The Weight of Secrets
And shortly after, Erill returned. She looked delighted, as though she had enjoyed a thoroughly satisfying meal. Of course, to lend more credibility to my lie, I hadn't forgotten to ask Erill about the surrounding geography. Fortunately, she had discovered a grove of fruit trees nearby.
"Well then, Bagloros. Sleep well."
"Yes."
Erill lay on her stomach with one wing slightly spread, just as before, and I nestled into her embrace. No matter how many times I thought about it, those feathers were so warm and soft that I genuinely wanted to make bedding from them. Of course, she would almost certainly object.
Wrapped in the phoenix's cozy embrace, I felt as though I had become an egg myself. It would have been nice if Bagloros could experience this sensation too, but he preferred sleeping alone. That way, he could react instantly to even the smallest disturbance.
"Erill. Thank you."
After thanking her once more, I slowly closed my eyes.
* * *
The next day, after a simple meal of the fruits Erill had gathered, we set off once more toward the nearby city. After walking for nearly half a day, we finally reached the forest on the outskirts of Deshurlang.
We had deliberately landed outside the city rather than inside it because we didn't want to draw unnecessary attention. Even without announcing ourselves as companions of the hero, arriving in a city atop a phoenix was anything but common.
Besides, Bagloros needed time to alter his appearance.
"I'm finished."
The youthful boy from yesterday was nowhere to be seen. In his place stood a man slightly taller than me, his face and entire body wrapped in black cloth.
This was his working form. He had readjusted his skeletal structure to change his height and appearance. Honestly, seeing what lay beneath that cloth still required a fair amount of mental preparation, even after witnessing it several times during our previous travels.
"Thank you."
His voice had changed as well. It was no longer the boy's, but the deep, weighty tone of a middle-aged man.
"I'll gather information. You rest at an inn."
"Which—"
Before I could finish, he had already vanished from sight. This was my own fault. I knew perfectly well that Bagloros would state only what was necessary and immediately act, yet I had stood there and forgotten.
"...You didn't even decide which inn or when."
It was too late to say anything now. There was no one left to hear it.
In the past, Rowell or Orcan would have stopped him. As for me, even if I had tried to catch him, he had already disappeared from view.
"Well, he'll find his way back somehow."
I took the crystal from my pocket. Yesterday I had managed to gloss over the food and sleeping arrangements, but the money was still in the bag.
"Erill. Stay in this area for the next few days. If possible, don't approach the city. The guards and townspeople might grow tense for no reason."
She flapped her wings in acknowledgment. Once she had departed, I activated the crystal.
"You're late!"
The moment the scenery shifted, her voice brushed against my ears.
"Why didn't you come yesterday? Are you already staying out all night?"
Her tone carried a hint of irritation, yet her expression and eyes were full of mischief.
"Where did you learn to speak like that?"
Her appearance overlapped with the scenes from the memory crystal I had seen the day before, and I couldn't help but laugh.
"I read it in one of your novels when I was bored. It said that if someone doesn't come home for the night, you're supposed to get angry like this."
She had clearly only skimmed that single part.
"Do you even know why people get angry?"
"No."
She answered with complete confidence, as though ignorance were only natural.
"Isn't it because you want to see them but can't for one night?"
I didn't know what marriage customs were like among the demon race. Because of that, I couldn't easily judge whether her lack of knowledge on the matter was right or wrong. Still, her innocent answer pleased me far more than the technically correct one would have.
"Then, did you miss me last night?"
"To some extent."
I had asked only to tease her, but her natural affirmation caught me off guard. She must have anticipated my question.
"...You've become quite shameless in just a few days."
"Look who's talking."
She smiled brightly, satisfied with her small victory.
"More importantly, why didn't you really come yesterday? Did you already go back home?"
Now that she mentioned it, that interpretation was entirely possible. If I had returned to Rowell, I wouldn't have needed to visit at night, and although today's visit was somewhat late, the timing still roughly matched.
"No. I haven't returned yet. The work isn't finished."
"You said you'd leave it to the shadow guy."
"Well, things didn't go as planned. Bagloros will help, but I think I'll have to handle the finishing touches myself."
I walked over to the bag and retrieved the coin purse. Beside it sat the cart and the box still brimming with coins, but this amount would suffice for a few days. I also made sure not to forget the one other item I absolutely could not leave behind.
"That's why I couldn't come yesterday. Bagloros was with me."
"I see. But that guy still can't talk?"
Another person here would be surprised if they saw him directly.
"No. On the contrary, he's become surprisingly talkative. Though he's still rather quiet overall."
"Anubkut would be disappointed if he heard that. He wanted to hear the shadow guy's voice at least once."
