Interlude | The Assassin Makes the Hero a Promise
Our classes had ended early today. It seemed to me like everyone was having a hard time paying attention during lessons. Once every two months, a special event was held to help the students refuel. One of them was happening now.
I called out to Epona, who was looking noticeably unsure of what to do with herself.
“Have you decided what you’re going to buy today?” I inquired.
“I have no idea. I don’t know too much about the names of the stores and stuff like that. But I am really looking forward to going shopping. My hero’s salary is paying me well.”
Epona held up a leather coin pouch.
“It sounds like the Academy Market is going to be very lively. I’m sure you’ll find something that catches your eye,” I assured.
The Academy Market was the event meant to help students relax.
Our school was just north of the royal capital, which was the only option students had for recreation away from the academy. The trouble was that the city was expensive, no matter what you did. Only those chosen could live there, and the stores were tailored to the wealthiest of clientele.
That wasn’t an issue for those on the aristocracy’s upper end, but lesser nobles weren’t really capable of enjoying the capital to its fullest.
The Academy Market had been established to deal with that. The school reached out to various popular companies around the country and invited them to run market stalls on academy grounds for three days. Goods were set at the same prices as the main stores, so even less wealthy students could have a good time without worrying about travel costs. Many participating companies even provided limited items and debuted brand new products.
A lot of my peers could hardly contain their excitement, knowing that popular stores from throughout the Alvanian Kingdom and even some international vendors were going to attend.
“Is there anything you two want, Dia and Tarte?” I questioned.
“Nothing comes to mind for me, so I think I’m going to walk around first and see if anything catches my eye,” answered Tarte.
“Hmm, there’s nothing I want, so I’m going to head back to the dorm,” replied Dia.
That seemed like uncharacteristic behavior for Dia. She had always been the curious type. I would’ve thought she would be chomping at the bit for an opportunity like this.
As I pondered it further, I realized she’d been restless the past few days. Something was definitely off. I’d caught a glance of her counting her money this morning. It seemed likely that she already knew what she wanted to buy and didn’t want to tell us what it was.
I’m curious about whatever Dia is hiding, but I’ll leave it be for now.
“You all look like you’re having a fun little chat. Mind if I join in?” A blond young man was approaching us.
“Hey, Naoise. We’re talking about what we’re going to purchase at the Academy Market. I’m sure you don’t have any interest in this event,” I remarked.
He was a son of one of the four major dukedoms. He could afford to buy as much as he wanted, even in the royal capital. I’d also learned he regularly invited people to the royal capital to sway them into joining the little group he’d been building.
“What are you saying? I love the Academy Market. There are things money alone can’t buy. For example, the main attraction this time is a company called Natural You. Rumor is they’re going to unveil a new product here today. As a fan, I can’t overlook this opportunity,” explained Naoise.
“…You’re interested in Natural You?” I asked, somewhat surprised.
“Women aren’t the only people who use makeup. Their moisturizer has been a big help to me.”
It’s indeed best for men to moisturize as well, but I hadn’t been expecting him to say that.
As Naoise had said, the cosmetics brand I’d founded as Illig Balor, Natural You, was also running a stall during the school event. I was planning on heading over there later to pick up the report for the follow-up investigation I’d requested of Maha.
“Ah, it’s starting,” said Tarte. The announcement that the market was opening echoed throughout the school.
Everyone rushed as fast as possible to the plaza.
The Academy Market was available only to students on its first day. It would be open to the public on its remaining two days. That was why all the students were hurrying to buy things today. Once the event was available to outside customers, it would only get more challenging to find what you wanted.
“We should get moving, or all the good items will be gone,” I urged.
“Okay! Um, are you really okay not going, Lady Dia?” Tarte pressed.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Don’t worry about me,” Dia answered.
“Let’s go, Tarte. We’ll bring home a present for you, Dia,” I said.
Dia didn’t want us around for her secret shopping. It seemed okay to let her do what she wanted this time.
Tarte and I dove into the swaths of teenagers.
Despite only having just begun, the Academy Market was in full swing.
“There are so many people here,” Tarte observed.
“Just about the entire school is attending,” I replied.
About two hundred students were at our school, but all the live-in faculty brought that number even higher. Because the academy also functioned as a stronghold, there were personnel here for that purpose as well.
