Karma always comes back around.
The things Iria did to Klana were no exception.
Usually, Ariel, Sera, and even Iria were a trio that attended the academy together.
With Klana joining their group, several big and small problems arose.
Klana maintained a good relationship with Ariel and became friends with Sera during the last duel, but it seemed like Iria still disliked her.
First impressions tend to last a long time.
Whenever Klana saw Iria, she would scrunch her face in disapproval.
“Wh-what are you staring at?”
In the awkward atmosphere, Klana blurted out as their eyes met.
Iria scratched her cheek, looking baffled.
The one who had been glancing at Iria was Klana all along. And since Iria was sensitive to gazes, she had been watching the whole time.
She just turned her head because she felt a stinging gaze from the side, yet here comes the question about what she was looking at.
It seemed like Klana had truly gotten on her bad side.
“I wasn’t looking at anything! It was you who was staring!”
“I-I wasn’t really staring either…”
Did Klana get caught being so concerned that she was peeking? Her face turned slightly red as she quickly looked away.
And then.
Iria, who had been watching the whole scene from start to finish, let out a sigh.
It wouldn’t be good for her future life to turn Klana into an enemy, but that grudge seemed rather deep.
Didn’t she at least apologize?
Iria recalled what she had said when she called Klana aside.
“Let’s forget about what happened back then. Isn’t it better for both of us to end things cleanly without grudges?”
“Are you blackmailing me?!”
Now that she thought about it, it wasn’t really an apology.
It was more like she just said what she thought without any intention of threatening.
“…”
Iria’s lack of eloquence was to blame.
Her attempt to improve their relationship had actually resulted in a deeper misunderstanding.
“Alright, alright, you two, stop fighting and get along. Why are kids with similar hair colors fighting?”
“But it’s just that she started it first…”
“Are you going to keep this up?”
“I’m sorry…”
Sera intervened, unable to stand the situation, but it didn’t yield much effect.
Instead, the awkwardness just continued.
A thought flashed that things couldn’t go on like this. Iria thought so, and Klana thought so too.
It wasn’t only Iria who wanted to improve their relationship. Klana, who was struggling with this life, felt the need for some change.
So, the two socially awkward characters were moving towards the same goal.
*
Love your enemies.
That was the teaching coming from the church.
Klana recalled her past with Iria.
From the time Iria snatched her wallet while pretending to save her from danger to all the days of interference and money-stealing.
Those days were surely painful.
At first, she even tried to imitate her wrong behavior, but eventually, she learned a lot about the world.
It was wise to be cautious of kindness that came without reason. Klana wasn’t a fool who knew nothing anymore.
She had seen enough outside the church.
Iria’s bullying, well… it wouldn’t be a lie to say it was of some assistance.
So Klana decided to forgive that Iria.
She would treat her with kindness, as the church taught her. After all, she was a compassionate saint.
This time, Klana called Iria aside. It was meant to seek reconciliation.
“What is it?”
When she arrived at the meeting place, Iria was already there, making a face that was still utterly unreadable.
‘Oh, I’m here to reconcile with that bad? person today!’
‘Even if I dislike her, it seems like the Brave and Sera trust her!’
‘Maybe I misunderstood and she’s actually a good person.’
Klana had asked her acquaintances how to reconcile with someone with whom she had a bad relationship.
And her guardian, the head nun, told her to give a meaningful gift.
She believed that if she offered an apology along with a heartfelt gift, it would surely be accepted.
It was more Klana forgiving rather than apologizing, but she thought it was a good way nonetheless.
So she prepared a gift for Iria. She had a hard time deciding what to give, but luckily, she had something good.
It was something anyone would like, and it was also quite valuable.
“I-I’ll specially forgive you for what happened last time. I’m big-hearted like that. Please accept this.”
Klana handed Iria the holy water she personally concocted.
It was particularly thick in concentration. She had made it just the night before and it still held a faint warmth.
And seeing this, Iria’s expression changed.
“Ugh…”
She looked like she absolutely didn’t want to accept it.
Iria’s usual expressions were faint, but her dislike was remarkably clear. She stepped back with a scowl.
Being a monster, Iria was sensitive to the holy. She avoided regular holy water, so the depth of this one, made by the saint herself, was a big deal.
Touch it, and her hand might catch on fire.
“Don’t like the gift? If you don’t want holy water, I can perform a miracle for you personally. It’s my specialty, you know.”
“…”
Iria’s face turned pale.
In a panic, she began rummaging through her pockets.
“…Take this.”
“Uh?”
Iria pulled out her wallet from her pocket and handed it to Klana.
That was the moment the tables turned.
From that day onward, Iria’s gaze toward Klana changed.
Despite wearing her usual vacant expression, she subtly started to watch Klana’s reactions.
For Iria, holy water and divine power were torment. Just being near would give her a strong aversion, making her very uncomfortable.
Iria thought Klana was approaching her to take revenge. Forgiveness? No way, that crazy saint was finally out to kill her.
So she handed over her wallet. Because in the academy, Klana was as good as Iria’s natural enemy.
If that eased her feelings, then she could manage to offer up her wallet.
But Klana’s bullying toward Iria didn’t stop.
“I thought you didn’t really like holy water, so I baked some cookies for you… Oh! Would you like to try one right now?”
“…”
Klana said this as she handed a cookie to Iria.
And.
Iria couldn’t eat human food. If she tried, her stomach would twist, causing her excruciating pain.
She pulled out her wallet again and handed it over to Klana.
“Why?!”
“Take it.”
Iria was clearing her karma.
*
After a more exhausting time at the academy than she expected, Iria was on her way home.
Today, she was walking through the back alley.
No particular reason, just lost in her memories.
It was a half-collapsed, bloody place, but it held a deep affection for her.
It was the starting point in the empire and would also be the end. Before she embarked on a long journey out of the empire, she planned to visit it once more.
Iria was going to meet the Demon King. The truth she sought was there.
Of course, whether discovering it would change anything remained uncertain.
Maybe the truth was so cruel that it would be better left unknown.
But she still intended to go.
Because she was confident it was related to the end of this world.
Iria continued to walk through the back alley, an area stained with dark, sticky magical energy.
The magic here was what Iria had spilled in a rampage a year and a few months ago. Its concentration was so high that it hadn’t been purified yet.
As she touched it with her hands, lost in thought, it reminded her of the magic that consumed her old friend. If she closed her eyes and recalled the past, she could hear Riana’s voice screaming her name.
Now, there was nothing to feel.
“…”
It felt empty.
Very empty.
That distinct sensation of being hollow couldn’t be filled by mingling with people at the academy.
It only filled up when she killed a human. Emotions were felt only when swallowing human blood.
So she couldn’t stand that empty feeling and sometimes sought out the back alley.
Although coming here wouldn’t change anything, it felt more peaceful than anywhere else.
Somehow, she found herself at the site where she had killed a friend and placed a single flower there.
The one she had laid last time had scattered in the rain.
Soon, she might not be able to visit her beloved back alley anymore.
Iria lay down on the ground there.
‘Maybe I’ll just sleep outside today.’
At least it wasn’t raining.
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