Chapter 109
Chapter 109
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 109
Chapter Title: Out of the Island (2)
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After going through several incidents, I'd started carrying myself more sharply without realizing it—whether that was the cause or just my innate disposition, I couldn't tell—but lately, I'd grown a lot more suspicious.
Ever since parting with Theodor, I'd been constantly recalling this time four years ago.
'So... I definitely had my name entered in the registry... and underwent the coming-of-age ceremony... damn it, why can't I remember?'
The coming-of-age ceremony, one of the biggest events in my life, was almost entirely a blank.
I might recall fragments if I looked at video stones or portraits from back then, but right now, all I could remember was the outfit I'd worn and the conversation with my mother just before we parted.
'A high-collar shirt, red necktie, and a jacket with silver fabric that had a blue sheen on the lining. But the conversations with my family... nothing.'
Was it because I was overthinking the incident?
Or had something major happened to me without my knowledge when I got hit in the head with that stone?
I felt like there had been a lot of back-and-forth talk, but the very parts I wanted to recall had vanished entirely.
As I tossed logs into the fireplace and stared blankly at the flames, it suddenly struck me how foolish it was to dwell on an unsolved puzzle like this.
"What's forgotten can't be helped..."
It seemed like we'd discussed career paths and where I'd live going forward, but even after four years, I had zero recollection.
I'd spent such a tumultuous time at the academy that I hadn't even had a moment to think this memory gap was odd.
-Sizzle.
Following Theodor's instructions, I placed the letter he'd given me into a bowl of water and watched it for a bit.
Fortunately, it seemed to be the safe kind that wouldn't suddenly explode or transform.
It must have been pre-treated somehow, because once submerged in the bowl, the letter stopped changing.
I had no idea why Theodor had made such a request, but there had to be a reason for setting up this specific environment.
'Well, that's all I can do now.'
All that was left was to wait for Theodor to safely complete his coming-of-age ceremony and return.
.
.
.
Time passed surprisingly quickly.
And it wasn't just because I fell asleep each night gazing at the bowl with the submerged letter.
"Senior, you done with your work?"
As I stared vacantly into the fireplace flames, Shirley, who'd come to hang out in my room, asked cheerfully.
I shook my head as I looked at the dark purple-tinged black velvet bundle on her lap.
"Nah, not yet. It's progressing slower than I thought."
What Shirley and I were making were shrouds.
These hooded robes, characterized by their wide sleeves, could have embroidered belts added or details varied according to the maker's taste and personality.
As for why we were suddenly making shrouds: around this time of year, Aegis Academy prepared for a winter event called the Full Moon Festival.
The winter when the Full Moon Festival is held is a stark, barren season, unlike the bountiful autumn harvest.
The ritual of burning a shroud worn in imitation of Saint Johanna's legend during this desolate season is the Full Moon Festival.
And hand-sewing the shroud you'd wear was part of the traditional rite.
"We should keep it as simple as possible this year."
Shirley held the dark purple-black robe up to her arm and made a shocked face at how much shorter it was than expected.
"Yeah. Even making a stripped-down version without any decorations is proving tough."
"Exactly. If we were outside, we could just buy one, but we can't do that inside the academy. Ugh."
Shirley kept holding the shroud up to her body, but no matter how she tried, her arm stuck out by a full handspan. She grumbled and shoved the fabric aside.
I gathered up the threads and fabric bundles she'd brought so they wouldn't scatter on the floor, then tidied the piece on my own lap as well.
"The point of the event is making your own shroud to wear, so buying one defeats the purpose."
"No one observes the Full Moon Festival as strictly by the book as you do, Senior."
She wasn't wrong.
In fact, Judith, who had zero interest in the event, would just loosely wrap black cloth around herself as the bare minimum show of effort.
Anyway, just as I was thinking of getting some snacks to cheer up Shirley, who'd completely lost interest in shroud-making, I stood from my seat.
-Crackle... crackle.
A sound like something burning came—not from the fireplace flames, but in a different rhythm.
Startled, I whipped around toward the source.
"The letter..."
What was burning was the letter in the water bowl.
It had combusted completely before we could do anything, turning into wet ash.
"That's why he told us to put it in the water bowl."
Shirley whistled in admiration as she peered at the black powder ashes in the bowl.
"Did Theodor cast a spell on it?"
"Yeah. Though I'm curious what kind of spell he put on it. He didn't tell you anything extra, right, Senior?"
"Nope. That's all he said while we were together."
I recalled what Theodor had said when he handed me the letter.
