episode_0137

I smoothed the pommel of my sword, looking at the red-haired female student who was standing quietly in front of me, looking down without saying a word.

Obviously the name… … . Was it Charlotte La Rochelle? Yeah, you’re probably right. There is only one noble family in the kingdom with such bright red hair.

I slowly blinked and remembered what happened a little while ago.

‘Oh my, what am I supposed to protect?’

Why did you say that? If I just didn’t know what to do, I would have just asked something like, “What should I do?”

No, what was that long and meaningless nonsense before those words came out in the first place? It’s strange now that I think about it. Just gibberish, just saying whatever comes to mind.

Was I always like that? Or is this just because I’m not in a good condition? … ?

Feeling the same suffocating feeling as when I was covered in a blanket all the way to my head, I sighed and bent my neck from side to side to relax my neck.

When I heard the sound of the bone, I felt a cool and slightly tingling pain. My head, which had been hot from being filled with thoughts, cooled down a little.

“I’m sorry. I guess I asked something that was difficult to answer.”

He said that to the redhead, who still couldn’t respond, and pulled out the sword that had been stuck in the ground.

At the same time, the redhead who had been standing quietly without saying anything raised her head, and her eyes met with bright red eyes that looked like they had been carved out of precious stones.

‘――Eyes, ■■ ■Ah■’

The area under my eyes trembled reflexively as a very brief memory passed through my mind.

what? No, I just remembered something… … .

“――Mr.?”

It was a memory that passed by so quickly, and even when I tried to recall it, it didn’t come out, as if it was blocked by something.

It wasn’t that I was forced to cut off my memories. I just thought, ‘Ah, that picture I saw back then. ‘What was the title?’, ‘Oh, what was the name of the food I ate then?’, it was just that level of blockage.

Just when I was about to get irritated by the feeling that it felt like I could grasp it, but that it flew away when I stretched out my hand, I heard someone’s voice in front of me.

‘Hermel――’

“Princess?”

“Huh? Ah, yes.”

When I started to hear the sound that had been distant for a while again, I looked ahead, startled and trembled without realizing it.

“Are you okay?”

“What?”

“There was no answer when I called.”

I said that? I blinked for a moment, then scratched my head and nodded, feeling like I had definitely heard her voice.

“Sorry, I have something to think about for a moment. so. Why did you call me?”

“The answer to the question you just asked is too grand to say. I want to tell you my opinion.”

“… … .”

I blinked at her answer. Already found the answer?

no… … . Since you said it was just an opinion, isn’t that an answer? After all, it’s not a problem without an answer in the first place.

I gave up my expectations and nodded, and she looked at me quietly and opened her mouth.

“The princess’s worries are that she has developed strength, but she is worried because she doesn’t know what to protect, right?”

I unconsciously nodded at her words. Because it was true.

Then she said, putting a war side as big as her height on her shoulder.

‘■■ ■■ Do–‘

“It’s a really simple story, but I think it’s good to travel the world until the princess finds something she wants to protect.”

The posture seemed to overlap as if I had seen it many times before, and the voices seemed to overlap as if I had heard them many times somewhere.

When I blinked, all the overlapping images disappeared like ghosts. There was only a red-haired girl wearing the same school uniform as me standing there.

“… … Huh?”

It was strange, but I felt like I was missing something, so I asked again without realizing it, and she smiled slightly and continued talking.

“Don’t be caught up in your position as a princess, and don’t be caught up in the idea that you have to accomplish something. I think it’s better for the princess to be free to do things at her own pace. Whatever happened.”

Her smile as she said that felt like a mask covering up her fake emotions.

To others, it might not have seemed like a very special smile, but it was visible to me, who had dealt with the royal ministers and my sister who always treated me with a mask on.

“Ah… … .”

This is probably the character I hate the most. She’s definitely the same person as the older sister I hated so much.

For some reason I couldn’t say anything.

“Ah, this deviates significantly from the question of what should be kept… … . That’s right.”

Her smiling face looked so sad.

