I am back – Chapter 126

“The cycle isn’t entirely regular. In fact, the order in which we took watch wasn’t always the same. Depending on the need, we might change the order or skip a watch entirely if someone was in particularly bad shape… So, it’s not surprising that Siyun can’t sleep on a completely regular schedule. It might even mean that he’s not doing well.”

“But, Siyun…”

Had there ever been a time when Siyun looked that exhausted while working?

Usually, Siyun was bright and cheerful. There were hardly any moments when he looked extraordinarily tired, nor had I ever thought he had stayed up all night.

Even when I was feeling down, Siyun stood by my side, supporting me.

Could it really be that someone like him was so frightened that he couldn’t even get a good night’s sleep at night?

I never thought Arna would be lying. After all, they must have been companions who had relied on each other countless times in that other world. There was no reason for them to lie about something like this.

Even though I had never heard this from Siyun, well… it was true that Siyun wouldn’t just casually show off his wounds. He was the type to bear his struggles alone rather than worry others.

“I didn’t find out from Siyun. I learned it when we ran into each other in the living room late at night.”

Did my expression reveal what I was thinking? Arna added an explanation.

“I see…”

I let out a deep sigh.

It felt like my chest was tightening. Siyun was struggling so much, and instead of being a help to him, I was the one feeling more troubled.

Getting lost in my own thoughts and making mistakes all alone.

I recalled the day when I took Siyun to the columbarium.

I wouldn’t call it a corpse, but what must he have thought while looking at the urn containing the ashes of his original body?

Proof that Siyun had died once, a testament that all his ties had been severed.

In a situation where he couldn’t even reveal that he was still Siyun, how painful must it have been for him to see someone he cared about suffering like that?

Moreover, I had even asked him if it was okay for me to be with you “on behalf of Siyun.”

Just thinking about how selfish that was made it marvelously clearer in my head.

Feeling a bit suffocated, I took a sip from the glass of water left beside me. But that hardly eased my discomfort. Probably even if I drank a few more glasses, or rather, even several bottles more, this suffocating feeling would not go away.

“Is there a way to alleviate the symptoms?”

“Well.”

After a moment’s thought, Arna replied, “It’s true that we can’t completely get rid of the symptoms, but there are ways to make Siyun’s heart feel much more at ease.”

And then she pointed to herself.


No, more precisely, she pointed to the “clothes” she was wearing.

“This outfit is what I wore during my time on the battlefield. Though, to be honest, I can’t say it’s exactly the same outfit. The clothes I wore on the battlefield have already been dirty and torn, so I threw them away and got new ones a few times. But at least the shape of the clothes is almost the same. I’ve never had any special attire for conquest.”

And she let out a deep sigh.

“Perhaps, that’s actually a relief. Thanks to that, it had some effect.”

“In what way?”

As I asked a bit too eagerly, Arna rested her chin on her hand and said with a look of deep contemplation, “I knew the moment that Siyun was like this due to his memories of the battlefield. He was standing there with a stance that seemed to be guarding the area, holding the kitchen knife like a dual-blade sword. So, I thought, if he is in pain because of his memories from the battlefield, then let’s recreate the moment when he felt the most stable during that time.”

Arna then spread her arms slightly outwards. The outfit looked like something Peter Pan would wear as an adult in a movie. But upon closer inspection, it wasn’t just a simple design. The top had several pockets, and the brown pants were made of sturdy leather. There was a leather pouch around her waist.

“By the way, I also set up a bow and quiver over there, just in case.”

The place Arna pointed to was near the refrigerator. Indeed, there was a bow and quiver that I hadn’t properly noticed before, placed near the refrigerator.

“Well, the bow and arrows are different from mine since I got them from here. But still, it worked. Even though Siyun can’t sleep, at least he can be comfortable through the night.”

“…….”

I was left speechless with slightly parted lips.

I see.

While I was oblivious, my companions had done such a thing for him.

Part of my mind understood that it couldn’t be helped. There’s no way I could think of someone who is different in gender and appearance as Siyun, and even if I could think of him that way, I couldn’t comprehend that he had been to another world.

A hero who fought and triumphed against the demon king, and I was still in a daze even now after hearing the explanation.

“Was it because he was here, that maybe today…?”

“…….”

Arna looked at me and then turned her gaze straight ahead.

“In short, I can’t know for sure ‘the certain day.’ There’s some regularity to it, but in the end, the specific dates vary each time. It’s possible that even the thought that there’s regularity is just my assumption and could be completely wrong. But… yeah, that’s right. Just in case, it’s true that I was here. I thought it was about time.”

Even though Arna said it was about time, it felt a bit strange.


Knowing that “there’s some kind of regularity,” it suggests that within that framework, there could still be a difference of a day or two… no, saying a day or two is too minor. If the conclusion is that “it’s ultimately irregular,” then there could even be a gap of three or four days.

Moreover, if five people were taking shifts, then the return time would roughly be once every five days. If two people were taking shifts, then it would have to be at least once every two or three days.

If on top of that, someone was in bad condition or injured and couldn’t take a watch one day, then the very essence of regularity collapses. I can’t fathom how they managed it, but one person might have had to take watch for two days straight, or perhaps they needed to rapidly change shifts while catching brief naps.

Meaning, in the end, isn’t it just irregular? If it was just once a week, but then several days got mixed in, that would mean any semblance of regularity would be completely shattered; if they had to take watches two or three times a week…

“Could it be that you came out here at such late hours every day?”

“…….”

Had I hit the nail on the head with my question? Arna was at a loss for words.

It seems it was true.


As I stood there dumbfounded with my mouth agape, Arna gave a bitter smile and said,


“…I hope you won’t tell Siyun. He thinks I figured it out to some extent and came out. And if possible, I’d prefer the other companions not to know either. If they found out about my situation, they might argue about the order.”

“…….”

I couldn’t respond to Arna, who was smiling while saying that.

“Nonetheless, this method is definitely effective. While Siyun can’t actually fall asleep, at least it is possible to make him rest comfortably. Of course, it doesn’t always work. Siyun isn’t the type to comfortably rely on others taking watch for him each time.”

Certainly, it’s one thing to have someone substitute for a day or two of watch, but if someone were to take over for him every time, anyone would feel uneasy unless they had quite a brazen character.

And Siyun had a character that far exceeded the standard of being even more diligent.

“Is there any way I can help?”

“Of course. You might actually be more helpful than someone like me.”

“Really?”

Arna nodded with a smile at my question.

“How’s Siyun doing right now?”

“……He should be sleeping in his room?”

At least until I stepped out, he had been breathing easily, and had a smile on his face.

At my words, Arna smiled brightly.

“Perhaps it’s thanks to you that he’s sleeping so comfortably. That episode could have happened today.”

“…….”

That…


I still don’t know. I had just begun to uncover Siyun’s identity, and it was my first time sleeping in the same room like this.

“Right, I know. Since it’s my first time, it’s not certain. So.”

Arna suggested to me, “Would you like to spend a long time together to find out whether he’s okay or not?”

“……Huh?”

“In other words, I’m asking if you would be willing to live in the same place with Siyun for a while. Well, I have to get his permission in the end since I’m in a similar situation.”

…Me? With Siyun?

Together?

Seeing my face turn bright red and my mouth opening in shock, Arna laughed as if she found it amusing.