Chapter 76 – Do You Think It’s Possible? (2)

“Th-thank you.”

“……”

Cariel calmly guided her to the chair.

It was only two steps away, but for her weakened legs, it must have felt like more than ten.

“I’ll pour it.”

“O-oh, you don’t have to….”

Cariel filled a wooden bowl with water and handed it to her, then fetched one for himself as well.

“Thank you for your consideration.”

She forced herself to express it in a voice barely above a whisper.

“It’s nothing.”

Answering calmly, Cariel returned to his place, quietly reflecting.

The scene he had just witnessed.

And, 

“……”

A single candle dimly illuminating one side of her face.

The darkness settled around her as if it naturally belonged, ready to devour everything.

In the depths of that sunken blackness, the worn staff tilted gently in her hand.

He gazed at it for a moment.

“Don’t you have any questions for me?”

He posed the question.

“Pardon?”

She responded belatedly.

But Cariel waited in silence.

……

“We’re back, huh? You were just sitting here the whole time? Really?”

The rest of the group returned, carrying the washed dishes with a bit of noise.

“What else did you expect us to do?”

Cariel chuckled and rose to his feet.

“Luillin. Are you staying here?”

“Uh, why?”

“Follow if you want. Stay if you don’t.”

“…I’ll follow, I guess.”

The children then started whining, asking why they couldn’t stay the night.

Watching her soothe them with a troubled face, she looked every bit the eldest sister.

“D-did I cause unnecessary trouble…?”

“Not at all. We were more concerned that staying might trouble you.”

“N-no, not at all.”

Luines denied it awkwardly, but Cariel simply shook his head.

“Don’t worry. She and I will leave quietly once we’re done with our business.”

“……”

No one there could tell what that meant to her.

Only, 

“…I’m sorry.”

“Think nothing of it.”

Cariel returned her respectful bow with one of his own.

“You plan to try drawing the sword again tomorrow, don’t you?”

When Leo asked, Cariel gave a slight nod.

“Then we’ll see you again tomorrow!”

“I told you to give it up! Or are you saying you still have more wishes to make?”

“I’ve got plenty left. Besides, the elder told me to ask the sword, right? So I’ll keep pestering it until it answers.”

“Ugh. Try making sense for once.”

Luciri began scolding Leo, but Cariel, having already turned and left the sanctuary, had no way of knowing how things unfolded from there.

Though delayed, Luillin caught up quickly and asked curiously.

“Weren’t you originally planning to have them stay? I figured your nosy instincts kicked in again and you were trying to prevent retaliation from the guys you beat up.”

“…They can descend the mountain now.”

“Huh?”

Not only did she carry out orders, but she even understood his intentions.

Strictly speaking, in this regard, Luillin was already more than mature.

…Well, at her age, being married or even having a child wouldn’t be strange, so maybe it’s wrong to treat her like a kid.

She looks young, so it’s easy to forget.

“If she has an older sister or brother, she shouldn’t have any big problems.”

“……”

If Luillin says that, she must be at least decent.

With close observation, he could probably gauge her skill to some extent.

…But maybe he hadn’t paid that much attention because he simply wasn’t that interested in others.

If they were enemies, sure, but staring at someone unnecessarily might earn suspicious looks, which would be troublesome in its own right.

“……”

What exactly am I even worrying about?

* * *

When they returned to the Edenrevan Regiment’s branch building, it was still relatively bright inside, despite the late hour.

Apparently, there were still workers around. Carts carrying goods came and went, and the people checking them were bustling about.

At the entrance, a small plaza spread out in the center. With the ceiling wide open, the atmosphere inside was entirely different from how it looked outside.

Even within the village, the branch building stood out as grand.

It was the kind of scale you’d expect to see in a city, almost excessive.

Maybe that’s why it was located in that ambiguous spot, neither truly in the village nor completely outside of it.

“You’re back?”

They ran into Ruslan, who was walking down the corridor.

“Did everything go well?”

“…Yes. Thanks to you.”

As Ruslan tried to cling to Cariel, Luillin shot him a glare.

“There she goes again, wagging her tail.”

“What’s wrong with that? A woman seducing a man. It’s the most natural thing in the world, isn’t it? That’s how you were born too, right?”

“I don’t have a mom or dad, though?”

“Yeah, yeah. Good for you!”

The two of them exchanged absurd remarks with perfect composure.

“Well then, handsome. Head to your room. I’ve got something to tell you, so I’ll stop by in a bit. Ah, and I’ll tell them to prepare hot water too, so help yourself comfortably.”

“Lu. I’m in the next room. If I hear anything, I’ll blast the wall.”

“Sure thing, little one. Big sis will keep it quiet. Want to join? You should become an adult sometime too.”

“Ugh, seriously!”

…They’re having fun, at least.

He could’ve washed at the stream, but someone had already prepared hot water, so he was able to soak his body in warmth.

“……”

Come to think of it, there were public baths in the capital too, but he could never bring himself to go.

