“Ashie.”
“….”
“Ashie!”
“Oh, Ma-Master! When did you arrive?”
“When did I arrive? I’ve been here since earlier, you fool!”
Ashie, who was lost in thought, snapped back to reality at Brondin’s scolding.
Brondin clicked his tongue but wore a look of understanding.
“Did you really take a liking to that little lady?”
“…If you call her ‘little lady,’ it makes me sound like a weirdo. If you think about it, there’s not much difference between us… No, more importantly, how do you know about this, Master?”
“How could I not notice when you’re tailing after her like a nervous puppy? Even now, you’re groaning like a dog that needs to go out.”
“…What do you mean by ‘like a dog’?”
Ashie felt the sting of those words, feeling a bit embarrassed, yet couldn’t outright deny it.
“If that’s the case, why didn’t you just confess boldly? Like a man, huh? Don’t be such a coward, you little boy-”
“I did confess.”
“…Huh?”
“I confessed. Three times.”
“….”
Once during Grasis, once on the day they reunited a few days ago, and once on the day of departure.
The results of those three confessions were evident in Ashie’s dejected demeanor.
What on earth was lacking?
Ashie sighed as he looked at his well-built physique.
“…Well, keep your chin up. It’s not like that girl is the only one in the world.”
To think he was already rejected…
Brondin, unintentionally deepening his disciple’s wound, awkwardly patted Ashie’s back with his rough hand.
Feeling that abrupt touch, Ashie drifted into thought.
‘So, I’m heading to Raxia in the Mad Continent.’
Ashie had never seen Raxia himself.
In the first place, if he set foot there without achieving something significant, he would likely be done for, having been overwhelmed by mana before he even knew it.
However, he was well aware through ancient texts and various documents just how dangerous Raxia was. So when Kana mentioned going there, he found himself compelled to dissuade her.
‘Can’t you just not go?’
His concern wasn’t born from love.
Even if the speaker wasn’t the one he had a crush on, but just an acquaintance, Ashie would have said the same.
He knew well enough that Kana was strong.
But there was no guarantee that her strength would hold up in the heart of Raxia, a place flooded with mana.
After all, he didn’t have enough information to make that judgment.
‘Why?’
‘Why, you ask! Of course, it’s natural to worry when someone says they’re walking into danger!’
‘…Is that so?’
Kana’s confused demeanor suggested she didn’t quite grasp his words.
Whether it was the term ‘danger’ or the idea that worrying was natural, either way, it was frustrating.
Before he could even speak, Kana’s small mouth opened ahead of him.
‘Still, I have to go.’
As always, her calm yet strong-willed words rang out.
Had Kana ever shown such determination outside of matters concerning Garid?
After a brief moment of thought, Ashie concluded, ‘Nope’.
The way Kana had bared her teeth at the Empire and its royal magician was all for Garid’s sake.
Thus, hearing that voice, he could no longer bring himself to dissuade Kana.
‘…I see.’
How could he stop a child who bore hope not of despair, but of a future, and hatred not for someone, but for something?
‘In that case, I’ll be waiting, so be careful on your way.’
In the end, unable to hold Kana back, Ashie put on a facade and bid farewell.
If only he were stronger, he could have at least offered to go with her.
Never had he felt more resentful of his own weakness than now.
“But… Master.”
Suddenly, Ashie spoke to Brondin, who was awkwardly trying to console him with vague words.
“Hmm?”
“Have you ever been in love before?”
“…”
“….”
“….”
Silence fell in the workshop.
In the absence of a reply, the atmosphere between them turned solemn.
“…Let’s get to work.”
“…Yes, Master.”
And that was the end of their conversation.
In the downcast atmosphere, as Ashie followed his master’s lead with a hammer in hand, Kana’s last words floated in his mind.
“‘Don’t wait for me’… What on earth did that mean?”
“You brat! Why aren’t you coming in already?!”
“Oh, I’m going! I’m on my way!”
Mumbling over her ambiguous words, Ashie rushed back into the smithy at Brondin’s call.
*
“…It’s bright.”
I squinted up at the sunlight beating down on me.
It was bright enough to warrant a frown, even if it wasn’t as intense as the summer midday sun.
I prefer clear days over cloudy ones.
I like lounging in the sun more than being caught in the rain feeling gloomy.
Of course, that merely means I prefer one over the other; it doesn’t mean I particularly like sunny weather.
If you ask me, “Which do you prefer, cloudy or sunny days?” I’d pick sunny. Just that much.
So, the sunlight pouring down on me now was neither particularly welcome nor unwelcome.
…If this situation were normal, I’m sure it would be.
“What time is it?”
“Huh? Let me check….”
Da-eun busily looked at the time.
Listening to her, I tilted my head back up at the sky.
In summer, the sun rises early and sets late.
