Night of the Rising Stars
The jet-black longsword sliced through the air with a light swing. A shriek of wind escaped from the arc carved by the blade. After several swings, Jian lifted the sword, and a single ray of light seeped into the razor-sharp edge, like the boundary of a shadow.
"Yeah. I missed this heavy grip. Haven't used an orc-forged longsword since mine broke."
Archimon tilted his head, puzzled. "Where exactly did it break? It shouldn't break that easily."
"I swung it at a dragon covered in defensive magic. It was a lot tougher than I expected. Wonder how that dragon's doing these days."
The confusion vanished from Archimon's face. He simply nodded in understanding. "Well, that would be enough to break it. Still, it's an honorable end for a sword. A dragon with defensive magic, no less."
"Right?"
"But what did you do after that? If your sword broke, fighting must've been difficult."
"Luckily I had a spare. I dual-wielded back then."
Jian looked satisfied as he slid the sword back into its scabbard. "Once I got used to a longsword, I couldn't go back to dual blades. They're fun, but not really good. That's why I only carried one even when I had the holy sword."
"Really? I heard there are people on the continent who rotate between dual swords, longsword, and shield."
"That person doesn't use dual swords anymore either. Just longsword and shield now. Apparently splitting the sword splits the party too."
Jian shook Archimon's hand. "Anyway, thanks. If you need anything next time, just call. I'll drop everything and come running."
"I'll call you when there's a happy occasion soon. Come celebrate with us."
"That sounds good too," Jian said with an awkward smile.
Just then, Osmer waved from a distance. "Honey!"
Startled by his wife's sudden call, Archimon waved back shyly. "Well, we'll be heading out. Thanks for the sword."
Beside the approaching Osmer stood Laverre. She must have enjoyed herself while we worked; her expression was oddly bright. Laverre waved nonchalantly with that same look. It was a mystery how even her natural shamelessness turned harmful only when it belonged to her.
"Come visit again when you're not busy. I'll prepare something nice."
"Sure. Thanks."
After brief greetings and thanks to Archimon and his wife, we left the settlement. Midway, Laverre begged us not to take the bridge again, and I made a mental note to definitely leave her behind next time.
After walking a while, the sun began to set, painting the sky purple. Just as the walk grew tedious, Jian spoke up.
"What kind of job do you think we'll get next?"
"Who knows? Maybe they'll call us if there's a festival in the settlement?"
Karena sighed wistfully, repeating, "Ha. I really wanted to check out the jewelry store..." As she spoke, she shot me another glare, so I quickly looked away.
"Hey. What about you? Didn't buy anything? I figured you'd come back loaded with stuff."
I didn't need to look to know she was talking to Laverre. The scene was so familiar I could picture the glare perfectly in my mind.
"Oh. Of course I bought some. I'm just keeping them in my bag so they don't get scratched."
"Why buy them if you're not going to wear them?"
"Even so, as a follower of the faith, I don't indulge in such luxuries. I only bought them to resell."
While imagining Karena's contemptuous expression, I suddenly felt grateful I was walking in front. If I'd been behind, I'd have had to witness the whole thing.
"But you'll all be leaving soon anyway, won't you?"
"Why?"
I asked without thinking, but the answer caught me off guard.
"Well, Osmer is pregnant. Of course they'll call us when the baby is born."
"What? No way."
I was too shocked to speak, and only Jian managed to ask, "You didn't know? I thought Archimon would've told you."
"How do you know that?"
"When Osmer mentioned she was feeling sluggish lately, I checked on her and found out. You didn't seem surprised, so I guess Archimon didn't know?"
If he knew, he would've said something, so he must not have. But more than that, I didn't know how to feel. Honestly, I still hadn't fully accepted that Archimon was married. And now hearing he was going to be a father on top of that? How bewildering must that feel?
Jian, on the other hand, seemed to take it in stride. "That's great," he said, then turned to me. "Right?"
