Pri...vate Residence (1)
Pri...vate Residence (1)
- Disciple? You left your abdomen wide open again.
- Gah...!
The woman who took the hit to the stomach tumbled across the floor.
- Ugh, urgh...! I can't do this anymore!
Drenched in sweat and trembling, the woman finally sprawled limp on the ground.
The master, who had been waiting for her to rise, let out a deep sigh and stepped closer, pressing a finger firmly into the sprawled woman's stomach.
- My disciple is good at everything else, but she tends to leave far too many openings in her midsection. Hm?
- Gahh... D-don't press there, it's sensitive!
- ?
An immature woman splayed out in the middle of the training room, and a master blinking down at her with a finger still on her stomach.
It was a familiar sight. A past she had lived through herself.
But it was a strange perspective, watching something she had experienced from the standpoint of a third party.
It felt almost like being a ghost, but by now she had grown used to it. She couldn't fold her arms, so she rested her left hand on her hip and calmly observed her surroundings.
- Master... could we eat soon? It's past one already...
- You certainly keep good track of the time while we're at it...
- Heehee, isn't that proof I'm passing the peripheral-vision training with flying colors?
- Your tongue is as slick as oil. Agh, fine. Let's eat first.
- Woohoo! Let's go to the pizza place today!
They said an auspicious dream was a good omen, didn't they?
If so, then this dream right now was the opposite of a nightmare. A felicitous dream.
Because those days had been so happy.
The training was grueling, but the results were plainly visible, and meals eaten together tasted twice as good as anything she picked at alone.
Just look at that scene right there.
All it was was a promise to share a single lunch, and yet a bright smile bloomed on the woman's sweat-drenched face.
'Agh.'
The sight was uncomfortable to look at.
She sighed deeply and turned her head away from her past self, meeting the eyes of her current self in the mirror.
She compared it naturally to the past she had just been gazing at.
It was so different.
An empty sleeve where one arm should be. Limbs and a frame that had grown long and gangly. Countless scars left all over her body, despite being a superhuman with strong recovery. Fatigue and resignation caked thickly onto her face.
Compared to the brightly shining past, she was a miserable sight.
And that was also reality.
She didn't want to leave. If she stayed buried in the dream, she could bury herself in a happy past.
At some point, she had fallen into hell, and now she was trembling without hope, waiting for the day she would die.
'Tsk.'
She clicked her tongue for no reason and thumped her head with her fist.
At this rate, it really felt like she would end up buried in the dream.
There was no impact. Instead, the world rumbled and shook, then blurred and smeared as if melting away.
Her past self, and the master who shined even within the dream, vanished along with it.
It was time to return to gloomy reality.
"......"
Consciousness surfaced.
She had returned to cold reality.
She was flopped onto something strangely soft.
She didn't let out any careless noise and first recalled the situation just before she had passed out.
It wasn't hard to remember.
While she had stepped outside briefly to find food, some copycat monster—or another human being—had entered her home and was picking up her underwear to examine it.
She had tried to blow its head off and kill it like usual, but she hadn't been able to kill it.
When she fought seriously, she'd gotten beaten down instead, and in the end, a powerful blow had slammed into her abdomen and she had lost consciousness.
- Disciple? You left your abdomen wide open again.
'I tried to fix it, you know. What could I do when it just didn't work out...'
Was it because of the dream right before? That mistake stung even more. She replayed the impact spreading through her abdomen and smiled bitterly to herself.
Well, she was alive at least, but a hit like that would leave a dark bruise at the very...
'No, it doesn't hurt?'
Just as she was about to finish the thought, a strange sense of incongruity made her wiggle her fingers.
There was no resistance. It was the same with her wrists and ankles. No sense of being restrained whatsoever.
Was that all? Her body actually felt light.
The injuries she had been neglecting, counting on her recovery ability, had vanished completely.
'What's going on?'
This wasn't what she had expected.
She had been sure she'd been beaten, tightly restrained, and locked up somewhere, or that she'd fail to wake from the dream and die.
It was neither. No restraints, and her body had recovered completely. She wasn't dead.
