Obituary (3)
By the time the grueling four-hour archery training ended, the students were spent.
Among those panting and collapsing from exhaustion were Mark and Maria, who had been close to Shirone.
"Long time no see."
When Shirone smiled and walked over, Mark forgot his fatigue and sprang to his feet.
"Senior! I didn't think you'd actually come."
Though brief, their encounter had mattered—Mark and Maria had both been among those who took the graduation exam with Pisho.
"Yeah. You heard, too."
"Yes." Mark, who'd been keeping his expression neutral while watching his friends, flushed as if remembering and added, "I'm sorry, senior. I wanted to catch up quickly, but I'm still stuck in my final year."
Willpower alone couldn't make it happen.
Shirone had at least already graduated; remembering his own experience made him dizzy thinking how he'd managed it.
"It's fine. You're making progress."
Mark could be proud of that.
"Of course. I'll never give up."
After the students left for lunch, Shirone's group went to the faculty office to speak with the teachers.
"Huh? Where's Teacher Etella?" She hadn't been in class, and her usual desk in the faculty office was gone.
"Teacher Etella…" Shiina chose her words carefully. "She left the school."
"She left? Where did she go?"
"Th-that…" Shiina searched for words again but couldn't find any to explain it to Shirone.
Alpheas changed the subject. "So, where are you headed now? There are three days until Pisho's funeral—you should at least go home for a bit."
"My parents are staying with the Ozent family. I'll be staying there too."
As Shirone said it aloud, he realized something.
Rian wasn't here.
There was no one left to defend Gai's death, and—astonishingly—his parents were here.
"Maybe that's for the best."
If he wanted to rebuild himself, he couldn't hide behind someone else.
After a brief meeting, Shirone's group left Alpheas School of Magic.
They'd see each other again at the funeral, so they decided to ask about Etella then.
In the noble district, Amy asked, "I'm going back to my family home. Maya, do you want to come with me? You don't have anywhere to stay anyway."
"I'm fine. I can sleep at the hotel." Shirone insisted.
"No. You're famous. And your agency people aren't here, right?"
Palmerus had requested separate transport with the troops and was coming down by a different route.
"Come on, let's go together. Is it uncomfortable being with me?"
"No, not at all!" Maya sprang up to deny it, but it was true that she wouldn't feel completely at ease in public.
"Then how about going to Ozent?"
"Ah—no… not that either." Maya waved her hand, this time hesitating more than before.
"Just let me stay at the hotel. It's a good place, so I won't need guards."
Shirone thought the hotel would be the place Maya felt most comfortable.
"All right. See you in three days."
"Okay. Take care, everyone." Considerate of Amy, Maya left first and headed for her lodgings.
"Sigh." Parting from Shirone was sad, but she honestly felt lighter.
How long was this going to go on?
Both Shirone and Amy hated hurting others, so being stuck in the middle had been miserable.
Maybe I should meet someone new.
They'd all heard that old saying—that the wounds of hardship could be healed by meeting someone else—so often it was cliché. If it were that easy, no one would suffer from lovesickness.
A man more impressive than Shirone…? Nothing came to mind, and frustrated, Maya shook her head.
I don't know. It's terrible to be thinking about this right before a friend's funeral.
The hotel was upscale but, unlike the capital, not crowded—only four stories tall. In Tormia, Maya's popularity was far greater than abroad, so a few noble youths recognized her.
"Hey, over there! Isn't that her?"
"Huh? I think so! It's the first time I've seen her up close. What's Creas doing here?"
"Looks like she's alone."
When Maya, who'd rented a fourth-floor room, climbed the central staircase, the youths noticed her.
"Should we ask her to hang out?" It couldn't hurt to try.
Cross family training room. In a cramped stone chamber barely big enough for a single desk, Kaiden sat cross-legged.
"The fate of the Red Cross Star."
Having left the School of Magic and returned home, he spent all his time in the training room.
"Kaiden, it's time to leave."
Kaiden's father opened the door and stepped in. He sighed when his gaze fell on the portraits of Maya plastered all over the small room.
How long is this going to go on…
At first he'd asked who she was, but Kaiden had said nothing. Over time he'd learned the person in the portraits was a famous singer named Maya.
How old are you to be infatuated with an entertainer?
Kaiden answered, "I'll leave after one more hour."
"You idiot. At least don't be late for a classmate's funeral. How long are you going to live like this?"
The world was in turmoil. The Cross family, a leading bloodline of Tormia, should be taking charge, but the heir was obsessed with a singer.
"Say something. When you left the School of Magic you wouldn't say a word. And now this—what are you doing cooped up here every day, not training and just drawing pictures?"
"Training isn't necessary, Father."
