Chapter 40
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Chapter 40
"Did it work?"
Baraha Islaf called out to her from atop the barracks. Echinacea nodded.
"Your instincts are sharp. I have a feeling it's going to succeed...!"
Before she could finish speaking, the entire Nodule trembled as if struck by an earthquake. The cracks in the void spread with terrifying speed. And like a crumbling eggshell, the twilight-stained sky began to fracture and crumble away. Beyond it, a brilliant azure sky emerged. The liquid beneath her feet grew faint and hazy before slowly vanishing. The corpses of demons scattered like dust and dissolved. Only the damaged barracks remained standing.
Space warped and contracted, sending vibrations through the air. Echinacea pressed her hand to her mouth, fighting the nausea, while Baraha Islaf gripped a tent post for support.
Then, as suddenly as it had begun, everything stopped. The White Raven Gorge, now free of mist, came into view in the distance. The sky was a clear, bright blue. They were directly above where the camp had been. Everything that had been swallowed by the Nodule had returned to its rightful place.
"We really made it back..."
Baraha Islaf muttered in disbelief. Echinacea leaped down from the barracks and surveyed her surroundings. In an instant, she sensed something approaching at tremendous speed. She reflexively moved to defend herself, then stopped as she recognized who it was.
"Commander... ah—"
Before she could say anything more, she was pulled into an embrace.
The movement was desperate. A subtle fragrance enveloped her. Silvery hair tumbled down over her in disarray. A firm chest pressed against her through his uniform. Within it, a heart was pounding as if it might shatter. The rhythm was so intense she could feel it against her cheek where it pressed against his chest.
Large hands cradled the back of her head, then threaded through her damp hair, brushing it back. His other hand tilted her chin upward. His fingers traced her jawline, moving upward to gently touch her eyes, then caress her cheeks.
His fingertips trembled faintly—as if confirming this was real and not a phantom. A low, pained sound escaped from above her head. Echinacea looked up. Through the cascade of long silver hair falling toward her, she could see Yurien de Harden Kirie's face.
The moment she saw it, she found herself unable to speak. Her mind went blank.
A face that looked as though it had collapsed and barely been reconstructed, as though it had wandered through a parched desert and finally touched water's edge, as though a blind person had recovered the light they'd lost, unable to decide whether to express anguish or joy first. That kind of face.
His blue eyes wavered like a water-soaked sky. His eye sockets flushed red. His lips trembled, uncertain whether to cry or smile. Tears gathered at the corners of his eyes, swelling precariously on the verge of falling.
An expression she could never have imagined on Yurien de Harden Kirie's face. No—an expression she had never seen on anyone's face before. As if she were someone irreplaceable to him, someone no one else could ever substitute for.
'Why...'
Why like that? Why are you looking at me with that expression? It's as if you're looking at someone you truly love. Why? That can't be. You remember. You remember what I've done, the day I destroyed you.
Ah, that's right—you don't know I'm that demon, do you? Are you pretending to love me to lower my guard, to confirm whether I'm a demon? It has to be that. It's the only thing that makes sense. You couldn't possibly love me. If you knew me, this couldn't be happening.
You don't know who I am. Even if you did, it would be impossible for you to love me. So then, what am I to you—not as a 'demon,' but as 'Echinacea Loaz'? Who is that expression directed at? Are the emotions you're showing me now... real?
Her thoughts scattered chaotically. Afraid she might deceive herself, Echinacea pushed him away roughly. Yurien de Harden Kirie stumbled backward, completely defenseless. He hadn't even tensed reflexively or raised his guard.
As he fell back, he looked at her with the confused expression of a wanderer cast out from paradise. Then, slowly, focus returned to his blue eyes. His silver eyelashes blinked several times, and his gaze regained its composure. The tears that had gathered at his eyes were wiped away without falling. His scattered expression settled into calm.
The first thing he did upon regaining his composure was apologize. His voice still trembled with lingering emotion.
"I was discourteous to you. I was so relieved... I'm sorry for embracing you so suddenly."
"...No, it's fine. I was just startled."
"It was truly a mistake. Please forgive my rudeness."
"Not at all, Commander. Please don't worry about it."
"Are you unharmed? Are you injured anywhere?"
"I'm not hurt at all. How much time has passed?"
"...Two days."
Their words exchanged between them like walls being erected—cautious, as if afraid the other might break or flee, as if each feared losing self-control and crossing a line.
Only Baraha Islaf, who had been watching in bewilderment at the sudden turn of events, noticed it. His eyes narrowed. What on earth was this? Suddenly, the incident in the stable came to mind. The moment he'd met Yurien de Harden Kirie's gaze, he'd instinctively retreated from Echinacea.
Baraha Islaf carefully inserted himself between them.
"Commander."
"...Baraha Islaf. You're safe as well."
"Yes. There were many demons inside the Nodule, but thanks to Cadet Echinacea being with me, I was able to escape."
"What did I do? You did everything, Senior Baraha Islaf. I only helped you."
At Baraha Islaf's words, Echinacea's eyes went wide and she shook her head frantically. Like cold water splashed on a dazed mind, clarity returned. Terror seized her—the fear of being exposed. She shot desperate glances at Baraha Islaf. You said you'd keep it secret, you damned senior!
