A Hometown Longed For
Abigail slowly opened her eyes and took stock of her surroundings. The room was spacious and luxurious — far too grand for a single occupant — and the plush bed didn't suit her in the slightest. Her last memory had been of a blue sky. She sat up slowly.
"Awake at last, Sleeping Princess?"
"..."
Abigail glared at Rai, who sat there grinning. He'd been at her bedside; he closed his book and took her hand.
"Good news — your mana's circulating stably. Take better care of yourself. Wreck your body while you're young and you'll pay for it when you're old."
Abigail slapped his hand away and scowled as she looked around.
"This that bastard's house?"
"Yes, that bastard's house. The one who sent a priest to treat you, gave you a place to rest while you were out cold, covered up what you did, and — late as it was — dug up the truth and branded Yandes and his lot as criminals. That bastard's house."
While Abigail lay unconscious, Dake Filburt had been running himself ragged. He'd cleared Aslan of the bounty hanging over his head and come down hard on the garrison that had put a price on an Imperial noble without so much as a proper investigation. Working from the information Rai had passed him, he'd reopened Linda's case and publicly declared Yandes and his faction criminals.
They'd been a powerful lot, but they were already dead. Dake put his political skill to work, using the nobles circling their assets like vultures, and in no time at all had them branded as criminals — transforming Abigail's killings into a deed of merit. That he'd pulled the entire sequence off in the three days she was out cold spoke to Dake's ability. It also made plain just how far House Filburt had come.
"You think I ought to be grateful? House Filburt sure grew up nice and fat feeding off Linda."
The thirst for revenge hadn't left her yet. Abigail couldn't look at Dake with anything but a jaundiced eye. Rai didn't argue. He understood how she felt.
"So? You lost. That means you do as I say."
"Kh..."
Instead, he reminded her of where she stood, leaning in close as humiliation twisted across her face.
"If that pisses you off, beat me and go get your revenge."
"...I'll take your head. I swear I will."
"Good. That's all I needed to hear."
Rai gave a bright smile to Abigail, who was grinding her teeth and glaring daggers at him.
"Should be doable around the time I'm an old man picking out a walking stick. Live hard until then."
"Old man? Don't make me laugh. I'll break you inside of ten years."
Watching Abigail steel her resolve, Rai rose from his seat.
If she'd found a reason to keep living, that was enough. The girl who had been so bound by the wounds of her past that she couldn't see the future would now keep walking forward. And as she walked, comrades would appear at her side, and she would stumble upon small happinesses, little by little.
They would not fill the hole Linda had left. The empty space would remain — but precious things would take root beside it, one after another. And when that time came, Abigail would be able to live with Linda's absence held close in her heart.
Not that I have any intention of losing.
A man who had no intention of losing for as long as he drew breath, Rai ruffled the hair of the girl still glaring at him.
"Don't touch me. Aagh! I said don't!"
He pinned her down as she swatted at him and furiously mussed up her hair, then left her panting on the bed and stood.
"Hah... hah... I'm gonna kill you."
"If you don't want to keep getting wrecked, beat me already."
Chuckling, Rai stepped away from the bed and opened the door — and the kids who'd been pressing their ears against it came tumbling in.
"Ahaha, Raikkang, were you doing something dirty?"
Diana, who'd flattened Aslan in the heap, looked up at him with a mischievous grin.
"Go say what you want to say. We leave tomorrow, so get ready."
"This soon? That frail constitution of hers just barely came to."
"We're short on time."
Remembering that the deadline he'd promised the Headmistress was drawing near, Rai headed outside. Once he was gone, Abigail — exhausted and lying on the bed — locked eyes with the kids sprawled across the floor.
A heavy silence hung in the air, until Zeroa, crushed at the very bottom of the pile, asked with an awkward smile:
"Miss Abigail... are you feeling all right?"
"Don't, Zeroa. If you worry about her after beating the stuffing out of her, you'll just bruise her pride."
At Diana's words, Abigail's eyebrows shot up and she bolted upright.
"You slime-brained idiot — want me to stomp you flat?"
