Episode 3-b. Black Mage Subjugation Battle (6)
When was the day I was happiest? What was that dreamlike scene I always thought of?
The time when Ain first gave me his old clothes. Or when he beat up those kids who were bullying me and chased them away. Or maybe when he blocked the hero's greatsword to protect me, or saved me from writhing in agony and gave me a new home. Or was it something else?
The truth is, none of those beautiful, wistful memories could be called my happiest day.
I never even needed to agonize over it.
Of course, every single one of those scenes was a vivid, precious memory. But they all fell short of being the happiest day for me.
And why was that? Because the day I was truly happiest hadn't been made yet.
I always dreamed of it. The day I could be happiest would surely be when I was no longer gray, when I could live happily with Ain.
It seemed utterly impossible, but that was the only thing I ever dreamed of and longed for.
Marrying the man I love, sharing intimacy with the one I adore, bearing his child, and finally building a family together. To someone else, it might just be an ordinary scene.
But to me, abandoned by my mother at birth, the dream of building a family with Ain and living happily ever after was my biggest, fluffiest aspiration. I was certain it would be my happiest day.
And now...
The scene before my eyes...
“Asha, come quick and take a look at Eleanor.”
“...”
...had piled up all those dreamlike moments and gifted them to me.
“Asha, what's wrong? Why's your face like that all of a sudden?”
“... Nothing.”
I realized right away that this was the black mages' trick, an illusion that could never be reality.
“Hmm, your expression doesn't look great.”
“It's really nothing... Ah.”
But seeing Ain come over and hug me tight just from reading my face made my body tremble.
“If you're feeling down, let's leave Eleanor with Grandma and go out—just the two of us—for the first time in ages?”
“... Yeah. Sounds good, Ain.”
“Alright, then get ready quick and let's head out.”
Even though I knew it was just an illusion meant to break me.
I couldn't help but smile back at his grinning face, lifting the corners of my mouth in a beaming grin of my own.
My heart thumped, but I ignored it and grabbed his hand.
The streets of the empire. I strolled slowly hand-in-hand with Ain, dressed plainly, taking in the sights around us.
“Asha, what do you think of this?”
“Hm, doesn't look that pretty to me.”
He picked up a roadside headband we passed and asked what I thought. I tilted my head.
“Hm, your taste is still weird as ever.”
“...”
Ain tilted his head at me instead and said something foolish, so I poked his side.
“Ow! I'm kidding, kidding...!”
“That's a mean joke, Ain.”
Like an ordinary couple, we teased and laughed over something as small as a headband, our bodies tangling and pressing close.
Ordinary lovers.
Thump—
“Asha, check this out too.”
“... Hold on.”
Thump—
I was with him like an ordinary couple.
And just like that, we kept wandering until we found ourselves in a familiar market street.
Familiar market vendors greeted us.
“Well, well! Out on a date after all this time, Ain?”
“Haha, long time no see, sir. Asha's been sulking, so I brought her out.”
They greeted us as always, smiling warmly and offering us things.
“Pfft... Here! Looks good on you, so have this as a gift! Eat up!”
“Ah, thanks, sir. I'll enjoy it.”
“You got it! Come as customers next time!”
Warm-hearted folks—they'd hand us snacks just for saying hi, asking how we'd been.
Sweet candy. Salty dried squid. Warm tea with a gentle aroma.
I took them all, munching on what Ain handed me.
“Tasty?”
“Yeah, really good. I've been craving these sometimes.”
This one's sweet, that one's salty. The warm tea's nice, and the cool drink's delicious too.
My stomach churned a bit for some reason, but these treats after so long were very welcome.
“Jeez, you should've said something. I could've bought some.”
“I wanted to wander around with you and buy them together.”
Of course, being able to do this with Ain made the churning fade away, and I just kept savoring what he passed me.
And our footsteps always led to the same place.
There was one spot we always headed to after entering the market street.
“It's looking worn.”
“Yeah, definitely.”
Eleina's Grocery, its sign a bit faded now. The wooden door creaked open with a rusty screech.
And beyond it, the bearded man whose wrinkles had deepened in the time since.