Tarte opened a map that detailed the location of each shop’s stand. Every student had been given one before the event had begun. The pamphlet also provided simple descriptions for each participating company.
“There are so many famous stores. I don’t know where to begin. Why are all these famous stores going through the trouble of coming all the way here anyway?” asked Tarte.
“Good question. They won’t be making a profit from this. The academy allows them to set up the stands only on the condition that they set the prices at the same level as their main retail stores, after all… What these businesses are banking on is turning us into lasting customers and spreading word of mouth. Most of the students here are from noble families. Promoting to students is a good way to gain long-term customers,” I explained.
The cost of transport alone surely meant many businesses were taking a loss. In the eyes of a shrewd entrepreneur, however, that lost money was like paying for advertising.
Many companies undoubtedly had high hopes for those visitors who would arrive tomorrow and the next day, too. It was tough to gain permission to open a store in the royal capital, so any opportunity to sell to the city’s customers was valuable.
“That didn’t occur to me at all. Business is really complicated,” Tarte stated.
“It is. It’s a difficult world,” I responded.
“Ohhh, it sounds way too hard for me.”
To become a top-rate businessperson, you needed more than just work ethic. Mercantile acumen was also required. Without such things, you were doomed before you ever began. A proper eye for enterprise counted for a lot.
“Um, are you sure it’s okay for me to come with you two?” Epona asked.
“Of course. I don’t mind. You’re a classmate, and this will be more fun with company,” I assured.
“Yeah! This is the first time I’ve ever gone shopping with people like this,” Tarte added.
Together, the three of us made our way around the area and perused the stalls. There were tons of exciting products, but that was to be expected of such popular retailers.
If you were attentive, you could spot staff from all the stores peeking into rival stalls. In a way, that was another merit of the Academy Market—popular stores could learn from one another.
While stuffing ourselves with rare steamed sweets wrapped in transparent dough, Tarte, Epona, and I walked around to each stall, buying anything that interested us. Even just strolling around was enjoyable.
Tarte’s eyes lit up when we passed a particular stand. “Wow. This cloth is so beautiful, and such a light shade of pink. I wonder how they managed to dye it this color. This one is sky-blue!” she exclaimed.
“This color is Mireille’s…,” Epona muttered.
Tarte had stopped at a clothing store’s booth. It also sold raw materials.
“Yeah, you don’t see bright colors like this very often,” I remarked.
The fabrics were dyed pink and sky-blue. The vibrant colors themselves were the store’s flagship product. Their material was high quality, but producing textiles in such vivid colors was the bigger draw.
I recalled that the pink and blue dyes were specialty products only produced in an impoverished region of Alvan. After the pigments caught this company’s attention, they negotiated a contract that gave them exclusive use of the colorants, allowing the business to sell them on a large scale.
“This cloth is so lovely, and cheap, too! I know Lady Esri would be happy to get some as a gift,” Tarte commented.
My mom enjoyed making new outfits. Tarte was right in thinking she’d want such high-quality material.
“I’m taking care of the souvenirs, so you don’t have to worry about that. You just focus on what you want to buy,” I reminded.
“But she’s done so much for me,” protested Tarte.
“I actually want to get something for her, too. So yeah, you can pick it out, and I’ll pay for it. Let’s make it a present from the two of us,” I stated.
“O-okay. Thanks…”
“Don’t worry about it. Right now, you have a better idea of my mother’s tastes than I do. I have no choice but to leave it to you. At least let me pay for it,” I said.
“Okay, I understand!”
Tarte began to inspect the different fabrics with a severe expression on her face. She was taking this too seriously.
This could take a while…
I looked over at Epona. Curiously, she was staring at some of the items on display with a wistful look in her eyes.
If she’d told me she was a girl, I could’ve bought her something as a present, but as far as she knew, I still thought her to be a boy. Giving a supposed male student female clothing would’ve made me look like a pervert.
“I picked one, my lord. I’m going to get this strange light-pink color.”
Tarte’s voice brought me out of my contemplation. In her hands was a bolt of pink fabric. This color reminded me of the cherry blossom trees from my home in my previous life. Perhaps Tarte found the shade unusual because she’d never seen cherry blossoms.
“The texture feels nice, and I think my mother will like this shade. I’m sure it’d look good on you, too, Tarte,” I observed.
“That doesn’t have anything to do with it,” she replied.
“I’d say it does. You’re the one who wears the clothes my mother makes, after all,” I reminded.
