Chapter 21 – Dawn’s Guest (1)
The sun, which had risen high for the first time in a while, scattered warm menstrual blood. Although it has faded a little over time, the momentum is still the same, and when you stretch your head out, hot blood drips down your face. It is not very pleasant as the sun, which has exposed its lower abdomen through the cold wind, seems to be having a mongolia.
Hiding under a large tree to avoid the sun, I stared blankly up. Wrapped in the hem of a skirt made of leaves, peeking inside made me feel like a pervert. Immorality has now become a necessary virtue in this world.
Actually, it wasn’t just a bad feeling. Because up there, there’s actually a girl flapping her skirt. But it’s so high up that my eyes can’t reach it. That’s why I stretched out her voice instead of her unreachable hand toward her.
“Saya. How is it? Does it look good?”
“I’m still watching. I’m sorry, but could you wait a little longer?”
“Do not work too hard.”
He seemed to understand even though he asked in a low voice. The more you know about the elves’ senses, the more you’ll be surprised. My sight can reach places I can’t reach, and I can clearly hear voices that I can’t hear.
Because of her, reconnaissance was possible even from such a long distance. It was a forest quite far from the academy, but Saya was able to look into the situation inside the building. It would have been impossible if I had been alone.
Of course, you can’t know everything with just this. You can only get superficial information. In order to understand the details, you have to go in there eventually.
“Ha…”
I sighed, hoping Saya wouldn’t hear. The vaguely exhaled breath rose as white steam in front of my eyes.
It’s already been three days since that day. It’s been quite a while, but I’m still watching the situation at the academy like this.
The deadline Rogeria said was already approaching. She said if she didn’t come back within three days, she would come from there. She knew that choosing the latter would cost her initiative, but she couldn’t help it.
Why? Are you scared now? I’m afraid that the academy, where the minimum reason called hater has been blown away, will go mad more than before. Are you trembling for fear of having to shed more blood?
Maybe. It is clear that going there now carries a greater risk than before. Now that the external enemy, the women in the annex, had disappeared, I was the only stranger left in the academy. Now I had no idea how they would react when they saw me.
Of course, looking deeper, it felt like an excuse. There are still helpers like Rogeria and Roman in there, and no matter how dangerous it is, you can somehow come up with a plan. If you think so, it seems that there are other reasons hiding.
Maybe it’s just because there’s someone in there that I don’t want to see anymore.
I do not know. It’s annoying not being able to know your own feelings.
Suddenly, a cold wind brushed my ears. Even the sun didn’t seem to warm enough in the frosty weather. I shrugged my shoulders a little and looked upwards.
“Saya. Come down now. The weather is cold.”
“Okay. I’ll go down. Should I be careful not to get hit?”
“Watch out if you come down…”
“I’ll go down!”
“For a moment…!”
Then something jumped up from the top of the tree and in an instant crashed towards us. I knew I had to avoid it, but my body reacted before my head. I instinctively reached out and accepted Saya’s body.
“Oh!”
“…Ah.”
Realizing that I had made a mistake, I blankly stared at Saya’s face. The other side, too, seemed to be very embarrassed, and met her eyes with the small lips parted. In the meantime, the body naturally embraced was so light. Even though it fell from that height, there was no impact.
However, the touch was clearly conveyed. Even if it wasn’t the distinctive forget-me-not scent, the weight of the soft skin was enough to stimulate the boy’s instincts. I quickly set her to the ground before I realized where I was holding her.
“You don’t have to do this, Lope.”
“I know. But I keep doing this without even realizing it.”
“Thank you for accepting me though. Your heart is so happy.”
Even though it was entirely my mistake, Saya smiled. She never forgets to say thank you for any little thing. It’s the first time someone has done that to me, so I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it.
No. Are you an elf, not a human? That’s why it feels even more surreal. The figure of an elf permeated in the forest retains a lethal beauty.
…
Have I become accustomed to this short-lived daily life? Is that why you’re hesitant to step into the dangers of the academy?
It was another possibility. But I tried to erase it.
“Hmm…So, did you have something that stood out to you? Or something that bothered you.”
“I’m sorry, but I didn’t see much today. It’s a little far from me, and most of the curtains were closed. I did find a man and a woman kissing at the front door, but that doesn’t matter too much, right?”
“I don’t think it matters… But was there any sign of being forced?”
“The woman was clenching her fists and the man was clutching her hair.”
“Then you can just forget about it.”
After all, is there a limit to just observing from a distance? I came to the same conclusion yesterday, so it was just a meaningless repetition. No matter how far we walked along the beach, there were no visible ships, and even if there were, we didn’t have the skills to navigate.
In the end, to get off the island, you had to contact Roseria. Or find a way to contact the mainland from this side.
Of course, the latter possibility was dim.
“Wouldn’t that be too informative to be helpful?”
“It’s not like that, buy it. Because I expected it to some extent.”
“I’ll try to do better in the future, Lope.”
“Nope.”
