A Liar's Recovery

I asked, "Is this enough?" It was a promise I'd made to occasionally try wearing comfortable clothes. Since the other party had been so insistent, there was no reason to back out now that I'd come all this way. Seizing the moment, I immediately tried on another outfit.

"It's a bit... awkward."

I was wearing light short-sleeved pajamas. The thin fabric fluttered softly. My arms were fully exposed between the sleeves. Since the short sleeves couldn't cover my body completely, I was left with all my numerous scars on full display. Cool air touched my skin, which had felt stifling just moments before.

As I stood there frozen in awkwardness, a voice reached me that affirmed the outfit.

It was Irene. The girl who had been standing beside me gave me a quick once-over, then nodded with a faint smile. Her expression looked strangely pleased.

I offered an awkward smile of my own and asked, "Doesn't it look a little strange? It's been so long since I've worn anything like this."

"That's a relief."

Even as I answered, my fingers kept fiddling with the collar. I'd always insisted on perfectly tailored suits that clung to my body, so slipping into something this loose felt incredibly foreign. Wearing comfortable clothes somehow made me feel more uncomfortable instead.

They'd be shocked if they saw this.

I was thinking of the members. Given how long we'd spent together, quite a few of them knew about my scars, but I'd never shown them in such a relaxed state before. I'd always maintained ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠an impeccable, flawless image. After all, I had to stand as their spiritual pillar and sole savior.

Even Neria, who had been by my side the longest, was the same.

This brings back old memories.

To think a single set of clothes could make me sentimental. It seemed I really was getting old. I shook off the pointless thoughts and turned to the fox who was watching me, asking a question to clear my head.

"Speaking of which, I didn't expect to find clothes like these in the closet. I thought there were only suits in there..."

"Hm?"

"These are fine. Since you picked them out yourself, Miss Irene."

"I'll treasure them for the rest of my life."

The fox snapped back with a pout. But her body was honest. Her crimson tail swayed pleasantly, and her usually folded fox ears had perked up energetically atop her head. Her easy-to-read reaction made a faint laugh escape me.

"Pfft."

"It's nothing."

"I think of myself as quite a sour person, actually."

We chatted lightly like that. Outside the window, the scenery had already grown dark.

"It's getting late. Shall we get some sleep?"

We wrapped up our conversation briefly. It was a night for sleeping in preparation for a busy tomorrow. The two of us turned toward our respective rooms.

No. That's what I thought.

A soft whisper. I could feel a lukewarm breath beside me. When I turned my head, there was the fox lying right next to me under the covers. She had taken up part of the bed.

"......"

So it was happening again today.

Ever since the school trip, Irene had been falling asleep in my room instead of her own. And always in the same bed.

Rustle—.

With her shifting movements, a warm body heat burrowed into my embrace. The girl was pressing herself close against me. Since we were both wearing thin pajamas, the sensation through the fabric felt even clearer. Her soft skin clung to me as if embracing my scars. Especially where our chests met. A heavy softness pressed against my breastbone. The explicit shape was crushed by the strength of her hug, leaving only the gentle pressure of the touch. Between our shared warmth, our mingled breaths that neither could swallow mixed together.

So close.

Was this thought too obvious now? I smiled faintly and let it pass. Being held like this made me feel like a pillow. Setting aside the strange feeling, I quietly asked the fox who still hadn't fallen asleep. It was a question filled with curiosity.

"Miss Irene."

"Why do you sleep here when there's a perfectly good bed in your own room?"

"How straightforward."

"Not particularly. Still, wouldn't it be better for you to sleep in your own room? There's only one bed in mine, after all."

"......"

Irene quietly closed her mouth. A brief silence followed. The blunt atmosphere slowly crumbled. As the ears on her head drooped weakly, her slender fingers interlaced with mine as if to bind me. The girl murmured faintly, like someone sinking underwater.

Her eyes looked up at me earnestly. Her clear pupils reflected only my image. She always responded with such a pitiful look that pushing her away harshly felt impossible. In the end, I let it slide again this time too. I gently patted her back with a calm hand.

"Alright."

"It's not really a problem. Don't worry about it and get some sleep."

Only then did the fox close her eyes. I held her body for a while until her delicate breathing grew steady. Our body temperatures melted together. Leaning on each other, time drifted toward dawn.

It was now the hour that pointed toward dawn. Outside the window, only darkness filled with soft moonlight and starlight painted the scenery. It was a perfect night with not even a trace of sunset remaining.

Soft, steady breathing came from the fox. The snake watched the sleeping girl for a moment, then withdrew his gaze and rose from where he lay. His quiet footsteps left the bed behind.

"......"

The Liar was awake alone. He sat down lightly on the sofa. Having overexerted his power over the past few days, it seemed he intended to recover some output whenever a gap appeared.

The snake summoned a blue window and moved his lips.

As always, it was a strand of deception he repeated. Before long, an alert rang from the previously quiet status window.

The boy continued to accumulate. His plain, extending voice carried no emotion whatsoever. He simply recited the sentences with cold eyes.

A long series of lies continued. Until morning came, the snake stayed up all night, repeating countless deceptions.

The next day, I stopped by the headquarters of Astro. It was to hear the report on the raid incident from a few ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠days ago. Since I'd received word that a key witness had regained consciousness, I headed straight to meet her.

This time, I didn't take a carriage. Instead, Lena came to pick me up personally.

The black-haired woman extended her hand in front of the shimmering portal. Thanks to her, I arrived without delay. After roughly hearing the situation from the deputy chief, I met with the witness who was waiting in the infirmary.

It was a woman with long, flowing white hair.

"Miss Medro."

Medro Gardnier. The chief representative of the Church and the person in charge of the attacked Licht branch. She was also someone cooperating with our side. I greeted her lightly and sat down across from her.

"I was quite worried... but I'm glad to see you've recovered well."

I'd been worried because her energy had seemed so weak, but it looked like she'd recovered considerably over the past few days. The woman offered her thanks with polite grace. It was the generous demeanor typical of Church people.

"A miracle... it was nothing more than a trivial trick. Please don't think too highly of it."

"The other members are listening. This is embarrassing, so please stop there."

Miracle, salvation, saint... I brushed off the embarrassing praises and steered the conversation back to its original purpose. I began asking about the circumstances at the time of the raid. Of course, since it had been such a sudden event, I couldn't obtain very detailed information. Still, catching even a faint silhouette was enough to satisfy me.

"A massive shadow...?"

"If even you, the chief representative, felt that way, then it must have truly been a disaster."

"Hmm."

This was quite a good harvest. A massive shadow. As someone who knew the original story, I had a rough idea what it was. Both the Conductor and this one seemed to be appearing a bit earlier than in the original, but it was fortunate that I could identify them so quickly. This would allow me to prepare more specifically for the crises to come.

"I'll conclude the investigation here. You've been a great help."

"You may stay here for the time being. There's a high chance the cultists are still watching."

"I intend to protect them as well. In return, I'd appreciate it if the priests could assist us a little with our work."

"Hehe."

With this incident, I'd gained some useful fighting power. Licht was originally an assembly of priests meant to protect a single region. As such, it gathered skilled and substantial talents. From the position of having to pursue Baob from now on, the addition of these veterans was very welcome news.

I rose from my seat with satisfaction.

This should be enough... one task is finished.

It felt like a decent conclusion. I stepped out of the infirmary and headed toward my next destination. It was none other than the playroom where the children were gathered.