Shattered Past (6)
Whoosh—
A gentle stream of water cascaded over my head. I closed my eyes against the spray, letting the torrent wash away the exhaustion of the day.
"Phew."
Only now did the tension begin to unravel from my muscles. Stepping up to teach two consecutive lectures really left me no room to breathe. Those kids... they had been entirely serious about it.
Ever since they fractured into two opposing camps and friction ignited between them, my assessment had been that they wouldn't easily come together again.
—"Don't you dare back down! Never!!"
Yet to my surprise, the moment I recreated that past crisis down to the finest detail, they threw themselves into uniting with terrifying resolve. Even though it was merely a simulated field projected by the Talbrut Ark, the hesitation that briefly froze them had quickly given way to pure, burning fury.
"It was inevitable that they couldn't stand a chance... but their willpower was certainly commendable."
Those eyes of theirs had burned with an unyielding vow never to repeat the same mistake. From the class representative and vice-representative on down, not a single one among them had yielded an inch of ground. Had I been in a position to teach them properly, I would have cracked open a book and picked up a piece of chalk out of respect for that sheer grit alone. But that was something I simply could not do.
"How am I supposed to teach when the teacher you actually want isn't me, but Aris?"
In the end, the limit of what I could offer was replaying that nightmare over and over, fanning the flames of their resolve. That was what I did today, and it was what I had done yesterday. Whenever they reached a point where they could no longer fight, I gave them a break, made sure they ate, and then rewound that memory once more.
Watching them push themselves past their limits, I had tossed out a question on a whim: What is driving you to go this far?
The answer that came back had been sharp with venomous determination.
—"Because to us... this time is precious! We have to prove that the time we spent learning from Teacher wasn't wasted!"
They were desperate to prove the worth of those hours. In a forsaken, remote border town like Shirakh, very few had ever entertained the thought of pursuing real academics.
—"To be honest, I was skeptical at first. Part of me thought nothing would ever change. It didn't seem like it made much of a difference anyway."
She had arrived bearing the grand title of a member of Team Tembris, but doubt had lingered in their minds over whether sitting through her lectures would truly change their lives. That was how the kids had laid bare their true thoughts. Yet, when they possessed not an ounce of motivation, the person who stepped into their lives was an academy girl brimming with unvarnished humanity.
—"Her lectures weren't all that informative, honestly... but seeing those clumsy flaws made her feel more like an older sister you'd run into around the neighborhood than some distant instructor."
If someone pointed out an error in her explanation mid-lesson, she would fluster and stammer, pulling out her prepared cheat sheet and reciting from it as rigidly as if she were reading a dictionary. If someone sneakily hid that cheat sheet before class, cold sweat would pour down her face as she butchered every single concept. And if anyone teased her, asking if she couldn't lecture because she didn't actually know the material?
—"Y-You think I can't teach without that?! Fine, I'll show you!!"
Her wounded pride would flare, and she would huff and puff in indignation. Determined not to lose, she would snatch up the chalk and launch into a passionate explanation, only to realize halfway through that she was spouting nonsense again. Her eyes would spin in dizzy circles, thoroughly undone by panic. The resulting bursts of laughter were universal, and by then, anyone in the classroom could read Aris's character like an open book.
A foul-mouthed girl who was actually an endearing, clumsy older sister at heart. A familiar, approachable figure who was entirely too much fun to tease by poking at her pride. That was the impression the students had formed of the person named Aris.
"..."
Before I knew it, the shower was over. Stepping out of the washroom, my gaze fell upon the roster on the desk. The number of enrolled students had clearly grown, yet there was not a single absence marked anywhere. Every single name had a record of perfect attendance. Regardless of how clumsy the curriculum might be, those kids had kept their rear ends firmly planted on those benches simply because they wanted to be there with Aris. Her peculiar, unpretentious warmth had pried wide open the hearts that despair and resignation had locked away tight.
That was the conclusion written across that attendance sheet.
