32 – Teacher (2)

I thought it was still dark outside the window, but I thought it was night. It was dawn, just before the sun reached its neck, when the sky was painted purple.

“Lilia are you alright? Aren’t you sleepy?”

I was worried about Lilia, who stayed up until dawn for me. This time, I stroked her bangs and asked while drawing a hand that extended to her forehead and cheeks.

“Hmm~ It’s okay. I was sleeping until Innis went to bed.”

Lillia yawned and stretched her body. Her gaping mouth, her arms hanging over her and trembling, seemed to tell her how tired she had been. Tears from her yawns rubbed her eyes and covered them.

Lillia dropped her body towards his side. Once upon her bed, her rocking sound echoed, and Lilia met her eyes with him, she said.

“I’m sleepy though. Will you wake me up later in the morning?”

Her eyes, those multi-colored pupils engraved like beautiful patterns, were closed with long eyelashes falling like a curtain. I threw her cheers into her slumber, just by handing her the blanket I was covering over her.

“This time you watch my sleep. How is it, I can sleep without your help? Envy?”

“I’m so jealous that I’m sick to my stomach, so just be quiet.”

“Yes”

Lilia giggled and curled herself up. She is like a cat who curls her body before she sleeps.

How long has it been? Her breathing gradually became even. It was a whisper that was often heard by those in a sweet sleep, with a frequency similar to Innis’ breathing.

He grabbed my hem from behind. Surprised, Innis was there, who was in a trance after enjoying a sweet sleep.

“hehehe… Eva complimented me…”

Is Ennis looking at me even in her dreams? Shall I ask you later when you wake up from your dream? What did you praise? She was smiling with satisfaction, as if the desire for recognition unique to those who had gone through rough puberty worked even in their dreams. You can do it in real life, not just in your dreams.

When I saw the people around me bound by sleep, paradoxically, I gradually escaped the bondage of sleep. It’s similar to how you get sober when you see people around you getting too drunk.

I woke up from my dream and saw the contents of the dream.

Devils, demons, sages, and…

A friend from the past.

A mercenary of the same age as me, called ‘The Thorn of the Rose’. The leader of the mercenary corps, who conquered numerous battlefields with victories. A magic swordsman specializing in fancy swordsmanship and illusion magic.

The person who taught me how to love people, how to use a sword, and how to love heartless things.

My friend who made me forget all these formulas and was happy just by being there. Spica.

From nob le mt l dot com

Perhaps it was because she was possessed by her novel that she recommended, her sage penetrated her into her first real sleep when I came here. Sticky residue, like pieces of black chewing gum stuck to the floor, remained in my memory and became an unpleasant wake.

‘The Snow Butterfly’. If she hadn’t recommended it, I probably wouldn’t have read it in my life.

Spica, like everyone else here, was a lesbian. Maybe that’s why she found and took all kinds of art featuring reds from all over the world.

One of them is this novel that I possessed. [A butterfly lives in her eyes].

Every battle break, the sidelines were talking about the story or setting of ‘That Nun Butterfly’, so I was too fed up to pass it up saying, “What the heck is that?” I endured it, I wondered what it was, so I read it, and it was more fun than I thought.

After that, I became a fan of ‘The Snow Butterfly’ like Spica, and on the third Monday of every month when the book came out, I ran to the city from the wind in the morning.

The grip and body temperature that hold my hand tightly, the still chilly morning air, the refreshing wind that blends in with the smell of dust, the saturation of light and the length of shadows that define all things, and the voice. It all felt as if it had been made yesterday. The smell of dust permeated the memories. But it wasn’t old.

-We read first!

I knew I wouldn’t be number one. The first reader of a published book will be the author, and the second and third readers will be people working in the publishing department. But she ran vigorously, and I also ran excitedly inside.

Being the first customer of a street vendor that opened early in the morning was an indescribable sense of satisfaction and victory. We weren’t truly number one, but we were number one. Even if everyone didn’t acknowledge it, we were victors.

