Chapter 265: To See the Sea (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 265: To See the Sea (5)
Tinkle.
Black hair, red eyes.
It's you.
Clang!
The air tore.
Flashes of light erupted from the dark-red sword. They weren't like sparks from a campfire drifting over a lake; they were embers scattering from lava that would never cool.
Clang! Clang!
An eerie light flickered without end.
In an instant, several blows were exchanged.
‘Please step back.’
Those were Calian’s words, heard just a moment ago as the bell chimed once more. What unfolded before them now was a sudden, breathtaking spectacle.
There was no time to grasp the situation. While the mages, including Needlen, cast a massive shield and the knights formed a defensive circle, dozens of flashes had already lit up the darkness and vanished.
Tinkle.
Swish! Clang!
Calian’s figure was barely visible. Only his opponent’s pale pink hair occasionally swayed into view before disappearing again. The mages’ field of vision was far too narrow to discern Calian’s shadow as it submerged itself in the darkness.
Clang! Clank!
The flutter of a black robe, the dizzying chime of a bell, the thud of feet kicking off the ground, and the deafening roar of clashing swords. Amidst it all, a low voice spoke.
“Put out the fire. Just maintain the shield.”
As soon as he spoke, the faint, bluish current crackling over the shield winked out. A transparent sphere of water materialized above the campfire and poured down.
Hiss!
The light illuminating their surroundings vanished completely. The embers hissed as they were doused, releasing a sharp, acrid scent that slowly faded into the night.
Clang! Clang!
Darkness descended.
Within their now-constricted vision, two shadows clashed once more.
The pitch-black darkness, where an ordinary person could not see an inch ahead, might have been an obstacle for some, but Siona was not hindered by it. She had no trouble swinging her sword or blocking his attacks.
And for Calian, the darkness was—
Clang!
—a perfect sanctuary.
Out of nowhere, a blade of dark-red aura flew forward, stopping just before Siona’s heart. He vanished, and in the next instant, his sword thrust from behind, grazing her neck.
The path of the sword was invisible.
The dark-red blade left no trace of its trajectory, dissolving into nothing after each strike only to reappear from an impossible angle to thrust again.
Clang!
Yet Siona did not panic. She raised her sword, calmly blocking the blade as it reappeared behind her. The tip of her own curved sword lunged toward Calian’s heart.
Tinkle.
Flutter!
Siona swung her sword in a wide arc.
At the same time, the silhouette of a black robe swept down from above, framed by the moon. A sword had appeared in the white hand that had been empty just a moment before.
Clang!
A battle had begun without a single word exchanged.
The two swords clashed and tangled once more.
“Vice-Commander, please step back.”
Needlen spoke. He had cast a shield to block all directions. While it certainly couldn’t stop a Sword Master’s aura, it would block any other stray attacks.
Clang! Clang!
Calian’s sword blocked Siona’s, then immediately launched a counterattack. Sliding off her curved blade, the dark-red sword vanished from Siona’s sight.
“Vice-Commander.”
At the second call, Franz finally spoke.
“Just watch.”
“Pardon?”
If Calian had sensed others nearby, he wasn’t the type to tell them to step back. If the situation were truly dangerous, he wouldn’t be fighting with his cumbersome robe on. If caution were required, he wouldn’t have engaged the opponent alone, leaving his companions behind.
Since Calian had extinguished the lights to fight more freely, there was nothing for them to do.
“There’s nothing else for us to do, so shut up and watch two Sword Masters greet each other.”
A dark-red energy erupted like an explosion.
The hem of the black robe blended into the wind.
Clang! Clang!
An hour passed, or perhaps two.
An immeasurable amount of time flowed by. Though no one checked a watch, one thing was absolutely clear.
They had fought until dawn.
The deep darkness lifted, and the distant sky began to brighten to the color of a certain mage’s hair, yet the fight did not end.
Franz had already instructed them to drop the shield to spare the mages’ stamina, telling them only to stay alert. Just as he began to ponder whether he should tell them to stop keeping watch altogether—
Tinkle, tinkle.