"Ahaha — judging by the nonsense coming out of your mouth, that jaw Zeroa punched still hasn't healed. Want me to twist it the other way?"
As the two of them glared daggers and prepared to throw down, Aslan snorted.
"Got energy to fight, so I guess you're healthy."
"That's enough... could you get off me?"
"Ah, sorry."
At Philia's muffled request from underneath, Aslan scrambled to his feet. The five of them, gathered in one place, started chattering all at once. Diana bickering with Abigail. Aslan booming with laughter and spouting nonsense. Philia pretending not to care while checking on Abigail's condition. Zeroa stuck in the middle, awkwardly trying to break up the fight.
A maid passing in the hallway heard the lively racket behind the door, smiled as if she found it adorable, and went on her way.
"You're welcome to stay longer. It's a shame to see you go."
"We couldn't impose any further. Thank you for everything."
Rai offered his thanks, and Dake bowed his head in return before looking at Abigail. She still glared at him with hatred, but the darkness that had clouded her eyes had largely lifted.
"The doors of House Filburt will always be open to you, Miss Abigail. If you ever have need of us, Filburt will be your strength. If trouble finds you, our house will drop everything and come running."
"Don't need it."
"As you wish. I, for my part, will do as I see fit to atone for my father's sins. That is my duty as a son — and the debt House Filburt owes, having grown on the foundation of your wounds."
Abigail scowled at Dake's forthright words, glared at him, then turned her head away.
"And to all of you who took a hard road to help a friend — you have my respect. Dake Filburt stands behind your honor and your will."
Zeroa took the elegant phrasing as simple praise, but a declaration of support from a noble's lips carried considerable weight. They were still young, with no foundation of their own — even if he was a foreign noble, they'd just gained an ally. And not just any ally: a powerful noble of the Bel Federation, a longstanding friendly nation. That made it all the more valuable.
After exchanging their final farewells, the group left House Filburt. They rode hard for some time and arrived at a remote cabin.
"..."
Jack, who'd been silently splitting firewood, lost his words at the sight of Abigail standing among the group. A surge of emotion rose in his chest. He let out a hollow laugh, and despite his rough features, his eyes welled with tears as he approached her.
Embarrassed by the others watching, Abigail grimaced — but she didn't stop him from coming. He hugged her with all his strength, then gripped her shoulders and pushed her back a little to look at her face. Seeing the small flame that had swept the darkness from her eyes, Jack wept and smiled, then pulled her into another tight embrace.
"Thank goodness... thank goodness..."
"..."
Abigail glanced at Diana snickering beside her, then waited in silence for Jack to let go.
"Thank you. Thank you. I thought I'd never see her again.... Ah, never mind that — please, come inside. You haven't eaten yet, have you?"
"That's right. We came straight here because we wanted to see you, Jack."
"You said you like beef, didn't you? I already spoke to the village butcher. I'll have it brought right away."
An excited Jack led the group into the cabin.
"Ah..."
Zeroa had been here once before, so it was familiar — but he let out a small sound as he realized the house felt tighter. His eyes went to the dining table.
"You changed the table."
"Yes. You said we'd all eat together, so I switched it to a six-seater."
Jack hadn't forgotten Rai's words about eating together. He'd changed the table. It had been something like a prayer — a curse upon his own powerless self, and a plea that Rai would bring Abigail home safe. But with Aslan, whom he hadn't accounted for, now in the mix, Jack scratched the back of his head, looking sheepish.
"But it seems we're short a seat..."
"It's fine. This one eats just as well off the floor."
"The hell are you talking about! You eat off the floor!"
"Just grab something we can use as a chair. What's the fuss?"
Aslan bristled at Rai's remark, and Diana scolded him. Jack, unused to the noisy atmosphere, looked at Abigail. They didn't speak, but they understood each other through their eyes. Jack smiled, content.
The group sat down to the beef Jack had prepared. He wasn't much of a cook, so Philia and Zeroa stepped in to help, and as time passed the meal grew merrier until they even started drinking.
"Don't wanna..."