"Phew."
It was something I could never do. But she could. And for their sake... did that mean I had to go drag her back myself?
"..."
—"You shook off Senia with your own hands! There's no way she's coming back! You abandoned your comrade!!"
—"Then what about Michel, lying there like a corpse with her eyes shut?! The moment you fed her that thing, her eyes closed and she hasn't stirred an inch since!!"
—"Ha... and you expect me to believe that?"
Even now, Aris's condemnations seemed to echo vividly in my mind. Recalling her cracked, frantic voice and the ruthless blooms of pink lotus flames that had driven me to the brink, I found myself slipping back into my clothes and opening the front door. If I didn't take a walk somewhere, there was no chance my thoughts would settle.
That path...
A narrow trail caught my eye. It was hardly a place associated with pleasant memories, but my feet naturally carried me in that direction anyway. It was an unkempt hill path, so neglected that one had to push through thickets of overgrown brush just to make headway. At the top of that modest rise sat a solitary boulder, balanced so precariously that it looked ready to tumble at any moment.
To think it was already here back then.
Even after regressing into the past, some things hadn't changed at all.
Clack. Clack.
Sitting down on a tree stump right beside it, I gave the rock a light shove, and it wobbled on its axis just as it always had. There was a time when I had wished I could be like this stone, always righting itself like a roly-poly toy no matter how many times it was knocked off balance. Whenever my mind grew too tangled in Shirakh, I would come up here and nudge this rock, agonizing over whether there was some way to set things back to how they used to be, just like this stone returning to its center.
—"What? You think I'm like a rocky mountain?"
—"Give me a break... From where I'm standing, you're the one who's like a rocky mountain, Junon. Then what does that make me? At best, a boulder. Though a pretty damn sturdy one, I'll admit."
—"People can slap titles on me like 'Great Mountain' or 'The Titan' all they want, but the most colossal mountain in Tembris has always been you. Even if everyone else denies it, that's the plain truth."
—"Hell, calling you a rocky mountain might not even do you justice. Figures. You've always been far more incredible than that."
Why of all things was that memory surfacing now? It had been preposterous nonsense back then, and it remained sheer sophistry even now.
—"I'm begging you, Junon. Now... the only one left who can lead Tembris and the people of the Principality is you."
I had climbed this hill as if drawn by an invisible thread, nudging the stone in hopes of quieting the storm in my head. Instead, it felt like the clutter had only multiplied.
...Coming up here had been a mistake.
But by then, I was no longer alone.
"Senior Junon. That's you, isn't it?"
When I turned around, a tall man was striding up the slope with an unmistakable air of poise, calling out my name.
They say that the truly powerful carry an unmistakable dignity and presence. Even when people used to say such things, I never paid it much mind—perhaps because I had spent so much time surrounded by the monsters of Team Tembris. But right now, the meaning was painfully clear.
The silver-white eyes fixed upon me were extraordinary on their own. When a person awakened their Unique Magic, their mana generally manifested externally through colors in their hair, eyes, or brows. In rare instances, there were those whose external mana did not settle into a single uniform shade, but instead displayed a dual coloration. Without exception, such individuals were overwhelmingly powerful. Michel, with her crimson hair and vivid blue eyes, was a prime example, as were Goden and Lady Ophelia, whose mana hues diverged from conventional palettes.
Yet among all mana shades, there existed one particular color borne only by those who harbored truly staggering depths of magical power.
Pure white.
A radiant, luminous white overflowing with brilliance, identical to Renias's hair. And the man looking at me right now bore that very light within his irises.
"...Aren't you being a bit too guarded?"
"Wouldn't it be far stranger not to be on guard against someone who trailed me without making a single sound?"
"Fair point." He scratched the back of his head with an awkward, self-deprecating chuckle. "The truth is, I came here looking for you on business, but you suddenly stepped outside. It ended up looking like I was shadowing you. For that, I apologize."
"Is that so? Then what's your business?"
