For the first time in a while, the high-rising sun scattered its warm menstrual blood. Though time had faded it slightly, its vigor remained unchanged; craning my neck upward, the hot traces of blood fell hutuduk upon my face. The sun bared its lower abdomen through the frigid wind, throwing a tantrum that I found far from pleasant.

Seeking shelter from the sunlight beneath a large tree, I stared blankly upward. Peeking through the skirt of leaves made me feel exactly like a peeping tom. Immorality had become an essential virtue in this world.

Truthfully, it wasn’t just my imagination. After all, a girl was actually up there, her skirt fluttering in the wind. But she was so high up that she escaped my line of sight. Thus, instead of reaching out with a hand that couldn’t reach her, I projected my voice toward her.

“Saya. How is it? Can you see well?”

“I’m still looking. I’m sorry, but could you wait just a little longer?”

“Don’t overexert yourself.”

Despite asking in a rather quiet voice, she seemed to have heard me. The more I learned about an elf’s senses, the more astonishing they were. Her sight reached places that should have been impossible to see, and she could hear voices that should have been inaudible with perfect clarity.

Having her made scouting from such a distance possible. We were in a forest quite far from the Academy, yet Saya could peer into the very interiors of the buildings. It would have been impossible if I were alone.

Of course, this alone wasn’t enough to know everything. We could only obtain superficial information. To grasp the detailed situation, we would ultimately have to go inside.

“Haa…”

I let out a sigh, hoping Saya wouldn’t hear it. The breath I exhaled aimlessly bloomed into white mist before my eyes.

It had already been three days since that day. A considerable amount of time had passed, yet here I was, still merely observing the situation at the Academy.

The deadline Roselia had mentioned was fast approaching. She had said that if I didn’t go to her within three days, they would come looking for me. I knew that choosing the latter meant abandoning the initiative, but I simply couldn’t muster the courage.

Why was that? Was I only now getting scared? Was I trembling at the thought of the Academy running even more amok than before, now that Heiter—that bastion of minimal reason—was gone? Was I shivering at the prospect of having to spill more blood?

Perhaps that was it. Going back there now would undoubtedly mean bearing a far greater risk than before. With the external threat gone, the only remaining outsiders in the Academy were the women of the Annex—and me. I had absolutely no idea how they would react when they saw me now.

Of course, thinking about it more deeply, it felt like an excuse. Allies like Roselia and Roman were still inside, and no matter how dangerous it was, I could just come up with a plan. Thinking like that made it seem like there was another reason hidden beneath the surface.

Or perhaps it was simply because there was someone inside that I no longer wanted to face.

I wasn’t sure. Not understanding my own emotions was merely exhausting.

Just then, a cold breeze brushed past my ears. It seemed even the sun couldn’t sufficiently warm the frosty weather. I shrugged my shoulders slightly and spoke upward.

“Saya. Come down now. It’s cold.”

“Okay. I’m coming down. I should be careful not to hit you, right?”

“You just be careful coming down…”

“I’m coming down!”

“Wait…!”

At that moment, something leaped peoljjik from the top of the tree and plummeted toward me in a flash. I knew I should have dodged, but my body reacted faster than my head. Reaching out instinctively, I ended up catching Saya’s body by accident.

“Ah!”

“…Ah.”

Realizing my mistake, I stared blankly at Saya’s face. She seemed immensely flustered as well, meeting my eyes with her small lips parted. Even so, the body that naturally nestled into my arms was incredibly light. It was as if there was no impact at all, despite her falling from such a high place.

However, the sensation was transmitted vividly. Even without her signature scent of forget-me-nots, the weight of her soft skin was enough to stimulate a boy’s instincts. Before I even realized where I was holding her, I quickly set her down on the ground.

“You didn’t have to do this, Lope.”

“I know. But I keep doing this without thinking.”

“But thank you for catching me. Your feelings make me so happy.”

Even though it was entirely my fault, Saya smiled singgeus. She never forgot to express gratitude for even the most trivial things. Since she was the first person to treat me this way, I felt like I would never get used to it.

