Chapter 40 – Tilted Balance (3)
The sun shines in the slanting dawn. As if there is no need to devote one’s heart to a world that is about to perish, the late rising sun is just savage. I even felt a little hatred from the point of view of a person who watches the sunrise with open eyes after watching the moon set all night.
Of course, no matter how savage and hateful you are, you cannot find the reason for your insomnia in the slow work of the sky. I couldn’t sleep because I had too many thoughts. In the continuous agony, I literally couldn’t sleep a wink.
It seemed that this night would continue until we left the island. No. Maybe it will last forever Faded soot smeared around the eyes of the sleepless person.
“Ummm…”
At that moment, the sound of light breathing came from his left arm. When he turned his head, Saya turned over and showed signs of waking up. I thought it was okay because my left arm was getting numb.
Soon, Saya’s hand slipped from his grasped wrist. She rubbed her face on her quilt for a moment, then raised her head to look at me.
“…Lope. Did you wake up already?”
“Yes.”
“Already? I see…”
The voice was too clear for what had just happened. Could this also be attributed to the elves’ phenomenal physical abilities? With just one brushing of her hair, she completely shakes off her drowsiness and stands up. It was a talent that any human could envy.
No, maybe Saya couldn’t sleep all night. After hearing her story about Lena and Roselia, she pondered for a long time before I forced her to lie down. After that, I couldn’t tell if Saya was really asleep or if she was lost in her thoughts like I was.
But it was clear to anyone that I had stayed up all night. Saya examined my face and asked in a worried voice.
“Have you not slept at all?”
“Yes.”
“Are you okay? Aren’t you tired?”
“Very little. Are you okay with that?”
“Me?”
Even though I asked, I thought it was a shame. He couldn’t answer honestly, and as Rebecca said, it was like an ant worried about a bear.
However, Saya unexpectedly nodded her head calmly. Then she smiled awkwardly.
“Actually, I didn’t sleep well either. Maybe it’s because I was thinking too much about yesterday’s story.”
“I see.”
“Yeah. Besides, it kept making strange noises.”
“Sounds strange?”
“I don’t know. The cat must have come and gone.”
She lifted her head abruptly and looked at her ceiling window. Saya, who had wandered endlessly in the scenery outside hanging out of her reach, opened her mouth in a low voice.
“Something’s coming, Lope.”
“…”
“I don’t think there’s much left now.”
“Now, everyone, focus! Isn’t our senior talking about it? So, let’s focus on everything!”
“Who are you following?”
“This iron woman. She was a former soldier.”
“I… Did I say that?”
At the end of the day, Rebecca muttered in confusion. I guess I’ve never seen a madman like him on the battlefield. I shook my head and looked ahead.
Everyone was there except Saya. The girls I met yesterday. Erica. And to Lena. Perhaps thanks to being able to fall asleep in the right place for the first time in a while, most of them seemed to have improved. I took a moment to catch my breath and then continued my story.
“Anyway… That’s our plan. I don’t know exactly when, but soon a ship will arrive on the island to pick up Roseria, and we’ll board it and head to the mainland.”
“Is that true? That you can escape from here?”
“I can’t be sure. But since the duke said it directly to her daughter, he probably didn’t mix lies.”
“That…I guess. Lope is right. That’s also Duke Anbert. It must be true.”
At my words, Erica seemed to get a little excited and said as she reached for her hand. And the rest of the people also whispered hope to each other in a muffled voice. Being able to leave this hellish island seemed like salvation.
But it was my job to bring reality into it.
“Of course, getting on a boat and leaving here may not change anything. Anyway, the dragon is approaching, and as the professor said before, the land side may be in a worse situation. There, you can’t expect protection from the Anbert family. There won’t be.”
“That’s… That’s right.”
“It doesn’t matter which side you choose. Whether you take the ship or stay here. It’s up to each individual to choose. But we will take the ship unconditionally, so if you want our help, you better choose that side.”
“…”
“I’m not saying you have to choose right now. Some people will definitely want to meet their families on land, and some people will want to wait quietly here. Because this is necessary.”
I paused for a moment and looked around. Unlike before, this time everyone closed their mouths and thought. Families on land. The arrival of an uncertain ship. And the destruction that will eventually come. Each one was too big a problem for an individual to worry about.
Meanwhile, Lena was staring at me with her mouth shut. I don’t know what’s in that gaze, but I turned away from it.
“There…”
Suddenly, a girl raised her hand. She was the one who opened the door for me in the warehouse yesterday.
“There’s one thing I want to tell you.”
“You can do it in half. What is it?”
“Ah…Yes. That’s it. If we go on a boat… Shouldn’t we bring the kids from the academy right now? I mean the kids who are being held by them, not those trash bastards.”
