The blind girl’s gaze was profound. It was a sentence that shouldn’t have made sense, but at the very least, that was the impression I received. I even wondered if a miracle of sight had occurred without my knowing. An absurd suspicion crossed my mind.

Of course, an impossible event remained impossible. Just as what is destined to happen will inevitably happen someday. That was exactly what I thought when Ms. Rebecca visited a few days ago. What will happen, happens eventually.

That was why I confided in Haru about the mark that day. If I wasn’t going to cast her aside eventually, it was a story she needed to hear. Needlessly putting it off would only amplify the burden on the future.

Even so, I couldn’t help but hesitate until the very moment I spoke. I couldn’t even guess what kind of true nature Haru might reveal once she learned about the mark. There was even a distinct possibility she would draw her sword right then and there and hold it to my throat.

However, Haru’s reaction afterward far exceeded my expectations. Because of that, the weight on my shoulders could only grow heavier.

Because…

“…Haru.”

“Yes. My esteemed Senior.”

“Can’t you keep some distance when I’m eating?”

“Yes, sir. I love you too.”

Ever since that day, she had been glued to my back, showing no signs of letting go.

I had thought she might show any sort of reaction, but I never imagined it would manifest like this. Her shock at my story lasted only a brief moment before Haru abruptly shifted her posture and began showering me with affection using a voice dripping with charm. 

It would have been fine if only her voice had changed, but her behavior shifted as well. Now, Haru constantly tried to cling to me at every opportunity, using the excuse of smelling my scent. Even right in the middle of a meal, like now.

Was her obsession with survival truly that intense? I had thought so, but even that wasn’t the case.

“I told you, you don’t have to do this. What’s gotten into you.”

“But if I don’t do this, you won’t take me to the Land of Elves, will you? I need to be on my best behavior from now on so I can get on your good side, Senior.”

“Do you want the mark that badly?”

“I told you last time. I don’t care if I die. I doubt the elves would accept a half-baked person like me anyway. My dream was just to meet an elf at least once in my life.”

“Hmm…”

“If I do meet one, they’d at least hold my hand, right? Give me a hug? Maybe… they’d even let me smell them?”

“…I’m not sure.”

I couldn’t bring myself to tell her that her dream had already come true. When I explained the mark, I had hidden the details about Saya just in case it caused trouble for her. Completely oblivious to that fact, Haru continued to chatter away.

“Oh right, you said you saw an elf before, Senior? What was it like?”

“It was a long time ago, so I don’t remember well.”

“It was only two months ago, how is that a long time? Anyway, that elf was pretty cold. Just giving you the mark and leaving right away.”

“Tell me about it.”

“You should have tried to seduce her. With your outstanding looks and eloquent speech, Senior, any woman would have fallen for you. Even an elf wouldn’t have been able to resist, I’m sure…”

“Haa…”

She hadn’t even finished her sentence, but I was already sick of it. I eventually tossed down the jerky I was holding and stood up.

“I’m going out for a bit.”

“Huh? Where? I’m coming too.”

“Just stay here and keep watch. I’ll be right back.”

“No. The one I want to protect is you, Senior. You’re still not fully recovered. Until you’re healed, I’ll be your eyes and ears.”

“…”

Was she joking? At a remark I couldn’t even laugh at, I clutched my head. A headache was slowly beginning to creep in.

“…Stop it. You’re annoying Lope.”

Just then, with a clanking sound, Ms. Rebecca walked in. She furrowed her brow slightly as she tightened the screws on her wrist. Although Haru couldn’t see her expression, she replied in a highly irritated voice.

“Ugh. You’re only doing this to me. Why are you always picking fights.”

“I’m not picking a fight, I’m just stating a fact. Anyone can see he’s getting annoyed. Even if you can’t see, can’t you read the atmosphere?”

“I don’t want to hear that from you. You know full well everyone hates you, yet you’re still planted here.”

“…”

Several days had passed, but Haru’s reaction remained as frigid as ever. Nevertheless, Ms. Rebecca shrugged without the slightest hint of offense.

“I told you, I just want to be of help. So I’d appreciate it if you didn’t push me away so much.”

“Want to be of help, my foot. Your goal is the elven mark too, isn’t it? You’re probably just waiting for a chance to steal it when we let our guard down.”

“That magic can’t be stolen or taken by force.”

“Now that you know that, please leave. Senior has no intention of doing you any favors.”

