119. Mother
119. Mother
After that, I also gave her the things that might be needed for the Demon World expedition, and the weapons used by each of the Nameless squad leaders, one by one.
There was no shortage of weapon types. There was no shortage of numbers either. In my Past Life, I had used all kinds of weapons, so there was no need to rack my brain.
Everything they needed was there.
Throughout the process, Mom didn't ask where the weapons came from. She just looked flustered, laughed, was surprised, and said thank you.
After that... we talked about this and that again.
The strange condition of the students who had taken Phaid's class, the conversation with Silina about how to handle the branch family, and matters concerning Verheigen.
Mom didn't know about Verheigen. Along with that, she also didn't know about Jeniella Verheigen, Stella's mother.
That meant the main line of House Eustetia hadn't been involved. Hearing that... I felt a little relieved without realizing it.
Until the night deepened, the moon rose, and curfew approached, Mom and I never stopped talking.
They were trivial stories.
Stories we had often shared back at home.
But the time we spent today was different.
Was it because I had completely opened my heart, and Mom had accepted all of it?
It was a far, far more comfortable time than before.
"You have to hold it in even if you miss Mom, okay?"
"...If I really miss you, I'll come see you."
"Then Mom will scold you."
"I'll prepare myself to be scolded a fair amount before I go."
Mom's smile deepened.
"Don't push yourself too hard. Mom doesn't want to see our Eli struggling."
"Same goes for me."
One step, two steps, three steps.
Pitter-patter—I walked over and hugged Mom around the waist.
"Don't get hurt, and have a safe trip."
"You stay healthy and well too, our Eli."
"Yes."
"Yeah. Mom believes in our Eli."
Smack—
Mom's gentle, warm lips touched my forehead.
"I love you always and everywhere, my daughter."
"Mm... I-I love you too."
One last time, squeeze— Mom hugged my body tightly, then pulled away.
Mom was smiling.
So I smiled too.
Seeing my face, Mom smiled even brighter.
Do I have a funny expression? I don't know. I didn't have the leisure to care.
A small waving hand. I waved back.
With that, Mom disappeared from my sight.
"...She left without even looking back."
The shadow, the presence, all of it vanished.
But the scent remained.
Not the scent of Shadowless's blood, but Mom's scent. Had she left it on purpose? I couldn't know, but I stood still until that scent faded.
*****
Click—
The sound of Julie Eustetia's footsteps echoed beneath the cold moonlight.
The next step did not follow.
"Did you come for a parent-teacher conference or something?"
"Well, something like that."
A voice like a clear glass marble rolling rang out on the outskirts of the Imperial Capital.
Alluring crimson eyes met Julie's red eyes.
"Have you been well?"
"I'm the wife of a ducal house, so of course I've been well. My husband and daughter are both so lovely that every day is happy. How about you?"
Julie's gentle voice reached the other woman.
The smile remained. The gentle smile in her eyes remained too.
There was the smell of blood.
"Is the academy professorship treating you well? Adelia."
Adelia Baros.
She blocked Julie's path.
"There's a new student I've taken quite a liking to, so this year should be fun. I wonder who she takes after to be so pretty and capable?"
"She obviously takes after me. She's my daughter."
"Oh my? I never said who I was talking about."
"There's no pretty and capable student at the academy besides my daughter."
"That's a remarkably baseless claim, but sure. I can't deny it."
Heh heh— Adelia laughed.
"But where are you off to, leaving such a pretty daughter behind?"
"To discipline the scoundrel who laid hands on my daughter."
"Haven't they been disciplined enough? They lost eighty percent of their lifespan and had an arm cut off."
"That wasn't me disciplining them."
Softly— Julie smiled.
"Why? Are you going to stop me? You, Adelia? Stop me?"
"How could I stop you, Julie? I just came to see your face after so long. Of course... it would be nice if I could stop you, but hoo. I've never been able to beat your stubbornness. So I won't try."
Adelia also smiled softly.
"I'm glad you seem to be doing well, Julie."
"I'm glad you seem to be doing well too."
With those words, Julie resumed walking. Click— click— Just as Julie's steps passed by Adelia.
Adelia spoke.
"Julie plays the role of mother well."
Julie answered without batting an eye.
"Because I am a mother."
That was their final conversation.
What had been Adelia's body was torn to shreds by Julie's Intent, leaving not a trace.
And in the empty space, only pitch-black crow feathers remained.
Click—
And so, when the next step fell, behind her stood a pink-haired man holding a black coat.
Kerion Eustetia revealed himself.
He held no questions about the conversation they had shared before.
Kerion simply walked behind Julie.
Julie handed Kerion a single sword she had been holding in her right hand.
About this sword, he could not hold back his question.
"This is...?"
"Eli says it's a gift for her uncle."
Taking in the blade darker than night, Kerion could not suppress his admiration.
"...What in the world... what metal is this?"
"Darksteel Cold Iron."
"Good heavens. Did you take this from the Imperial Palace Treasury? No, even the Imperial Palace wouldn't have Darksteel Cold Iron. Wasn't this metal lost in the Human-Demon War four hundred years ago?"
"Don't try to find out. Take these too."
"W-Where did these come from... ha, haha... You could found a nation on some frontier with these."
Recognizing the types of the numerous weapons, Kerion realized their value and what they would be used for.
But he couldn't just stand there marveling.
Julie moved.
