The previous evening, after I’d finally made it home, one of Setsuna’s enchanted birds came to tell me that Ragi had passed away. I sent it back with the message, “Leave it to me. You stay with Ragi and Alto,” then hurried out to arrange Ragi’s cremation.
It was already late, so there were a lot of places I couldn’t contact until the next morning. Part of me was grateful to be keeping busy, because that meant I didn’t have time to grieve yet.
By the time I finished all the paperwork, it was too late to go to the castle, so I simply left a message with the guard at the gate and went back home.
Dawn arrived, clear and pale as if the sky had been stretched thin and washed in blue. I was the first to arrive at the castle that morning.
The king wasted no time. He issued a direct order that Lady Sophia and I were to bring Alto to the castle. Eugene and Keith would accompany us to the crematorium, and naturally, their knights Georges and Fred would join as their escorts.
It was the king’s way of showing respect. He wanted to alleviate Georges’ concerns about his fiancée and Fred’s about his sister, while at the same time express his sincerity to Setsuna. Otherwise, it made no sense to send such prominent nobles when it would only slow down the workings of the government.
I drove the carriage while Lady Sophia, Eugene, and Keith rode inside, and the two knights flanked us on horseback.
He’s lost the person who kept him grounded, and the ties binding him to the kingdom will only increase. It’s going to feel even more suffocating…
As I was mulling over my friend’s burdens, Lady Sophia leaned forward and asked if we could stop by Elly’s flower shop, and I turned the horses down a different road.
I almost forgot about them. I’m definitely not thinking clearly.
When I told Norris and Elly that Ragi had died, they both stood frozen for a long moment. Then, they hung a sign on the door saying that the shop was closed, loaded flowers onto the carriage, grabbed a lap blanket, and climbed into the carriage to come with us to the crematorium.
I couldn’t stop glancing at the blanket Elly was holding, and eventually, I asked her about it. Tears were in her voice when she answered that she was going to embroider it on the way. I thought that sounded too dangerous to do in a carriage, but when I looked at Norris, he shook his head.
“His old lap blanket was so worn, she wanted to give him a new one. She thought it would look plain as it is, so Elly was going to give it to him after she embroidered it. We were planning on bringing it to him on our next day off…”
Norris suddenly got choked up and looked away. I couldn’t say anything, just gripped the reins tighter and kept driving.
Setsuna and Alto were already there by the time we arrived, saying their final good-byes.
Norris and Elly handed them the flowers—white lisianthuses—and Setsuna and Alto laid them over the coffin together.
Next was my turn. Norris passed me another bouquet of lisianthuses, and I placed it on the coffin, trying to etch every memory I had of Ragi deep into my heart.
One by one, each of us said good-bye.
Finally, Norris and Elly tucked the new lap blanket over Ragi’s legs. Together, we sent him on his way to the beautiful, peaceful Waterside, where they say all life’s sorrows are washed away.
We stood before the small window of the cremator, watching the flames grow hotter and brighter.
Lady Sophia sobbed quietly behind me, her shoulders shaking. Georges put an arm around her and held her close for comfort. Behind them, Norris and Elly wept.
Setsuna and Alto stood there motionless, staring at the rising flames. Eugene, Keith, and I simply watched over the two of them.
Left alone with our grief, a small voice suddenly cut through the silence.
“Why…?”
It was Alto. His fists were clenched. He was whispering something, but none of us could hear it.
Then, he raised his voice and glared at Setsuna. “Why?!”
His anger felt so targeted and threatening that it startled everyone, and we all turned to stare at him. Only Setsuna’s expression remained the same as he gazed back quietly.
None of us knew why Alto was so mad. We couldn’t imagine how a boy who trusted Setsuna so completely could look at him like that.
Alto’s voice rose to a furious shout as he continued glaring at Setsuna. “Master! Why…? Why didn’t you save Gramps?!”
His eyes, already red and swollen from crying, now filled with fresh tears. Yet even through his sobs, his anger didn’t fade. It was like every part of him was screaming with unbearable sadness.
“You saved Cyrus, didn’t you?!”
I didn’t say anything.
“You saved the king, too! So why?! Why couldn’t you save Gramps?!” Alto cried in a ragged voice that none of us could answer. Setsuna just stood there, quietly taking the weight of all his grief and anger.
“Is it because Gramps is beastfolk? Is it because he’s not human? Is that why you wouldn’t help him?!”
My heart ached with such a sharp pain that I wanted to say something, but Setsuna lifted his gaze toward me and stopped me with a look.
“I thought you…of all people…would save him, Master. But you’re human! So maybe you only save other humans!”
Once Alto’s accusations had died down, Setsuna lowered himself to one knee and met the young boy’s gaze. Alto didn’t flinch. He just kept glaring at Setsuna.
“You’re right. I am human,” Setsuna said softly.
The grief-stricken fury in Alto’s teary eyes burned even hotter.
“Ragi was beastfolk. You’re beastfolk, too, Alto. But I’m only human.”
“…!”
All we could do was watch.
Setsuna reached out to lay a hand on Alto’s shoulder, but the boy slapped it away so hard the sound of it echoed through the air, making Lady Sophia and Elly both gasp.
Setsuna didn’t even blink. He just looked at Alto, his voice low and even.
“I’m human, Alto. Not a god. Just as you were born beastfolk, I was born human.”
Alto’s eyes widened, and his hand—the same hand that had struck Setsuna—trembled at his side.