“I know. He probably won’t.”

It was a much more mature response compared to Haru’s. However, a trace of obsession still leaked through her eyes. Although she had hesitated several times, she hadn’t denied that it was her goal. She just couldn’t afford to show it.

Was she perhaps feeling guilty over the very fact that she needed my help?

It was a truth that would remain unknown unless we cracked open each other’s skulls to take a look.

“Phew…”

I pushed my thoughts aside and stood up. A dull ache throbbed in my legs; it seemed the wounds from that day were still lingering. But I didn’t want to just sit here any longer.

“I’m going out for a bit, Ms. Rebecca.”

“Do you want me to come with you?”

“No. It won’t take long. Please guard this place with Haru while I’m gone.”

“Wow. Are you really leaving me behind right now? Can’t we just go together?”

“Stop whining. You’re not a child.”

“I am a child, for your information. Good grief…”

The sound of the two bickering echoed from behind me. Leaving the noise behind, I picked up my coat. Dust fluttered up from its heavy fabric, settling deep into my lungs with every breath.

I need some fresh air. Harboring only that thought, I stepped outside.

As I opened the door, the scent of forget-me-nots drifted in on the cold breeze.

“…”

There she was, gazing toward the sea with deep blue eyes. In truth, we were somewhat far from the coast, so catching sight of the ocean from here should have been impossible—but that was strictly from a human’s perspective. Perhaps she could even smell the briny scent of the waves. Her lips, not quite pressed firmly together, were slightly parted, revealing white teeth as if trying to absorb the salt in the air.

In Saya’s hand was the basket she had taken out, claiming she would gather acorns. Naturally, it was completely empty. It was already nearing winter, a poor time for gathering acorns.

That probably wasn’t her intention to begin with. Saya had changed significantly since she brought up that story. I had previously thought it was best not to interfere with her needlessly, but now I felt I could no longer just leave her alone.

“Saya.”

“Hello, Lope.”

Perhaps because she had already heard me approaching, Saya turned her head without a hint of surprise. 

“Um…”

Even after calling out to her, I hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to say. Then, I casually tossed out a remark lighter than a ginkgo seed.

“I’m going out for a bit. Do you want to come along?”

“Sure.”

Saya offered a refreshingly breezy response in return. Had she ever actually given me a negative answer before? Stuffing that trivial question into my pocket, we began to walk without a destination.

Without a purpose, there could be no destination. Thus, we simply wandered aimlessly. Saya kept her mouth firmly shut, seemingly lost in thought, and I maintained my silence as well, unable to think of anything to say. 

It was only then that I realized I had no talent for purposeless conversation. The casual small talk that ordinary people engaged in so effortlessly felt exceedingly difficult to me. Even before this world came to be, I had always been the listener. I had almost never been the one to initiate a conversation.

Even so, I felt an obligation to say something. After pondering for a moment, I finally managed to open my mouth.

“Saya…”

“Lope.”

“Yeah?”

“Look over there.”

Just then, Saya suddenly pointed somewhere. Then, with a faint smile, she said:

“An acorn.”

“Ah.”

So they were still around. 

While I marveled at the sight, Saya crouched down and began picking up the fallen acorns. These might very well be the last acorns left in the world. I stood there awkwardly for a moment before eventually stepping closer to her side.

But no matter how hard I looked, I couldn’t spot a single one. Meanwhile, Saya was already sorting through the acorns with such skill that her basket was filling up to the brim. If the world were populated only by people like Saya, every squirrel on this earth would have starved to death.

Was this the difference in talent? Feeling a strange sense of defeat, I opened my mouth.

“You can see that?”

“I can see it, smell it, and feel it. I don’t think I can explain this to you.”

“It has a smell?”

“Yeah. Do you want to smell?”

Saya lifted the acorn toward my nose. But because of the fragrance emanating from her hand, I couldn’t perceive any other scent at all. 

“Um… I don’t know.”

“I see. I thought even humans would be able to smell this much.”

“I’m guessing there’s a lot of what you can do that we can’t.”

“The same goes for me. There are things I feel like I absolutely cannot do either. Lope.”

With a slightly sorrowful voice, the acorn in her hand dropped with a soft thud. She would have to pick it up again, but Saya’s hand instead grasped onto a different emotion. I watched her for a moment before asking carefully.

“Saya. Are you okay?”

“…Yeah.”

“Really?”

“I don’t know.”

