…He’s late. Myungho must have gone quite far since he hasn’t returned even after the sword training ended and he changed clothes. Could he have been hurt emotionally?
It’s understandable, though. I was concerned for him when I said it, but reacting so harshly certainly could’ve hurt his feelings—it’s not strange at all. Ah, I should’ve been more careful.
I felt apologetic for being too prickly toward my only friend. No matter how important the necklace was, there was no need to react so sharply.
Being alone in the quiet room made my thoughts grow darker. It didn’t help that this place was already devoid of sunlight, making it even gloomier.
“…How ironic. Worrying about being disliked by someone who fears my disapproval.”
I tried to shake off the anxiety by voicing it aloud, but saying it didn’t make me feel any less uneasy. If anything, the dark thoughts grew heavier.
Should I go find him and apologize? Just as I hesitated and reached for the doorknob to go look for him, a familiar vibration was felt from not too far away.
Even if it’s hard to read vibrations while walking on roots like on the ground, this was one I wouldn’t easily forget.
Since he was going to come anyway, thinking back on my recent worries made me feel foolish, so I went back to my seat.
Was I the only one acting like something urgent was happening when he wasn’t even that upset?
I steadied my emotions and hardened my expression as if nothing had happened. It’s ironic how the face of my human father, though blurry, still comes to mind with what he taught me, but it’s helping now, so it’s fine.
Not long after, a knock came from outside, followed by Myungho’s voice asking if he could enter. I casually told him to come in, and the door opened.
“…Sorry… uh…”
“G, sorry… I…”
Our words overlapped, nearly unsettling the emotions I had just composed, but after taking a deep breath, I asked him to speak first. Then Myungho cleared his throat and began.
“What I mean is… I’m sorry. Even though I know you treasure your family, I doubted your necklace. No matter the reason, I crossed a line I shouldn’t have. Sorry.”
“I, I’m sorry too. Though the necklace is precious… buh… I was too harsh on my only friend. On reflection, the necklace did seem suspicious. I could’ve been gentler, but I reacted too emotionally. I’m sorry.”
As we argued over who was more at fault, Myungho suggested we call it even, acknowledging mutual mistakes and agreeing not to repeat them.
“…Friend, right? Yeah… that makes sense. Ah, don’t worry too much. It was me talking to myself.”
Myungho repeated what I’d called him earlier—friend—as if disappointed, then dismissed it as idle talk when I looked at him.
But how could I not be bothered after seeing the disappointment in his expression? If I were in his shoes, I’d be hurt too if a woman confessed her feelings and then said she wanted to remain friends.
What should I do? After trying hard to hide my frustration, I thought of a plausible solution on how to maintain our relationship without hurting Myungho.
“If you like me… I think it’s too soon to call us lovers. We haven’t known each other for very long… So… what do you think about being… girlfriend?”
When I said lovers weren’t an option, Myungho couldn’t hide his disappointment, but when I mentioned girlfriend, his expression turned puzzled as if trying to understand.
“Alterra, aren’t those the same thing?”
“No, they’re different! It’s… deeper than friendship but… not quite lovers yet… It’s not a rejection…”
…I know Myungho truly cares for me, wanting what’s best for me ever since we met, helping me with my revenge without hesitation. His feelings are steadfast enough to risk his life.
But when it comes to being lovers, something feels off. There’s no way for me to return to being a man, and there are few people who care for me like this, yet some remnants of my male self linger, holding me back.
“…Give me time to think. I’m sorry I can’t give you a definite answer. Still, if you want to call me your girlfriend, that’s okay. Not lovers… ugh…”
Though it sounds stupid even to me, this is the best I can do, unable to outright reject or accept his feelings.
Myungho wore an expression filled with doubt, slowly asking if being a girlfriend meant a deeper relationship than friendship.
“Eh…? Is that right?”
Though my answer was impromptu, Myungho seemed satisfied, crossing his arms behind his head and stretching as if that settled it.
By the way, what’s that mark on his hand? And when did he start having white hair? Things unnoticed before suddenly caught my eye.
“Hey, Myungho, what’s that on your hand? And… did you always have white hair?”