In the meantime, Saya blamed herself. It was absolutely not her fault, so I answered indifferently.
“I couldn’t have done it without you anyway.”
“You don’t need to comfort me too much. Climbing a tree is something anyone can do.”
“Normal humans can’t do it. It’s even more so to climb up and run around so lightly. That’s why rumors circulate about strange flying beasts.”
“A flying beast?”
My story raised Saya’s doubts. And then I pricked up my ears like it was funny.
“I don’t remember running up a tree like that, but rumors like that spread. Actually, the only flying beast I’ve seen since that day was the twilight bird.”
“A twilight bird?”
“Yes. It’s the bird that gave me my mother’s pattern.”
“Ah.”
The unfamiliar name was twisted in the memory of the past. It’s a story that you don’t have to worry about, but it was necessary in the current situation.
“What is that twilight bird? It’s not an ordinary bird if it conveys the pattern.”
“It’s no ordinary bird. It’s from the land of the elves. I heard it was given to me by my father as a gift when my mother left there.”
“Does it have any special meaning?”
“The twilight bird is a bird that lives in darkness all its life. It feeds on the love and mana of its owner while being cared for in the dark shadows of the house.”
“So it’s twilight?”
“Yeah. Then, just once, when I feel that death is near, I fly in the sky. At that time, I will grant you any request as a way of repaying the grace of caring for you all my life. My mother wrote it to give me a pattern.”
Saya’s voice softened slightly as she spoke. It was hard for me to imagine the feeling of knowing the fate of a family member from afar.
“Originally, it was given to me to use when sending letters to the land of the elves. No courier can deliver a letter to that land. But my mother must have thought of me more than my father.”
“…”
“So I guess I’ll have to go to that land and deliver her mother’s news. Maybe I’m the last courier left in this land.”
After Saya finished her words, she looked up at the sky. As she said, no flying beast was flying in the sky. She may have left her throne empty to wait for the ruler to come soon after.
The pattern on the back of my hand felt heavy again. No matter how I thought about it, it wasn’t something I deserved.
The story started out lightly, but rather became complicated in my head. These days, even in such a trivial part, nothing can be done at will.
Just as the sky gradually turned orange, her familiar path stepped under her feet. Saya nudged my elbow to get my attention.
“It’s already arrived. Talking about it, it seems like it came right away.”
“I know.”
At that, she looked up and saw the dorm room door. I already felt my ears ringing and my head pounding. Okay. Unfortunately, Saya wasn’t the only partner in this daily life.
I sighed and took out the key. Then Saya asked cautiously.
“Can I not knock? It won’t surprise me if I just go in.”
“You must have heard the voice. He has a keen ear too.”
“However…”
“It’s okay.”
I opened the door without hesitation. Then the expected scenery came into view.
“Haru. We are here.”
“…”
“Day.”
“…”
“Ha…”
A helpless sigh came out. Above him, Haru’s light breathing sat down with the sound of a creaking chair.
The image of Haru leaning back in the chair was peaceful. The sword held tightly in his hand and the scar around his eyes might make some people feel intimidated, but the sound of his breathing was too comfortable for that. Saya tilted her head vaguely and asked.
“Are you asleep?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know because I always close my eyes.”
“Looks like you’re sleeping…”
“I’m not sleeping.”
Haru’s clear voice intervened in the midst of the uncertain conversation. It sounded like he was awake from the beginning, but I couldn’t believe it. Trust in this blind girl was crumbling all too quickly.
“You were sleeping.”
“Because I was fully awake. And very keenly alert, too.”
“Then answer me. From the middle, I came on my feet. Since when did that happen?”
“Why do you care about that? Come here sooner than that. Smell it.”
Haru calmly interrupted her conversation and spread her arms outstretched. However, if you try to stretch it naturally. When I frowned, Saya stepped in instead.
“Hey, Haru. How long do I have to do that? Lope seems to be in trouble.”
“Absolutely not. Senior said he likes things like this.”
“I didn’t feel that way. Did you really, Lope?”
“Don’t talk nonsense and get out of there. Why are you sitting in front of the storage room on purpose?”
“Well… You’re naturally snacking while standing guard. Are you hungry? Have a canned food here. This sounds delicious.”
“…Yes. Thank you. What about you?”
“I’m still there.”
When I asked, Saya held up the half-remaining bread with a happy expression on her face. Is it still like that In the meantime, the elf’s lips didn’t appear to be damaged at all, whether there was a preservative effect.
She wanted to nag more, but hunger came first. As she sat on the bed and opened the can, she smelled fishy fish. And at the same time, she opened her mouth all day long.
“So, did you find anything today? Harvest or something?”
“Are you eating again?”
“Eating again. I’ve never seen them eat. Did you find anything more than that?”
“Nothing. There is only loss.”
I looked at Haru, of course. The guy shook his head, probably because his eyes that couldn’t be felt tickled him.
“I don’t know who would know that I’m staring at this place. Stop nagging me. I’ve eaten so much in three days.”