Because Kaiden's name carried weight, his father looked at him with hopeful eyes. "…Have you at least attained some kind of enlightenment?"
"Enlightenment isn't necessary either."
"Then what is it? What have you been doing locked up here all this time?!"
"I'm accepting it." Gold light flowed from Kaiden's body, and his father took a step back.
"T-this is…" The Red Cross Star of Sacrifice. What Kaiden needed from the start wasn't bloody training or supreme enlightenment.
"Fate," Kaiden said. "I'm accepting it." He was letting go of Maya.
If he could truly do that, the Red Cross Star would elevate Kaiden to unprecedented power.
* * *
When Shirone arrived at the Ozent household, he broke down in tears at the reunion with his parents.
House Lord Bishopf and Reina, who had come down to the main house, watched with satisfied faces.
The emotion didn't last long. As Shirone stepped away from his parents, his expression hardened.
"There's something I need to tell you."
"All right. We have a lot to hear too." Bishopf took the seat of honor and invited Shirone to sit, but Shirone dropped to his knees on the cold floor.
"Shirone? What are you doing? Why are you like that?" Reina stood up again.
"Please… listen to me for a moment." At Shirone's serious tone, Reina sat back down and he began to speak.
Calmly, honestly, he told them everything—from the first time he'd met Gai to the incident where Yahweh's wrath had erupted with no memory.
"Gai oppa…" Gai was dead.
Vincent and Olina buried their faces in their hands, and Reina's knees buckled as she staggered.
"Oppa… Oppa…" Finally unable to hold back, Reina broke into sobs.
Through pain that felt like a dagger to the heart, Shirone only stared at the floor.
"I was the one who killed Gai." When Shirone stated the fact again, Bishopf spoke for the first time. His voice carried unmistakable fury.
"Does Rian know?"
"Yes."
"What did that bastard say?"
"It had nothing to do with Rian." Shirone was firm, and Bishopf could already guess what sort of actions Rian might have taken.
It isn't Shirone's fault, anyone might think—but from Bishopf's perspective, his son was dead.
"Gai betrayed humanity. He brought shame on the family's honor. No one in the world will blame you."
"That's why I came here."
Bishopf stood. "Of course. You are my son's enemy. So… what will you do now?"
Reina, still sobbing, widened her eyes as Bishopf drew his sword.
"Father, what are you doing?" Vincent and Olina went pale as the blade neared Shirone's throat.
"Lo—Lord of the House…" Vincent stammered, but Bishopf's killing intent didn't waver.
"Why? My child is dead, yet you expect us to simply forgive Vincent's child?"
"W-well…" Vincent fell silent. If the dead had been Shirone and not Gai, could he have forgiven the Ozent family?
"Let me ask you one thing." Shirone lifted his head with the sword at his throat.
"Yes, speak."
"Did you truly… absolutely have no other choice? I know how strong you are. Can you be certain there was no option but to kill?"
"No." Bishopf's face twisted.
"Choose your words carefully."
Shirone thought again. "I've agonized over it countless times. My answer is the same. If I'd judged even a little better, Gai wouldn't have died."
"Hah." Bishopf sheathed the sword and returned to his seat. "Why aren't you defending yourself? You know I need a reason to forgive you, right? Do you want to become my enemy? Even so, we don't have the power to kill you."
"I don't know." Shirone answered honestly. "I don't know what I should do. I only thought I might find an answer if I came here."
Because it wasn't an answer he could find alone.
"Go." Bishopf said. "Even if I forgive you, nothing will change right away. This is a matter of feeling. And feelings take time."
Shirone understood. Bishopf was almost superhuman in his restraint.
"There is one condition." The air of a great house was not cowardly; Shirone bowed his head without resistance.
"All right. I'll comply with anything."
"Forget it. I permit it. At least until this war is over, do not dwell on Gai."
"Patriarch…"
"It's not for your sake. It's because you must show that my son's death was not in vain." Tears ran down Shirone's cheeks.
"Thank you. Thank you."
Only then did he realize why he had thought the Ozent family might hold the answer. There was dignity here.
"All right, then I'll go." As Shirone prepared to leave, Vincent and Olina stood with him.
"Patriarch, shall we also…?" Reina stepped forward.
"Dad, you're just saying words—what if you actually let him go? It would be awkward for Shirone's parents too." Not accepting Shirone could be a form of punishment, but there was no need to complicate things.
Bishopf stared at Reina for a moment as if making up his mind, then rose. "All right, I'll go out. We should announce Gai's death anyway. Shirone, come with me."
"Going out together? The two of you?" Reina asked.
Ignoring his daughter, Bishopf turned to Shirone and said, "You—have you been drinking?"