Baraha wasn't looking at her. He was staring at Yurien de Harden Kirie as he spoke.
"Without Cadet Echinacea Loaz, I wouldn't have made it back alive. Her contribution is immense. I believe she protected me."
"Senior Baraha!"
I couldn't help myself and approached him, placing my hand on his ribs. It looked like a light touch, but it was actually a sharp pinch. Baraha ignored the throbbing sensation. I laughed awkwardly and muttered.
"The demonic beasts were nothing special. You're giving me too much credit, Senior."
Yurien de Harden Kirie's expression was calm. Yet for just a moment, Baraha didn't miss the flicker in his eyes. His gaze lingered briefly on my hand touching Baraha's ribs. Yurien de Harden Kirie soon spoke as if nothing had happened.
"I'm grateful you both returned safely from the Nodule. There will be separate commendations upon our return. Speak with the Vice-Commander about what happened and the return schedule. Once again, welcome back. You've done well."
His tone was businesslike. He turned and walked away. Other people were approaching them. I spotted Alice Winterbell among them, her pale face barely showing relief. My heart warmed. Keeping my gaze on Alice, I called out to Baraha curtly.
"Senior."
"What."
"You said you'd keep it hidden."
"I did keep it hidden."
"What if they say it was because of me?"
"It's the truth. Besides, you said you'd show improvement in your skills. Tell them you improved your swordsmanship through facing the threat of death this time."
"You certainly know how to talk."
"I appreciate the compliment."
In the meantime, Alice Winterbell came running over. She stood before me and caught her breath for a moment, then suddenly flared up with anger and spoke.
"I was so worried!"
"I'm sorry, Alice."
"That's not something you need to apologize for!"
"Ah."
Vice-Commander Baron approached Baraha. He looked at Baraha with heavy eyes, then gripped his shoulder firmly. Baron's mouth said nothing, but instead his hand gripping the shoulder spoke volumes. Baraha bowed deeply.
* * *
On May 15th, 1629, the Changtian Knights concluded the suppression of White Raven Gorge.
A Nodule suddenly appeared and one cadet died, but aside from that unfortunate cadet, there were only wounded. For a Nodule to have appeared, the casualties were remarkably few.
Suspicions arose briefly about the deceased cadet, but considering the situation inside the Nodule as understood through the survivors' testimonies, the probability of it being an accident caused by demonic beasts was high, so it quickly subsided. The deceased was honored as a fallen soldier, and the Knight Commander personally sent a letter and condolences to the cadet's family.
The Suppression Unit returned to Agenka two days later, on May 17th.
Upon arriving at the Dormitory after a long time, I saw a mana telegram that had arrived during my absence. The sender was Nicole Sizton.
―Planning to visit Agenka with a distinguished guest for escort duty. We'll discuss the white lion then.
Act 5. What Reveals Itself and What Cannot Be Controlled
The first thing I did upon returning to Agenka was to collapse into bed. I was fine until I arrived at my dormitory room the evening before, read the telegram, and fell asleep, but I collapsed the next morning, which startled my roommate Alice Winterbell.
In fact, I had already been ill since the day after leaving the Nodule. Having thrashed about so much inside the Nodule, this fever was inevitable. I couldn't lie in bed while finishing the suppression and returning, so I simply didn't show it.
During the return, I moved with the other cadets rather than with the Giosa Owners, so I didn't encounter Yurien de Harden Kirie. I was inwardly grateful for that. I had a feeling that if I'd faced him, he would have seen through my condition again.
Having moved about with the fever the whole time, I thought today would be fine too. The moment I opened my eyes, I realized my condition wasn't good, but I thought it was nothing serious. The result of that negligence came when I collapsed while entering the bathroom.
Honestly, I was embarrassed about collapsing. Not even a Master, but someone at a level beyond Master, brought down by a fever.
'I should have just sustained myself with mana. I really underestimated it.'
"Echinacea, wouldn't it be better to call a doctor?"
Alice Winterbell fidgeted nervously and brought a basin of water. If I left her alone, she seemed ready to stay by my side and nurse me, so I stopped her.
"Why would I call a doctor? I'm really fine. So..."
"Fine? What's fine about this? Your fever is this high!"
"Just rest for a bit and I'll be fine. Alice, go train right now. The overall ranking tournament isn't far off."
"But...."
"This is just a minor case of body aches. The kind that goes away with sleep. So go out and do what you need to do. I can't sleep with Alice here worrying about me."
I practically shoved Alice out the door with exasperation. The overall ranking tournament was approaching fast, and I didn't want to steal her training time. Besides, this really was just body aches.
I'd anticipated the soreness itself, but it seemed that forcing myself to hold back had made things worse. My entire body felt utterly drained. I could move normally if I channeled mana, but there was no urgent reason to do so.
'I should rest today and do nothing else.'
I burrowed deep into the bed. From that position, I used mana to wet a towel in the basin Alice had left behind. The damp cloth floated through the air and settled gently atop my head. The coolness felt wonderful. I murmured while keeping my hand on the towel.
"Tomorrow is the official Squire appointment ceremony. Yurien de Harden Kirie will probably figure it out somehow.... Will I feel better if I rest well today?"
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