“Th-that is true.”
My mother enjoyed treating Tarte like her own personal dress-up doll.
“Epona.”
I called out to the hero, but she didn’t respond. Her gaze was transfixed on a sky-blue dress. It seemed like unusual behavior, even for the flighty young woman.
“Epona!”
“Y-yes?”
“We’re going to go look at other stalls, but if there’s something you want to buy here, then we can split up.”
“Okay, let’s do that. Sorry.”
“No, it’s fine.”
Epona had been raised as a boy. Perhaps that was why she’d found girl clothing so captivating. If that was the case, I decided it was better that Tarte and I weren’t around. The hero wouldn’t be able to buy an outfit meant for a girl if people who were supposed to think she was male were around.
After three hours, Tarte and I had finished making our rounds at the Academy Market.
“We ended up with a lot of stuff,” I said.
“I might have gone a little overboard. But that was really satisfying,” Tarte replied, carrying around a bag and looking pleased with herself. Tarte was decently wealthy. My family had been paying her a retainer’s salary ever since she’d arrived in Tuatha Dé, and she hadn’t had much in the way of living expenses.
“Sorry, Tarte, but do you mind heading back without me?” I asked.
“You’re meeting with Maha, right?”
“No, I’m just going to pick up the results of an investigation. Maha is busy, so I doubt she came all the way out here.”
A round trip from Milteu took multiple days. As the Natural You brand’s proxy representative, Maha was very busy, and her time was valuable.
“No, she’s definitely here. There’s no way Maha would pass up a chance to see you, my lord!” stated Tarte confidently.
I won’t mind if she’s right.
“If she is here, then would you want to come, too?” I questioned.
“No, I’ll go back. Maha undoubtedly wants it to be just the two of you. I can be with you all the time, but the same can’t be said for her. I’d feel bad if I didn’t give her some alone time with you.”
“That’s what she wants?”
“That’s what she wants.”
Tarte and Maha were close, so I would’ve thought Maha wanted to see her, too, but if Tarte said otherwise, then that probably wasn’t the case.
Tarte and I went our separate ways, and I headed for the Natural You stall.
Despite it only being the first day of the event, there was already a line that wound outward from my company’s stand. The market wasn’t open to the public yet, and there were already so many people. I could only guess at what things would be like tomorrow. It was a good reminder of how popular Natural You was.
All right, what should I do? My plan had been to be taken to the back of the stall after providing an excuse about wanting to test some products. This long line was going to make that difficult, however.
I thought I felt a familiar presence behind me, and then someone put an arm around one of mine.
“Hey, handsome, would you like to go on a date with me?” invited a young woman who glanced up at me amorously.
Her sleek, blue hair was concealed under a hat today, and she’d used makeup to disguise herself slightly. Instead of her usual attire, she was wearing something sweet and stylish.
Even with such differences, there was no way I wouldn’t recognize the girl. She wasn’t just a friend; she was family.
“That sounds great. There’s a nice pop-up café nearby. Want to go there and get some sweets?” I proposed.
“That would be lovely. Shall we be off?”
“Okay.”
The young girl—Maha—beamed.
Tarte had read the situation correctly. It looked like Maha had gone to a lot of trouble just to come here and spend time with me.
It was surprising to see her in disguise, but that served a practical purpose. As the face of Natural You, Maha had become something of a celebrity. She counted many nobles among her acquaintances. If anyone recognized her, it would probably cause a commotion.
We entered the café together. Thankfully, it wasn’t too crowded when we stopped by.
The place was famous for its high-quality herbal tea and unique desserts. I’d actually been interested in the company that ran the little restaurant because they were supposedly prevalent in an eastern city. The pop-up café they’d set up used academy facilities, which afforded secluded rooms perfect for private conversations.
“…Maha, are we really ordering this?” I asked.
“Yes, we’re pretending to be a couple, so we don’t raise any suspicion. We have to order something that makes us look the part,” Maha replied with a spirited grin.
We both ordered the signature herbal tea, as well as one extra-large parfait. It was called the Super Lovey Dovey Parfait, so asking for it understandably took some courage.
Our tea arrived first.
“This smells so good,” Maha remarked.
“Yeah, it’s relaxing. I see why this restaurant is so popular,” I added.