-I can't tell you the contents since it might contaminate the experiment results. It needs a separate safety measure, so please take it and handle the aftermath.
Whatever experiment he'd done, I'd find out once he finished his coming-of-age ceremony and got home.
'Why not explain in more detail, though?'
I stared at the gray sludge in the bowl and took a deep breath to suppress the rising anxiety. Was something else about to start?
Like the relentless waves crashing against Hazard Island's cliffs, anxiety-laced thoughts kept surging in.
As I steadied my ragged breathing, Shirley—oblivious to my inner turmoil—asked brightly.
"So, before Theodor comes back stirring up trouble, shall we wrap up this human wrapping paper first?"
"Calling a shroud something so irreverent takes talent."
"Judith Senior wouldn't disagree."
After that, we traded silly jokes while swiftly stitching the pieces for our shrouds.
Lowerclassmen might struggle, but upperclassmen like us, who'd done this event multiple times, were pros at it. Once we focused, a shroud was done in no time.
I cross-checked the finished shroud with Shirley, then stood.
Mine had small "Star Cross Emblem of the Great One" embroideries at the ends of both sleeves, matching a silver star cross necklace of the same design.
'A school that makes us do near-death simulations every year—yeah, it's got a creepy side.'
Seeing Judith and Shirley in their shrouds each year always sent a chill through me.
"Who's playing 'Saint Johanna' this year?"
Shirley, eyes fixed on her shroud as she roughly folded over a poorly sewn sleeve hem, asked.
Saint Johanna was a hero of the Pioneering Wars, famed for an anecdote where, falsely accused and brought to a religious trial, she climbed a burning tower barefoot to protect the star cross at the top.
To reenact that tale, after a week of light penance, we donned our shrouds, lit a wooden tower, formed a circle, and offered final prayers.
The Saint Johanna player's shroud underwent magical treatment, remaining cool even up close. The event's climax was the player climbing barefoot to the tower's peak and kissing the star cross there.
Through the Full Moon Festival, we reenacted Saint Johanna's legend to cultivate profound religious devotion.
"Who knows. Normally it'd be Machina, but..."
The Saint Johanna role went to the cadet with the greatest achievements that year, and we hadn't seen anyone but Machina in the role for the past decade.
"The disciplinary period overlaps awkwardly. Given Sir Reynolds's attitude toward her, I doubt he'll end it early."
I nodded in agreement to Shirley's words instead of replying, then rolled up my hanging shroud and put it away.
Shirley did the same with hers, tucking it under her arm.
"Senior, I'll head out then. Leave the water bowl as is—we can check it once Theodor's back."
"Got it. I'll walk you."
"You want me walking under the moonlight with Arma Cruise Senior at this hour?"
Who knew what scandalous rumors would follow us next... Shirley playfully smacked her forehead.
Hearing that made me suddenly wonder.
Between Aegis's enforcer and debauched playboy, which nickname would stick to the end?
'What kind of worries are these?'
My reputation had traced dynamic curves over the past year.
Was this okay?
Either way, constantly being the center of attention wasn't what I wanted.
While I hesitated, Shirley spun on her heel and headed briskly toward the annex dorms.
Back in my room, I hung the finished shroud on a hanger, stowed it in the wardrobe, and sat at my desk.
"......"
Silence no longer brought me rest.
I sat and pulled two notebooks from my drawer.
One was my diary; the other, Inspector Julia's investigation notes.
Looking at the investigation notes felt like prying into private records I shouldn't see, stirring guilt, but I figured it was better in my hands.
-Rip.
I took out a knife and carefully tore out the pages from Inspector Julia's notebook that mentioned Aegis Academy, without breaking the binding.
Then I ripped out the last pages of my diary and sewed in the torn pages from the investigation notes using thread and needle.
Pasting new paper on the front and back covers to repair it turned the diary and notes into a convincingly single volume.
I poured ink over the first record—the one that had started all this (about the duplicate's existence and the letter left for me)—erasing its contents.
"Hoo..."
If only I could make it all never have happened.
But the scariest part of all this was that spilled water couldn't be gathered back, and what had begun couldn't be undone.
'Are you watching? This too?'
I closed the still-wet-ink book and slumped over the desk.
I knew it was impossible, yet I felt the pressure of its gaze.
I mentally reviewed what needed doing once Theodor returned from his coming-of-age ceremony.
There'd be no superhuman coming from off-island to help us.
Remembering the past ten years of neglect, the thought suddenly hit me.