Chapter 45 – Choice (3)
Solitude after a long time surrounds me. The sensation of spending the night alone on top of a tree returned like perfume and tickled the tip of my nose. For some reason, I grabbed a leaf that caught my eye and bit off the tip for the first time in a while.
I didn’t feel anything special like the taste of memories there. Rather, I was so bored and depressed that I even thought of spitting it out.
Compared to the bread Lope had given her, nature’s products were insignificant. In fact, everything else was the same. The voices of birds rubbing through the leaves, the warm moonlight embracing your shoulders. Even the coastal scenery that fills your eyes. There was no excitement anymore.
Could this be how her father felt when he fell for her mother? It is said that once an elf fell into the human world, he could never return to his original state. Father said so. He added that giving affection to a creature that will not live even half of our lifespan is such a dangerous thing.
…
Then she shouldn’t have sent her mother here in the first place.
As she chewed on her unheard of rebellion and thought about her mother, her face came into her mind again.
A thought has been running through my head for the past few days. And that was about her haunting her lope right now. Those eyes that still remained in my memory were giving me pain as well as Lope.
She had never felt anything like her private feelings for her until now. But ever since she heard Lope’s story, she’s had strange thoughts. She knew it was a twisted assumption she had, but she couldn’t resist it.
Perhaps. Really maybe
Could it really be like that?
The captivated mind was unorganized and disorderly. Even when I hugged myself and crouched down on her body, my heart kept pounding and beating wildly.
And within it leaks the sense of violence she had tasted before.
It collapsed frighteningly easily.
That feeling at that time.
…
Squash…
“…!”
Suddenly, a strange sound passed my ears. It was clearly the sound of waves crashing against man-made artifacts. I listened again just in case.
…
Squash…
“Oh my gosh.”
There was no doubt. It was clearly the scream of the prow pushing toward the island.
At that moment, I quickly kicked off the tree and climbed. The fluttering leaves flew up all at once, as if to catch my ankles. For a moment, I had the illusion that all the worries I had had so far floated together.
I started sprinting furiously before the illusion seized my ankle again. At this moment, it seemed that nothing could catch up with me.
After that, the sound of waves rang again. I unknowingly closed my lips and clenched my fists tightly. The moment of beginning was finally approaching.
Or the end
Lena couldn’t walk properly because her legs were loose. But somehow I dragged her and put her on her feet. In the slow march, the morning had fallen and the sun, rising high, brushed over her head.
As soon as I went back like that, it was undoubtedly a day that greeted me. The moment I opened the door, she rushed towards me.
“Seniors!”
“Day.”
“Are you sure you got it right this time? Are you a senior?”
“Yes. I am.”
“Where did you go! It’s very upsetting right now! Now…Now…!”
One day, he was out of breath and stammered urgently. But before that, a calm voice covered him.
“Rope.”
“…Saya.”
“I’m hungry.”
“Yes.”
“There was also the coat of arms of the Anbert family.”
“Thank you.”
Saya sorted out all these situations with a single breath. It was a fact I already knew, so I wasn’t very impressed, but we made eye contact for an unusually long time. During the long night, each other was worried about each other, so this moment when they actually faced each other was special.
Of course, the world did not allow us such a long time. Before long, Rebecca came over and spoke in a heavy voice.
“Lope. The time has come.”
“It’s faster than I thought.”
“Rather, if it’s late, it’s too late. Rather, it’s time to decide. You can start as soon as you want.”
“That’s right. I’ll have to make a decision right away.”
At her words, I bowed my head. The appearance of the ship began to come into view, so it was clear that they would arrive on the island within the day and that the Anbert family would set out to find Roseria once the situation was settled. The time left until that happens is a day at most. Or do you want to be less than that? Before that, we had to find her first.
For him, he needed to act fast. Now the time has come for everyone, not just me. I raised my head again, just as I had embraced Haru.
Then everyone in the room started looking this way at the same time. Buy Miss Rebecca. Erica. Lena. And to others. Each of them had their own story and expressed various emotions.
Of course, the biggest thing I felt was fear. You wouldn’t have known that the tomorrow I talked about yesterday would come so soon. Still, I had to ask now.
“Has everyone made their decision?”
“…”
“That ship belongs to the Anbert family. I came to pick up only one person, Rogeria. That’s why I need Rogeria’s help to get out of this island. Either by persuading or threatening. We have to get her first. We have to meet and find her way.”
“…”
“So I’m going to the academy as soon as possible. Of course, it won’t be easy because you’re also preparing for it. But since Rebecca said there is a way, she’ll trust it and go. Then answer me now.”
“Ah…”
“Is there anyone who can help us get out of the island?”
A soft sigh escaped me before I could even ask a question. But that didn’t lead to an answer. These pitiful audience members couldn’t bear to mumble and looked at each other.
Then one person opened his mouth. The girl, whose name I didn’t even know yet, hesitated a lot, but managed to get her voice out.
