Dawn (1)
The moment the chimera fell, Elin and Elisha came looking for me. The situation had already ended by the time they arrived, but it didn’t really matter. ‘Still, the fact that Elisha is here means everything up top must be finished too.’
We would soon be free of the damn barrier that had trapped us here. It had been an unbearably long day. But even that endless day was finally drawing to a close.
The sky, which had been pitch black like ink spilled across drawing paper, gradually deepened into a rich indigo before slowly filling with strokes of blue. ‘It really is over.’
My body, which had been suppressed by the mana-sealing barrier, felt noticeably lighter. Strength began to surge through me once more. So they had finally destroyed the medium maintaining the barrier. In that case, all that remained was to descend the mountain.
With dawn breaking, visibility was good. We could head down without too much trouble.
“—Vern..! Can’t you hear me?! Vern!”
“Is that Elin? Why does she keep calling me?”
“Let me check your wounds for a second. Take off your shirt, please?”
“I already told you earlier that I don’t have any wounds.”
“Your clothes are torn to shreds and you’re covered in blood! There’s no way you don’t have injuries! Just let me check, okay? We need to be sure!”
Well, I was grateful for the concern. But having her constantly talking to me from the side was exhausting. My wounds had all healed thanks to my skills, and I had been trying to rest by avoiding Elisha… but now I wouldn’t be able to get any proper rest at all!
Still, it was truly something to be thankful for—having people who worried about me. We had only met yesterday, yet she seemed like a genuinely good person.
“Haa… fine. Go ahead and check whether there are any wounds or not.”
“Then… could you turn around for a moment? Your back looked the worst.”
“Do as you like.”
I slipped off my tattered top and showed Elin my back. There. Look all you want. There won’t be any wounds no matter how hard you stare.
“See? The clothes are a bit torn, but there are no wounds.”
“I-it really is… That’s a relief.”
“Then let’s rest a little before we head down.”
“By the way, Vern… why do you have so many scars on your body? Ah, did I say something wrong? I’m sorry… Vern.”
“....”
Hmm. She saw them after all.
Even excluding the scars from recent injuries, Vern’s body was covered in them. I had suspected they were connected to his past. Since Vern’s story was never properly revealed in the game, even someone like me who had played for a long time only knew the basic information. Therefore, the scars etched into his body had to be tied to events I knew nothing about.
I was still trying to figure out how to explain this to Elin when she spoke again.
“If you don’t want to talk about it, you don’t have to. There are wounds people don’t want to share with others. I’m sorry for asking to see them… I’m really sorry, Vern.”
“It doesn’t matter. And thank you for worrying about me.”
“Yeah!”
The sun was slowly beginning to rise. The others would probably be descending the mountain and heading back to the base camp by now. We should get moving too.
“Elin, let’s go pick up Lloyd and Ron.”
“Okay!”
When I first met her, she had seemed so withdrawn that I thought she was just a timid girl. But after spending time with her, I realized that wasn’t entirely true. She had probably lost a lot of confidence because of what happened to her in first year. Still, it was good that she was like this. A lively, energetic person was far better to be around than someone sunk in gloom. When the people around me were bright and full of energy, it lifted my own mood too.
The two of us made our way toward the spot where Elisha and the patients were. Since it wasn’t far, we arrived quickly.
There, a massive man and a lean, slender man stood blankly beside Elisha.
“...So it’s Lloyd and Ron. Looks like you’ve finally woken up.”
“Vern Flame. Thank you.”
“Th-thank you…”
To think I would personally witness Lloyd and Ron expressing their gratitude… how refreshing.
“Don’t worry about it. For now, let’s descend the mountain.”
“No, even so, I’m truly grateful. You’re our savior. Thank you, Vern.”
“I-I’m really thankful, Sir Vern.”
I had simply done what was natural. Even if I hadn’t been there and these guys had been in my place, they would have acted the same way. ‘Because that’s the kind of people they are.’
“Then let’s head down the mountain first.”
“Yeah!”
“Agreed. Just in case, I’ll take the lead. You follow in the middle, Vern.”
“L-let’s go together!”
Lloyd, who was strangely looking out for me, Elin who seemed a bit excited, and Ron who was the same as always. But someone was missing.
“Elisha, aren’t you coming?”
“I… I’ll join up with the others and go with them. I need to report what happened.”
“I see. Then do as you wish.”
Was it because of what I had said last time? Well, I understood. It was something I had brought on myself, and I had spoken harshly too. Things had become a little awkward between me and Elisha because of it, but there was nothing I could do. So I understood her. ‘She can use mana now, so she’ll be fine on her own.’
Except for the very beginning, we had never really gathered as a full group. It had always been split—me and Elin, Lloyd and Ron. We had operated in pairs. Now that we had finally become a complete team, it felt a little bittersweet knowing we would soon disband. But since we were second-years, we would probably meet again.
And so we made our way down the steep mountain path. That was when a voice called out from behind us.
