Chapter 26
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: But Unfortunately, There Was No Next Time
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Tail was at a loss for words for a moment.
Chloe had felt it too.
Someday the end of the war would come, and this relationship would end with it.
Tail recalled the abbot's words at the same time.
"It's cruel, but even memories of things that can never happen again bring pain if you hold onto them."
He was right.
He had to forget.
If he could never see her again, it was better to cut out even the smallest hope.
But Tail couldn't bring himself to say that to Chloe.
After all the hardship she'd endured in this wretched place, he wanted to give her good memories right up to the end.
That was his final role, he thought.
Tail's mouth slowly opened.
"If Chloe cherished someone that much."
Fallen leaves scattered in the wind.
In that picturesque space, Tail continued.
"If that person felt your precious heart."
Tail smiled faintly.
"They'll never forget you, Chloe."
Probably. It would be hard to forget for a lifetime.
These feelings, this atmosphere, every moment—it would be hard to let them go.
It would be painful, lonely, agonizing for a while.
But in the end, they would have no choice but to forget.
"They surely will."
Even so, he had no choice but to lie.
Tail smiled brightly.
"So rest assured."
"...Hearing you say that puts me at ease."
Chloe replied, gazing at the clear sky.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Tail smiled more brightly than ever.
By the time they returned to the monastery, the sun had fully set.
'It's 10 o'clock.'
It was time to see Chloe off.
Tail escorted her all the way to her tent.
Just before entering, Chloe smiled and said,
"I had a great time today, Tail. Let's hang out again sometime."
Tail smiled faintly in response.
"You should head in."
Click.
The tent flap closed, but Tail couldn't tear himself away for a while.
After staring at the tent for a moment, he soon headed somewhere else.
Not far from Chloe's tent.
There stood a familiar one.
Cecilia's tent.
He took a deep breath and knocked.
Knock knock knock.
"Lady Cecilia? Are you asleep?"
But there was no answer from inside.
'What's going on?'
Tail gently pushed the flap open.
It opened smoothly.
The pitch-black darkness held no sign of life.
'She's not here?'
Where could she be at this hour?
Tail stepped out, puzzled.
'I'll look around first.'
He hurried off to find the missing Cecilia.
He searched for quite a while.
'She's gone...'
Nowhere to be found.
Not in the clearing, not in the back garden, not in the first-floor hall. Nowhere.
'Where did this little lady wander off to?'
Then a thought struck Tail.
'Is she in my room?'
She'd waited there sometimes when he was out working.
'I'll check.'
Tail quickened his pace.
For Cecilia, waiting for him.
However.
"...She's not here."
The dimly lit room by candlelight held only Yujin preparing for bed.
Noticing Tail's odd disappointment, Yujin asked,
"What's up? Looking for someone?"
"Ah, Lady Cecilia. Can't find her anywhere."
Where on earth had she gone?
He was starting to worry.
Then Yujin tilted his head and spoke.
"Lady Cecilia? I saw her near the kitchen earlier. Looked like she was making something."
Tail's eyes widened at Yujin's words.
Come to think of it, he hadn't checked the kitchen.
"I'll... I'll go check the kitchen real quick."
"Ah, wait! Tail!"
Before Yujin could finish, Tail dashed out of the room.
Left alone, Yujin muttered softly.
"I saw Lady Cecilia at 5 o'clock..."
She'd probably gone somewhere else by now.
"Sigh. Whatever. Time for bed."
Yujin finished getting ready for sleep.
"Ugh..."
Failure.
Total failure.
Utter, miserable, complete.
"...I blew it."
Cecilia buried her face in her small hands.
Again.
Why hadn't God given her any handiwork skills?
Cecilia despaired deeply.
And for good reason.
'How can I give this to Tail...'
Before her lay a pile of something charred black.
Cookies, precisely—or what had been meant to be.
But they looked like lethal poison, deadly weapons unfit for consumption.
"I can't make any more now..."
She'd used up all the dough already.
Cecilia let out a long sigh.