Though that rule held true in Silia as well, this wasn’t summer, and even if it were, it should normally be setting by now.
So why was that sun still hovering right above my head?
“….”
“…Kana, I know you’re not a fan of the sun, but that doesn’t mean you should just run at it, right? It might look close, but it’s super, super far away, you know.”
“…I know that.”
What on earth does Da-eun think of me to say such things?
I guess it’s time for a heart-to-heart with her pretty soon.
“…Ugh, suddenly I feel a chill…!”
Da-eun trembled.
“Definitely not cold weather, so why…?”
Just as she said, the current weather was quite warm.
Warm enough that I could take a nap right then and there without it seeming strange.
Yet, as I’ve said multiple times, it wasn’t daytime—it was nighttime; thus, sleeping now wouldn’t count as taking a nap.
“Ah, Kana’s seeing ‘midnight sun’ for the first time, huh?”
“Midnight sun?”
I felt like that term flickered somewhere in the vague memories of my past life.
Though I couldn’t recall the cause, I think it was a phenomenon where the sun doesn’t set even at night.
Did such a thing exist in this world too?
Pondering that, Selin smiled and said,
“It’s the meaning of Edel.”
It reminded me of the clumsy words from Da-eun when we had barely met, but I got her point.
“Are you saying this phenomenon is happening because of Edel?”
“Umm… I think so.”
I asked Da-eun for clarification, but she seemed unsure, answering with a tone that suggested she didn’t quite know either.
Was it related to the otherworldly being they fought?
Or was it something Edel had intentionally caused?
Whatever the reason, it seemed this phenomenon was indeed due to Edel.
No wonder I’d felt something strange upon entering this region; it must have been due to this phenomenon.
I stopped glaring at the sky and began unpacking.
Although it felt a bit odd to be preparing to camp while it was this bright…
The time was indeed later than usual for setting up camp, even if the area was bright.
I wondered if I could actually sleep well like this.
Shrugging, I gathered firewood to start the campfire.
*
To put it bluntly, I didn’t sleep well.
“….”
“…Are you okay?”
“No, I’m not okay.”
My physical condition was fine.
The Master’s body wasn’t weak enough to suffer from a day or two without sleep.
But mentally, it was a different story.
Not that a lack of sleep would make me feel like I was dying, but…
How should I put it? It just didn’t feel good not being able to sleep when I should have.
The sunlight was piercing through my eyelids, making it quite impossible to sleep.
If only I could rush over to Edel and question her about why she made this happen.
“Did Selin sleep well… um, no, I see she didn’t sleep well.”
Selin, folding her sleeping bag, had a somewhat darker look around her eyes than usual.
Clearly, she hadn’t slept well either, but her demeanor toward Da-eun remained warm.
“…Sadly, yes. Did you sleep well, Joanie?”
“Ahaha… I tend to be a bit thick-skinned regarding that sort of thing.”
“How nice.”
Unlike the two of us, Da-eun was doing just fine.
That was probably because she was from Earth.
Unlike us who were actually trying to fall asleep, she just looked like she was trying to sleep.
Thinking that, I poked her side with my finger.
Poke.
“Gyaah?! W-What was that for?!”
“Hmph.”
Just enjoying the beauty sleep all by herself!
Caught off guard, Da-eun wore a confused expression.
Seeing her puzzled face lightened my mood, so I retracted the triumphant finger.
I knew it wasn’t her fault that she slept well while I didn’t.
So, what I did was simply me being mischievous.
“Why is Kana acting like this?”
Da-eun still wore that clueless expression.
Being grumpy over something so trivial, it was rather odd if she were to understand.
“…Maybe it’s just that I’m tired from not being able to sleep? Is that it? I guess so? You do seem a bit off today, though….”
Before I could assess her reaction, something unexpected happened.
“…?!”
“Yap! Gotcha!”
Long arms wrapped around my waist, lifting me right off the ground.
Da-eun, who lifted me like a feather, gently placed me on top of her horse.
“Aren’t you tired? Let’s ride together today. If you happen to doze off and fall off the horse, that would be trouble, wouldn’t it?”
“I’m not that-”
It’s not like I’m so tired I’d fall asleep, and I wouldn’t get hurt if I fell off.
Before I could protest that, Da-eun deftly leaped onto the horse.
Whereas before, she had clumsily mounted it, she now climbed on with newfound stability and pressed her body tightly against my back.
“Doesn’t this remind you of when you first met Selin?”
“…I guess it does.”
At her softly playful tone, I nodded ever so slightly.
It wasn’t that long ago, yet it felt like a lifetime ago.
Back then, I was the one holding the reins, but now, Da-eun held them.
The warmth of her body, previously foreign, now felt cozy.
In just a short time, so much had changed.
I pondered this newfound realization and subtly leaned back into her warmth.
…Just a little nap wouldn’t hurt, would it?
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