He squinted his eyes as he sat down right next to the bed. His lungs work themselves up and he exhales. It was probably a breath of relief.

　His cheeks relax slightly as he looks at the figure lying on the bed. The bed was simple, but perhaps because it was for a sick person to lie on. I could see a few blankets rippling in the air.

"You're looking better than expected, Bruder. Have you had a good drink?

　Still wrapped in the blanket, Bruder's usual easy coarseness was gone, but the way she crumpled her face and drew lines on her cheeks was the girl I knew so well. The slight furrowing of her brow indicated that the burn was still burning somewhere.

"f*ck you, employer. I can't even see you drink. But the smoker brought it on himself, so he'll be fine.

　I choked at Bruder's words, pulled a chewed tobacco out of my pocket and put it in his hand.

　It's not much of a souvenir, but it'll help with the pain. Bruder sat up lightly and sucked it into his teeth with a relaxed hand. If he put too much pressure on it, the burn would sting his body. All in all, it was a rather weak movement.

　Well, as Vestalines said, the body seems to be safe. All that's left to do is get him to a doctor in the walled city of Garouamaria and he'll be fine.

　Bruder chewed on his teeth a few times, letting the tobacco soak in, letting the aroma pass through his nose, and then opening his lips.

...... So, what's up with the two guys in the back? It's not like they're with you or anything, is it?

　I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but it's a good idea. His brown eyes bounced wide, piercing my back.

　Unknowingly, I gulped as I let my fingertips fly up.

　No, of course I knew it was there because I had accompanied it. But I was afraid to talk about it because I was afraid that if I touched it, it would release a blast like gunpowder. But from Bruder's point of view, it's natural to think that it's a very strange situation.

　While I was trying to choose what to say, a silver hair bounced at the edge of my vision.

It's the same thing. There are some people who think they can go anywhere without an officer watching over them.

　It's for this reason that I'm on watch," Kalia said quietly, crossing her arms and closing her lips again. I'm not sure what to make of it. The first corner of the eye jumps up, reminiscent of a raging beast that is about to pounce.

　I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to do this, but I'm sure I'll be able to do it. If that were the only reason, I could have peacefully chosen to drink with him until he sobered up.

　I held my lips lightly with my index finger and let out a few words to Bruder, who looked at me like that.

"No, it's nothing. Nothing serious.

　I thought I'd just say that and make things right. But apparently there was someone besides Kalia who couldn't tolerate that.

　A voice sounded as if it was chewing on my words.

"Nothing?　What do you mean "nothing"? I'd like to know, Lugis.

　The owner of that resonant voice was none other than Fialat-La-Borgograd.

　You can see that his dark eyes have intensified and he is looking straight at you. It's not the same as Kalia's fierceness, but it's a gaze that contains a certain coldness.

　That's not good, that's not good.

　Since the day I said I was going to the Flimsulat Mountains a few days ago, not just these two, but everyone has been like this. Frankly, I think.

　I think I've stepped on some kind of tail. Not a lion, or a wolf, or something simple like that, but something much more ferocious.

　My eyebrows went down and my eyes naturally drifted to the wrong place. I could feel something close to a cold sweat licking the back of my ear.

　Perhaps because he saw how I was feeling, Bruder smiled at me as if he were trying to hide it. The edges of his eyes were deeply creased. It's a healthy thing for a human being to laugh at the misfortunes of others, but it's a terrible thing.

　His eyelids contorted and his cheeks fluttered, and Bruder opened his mouth to make an excuse.

Sorry, sorry. But no, I know how you feel. My employer has a tendency to drag himself along when he's tied to a stake.

　That's a bad thing to say. You make it sound as if I'm just an idiot. I hope you'll choose your words a little more carefully.

　Bruder quietly wipes his eyes and continues, asking if the same is true of the people lined up outside.

　I turn my head back. Even from inside the tent, I could clearly see the shadows standing near the doorway. There must be four or five of them. I don't know if that's the right number, since there are elves in the mix.

　It seemed that my argument had caused a great deal of consternation in the hearts of Erdis and Mattia, as well as Caria and Fialaat. It's not often that they come into the tent, but for the past few days, the soldiers of the heraldry and Gazalia have been unnaturally popping into my sight.

　No matter where I go, there are eyes on me. It's as if I'm a sinner. No, there aren't many people who are hounded like this, even if they have committed a crime.

　After muttering something like that, Bruder said, his voice sounding happy again.

People often forget where they've sown the seeds. Even your employer may have dropped a seed somewhere near you without you knowing.

　The only thing that caught my attention was the fact that Bruder's eyes, as he said this, were quietly losing any semblance of a smile.


　I'm not sure what to say.




It's not that I don't care where you go, Lugis.

　As soon as we left the tent after visiting Bruder, Kalia's tightly closed lips moved smoothly as she touched my back. It's as if she's saying there's nothing to be unhappy about.

　How nice it would be if that were true. But as if to tell me that this was not the case, the look in his silver eyes did not seem to change.

I know you're not the kind of person who can stay in one place. Then I will guide and lead the way--only.

　That was very kind of you to say for Kalia. It's great, I even want to raise my hands in joy. If you don't want to hear the rest of it, that is.

　Kalia touched my back and put her weight on me, bringing her small lips to my ear. I can see her long eyelashes parting the little rays of sunlight.

It's just that I hate being faked, you know?　I know you're out there somewhere, Lugis. "I just hate being faked, you know? I, for one, feel like I've been smeared with pride.

　Hey," Kalia says, as if speaking to him. I felt as if my heart had been grabbed straight from my back. My eyeballs fluttered in fear. It was a feeling I had felt before.

　But Kalia was right, that's not something you should fool around with. I made a pact with Kalia, and I broke it. So I should be allowed to be blamed for that. I would have liked at least some time for Kalia to cool down.

Right, Lugis. I don't deny where you're going either. But I want you to tell me one thing.

　As if in tune with Kalia's words, Fialaert's lips rippled. I could tell that the quality of her voice was rather heavy, even though she sounded so at ease.

　Fialaert's fingers fall on my right shoulder. His fingers were so delicate that it was as if he was touching something damaged. And then, just like that, Fialaert's body slumped over, and he took my right arm.

　A whispering, tickling voice said close by.

I'm sure you don't think that I'm going to be able to do anything about it, or that I'm going to be able to conveniently dance in your hands. I'm not the same as I was in Garou Amalia.

　That voice... The voice was even heavier than Kalia's, and yet it seemed to snatch at the back of my ears. It's not good. It's really not good. I could feel a hint of fear in my throat.

　It's as if there's a little bit of the pressure and presence that the two of them had in the past, when they were called heroes, right here. But that's not what's frightening.

　What is frightening is that the presence and the feeling of presence have changed so much from what they used to be. It's as if something is entangling them, a hazy presence.

　Kalia and Fialat are not trying to harm me, nor are they yelling at me. In fact, their touches are very polite, even caring.

　Nevertheless, I felt something dangerous crawling up my spine, and I was alone.