Kerion followed.
"Captain."
Walking behind Julie's haughty stride, Kerion draped the coat over her shoulders and quietly asked.
"Will it be all right?"
Julie's steps did not stop.
"The imperial family's opposition is severe. Word has also come from the Holy Kingdom. They told us to refrain from rude conduct."
Rude conduct. At those words, Julie's steps halted.
"Oh my?"
Rude. It was a vague sentence with no clear target, but Julie knew who it referred to.
"Rude? Since when have we ever shown courtesy to Demons?"
It was not a question directed at Kerion.
Kerion knew that, so he kept his mouth shut.
"In the first place, is there any being in this world to whom we owe courtesy?"
Julie put on the coat draped over her shoulders and rummaged through her bosom, pulling on black gloves.
"No."
When that declaration fell, countless shadows rose behind Kerion.
"What are you?"
No answer came.
There was no need to answer.
They had no given name.
"For what do you exist?"
No answer came.
Likewise, there was no need to answer.
Their reason for existence lay with Shadowless.
"Then for what do I exist?"
Julie took a pure white mask from her bosom.
The mask reflected in the moonlight had no expression, no pattern, no meaning.
"Eustetia? No."
She gazed at the mask.
She recalled the image of her daughter seen beyond the mask.
The image of her daughter facing a mighty enemy with that small body.
The image that was fierce, sharp, dignified, and delicate.
The image of that small body embracing her own.
"Eli."
Her beloved daughter.
The daughter she couldn't help but love.
"To protect a small cherry blossom, and make it bloom."
She donned the pure white mask. Her frame shifted. Crimson Mana laced with killing intent burst forth. The thick smell of blood flowed out.
"For my daughter."
With that voice, all sound around her vanished. Shadows, presences, scents—all erased. What remained was black and white.
Red.
"To make cherry blossoms bloom, shadows are unnecessary."
In that chilling silence.
Shadowless turned.
"So I go to the Demon World."
And when she took one great stride forward.
"To go, and erase the shadows."
Behind Shadowless, one hundred Nameless operatives followed as one.
*****
A quiet, peaceful week passed, and Friday afternoon arrived.
It was time for Eurasia to return.
Normally, I would have had to attend Leona's lecture until late at night, but Leona still hadn't returned to the academy.
"Hmm, I like this outfit. Pina, I think you'd look good in this one. But... whoa. Beastkin clothes have holes like this?"
Nod nod—
Maybe because of that, Pina and Stella had been making all sorts of plans since the crack of dawn, and after class they grilled me relentlessly.
Those two girls were so excited it was enough to suck the soul right out of me.
I don't even know why they're changing clothes in my room in the first place.
Of course... it's not like I'm completely indifferent either.
I want to see Eurasia soon too.
More precisely, I want to see Eurasia's reaction when I hand over the gift.
Well... I do want to see Eurasia a little bit too.
"I'm all dressed. Pina's all dressed too, right? Eliarnes, what about you?"
Nod nod—
"Almost done."
So I changed clothes, tied my hair up on both sides, packed Potions and emergency rations just in case, and grabbed the pitch-black card Dad gave me.
But.
"Ha... what the hell is that getup?"
"Why? Isn't it pretty? Pina's cute too."
"If you're gonna dress like that, why not just go out half-naked?"
"What...?"
"Hey, look at this. Your belly button's showing, and you're gonna go out dressed like that? And the skirt—ugh. Is that a skirt or underwear? One gust of wind and you'll be showing your panties to the whole neighborhood. Are you crazy?"
"I-It's not that short! It's just pretty."
"Bullshit. Hurry up and change into something else. Pina, you change too. With that thing, one little wag of your tail and you're in big trouble."
"Eek..."
"Why? No. I'm wearing this."
"Oh, really?"
Stella, who had been defiantly applying something to her lips with a hmph!, suddenly looked at me with a sly smile.
"But why are you telling me to change? Huh? What's wrong with my panties showing a little? Why? Are you worried? Eliarnes. Are you worried about me?"
"Cut the crap."
"Heh heh. Then what is it? Whyyy?"
"Because it's embarrassing to be seen with you, you brat."
"Ow! Y-You hit me?!"
"Be glad I didn't use my fist."
I flicked Stella hard on the forehead as she kept creeping closer, and clicked my tongue.
Thirty minutes later.
When we finished all preparations and came out through the academy's main gate into the Imperial Capital.
"Oh! My lady!"
A happy voice rang out.
"Stella!! Pina!!!"
Seeing Eurasia running over with her golden hair shimmering in the sunset, a laugh came naturally.
If you didn't laugh at that bright expression, you'd have to be a person without emotions.
"My ladyyy!! It's been so long!"
With a smile bright enough to push away the sunset itself, Eurasia immediately squeezed me tight in a hug!
Overwhelmed by her momentum, I hugged her back.
"Yeah, it's been a while. Did you have a good trip?"
"Yes! I went and showed Grandma my Sword Aura... and... huh?"
Eurasia stopped mid-sentence and tilted her head.
Then sniiiiff— she deeply inhaled the scent of my hair.
"...My lady."
"What are you doing all of a sudden?"
Why is she acting like this all of a sudden? Did she turn into an actual dog?
I blinked and looked up at Eurasia.
Her blue eyes, always clean and clear, somehow felt clouded.
"Why does my lady smell like Stella?"