“…”
It was a story that I thought would come out. But before I could answer, others raised their voices first.
“What? Is it time to care about other people?
“Don’t talk like that. I heard the chairman kept his mouth shut when he went to rescue the kids.”
“That…It’s not like that! It’s only about one or two people. That was just an attempt. But that’s not what you’re talking about now.”
“So, can we just leave everything behind and leave? Ash, Ed, Triana, and even Danian. You said you missed them too. But you’re going to throw them away so coldly?”
“That’s not what Dana!”
“Both calm down.”
In the midst of the chaotic conversation, I interrupted with a beastly voice. And I brought out the original story.
“It’s true that we have to go back to the academy anyway. Without Roselia, everything could end up ruined.”
“…That’s right. Roselia was there.”
“Hmm. By the way, senpai. Can’t we just go to the night and kidnap the bride like a bossam? Heck. Maybe she’s a very fat woman.”
“It’s not like that… It’s going to be a little difficult now. Roselia must have roughly anticipated it, and she must have prepared something.”
“Then what should I do? If I can’t hide, should I openly go?”
“You can go out in the open.”
Rebecca, who had been silent until now, spoke for the first time at Haru’s question. Her gray fingers rubbed against each other, making a shrill metallic sound.
“Listening to the situation, that Duke’s organization doesn’t seem to be that well-organized, and it must be in a very unstable state thanks to the student president’s diligent efforts to spread rumors. You can take advantage of the confusion and bring Roselia.”
“Is there a way?”
“There is always a way. Is there anyone out of this group who knows how to use magic properly?”
“That…”
Everyone hesitated at her question. Then, Erica was the first to raise her hand. She stretched out her raised arm, very conscious of my gaze on her.
“I…It’s me. You know Rebecca.
“I know, student president. Anyone else?”
“I too… I’ve studied tactical magic a bit. It might not be helpful, but…”
“I…Well, I’m majoring in Magic Engineering…”
“Me too…”
“I’m weak in practice in the first place…”
But other than that, no one seemed particularly confident. Most of them timidly bowed their heads and cast meaningless glances at each other.
His wandering gaze naturally focused on one place. When talking about magic, you can’t leave it out, the head of the academy, Lena. Still, she remained silent. Her attitude was as if she hadn’t heard anything.
Rebecca saw that and nodded her head slowly. Then she spat out a word.
“It’ll work out somehow.”
“Is that so?”
“Because there is always a way. Lope, if you say it’s okay, I think you can do it anytime.”
“Then we must hurry. The sooner we do it, the better.”
“Then I’ll have to start preparing now. I have some work to do with the luggage, so come along with those who can help.”
“Hmm. I see. What are you doing? Everyone can’t move? Do I have to be angry? Eh!”
“..Did I really say that?”
“Move! Quick! Come on!”
At Rebecca’s words, Haru patted her short arm and screamed out loud. I don’t know what kind of threat they felt there, but the people around them stood up from their seats. Then, this time, Erica looked at me and let me in.
“That…Yes. Let’s all go out. Huh?”
“Ah… I see.”
I don’t know if it was Haru’s leadership, or the trust Erika had built up, but everyone inside came out. In any case, it was a good sign that everyone followed without complaint.
I approached the door, feeling hopeful about that fact. But the next moment, when a cold hand grabbed my arm, all that energy vanished in an instant.
“…Lope.”
“…”
The owner of her voice was, of course, her. I answered quietly without looking back.
“It’s your freedom not to help. Leaving here is the same. But don’t get in the way, Lena.”
“I don’t mean to interrupt. I just have unanswered questions.”
“I’ve done everything I can explain.”
“I didn’t explain everything. For example, the reason you’re going to the mainland. Like the destination after that.”
“Because I don’t need to know.”
“That’s right. Everyone who needs to know… Knows.”
Lena’s words contained many things. And that fact made me tired. It was very annoying that she knew things that people like her should not know.
“They don’t know the fact that everyone who is important to you knows that, right?”
“Leave this.”
“Erika doesn’t know yet, right? Yes, she’s the one who looked down on you like that before. So, does she know the blind girl? The prosthetic guard? Does they know?”
“Lena.”
“And do you know that girl named Saya?”
“I’ll go.”
I eventually shook her wrist and tried to grab her doorknob. Then Lena hurriedly grabbed her by the shoulder.
“Mmm…Stop. Until you answer…!”
But that was a mistake. At that moment I instinctively grabbed her by the wrist and slammed her against the wall almost crushing her arm. Lena let out a painful moan in her body movements, which had been engraved like her habits over the years.
“Aww…!”
“…Ha.”
And I sighed. After all, it was never pleasant to treat someone who was a friend this way.
“Lena. I told you not to do this. No matter what Roselia told you, I have nothing to give you.”
