Wow, the weather sure is nice. Perfect for setting out on a journey...
Except for the mask sitting atop my desk, that is.
Hehehehehe...
“There’s just no way...”
People could sleep pretty well, turns out, even when thrust into the depths of fear. Heck, I’d actually overslept a little.
Judging by the position of the sun, I’m guessing it’s noon already. Looks like I’m having breakfast for lunch, then.
The shop was taking today off.
I looked over at the mask again. The one that had been moving all on its own yesterday...
Just seeing everything in the light of day made it all a lot less scary.
Now that things were a bit calmer, I had a chance to look my new little friend over. It was a partial mask, the type a noble might wear at a dance party; if I put it on, it’d cover everything except the very bottom of my face. It was orange and glossy, sparkling in the midday sun, and accented with yellow lines. All things considered, it was a very pretty mask.
You know, except for the whole curse thing.
“If only it weren’t cursed...”
I looked at the mask, which was pointed straight towards me.
Maybe I was just imagining things, but it kind of felt like it was expecting something...
“Ugh, alright, I get it, I get it. I’ve just got to take you along, right?”
I put the mask away, along with the entire desk and chair. Then I headed downstairs to eat a late meal, having already put my bed in the item storage.
“You don’t look so good, Anti. Did you catch a cold or something?”
“Hmm, she doesn’t seem to have a fever.”
“Hahaha! So you’re just nervous before heading out on your big journey, are you?!”
“Oh, my.”
Sorry, Mom and Dad. Sorry for zoning out while I eat, I’m just a little cursed is all. And after you went out of your way to see me off right...
I stepped out of my warm and cozy home, only for Dad to call out, “This is as far as we’re going, Anti.”
“Hehe.”
“Huh?! Um, why...?”
You’re not going to see me all the way to the gate...?
“Look, Anti.”
“What? Um... Ah.”
I understand what Dad and Mom wanted to say.
Dad, and Mom, and the eatery behind them... And that stupid, big, flashy, orange sign.
That was my home. Yup, that’s right, it’s right here.
“This place’ll be waiting for you to return.”
“Yup, and we’ll be right here waiting, too.”
“So this is the place where we’ve got to see you off,” they both said in sync.
Right, this was the sight that I needed to burn into my eyes. So they were right; this was the place to do it.
I hugged Dad and Mom tight.
“Thank you... I’m off!”
“Yeah!”
“Take care!”
Hehe, that’s right. This was the place where they always saw me off, wasn’t it? It never changed. It was always right from here.
I felt really relieved.
“Well, you’ll be back in a month for the test, though.”
“Dad, you’re ruining the mood...”
A whole lot of regulars called out to me on my way to the gate, telling me “Take care” and “Are you sure you’re taking enough?” and the like. I couldn’t exactly say I’d shoved everything into my crown, so I just told them I’d sent everything ahead.
Sorry for lying.
When I made it to the gate, the old-timer was there waiting for me.
“Hey there, little miss!”
“Heeey, good morning!”
“It’s finally the day, huh?”
“Yeah!”
“...Give it all you’ve got!”
“...Right!”
The old-timer kept on waving the whole way to the carriage stop.
We only exchanged simple words, but it was still nice, somehow. It was like the warmth of the sun had reached the depths of my heart!
...I was super cursed, though.
The carriage was there waiting, so I hopped on in. There were several other passengers in the carriage, but it actually wasn’t very crowded.
The weather was nice, so we’d probably make it to Donius in four or five hors.
Now, then... I was heading east, but there was one single question on my mind: Was the place the mask wanted to go Donius, or no?
All the other passengers were acting unfriendly, maybe because I’d made them wait past noon.
I carefully pulled the mask out of my gear, doing my best not to draw attention to it.
Shine!
Ooh... It sure is shiny... It’s positively sparkling, isn’t it?
Looking at it now, it doesn’t seem like a cursed mask at all... You’d think something like that’d be more black or purple or whatever...
Tremble, tremble.
Huh?! Am I going crazy or something? I could’ve sworn I just felt the mask trembling for a second there. But there’s no way... Just no way.
And now I’m doubting my own senses.
Crown. The mask’s... vector, or whatever it’s called... That shows the way it wants to go, right?
[—Ready. Commencing display.]
A thing that looked like a sort of invisible sheet appeared beside the mask. It seemed to be made of the same stuff as the analyze card.
...It was shaped just like an arrow.
Ah, I get it. If I don’t go in that direction, I’ll get cursed, right?
“Come on, cut me a break...”
“Huh? With what?”
“Ah! I-It’s nothing...!”
That was a close one... The passenger across from me was awake.
Man, that must’ve looked like me talking to myself, right? I-I’ve got to watch out for that...
Sure enough, the arrow was pointing towards Donius.
Now just don’t go moving on me...
All I could do was pray.
Clickity clack, clickity clack.
Clippity-clop, clippity-clop.
Two hors later, though, tragedy struck.
The direction of the arrow changed.
“...This is the worst.”
Haah...
Without even thinking about it, I let out a sigh.
“What should I do...?”
The arrow indicating where the mask wanted to go just had to up and move... We’d both been going east, but now... Yep. Now it wanted to go north. Right into a forest. Not the sort of place you send an innocent young maiden...
...Hmm?
Sob.
Grr. I-I may have just been imagining things, but it kinda felt like the mask was looking at me with teary eyes. It’s “eyes” were just holes, though, so that didn’t make any sense...
Sob sob sob sob sob sob sob sob.
“...I’m getting off!”
“H-Huh?!!”
The driver was looking at me like I was a real weirdo. He tried his best to talk me out of it, but I ended up getting off the carriage.
“I know it’s not very ladylike to say this, but... if I don’t get off now, something’s going to leak out!” And with that, I disembarked.
With a look of pity on his face, the driver told me that I could get on the next carriage that passed by. I felt so embarrassed I could cry.
Sniffle.
I smacked myself in the face.
Gah, now that it’s come to this, I’ve just got to do it!