She had no idea what this situation was.
Should she pretend to still be unconscious and observe the situation more carefully...
[Are you awake?]
"......"
She got caught immediately. At the voice, which carried an inexplicable note of certainty, she furrowed her brow and calmly pushed herself upright.
Something that had been covering her body slipped softly away.
She hadn't been thinking about anything at all, but the gentle sensation brushing across her body made her flinch. Then, when she pressed a hand against the ground and felt an impossible softness, her eyes went wide and round.
'A sleeping bag?'
It wasn't rough, stinking monster hide. Her hand moved to it before she knew it, and a supremely soft texture caressed her coarse palm.
- Zzzzing...
What's more, a heating magic tool right next to her was warming her sleeping body.
A convenient magic tool. No excessive heat like a fire. No flying sparks. No scattered firewood burning holes into her hide.
[How is your body? I provided treatment, so please tell me if there are any issues.]
"...Your manner of speaking got a lot nicer, huh?"
Her eyes quivered faintly at this fragment of civilization she hadn't felt in years, but she quickly pulled her tension taut and snapped her head around.
Where her gaze landed, the robed attacker was slumped down on the floor.
She tensed her body as if she might lash out and charge at any moment.
She glared at the bizarre mask with no eyeholes and sneered.
"Just a moment ago you were beating me like a dog. No restraints because you figure you can just beat me down again, is that it?"
[...Don't take it that way. There's something I want to ask you.]
"Why are you acting all meek now, you fucker? What, the moment I let my guard down you're gonna blow my jaw off this time? Huh?"
[Please don't curse at me...]
At the sharp retort she'd blurted out in anger, the attacker suddenly wilted.
She scowled. Where was this consideration now, when they'd been happily beating her senseless just a moment ago?
[Would your name happen to be Daera Celeste?]
"...What are you?"
She—Daera—stiffened her expression at the sudden mention of her name.
A copycat monster. Or those unidentified bastards who seemed to have been tracking her lately.
Whichever it was, knowing her name was strange.
[First of all, I'm not a monster.]
"Monster or human or whatever the hell, I said what the hell are you to know my name, you piece of shit."
[Ah, o-okay. I'll explain, so please stop cursing...]
Under Daera's murderous glare, the attacker shrank their shoulders and abruptly lowered the robe they had pulled over their head.
'White?'
Beneath the pitch-black robe, a wholly unexpected head of pure white hair revealed itself.
Even in this desolate place, the hair flowed with a glossy sheen.
They had seemed somehow noble even while wearing the robe, and the hair was cut from the same cloth.
As Daera blinked, slender hands this time removed the mask.
The dark surroundings lit up brightly.
"Huh?"
In her short life, she had met many people. Among them, there had been some who were objectively ugly, and many who were handsome and pretty.
But none were like the person in front of her right now.
A beauty.
An appearance so striking that pouring every ounce of care into sculpting it from head to toe would still feel inadequate.
"Uh, uhh..."
And this was Daera, who hadn't properly looked another person in the eye for years. She was overwhelmed by a level of good looks that was practically violent.
[...My name is Lee Ha-yul. And...]
That shock and astonishment were washed clean away by the words that followed right after.
[I am a disciple of Master... of Master Atra. Um, Senior Daera...?]
"......"
Daera's mind came to a halt.
At the same time, a hope she had long ago buried beneath resignation raised its head.
* * *
Daera Celeste.
I had never met her before, but I knew the name.
Ever since I had formed the bond of junior disciple with Master.
Sometimes, when I would fall asleep cradled in her arms, she would tell me about the past like she was reading a storybook.
For my part, I hadn't only enjoyed it.
I liked hearing about Master's past, but it also felt like picking at an old wound. And whenever she smiled while reminiscing, a nasty jealousy would rise up in me too.
But whatever the case, I had heard the story.
Was it because she still perceived me as blind? Or had she simply not wanted to probe that far?
Master hadn't even shown me a photo of her missing disciple.
That was why I recognized her late.
'It's an excuse, but... I did recognize her in the end, so...'
