Chapter 49

“…It’s…it’s fine…,” Elitia stammered. “I’ve been called worse…” “It is absolutely not fine,” Ivril protested. “If you did not elect that name for yourself, then we must do all we can to correct the misunderstanding, or you’ll forever be tied to a title that does not accurately describe your person.” Surprise flashed across Elitia’s face, but failing to find the words to reply, she simply hung her head. “Raise your chin with pride, Elitia Centrale. The mission you have sworn to fulfill is the very essence of justice. If you do not believe the veracity of its righteousness yourself, then you shall forever be at the mercy of that sword you bear.” “Ivril, that’s a little…,” Igarashi interjected out of concern for our inconsolable friend, but Ivril’s eyes remained fixed on Elitia. “…So you know about the sword, too,” I said. “Yes. Forgive me, I know I am touching on yet another sensitive subject…but I simply had to say my piece now. This young lady ventured into the labyrinth because she believed she could escape it on her own.” Then, addressing Elitia, she asked, “And yet what happened? If Mr. Arihito and your companions had not gone to your aid, you—” “I want to become stronger.” Elitia spoke up, her voice trembling, just as I was about to cut Ivril off from saying any more. “I need to be stronger… I never want to go through that again…” “…So you seek strength to alleviate those fears?” Ivril pressed. “…And what’s wrong with that? What’s wrong with fighting for the precious people I met in this country, with wanting to get stronger…?!” she demanded. Ivril faced her straight on, as if unflinchingly accepting all the emotion Elitia turned toward her. Just then a single tear streaked down Ivril’s cheek. “And yet the very fact you willingly chose a course of action that would inevitably end in your own demise is proof enough of the hold that blade has on your heart,” she said softly. “Weapons only shine with life when their masters strive to survive. Above all else, you must never lose your will to live.” Elitia had resigned herself to any fate as long as she could save Rury. In other words, her desire to atone for her failures outweighed any hopes she had of a future with us—just as I had felt from the very beginning. “…Milady,” Viola prodded. “Oh, very well… I know I am in no position to preach to anyone,” she admitted. “But I do believe you will become stronger, Elitia. And when that time comes, you will find yourself called by a new name…one that truly suits you.” “…Ivril, who exactly are…?” I started to ask, but she simply pressed her finger to her lips and smiled. “I must confess, I also overheard your discussions on assembling parties to assist in your operation. If it is no imposition, would you consider letting Viola and myself join you as well? I’m confident our skills will prove useful in District Five labyrinths, and we will surely not impede your progress.” “…Seriously?” I spluttered. “But we just—” “Met, yes, indeed. But I’ve learned all I need to know about you in this brief time. Not once did you look at Elitia with self-interest or pity in mind; your eyes shone with sincerity. And you accepted my handshake…for which I am exceedingly grateful.” I just hadn’t wanted to seem paranoid of every new person I met—and actually felt some shame in being so weak. Even after this discussion, I wasn’t sure I could completely trust her. What if the two unexpectedly deviated from the plan during the actual raid on the Simian Lord? Still, she’d urged Elitia to treasure her own life. If I started doubting the sincerity of such encouragement, I’d soon lose all confidence in myself as well. “…This mission will be full of danger. Are you sure you still want to help?” “Quite. I cannot, of course, reveal all my skills to you, but I shall faithfully dispatch any role you assign me and will explain the techniques I shall utilize to do so. If what you seek are means to prevent the captive Seekers from attacking, to render them harmless without injury…then Viola and I can provide both, though we will be more successful with a larger party.” If that’s true, then why is it just you two in your party? I wanted to ask, but thought better of touching on something so personal with someone I’d just met. “We’d best be going… I am so pleased to have met you here, Mr. Atobe. Allow me to share my license details so you can contact us at a later date.” “I appreciate it…,” I said. “Please be careful on your way back. It’s gotten quite dark.” “Thank you, but I have a formidable guard with me. You need not worry.” Ivril bowed politely then left the plaza. Viola followed but not before first bowing to us as well. “Well, she certainly was a very…refined young lady, wasn’t she…? Do you think they might have a ‘Southern Belle’ occupation here?” wondered Igarashi. “Whatever she does, I’m sure it’s a rare position. I can’t even begin to imagine her fighting style…” Even if she wasn’t a reincarnate, she didn’t seem to be of the jade race like Ceres—definitely a mysterious character, but we could use all the help we could get from Seekers who could hold their own in a District Five labyrinth. Ideally, I’d like to have at least three parties on this mission to invade the Simian Lord’s fortress, but we still didn’t have enough people for that. We might not end up with enough to fully fill three eight-person parties, either. But the most important points we needed to focus on were isolating our enemies and going at the Simian Lord with as much firepower as we could muster. “I’ll bet she uses that umbrella as a weapon.” “Elitia…” I’d been worried that Ivril’s tough love had gotten Elitia’s emotions running high—Elitia spotted the concern in my gaze and flushed red. “Y-you don’t need to be so overprotective… I told you I want to get stronger, remember?” “R-right… Sorry, I’m trying to act like normal, but it’s not that easy.” “…I want to be with you all. I won’t ever convince myself I can do something on my own again. We only got this far together because I’d already failed at that once, but I…” Elitia’s determination to get stronger had led me to believe it’d take some time for her feelings to truly change—but I was wrong. “Weapons respond to the emotions of their users. If that’s true, then I can’t afford to let this sword push me around anymore. I want to use it to make sure I can be with you all, for real this time.” Something was about to change; I was absolutely convinced of that. Elitia’s perspective had shifted dramatically, and she was trying to move toward