Chapter 242: Lainella's Fate is Decided by Lainella (35)
Chapter 242: Lainella's Fate is Decided by Lainella (35)
It was quite a while later before a proper conversation with Senior Elsie became possible.
Apparently, the new ‘reward’ had been a bit too stimulating for her. Even after we finished, Senior Elsie remained slumped over, panting for a long time.
Perhaps as a lingering aftereffect, a deep flush still stained her cheeks.
Or maybe she was just embarrassed by the dramatic reaction she had shown until moments ago.
Either way, Senior Elsie looked adorable clutching the brim of her pointed hat. Even her attempts to pull the hat down low to hide her face were endearing.
Part of me wanted to reach out and stroke her hair right then and there.
However, sensing that she needed time to compose herself, I decided to set that desire aside for a moment.
I simply stayed by her side in silence.
Before we knew it, the morning sun was beginning to climb into the sky.
Since it was summer, even the early sunlight felt scorching. It was a relief that the spot where Senior Elsie and I sat was in the shade.
A few more minutes ticked by.
It was then that Senior Elsie finally broke the silence.
Still huddled in a crouch with her arms wrapped around her knees, she spoke.
“……When I was little, I was bullied. By my own family.”
It wasn't a story I was hearing for the first time.
I had heard about Senior Elsie and Lupin’s unfortunate childhood once before while sharing a drink with Lupin.
Nevertheless, I chose to remain silent and pretend I didn't know. I hoped this would make it easier for her to open up.
Fortunately, her breathing had steadied. I wasn't sure if it was thanks to my consideration, but her voice, though heavy, sounded firm as she continued.
“Back then, I had no mana, no magic, nothing. My younger brother and I were particularly small, so a lot of people picked on us. The elders of the family just stood by and watched.”
“……And that’s why you want to give them a ride on a jigae?”
“It’s a truly wonderful tradition… No, I-I’m joking! Ehehe…….”
It was a story from the Southern Kingdoms, where the law of the jungle reigned supreme.
It was a culture shared only by certain tribes living in areas with severely lacking resources, and it was a tradition famous at the Academy for all the wrong reasons.
The practice was as follows:
To utilize limited resources more efficiently, the elderly, whose productivity had declined, would be placed on a jigae and abandoned in the jungle.
It was a truly horrific practice.
Of course, it was a custom rarely found nowadays. The Southern Kingdoms had begun suppressing it, labeling it a ‘patricidal culture.’
I didn't think Senior Elsie actually meant what she said.
At least, I hoped not.
To maintain a minimum level of trust in her, I decided to refrain from further suspicion. I simply kept my mouth shut and listened to her voice.
“……Anyway, it was during those terrible times. One of my siblings took my younger brother and tried to make him fight a hunting dog.”
This was also something I had heard before.
Looking back, Senior Elsie never used titles like ‘older brother’ or ‘older sister’ for her siblings. I could guess her feelings from that clinical choice of words.
It meant that, aside from sharing a family name, they were more distant than strangers.
Given her past, it was unavoidable.
“What could a tiny kid like that do against a hunting dog? My brother was just shaking, and the sound of those bastards cackling fouled my ears. I couldn't take it anymore.”
“……So, what did you do?”
“What else? I heard something snap in my head… and when I came to, I was the one lunging at the dog instead of my brother.”
What a temper, I thought, unable to suppress a dry chuckle.
I already knew the story, but hearing it directly from her mouth gave it a different flavor.
It seemed that on that day, rather than simply wanting to save Lupin, Senior Elsie just couldn't control her own fury.
And she was just a small child back then.
But unlike the girl in the story who sounded so brave, Senior Elsie’s voice as she recounted the tale was incredibly somber.
It was like trying to wring water out of a dry rag.
The girl barely managed to twist her vocal cords to vomit out the nightmare of that day.
“Do you know? If the weight classes are similar, a human can’t beat a dog. I learned that the hard way that day. That son of a bitch was so strong; every time those jaws clamped down, blood sprayed and bones crushed. I really thought I was going to die.”
There wasn't even fear in her voice as she spoke with such casualness.
There was only a melancholy sentiment seeping through the gaps of her blood-colored words.
Sad memories linger. Forever.
“Once the blood started flowing, those bastards were the ones who got scared. They ran off to call someone, but in the meantime, I had to fight for my life. By that point, the only thing I could see in the world was that dog.”
I reached out to stroke her head to comfort her, then stopped.
Senior Elsie probably wasn't telling me this because she wanted comfort.
So, I decided to settle for simply sharing her pain.
“The dog was a dog, and I was a dog… I fought like a dog and barely survived by strangling it with everything I had. But once it was dead, it just felt… absurd.”
A sudden, hollow laugh escaped her, sounding somewhat pitiful.
Only then did she reveal the heart she had kept so tightly hidden.