"I was asked to deliver this letter."
Reaching into his inner coat pocket, he produced a sealed envelope.
"Aris McKenhaim asked me to pass this to you."
"...What?"
I wondered what kind of absurd development this was, but the young man simply stepped forward in an ordinary manner and extended the envelope. Beneath the sealing wax, illuminated by the pale moonlight, a name was clearly visible. The sender was undoubtedly Aris McKenhaim. And the recipient...
It's me.
Junon. That was the name inscribed upon it.
"Did she say anything else?"
"Well... she did, but it's a bit awkward to bring up right away. Rather than hearing it from me now, I think it would be better if you read the letter first."
"Understood."
The paper inside was densely covered in writing. Yet here and there, the pen had clearly trembled, leaving behind errant strikethroughs across the lines. Beyond the scratched-out sentences, the script itself was blatantly shaken, its center of balance wobbling and uneven across the page. As for the contents...
"..."
I had only skimmed a few lines, but there was no need to read any further.
"You didn't seem to read all of it. Are you alright?"
"I've read enough."
"...I see."
"More importantly, you mentioned there was something else? What is it?"
"Ah, I was asked to hand over this page separately. I was told to hold onto it if your mood turned sour after reading the first letter, but..."
"I'm perfectly fine, so give it here. I'll read it."
"Right, here you go."
...What was this? The handwriting didn't look like Aris's at all.
"Ahem. I was told that a brief reply to both letters would be appreciated. Though of course, that request came from Senior Senia, not Senior Aris."
"From Senia?"
Ah. Now that I thought about it, if Aris had headed for Revrant, her destination was obvious: the Tembris Party clubroom. And if she had gone there, the only person with enough leisure to spare time from their grades would be Senia, who always kept a comfortable margin in her academic standing.
Senia must have been the one who reported Aris's condition, too. She's probably been exchanging news with Michel.
In truth, the reassignment of Aris's class had felt suspiciously fast. Even if the students had sent in a mountain of petitions begging not to split up their class, such administrative matters rarely cleared within a single day—especially with the Faction War looming over everything. For the reassignment to be granted and a replacement instructor designated so quickly, there was practically no standard protocol other than the formal consent of a legal guardian or designated representative.
Senia must have stepped in as her fellow party member. Though she probably didn't mention it to Michel.
At any rate, that explained why this letter had found its way into my hands. There was no way Aris could have come up with this idea on her own; given the circumstances, it was safe to assume Senia had coaxed and guided her through it.
Which leaves...
A reply, was it?
Without much hesitation, I jotted down a brief answer and handed it back. It wasn't anything sensitive, so I didn't even bother concealing what I wrote. At that, his expression shifted into one of sheer surprise.
"...Is that all?"
"Yeah. Just deliver it as is."
There was no longer any reason to linger beside this rock, so I turned and began making my way back down the hill.
"Urrrgh. I'm so boooored—."
Renias rubbed her face against the tabletop with a thoroughly listless pout. Her boredom was palpable; one only had to look at the wilted ahoge resting limply on her head and her gradually puffing cheeks to tell just how despondent she felt.
"This is all Maria's fault! Hmph!"
"My Lady."
"Whaaat—! I just want to go see how the Faction War is playing out, that's all!"
Glance.
Maria nudged her spectacles up the bridge of her nose and cast a sharp, piercing glare, causing Renias to flinch instantly.
"Hmph. What's so wrong with going to watch the Faction War that you have to stop me like this...?"
"I have never stopped you, My Lady. The issue arose because you threw a tantrum and refused every appropriate manner of attendance."
"That basically is stopping me!" Renias sprang to her feet in protest. "Telling me to dress up in eye-catching finery and tailor a whole gown just like at the Scheat Subjugation victory banquet—isn't that way too much?!"
"Treating an official event as a casual outing the way you intend to is what's truly strange, My Lady. Would it kill you to dress up nicely like you did back then?"