“…But Natural You’s tea is better. If this restaurant is doing so well, we should be able to do better. Maybe we shouldn’t just sell tea leaves, but also open a café business?” Maha proposed.
The tea Maha was talking about was made from tea leaves imported using a trade route that Maha herself had pioneered. I’d devised a way to brew them using techniques from my previous life. My method resulted in a more potent fragrance and crisper taste than the local style.
Natural You had been seeking out high-quality tea leaves because they appealed to our target audience of wealthy women. I had high hopes that expanding into beverages would land us another hit product.
“Opening up a café would be interesting. But we’d need help. Operating any sort of restaurant requires an entirely different business model than what we’ve been operating under. We might have to fumble in the dark a bit until we figure out what we’re doing. I’m not sure there’s anyone we can entrust such work to,” I explained.
“Yes there is, dear brother. Since you returned to Tuatha Dé, I’ve been training some promising children. They’d be perfect for the café,” Maha explained.
“Oh, you think those kids are up to it?” I asked.
“Yes… I owe you my thanks, dear brother. You told me not to keep my personal feelings out of business operations and encouraged me to follow my heart. It was your words that emboldened me to bring them on. It may have been motivated by my self-interest, but I’m sure the company will benefit nonetheless.”
The children Maha was referring to were the orphans she did business with back when she’d been living on the streets. They’d been snatched up and separated by different orphanages hoping to collect government subsidies, but Maha had worked on getting them back together. She was confident they’d be a marvelous boon to my corporation.
After adopting the kids, Maha trained them by having them work at a series of stores owned by the Balor Company.
I was doubtful of her plan, but all the branches that had taken Maha’s old friends in spoke highly of them. Many shops had been hesitant to let the children leave because of their excellent performance. Some even went as far as to say they’d pay a fee to keep them on permanently.
Like Maha, the orphans had learned to use their wits to survive and run a business despite the massive handicap of being young orphans. They were persistent, learned quickly, and were always rife with ideas.
Maha’s friends had turned out to be a treasure trove of talented employees for Natural You. Businesses weren’t usually able to gather such a plentiful supply of competent personnel. Maha had done a splendid job of accomplishing her personal goal of saving her old friends and ensuring Natural You’s success.
“I said that because I trust you, Maha. There’s no reason to thank me,” I said.
“Hearing you say that makes me want to work even harder. Just you watch. Natural You still has room to grow,” she replied.
Maha really was dependable. With her around, I didn’t have to worry about my enterprises, and I could live my life as Lugh Tuatha Dé.
The parfait finally arrived. It was a super-sized parfait made to be eaten by a couple. The Super Lovey Dovey Parfait was a monstrosity with a cringeworthy name.
“…This is way too much for two people to eat,” I observed.
“Don’t worry. I’m a big fan of sweets,” Maha replied.
The mountainous dessert had been amassed in a giant mug rather than a regular-sized cup. The flagon was made out of clear, valuable glass.
Sponge cake, strawberry jelly, sponge cake, strawberry cream, sponge cake, and strawberry jam. The parfait was made up of layers of sponge cake with various sweets in between, and on top there was a large serving of whipped cream and sliced strawberries. There were red, heart-shaped sugar candies buried throughout.
…Just looking at it is giving me heartburn.
Two spoons had been stuck into the mug as well. Each one was absurdly long.
“It’ll be tough to eat with such long utensils. What were they thinking with these?” I said.
“The reason the spoons are like that is so you can do this.”
With a smile on her face, Maha scooped up a spoonful of cream and then held her spoon in front of my mouth.
“I see. The length is so you can feed your partner. This parfait really is made for couples.”
“That’s right. Can you hurry up and eat that for me? I want to eat, too.” Maha shook her spoon in front of my face.
“This is pretty embarrassing, though,” I admitted.
“…You’re too cruel. You don’t know how many all-nighters I pulled to be able to come here, and you won’t even indulge me with this one thing,” pouted Maha.
She started to blatantly fake cry. Fake tears aside, I couldn’t deny that she’d worked very hard to see me.
Thank goodness this is a private room. If these had been open seats, I would’ve been way too embarrassed to do this.
I took Maha’s spoon in my mouth. The whipped cream was very light. It was airy and moderately sweet, yet it possessed a robust flavor.
After realizing how good the parfait tasted, it suddenly didn’t seem impossible to finish.
“You’re up next, dear brother.”