Diana, her face flushed from the alcohol, knelt on the floor and scratched at Zeroa's shield like a cat.
"Urgh—"
She made a noise, her head lolled to one side, and she flopped onto the floor spread-eagle. Jack had no idea, but the rest of the group — who'd been there for everything — knew exactly what this was. After lying there a moment, Diana bolted upright and looked down at the spot where she'd been lying.
"This is where your revenge ends."
"Hweeeh — waaah waaah—"
She immediately lay back down and cried like a baby, rubbing her eyes. Aslan clapped a hand over his mouth, unable to hold in his laughter, and Abigail rose with murder in her eyes.
"You little shit."
"Whaat —? Jack should know what happened too. Jack, did you see her bawling her eyes out?"
"Shut up!"
Abigail lunged at Diana, and the two of them tussled while the rest of the group laughed. They'd arrived at noon, but their modest feast stretched late into the night, and they all fell asleep drunk.
"I'll make you... happy... I'll... mmph..."
Rai laid a drunken, clinging Philia on the bed with an air of annoyance, then stepped over Diana and Abigail — who'd passed out on the floor with their hands in each other's hair — and approached Jack.
"You've got a strong tolerance."
He asked as he helped Jack, who was alone cleaning up the wrecked table. Jack laughed easily.
"A mercenary's job is basically just drinking, so of course I've got a strong stomach."
Rai nodded and gathered the leftover food onto one plate. The conversation lapsed into an awkward silence, and Jack spoke quietly.
"Thank you. For saving Abigail... for pulling that child out of the darkness."
"I just held her down with force. From here on, she'll have to find her own way through."
"She's already... no... yes. She'll manage. I'm sure of it."
Jack nodded, his voice thick with emotion. The hand wiping the table slowed. With lonely eyes, he looked at Abigail lying on the floor.
"I couldn't help this time either. But she's safe, so everything turned out all right."
"Jack."
Rai called his name, set down the plate, and spoke in a gentle tone.
"Thank you."
"...You mean... for the meal?"
"No. Thank you for teaching that kid. Because of you, she survived — and she didn't go completely off the rails with revenge."
"...I didn't do anything..."
"She made it this far because you were there watching over her. Be proud. Everyone fought to save her, but the one who tried the hardest, who did the most — that was you, Jack."
Jack bowed his head as if he'd been granted salvation, and the tears came again. Freed from the guilt he'd been crushing down — the belief that it was all his fault — Jack could only murmur his thanks. Rai patted his diminished shoulders.
The night deepened, and when the group woke at dawn, they were all in rough shape from the hangover. They grumbled at Rai's order to get ready to leave immediately, but they dragged their swaying bodies through the preparations.
Before mounting her horse, Abigail looked back and met Jack's eyes. She regarded him for a moment — those eyes like a loving father's — then turned and swung into the saddle.
"I'll come again. Stay healthy, Jack."
Looking at Abigail's back as she avoided his gaze, Jack smiled and nodded.
"Yeah. I'll be waiting. Come whenever you like."
With that, the group spurred their horses and rode off. Jack waved, watching them until they were out of sight.
The group rode for several days and crossed the Imperial border without incident. Having returned within the deadline as promised to the Headmistress, Rai reined in his horse and looked off in another direction.
"Raikkang, what are you doing? Aren't we going?"
"..."
Even at Diana's question, Rai gazed into the distance for a moment. A smile touched his lips.
"Want to stop by and see an old friend of mine on the way?"
"Huh? You have friends? Yaaagh!"
Rai kicked the rump of Aslan's horse and looked at the kids.
"There's a territory not far from here called Trayer. Let's go there."
"Trayer? What's that?"
"Nothing special. Just a territory. A friend's there, that's all."
The kids tilted their heads, but Philia alone felt a chill run down her spine. Her eyes went wide as she stared at Rai.
Elliot Trayer. Rai's true name — and the Devil of All Nations, whom the Empire hated with every fiber of its being. And now he was proposing they go to the territory that had once belonged to the Devil of All Nations himself.
Rai met Philia's stunned gaze, smiled meaningfully, and shrugged.