“Rope…”
“I don’t want this either. So let’s stop it. You don’t really have deep feelings for me either. Rogeria made me do it.”
“Lope please…”
“Now don’t be bound by that and find your way too. That’s all I can say.”
“Who the hell is that Saya!”
Then, suddenly Lena screamed as if in a fit of fuss. Then, with trembling lips, she barely continued her words.
“I’ve heard it all. I don’t know who it is, but the name keeps coming up. Who is Lope? Huh?”
“Someone you don’t need to know.”
“Someone I don’t need to know? No. I really need to know. Who the hell are you hiding your identity that much? I keep hearing her name, but I’ve never seen that Saya today. Who the hell are you?”
“…”
Do you remember me when I say I’m dumb? Even though they were in the same class, it seems that the name has disappeared from the memory of the noble Lena-sama. Lena struggled to recall her memory and shook her head.
“No matter how much I think about it, I don’t know who it is. If I had a relationship with you at all, I’d remember it, but I don’t remember that old woman at all. No, even if I do remember, it’s the same. Could there be someone more precious to you than me? Can you do that, Lope? “
“Yes.”
“No. No matter how much you think about it, that can’t be the case. I… Is there someone more important than me? The one in front of you is me. I’m Lena. Did you have a hard time seeing last night because it was too dark? Or maybe my face was so hurt? Are you mistaken?”
“…”
“It’s me, Lope. Your dearest friend. Don’t you remember the time you came to wake me up every morning? The walks I took every weekend? You don’t remember all of that? That I made a mistake, that I said something mean that day, that I forgot all about. Will?”
…
Lena’s voice was desperate. It was as if I had amnesia.
“Really…You don’t remember?”
“No. I remember. The way you went to wake you up. The walks you took every weekend. And the times I spent with you.”
“Right? Then why…”
At my answer, Lena’s face briefly lit up with a light of hope. But on top of that, I casually laid out other facts I knew.
“And I remember everything else. That the academy didn’t even pay attention to me even though I went to wake him up like that. Even when I went for a walk every weekend, he freaked out and threw me away if I tried to hold his hand first. And you ignored me and used me as you wished. All those years.”
“Yes…?”
“How could I ever forget all that. During all the years I considered you precious, you constantly taught me that I didn’t deserve it. I was stupid and only found out too late. Isn’t it Lena?”
“I… I…”
“So don’t try to turn it all upside down now. I realized your true feelings a long time ago.”
At that word, Lena shut her mouth. She had nothing to refute, and she wouldn’t have the confidence to do so. The truth accumulated over a long period of time has crushed shallow hypocrisy as it is.
Soon, a tear fell from Lena’s eye. She opened her mouth with a quivering voice that kept the dripping dew on her lips.
“Rope…”
“…”
“Is that girl named Saya…Because she’s prettier than me?”
“…What?”
“Is that why? Because he’s prettier and cuter than me?”
“…Lena.”
I thought she explained everything. It seems that all the truth did not reach Lena. It seemed that he couldn’t understand why that stupid Lope, who could have manipulated her as she pleased, had changed her mind. In the end, it was a pity that that was the only reason she could understand.
“Let’s stop.”
“Is it like that? That’s how he seduced you. Yes, it must be like that.”
“Lena.”
“I can understand. You’re a man too. But Lope, you know? I’m… Not as bad as I thought.”
“You…”
I opened her mouth to restrain her. But she held my hand in reverse. And she slowly pushed herself into her own clothes.
It was so fast that she stepped into Lena’s territory, which had never been invaded before. Her voluptuous breasts pressed against her skin as if it were a snake. She pressed the top of her hand on top of her hand and squeezed her own breast.
“How is Lope…? How are you feeling? No. Don’t answer.”
“Lena.”
“Don’t answer me.”
She grabbed the nape of my neck with her loving hands. And she smiled softly and brought her lips close.
“I guess he didn’t do that. Thankfully. I can be your first.”
“Stop it.”
“Lope. I really don’t want to die. But it’s not just that. Now I know. There’s only one person who will be by my side anymore. You’re not like everyone else out there.”
“…”
“I really only have you now…”
Soon, her lips approached slowly. I couldn’t even imagine the feeling of having to leave her fate to someone else while holding onto her own heart.
What is Lena thinking right now?
That’s probably…
“In each position. We do our best.”
In the rushing heat, I murmured that one word again. Then Baron opened her mouth cautiously, as if she was worried.
“Rogeria. Are you okay…?”
“Yes. Run. Baron.”
Like an innocent man I sat on his back and smiled faintly. After all, everyone has a role. Lena too. Baron too. Lopedo.
And me too.
I raised my head towards the darkness of the academy. And he spurred on his own plan.
“Quickly. We have to go to the Duke.”