“I have to feed you, too?”
“…I went to such painstaking lengths to gather all the information you requested. Surely that’s enough to earn this small act of kindness?”
Maha traced her lips with a finger. It was quite a suggestive gesture.
I smiled wryly, scooped up some of the pile of sweets with my spoon, and held it to Maha’s lips. She happily ate it, savoring the taste in her mouth.
…This is even more embarrassing than I thought it would be.
“It’s so good. I’m confident in our tea, but we won’t be able to succeed if I don’t do some thorough research into dessert,” Maha said.
“I’m impressed you’re able to think about business under these circumstances. The embarrassment is driving me crazy,” I responded.
“This isn’t easy for me, either. That’s precisely why I’m trying to hide my embarrassment. Okay, next is the strawberry jam and sponge cake layer. Let’s keep going. Uncovering new flavors as we eat is exciting. Despite it being so large, the different tastes as you work your way down really keep you eating. This is some valuable information,” observed Maha.
After I fed Maha, it was now her turn to spoon me some.
This is still embarrassing, but I need to push through it.
We continued to feed each other.
It took us thirty minutes, but we somehow succeeded in taking down a noticeable portion of the parfait.
I’m tired. Mentally and physically.
“That was so much food,” I said, exhausted.
“Yeah. We only barely got through it… The item must have an impact, but when I serve this kind of dessert at my restaurant, I think I’ll reduce the size a bit,” noted Maha.
Maha looked pretty uncomfortable. She wasn’t usually the type to eat very much.
“…Okay, I’ve gotten my reward. Let’s move on to work.”
“Yes, that would be a big help. I’m ready.”
I used a spell to probe the area and make sure no one was spying on us. At the same time, I created a cage of wind to prevent sound from leaking out of our room. We could now talk about confidential matters without any risk.
“First, let’s go over what I learned about Epona Rhiannon. It wasn’t easy, but I obtained interesting information from the Royal Order… She is stuck between a promise and a traumatic event. That might be her biggest weakness.”
Maha handed me a folder of papers, and I quickly leafed through them. Contained therein were many theories regarding the hero, along with evidence to support them.
From the way Epona had acted during the mock battle, I’d thought she was a fighting enthusiast, but I was wrong. It was more complicated than that. An obsession had wormed its way into her mind.
“I’m impressed you were able to gather this much information,” I praised.
“You did tell me to be scrupulous,” replied Maha.
She made it sound simple, but this was no ordinary report. It was detailed information that could ruin Epona if it ever got out.
“This information will be the key to reaching her heart,” Maha stated.
“With your report and what I know about Epona’s personality, I’m sure she’s over there right now,” I said.
“I agree. You should get going, dear brother.”
Maha had handed me additional documents containing information on a traumatic event in Epona’s history and the person at the center of it. This information was the ultimate weapon in my fight to get Epona to open up to me.
Reading over Maha’s intel also made me realize another misconception of mine. At the clothing stall, Epona hadn’t been staring at a dress because she’d never had a chance to dress like a girl. She’d been reminiscing.
That’s when I remembered that the vivid dyes the clothing company had grown rich off of were the special product of a certain rural domain in the Alvanian Kingdom. And that region was…
“You don’t mind if I leave?” I checked.
“Not at all. You’ve treated me to a nice date. I’m satisfied… No, that’s a lie. I want to be with you longer. But Tarte and I live for you, dear brother. So go,” Maha urged.
“…Sorry. No, thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I’m glad I was able to come here today. So this is where you and Tarte have been living. There are so many students, and they all look so radiant.”
“Do you wish you were attending?” I questioned.
Any fourteen-year-old mage in Alvan could attend the academy if they applied. Maha was just as eligible as anyone else.
“Yes. I’m jealous of Tarte. Being a student sounds interesting, but more than that, I’m very, very envious that she gets to spend all her time with you… My wish to attend school with you is outweighed by my happiness at being of use from my place in Milteu. I wanted to come, and I am jealous, but it’s better the way things are now. I don’t have any regrets.”
Maha beamed. Her smile was always beautiful.
“…Thank you. I’ll have to do something to thank you next time we meet.”
“Yes, since I know now that you will indulge me to this degree, next time, I’ll have to request something even more daring. But that’s not important right now. You really don’t have time. You need to go.”
“Until next time.”
“Bye, dear brother.”
