From that day on, Ceria’s nights became unbearably long.
Even when the sun heated the horizon, Ceria’s world was filled with darkness. It was meaningless to distinguish between day and night.
The world was hell.
Whenever her sanity returned, Ceria would realize that her hands were trembling uncontrollably.
Alex was dead.
At whose hands?
The senior she loved had lost his memory, and now that blade was pointed at humanity. Among them, Ceria would be included as well.
It was a sense of loss she had never imagined.
If someone were to tear at her heart, she would feel this pain.
No, it would be better if someone did so.
Could this painful and lonely heat be healed?
The vacancy left by the man she had fallen for for the first time was far too great. He had rescued the isolated girl from the island and walked alongside her with kindness.
He was no longer here.
With a crunch, Ceria bit her nails once more.
Her thumb was already worn down from the biting. Biting more wouldn’t make her nails grow any faster. Wasn’t it still flowing with blood and grime?
Yet, why did the chilling noise continue?
It meant the nails were still growing.
The regeneration speed was unlike that of a normal human. After days of hiding in a dark room, blocking the sun with a curtain, something abnormal was happening to Ceria’s body.
However, Ceria was completely oblivious to the changes occurring within her.
There was no longer any leisure for such awareness.
In the room, only the sound of dry friction continued.
Distant, creaking, crunching.
After a long silence, Ceria suddenly sat up in a fit.
And began to wander around the room, lost in thought. Before long, the girl’s blue eyes sparkled with a mischievous light, but the world trapped in the night did not allow her the chance to see herself in a mirror.
What should she do?
How can I get my senior back?
Suddenly, hatred and anger swelled in her throat. A fiery emotion twisted in her chest and esophagus. Ceria involuntarily coughed.
I need to kill.
It was a conclusion drawn without any logical scrutiny.
It was also an irrational decision.
She couldn’t even tell whose sin she intended to condemn.
Nevertheless, Ceria liked the judgment that had just been handed down. For the first time in days, her lips formed a faint crescent.
Yes, all I have to do is kill.
Wasn’t that how she had lived until now?
It didn’t matter whether the target was an elf or a human. There was no such thing as wrongdoing for her senior.
Even if there was a wrongdoing, it was the world’s fault.
A hero who sacrificed for humanity and threw their body until the very end.
After taking away the memory of that man, to have him aim his blade at his own kind was destiny.
So, I have to kill.
It was a murderous intent that didn’t even have a clear target. Yet, it felt genuine, as a sticky will began to form in Ceria’s eyes.
It was a dark and secretive desire like the mud of a puddle.
With measured steps, Ceria stood before her sword. The girl’s beloved weapon, left next to her head, was still waiting for her.
Just like always.
Ceria’s hand grasped the sword without hesitation. And just as she was about to reveal the pure white blade to the world.
The girl’s ears perked up.
Lost in her own contemplation, she hadn’t noticed, but a strange presence was felt somewhere.
Just then, as Ceria’s eyes were scanning for the source.
With a bang, the window was thrown open roughly.
“Eek, aaah!”
With a scream, a familiar doll rolled onto the floor. Ceria was startled and had no choice but to step back in shock.
A fierce north wind rushed in through the open window.
The flickering shadow of a flame illuminated dark blue hair. It resembled the colors of the night sky, and the way she rubbed her head seemed to hold just a hint of tears.
Ceria quickly deduced the identity of the intruder.
“…Your Highness the Imperial Princess?”
“C-Ceria-senpai.”
The princess appeared somewhat frightened, fumbling for words.
Unable to guess the reason, Ceria stood there dumbfounded, while Shi-en squeezed her eyes shut and bowed her head. An urgent excuse spilled from her lips.
“I-I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop! I knocked on the window several times, but you didn’t respond… So, there was no need for you to draw your sword…!”
Ah, only then did Ceria let out a faint exclamation.
Her hand was already gripping the sword’s hilt. As if she was prepared to perform a sword dance at any moment.
Startled, she quickly hid the sword behind her back.
And with an awkward smile, she cleared her throat several times.
What was I about to do?
She couldn’t quite remember. She could only guess that if the princess hadn’t arrived, something terrible would have happened.
Ceria blushed slightly out of embarrassment and spoke.
“Ah, no! How could I harbor any impure thoughts towards someone of royal blood… It’s a misunderstanding. I was just planning to clean the sword that’s been neglected for far too long… More importantly!”
The stumbling words condensed into one question.
Ceria, regaining her composure, had to ask the right question.
“Why did you come through the window? You could have used Yuridina Castle…?”
“I heard a dangerous secret.”
“Secret,” Ceria sealed her lips at the brief word.
Her questions remained unanswered.
She guessed how the princess had found her room. Perhaps she had used some form of flying magic. It was clear, as she had come in riding the wind as soon as the window opened.
But why did she feel the need to do so?
This was the castle of Yuridina, one of the five noble families of the Empire. There was no presence that would threaten the royal princess, who carried imperial blood.
Yet, the princess looked unnaturally tense, swallowing dry saliva.
As if she were being chased by something.
Shi-en whispered in a stiff voice.
“Ceria-senpai…”
Just as Ceria, unable to resist her curiosity, tilted her head ever so slightly.
