“You’re just a filthy beastfolk’s lapdog!” The man lunged at me, swinging his sword. I slipped past the blade and struck his arm, causing him to drop his weapon, which clattered against the floor. Judging by the sound of the impact, I’d broken his arm. But I didn’t care.
I stepped behind the man, grabbed his head, and slammed it face-first into the floor.
“Hngah!”
He let out a strangled cry, and a dull crack echoed through the room. I lifted his head again, about to slam it down a second time, when—
“Setsuna!!” Drum shouted from behind me. He was pale and trembling.
That was enough to bring me back to my senses. I forced out a long breath and let my hostility dissipate. The moment that pressure lifted, the adventurers all collapsed to the floor, gasping for air.
Drum waited until he’d steadied his own breathing, then sternly raised his voice again.
“It’s against the law to kill someone.”
“This was a duel.”
“Dueling to the death was permitted in my predecessor’s time, but not anymore. And fighting inside the Adventurers Guild is against the rules.”
“Oh, really?”
I grabbed the thug, still writhing in pain, by the collar and started to drag him across the floor. The sound of his body scraping across the wood echoed throughout the room. No one tried to stop me. They all just watched, pale and too stunned to move.
“Setsuna…what are you doing?” Drum asked in a panic.
“If it’s against the law here, I’ll take him to Mubana. No one will care there.”
“…Are you out of your mind?”
“Not at all. I’m a Windmaster. I went about halfway getting rid of monsters, so I can teleport there and drag him the rest of the way.”
The man was still conscious and started shouting for help. I ignored him and continued slowly toward the doors.
Drum rushed forward, standing in my way. “Setsuna! You can’t kill him! Ragi wouldn’t have wanted this!”
“…”
He continued in a quieter, almost pleading tone. “Let go of him, Setsuna.”
I drew in a long, steady breath and fought against the rage swirling inside of me, then released my grip.
“…I’m sorry. For causing trouble.”
Drum’s shoulders finally lowered, and relief flooded his face. “I don’t have any complaints besides you breaking the rules.”
“…”
“These men will be punished. If more like them come out of the woodwork, I’ll see that they’re thrown in the dungeon. But you’ll be punished as well.”
“That’s fine.”
I’d broken the guild rules, so it was only fair that I would be punished, and I didn’t resist. Still, the next words that came out of Drum’s mouth caught me off guard.
“Heal their wounds and set their bones.”
“…You want me to do it?” I asked.
“That’s your punishment.”
As punishment, I couldn’t refuse, even if it did leave a bitter taste in my mouth.
I called on my Wind magic to heal their injuries and set their bones just like Drum had asked me to. Once I was finished, Drum looked them over and gave a wry smile at how little care I’d taken.
“It’s hard to question them properly if they’re half-dead. I understand how you feel but try to consider the rest of us.”
I knew that was only half the reason. If the kingdom of Lypaed took the men into custody and found them unnecessarily beaten and bruised, it would cause problems. Drum was only thinking ahead. I didn’t care either way, and the thought crossed my mind just how soft-hearted he was.
“Setsuna, I’m giving you the details of your assignment. When you deal with the bandits, don’t kill them. Bring them in alive and hand them over to Lypaed.”
As I started to head toward the door, I called out to Drum, “What happens outside the guild doesn’t concern you.”
“Don’t kill them.”
“What are you going to do, lock me up?”
“No. It’s just a request from me.”
“…”
I stared at him for a while, neither agreeing nor refusing, then left the guild.
Just the day before, this house had been full of a warm, gentle light. But now I was all alone. The lamps were extinguished, and the home that had known the same owner for so many years had fallen into silence.
After Drum had driven a wedge into my resolve and told me not to kill the bandits, I’d undone the spell I cast earlier. Instead, I set up a new barrier to prevent intruders from entering the house, another to soundproof it, and a third to keep anyone from escaping the property.
Tonight was a new moon, so the garden was pitch black.
Normally, this would’ve been the evening I met with Tuuli, but I had sent a letter explaining I was too busy. And so, with the last of the sunset spilling over the windowsill, I opened Ragi’s letter.
In it, he talked about how happy meeting Alto and me had made him and left instructions about the house and land, which he’d entrusted to Alto. He wrote words of concern, apology, and gratitude.
At the very end, Ragi had written, Setsuna, it’s not the setting sun of twilight that suits you, but the light that shines at dawn.
I couldn’t help but laugh a little, realizing he’d remembered something so trivial.
All I’d done was mention once that I liked the setting sun.
“Sure, twilight may be beautiful, but it’s a lonely kind of beauty,” had been Ragi’s response. “A light that’s disappearing, like me.”
“Twilight doesn’t suit you, Ragi. You and Alto are always playing pranks. You shine bright, like a light that refuses to go out.”
He’d given me that low, amused laugh of his. Then, with a serious look, said, “It’s too soon for a youngster like you to chase after a light like that.”
“Anyone would seem young compared to you,” I’d said, and he chuckled again.
That’s all it was. Just a simple, passing conversation.
The fading light. The day Ragi had burned out the last of his life by sparring with me, our fight had also ended at twilight. In that dim glow, he’d turned to me and whispered, “I wish I’d met you sooner.”
At the time, all I’d been able to do was nod. But I wished now that I had put my feelings into words. If I had, I would’ve shouted them.
“I wish I’d met you sooner, too…”
It wasn’t twilight, but I murmured the words aloud in that silent room where no one was left to hear them.
After that, I just sat at the window and waited for them to come.
I heard voices outside, complaining that they couldn’t get in. Reaching out with my senses, I could tell that they were already in the yard.
Why do people stomp about without a care in the world for what others are going through?
I couldn’t help but think about that as I put on a pair of shin guards and bluesilver bracers.
All I wanted to do was mourn Ragi in peace.