A Short Journey Down Memory Lane
The two of them found themselves swept up in an unexpectedly joyful commotion, all thanks to that time capsule. Once again, Ariel had taken his hand and declared there was somewhere she wanted to go together, so Edgar had no choice but to follow her lead without knowing their destination. Still, even without knowing exactly where they were headed, this time he could make a fairly good guess based on their route. It wasn’t a sprawling metropolis like Hespania, and in a rural village like this, the number of places worth visiting was rather limited. On top of that, the path Ariel was leading them down was one filled with memories for both of them.
Watching the lush overgrowth of grass and the still-dense trees, Edgar let out a quiet sigh of admiration. Ariel, who had been walking ahead, glanced back at him, then broke into a small smile and trotted over to his side.
“It’s been ages, hasn’t it?”
“Right? How old were we the last time we came here?”
“Eleven? Maybe twelve? I don’t remember exactly.”
The fact that it was hazy even for Edgar meant the memory was quite old indeed.
“Well, after that day we hardly ever came together.”
That day—with just a touch of exaggeration—referred to the time Ariel had nearly lost Edgar. It had been the childish whim of a little girl who wanted to climb high up the mountain, look down at the view below, and tell him, This mountain is your birthday present. Because of that one impulse, they had encountered a wild boar on a mountain battered by pouring rain, and in the end, she had put him in danger.
Even now, that memory lingered in Ariel’s mind like a trauma. Other details were blurry, but she could still vividly recall his back as he carried her down the mountain with a cold body, breathing hard. Sensing the mood growing heavy because of that day’s recollection, Edgar grinned and deliberately spoke in a teasing tone.
“You were the one who said you were scared and didn’t want to come back.”
“M-me!?”
“What? You don’t remember?”
Ariel’s feet, which had been planted firmly on the ground, suddenly lifted into the air. Edgar kept chuckling as he refreshed her memory of that day. He was the type to tease, but never lie about such things. Knowing that, Ariel listened with her ears wide open even as she watched him with a doubtful expression.
“And then about a month later? When I said I was fine and suggested we go up the mountain again, you almost cried and refused.”
“I… cried?”
“Yeah. You were sniffling and saying, ‘What if we run into another boar and Edgar dies?’”
“Mmph—!?”
“I get it, so stop!”
It probably meant that even the spoiled young lady at ten years old had possessed a certain innocence. Of course, to Ariel herself, that black history was far too embarrassing to laugh off as mere innocence. She jumped in alarm and rushed to cover his mouth.
Her skills had improved considerably since then, so it was no longer as easy for Edgar to slip out of her grasp like he used to. Even so, the gap in their abilities was still wide enough that he could have escaped if he truly wanted to. But what would be the point of doing that to his own girlfriend? If he wanted to enjoy the joke as a joke, pretending to be caught and letting her cover his mouth was just the right level.
“Since the topic came up today, shall we go all the way up there?”
“All the way up… where?”
“The place where we met the boar. If we have time, we can even climb higher.”
Since Ariel had been the one to drag him all the way to the mountain in the first place, her outfit was perfectly suited for hiking. Edgar had noticed that and asked casually.
“We won’t run into that same guy again, will we?”
“Even if we do, so what? Neither of us is at a level where a single boar could take us down.”
“True, that’s right.”
Even Edgar, who hadn’t brought a sword, could easily dispatch a wild boar if he put his mind to it. Ariel, who had always been an exceptionally talented mage, could do so without question. In fact, they’d be lucky if the boar didn’t end up roasted on the spot.
“Yeah, let’s go then. It’s been a while.”
“If it gets too hard, just say so. I’ll carry you like last time.”
“You think I’m the same as I was back then!?”
At Edgar’s words, which seemed to remember her exactly as she had been at ten, Ariel puffed out her cheeks and flared up in anger. Though back then she had been a frail girl who hadn’t yet properly trained in martial arts and lacked even basic stamina, now she was confident she could climb and descend this mountain as many times as she wanted. Besides, both times he had carried her down had been the result of her own mistakes—twisting an ankle or injuring her leg. Today there would be no such thing, so there was no way she would be carried down the mountain in such an embarrassing manner. Ariel declared that with absolute certainty.
Perhaps because it was the peak season for wild strawberries, the two of them found the fruit quite easily, even though it had been hard to spot back then. Each holding a handful of the berries, they climbed the mountain while munching away. Their pace was utterly leisurely. Who would believe these two were the sole heir to a grand ducal house and her lover? They looked just like an ordinary young woman and man who lived nearby—except for their appearances, of course.
As they continued making their way toward the cave that was their destination, something pale caught Edgar’s eye. He narrowed his gaze and looked again. Though its impression had changed quite a bit from back then, there was no mistaking it. It was the same cave from that day.
“Oh, Ariel. I can see it over there.”
“Where?”
“Right there. Is it hard to see because of the trees?”
“Ah, you’re right. Seeing it like this feels somehow nostalgic.”
If back then it had felt like a truly dark and gloomy cave, today Ariel sensed a rather different atmosphere. Maybe it was because flowers were blooming vibrantly nearby. After pondering the reason for the cave’s changed impression, she reached their destination while holding Edgar’s hand.
“Looks like there’s no boar.”
“Maybe it’s dead?”
“Why would you say something so harsh… Well, it might have gone out looking for food.”