Clang! Clang!
The metallic clashing, its intensity undiminished, shook the forest.
Even with the rising sun at their backs instead of the setting moon, the dark-red sword did not lose its luster.
Watching the two, Franz frowned slightly.
The smell of blood.
The scent was gradually growing thicker.
A Sword Master whose wounds had not fully healed.
A Sword Master wearing clothes that hindered his movement.
They fought on equal terms. Though Calian was hindered by his robe, his opponent was injured. Yet the reason Franz judged them to be evenly matched was simple.
Flutter!
It was because Calian was making sounds, and his movements were, at the very least, faintly visible. He knew that just as Siona could not exert her full strength due to her injuries, Calian was not fighting with his full power either.
Swish! Clang! Clang!
Blocking Siona’s wide, sweeping attack, Calian’s sword created the illusion of splitting into multiple blades. Siona stepped back to dodge, then lunged forward. As if waiting for this, Calian vanished, prompting Siona to twist her waist and thrust her sword into empty air.
Siona froze. Calian’s dark silhouette, standing with his back to the sun, finally came into view. The dark-red sword faded as if dissolving, leaving an afterimage in her eyes.
The rising sunlight was dazzling.
A momentary silence fell. And then—
…Thud!
Tinkle!
The bell that had been attached to the hilt of Siona’s sword clattered to the ground.
“Sorry. It was noisy,” Calian’s voice rang out.
* * *
The sunniest spot in the Wilhelm Pavilion.
In the cold of Kairisis, there could be no better place. And Hina’s office was located in just such a wonderful spot.
Anne, who had likely followed Lucy to enjoy the sunlight, raised a forepaw to push away the hand reaching for her. When the hand gently caught her paw and shook it as if in greeting, a small, disgruntled sound escaped her mouth.
“Mew.”
Having finished brushing Lucy’s fur, Hina had now turned to Anne. She began brushing, gently coaxing the reluctant cat.
Anne, who had tried to avoid the grooming, surprisingly seemed to find it refreshing. She quieted down and soon let out a yawn. By the time the brushing was finished, she was fast asleep. Hina gently placed her next to Lucy, who was curled up on a thick cushion.
As if noticing that Anne’s gray fur had become soft and fluffy, Lucy let out a contented purr, wrapped her forepaws around the smaller cat, and began to doze off with her.
Hina quickly scribbled a note.
Lucy is so sweet, she takes good care of Anne. I think Anne will learn from Lucy and grow up to be a good cat too.
Eila nodded as she read the words.
Hina had visited the Wilhelm Pavilion early that morning. Seeing that the two cats had already eaten their fill, she had picked up a brush instead of offering treats. Until she finished meticulously grooming them, Eila had not uttered a single word.
Hina wrote again.
Would you like some tea?
“I don’t really like green tea.”
Hina’s eyes widened at the spoken words.
Recalling a similar experience not long ago, Eila spoke again.
“I know how to speak.”
She had spoken to Veronica because of a buttery lobster, and now she spoke to Hina because of bitter green tea. Hina smiled and wrote another note.
I’ll bring something other than green tea.
One was the healer of Valkan and a Viscountess. The other, her guard. Yet, it was always Hina who brewed the tea. This was not because Hina couldn’t shake off her commoner habits or because she was simply kind, but because Eila’s tea was utterly terrible—far worse than even the worst of Yan’s failed attempts. Just because one loved delicious things didn’t mean they were good at making them.
The water heater bubbled. It was a gift from Alan—or more accurately, something Alan had stolen from the Mage Association’s treasury, which Calian had then picked up and placed in Hina’s office. Of course, Alan could create and boil water even without such a device.
Hina presented another note, her handwriting as gentle as her demeanor.
I didn’t know you could speak.
Eila shook her head. “I just didn’t have any particular reason to.”
Arsen had introduced them when he first brought Eila here. Since then, Hina had spent time chatting with Eila about various things, while Eila had barely opened her mouth, responding only with nods.