No. Not a person, but an elf. That made it feel all the more surreal. The figure of an elf blending into the forest possessed a lethal dose of beauty.

…

Had I perhaps grown too accustomed to this fleeting slice of everyday life? Was that why I was hesitating to step back into the dangers of the Academy?

It was another possibility. But I tried my best to erase it from my mind.

“Um… So, did you see anything noticeable, Saya? Or anything that caught your eye?”

“I’m sorry, but I couldn’t see much today either. It’s a bit far for me as well, and most of the curtains were drawn. I did spot a man and a woman kissing by the front gate, but that probably doesn’t matter, right?”

“It probably doesn’t matter… but were there any signs of it being forced?”

“The woman had her fists clenched tight, and the man was grabbing the woman by the hair.”

“Then you can just forget about it.”

As expected, there was a limit to observing from afar. I had reached the same conclusion yesterday, making this nothing more than a meaningless repetition. No matter how much we walked the beach, there were no boats in sight, and even if there were, we lacked the skills to sail them.

Ultimately, to get off this island, I had to make contact with Roselia. Otherwise, we would have to find a way to contact the mainland ourselves.

Of course, the latter possibility was faint.

“There wasn’t enough information to be helpful, was there?”

“That’s not it, Saya. I expected as much.”

“I’ll do a little better next time, Lope.”

“No.”

In the meantime, Saya blamed herself. Since it was absolutely not her fault, I answered nonchalantly.

“I wouldn’t have been able to do it without you anyway.”

“There’s no need to comfort me so much. Anyone can climb a tree.”

“Normal humans can’t. Much less climb and jump around so lightly. That’s why rumors are going around about a strange flying beast roaming about.”

“A flying beast?”

Saya tilted her head in question at my words. Then, as if finding it amusing, she perked up her ears jjonggit.

“I don’t remember jumping around in the trees like that, but I guess rumors spread anyway. The only flying beast I’ve actually seen since that day is the Dusk Bird.”

“Dusk Bird?”

“Yeah. The bird that delivered my mother’s mark to me.”

“Ah.”

The unfamiliar name stirred up memories of the past. It was a story I didn’t even need to pay attention to, but in a situation like this, I needed exactly that.

“What’s this Dusk Bird? If it can deliver a mark, it can’t be an ordinary bird.”

“It’s not an ordinary bird. It’s a bird from the Land of Elves. I heard my father gave it to my mother as a gift when she left that place.”

“Does it have any special meaning?”

“The Dusk Bird lives its entire life in darkness. It is cared for within the dark shadows of a household, feeding on its master’s love and mana.”

“So that’s why it’s called a Dusk Bird?”

“Yeah. Then, just once, when it feels death approaching, it takes to the sky. At that moment, as a way to repay the grace of being cared for its entire life, it grants a single request. My mother used it to deliver the mark to me.”

Saya’s voice grew slightly moist as she spoke. The emotion of learning the fate of one’s family from afar was hard for me to even imagine.

“She originally gave it to me to use when sending letters to the Land of Elves. Because no courier could deliver a letter to that land. But it seems my mother thought of me before my father.”

“…”

“So I’ll have to go to that land to deliver news of my mother. Maybe I’ve become the last courier left on this land.”

Saya looked up at the sky after finishing her words. Just as she said, no flying beast was flying in that sky. Perhaps they had left the throne empty, waiting for the ruler that would soon arrive.

The mark on the back of my hand felt heavy anew. No matter how I thought about it, it wasn’t something I deserved to receive.

A conversation that started so lightly had only tangled my thoughts further. Lately, nothing seemed to go my way, even in these trivial matters.

As the sky gradually soaked in orange hues, a familiar path trod beneath my feet. Saya nudged my elbow seuljjik to get my attention.

“We’re already here. Talking made the trip feel so short.”

“Yeah.”

Looking up at her words, the door to the dorm room came into view. My ears were already ringing, and my head felt like it was throbbing. Right. Unfortunately, Saya wasn’t the only cohabitant of this daily life.

I sighed inwardly and took out the key. Then Saya asked cautiously.

“Should we not knock? If we just walk in, Haru will be startled, won’t she?”