Still, if I'd figured it out just a little sooner, I probably wouldn't have ended up smacking Daera around or shoving a Blood Cloud into her stomach.
Anyway.
[...And that's how it happened.]
I stroked the egg-shaped heating magic tool and gave Daera a simple explanation of the situation.
Daera, sitting across from me, listened with a blank expression, blinking slowly.
Her lips opened and closed in meaningless repetition, and her pupils wandered aimlessly, unable to find their focus.
'Did I summarize it too much?'
But there was no helping it. There was no way I could explain the whole story in such a short time.
I could pour out my thoughts in a rush using a flame-type unique ability... but who knew if some unexpected side effect might trigger.
"......"
Daera's shoulders trembled faintly. I tensed at the clear emotional disturbance.
It's not uncommon for people to cause a scene after hearing shocking news.
And this place is the Reverse Side, packed to the brim with monsters and danger.
I've blocked our presence inside the spell workshop for now, but if Daera goes on a rampage, that special lightning she showed would be too dangerous for a workshop to contain.
"Uh, uh..."
Her whole body shuddered as if she'd been electrocuted.
I prepared myself to subdue her no matter what reaction she showed.
"Ugh, sniff, hrrk...!"
[?]
Contrary to my worries, Daera didn't display any violent symptoms.
Instead, she hung her head low and simply sobbed in silence, tears dripping down like chicken droppings.
[D-Daera...?]
The sight was so heartbreaking it made me feel wretched.
I, who'd steeled myself to suppress a rampage, felt like half-eaten food trash by comparison.
When I approached hesitantly, Daera's teary eyes snapped toward me, and she yanked me tight into her embrace.
"Is it... really true? It's not a lie? If... if you're lying, I'll really kill you... okay...?"
A clump of emotion—faint doubt mixed with a desperate prayer that it not be false.
At that, I relaxed the corners of my eyes and nodded.
[Yes, yes. It's true. I showed you the photo, didn't I? The master is healthy.]
"Ah, hrgk... I-I didn't give up, I kept going... hng... I'm so glad... really..."
[That's right. It really is a relief.]
As she tightened her arms around me, my face sank deeper into her full chest.
Heavy teardrops fell onto my hair.
'......'
The density of emotion carried by those tears was impossibly dark and deep. Considering what she'd been through, it made perfect sense.
My heart aching for her, I patted Daera's back gently.
I even pulled out the Sky Wing Feather I'd hidden under my robe and draped it softly over her.
.
.
.
It took some time for Daera to stop sobbing.
Given the hardships she'd endured, she must have gathered her emotions as quickly as she could, considering the situation.
Knowing her heart, I stayed still in her arms and let myself be a doll.
Tears and such got on me, but I didn't run away for some trivial reason like that.
"Hrnng..."
Daera sniffled. The rims of her eyes were wet and stained red.
Just as I'd been doing, I wiped the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief.
"Ugh, heehee... thank you."
- Squish
Then Daera smiled bashfully and pulled me into an even tighter hug. Buried in that soft mass, my breath caught in my throat.
"Ahh... so warm... ah, sorry if it's uncomfortable... but I'm really in urgent need of human warmth right now..."
[I understand completely, Daera.]
I nodded firmly at Daera's words, asking for my understanding.
In urgent need of warmth. How could I not understand that feeling?
I sympathize with it deeply. Very deeply.
Having been alone a lot recently myself, I've been starving for the affection of people around me.
But Daera? At least a few years, maybe? I'd have lost my mind and gone mad a long time ago.
Thinking like that, Daera was simply amazing, and it was just a relief.
I poked my head out from her chest and kept patting her back, telling her it was truly a relief.
[Thank you for holding on all this time. Let's go back together now.]
"Sniff! Yeah... thank you. Hehe. You said you received the master's teachings, right? My junior sister is so kind..."
[Yes, the master taught me from the basics. Thanks to that, I've been able to grow...]
...Wait.
A sudden jab of dissonance made me blink.
[...Junior sister?]
What did that mean again? I ran a search through the Authority of Knowledge.