I thought there was only one person who found talking bothersome, but it turns out there’s another.
Reading the playful note, Eila smiled faintly.
She didn’t know who Hina was referring to. Though she had worked as a spy, she had not yet met the Second Prince in person, so she didn’t know his actual personality.
Hina poured the slightly cooled tea into a cup and set it down in front of Eila. Eila’s gaze fell upon the subtly fragrant liquid. As she stared into the cup without picking it up, Hina wrote again.
The blue tea is interesting, isn’t it? I brought it because it reminded me of your hair color. It’s violet tea.
Just as Hina said, the tea was a clear, deep blue, resembling the color of the sea—and Eila’s hair.
Eila nodded.
The white bead hanging from the end of her hairpin swayed, sparkling in the early morning sunlight.
I think that’s very pretty, Hina wrote.
At Hina’s compliment—it was the first time she had seen Eila wear the hairpin—Eila spoke readily. She realized Hina was trying to get her to talk now that she knew she could, but there was no malice in it.
“It’s hard to show you. It might be pretty, but it’s not safe.”
Hina’s eyes widened again, her mouth forming a small ‘o’.
A weapon?
“Yes. It contains poison.”
Revealing that it was a hidden weapon, and even what kind, was Eila’s own way of showing trust.
I’ve seen many similar weapons, but this seems to be the prettiest of them all.
Hina’s response surprised Eila slightly. She had thought Hina was someone who had lived a sheltered, spotless life. But such a person wouldn’t have immediately thought of a weapon upon hearing it wasn’t safe, nor would she have said she had seen many of them.
Hina diligently wrote something down again, showed it to her, and smiled warmly.
Next time, please wear something you can show me.
A soft chuckle escaped Eila’s lips. She had read the words that followed, formed by Hina’s silent lips.
Because this is a place where that’s okay.
A place where two cats slept on a sunlit sofa. A place where it was perfectly fine to wear a hairpin that didn’t contain poison.
“Please teach me sign language. I’ll learn.”
She felt that by the time she fully learned the language of the person she would be staying with, she could comfortably wear a hairpin she would be proud to show off.
* * *
Calian handed over the bell.
Siona stood still for a moment before accepting it. The bell, which had fallen with a soft tinkle, was placed on her palm. Then, Calian received something from a knight and handed it to her.
It was a clean bandage.
“The smell of blood is strong. Someone in our group is very sensitive, so I’d appreciate it if you could cover it up.”
Franz, sitting nearby, frowned. Siona accepted the bandage without a word and nodded. Wondering if that was her way of saying thank you, Calian sat down opposite her.
“I can help if you need.”
“No need.”
Looking at Siona’s long, pointed ears adorned with silver rings, a bitter expression crossed Calian’s face. He was reminded that Hina’s ears, which she had cut off herself, must have originally looked like that.
Siona took off her outer coat and roughly wrapped the bandage over the thin black shirt she wore underneath. Then she spoke.
“Siona Hill.”
“I know.”
Siona’s eyes turned to Calian. He shrugged, answering her unspoken question.
“I’m not someone who needs to introduce himself.”
He knew it was his turn to introduce himself, but Calian only said this. This was merely a formality; it wasn't as if they didn't already know each other's names.
Siona nodded and put her coat back on. As she began to tie the fallen bell back onto the pommel of her sword, Calian asked, “You should explain. Why did you come looking for me?”
“To see what kind of sword belongs to the bastard who slit Suleiman’s throat.”
“It’s a good thing you’re an elf. If you were human, you’d be executed for attacking royalty, but I can’t exactly arrest you.”
Siona let out a dry chuckle. “I didn’t take you for someone so unreasonable.”
“Well, I’m not alone right now, and I’m less generous toward elves. So, I’d like a proper explanation,” Calian replied with an amused expression, looking into Siona’s golden eyes. “Why you came.”
A suffocating killing intent descended upon the forest.