The answer she gave after some deliberation was neither yes nor no. The traces of her touch still lingered on the hilt of my sword. The memory of that moment felt like it was plugging up my throat in the present. 

“Saya…”

“Are you okay?”

“Huh?”

“Lope. Are you really okay?”

Then, Saya actually threw a question my way. Wondering if she was asking about my injuries, I nodded blankly.

“If you’re talking about my wounds, I’m fine now. They’re mostly healed.”

“I’m not talking about that, Lope. I’m asking about something else.”

“Something else?”

“I mean… are you truly okay with cutting people down?”

“Ah…”

Only then did I understand the meaning behind her words. Saya’s lips trembled slightly before she sat down on the ground and hugged her knees.

“I didn’t know it would feel like this until I actually did it. If Ms. Rebecca hadn’t arrived then, I would have slashed that person. I would have brought someone’s neck down to the ground with my own hands.”

“Don’t think like that.”

“I know. I know full well that thinking like that is useless in a world like this. But I just can’t stop those thoughts.”

“…”

“Because you’ve been doing it this whole time.”

Saya looked up at me with somewhat sorrowful eyes. That expression was strikingly similar to the one she wore that day, standing before me with her sword drawn.

“Haru might be less affected because she can’t see. And Ms. Rebecca is a veteran, so she has a lot of experience. Of course, it’s not like those two feel nothing at all, but you can see, and you’re not a retired soldier. Yet, are you really okay?”

“I’m… fine.”

“Really?”

“…”

I was at a loss for words. This situation, where someone was worrying about my innocence, felt incredibly awkward. I never expected someone like that to exist. Nor did I ever think I was someone worthy of such concern.

Even so, my heart remained completely calm. There had been a moment of turmoil when I first cut someone down right in front of my eyes that day, but looking back on it now, I couldn’t feel the emotions from that time. Was it because my heart had been pierced a thousand times, leaving no part of it capable of feeling anymore?

I had no idea how Saya interpreted my expression. And the words that popped out of her mouth the next moment were the last thing I wanted to hear from her.

“…I’m sorry, Lope. I’m sorry for pushing those tasks onto you.”

“Saya. Don’t do that.”

“Making you do those things while I just hide… I’m sorry.”

“Please don’t do that.”

Before I knew it, I had snatched up her hand. I wasn’t quite sure what I was thinking when I did that. Saya’s eyebrows twitched in slight surprise before she whipped her head away.

“Okay. I won’t talk about this anymore.”

“No, I didn’t mean you shouldn’t talk about it… I just meant you shouldn’t feel sorry about it.”

“Why shouldn’t I feel sorry?”

“Well… because…”

“Why are you the only one who doesn’t treat me roughly?”

…

Good question.

It was a question I had heard from her before. It was difficult to give a clear answer this time, too. After pondering for a moment, feeling a bit awkward, I needlessly asked back.

“Why… are you asking that?”

“Huh? That’s…”

This time, it was Saya’s turn to be flustered. Her mouth opened and closed wordlessly before she buried her face in her hugged knees. In any case, Saya was just as clumsy as I was when it came to interacting with people normally.

The atmosphere suddenly seemed to become incredibly awkward at a rapid pace. A ticklish sensation I hadn’t felt in a long time bubbled up in my stomach. Saya must have been feeling something similar, as she couldn’t string a sentence together for quite a while before finally opening her mouth.

“It’s been a while since we came out together, just the two of us, and I guess I brought up unnecessary things. I’m sorry.”

“No. More than that… has it really been a while?”

“Yeah. It feels like it’s been especially so since Ms. Rebecca arrived.”

“Has it…”

“Still, when we first met, you talked as if you didn’t have anyone precious to you, but you actually have a lot of them. I’m glad I gave them to you.”

“Um…”

“But strangely, they were all girls. Are you just not close with any boys?”

“Huh?”

While I was still pondering the mention of ‘precious people,’ Saya had thrown out a baffling question. Even though her words didn’t carry much meaning, I found myself answering as if making an excuse.

“It’s not like that.”

“Really? Then do you know any boys?”

“Uh… Roman…?”

“So you do know someone. Who is that? Was he in our class?”

“Um… probably… not.”

It was an answer that lacked any shred of credibility. I couldn’t even clearly remember Roman’s face. Feeling somehow burdened by Saya’s unwavering gaze, I awkwardly looked down at the ground. And then, miraculously, a single acorn caught my eye.

