Is Dalton discussing death in the same sense as the death I know?
I couldn't believe Dalton's proposal to the extent that I doubted the meaning imbued in that word. It was a wish that I had heard wrong.
"What did you say just now?"
I ended up looking back. Dalton's face seen was only peaceful. It absolutely wasn't a face that had brought up words like 'Do you want to try dying?'. On the other hand, I scrunched my face abruptly.
How can you spit out such terrible words nonchalantly?
Whether Arwin didn't realize we stopped walking, he walked ahead alone. The distance between us who stopped walking and Arwin was gradually widening.
"Iphoe. I told you before. Let's try acting out your death in front of Arwin."
Dalton spoke shamelessly. He even smiled.
I let out a deflated sound, dumbfounded.
"Well?"
When Dalton urged me, I shook my head without hesitation.
"I hate it."
Of course, I was really curious about what reaction Arwin would show to my fake death. But that didn't mean I wanted to commit a dangerous act here.
I glanced down the cliff again. Its height was still dizzying. I thought I looked unnoticeably, but I saw Dalton's gaze following mine.
Dalton looked down the cliff briefly following me. Then he completely erased the energy of laughter that had seeped into the corners of his mouth.
"I am an Archmage. Trust only me and let's try falling from here. Here, you don't need to act dead, it looks completely dangerous, conditions are good in many ways."
Dalton spoke with a serious face. Dangerous currents were full in his odd eyes bearing a grave light. I didn't like his seriousness.
"Although I am also curious about Arwin's reaction, this place is too dangerous. It would be better to pretend to be dead inside the coffin instead."
Dalton asked without hesitation.
"Then shall we do that?"
"Dalton!"
I called his name loudly. My voice rang like an echo through the cliffs where only desolate wind blew.
Wouldn't Arwin have noticed the fact that we are having a conversation by now? Our very dangerous conversation, not just any conversation.
Dalton expressed his opinion paying no heed to my shouting.
"But I like this place immensely. If you fall here, I'll watch Arwin's reaction. It will be a very good signal flare."
For whom does it become a good signal flare?
Dalton, for you? For me?
I twisted my body completely toward Dalton. Just by moving a little, small stones at my feet rolled down the cliff. It was a dizzying sight.
Thinking about it however I could, falling from here was impossible.
I glared at Dalton fiercely. I hoped he would give up his wish at my sharp gaze, but he spoke as if swearing an oath instead.
"Even if you fall from the cliff, I absolutely won't make you die. No, I won't even make you get hurt. I swear."
"It's nonsense, and absolutely not here."
"I'll ask for the last time. Do you trust me?"
"No!"
I answered quickly, showing the angriest expression I could make. It must be the angriest answer I've given him so far.
Dalton didn't feel bad about my answer that I don't trust him. There was no change in his expression. Like a person who already predicted I would answer like that.
"I knew you would answer like that."
"...Dalton!"
Conversation is impossible. I called his name forcefully again.
"Then try trusting me this once. Since trust sometimes arises in extreme cases."
He spoke as if he would never back down. It was a spirit resembling his fierce storm. At that moment, Arwin's words came to mind again.
'Because he is a cold-hearted mage regarding what he wants.'
Cold-hearted mage. Does Dalton really intend to drop me off the cliff? Whatever I say, even if I say words cursing him.
My thoughts did not continue further. Because Dalton snatched my shoulder and pushed me off the precipice. His grip pushing my shoulder was strong. It wasn't something I could resist.
Forgetting even to scream, I vomited out a dry breath, and my feet began to leave the narrow path. As my body floated in the air, I let go of the tea set I was holding in my hand.
Ah, that's an expensive tea set. The head maid will be angry. Even at the moment my body tilted toward the cliff, I briefly thought such an absurd thought.
Soon my feet floated in the air.
I stirred my feet like when I came to the canyon, but this time I couldn't fly freely in the air. My body fell receiving gravity as it was. Down, further down.
What I saw then was Arwin. Arwin's body, seemingly sensing the commotion, was turned toward us. Arwin's and my eyes met soon.
Not long after, his lips opened belatedly.
"...Iphoe Bell?"
Arwin reflexively reached out to me falling. I also reached out to him, but our hands didn't touch at all.
I was already falling to the extent that Arwin's and Dalton's figures looked like small dots. Therefore, there was not a bit of possibility for our hands to touch.
The distance we reached out to each other was widening further like that. It resembled the distance between us existing in reality.
Like us, whose bodies touched occasionally but whose hearts couldn't touch.
It seemed I heard Arwin's voice calling me again too. What thoughts will you have watching me fall down the cliff?
Absurdly, I was quite curious about Arwin's reaction. Despite telling Dalton such a thing was nonsense, I was expecting Arwin's reaction.
What would Arwin be doing?
Would he also be saddened that our hands didn't touch? Or, would he be angry at Dalton who pushed me off the cliff mercilessly?
Perhaps he might stand still like a bystander. Just watching the bottom of the cliff where I fell. With emotionless indifferent black eyes. With firmly closed red lips.