The answer came quickly.
The corners of my lips trembled.
[Daera. I'm not a woman.]
"Pfft, ahaha! You're really bad at jokes. Then I'm actually a man."
[......]
"...Huh?"
At my disgruntled expression, Daera finally blinked and looked down at me in her arms.
She tilted her head with a puzzled look.
"...With this face, you're saying you're not a woman...?"
[I'm a man.]
[I'm a man.]
[I'm a man, I said.]
[I'm a m—]
- Squish
"Whoa, okay. Got it. I get it for now."
Not even hearing my complaints all the way through, Daera shoved my face straight back into her chest.
Of course, that didn't stop the Confession Necklace, but I swallowed my grievances for the moment.
"Hoo..."
Confirming my voice had stopped, Daera let out a deep sigh and buried her face in my hair.
"Sniff sniff... junior sis—no, no. What was it again? Ah, right. Junior brother! My junior brother's scent is so nice..."
[Daera. I keep telling you, I'm a man...]
"Sorry, I'm in urgent need of human smell right now. Does it bother you?"
[That's... not it... I just thought a man and woman being this close might...]
"What does gender have to do with a nice smell?"
I asked in disbelief at her sniffing at me, but Daera just shrugged as if it couldn't be helped and buried her nose back in my hair.
"Hnnf, haa... but seriously, your scent is weirdly good. And you're ridiculously pretty too... sniff sniff sniff..."
[Daera, you're a bit like a pervert...]
Oddly enough, as I said that, my chest stung a little. I'm not sure why.
[...Anyway, Daera.]
"Mm... hmm? Hrmm..."
That was when.
Something about my calling her didn't sit right with her, and she let out a murmur.
Wondering what was up, I tilted my head, and Daera looked down at me with a remarkably serious expression.
"Junior brother? Don't keep it so distant. Just call me 'senior sis'~"
The topic came out of nowhere. I was simply baffled as to why she'd brought it up so suddenly.
[All of a sudden?]
"It's not sudden. I learned from the master, and you learned from the master too. So we're each other's senior and junior. That's just how it is."
She wasn't wrong. Titles and how people feel about them can differ from person to person...
[Uh... um... Senior Daera...?]
"Ah, you still stuck a title on it. Well, this feels affectionate too, so I like it. Heh heh..."
Daera—Senior Daera—hugged me tight again.
All this talk about affection and warmth—she must be desperate for human connection.
Thinking of it that way, her attachment to titles made sense.
...Come to think of it, I'm probably attached to the title of 'master' myself...
[Ahem, Senior Daera. Didn't you happen to see a core in this space?]
"Huh? A core? Like a missile?"
[No, no. Think of it as... the pillar of the space. Like a dungeon core.]
"Ah-ha? So this really was a dungeon after all?"
[Hmm... think of it as something similar.]
"Got it..."
Nodding, Daera once again buried her nose in my hair and inhaled deeply before suddenly snapping her head up.
"Ah, I think I did see a few places that might qualify as a core."
[Really?]
My face brightened at Daera's words. Whatever else, she'd survived here in the Reverse Side for years.
She must have gotten somewhat close to the core at some point.
It didn't matter if she wasn't precise. Once I had a rough direction, I could find it quickly.
"It was so bizarre that it stuck hard in my memory. It jutted up from everywhere in this place."
[What was it?]
As I waited expectantly for her answer, she shrugged and replied.
"A tower. A ridiculously huge, long thing that goes all the way up into the sky."
...
[?]
[?...?]
[...?]
[......What did you say?]
The answer was something I'd never imagined.
* * *
[Player Correction System: Affection]
Lee Ha-yul→?
●●●○○○○○○○(35/100)
｢Owner of the Traces｣ ｢Sense of Dissonance｣
▼Dramatic Change▼
Lee Ha-yul→Daera Celeste
●●●●●●○○○○(61/100)
｢Senior Disciple｣ ｢Lightning｣ ｢Shared Feeling｣ ｢Heartache｣ ｢Compassion｣ ｢Pity｣