“……Why did I kill it?”
Her tone was despondent.
It was a single sentence containing a fundamental question.
“Actually, the hunting dog wasn't at fault. It was just… the dog did as it was told, and I did the same. We just fought like dogs in a fighting arena. All to become the best fighting dog.”
“You were sad.”
“Rather than sad, I just realized something.”
With a faint smile, Senior Elsie spoke in a tone so numb it seemed she had lost the ability to feel pain.
“I realized, this is my fate. A life of being raised and used according to necessity… I decided that if that was the case, I would become the best fighting dog there was.”
“Why?”
“Well, because then I could screw over all those bastards who bullied me to my heart's content…….”
Her words halted abruptly, as if she had tripped over a stone.
She hesitated for a long time.
A flush rose to Senior Elsie’s face again. After glancing at my expression several times, she eventually muttered in a tiny voice.
“……Because then, I-I could be loved?”
That was likely the true feeling she had tried to hide until the very end.
She had been abused since childhood.
Her family saw her as nothing more than a dog in a fighting arena. It must have been painful and difficult, yet she had lived her life pretending to be brave.
But how could the pain of those days ever truly vanish?
The human instinct to be loved cannot be suppressed. It can only be hidden.
I felt as though I had finally caught a glimpse into Senior Elsie’s inner self.
I was simply grateful.
It is embarrassing and awkward for anyone to show their heart. Despite that, Senior Elsie had told me her unvarnished truth.
Even if there was a bit of coercion involved in the process.
In the end, perhaps unable to bear the cringeworthy atmosphere, Senior Elsie burst into an awkward laugh.
“W-well! That’s all in the past now, ehehe… I realized not too long ago. No matter how great I am, I’m just a tool for choosing a useful marriage alliance…….”
“……Senior Elsie.”
With a low call of her name, my hand landed firmly on top of her head.
Senior Elsie’s eyes went wide, as if she didn't understand what was happening.
So, I squeezed out the best words I could to comfort her.
“I’ll love you.”
Then, silence.
The faint scent of grass carried by the wind tickled the tip of my nose.
Senior Elsie froze in place, staring at me blankly.
A life as a fighting dog in an arena was her fate?
I thought I understood now.
Why Senior Elsie insisted on acting like a pet dog.
Unlike a fighting dog, a pet dog can be loved.
What a simple and clear answer.
So, I decided to follow that logic.
“From now on, and forever.”
Even as I stroked her head with affection, Senior Elsie remained frozen like a statue.
A moment later.
Her face flushed so violently I could almost hear a poof sound.
Senior Elsie eventually fainted right then and there.
“……Senior Elsie? Senior Elsie!”
Still, I was glad the unconscious Senior Elsie looked happy.
Probably.
It was the day a new promise was made between Senior Elsie and me.
I left Senior Elsie, who was mumbling something with a bright red face, in the care of the servants.
While it would have been proper to look after her until she woke up, I still had work to do.
The person I was looking for was located in a clearing some distance away.
She used to train in inconspicuous places back at the Academy, and it seemed that habit remained.
My eyes caught sight of noble gray hair, looking like a perfect blend of the best qualities of white and black.
Holding a sword and glaring straight ahead, her posture showed not a single opening. It was truly the orthodox way of the sword—a model of models that looked like it came straight out of a swordsmanship manual.
Beads of sweat had formed on her forehead, showing how many times she had already swung her blade.
The fact that even that looked like a deliberate touch to enhance her beauty was entirely because she was beautiful.
Seria Yurdina.
She was a junior I cherished, and the illegitimate daughter of the Yurdina family.
I carefully called her name so as not to startle her.
"Um, Seria……?"
I was worried I might be interrupting her training, but Seria’s reaction was unexpectedly mild.
She immediately lowered her sword, and her eyes simply went wide the moment she saw me.
"……Senior Ian?"
Ahem, I cleared my throat and composed myself.
Now for the main point.
"You said you were going to see the Yurdina private army today, right? Would it be okay if I came along?"
Seria tilted her head.
She seemed puzzled by the sudden request to accompany her.
Sure enough, a question came back from her immediately.
"I don't mind, but… why?"
"I heard some strange rumors circulating near the camp. I'm a bit concerned."
Seria continued to stare at me, blinking her eyes.
Having observed her for a long time, I knew what that look meant.
It was a demand for further explanation.
So, I had to speak to Seria in a deliberately low, serious voice.
"Well, they say they saw someone who looks exactly like them? Apparently, a soldier saw someone in the forest who looked identical to a local villager, haha… It’s not like it’s a ghost or anything……."
As soon as she heard my words, Seria’s face turned pale.
I hadn't known before, but it seemed Seria was afraid of ghosts.
In the end, Seria ended up shivering and asking me to come along instead.
It was time to uncover the truth behind the rumors.