“I want to go out. But… Is it dangerous, is that…?”
“Right.”
“You can get caught by them again… And in the worst case, you could die. Isn’t it?”
“I won’t deny it.”
“If that happens, everything will be over. Everything… Everything will be useless, huh?”
“…”
Suddenly, the question turned into a feeling full of anxiety. As if representing everyone’s feelings, she continued to pour out a trembling voice.
“I want to go out, of course. I also want to see her mom and her dad. But… If I die before then, it’s all over…?”
“That’s right. It’s something we’re enduring as well.”
“I know you risked your life here too. But you know how to wield a sword and have gone through situations like this many times. But I’m not like that. I’m…Just a student.”
“I understand what you mean.”
“Isn’t everyone like that? Isn’t that right, student president? You’re scary too, aren’t you?”
“That…That’s…”
It may have been a simple question to ask for sympathy, but in this situation, it was no different from incitement. Even Erica couldn’t answer easily and only looked at me. Fear and anxiety were slowly spreading like low smoke.
And it was the same here. In fact, even I wasn’t 100% sure about this. Just believe that it is the best way and do it. Suddenly, a gap was forming in my heart.
At that time, I suddenly became curious about Lena’s thoughts. She abruptly threw her gaze, and she looked away from her in bewilderment. But then she lifted her head and met her eyes with me again. In the end, the hope she held on to in her last moments was me.
But if that hope is dashed.
If I break your heart
Then, where will your hopes go?
Duke?
If not…
…Also. Roselia?
A thought poked through my chest through the jumbled names. Okay. Everyone has at least one person to whom they can entrust their heart in a moment of crisis. While I was pondering it, Haru’s voice shook my consciousness.
“Senior. Let’s just go by ourselves. We don’t need these cowards anyway. If we’re together, can’t we do something?”
“Okay, Haru. I understand, so stay still for a moment.”
“No, did I say something wrong? Just leave everything alone…”
Right before the next word continued, I grabbed Haru’s raised hand and lowered it. He even put on his pods and held onto that hand very tightly so as not to let go. Thenheheld her small body in his arms and patted her back gently.
“Be quiet.”
“Ah… Ugh… What… What is it? Suddenly warm…”
“Yeah. It’s been a while since I’ve had a warm attitude. I believe in you too. So stay still for a moment.”
“No, not that…”
“Stay still. Just for this moment.”
I couldn’t make eye contact, so instead, I patted Haru’s back for a while. I finally put her in the arms of Saya, who closed her mouth, and then slowly walked in front of her.
Their eyes were still on me. It seemed that all his nerves were focused on what this man would say this time. But I turned away from those gazes and looked at Lena. She pursed her lips as if she felt pressured to say something now.
I opened her mouth before him. His eyes were still on Lena.
“I have something to tell you all.”
“…”
“It’s very important.”
Despite the meaningful announcement, there was no agitation yet. Everything that comes out of my mouth is going to be important anyway. But the words I’m about to bring out now are different from those things.
“Yesterday Erica told me that she had heard strange rumors from the guys from the academy. Everyone probably knows about them since they were all at the same place. Rumors that I have elf stuff.”
“…!”
“Yes. That rumor. Some people thought it was nonsense, and some people had vague expectations. And some people were just pure curiosity. What can I say? There is only one.”
“You Lope…”
“That rumor is true.”
“Rope…!”
At the same time as my words fell, Lena’s startled voice jumped out. People gathered there. And buy Even Rebecca looked at me with widened eyes. In front of all those reactions, I calmly told the reality.
“That’s why I desperately want to get out of here. I have an obligation to bring it back to land. And Roselia wants it taken from me. That’s why she wants to keep me alive.”
“Lope. Stop…”
“But this burden is too heavy for me. I can’t handle it alone. That’s why I need someone to lift it with me. I’ve been thinking over and over for the past few weeks. Who will be with me? Who will receive my trust? .”
“…”
“I’ve just made up my mind.”
It was a rather vague story for those who did not know the reality. But it wasn’t a story for such people in the first place. People who have been with me so far. People who believed in me People who happened to know the truth. Among them, it was a declaration especially for those who fall under the last.
The wandering mind led to unwavering steps. The journey that left Haru’s arms and passed through Rebecca toward unknown girls has finally come to an end. I’ve been postponing and postponing, but now it’s time to applaud my destiny, who was dancing blindfolded.
In fact, it’s already too late. It should have been decided in the first place. It wasn’t that I still had doubts about my decision, but even so, I felt relieved after choosing it.
So now was the time to believe in that choice and move forward.
A bond that has never been broken since the days of the academy and has continued to the threshold of destruction.
A past diluted with faith in blood-stained violence.
And, my last variable on this island.
His determined mind was directed towards just one girl.
“Erika.”
“Uh… Huh?”
Erica opened her lips in shock at the sudden name call, and Lena also made a shocked expression. However, I held her hand tightly to Erica while completely turning my back on her.
“Come with me.”