"Ugh. It's nothing but uncomfortable, and everyone just stares at you. How is that supposed to be an 'appropriate manner of attendance'...?"
As if the mere memory still sent chills down her spine, Renias squeezed her eyes shut. Watching her, the maid swallowed a heavy sigh deep within her chest.
Good grief. When will our young lady ever learn to be honest with herself?
Every woman possessed a natural desire to dress up and look beautiful. The maids who had attended Renias from her earliest years knew full well that she harbored that exact same desire. Yet when it came to her appearance, she was uniquely stubborn and evasive.
My Lady, you are not the late Madam...
She could easily accessorize with colors other than violet. She could let her hair grow longer, or don the flattering gowns that suited her so well. Yet whenever Renias finished styling herself according to her personal preferences, Maria was always struck by the same uncanny impression: she looked like an exact mirror of her late mother, Reynesia.
Once, Maria had tried beating around the bush to sound her out.
—"Hehe. I just prefer it this way, that's all."
The reply had been accompanied by a smile that seemed cheerful on the surface, but carried an unnatural, hollow strain underneath. Afterward, the household staff had been cautioned never to bring up the subject again, but it was hardly something that could be brushed off as a harmless quirk. Maria's repeated attempts to change Renias's styling, despite the young lady's grumbling, were not born merely out of a servant's professional vanity.
My Lady...
It was clear Renias was constantly conscious of her late mother, but with no viable way to untie that knot, Maria could only sigh in silence.
"I'm back."
"Ah, Ron!"
The moment Ronelion stepped into the room, Renias's stray hair perked up straight like an antenna. Knowing full well what question was about to burst from her lips, Ronelion answered without missing a beat.
"Well... I'll allow it."
"Huh?" Renias gasped, eyes wide. "R-Really?! You're not lying, right?! No takebacks!!"
"Yeah."
For reasons unknown, the approval had been granted without a fight.
"Y-Young Master, you didn't misspeak, did you?" Maria stammered. "Granting Lady Renias permission to..."
"I'm talking about letting her go watch the Faction War, yes. That's what you meant, Maria."
"Wahahaha! Justice has triumphed—! You see that, Maria? I wasn't in the wrong at all!"
"..."
Maria pressed a hand over her mouth, completely caught off guard. When Renias had first laid out her conditions, Ronelion had been vehemently opposed; she had never expected him to perform such a total about-face.
"Hey! This is a secret between Ron and me! Don't look at me like that!"
"Do you take me for someone who pries into such things, My Lady? More importantly, we must decide what you are going to wear."
"Bleh... You never said I'd have to dress up for this, too! R-Right, Ron?!"
Ronelion, the very architect of this sudden reversal, stepped between the bickering pair and offered a dry piece of advice.
"You'd better pick something out. They're holding an eve festival over there beforehand, so you'll at least need an appropriate outfit for that day."
"Whaaat? Aww..."
"There you have it, My Lady. Now then, shall we see what suits you best?"
Maria immediately began holding garments up against Renias's frame. Knowing that any further complaints would only make life harder for the maids, Renias sighed and resigned herself to heading toward the wardrobe.
Left alone in the parlor, Ronelion watched his twin sister's retreating figure and murmured softly under his breath.
"If it's someone like him, she'll be alright, Reni."
Until now, the only person to whom Renias had ever truly opened her heart was Ophelia. But out of nowhere, an entirely unexpected figure had appeared, effortlessly coaxing out Renias's genuine, unfiltered self. As her family, Ronelion wanted nothing more than to ensure that Renias's newly opened heart would not be met with cruelty or pain.
And so, he had gone to meet the man his sister watched with such rapt attention.
The result of that meeting was clear: his twin sister was in no danger of being hurt. In fact, he had reached the conclusion that the man was well worth having on her lips at every waking moment. That was why he had decided to place his trust in him.
Because that man might just be the one capable of shattering the mask that had been slowly consuming Renias from within.