the better—the spirited fire that had returned to her eyes guaranteed it. “…I’m sure you can do it, Elitia,” I reassured her. “I believe in you, too, Ellie, and so do all the other girls. We wouldn’t be whole without you,” Igarashi added. “This experience has made me want to get stronger, too…to press on and get just the tiniest bit closer to you without giving it up as impossible that I’ll ever be at your level.” “…Kyouka.” Igarashi took Elitia’s hands in hers. Elitia quickly averted her gaze and said, “…I felt warm, while you held me. I was really happy you all came for me… S-so…” Seraphina and Theresia were also watching Elitia, who’d flushed bright red. Her hands still in Igarashi’s, Elitia told her, “Thank you. For not giving up on me.” “Did you really think I ever would? Oh, and you should’ve seen Atobe. Once he realized you hadn’t come back, he was like a totally different person…” “W-well, you know… I was worried, too, and kept kicking myself for not being more overprotective and letting you go off on your own…” I might have denied it a moment before, but I had to face the truth—it was time for a fresh start. “…But next time I’m so worried I can’t decide what to do, I’m going to ask some questions that cross boundaries I’ve stopped myself from stepping over until now. I’ve got to forget about so-called adult discretion or the idea that I shouldn’t pry into people’s private lives, even if they are my party members. If I’m worried, I’ve got to be up front about it.” “…Yeah. I’d really love if you did.” “I get it, it may sound overbearing, but…wait, what?” Elitia smiled; Igarashi and Seraphina joined in. I even felt as if Murakumo was smirking from her sheath on my back. “In my estimation, you have already earned the right to cross those personal boundaries, Master, though admittedly my expertise does not extend to the subtleties of human interaction.” Does Murakumo recognize the joy in her expression? Or am I just imagining that in her voice? Theresia patted my shoulder a few times. While I didn’t know exactly what she meant to convey, I couldn’t rule out a fondness behind the touch. Once we managed to free her from that mask, would she smile at times like this, too? In one more district above this, we’d find the Cathedral, and perhaps answers to Theresia’s situation—but even that one step still lay far out of our grasp for the moment. Nevertheless, that day would surely come as long as we all treasured our lives and the life we had together. Part III: A Clue to Lift the Curse It had grown quite late by the time we made it back to our lodgings near the Middle Guild. Since Seraphina would be an official member of our party for the foreseeable future, she came along with us. Adeline looked somewhat distraught to part with her, but she perked up a little after Seraphina reassured her, “Do not fear. This good-bye is only temporary.” Our lodgings in this district were part of a multi-unit housing complex and had a living room, two large bedrooms, a bathroom, and a simple kitchen. Our unit took up the first of the building’s three floors. We walked through the hall in the common area and rang the bell at door 101. Almost immediately, it opened. “Arihito,” Misaki said breathlessly, “is Ellie…?!” “Yeah, she’s okay. That said, we’ve all been through a lot…but I’ll tell you more about it inside.” As we entered the living room, Suzuna got up from the couch. Madoka, who had been petting Cion where she lay resting in a corner, jumped to her feet as soon as she realized we’d returned. “Arihito…everyone…welcome back…!” “Thanks, Madoka. Looks like Cion’s doing just fine, too… Suzuna, how are you feeling?” “Much better after some rest, thank you. That delicious dinner was just as effective at speeding up recovery as we heard.” Her stamina and magic had been fully replenished, thanks to the meal Maria made for us at the Forest Diner. Without it, we wouldn’t have been able to delve right back into a labyrinth after the grueling fight against The Calamity. “…Suzuna,” Elitia began, “I need to apologize to—” “…!” But before Elitia could finish her sentence, Suzuna rushed toward her and wrapped her in a silent embrace. Gently returning the hug by laying her hand on Suzuna’s back, Elitia whispered, “I’m sorry I worried you.” “Yes…you really did have me scared to death. But all that matters is you made it back safely…” “…Thank you. I won’t ever put you through that again. And I promise I’ll never again betray the trust you all have in me…” Elitia and Suzuna smiled warmly at each other. Misaki turned away at the sight; when she turned back around, her eyes looked a little red—the touching scene had clearly moved her. “Haaah, I was super worried, too, y’know?!” she insisted. “But nothing gets to me more than watching friends love it out, not even my own feelings. You’re totally making me want to throw my arms around someone, too.” “I—I can understand that, but why is that someone me…?” For a second, I was just as much at a loss for words as Igarashi—Misaki had latched on to her and brazenly burrowed her head into our vanguard’s bosom. “Hmm? C’mon, you’ve really gotten used to it recently, haven’t you? Arihito, you get it, right? Don’t you wanna just fluff these babies up?” “Cough, cough!” I spluttered. “D-don’t look at me like that, Igarashi…” “Don’t worry; I know you wouldn’t dream of it. Misaki, doesn’t it hurt to do that over my armor?” “You’re exactly right! The best time to fluff is when you’re not in armored lady mode. You better watch out, Arihito’s gonna come for you next time.” “Use me as a scapegoat all you want, but I’ll only disappoint you… Uh, Igarashi?” Not only did Igarashi not seem offended, but she was actually chuckling. I guess she had to laugh at Misaki’s outrageous behavior. Next thing I knew, everyone but me seemed to have joined in on the joke. “……” “Theresia…” Every once in a while, I got the sense Theresia was smiling. Demi-humans supposedly lost the ability to feel emotions, but I’d never believed that for one minute. Even now, as Theresia tugged on my sleeve, I could almost see her grin. It appeared the pain from the Slave Seal had abated for the moment, but I doubted it had left entirely. “Mr. Atobe, I’d recommend you have a doctor examine Ms. Theresia at the Healing Center,” suggested Seraphina. “Yes…that’s a good idea,” I agreed. “Do you think they’d see her this late?” “Theresia, I’m so grateful you went to rescue Ellie even with broken armor… Thank you so much.” Suzuna bowed in appreciation; Theresia slowly shook her head.