This was also why wild boars frequently descended the mountain to raid the village’s crops. Or perhaps it had simply moved its den. Since neither of them particularly wanted to meet it, they didn’t bother searching and simply sat down in front of the cave to rest for a while.
As they munched on the bright red wild strawberries and turned their gaze toward the open view, a sunset as red as the berries was slowly sinking beyond the mountain peaks.
“The sun’s already setting?”
“Yeah, I guess we spent more time than I thought.”
“That makes sense. How long did we spend reading that letter earlier?”
“I told you not to bring that up!?”
Even when Edgar defended her by saying, Why? It was cute, to Ariel it was nothing but an embarrassing episode. It would have been one thing if only he had seen it, but Shuri had been right there and read the letter too. Ariel was already worried that once they returned to Hespania, the maid might bring it up while crying. Of course, unlike the soft-hearted Edgar, Ariel could shut her down the moment Shuri tried to act up. Still, the mere thought of the situation felt awkward to her.
“The sunset… somehow it feels just like that time.”
“When we picked strawberries and came down?”
“Yeah. The sunset was setting just like this back then too.”
Ariel looked slightly surprised that he had guessed it right away and nodded. Meanwhile, Edgar, who had been quietly watching her from the side, suddenly stood up with a look of determination and held out his hand.
“Why? Are we leaving already?”
“Since we’re here, how about a little memory lane trip?”
“Memory lane…?”
When Ariel tilted her head at the vague suggestion, Edgar smiled and urged her to take his hand first. Thinking he wouldn’t do anything bad, she cautiously took it. Then, with a firm pull, he drew her slender body close and hoisted her onto his back like a sack.
Startled by the sudden action, Ariel flailed her legs in protest.
“W-what are you doing!? Am I some kind of patient!?”
She had sworn she wouldn’t be carried down in such an embarrassing way like last time. Why did this idiot not understand her feelings and so easily shatter that resolve?
“Patient? Come on. It’s perfectly normal for lovers to carry each other.”
“E-even so…”
“If you don’t like it, I’ll stop. I just wanted to try something.”
“Ugh, you only get serious at times like this.”
If he had said it playfully, she might have stubbornly demanded to be put down out of spite. But his unusually gentle tone left Ariel with no choice but to raise the white flag. It was a tactic only Edgar could pull off, knowing full well she couldn’t refuse when he approached her like this.
Step. Step.
As they descended the path they had climbed earlier, the pleasant sound of leaves crunching underfoot tickled their ears. Ariel, still on his back, asked what he was trying to do, but Edgar simply continued walking with a smile and silence.
“Was it around here?”
“What?”
Ariel voiced her confusion at his unconscious mutter. Once again, he gave no answer and simply walked until he reached a spot that closely resembled the one in his memory, then stopped. When he turned around, the thick trees vanished from view, and the sunset they had seen earlier now spread out directly before them.
“Ah…”
Ariel finally realized where they were and let out a soft gasp.
“Do you remember? This place.”
“Y-yeah. I remember.”
She answered immediately and stared blankly at the sunset disappearing beyond the mountain peaks. How could she forget? This was the place where she had first become aware of Edgar as a boy of the opposite sex. That day, her heart had pounded so violently she could barely speak. She still didn’t know exactly why, but one thing was certain—after that day, she had begun watching his every move with great care.
“This is where you taught me what it means to become an adult.”
“Did I tell you that gaining something precious means losing something else precious?”
“That’s right. I remember thinking those words sounded a little scary back then.”
The Ariel of that time had been nothing more than a ten-year-old girl. She had been an ordinary child who still found the idea of losing something precious frightening. Even though Edgar had kindly added, It just means the things you hold dear will change, to her it had still been quite terrifying to think she would become someone she didn’t know. But looking back now, it seemed so foolish. She had come to realize that having precious things change was something to celebrate in life.
The toys, books, and accessories she had once loved. Even if each still carried memories, if asked whether they were as precious to her now as before, the answer was no. And yet, did she feel as if she had lost something? Not at all.
“How about now? Have many of your precious things changed?”
“Yeah, they’ve changed a lot. Though there are still some that haven’t.”
“Really? That’s surprising.”
When he asked so innocently what hadn’t changed, Ariel couldn’t help but let out a helpless laugh. He was usually so quick-witted—why couldn’t he notice at times like this? But at the same time, she thought it was just like him. Even though they were this close, he would never realize it unless she told him outright, You are precious to me.
She also had another thought. Everything might change with time, but perhaps this man would remain exactly the same. The foolish boy who hadn’t even recognized the pure goodwill of a ten-year-old girl and had looked elsewhere. It made her happy to think that the Edgar Bilhark from back then was still here. Even if everything else changed, the man she had loved would not.
Chu.
Overjoyed by that realization, Ariel unconsciously leaned forward and planted a small, adorable kiss on his right cheek. Normally he would have teased her by asking if she couldn’t do it more passionately, but today he simply wore a faint smile and asked in a gentle voice.
“Did something good happen?”
“It’s a thank-you. For letting me revisit these old memories.”
“Is that so? I’m glad you seem to like it.”
When he asked, Shall we come again next time? Ariel quietly nodded. Next year, the year after, even ten years from now. This was a place she wanted to visit together for as long as they lived. The place that had made her realize she loved him. Was there any other memory so precious and tender?
Even if the sunset faded, the memories would not disappear with it. They could always climb this mountain, watch the sunset, and revisit those memories. She was certain that would be a happiness unlike any other in the world. Ariel believed it with all her heart.