I didn't wish as far as Arwin shedding tears for me.
However, if he just watched me falling like a bystander, that would be a bit sad. No, it would be terribly sad.
Because my heart hurts too much, I might have shed tears for myself. I might have realized with great reality that our relationship was merely that much.
The thought that Dalton would really kill me didn't occur.
Dalton showed a dangerous light, but I didn't feel killing intent from that light. He just wanted to know Arwin's true heart. As if he liked Arwin or something.
Why does Dalton show such great interest in Arwin's heart? If Arwin becomes convinced of the fact that he has feelings for me, what benefit will Dalton gain?
Heart, mind, and the benefit Dalton will gain.
Everything was connected obliquely, but as expected, it felt like one connecting point I didn't know was missing in the middle.
Indeed, what is that connecting point? Will I be able to figure it out?
Even while thoughts continued, I kept falling. I was curious until when I have to fall, and how Dalton means to stop my fall.
Although angry, I wasn't that anxious while falling. Because I had a strange conviction that he wouldn't make me die.
Just as he said, faced with an extreme situation, a little trust in him arose. It was a foolish trust.
But apart from the fingernail-sized trust formed in Dalton, if I meet him again, I will slap his cheek with all my might.
Even if he gets angry at my slap and makes a storm fall, it can't be helped. No, even if he uses more violent magic, it didn't matter.
Because I wanted him never to do this kind of thing again.
Falling from a high place was a much more terrible thing than I thought. The feeling that my heart was splitting in two occurred constantly.
I closed my eyes. Closing my eyes, nothing was felt except the sound of sharp wind cutting across the air.
Strangely, the sound of wind became quieter and quieter. Then what lingered was silence and stillness.
I felt like sinking into deep water. Since a small river was actually flowing at the bottom of the canyon, if I fell like this, I might sink into the water.
Of course, that was something that would happen under the premise that Dalton doesn't save me with magic. For instance, if a mistake like a coincidence happens.
Although he is an Archmage, he was human before that. Humans are bound to make mistakes. That mistake could happen now.
If I die due to Dalton's mistake, will Arwin's indifferent face I saw today become the last face of his I see?
I thought it wasn't too bad. Because he reached out to me.
Whatever meaning that contained, even if it was a reflexive action without any meaning, the important fact was the single fact that Arwin reached out for me.
In reality, that might have been a quite big motion for an indifferent man.
"...."
The terrible soundlessness hovering around me continued for a long time. When I suddenly realized, the feeling of falling was no longer felt. A feeling of lying on a hard place.
Surely I'm not dead, right?
I opened my closed eyes slowly. Then surprisingly, the surrounding scenery had completely changed. The cliffs of the canyon that looked steep as if cut were not visible. What formed in my vision was stones.
"It's a cave."
Where I exist now was a large cave made of huddled stones. Taking a deep breath, the smell of moss full of moisture and the musty smell of mold were smelled.
Fortunately, it seems I didn't die. I was relieved small.
Although worried, there was no mistake in Dalton's magic. He seemed to have moved me, who was falling, to a certain cave.
It was a stable magic unknown when and how I was moved. I admitted again that his magic is cheat-like beneficial and magnificent.
I raised my body lying straight and blinked my eyes a few times. My vision adapted quickly to the slightly dark surroundings.
I looked around more. Although the surroundings were on the dark side, it wasn't completely dark. Because small light enough to recognize the surroundings came in from somewhere.
The existence of small light meant there might be a big beam of light, the source of that light. Probably that would be the exit of this cave. It seemed the exit wasn't that far away.
Then suddenly, a question arose why Dalton moved me to this cave. To get the answer to that, getting out of the cave first was the priority.
Just as I was about to take a step like that, something caught at my feet. I lowered my gaze and checked something.
Unbelievably, it was someone's bone. A bone fragment shining its ivory color fully even amidst the dark surroundings.
I became temporarily immobile. Even the air of the cave passing by me felt chilly for no reason.
Thinking just whose bone is this, the moment I turned back, strength left my legs.
Thud.
I bumped my bottom on the floor of the cave as it was. My bottom tingled, but I had no leisure to feel pain.
I opened my two eyes wide. Wondering if I saw wrong, even though I blinked my eyes several times, it didn't disappear from before my eyes.
"...!"
In front of me, large bones maintaining their shape intact existed.
A large head-shaped bone reminiscent of a reptile, a thin neck bone connected below it, a curved torso bone resembling a hook, and even a long tail bone.
The shape of the bones was perfect enough to wonder if it would raise its body sooner or later. There was not a single place where a bone was missing.
Bones connected without gaps seemed to have sidestepped even the providence of nature, showing no traces of weathering either. They only looked smooth.
I naturally recalled one fact I had forgotten.
'Do you know the canyon in that mountain?'
'Yes.'
'A very old dragon lived there.'
Arwin said an old dragon lived in this canyon. He said the death he witnessed for the first time was also the old dragon's death.
Yes, right. This was the old dragon's canyon. Then the bones in front of my eyes now,
"Dead old dragon...."
Must be his.
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