What made you so happy? The small play between me and Spica continued until Spica died.

I stopped reading ‘The Snow Butterfly’ after Spica died.

‘Ha, you should just keep reading.’

Who would have thought that since he died, he would be possessed by that novel. I should have just kept reading.

But it can’t be helped. I really lost my mind to read it. It’s been almost a year since she died, so I’m thinking a little coldly like this now. Right after her death, just looking at the name of this novel reminded me of her, and I was so depressed. It’s because I’m very sensitive.

But now that I think about it, I should have kept reading it by forcibly giving it a meaning of remembrance.

‘How many books is this for a year’s worth?’

A lot of it was lost. I only read it until the middle, so I don’t know the important foreshadowing or setting.

‘All I know is that a date course for Lilia and Innis is in order…’

In a fit of rage, she involuntarily threw her fist at the bed. Then, remembering that there was a sleeping person on this bed, I relaxed my fists just before they touched the soft mattress.

-Talk.

There was a futile little rock and roll.

No, what is a demon king? Even in the amount I read, the candidate for the hero appeared, and I roughly guessed that ‘the devil will come out someday’. But what the devil is and what he does has never come out.

But that demon king candidate is me.

What are the conditions for the resurrection of the demon king, what must be done to stop the resurrection, and how much time is left for that resurrection. How far does the sage know, whether she is on my side, how far she can interfere in her reality, and how the history of the sage’s seclusion has changed. Don’t know all that

These are pieces of ignorance that I have not read and that the sage has not yet spoken about.

However, even as I struggled in this abyss of ignorance, there was only one thing I had to do.

To overcome all the trials and meet the wise man face to face.

This would cost me my life. Do you have to make a choice that lowers the quality of your life in order to make it richer? Those who pursue romance are all in contradiction.

Of course, if you have a chance to sleep again someday and dream, you should talk to the wise man more. Even if you don’t know what a demon king is, you know that it’s very dangerous. I will find out how dangerous it is, the period left until the resurrection of the demon king, and what to be careful about.

It’s a bit disappointing that the only candidate for the demon king doesn’t know anything about the demon king. What can I do, I don’t know what I don’t know. Ignorance is nothing to be ashamed of!

At that moment, Innis, who was holding my clothes and laughing happily, made his body tremble.

“Hmm…”

The cries of sparrows, the strong light that comes in through the window and paints colors, and even the people who moan in the light. They are symbols of a boring morning.

It is already morning as I trace memories and resentment like this.

The sun has risen to light the day of parting.

**

“Innis…”

“…”

“Innis, we are really sorry…”

Innis is holding a protest right now. A lonely one-man protest. It was a silent protest, but the action was strong and possessed strange power.

He hugged Lilia with the broom standing next to her and refused to let go.

“Innis… We have to go now…”

The nature of the sage’s ordeal is that you have to go on an uncompromising journey. Therefore, each and every time is precious. I have to go around a lot of cities and countries, but I can’t spend a lot of time in one city. Even Lilia and Iva have already delayed a lot of time in Kyle Devoutier and Solucio.

Now I have to go on a trip.

I had already explained this to Innis beforehand. After going to Kyle Devoutier, we decided to have a small farewell party and leave. Although that farewell party turned into a mad kissing party to induce my smooth sleep. What can i do Anyway, a party is a party.

“Innis…”

Lilia muttered in a sad voice. Even so, Innis did not untie his arm.

Innis must have known the truth. That you have to let us go.

However, logic and emotion are in separate realms.

“I have to go…?”

Innis finally spoke up. The first words she uttered after leaving her inn and arriving at the train station were desperate pleas.

It’s not that I don’t understand Innis’ feelings. Perfect strangers who have known each other at best, who acknowledge and cherish them. Friend. How sad it must be to have to let such close friends go. She is even the one who has to live in Solusio, a city of complete privacy. A friend who will eat the same meal is precious.

However, we cannot afford to neglect our mission. Innis is unable to join the trip. It was because she had a mission that was as good as ours, and in a way, she had a mission that was even heavier than this.