“—W-wait…! Go with me!”
Elisha? Didn’t she say she was going to wait for the other students?
“Elisha. Didn’t you say you were joining your group?”
“...Just let me come with you. It’s better if I go down first and report. Besides, there are transfer students there too.”
It had been a while since we parted, yet she had been following us the whole time?
“Fine. Then let’s rest for a bit before continuing.”
“Why? Can’t we just keep going? I’m not tired yet.”
“...It’s not for your sake that I’m suggesting we rest.”
“.....You really never let me win even once…”
What did she say? Her voice was so quiet I couldn’t hear properly.
“What did you say?”
“Hmph, nothing at all.”
“I see.”
Since Elisha looked tired, taking a short break wouldn’t be a bad idea. She had been moving without rest from yesterday until now. On top of that, Requiem’s attack must have drained her even more. It was only natural that she was exhausted. Just looking at the dark circles under her eyes, it was a miracle she hadn’t collapsed.
And not only Elisha—Elin looked quite worn out too. Lloyd and Ron had been sleeping until recently so they were full of energy, but Elin had been pushing herself since yesterday and it showed. She had seemed energetic at first, but as time passed she grew visibly more tired. There was no problem resting now. We could take a short break.
We found a suitable spot and sat down to rest. Elin must have been very tired; she leaned against a tree and fell asleep almost immediately. She looked a little cold. It was still spring, but the early dawn air was quite chilly. Since I didn’t feel the cold much, I took off my uniform jacket—which was still somewhat intact after being tied around my waist—and draped it over her. Her furrowed brow immediately relaxed into a peaceful expression.
But right after that, I felt a chilly wind blowing from beside me. Why did it suddenly feel cold? Elisha was sitting next to me, so what was it?
Come to think of it, why was she sitting right beside me? It was awkward.
Ron and Lloyd had gone on patrol, saying they would stand guard while the others rested. I had offered to join them, but they told me I had suffered enough since yesterday and forced me to rest beside Elin and Elisha.
Because Elin had said some unnecessary things, the way Ron and Lloyd looked at me had changed. She had told them how Vern had carried her on his back all day while she was injured, how he had risked his life alone to protect them, and so on. She had only caused unnecessary misunderstandings with her pointless comments.
I had simply not wanted to watch a character I had known for a long time die right before my eyes. And let me say it again—even if someone else had been in my place, they would have done the exact same thing. Who would just walk past when the person in front of them was in danger? I had only done what was natural.
While I was thinking that, Elisha, who had been sitting quietly beside me, spoke up.
“Vern, even I—the top second-year student—couldn’t do anything without help when I couldn’t use mana. So how… how were you able to do all that?”
“What are you talking about?”
“That… everything you did for Elin, and how you risked your life for Ron and Lloyd when they were down. You, who can barely use a sword or magic.”
It was annoying to explain, and talking with Elisha right now felt awkward too. Maybe I should just give a vague answer.
“That’s… just…”
“If you say ‘just,’ then that really is the end of it.”
Whoa, the end? What did that even mean? Weren’t we already finished with each other?
“I simply didn’t want to watch someone die right in front of me. And let me correct you once more. We are already finished with each other.”
“Th-that’s right. We’re already over. I was just… curious, that’s all.”
Hmm. She seemed to have a lot on her mind. Had the news of our broken engagement reached the family by now?
“Elisha, I’m sorry since we’re already over, but I have one question.”
“Wh-what is it?”
“Have you informed the family about our broken engagement?”
“I… I haven’t told them yet.”
What? What did she just say?
The words I had just heard from Elisha were incredibly shocking. ‘She hasn’t told the family? Why?’
“Why haven’t you told them?”
“Th-that’s… then why haven’t you told your family either? And the one who spread the news of our broken engagement around the academy… wasn’t that you?”
“What are you talking about?”
“The news that we broke off our engagement has already spread throughout the academy! That’s why weird guys keep swarming around me! I already have a headache from the engagement issue and everything else, and now these strange bastards are latching onto me too…!”
“I see. I had no idea.”
“Ha, forget it. I’m done talking to you. Done.”
She got angry all by herself, then sulked all by herself. Well, there was nothing I could do about it. Still, who was the one spreading the rumor? Whatever. It didn’t matter. The news that we had broken our engagement would eventually reach the families on the mainland anyway. From now on, I just needed to focus on gradually distancing myself from the family.
But for now, even I should get some rest. There was a mountain of things I had to do later. With that thought, I glanced to the side and saw that Elisha—who had been sulking with a pouty face—was now dozing off. ‘Seeing Elisha nod off like that, she must have been really tired.’
I quietly offered her my shoulder as she sat uncomfortably beside me, head bobbing. She leaned against it and soon fell into a peaceful sleep. She was probably going to be incredibly embarrassed about this later. Hmm… she seemed to be sleeping deeply, so I’d just leave her be. ‘The embarrassment is something she’ll have to deal with herself.’
And so, morning began to break.