Vol 1 Prologue (2/2)

”You must have forced yourself to choose such a distant place There are closer places you could have gone to If you took the scholarshi+p qualification exaht? Then you could stay here withcould change Layfon's mind To emphasize that point, he shook his head slowly

”I can't give up on leaving”

Leerin held her breath He couldn't bear looking at the pain in her clear eyes, so he looked at his hand on her shoulder His hand was like that of an old h

”I've e my mind nobody wanted it to be like this, not even me But Her Majesty wants me to experience the outside world Besides, she doesn't wish for my presence here”

”I wish for it!”

This time, Leerin's powerful and persuasive words caused Layfon to hold his breath

”Is it not enough that it's aze and words were too cunning He tried to find some words to pass it over, but couldn't find any He felt pain, pressuring his

Layfon's lips tre to find the right words to say

In the end, they realized that the right words to say didn't exist No e the fact that he was leaving Layfon hi that would change that And if he tried to ree with him, there was no doubt she would be hurt

A shrill whistle sounded behind hi to tear the two apart, the simple sound of the whistle squeezed between the noise of the city's footsteps and the furious howl of the wind, echoing through the bus station It was a warning that the bus was about to depart The driver, having blown the whistle, entered the bus He started the engine A vibration, different from the city's, radiated out froers in the waiting area took their luggage and headed for the vehicle

Layfon's lips stopped tre He took away his hand from Leerin to pick up the suitcase beside his feet That was all he had with hiiven to the kids at the orphanage or tossed away

”I have to go,” he said to the teary-eyed Leerin As if feeling that this was a truth she couldn't change, Leerin's treazed at him with reddened eyes

”Since the decision has been e or to Her Majesty's side It's the price I must pay for my actions I'll make up for them any way I can But nobody wants that; they just want s can't be resolved with justHe didn't want to lie But even if he were to tell the truth it'd only sound like an excuse He hated hi like that

”Even so, I haven't really h I really want to start over in h!” Leerin cut hi to look at her

The driver blew his whistle again The bus would be leaving soon

”I' now”

Dejected, he turned his back to Leerin

”Wait!”

The sle, brief rabbed ahold of Layfon's shoulder and forced him to turn around Her face was so very close to his

It was only for a h but soft pressure overwhelmed Layfon In that swift moment while he was numb and spaced out, Leerin juful look of having played a prank was fah I don't think everyone wants you gone,” she said before running away Looking at her figure flying past in a flurry of skirts, Layfon realized why he felt so strange

Ah, I see because she's wearing a skirt

The lively Leerin didn't like to wear skirts, but she earing one today And there was also the sweet and soft feeling left on his lips by that swift moer to his lips

So naive

Whilehiet there

Yes He had decided

The bus startedto take one last look at the scene, Layfon sat in the last row, gazing at the city he had spent his entire life in till now

Regios could be seen in every corner of the world The existence of these cities was as natural as breathing air Nurowing shorter as they ranged out fros were located Located beneath the table were legs — huge ether With precise ether, as if to take the city far away froazed at the center of the city, where the city's tallest tower stood

The huge flag atop that building billowed On its field was a dragon with the body of a lion that see a sith its teeth, but the sas unyielding The flag with that crest weaved into it danced a wild dance in the wind

Layfon stared at that huge flag, wondering what the first line of his letter to Leerin would be about