“I found one too. This is it, right?”

“Yeah. It is an acorn. But it’s rotten, so it’d be hard to eat.”

“That’s a shame.”

I thoughtlessly prepared to toss the acorn away. But right then, a bright golden blonde swayed gently before my eyes.

“But it’s okay. Actually, an elf’s breath has the power to bring dead plants back to life.”

“There’s a power like that?”

“Yeah. Shall I show you?”

Saya took the acorn from my hand and brought it close to her face. Then, she carefully breathed life into it.

In that moment, the faintly spreading fragrance of forget-me-nots seeped deep into my lungs along with the earthy scent of the acorn. For some reason, I felt dizzy and almost sneezed involuntarily. That ticklish sensation brushed past my nose again, and a light film of tears gathered in my eyes.

Through my moist, blurred vision, I saw Saya’s face. Seeing her so focused with her strawberry-red lips slightly pursed made my stomach churn for no reason. I felt like if I stayed any longer, I really would sneeze.

Eventually, I closed my eyes and slowly opened them again when Saya’s breath stopped. But the acorn remained exactly as it was. Feeling puzzled, I tilted my head.

“It still looks the same to me?”

“Yeah.”

“Did something go wrong?”

“Sorry. It was just a joke.”

Then, Saya gave a shy smile. She scratched her cheek with an embarrassed expression and asked in a low voice.

“Was it not funny?”

“Um…”

It was a first for both the prankster and the one on the receiving end, so neither of us knew what to do. I awkwardly scratched my jaw, mimicking Saya, then stood up with a dry cough.

“Shall we go?”

“Let’s go.”

Even I thought it was the worst possible reaction, but Saya seemed grateful for it instead, as she quickly jumped up and followed me. For some reason, my eyeballs felt ticklish, so I rubbed the corners of my eyes with my hand. But no matter how much I rubbed, I felt like that shy smile I had just witnessed wouldn’t be erased.

On the way back, there wasn’t much conversation either. Still, it didn’t feel as awkward as before. If anything, time seemed to pass quickly, and before we had walked very far, the silhouette of a large roof came into view.

But before that, I spotted Ms. Rebecca sitting conspicuously on the ground. Did something happen? I raised my voice toward her.

“Ms. Rebecca? Why are you out here?”

“I got kicked out.”

“What?”

“She said if I didn’t get lost right away, she’d kick my ass…”

Seeing her sitting there sullenly like an abandoned puppy, I let out a sigh. A sudden wave of fatigue seemed to wash over me again.

“Um… should I go and talk to Haru?”

“Would you?”

“Alright. Take your time coming in.”

Saya must have caught on to my mood, as she quickly ran off toward the house. Meanwhile, Ms. Rebecca remained seated in the grass with an impassive expression.

“You don’t have to listen to her when she tells you to leave.”

“Still, she’s a good kid. I should listen to her.”

“I’m telling you, there’s no need for that.”

Whether Haru was genuinely kind or Ms. Rebecca was just incredibly magnanimous was a dilemma hard to define.

“More importantly, let’s go inside. My body is mostly healed, so we need to talk about what comes next.”

“What comes next. You mean business regarding that girl, Roselia.”

“Yes. The ship will arrive in a week at the earliest, or two weeks at the latest, so we need to secure Roselia first.”

“You said she’s at the Academy. Does that mean we’re heading back there?”

“We have to.”

“I hope you don’t blow anything up like a bomb this time.”

She offered a joke that was in no way laughable. I replied impassively, without a smile.

“I’m not planning on going alone, so you can stop me, Ms. Rebecca. Or the other two can.”

“Looks like those kids are planning to go along too.”

“We’ll see when the time comes, but I have no intention of splitting up now. It seems like it would be dangerous anyway.”

“Well… that blind girl will manage fine on her own. Probably.”

It was a response that felt incredibly genuine. But there was one name missing from those words. 

“We have to hope Saya manages well too.”

“I’m not worried about the elf.”

“Even so, I think I should at least teach her some self-defense. There might be dangerous situations.”

“Try not to do anything crazy.”

“No matter how perfectly we plan, dangerous situations can still happen. Still, I have no intention of separating…”

“No. That’s not it.”

Just then, a heavy voice suddenly rang out. Before I knew it, Ms. Rebecca had stood up and was looking down at me. With her face obscured by shadows, she spoke once more.

“Never even think about teaching something like that to an elf.”