He answered smoothly about the mark but seemed genuinely surprised about the white hair.
“When did the white hair appear? The mark on my hand was granted by the Goddess after praying, but… I’m fine otherwise, so I don’t know.”
“Well, if you’re healthy, it’s probably not serious. Maybe it’s from recent stress.”
I’ve seen friends develop gray hair from overlapping hardships. Perhaps it’s because he worried about me when I was unconscious.
…Thinking about it, I feel even more sorry for not giving him a clear response.
Awkwardly avoiding his gaze, silence briefly settled in the room until Myungho broke it with a question.
“Oh, right. Alterra, this might be a sensitive topic, but it’s about your mother. Can I ask?”
“…Yeah. As long as it’s not too rude, it’s fine.”
“When you entered your mother’s room… did you see anything like purple light swirling around, dried fingers, or jars containing internal organs?”
Before snapping at the odd question, I recalled my earlier mistake and took a deep breath to calm down. His expression showed genuine concern, not mockery or criticism.
“…No, Mother’s room was always filled with a pale blue light like dawn. Instead of dried fingers or ominous jars, it was full of beautiful glowing stones and metals.”
“That’s good… really… good. Thank you for answering such a potentially impolite question. I’ll take my leave now.”
“Where are you going?”
“First, I need to let Yuna know you’ve woken up, and I have something to learn from Akashi. Sorry, but I’ll teach you language once you’ve fully recovered. Focus on getting better until then.”
Going to learn from Akashi? I wanted to ask what happened, but it wasn’t easy to picture. Since stopping someone who’s leaving feels inappropriate, I reassured him I’d focus on recovery.
“Alright. If you need anything, tell any elf nearby. If you need me, I’ll come quickly.”
Will you ever need me? Swallowing the question, I waved goodbye.
…When’s the next meal coming?
—
Yuna has been continuously conversing with the World Tree since Alterra collapsed and returned to Comensigis. She planned to keep adjusting conditions during this time to search for information about her parents.
“…Maybe I’m actually a fruit that sprouted from the ground? My lack of arms is because some beast ate part of it…”
Ah, after continuing her search for two days following her awakening, she started making absurd hypotheses, likely feeling defeated.
“But we did find out that people resembling your parents went to the Germodai Volcano. At least the timing matches, and geographically, it’s close to the dwarf village where you were found.”
“That’s exactly the problem. I’ve been to Germodai Volcano several times, and it’s definitely not a place where living beings can survive, Myungho. If our parents really went there…”
Yuna couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence.
“…Then, I’ll go see Alterra. Thanks for listening to my complaints, Myungho.”
If Yuna’s parents are still alive, that would be great, but it seems unlikely. Since there’s nothing I can do, I decided to learn black magic from Akashi today.
“You’re five minutes late.”
Akashi was waiting in the usual spot with his arms crossed, immediately embarrassing me upon seeing me.
“…Anyways, do you have some kind of biological clock function or time-telling magic?”
“Nope? I just wanted to embarrass you. Anyway, today’s lesson was supposed to be about processing offerings, but it’s unnecessary for you. You already have, literally, every black magician’s dream strapped to your waist.”
Akashi pointed at my sword and called it that. The dream of black magicians. I know it’s a blade capable of storing souls, but is it really so grandiose that it deserves such a title?
“…Is this thing really that amazing?”
“Honestly, how do you manage to know nothing about everything? Teaching you is such a pleasure. Human souls, you see, aren’t easy to capture and hold onto, and even when captured, they can’t be bound for long. Even the highest quality bloodstones grown within human bodies last only a week. Your sword, however, held a human soul intact for over two weeks. Given that it was forged from flesh, it could easily store a soul for a hundred years. If that’s not a dream, what is? Black magicians go to great lengths to find ways to bind souls, but you just need to slash someone and you’ll have a soul ready to use whenever you want.”
After hearing that, it sounded like something that would drive black magicians mad with envy.
“Well, let’s cut the chatter. Be glad. It’s time to learn the black magic you’ve been whining about.”
Akashi grinned ominously as he drew mana from his book.
The mana emitted an ominous purple glow.
—