“But Haru. Looking earlier, the warehouse was quite empty. I don’t want to doubt it, but you seem to be eating quite a bit.”
“Saya, did you see that in the meantime? Really good eyes. She has a very pretty voice. I’ve never seen it, but isn’t this like an elf?”
“Note…”
Saya was troubled and looked at me. But I didn’t want to get tired anymore, so I averted my gaze. After that, the conversation between the two continued.
It was a mealtime that would normally have been quiet. Before or after that day, it was always the same. Even when Saya came, I never thought it would be that different.
However, after the day came, the quiet daily life changed. Perhaps to alleviate her longing for her blindness, that blind girl talked all day long. It made me wonder how Joyong lived in the past.
At first, the liveliness was just annoying. However, there are times when it feels like she’s not that bad. Even she sometimes wonders if this is the feeling of being alive.
Maybe, as Hayter said, I was actually lonely.
A broken clock is really only right twice.
“Um…It’s because I can’t see. Is it dark now? I really don’t know.”
When I looked out the window at Saya’s sudden question, it was already dark. As winter approached, the days became very short. It seems to be hinting that the night in this world will be long.
“I managed to figure it out. How did you find out?”
“Somehow, I felt sleepy.”
“Are you still sleepy after sleeping like that?”
“That’s because I didn’t sleep.”
“Are you ready, Lope? Then I’ll warm you up some water.”
“No. I don’t have to…”
“Don’t worry, it can be done with magic. I’ll do it right away.”
Before I could dry myself off, Saya got up and headed to the bathroom. Then Haru shook her head and said in a loud voice.
“Oh, Sa-ya, you should have come before her sister. If you did, that bed would be mine and I’d have heard less nagging.”
“Not at all. And you’re the one who said you’d sleep in the chair. Don’t talk about anything else now.”
“Because sitting down is a habit. When you were over there, you never gave me a place to lie down. More than that, don’t you two need to share the same bed? Is there any reason for that?”
“Because if you put two beds, the room is small.”
“Let’s do something like that. I’ll think of it that way.”
Haru tilted her head back as he spoke patronizingly. Soon, she was bubbling in the bathroom, with the sound of boiling water. Apparently, Saya didn’t hear it because she was so focused on that.
Then Haru’s expression, which had only been bright, softened a little. Then a low voice came out.
“It didn’t work out. Maybe you should go out with me tomorrow.”
“…Maybe.”
“Of course you should also bring a sword, right?”
“Yes.”
It seems that he is not thinking about it, but Haru also seems to have grasped the situation roughly. Seeing you thinking of going to the academy together. Besides, she knew how to poke things I hadn’t thought of.
“In the meantime, what about Saya-san?”
“It should be here.”
“Wouldn’t that be dangerous?”
“I don’t want to take you there.”
“Maybe.”
A fishy stench wafted through the conversation for a very short time. The scene of the day seemed to float before my eyes. Haru also shut her mouth for a while as if it was the same.
Then Saya walked out of her bathroom. Then she sat down on the edge of the bed and asked kindly.
“Lope. I’ve heated up the water. I thought I’d use it for a day, so I did a little bit, but what would you like to do?”
“Ah, thank you. Senior, would you like to go in first?”
“No, that’s fine. You go in first.”
When I replied indifferently, the corner of Haru’s mouth suddenly went up. It seems that the nonsense came to mind again.
“Or would you like to come in with me? I’ll take care of that.”
“What nonsense again.”
“No, of course…”
“Ugh.”
At that moment, I covered Saya’s ears with my hands. She thought it was easy, but she screamed out as if she was in pain. Haru smiled at the scene.
“Why is that? I know all of them. When I was in the annex over there, I had to hear the guys secretly masturbating in the same room every night. I don’t know if they saw me or not.”
“If you keep talking nonsense, I’ll kick you out.”
“It’s bullshit. I have all the evidence. I’m a person with a nose and ears. I don’t know why you deny it when it smells like this.”
“What is that?”
“If I had come to the men’s room, I should have thought that this smell would come out. It smells very clearly today. Are you really going to ignore it?”
“…Today, depending?”
“Yes. Today.”
“…”
It was something that other people might pass off as a joke. But I couldn’t just ignore the story of the blind man about the smell.
“That’s not just a joke.”
“Stop running around. Or can’t you smell it yourself? The smell vibrates like this.”
“What smell.”
“Are you asking because you really don’t know?”
Haru frowned slightly. And he spat out a single word.
“The smell of man’s semen.”
“…”
I closed my mouth. No matter how much I tried to remember, it wasn’t a smell that could come from this room.
Just in case, I peeked my nose into the air. But I didn’t smell anything.
“It doesn’t smell like anything to me.”
“…Well.”
“When did you start growing?”
“A little while ago.”
Only then did Haru erase a smile from his lips. There was only one remaining source, other than the smell from within.
I slowly removed my hand from Saya’s ear and turned off the light in the room. Then, holding the curtain in one hand, he spoke in a low voice.
“Pull out the knife.”
