Chapter 37 (2/2)
If there’s something out there, it’s impossible for me not to know.
Why? Because countless times on the battlefield, in the labyrinths, I’ve felt that [presence].
In simple terms, a [bad feeling].
The intuition that’s saved me time and time again, I expect.
I felt it, yet I didn’t realize until Regnum pointed it out to me.
Have my senses dulled? Has getting used to the safety of being under Leon’s protection made me careless?
It’s easy to think so. It has the ring of truth.
But is that really all there is to it?
“For now, I believe it best for you to return to the carriage… Keyes. Warren. Escort the Princess back to the carriage. After that, tell Rupert at the vanguard to be on the alert.”
While I was deep in thought, Regnum issued orders to two of the soldiers he woke up, leaving me no room to argue.
I thought he was going to excessive lengths ‘just in case’, but given the lapse in my awareness earlier, I wasn’t qualified to object.
“Well then, Princess, shall we?”
“Ah, alright…”
Urged on by the two soldiers, who were already armed with swords despite having just woken up, I started to walk while still feeling perplexed. I took a look around me, but I couldn’t sense anything anymore. Is it just that I’m unable detect it? Or —
I had the feeling that I’d lost my edge, but ultimately, what was that presence? Thinking back on it now, it was a gaze. I realize that the sensation I felt was that of being watched.
The monsters living in these mountains, or something else?
…Well, thinking about it now isn’t going to do me any good.
Once I reached the carriage, I sincerely thanked the soldiers and parted ways with them.
For some reason, I found their reaction to being thanked rather strange, but when I opened the door and saw Aira and Palmira sleeping like logs, I decided to do my best to forget about it.
In the end, nothing happened that day.
–
–
“What is that! What is that — ! Big Sister, that sweet smell!”
Perhaps because I forgot my hunger, when I returned to the carriage and lay down, it wasn’t long before I fell asleep.
Then, in the morning, I woke up to Aira pestering me.
Palmira didn’t say anything, but she silently turned up the pressure on me. ‘Confess’. The message in her eyes was clear.
A smell. A sweet smell.
…I knew exactly where it came from.
“Well, I went on a little walk last night…”
What else could I do but tell them what happened?
But that aroma, huh. I probably smelled of marshmallows and chocolate. Let’s have a good gargle after this.
“Mister Regnum, was he at the meeting?”
“The unhealthy-looking one.”
Seems like Aira remembered his name correctly. Compared to me and my shoddy memory, she was surprisingly put together. And unlike my a.s.sessment of him — ‘gloomy’ — Palmira came up with ‘unhealthy’ instead. It didn’t matter which one you picked, neither of them sounded very good.
That said, there wasn’t any particular need to protect him, so I nodded in agreement.
“Oh…? He likes sweet things, that’s unexpected.”
“Going by yourself, that’s cheating.”
“Even if you say something like that, well…”
Palmira was startlingly obstinate.
She might have a surprising fondness for sweets. Speaking of which, her opinion of Irene did a one-eighty when she got cake.
Think she might change her evaluation of Regnum too if he gives her marshmallows?
“Well, if we run into him again, we’ll ask for some.”
“Definitely.”
I gave the serious Palmira a noncommittal reply.
All things considered, I slept great. When I think about it, even though I woke up in the middle of it, I reckon I’ve slept over half a day.
Usually, sleeping more than I needed to would tire me out, but for some reason, I feel crazy good. Like I’m bubbling with energy or something.
Is it because of the chocolate I had yesterday?
I mean sure, it should’ve had that kind of effect.
“Pardon me. I’ve brought your breakfast.”
“Wow — thanks, Sieg.”
There was a knock at the door, followed by the appearance of Sieg’s now-familiar face. In his hands were a basket and a pitcher. Aira accepted them from him gleefully.
“There are boiled eggs today,”
said Palmira, surprised, as she rooted through the contents of the basket. She pulled out a boiled egg from inside.
“We restocked in Brellwandy. We have the portions for today and tomorrow.”
As he spoke, Sieg sat down by the entrance of the carriage and spread out his own share, which he’d wrapped up in cloth.
Watching him, I thought he was being overly familiar with us, but the truth is, I was the one who brought it up. To be honest, it seemed troublesome for him come out here to collect the basket every time, with leftover food inside, so I made the suggestion.
In the beginning he was terribly reserved, but now, he went along with little resistance.
“By the way, Sieg, how long will it take to get to the capital from here?”
“Let me think. About five days. We’ll be pa.s.sing through the fortress midway, but the plan is to arrive there tomorrow,”
Sieg said, in response to Aira’s question. That sounded about right from what I remembered.
We’re pa.s.sing through Basragate Fortress tomorrow? Will we stop there for a night?
If so, I want to take a proper bath this time.
Taking the basket from Palmira, I peered inside.
Yep, those’re eggs alright.
“Huh?”
Speaking of eggs, where did that invocation stone I got yesterday go?
Somehow, the similarity in size reminded me. I stood up and patted down my waist and chest.
— Not here.
“Weird.”
“What’s wrong?”
I tried to think back. Yesterday, I should’ve been holding it in my hand when I got into the carriage. I didn’t specially put it into my pocket or anything… I think.
“Uh, I got a invocation stone from Regnum, but… well, s’alright. Maybe it’s hiding around here somewhere. I’ll look for it later.”
It fell down the gap between the cus.h.i.+ons when I was sleeping, right?
Let’s go with that. Peeling an egg, I started on the breakfast in front of me.
Suddenly, I remembered.
[Life.]
Well sure, this wasn’t any different from life either, I thought.
But I bit into my peeled egg without any particularly strong feelings.
Footnotes
1. Skipped: そもそもちゃんと準備されているだろうご飯を食べないというだけで、どうかと思う ↵
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