Ah, she’s so beautiful.

Those eyes looking only at me,

Those moonlight-like eyes that spread the scent of life abundantly and bind me.

They make it impossible not to speak to her.

I was going to anyway.

“It’s been a while.”

To be precise, um, it’s been a day.

“Are you free by any chance?”

Even though I thought I asked politely enough, she only showed a cold expression while tightly gripping the crossbag hanging on one shoulder.

“No.”

Her answer was like that too.

“Actually, you don’t have the right to refuse.”

“…..”

“Your bag is pretty.”

“…What do you want to say?”

“Shall we go out?”

I glanced at the magic circle bound to her arm. It seemed to have entered the middle stage, as it was visibly smaller.

“I really want to have coffee.”

“…Why should I.”

“If you refuse, you’ll see me contemplating which knife to use tonight.”

“…You trash bastard.”

The sight of her glaring at me while biting her lip was truly beautiful too.

“Shall we go?”

“…..”

“Do you need a princess carry again?”

“Shut that mouth.”

In this situation where she quietly followed despite saying that, I once again felt grateful for our relationship as sworn enemies.

Always, until now, when walking the night streets, I was often alone. There were many human shapes, but I was the only one alive among them.

So having one more set of footsteps echoing on this street was enough to give me an inexplicable feeling of excitement.

“How’s your arm?”

“…It’s fine.”

“Seems like there are fewer after-effects due to your high regeneration stat.”

I don’t think I saw wrong, but I saw her nodding slightly.

“…Where are we going?”

“A cafe!”

A bewildered response came back.

“Well, it’s coffee. Where else would we go but a cafe?”

It’s hard for me to go elsewhere. Places with many people bustling about risk exposing my appearance.

“It’s a more ordinary place than I expected.”

“What did you think?”

“Some secluded alley, or something like that….”

That’s true too. That kind of place would suit someone like me.

As we kept walking, I saw the entrance to the bustling area I always saw.

I don’t want to wear a hat.

“Wait a moment.”

I grabbed Erica, who was about to keep walking, and pressed down the wide piece of cloth attached to her nape.

Her hair was pressed down and covered. A large coat covered her mouth and nose.

The coat has now become a part of life.

“What is it?”

“Hm?”

Even in my answer, stuffiness seeped through beyond the collar.

“I can’t go out like this.”

A thoughtful gaze returned along with an expressionless face. Does she go this far? Or is she considering the people around her?

Well, I guess it’s something like that.

But for me, it’s natural. I dislike commotion and don’t want to experience disorder. Especially now that Erica is beside me.

Moreover, I’ve always longed for an ordinary daily life too. Should I not be able to properly drink even one coffee?

“Let’s go. Hurry.”

I took the lead, almost dragging her along, and we reached the cafe after passing through the street.

Looking at the coffee with ice cubes floating in it, I blinked for a moment.

Americano.

Actually, I don’t know why it’s Americano again. Did I unconsciously choose something familiar again?

What I see next to it is, cafe… cafe mocha was it? Something like that, I think.

As far as I know, it was a sweet type.

Seems like she likes sweet things.

“Can I see your arm?”

I waved my hand in the air while looking at Erica, who was sitting next to me. A small blue ring filled with magic power was created and repeatedly expanded and contracted.

She seemed to think it was part of the treatment, as she silently offered her arm without saying anything.

I placed my hand near the sutured area. Feeling the soft skin, I almost unconsciously did something mischievous.

The air current flowed in, and countless blue rings seeped into the magic circle that now seemed completely attached to her arm, layer by layer.

“…Ugh.”

“What, can you feel it?”

“…Don’t say such nonsense.”

Her occasional twitching movements and reddened, swollen cheeks were a bonus.

Well, I can understand her feelings too.

It’s literally an amputation suturing technique. A technique to reattach severed body parts.

It must feel like something foreign, not her own, is being forcibly fitted, so the stimulation must be strong.

I turned my gaze to the sutured area. Looks like about half is left.

I struck up a conversation to wake her mind a bit.

“How do you proceed with the investigation?”

“…Based on the reported information, the investigation team completes preliminary work. We send hunters with search stats matched to each unit of the criminal organization.”

Whether because she realized my stance of trying to get what I want somehow, or because of the promise to start the investigation together, contrary to the expected refusal, Erica continued with a few explanations while frowning.

“That way, we confirm detailed information such as the existence and transfer status of a group, the number of awakened individuals stationed there… and then send a field team. We just started the preliminary work stage today.”

“Do you have a lot of manpower?”

“…The number of people we can put in one team isn’t that many, in extreme cases it could be just you and me going.”

“Oh, that sounds good too.”

Thinking about it carefully, there’s no need for that just because of the small number of people.

“Rather than putting you in my team. It would be better to go just the two of us. I can sufficiently clear out a group on my own.”

In short, it feels like this.

The moment I, an irregular, enter the team, the safety of the field team decreases and their anxiety may even be amplified.

But sending me alone is also a problem. It’s like readily giving information about wanted awakened individuals organized in groups to me, right?

Who knows what I might do.

Therefore, a duo operation with Erica, who leads the department, is a sufficiently understandable judgment.

“…..”

I know my own position all too well. As much as that, I naturally come to understand the Association’s position as well.

“Ah, it’s done.”

The purple magic circle’s color lightened and emitted light.

Erica blinked and stroked her arm. Certainly, it’s been a while since the magic circle’s form has become faint, as if it’s starting to melt into her skin now.

“Even if you don’t like this, there’s no helping it. We have to do it again tomorrow.”

“…I really don’t like it.”

And our eyes met.

It wasn’t a tired look, nor an angry one.

It was a gaze of fervor far beyond intensity, saying she would catch me as soon as this wound heals.

Good. Perfect. This is how it will be from now on.

There are no exceptions to the plan. And many things tailored only for Erica, for that purpose, are being prepared step by step in my mind.

For her to endlessly hate me, and at the end of that, to be able to thoroughly trample me.

So we just need to let things flow like this.

Just like this.

I smiled slightly.