“At long last, it’s over…”
One Sunday afternoon—I suppressed every urge to slump over at the table and sighed daintily instead. Colette arrived at my table with a giggle and Albert smiled sheepishly beside her.
Almost a week had passed since the bomb scare at the Genius Festival. And this was my first reaction once I was finally freed from the questioning of the professors and guards.
If only we weren’t in the cafeteria, I’d be done, you sonofabitch—is what I wanted to say, but as the cafeteria was open on the weekends for a spirited afternoon tea, unfortunately, I couldn’t exactly kick back and relax.
“You did very well, Miss Mylene.”
“As the one who defeated the enemy, you were taken through a whirlwind of questioning and award ceremonies—I’m proud to be your friend!”
“Aren’t you both lucky you get to live vicariously through me…”
I shot them a death glare, but Colette just giggled mirthfully back. I got the sense she was loving the fact that I was annoyed by it all—
I let out a sigh and said, “I suppose I shouldn’t take out my frustrations on you.”
When it’s come to this, I might as well act calm and not give Colette the satisfaction of my misery.
As I turned my frown upside down, Colette gave an approving “Hum!” and a nod.
“Today is a special day—we might as well enjoy it,” I said.
“Quite right, Miss Mylene! And I think she ought to arrive momentarily—”
That’s right. Today was special.
It was the day the long, boring questioning was finally over. But most significantly—
“So sorry I’m late. The doctor kept going on and on when discharging me.”
It was the day Melissa would finish her treatment. I wanted to set aside my bitterness and party hard. A little booze would’ve taken the sting out of any bad feelings, but since booze was off the table for us, we had to get drunk off our own excitement instead.
“Are you feeling all right now, Melissa?” Albert asked.
“I had a tough three days, but I’m fine now. I couldn’t even move at first…”
After the fight with Victor, Melissa was rushed to the hospital with torn muscles and magic deficiency from overextending herself while under Victor’s spell. But she’d had a good doctor and had made a full recovery both physically and magically.
As Albert and Colette burst into merriment, Melissa sat across from me and smiled peacefully into my eyes.
✦ ✦ ✦
For a while, our table chattered with pride over our misfortunes.
“W-was I really that violent?!”
Colette bragged about how difficult it was for her to capture Melissa when she was rampaging like a wild beast—
“Oh—ohh…I dread to even imagine it…”
—and Melissa lamented over how much she had suffered during her first three days at the hospital.
Everyone at the table had suffered in some way. I sympathized with their need to spin the whole ordeal into a heroic ballad.
So I smiled softly as I watched them.
“By the way, I haven’t thanked you yet… Mylene.” Melissa suddenly sat up straight and looked into my eyes.
“Is something the matter?” My breath caught a little. I’d never seen her stare at me so directly before.
After taking a couple shallow breaths to steady herself, Melissa smiled and said, “Thank you… You saved my life. I wouldn’t be sitting here right now if not for you.”
It was a heartfelt thanks. It hurt to look her in the eye.
“Well…I almost abandoned you for a moment. Don’t thank me.”
Even though I had saved her life in the end, for a moment, I’d almost made the utilitarian decision to let her die.
But Melissa slowly—and pointedly—shook her head at me. “No. You didn’t give up on me, and you kept fighting. You are my savior.”
I averted my eyes as I listened. Then Melissa fell silent, Colette and Albert held their breaths, and the table went quiet.
And after an ample moment of silence, I spat out a tired sigh. “Okay…I suppose I’ll accept your gratitude.”
Melissa, whose earnest eyes were stuck anxiously on mine, put her hands together and bloomed into a smile.
Shit… Why do kids of nobility all have to be so stubborn?
Still, there was something softhearted about them. And that’s why I found them actually rather—
I carried my teacup to my lips to hide my expression…then returned it to its saucer.
Fine…I’ll admit it.
I had a soft spot for peaceful, idle moments like these. And I had a soft spot for my friends, too. I didn’t want Albert to walk the wrong path. I didn’t want to become enemies with Colette. And I didn’t want to be a burden to Melissa.
I probably wouldn’t voluntarily get blood on my hands ever again. But some bad people out there wanted me to.
And I couldn’t let them do that—
“I have a request…to ask of all of you.”
So I needed to crush them—I had to crush the Gods of the Moon.
And I couldn’t do it alone. I needed Colette. I needed all of them.
And as I stared at them intensely, they nodded reverently in reply.
“……Thank you.”
I quietly closed my eyes.
Okay. Where do I even start?
There were so many things I wanted to tell them, so many things I had to tell them. But—
“Won’t you all join me in giving the gods of those villains a fierce punch in the face?”
I had to start there.
I didn’t understand why, but those bastards wanted to sow discord in the world.
And I wouldn’t feel better until I kicked all their asses.
“Do you mean…with an open hand or a closed fist?” Colette folded her arms, snickering nihilistically.
I pretended to ponder her question. (Even though I already damn well knew the answer.)
I folded my hands on my lap and smiled as gracefully as possible as I replied, “With a closed fist, of course.”