Chapter CLXXII - Ignorance (part 1)

Afternoon came, and we all prepared to leave.

The tent for the war room was taken down, and the knights are starting to leave the village.

I didn't get the chance to say one last goodbye to Lury, because the kingdom wants to interrogate the assassin I just captured as quickly as possible, and they want to bring him to the interrogation building at the knights headquarters in the capital.

Just before the sun went down, we departed from the village.

"Fyuh... That was quite short and tense."

Fran said while inside the carriage. For her, standing in front of the entire kingdom that isn't exactly a friendly position is quite nerve-wrecking, especially when she is merely a messenger. If only Veldonia decided to slash her down right there and then, who knows how many rankers would be sent to take her down.

Obviously, there's also Cane, and I am merely a few tens of meters away from them. But, I do understand why it still felt nerve-wrecking.

"At least, we got the mission done."

The princess said while forming a V with her fingers, a sign of victory. Seeing this, Fran let out a sigh.

"You always see things from the positive..."

"I learned to live that way, after all!"

Lescia said with a wide grin, and Fran let out a sigh. Meanwhile, I don't need the eyes of truth to see what she meant.

To live that long… while bearing that kind of pain. It's a miracle how she hasn't ended her own life.

What was it that drove her to stay sane? To keep moving forward?

Lescia turned to me because she noticed I was staring at her, and I quickly turned my gaze away without showing any emotions. Who knows how much she can read from just my expression, so I must keep an emotionless face to keep my thoughts hidden.

"We're quite lucky, huh?"

Lescia said to me, and I noticed what she meant. I chuckled and turned my gaze back to her.

"Yeah. We are."

The trip back took around the same time as before. By the time we arrived, snow was already falling quite heavily.

The carriage stopped just outside the Office, and it will move again to deliver the princess back to the middle castle.

Everyone hopped down the carriage, with me being the last to go. It was snowing quite heavily, so everyone rushed inside to the Office. But, I stayed under the snow and turned to face the princess inside the carriage.

"I guess I will see you later."

I said slightly awkward, but the princess chuckled.

"I can go and find you at any time! I know your address."

She suddenly said, which surprised me. I then hummed and had a thought crossing my mind.

"You know, if you want… you can come by my house sometimes. I know I can't go into yours, and--"

"I'd like to! I'll sneak out any chance I can get."

Hearing her saying that so quickly and so energetically, I became relieved. It was difficult for me to invite her like that, so it made me glad that she felt the same way I do.

"Make sure there's more of those sweets, yeah?"

She said, and I quickly remembered the bread and strawberry jam that I made for her and the others. I laughed, and then lifted my hand and pointed only my pinkie finger.

"Pinkie promise."

She looked quite confused about what I am trying to do, but she lifted her pinkie as well. I moved closer towards the carriage, and I curled my pinkie with hers, doing a little pinkie shake.

Lescia noticed what I was doing, and laughed at how stupid and cute that was. But, I'm not ashamed.

She sat down inside the carriage again and waved her hand before closing the door. I waved my hand while the carriage began to move again, this time towards the middle castle. I can see a glimpse of her shadow watching me from the window as the carriage grows further and further away, leaving me by myself under this heavy snow.

That was… a heartwarming trip.

I hope I get to see her again.

I chuckled at how weird I am being, and I turned towards the Office. The snow is already falling heavily, and I had to dust off the snow from the top of my head and shoulder.

As soon as I entered, a certain person was waiting for me by the door.

"It really is weird how she got really close to you that fast."

Fran said to me as soon as I entered, and I turned my confused gaze to her.

"She can see through people, and the fact that she got close that fast with you means that she acknowledges you. Even though I was only close with her when we were younger, not so much anymore now."

Fran said while wearing a tired expression. From the looks of it, she also wants to be closer with Lescia, but couldn't.

"I can say that goes both ways. Something about her just makes me feel... interested."

"Hmm. If only either of you is a boy, you guys would probably be dating by now, huh?"

Fran said while turning away towards the receptionist desk, but I quickly froze on the spot.

She noticed that I suddenly stopped moving, and became curious.

"What's wrong?"

She asked, but a simple grin is forming on my face.

"… Maybe."

I said that, and began walking to the receptionist desk, where everyone is. Fran noticed that I was being weird, so she ignored that.

The two of us continued walking towards the receptionist desk. Keila and the master were waiting just outside the desk while talking with Rath and the others.

Everyone was telling Valon about the story, and it ended just when me and Fran arrived.

"I see... So the king accepted that idea? That's really odd."

Valon said as he placed his fingers on his chin and pondered. Everyone else felt the same, how this whole situation felt amiss.

"I agree... The king gave up too easily. But I left a little something there, just in case something happened."

I said to him, which surprised everyone.

"… Which is?"

"Do you know the transmitter beacon that was made for the war? The one that you gave to us."

Valon thought about it for a while, and it was a funny three seconds as his expression changed from confusion to annoyance.

That device was made by the Xyphon technology center, the place where the most advanced magic technology is being made. Certainly, that tool was by no means cheap, and it was definitely difficult to make.

For me to use it, right here and now…

"That was a tool for the war!"

"Hey, this is just as important. What if there was a sudden--"

BEEEEEEEPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My sentence was cut off the moment a beeping sound was heard. 

That was a very long beep, and everyone next to the receptionist desk heard it loud and clear.

Time… became much slower. The pupils in my eyes grew smaller, and everyone else also knew what the sound meant. They all also wore the same horrified expression, knowing exactly what that beep means.

…

I jinxed it…

My very own words…

The way the tool works is that it explodes and sends out a rather unnoticeable blast of magic energy wave. The blast happened only when the button was pushed, and since I am quite keen, I can sense that it came from the button.

I can already feel the magical signal coming from the direction where the village was.

And right now…

…

"GaaaaaaaaAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!"

My retinas turned black and my pupils became brighter as the pressure in the air became heavy. I turned around and opened my devil wings instantly, and I flew across the room without hesitation.

BAAAAARRRRRR!!!!!!!!

The entire front door of the Office was destroyed to oblivion. I crashed through it with no sense of care, and immediately began flying upwards towards the cold snowing skies. 

I enchanted every single flying limb on my body, including adding flame boosters on my foot and boosters on my wings.

"Rize!!"

By the time Fran and the others ran outside, I'm already gone from their view.