‘■Ma■, give me ■■■’

“As you travel the world, until you come across something you want to protect. Until then, how about protecting the world?”

Memories that do not remain in my mind block my speech.

I couldn’t say anything.

* * *

“… … okay. It’s somewhat helpful.”

Did he like my answer? At least Hermel responded with a much better look than the first time.

Feeling a little at ease, I adjusted the war side draped over my shoulder, but Hermel looked down at his sword for a moment and returned it to the weapon rack.

“Princess?”

“I thought of something urgent to do. Thank you for consulting and hanging out with me.”

After saying that, Hermel turned his back and headed out of the training hall.

I smiled slightly and spoke to Hermel as he walked away.

“I’m glad you found it helpful.”

Hermel must have heard my voice, but he stopped for a moment and turned to look at me.

Hermel’s eyes, which I thought contained nothing, contained a small amount of emotion.

“You.”

However, that feeling was not the feeling of interest or interest that I was worried about, nor was it the feeling of irritation or contempt that I was afraid of.

There was only one emotion in Hermel’s eyes: pity.

“I’m saying this because I received help, but if it’s hard, it’s better to be honest and say that it’s hard. It’s harder to look at someone with a face that looks like they’re about to cry.”

I responded to Hermel’s words with a small smile.

“I will take your advice to heart.”

I don’t know if he liked my answer or not, but Hermel turned his back without saying a word.

It’s getting farther away. She gets away from me. The wound that had just begun to scab is opening up again.

“Okay. This is it.”

As I was standing quietly in the empty gymnasium, something I said before leaving Hermel’s gymnasium bothered me, so I raised my hand and traced it near my mouth and eyes.

The face that could be felt from the slightly trembling fingertips was drawing a smile so beautiful that anyone could tell that she was smiling.

“You’re definitely smiling… … .”

How did you find out?

After standing blankly for a moment, I smiled bitterly, hung up my war side again, and walked out of the training hall.

I took a step forward with the intention of wandering around aimlessly again, but then turned around and headed towards the dormitory.

“I need to quickly make a fuss and get out of the academy… … .”

I quickly returned to the dormitory and went straight back to my room.

Hermel was not lying when he said that he had something urgent to do, and the room was empty.

Originally, I planned to wait until night, but after meeting Hermel, I changed my mind.

I don’t think we should delay any longer. It’s really dangerous.

‘If I hesitate any longer, I think I’ll be tied down by Hermel.’

I thought my thoughts would change over time and that I could do it, but… … .

It was all my mistake. I was so shaken after only one day that I even received that advice from Hermel. But do you think it will get better over time?

Yes, I already know that the human mind does not work as one thinks, but this incident made me realize it again.

‘Don’t get entangled, don’t get caught. ‘Do what you want to do.’

I said so, but if I can’t keep it, it won’t work.

okay. Don’t stop. It’s already something that can’t be undone. I started it, so I have to see it through to the end. And you can’t stop anyway.

I took out the wine I had kept under the bed and went straight out.

“Is it this way?”

The sun hadn’t completely set yet, but it was time to wander outside for a while, so I couldn’t feel any signs of presence inside the girls’ dormitory, which was my destination, or in the back of the dormitory.

As we went a little deeper, we found a huge tree that seemed to symbolize the word “old tree” itself. Just bury it down here, that’s it.

“I never thought there would come a day in my life when I would dig the ground.”

After muttering that, I put the wine bottle down next to me and started digging.

If I had sneaked out at night, I would have been able to grab a shovel, but since I just went outside without any proper equipment, I had to dig with my bare hands.

My hands were covered in dirt and my fingernails that I had grown needlessly were almost broken, but I was somehow able to dig out all the space for the wine bottle.

I wiped the sweat from my forehead with the back of my hand, buried the wine in the ground, and got up.

“Now, if you just deliver the letter… … .”

As I was shaking my hands, I closed my mouth as I looked at the school uniform that was covered in dirt.

Before that… … . I need to wash up a bit.