“She probably heard our voices. She has sharp ears too.”

“But…”

“It’s fine.”

I opened the door without hesitation. The scene I had expected entered my sight.

“Haru. We’re back.”

“…”

“Haru.”

“…”

“Haa…”

A sigh escaped me helplessly. Over it, Haru’s faint breathing settled along with the ppigeudeok sound of a chair.

Haru, leaning back in her chair, looked perfectly peaceful. Seeing the sword she gripped tightly and the scars around her eyes, some might feel intimidated, but the breathing coming from her was far too relaxed for that. Saya tilted her head ambiguously and asked.

“Is she asleep?”

“I don’t know. She always has her eyes closed, so I can’t tell.”

“She seems to be sleeping…”

“I’m not sleeping.”

Haru’s clear voice interjected amidst our uncertain conversation. She spoke as if she had been awake the whole time, but I simply couldn’t bring myself to believe that. My trust in this blind girl was crumbling at an alarming rate.

“You were sleeping.”

“I was completely awake. And with my nerves sharpened to a fine point, no less.”

“Then answer me. I came hopping on one leg halfway through; when did I start doing that?”

“Why do you care about that? More importantly, come here quickly. Let me smell you.”

Haru casually cut off the conversation and stretched out both arms jjuk. Was she trying to naturally pass that off as a stretch? When I frowned, Saya stepped in for me.

“Um, Haru. How long are you going to do that? Lope seems uncomfortable.”

“Absolutely not. The Senior actually likes this sort of thing.”

“I didn’t sense that at all. Was that true, Lope?”

“Stop talking nonsense and move from there, Haru. Why are you sitting in front of the storage on purpose?”

“Well… I’m just naturally snacking while standing guard. Are you hungry? Here, have some canned food. This one’s tasty.”

“…Right. Thanks. What about you, Saya?”

“I still have some left.”

When I asked, Saya lifted a half-eaten piece of bread with a happy expression. She still had that much left? In the meantime, it seemed as if an elf’s lips had a preservative effect, as the bread showed no signs of spoiling at all.

I wanted to nag her more, but hunger took precedence. Sitting on the edge of the bed and opening the can, a fishy scent wafted out. At the same time, Haru, smacking her lips noisily, spoke up.

“So, did you find anything today? Any harvest?”

“You’re eating again.”

“What do you mean ‘again’? You haven’t even seen me eat. More importantly, did you find anything or not?”

“No. Only things to lose.”

I naturally looked at Haru. Perhaps the gaze she shouldn’t have been able to feel tickled her, as she jerked her head away paek.

“Who do you think doesn’t know you’re staring over here? Stop nagging. How much could I have possibly eaten in three days?”

“But Haru. I saw earlier that the storage was quite empty. I don’t want to suspect you, but it seems like you’re eating quite a lot.”

“Saya, you noticed that in the middle of all this? You really have good eyes. And your voice is so pretty. I haven’t seen you, but at this point, aren’t you elf-tier?”

“Uh… Um…”

Saya looked troubled and glanced at me for help. But not wanting to get more exhausted, I averted my gaze. Behind me, their conversation continued noisily.

Normally, it would have been a silent mealtime. Before that day, or after it, it had always been the same. I had never thought it would change much even when Saya arrived.

But after Haru arrived, the quiet daily life changed entirely. Perhaps to vent her frustration over her blindness, the blind girl chattered all day long. It made me wonder how she had ever lived quietly before.

At first, her vivacity was just annoying. But slowly, there were times I felt it wasn’t so bad. Sometimes, I even wondered if this was what it felt like to be alive.

Perhaps, just as Heiter had said, I was actually lonely.

It seemed a broken clock was really right exactly twice a day.

“Um… I’m asking because I can’t see. Has it gotten dark outside? I really don’t know.”

At Saya’s sudden question, I looked out the window and saw that dusk had already fallen. Perhaps because winter was approaching, the days had grown incredibly short. It seemed to hint that the nights of this world would only grow longer.

“You figured it out. How did you notice?”

“I was starting to get sleepy for some reason.”