"You've never heard it before?"
Even we had only heard it a handful of times, so the commanders certainly never had. Besides, Bagloros rarely made so much as a breathing sound, let alone a groan, even in the heat of battle.
"Yeah. I've never heard it once. Not that I'm particularly curious."
"Actually, he has quite a few different voices."
Each form came with its own voice, after all.
"Right. If his appearance changes, his voice would too. Raiven is the same, so I understand."
Come to think of it, the beast king had been similar. Every time he transformed, his voice shifted slightly, and once an utterly mismatched voice had emerged, sending us all into fits of laughter.
"Then you won't be able to come tonight either?"
"Probably not."
She tried to maintain a calm expression, but the disappointment in her eyes was impossible to hide.
"...I'll try to come if I can."
"You're leaving already?"
The question felt as though she had gently caught hold of my collar. There was little force behind it, yet that very gentleness made her intent all the clearer.
"Yes. I have things to do as well."
Since I didn't know when Bagloros would return, I needed to secure a room at an inn first. As yesterday had shown, giving him unnecessary doubts would only make keeping the secret that much harder.
"...By the way, Lady Rofena. What do you think would happen if I revealed your existence and this place to my other companions?"
It had been nothing more than a passing curiosity. A question I had already answered for myself many times before. Normally it would have remained a fleeting thought, yet today it had slipped out of my mouth of its own accord.
She pondered for a moment before replying.
"Well. I don't know about the others, but that old man would definitely like it. This place is filled with Denatel's research findings and materials, and as you've seen, there are plenty of artifacts as well. Since I'm trapped here anyway, I wouldn't particularly mind."
Yes. That was certainly true. Lord Medrup would put the items here to far better use. Lauti, Aegina, or Rowell might even suggest releasing her. Orcan, of course, would oppose it.
Whatever happened, nothing particularly bad would come of it. If anything, the outcome would likely be better.
"But why exactly aren't you telling your other companions?"
"......"
She didn't answer. It wasn't that she didn't know; she was remaining silent for my sake. The reason was too pathetic and selfish to voice aloud, and it carried a painfully childish wish.
"...Well, what does it matter? Things are fine as they are now, aren't they?"
At her words, one corner of my heavy heart felt lighter. Yes. Perhaps those were the words I had wanted to hear.
"Thank you, Lady Rofena."
Leaving her smile behind, I returned to the forest where I had been.
* * *
I had briefly worried that Bagloros might be hiding and waiting when I emerged from Denatel's library, but fortunately that wasn't the case.
Well, such behavior toward us would never even occur to Bagloros in the first place.
"I should have landed closer."
Because I had deliberately set down on the outskirts to avoid being seen from the city, the distance to Deshurlang was greater than expected. It would take Bagloros only a moment, but on foot it would require considerable time.
I could have summoned a beast to ride, but I had chosen to walk on purpose. I needed time to think.
"Then, what should I say?"
Cities near borders like this usually conducted strict inspections of outsiders and travelers. They wouldn't easily admit a stranger who suddenly appeared at the gates alone and without luggage.
Of course, with the item I had brought along with the coin purse, passage itself wouldn't be difficult. Depending on the situation, however, I might need to prepare a more detailed story.
I didn't know whether my name was known in this region, but attracting attention by mentioning the Summoner of Deception or my connection to the hero would defeat the entire purpose of being cautious.
And in the worst case, if they refused to believe me the way they had in Amusbian, things would become truly complicated. I had no desire to repeat the miserable process of explaining and proving everything one by one, as I had at Negatum Fortress.
"...One experience like that is more than enough."
People trusted their own thoughts and beliefs far more than objective facts or verification. I had learned all too well what happened once you gave the impression that something was amiss.
"Should I say I fell here because of a portal accident?"
That was the best story. Though rare, mages and herbalists occasionally ventured into the fringes of the Ancient Forest in search of rare herbs or materials, and teleportation mishaps did happen from time to time.
"Well, they might just let me through without asking any questions."
I took out the item I had brought along with the coin purse. It resembled a round crystal orb, similar to a memory crystal yet different in its craftsmanship and shape.
Of course, the crystal itself wasn't what mattered. What lay inside was. This was a customs clearance crystal issued by nations for the convenience of large-scale merchants and nobles. It contained seals permitting passage through relevant regions, along with details on the level of support one could receive if necessary.
Usually such crystals stored seals and information for four or five regions at most, but the one I possessed was special. It held the special customs seals of every existing nation and territory. By infusing it with mana and simply thinking of a place, the corresponding seal would appear. In short, it was an all-purpose pass that granted entry to any region without exception.