What kind of stares would he get?

There’s no time one is more defenseless than when bathing.

And if his clothes were to go missing while undressed, that’d be an even bigger problem.

…The bad memories resurfaced suddenly, and he took slow, deep breaths to clear his mind.

He never knew when he’d be called, so even this kind of relaxed bath wasn’t something he could enjoy freely.

…If he was late because he was bathing, they’d let it go a few times, but mostly it’d be treated as an excuse.

That was largely Father’s fault.

Didn’t he say that even 500 seconds was too long for a bath?

And he truly lived like that.

Mother, having seen that all the time, assumed Cariel would do the same, and eventually just treated him that way.

They still hadn’t let go of the past.

Whether on the battlefield or in enemy territory.

For those who had lived through that dark age, where even bathing had to be done in a flash out of sheer vigilance, my pace must’ve felt like a sluggish snail dragging itself along.

I get it.

But how much am I supposed to understand?

“……”

Still, the fact that I can now grumble and feel annoyed, at least to myself, shows I’ve made progress.

– You’ve given up on protecting the limping girl?

“……”

He lifted his gaze.

“There’s no need to protect her.”

– Why not?

“…You saw it too, didn’t you?”

Using these very eyes.

– A pitiful girl tossed about by the usual tragedy and absurdity. Yeah, I saw enough to get the gist.

“Don’t play dumb.”

– Play dumb? I might be.

She wouldn’t leave me alone, even when I was trying to clear my head.

That damned Demon King.

“Her leg muscles and bones were in surprisingly good condition.”

– Oh?

“In other words, it was an act.”

When I instinctively caught her as she almost collapsed, though I hadn’t been trying to figure anything out, I realized it immediately.

“She’s probably watched her younger brother limp for years. Mimicking that wouldn’t be too hard.”

– And yet her leg’s fine? If she doesn’t actually use it, the muscle should atrophy and her bone density would deteriorate too. You’re saying you figured that out just from carrying her?

“…If there was even the slightest imbalance, it would’ve left a noticeable sense of discomfort.”

It wasn’t something I learned, it just came to me somehow.

…Not something easily explained.

“And that whole situation with that Venus or whoever from the Relief Knights? If you trace it back, it started because of her too.”

– Chalk it up to coincidence?

“There’s a good chance. But even if it is, the timing is too convenient to ignore.”

Even if it wasn’t, I had no reason not to suspect her, especially when there was enough circumstantial evidence.

– You don’t let beauty sway you, which is nice. Guess it helps that you’re good-looking yourself and have been betrayed by a woman.

“……”

She says the most infuriating things.

Just hearing the word “betrayal” instantly brought that damnable image of Eras to mind, even though she didn’t name anyone.

Made me want to scrape my skull clean.

“The most important thing is this. Why… didn’t the sword react to me?”

– No clue. Why don’t you go dig up that Grandeus guy and ask him yourself?

“……”

Still.

So selfish. So shameless.

The utterly monstrous Demon King.

* * *

After bathing, he moved to the assigned room.

Just as he was finishing getting dressed, a knock came at the door, as if they’d been waiting.

“Did you enjoy your bath?”

“Yes. Thanks to you.”

The room wasn’t exactly small, but that was for a single occupant.

With just one more person, it suddenly felt a lot more cramped.

Aside from the bed, desk, and the wall-mounted coat hooks, the rest of the space was barely enough to set anything down.

It was clearly designed to be as minimal as possible.

He gave up the bed and turned the wooden chair, resting his back against it.

“You’re so considerate! You could’ve just sat here with me, though. Still, I appreciate the gesture! Heave-ho!”

The single large candle on the wall was enough to brightly light the room.

The tall, narrow wooden window gave the otherwise bare space a slightly cozier feel.

“There was a message from Philbar, so I thought I’d pass it along.”

“A message?”

“Yes. I’m pretty sure it’s not something you’ll be happy to hear. Vampires are gloomy whether they’re here or there.”

Not exactly the most affectionate words for someone from the same demonic realm.

“I was given a report too, but try not to be too shocked.”

She handed over a red letter.

It had dark candle wax on it, as if it had been sealed again with another insignia, though the lighting made it hard to make out the details.

He tore it open and unfolded the letter inside.

“……”

He couldn’t see clearly.

In the end, he moved closer to the candlelight and read the contents.

“What does it say? Ah, if it’s confidential, you don’t have to tell me. Please read it at your leisure.”

“……”

It was blatant.

There were rumors spreading that she was connected to the Demon King.

Not within the Empire, but rather outside of it, in foreign nations, where the rumors were spreading like a plague.

Meaning this wasn’t natural or coincidental.

Someone was deliberately pushing it.

The letter also said that if he needed help, he should reach out.

“If it says they’re offering unconditional support, it’s probably best not to accept it.”

…As if she were peeking over his shoulder, Ruslan chimed in with a sweet voice.

“……”

“It’s a pretty common trick.”