“Miss Claire, it’s about time we make the rounds… What’s that you have there?”
It was our turn to patrol the town and perform final checks on our preparations for the battle, so I came to get her only to find her gazing lovingly at some long, thin object.
“Oh, Rae. I’ll get ready right away.”
“Is that a bookmark?”
“Yes. Pepi and Loretta made it for me by pressing some of the flowers we raised together at the Academy.”
Oh, is that so? It’s not like that makes me jealous or anything…
“Then those marguerite daisies you left in a vase on my desk around the time we met were also yours?” I asked.
“Um, y-yes?”
“You should have told me! If I had known, I would have pressed them into a bookmark of my own—nay! I would have eaten them so they could become my very own blood and flesh!”
“I’m sorry I treated you so…huh?”
Whoops. Getting a little carried away there, Rae, I thought. “It’d be nice to visit them after the battle.”
“Yes, we could chat over tea about all that happened.”
“That would be great.”
“Indeed… We’d best be off. Shall we?”
With the departure for battle being the next day, everyone was conducting their final preparation checks, and people were giving their parting words to the soldiers who would be fighting. I say “parting words,” but it wasn’t really anything too pessimistic, more encouragement and pep talks being given all around.
“You better not lose. Take back the capital for us all.”
“Yeah, yeah, don’t fret. I’ll get those demons good for ya.”
“Don’t push yourself. Just come home safe and sound.”
“Try your best, Papa!”
Claire and I walked the streets of Zurück, observing the citizens around us. May and Aleah were back at the inn under the protection of the ex-senior maid and the other bodyguard.
“There’s no guarantee these soldiers will make it back home to their families,” Claire said somberly.
“The same is true for you.”
“I know. But I have no intention of leaving May and Aleah orphaned again.” She was probably reflecting on how the twins had been in tears when they said they didn’t want to be left alone again. The Claire who had once so lightly offered up her life for the revolution now had something to protect and return to.
“Ah, I finally found you! Ms. Claire! Ms. Rae!”
“Oh, Mr. Torrid,” Claire said.
“Hello,” I said.
Mr. Torrid called out, seemingly having been looking for us. He wasn’t in combat attire but plain clothes; he wasn’t taking part in the battle.
“A few letters from your students in Bauer have come for you.” He opened his satchel and handed Claire three letters. “They probably sent these as soon as they heard of the battle. I can’t see them writing the name and address so messily in any other case.”
That was Mr. Torrid for you—ever the eye for detail.
“I’ll be off, then. Take care.”
“Thank you very much, Mr. Torrid,” Claire said.
“Yes, thank you very much,” I said as well.
He quietly bowed and left. He might not have been taking part in the battle, but he still had much work to do.
“We’ve been in his care for so long, and yet we hardly know a thing about Mr. Torrid,” Claire said.
“Let’s get to know him better when we return to Bauer. We should thank him for everything as well,” I said.
This was, of course, supposing we made it back to Bauer.
“What do the letters say, Miss Claire?”
“Let’s see…” Claire undid the seal and opened the letters.
The first was from Lana.
“Ms. Rae, Ms. Claire, I heard about your battle with the Demon Queen. I’m sorry I can’t be there to help you in your time of need.”
To my surprise, she had penned an apology—rare for her.
“I’m worried, but I’m also sure my beloved Ms. Rae and her beloved Ms. Claire will pull through just fine!”
Now that was more like her.
“There’s still so much you two need to teach me. So you better make it back safe, okay?”
And that was the end. Short and sweet.
“She seems worried about us in her own Lana way,” I said.
“Indeed. But she doesn’t seem to understand yet that you’re mine and mine alone,” Claire said.
“Oh? Do you finally feel like being upfront about your feelings?”
“Is that a problem?”
Oooh. Claire’s super cute today.
The next letter was from Joel. Spanning only a single line, it read: “I trust you both will emerge unharmed. I bid you good fortune in battle.”
It was even shorter than Lana’s letter, and a bit blunt. In other words, it was exactly the sort of thing Joel would write.
“Knowing her, I’m sure it took more than an hour to write this one line,” Claire said.
“I agree wholeheartedly.”
Joel didn’t ever say much, but she always put a great deal of thought and heart into what she did.
The last letter was from Eve. It was also the longest.
“Dear Ms. Rae and Ms. Claire, I have no right to ask you for anything, what with all the trouble I’ve caused, but please, keep Lady Manaria safe. Lady Manaria is strong, but she often errs when faced with the unexpected. Please make sure she doesn’t carelessly lose her life.”
What a surprise. I’d never thought that superhuman of a woman would be seen in such a way by someone close to her.
“Especially you, Ms. Rae. You are Lady Manaria’s weakness. As you watch over her, please remember to stay safe yourself.”
I had no words. If I had seen this letter before the four-nation summit occurred, things might have played out very differently.
“Ms. Claire, I have no doubts regarding your safety. Please look after Lady Manaria and Ms. Rae for me.”
And that was everything.
“It looks like there’s a lack of confidence in both me and Lady Manaria,” I joked.
“Eve’s just worried because you’re both important to her.”
I could understand Eve being worried about Manaria, but me? I doubted it, but then again, I was sure Eve didn’t despise me like she once had, now that she had been rescued from that brainwashing. Actually, it’d be nice if she were worried about me.
“We’ve been blessed with good students,” Claire said.
“Very. Let’s make sure we thank them when we return.”
We nodded to one another, and she stored the letters away in her bag carefully as though they were her treasures.