Leaving Maha and the café behind, I headed off to find Epona.
Maha’s digging had uncovered the defining incident in Epona’s life. Evidently, a key person in her life was resting in the city surrounding the academy.
Armed with that knowledge, I bought a particular item and headed for the public cemetery.
The graveyard was for knights who’d served in the capital. It was located in the same city as the school. A group of aristocrats had opposed the construction of a cemetery in the royal capital, so it’d been built here instead.
Differing offerings adorned the many graves.
Epona was kneeling before a monument devoted to multiple people. She’d bought that sky-blue dress she’d been staring at earlier and had placed in front of herself.
I walked up beside her, placed a bouquet of flowers in front of the structure, and put my hands together.
Epona looked at me with surprise plain on her face. Pretending not to notice, I knelt, offered a silent prayer, and stood back up.
“Didn’t expect to see you here, Epona,” I said once I’d finished.
“Yeah, what a coincidence. Is someone you knew buried here?” Epona asked.
“Yeah, a woman who was beloved among the knights of the Royal Order. I know she really liked flowers like these, and after I saw them at the Academy Market, I wanted to buy some for her.”
“That’s an amazing coincidence. The same thing happened to me with this sky-blue dress. She had an outfit just like this once and said she wanted me to wear it someday. Ah, wait, that’s not what I meant. I don’t like to dress in female clothing or anything.”
One of the people entombed below the monument was someone significant to Epona. She’d been born in the rural region of Alvan that produced the colorful dye. That’s why Epona had responded in such an unusual way upon spotting the vividly colored dress.
“Ha-ha, sounds like a weird person. My acquaintance also liked bright shades. She especially liked a flower called flaura. She always said they were the same color as her hometown.”
“The same color as her home town…flaura… Your acquaintance isn’t Mireille, is it?”
“It is. Did you know her, too?” I asked, feigning surprise.
Everything I was saying to Epona was a lie. I only knew Mireille from the documents Maha had assembled for me. It was all a ruse to earn Epona’s trust.
“I’m actually also here to visit her grave. Wow, I never would’ve imagined you were a friend of hers. It really is a small world… Then there’s something I need to tell you. If you were Mireille’s friend, I need to apologize to you. I’m the one who killed her.” Epona bowed her head to me, tears welling up in her eyes.
“You killed her? Do you mind telling me what you mean by that? I’d heard she perished in a fight against some monsters.”
I shifted my outward facade to one of anger and doubt.
“That’s wrong… Before I became the hero, I was a weakling without any mana. Everyone called me a failure. I couldn’t do anything, and nobody wanted me. But then, one day, when a pack of monsters attacked my domain, power began to well up inside me. Before I knew it, I’d killed them all. After that, the Royal Order arrived. Mireille was the first one off that carriage. She told me I’m the hero and took me to the royal capital.”
That much had been described in Maha’s report.
“At the capital, I was officially proclaimed to be the hero. Mireille took charge of my instruction. She was very nice and pretty. Before becoming the hero, I hadn’t received much of an education, so I learned a lot from her. She valued and praised me. In time, I started to think of Mireille as my older sister.”
Epona clenched her fists tightly as she continued.
“It was all going so well. I was growing stronger and smarter every day. Mireille would praise me every time I took down a monster. I’d never been of help to anyone before, but now I was supporting everyone. It was comforting to know so many people needed me.”
Epona’s face was growing more distraught as she continued. Sadness and regret were written all over her face.
“I allowed myself to ride that wave of accomplishment and praise… And that’s when it happened. It was the largest monster attack yet, and they weren’t just great in number. They were strong, too. The Royal Order and I fought as best we could. As we fought, I noticed myself feeling more and more heated. Eventually, a strange feeling began to pool inside me. My vision then went red, and I lost myself. Lashing out with my power became too enjoyable for me to resist. I went on a rampage, and before I knew it, all the monsters were gone.”
That battle was Epona’s most lauded achievement. The monsters she’d defeated were strong enough to take out the entire Royal Order, but she’d reportedly repelled them with “minimal casualties.”
“It wasn’t until I regained my senses that I realized what I’d really done. I hadn’t just destroyed the monsters. I’d attacked knights as well. Everyone had gotten hurt because of me—even Mireille. After searching for a while, I finally found her cold and covered in blood. The sight of her brought an urge to hit something to the forefront of my mind. In the next moment, I’d already done it. She was still breathing, and I tried to save her, but it was too late…”
Epona’s words were both a lament and a confession.