I gave a vague reply. It was so noncommittal I didn't even remember what I'd said.
With nowhere to direct my complicated feelings, I absentmindedly looked up. The sunset-tinged sky was fading into darkness, and in the pale purple expanse, a hazy moon had risen.
"So where are we going? Back to the mansion?"
Karena suddenly spoke up.
"I was just following behind Jian?"
I answered.
"I thought Laverre knew the way?"
Jian chimed in. "What? I was just following behind Karena."
We stopped to discuss what to do. Forming a party had already been decided; now we were hammering out the details.
"We'll probably go back to looking for jobs like before. We don't have money or work right now."
"You should speak properly. It's not us who don't have money—it's just Jian."
Jian didn't bother refuting. It was true, after all.
"What I mean is, we need to figure out where to find work from now on."
"That's the party leader's job."
Karena said it, and I added, "Agreed."
Laverre chimed in, "Oh, is that what you meant? I thought Jian had already thought of something."
We kept talking, but no brilliant ideas emerged. Time simply passed as it grew darker and colder.
"Let's do this for now. We've decided to form a party, right?"
The three of us nodded.
"Then we need to stick together in one place. You know plans rarely go as expected. If we're far apart, I can't relay my opinions right away."
I nodded again. There wasn't much to argue about, but my body was shivering and I just wanted to go home and rest, party or not.
"So before we make any plans, let's gather in one place for a while."
"Where?"
"Where else? We have the mansion."
Jian quietly pointed at Laverre. "Is that okay?"
"Yes, it's fine."
I'd expected Laverre to refuse, but she agreed surprisingly readily. Even Jian hadn't anticipated that reaction. "...Really?"
"Yes. Well... I was the one who suggested reforming the party. And more importantly, you all have a stake in the mansion."
I immediately understood what she meant. She must have bought the mansion with the embezzled support funds. Jian and I had half-expected it, so we said nothing. Karena, of course, cursed, but it was the usual sort of thing, so I paid it no mind.
"For now, let's each go back to our homes. You'll need to pack whatever you need."
We agreed. Laverre and Karena returned to their respective places, while Jian and I headed back together since our paths overlapped.
"But are you okay moving your stuff? Want some help?"
I asked Jian.
"Nah. I'm still at an inn, so I don't have much. What about you? You've got a ton of books at home, being a mage and all."
"I was planning to hire a porter anyway."
"Want a recommendation? I know someone available right now."
"No need. These days even porters are getting expelled, so they're everywhere."
The last glow of sunset had vanished into the dark night. Before I knew it, dusk had fallen and the sky was only faintly bright.
"...How are you feeling?"
Maybe because of the encroaching twilight, even his voice sounded heavy.
"What do you mean?"
"No, it's just... your expression's been off since we left earlier."
I hesitated. But whether it was the cold urging me on or because I'd convinced myself it was fine to speak, before I knew it I was pouring out my feelings to Jian.
"It's just... I used to think that after defeating the Demon King, everything would work out with time. But it feels like we're back to square one. Back then I thought, 'Anyway, my life's ruined, so if it doesn't work out, it doesn't work out—I'll just do my best somehow.' But now it feels like the direction is all wrong."
I kicked a pebble on the roadside for no reason. Had I wanted to say this so badly that I had to stop walking?
"But Archimon, who I always thought of as a younger brother, is married and having a kid. Of course I've grown too, but still... it feels like nothing is accumulating. Does that make sense?"
"Hmm. I get what you mean, but..."
While Jian pondered, night had completely fallen.
"I think that's just how things accumulate. All efforts seem meaningless until an opportunity comes. But opportunities do come, and when they do, even the meaningless things gain their own meaning, don't they?"
I was inwardly surprised. For something Jian said, it was remarkably mature. So much so that I had no reply.
"...Well, maybe that's true."
When the mouth rests, does a person try to see anything at all? Even when I turned my head, darkness filled the surroundings. In the night where only silence flowed for a long time, we walked the path in silence.