“You slept that much and you’re still sleepy?”

“I told you I wasn’t sleeping.”

“Are you getting ready for bed, Lope? Then I’ll warm up some water for you.”

“No. There’s no need…”

“We can just use magic, so don’t worry about it. I’ll be right back.”

Before I could even stop her, Saya stood up and headed to the bathroom. Then Haru shook her head jeolre-jeolre and spoke in a loud voice.

“Ah, I should have come here before Saya. If I had, that bed would be mine, and I’d have to listen to less nagging.”

“Not at all. And you’re the one who said you’d sleep in the chair. Don’t change your tune now.”

“Sleeping sitting up has become a habit. They never gave me a place to lie down over there. More importantly, is there any need for the two of you to share a bed? Is there a reason you have to do that?”

“If we put two beds, the room will be too narrow.”

“Fair enough. I’ll think of it that way.”

Haru spoke as if doing a favor and tilted her head back. Soon, the sound of water boiling bogul-bogul came from the bathroom. It seemed Saya was too focused on that to hear us.

Then, Haru’s ever-cheerful expression subsided slightly. And a low voice flowed out.

“No significant results, huh. Maybe you’ll have to go out with me tomorrow.”

“…Maybe so.”

“Of course, you’ll have to bring your sword, right?”

“Yeah.”

She seemed to live without a care, but it appeared Haru had a rough grasp of the situation as well, considering she was thinking of going to the Academy together. Moreover, she knew how to poke at aspects I hadn’t even considered.

“What about Saya during that time?”

“She’ll have to stay here.”

“Isn’t that dangerous?”

“Even so, I don’t want to take her there.”

“I suppose so.”

For a very brief moment, a fishy stench wafted through the conversation. The scene of that day seemed to float before my eyes. Haru must have felt the same, as she fell silent for a moment.

Just then, Saya walked out of the bathroom. She sat on the edge of the bed and asked kindly.

“Lope. The water is warm. I heated a little extra in case Haru wanted to use it too. What do you want to do, Haru?”

“Ah, thank you. Do you want to go in first, Senior?”

“No, it’s fine. You go in first.”

When I answered nonchalantly, the corners of Haru’s mouth rose seulmyeosi. It seemed she had thought of some nonsense again.

“Or would you like to go in together? I can help you out with that much?”

“What nonsense are you spouting now.”

“No, well, obviously…”

“Ugh.”

In that instant, I covered Saya’s ears with my hands. I thought I did it sal-sal, but it must have hurt, as a small squeak leaked out. Haru watched the scene and beamed singgeul-beonggeul.

“Why are you doing that? I know all about it. When I was in the Annex over there, I had to listen to the sound of the guys in the same room secretly masturbating every night. I don’t know if they were doing it while looking at me, though.”

“If you keep spouting nonsense, I’ll kick you out.”

“Nonsense? The evidence is all there. I have a nose and ears too. I don’t know why you’re denying it when it smells so strongly.”

“What are you talking about.”

“If you came to a man’s room, you should have expected this smell. It’s especially distinct today. Are you really going to play dumb?”

“…Distinct today?”

“Yes. Distinct today.”

“…”

If it were anyone else, I could have passed it off as a joke. But a blind person talking about a smell was not something I could simply ignore.

“That isn’t just a joke, is it.”

“Stop playing dumb. Or can’t you smell it yourself? It’s reeking so much.”

“What smell.”

“Are you really asking because you don’t know?”

Haru frowned slightly. Then, she dropped a single word as if tossing it aside.

“The smell of male semen.”

“…”

I shut my mouth. No matter how hard I tried to recall, it wasn’t a smell that could emanate from this room.

Just in case, I brought my nose to the air seuljjik. But no scent reached me.

“I don’t smell anything.”

“…Um.”

“When did it start?”

“Just now.”

Only then did Haru wipe the smile from her lips. If it wasn’t a smell coming from inside, there was only one remaining source.

I slowly removed my hands from Saya’s ears and turned off the lights in the room. Then, gripping the curtain in one hand, I spoke in a low voice.

“Draw your sword.”