The hero had the misfortune of being a regular person bestowed with incredible power. She didn’t realize there was a bomb strapped to her back that could explode at any moment.
“What do you think the last thing Mireille said to me was, Lugh? Do you think that she said she didn’t want to die? That she hated me?” Epona asked.
“I doubt it was any of those. The Mireille I know wouldn’t have said those kinds of things,” I replied.
“Ha-ha-ha, you’re right. Mireille thanked me for defeating the monsters and told me I’d saved many people. The last thing she ever said to me was ‘Protect the Alvanian Kingdom in my stead.’”
A large tear rolled down Epona’s cheek.
“…I’m scared. The more serious I get in battle, the more enraged I become. If I wind up in another fight like that one, I could go off and kill someone again. I don’t want to fight… But I can’t run away. I owe it to Mireille not to. ‘Protect the Alvanian Kingdom in my place.’ There’s no way I can break that oath!!”
That was Epona’s weakness. She was caught between a promise and a traumatic incident.
Combat terrified Epona, but it wasn’t her own demise that filled her with dread. Instead, it was the concern that she’d slay another person who was dear to her. She’d loved Mireille like an older sister.
Unfortunately, Epona also felt an obligation to see Mireille’s dying wish fulfilled. It was both a plea and a curse. Epona had no choice but to fight.
Mireille had probably asked that of Epona while fully understanding the implication. She’d known that if she didn’t, the hero would never step foot on the battlefield again. To prevent that, Mireille had used the last of her power to keep Epona in the fight.
That woman had been a knight through and through. To the very last, she worked to ensure the safety of her kingdom.
I respected her unflinching sense of duty.
“Do you despise me for being the one who killed Mireille? Are you scared of me? Stay around me too long, and you might end up dead, too.”
“No, I don’t despise you. Even though you’re frightened, you still try to keep your promise to Mireille… I finally understand why you were so happy when you said you thought I wouldn’t get hurt sparring with you. It was because you don’t want anyone to end up like Mireille ever again.”
Epona wanted a training partner. She’d been searching for someone capable enough to survive her learning how to use her immense power without going berserk.
And she’d found me.
“Yeah. I’m very, very grateful to you. I want to become strong enough to resist losing myself when I fight. The thought of killing another person I love is too much. I don’t know what I’ll do if something like that happens again… I suppose you’re not going to want to help me anymore, though. I killed your friend, after all.”
This was the truth of Epona’s heart. Without the key that was Mireille, I would’ve never unlocked it.
“I will support you as Mireille’s friend. Mireille thanked you, didn’t she? She asked you to protect Alvan. It’s not my place to condemn you. To fulfill her wish… To help you become strong enough to protect this country, I will lend you my power. You don’t need to worry. I’m strong enough to survive a few rounds with you. Feel free to train with me to your heart’s content. Should you fall into bloodlust again on the battlefield, I will stop you,” I declared.
“Can I trust you on that?”
“Yes. You know what I’m capable of.”
“Yeah, I do. Um, there’s something I’ve always wanted to say but couldn’t bring myself to… Please be my friend. I never dared to say that to Mireille. If you’re okay with someone like me, and I don’t frighten you, then please be my friend… I’m lonely.”
Overwhelming power meant overwhelming isolation. That was something I could never have predicted.
“Sounds good to me. We’re friends,” I agreed.
I extended my right hand for a handshake. Epona gripped it tightly and smiled as she wiped away her tears.
“Ah-ha-ha, I’m embarrassed, but happy, too. Thank you, Lugh.”
“Of course, Epona.”
And just like that, I became the hero’s friend.
It was a relationship built on multiple calculated lies. Nonetheless, I still intended to be a genuine ally. That was how I planned to atone for deceiving Epona and using Mireille’s name. I would make up for my falsehoods by saving the hero.
…It’d been hard to warm up to the hero before. After hearing her bare her heart to me, however, I really didn’t want to kill her.
I didn’t assassinate people like some mindless tool anymore. I’d vowed to live my life for myself. To that end, I needed to search as best I could for a way to save the world without slaying Epona.
I would use every method available to me to prevent things from reaching a point where I would be forced to choose between Epona and the rest of the world.
No Comments Yet
Post a new comment
Register or Login