“Would you, by any chance, be interested in ‘incest’?”
Ceria fell silent for a moment.
And thought.
Should I pull out the sword right now?
A hiss, and the potion poured down onto the crushed eye.
Then, red footprints began to slowly appear. Checking the direction every few minutes, the women were on the move.
It was Delphine, Elsi, and Emma.
The military force they had brought along as guides and retainers was left behind in the elf’s hideout. It was decided that it would be better to encounter I-an, who had headed for the ‘headquarters.’
After all, there was another person who could serve as a guide.
That was the elf who had first been interrogated after being caught by the women.
It was Ishya.
She was still trembling, perhaps because the fear hadn’t subsided. The women also did not show any particular favorable attitude towards Ishya.
Humanity and elves had been antagonistic for hundreds of years.
Even when hearing the truth, it was hard to trust it entirely. Moreover, the more they heard, the more they didn’t want to believe what they were told.
Alex was a traitor of his family.
It was something she could never have imagined. Delphine was at a loss for words afterward.
Only Elsi occasionally poked and threatened Ishya.
“Hey, elf… Are you sure you know your way? As you can see, my little sister is a bit capable. If you lead us astray…!”
“I-I wouldn’t do such a thing!”
At the outburst, Elsi made a strange noise.
Her gaze still held doubt.
Ishya was now desperately trying to persuade Elsi.
“Humans are our friends! What elf would deceive a friend of a friend?”
“How dare a mere elf pretend to be the master’s friend… Ugh, enough.”
Elsi showed a brief flicker of anger but quickly calmed her mind.
As the girl shook her head, the tip of her hood swayed. A slight fatigue reflected in her blue eyes.
It was the price of the hurried march over the past few days.
Moreover, both her body and mind had suffered, so it was natural for her to appear exhausted.
However, her expression had grown somewhat brighter.
“So, the master’s memories are intact?”
“Yes, yes… I believe so, based on the conversation I had with that knight.”
“Hmph, the master does have unique tastes.”
With a scoff, Elsi wore a triumphant smile.
It was a habit that came out when she was feeling a bit good.
“Knowing his memories, why would he associate with elves? How much trouble he’s caused…”
“Um, well.”
It was Ishya’s first counter-question.
As if asking what was the matter, Elsi’s eyes subtly fixated on Ishya. Although she was significantly smaller than Ishya, the latter knew well.
What troubles could arise from such a tiny hand being waved.
Heaven would be torn apart, and divine punishment would rain down from that heat.
This was the first time she had encountered such a strong spellcaster. Still, Ishya couldn’t suppress her innate curiosity and foolishness.
A gulp of swallowed breath was heard. The following question came.
“If, if humans truly lost their memories… what would you have thought…?”
Hmm, Elsi swallowed her breath.
As she surveyed her surroundings, Elsi’s expression softened. With a playful glint in her eyes, she leaned toward Ishya’s ear and whispered.
“Then I would make sure to be responsible… and say that I got pregnant with the master’s child.”
“I-You’re pregnant…?!”
Ishya gasped in shock, alternating her gaze between Elsi’s belly and her face. No matter how she looked at it, she didn’t appear to be a pregnant woman.
They say it doesn’t show in early pregnancy; it really was true.
When Ishya was in awe of the mystery of life softly.
Elsi spoke with a blatant tone of composure.
“No? I’m still a virgin; I wouldn’t even be pregnant.”
“Then what are you planning to do later…?”
“If I really got pregnant, I would just secretly sneak in at night and cover him.”
Ishya shut her mouth at those straightforward words.
She wondered if it was a joke, but Elsi seemed to be infinitely sincere. There was no hint of agitation in her blue eyes.
It was a story that bordered on madness.
To think she would throw away her purity just to take ownership of one man. Moreover, if it was out-of-wedlock pregnancy, there would be no greater disgrace for a woman.
So Ishya had no choice but to realize once again.
Indeed, humanity was a terrifying existence.
But that thought didn’t last long.
Not long after, a sight that had to be shaken off came into view.
A loud rumble echoed.
The group’s steps immediately came to a halt. Even though they were still far from the ‘headquarters,’ the identity of the clearly felt vibrations was unclear.
An ice-cold silence enveloped the area.
Delphine was keenly observing a certain direction in the silence. Closing her eyes, she calmed her breathing for a few seconds.
Her blood-red eyes widened.
“Run away!”
The group did not resist their instincts.
The bodies of the women thrown to the ground were buried in the snow. Right after that near miss of an evasive maneuver, beams of light flew down, burning the world.
The scorching heat scorched the retina.
Even the explosions could not be heard. Nothing remained in the spot where the light had passed.
Not trees, not animals, nothing at all.
The line of sight cleared to form a straight trajectory where the beam had passed. The group groaned and slowly rose.
And at the fiery end of that line, they saw it.
A landscape as small as a dot. Yet someone was fighting there, wielding a sword. A swaying shadow was dancing.
As soon as Elsi saw that sight, she immediately plummeted to the ground.
“Master!”
That was the beginning.
The group immediately started to dash. Toward the man they had been desperately searching for.
The signal for the decisive battle was being raised.