“…hehehe, it’s not possible, right?”

She is a cop. She is a member of the Tsushima Island Special Police, who took an oath to protect the citizens of Solucio and beyond, all of humanity. She takes the staff and shouldered her duty of wiping out the evil hordes called demons. Unlike me to live like a human being, she goes out of her way to protect a human life.

“Thank you so much, Lillia. See you later.”

“…Yes, see you again. I’ll send you letters often.”

“Yes.”

Innis repeatedly rubbed her cheek against Lilia’s shoulder, ending the long embrace. Now I’ll be next.

“Now Innis, come here!”

I waited for Innis to come running with my arms wide open. As I expected, Innis vigorously ran up to me and hugged me. It was a fairly heavy attack, but it wasn’t a big deal to me, who strengthened my body with the use of my regenerative ability.

I continued to pat her on the head. Before parting, we imprinted each other’s body temperature for the last time.

“Iva…”

“Yes, Innis. I’m here. But after today we won’t see each other for a while.”

“Yeah… I know… Do you have to work hard in trials?”

“Of course. Don’t cry because you don’t have friends to eat with.”

“I don’t cry over things like that…”

No. Sometimes I just burst into tears over something like that. The trivial sense of loss piles up, and one day, even when I am eating, there are times when I cry because I am so sad that there is no one next to me. It’s not my experience, it’s just someone I know.

“Remember you are not alone.”

Her I stroked her hair, then she and her body fell apart. She then took out her hairpin from her pocket. A black hairpin with a bird-shaped decoration. He held it in her hand.

“This is a gift.”

Innis smiled broadly, and she adorned it right into her own hair. A black bird flew in her hair, which was like the sunlight on her wheat field. The black color embroidered on the gold color went well with me as I thought, so I smiled brightly too.

“Then I’ll give you a gift too.”

Innis took my right hand and made her palm bloom, then placed a red fountain pen on it. Come to think of it, it was always her who bought her vocabulary books and writing exercises. Innis had a large role in helping me learn the language of this place.

“Remember me whenever you write. Remember me whenever you write.”

With those words, he gently rolled up my fingers and squeezed them. I took the pen that was the same color as her eyes in her fist and her heart in that pen. You will remember her warmth and friendship in every single letter.

“And.”

Innis took a step forward. The distance between the two of us that seemed like an arm could barely fit has narrowed to the point where nothing could go in. Naturally, our breaths became one. Lips met lips.

A much lighter kiss than the one we shared the night before. The situation of parting intertwined, and the kiss became heavy. Through her breath, magical energy rushes to the sandy beach like a wave.

“This is my touch. Don’t forget this too.”

Innis smiled shyly. Soon, as if trying to hide her expression, she was placed back in my arms and buried her head.

“While I’m killing all the demons, you have to work hard too! OK?”

“Uh. Uh…”

Innis patted my chest twice, and spoke vigorously.

I didn’t tell Innis that I was a demon. Anyway, this fact had to be kept as a top secret, and it was a decision that took into account the situation of Innis, who would become close friends with demons as well as being a demonic police officer. So, those words stung me for no reason.

The train rattled. It’s time for parting.

This is a breakup, but not a breakup. Neither bereavement nor separation. It is a parting with a promise to meet again someday.

Innis looked up. With tear-stained eyes, she smiled as brightly as the sunlight shining on this Solusio.

“Eating only meat will harm your health, so make sure to eat vegetables, and Lilia, don’t fight too much with Iva! Okay?”

“I’ll consider it.”

“It’s mostly his fault that I fight with him.”

Her last maxim somehow didn’t work, but Innis still laughed bashfully.

As we boarded the train, I saw Innis waving wildly out of his window.

“See you later~ Lilia! Eva!”

As she waved her hand at us, we also smiled and waved her hand, ending her farewell.

Finally, the journey for trials begins.

A journey to fulfill my and Lilia’s mission.

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