“What the—! If it isn't that ungrateful brat Ain who hasn't shown his face in forever!”
“Can't visit if I'm busy, what's ungrateful about that?”
“Tch, still no manners on you.”
He said all that, but his mouth was already full of a grin. That's why we'd come—to see that.
So I smiled and bowed my head.
“Long time no see, sir.”
“Ah, yeah. Good to see you, Asha. How've you been?”
“Great, thanks to you, sir.”
“Haha! What a sweet talker!”
The kind man who'd accepted me knowing my secret. An adult now with no childlike air left, but he still came over to pat my head gently.
I always longed for scenes like this—the three of us together.
“... What? I'm ungrateful and rude, but why's Asha...?”
“You and Asha the same, you punk?”
“Am I the same as Ain?”
“... That's too much, seriously.”
Moments like this, where I could grin at Ain's pouty, wronged face, were so nice.
We chatted with the old man for a long time like that.
“So, when're you thinking of making a second one?”
“Cough...!”
Of course, his unexpected words made me choke for a second.
“How about we try making one tonight? What do you say, Asha?”
“... Don't say embarrassing stuff.”
His sly grin as he slipped an arm around my waist had me blushing furiously.
“Hahaha! Eleanor's plenty grown now, so yeah, time to make another!”
“Right? Oh yeah, sir, I heard your wife had your sixth?”
“Yep! Another girl!! So you two hurry up and make a second! I'll even help name the shop then!”
Before I knew it, I'd become the teasing target.
Even as I blushed and hung my head, their words kept poking at me.
“Ah, guess we gotta make one tonight. Let's head home quick, Asha.”
“...”
Ain's hand was quite naughty, fondling and fidgeting at my waist.
It was different from the Ain I knew, but since it was still Ain's touch, I grinned.
And so the date ended.
My mouth corners stayed up the whole day; feeling so good, I lay in bed beaming.
Ain lay beside me.
As if it were the most natural thing, Ain lay next to me.
He looked at me as he lay there, and I smiled back at him.
“Asha.”
“Yeah, Ain.”
What was he about to say? Was it leading to that playful nighttime talk from the grocery?
Hot breath. Skin touching skin. Fierce sounds and desperate moans.
In the brief silence as he closed his mouth, my mind wandered to those things, making my heart race needlessly.
Thump-thump—thump—
My heart pounded away, so I reached out my hand to him while gazing.
But.
“Are you happy now?”
“...”
He shattered my delusions.
Thump—thump-thump—
My heart kept pounding, but my head cooled bit by bit.
He asked if I was happy.
“Was today the happiest day of your life?”
“... Ah.”
Thump—and the heartbeat grew louder.
His question about whether today was my happiest day stabbed into my chest like a dagger.
Why?
Why say something like that?
“Is this enough for the day you've always dreamed of?”
“...”
He could've just let me sink deep, never return to reality, tumble into oblivion.
Left me to die lost in the illusion.
But Ain looked straight into my eyes and asked if this was the desperate future I'd always dreamed of.
It was surely just an illusion.
“Are you really satisfied with this, Asha?”
His eyes were as straight and true as ever.
Those starlit eyes I'd always admired and loved were filled with me.
So I had no choice but to answer.
“... No.”
This wasn't my happiest day.
This wasn't the future I'd desperately dreamed of with him.
And so.
Thump—thump—
The relentless heartbeat slowly summoned the anxiety and reality I'd tried to ignore.
“Right?”
“Yes, Ain.”
“Then open your eyes. Time to wake up from the dream, Asha.”
His voice overlapped strangely as he said it.
The hand gently stroking my hair was rough yet somehow noble.
The smile in the crumbling illusion was kind and bright, but also somehow sorrowful and distant.
“Yeah, thank you.”
“Mm.”
I didn't know what was what anymore.
But with those words, the illusion holding me shattered with a crack.
“...”
I blinked several times, then pulled myself up in the corridor writhing like living entrails.
“Wh-what... The magic was cast perfectly...!”
“...”
For some reason, tears flowed.
So I reached out my hand.
The ash powder began to swirl.