She'd started at 5, planning to give them as dessert after dinner, but it was nearly 10 now.
She'd tried using the last dough for a midnight snack, but it had been a disaster.
Glancing sideways, she saw a mountain of failed cookies.
"What do I do..."
Giving him these would just earn her scorn from Tail.
No, kind Tail would eat them without complaint, but curse her inwardly.
As Cecilia groaned, clutching her head, a sound came from beside her.
Crunch.
'Huh? Crunch?'
Cecilia glanced over.
And there stood Tail.
"T-Tail!"
The startled Cecilia called out to him.
Her gaze fell to his hand.
He held a familiar cookie.
"Eek! Don't eat that! It tastes awful!"
But Tail, having already taken a bite, chewed and replied,
"Who said it's awful?"
"Huh?"
"The cookies are delicious."
Tail swallowed and popped the rest into his mouth.
Watching him, Cecilia's eyes sparkled.
"The cookies... are good?"
"Yes."
At Tail's answer, Cecilia beamed.
A smile that held the whole world.
"And Lady Cecilia."
Taking another bite, Tail asked,
"Want to go on a picnic with me?"
That had been his purpose in finding her from the start.
There was a place he wanted to go with her.
Her face lit up at his words.
"A picnic? Just us two?"
"Yes."
"Without Chloe?"
Now she just says her name outright when excluding her.
But today, he didn't feel like pointing it out.
"Yes. Just the two of us."
"Eee! Yay!"
Cecilia hopped in place.
"Tomorrow morning? Or afternoon?"
As she took off her apron and asked, Tail shook his head.
"No."
Tail's eyes deepened.
Gazing at the sparkling-eyed Cecilia, he continued,
"Tonight."
"Huh?"
As Cecilia tilted her head, Tail smiled faintly and added,
"Let's go now."
Tail went to the monastery’s back mountain with Cecilia.
Even if it was gentler than others, a mountain was still a mountain.
It was harder to climb than expected.
Cecilia, following behind, called out to him breathlessly.
"T-Tail. This... is a picnic, right?"
She panted, exhausted.
"Huff. Huff."
Tail extended his hand to her.
"Grab on, Lady."
Cecilia gripped his hand tightly.
He pulled her up smoothly.
"Hold my hand and follow close."
How long did they climb?
"Lady! We're at the summit!"
Tail shouted joyfully, but Cecilia, barely holding herself together, could hardly hear.
"Haa. Haa."
Wiping sweat from her brow, she looked ahead.
"W-Wow..."
Cecilia's eyes widened.
From the mountaintop, even distant villages were visible.
Moonlight shattered over the clustered hamlets.
The city below still buzzed with night market lights from mana stones.
It was a breathtaking nightscape.
Everything was beautiful.
The grassy scent, the whispering wind, the cool air, and Tail beside her.
All of it was enchanting.
For the first time, Cecilia felt her chest burst open, emotions welling up.
A feeling she'd never known.
Toward such a Cecilia, Tail spoke.
"Worth the climb, right?"
Without tearing her eyes from the view, she replied to his low voice,
"Yeah. So worth it."
Stroking her hair, Tail called to her.
"If you'd given up halfway, you would've missed this."
Cecilia's eyes slowly turned to Tail.
Looking into her red eyes, he continued,
"So I hope you never give up on anything from now on, Lady."
When hardship struck again, when her world crumbled once more—he pulled something from his pocket, hoping it wouldn't.
"A gift I prepared for you."
It was a keychain with a small fox plush.
Receiving her first gift from Tail, Cecilia's face flushed with delight.
"Thank you, Tail!"
Then she tilted her head.
"But did you go to the city?"
"Ah. I went to the night market with Chloe earlier and bought one for you."
What? You went to the night market with Chloe?
Cecilia puffed her cheeks and grumbled,
"Hey~ Take me next time too."
"Of course."
Tail smiled faintly at her coquettish tone.
But unfortunately, there was no next time.
"Extra! Extra!!!!"
The next day, the victory crier's call rang out.