Farewell (5)

As night fell, I finished saying goodnight to Vittorio and returned to my bedroom.

In fact, toward the end of dinner, the Count subtly suggested to Leonardo whether he would consider returning to Rondine Tower. 

He even offered the surprising condition that not only Leonardo but also Vittorio and I could stay in the tower, which was a generous offer. However, I declined it politely, feeling it would be an invasion of the original space.

After all, I was about to leave soon anyway.

It was true that I had already grown attached to this small, old fortress.

"Isaac, come here."

Leonardo, who had been on edge for a while, quickly grabbed me and sat me on his lap.

Did it really have to be this way?

He firmly held me in place to prevent me from escaping or squirming, then, with just one hand, he took out the ointment and skillfully twisted off the lid. 

"I told you I can handle it myself…"

Even when attempting to slip away, the more he tried, the tighter it gripped him like a Venus flytrap, so he soon gave up resisting. Leonardo raised the ointment high with an expression that showed no sign of being persuaded and lifted it to a place where his hands couldn't reach.

"It would be more comfortable to leave it to me rather than doing it yourself. And when it's just the two of us, it's better to use that ability," he suggested.

He was urging me to use while I was supposed to be resting my neck until the wound healed. I decided to keep quiet this time, letting him have his way, despite his feigned sternness.

I slightly lifted my chin, not wanting to get the ointment on my shirt. The faint sound of the bandage unravelling brushed against my ears. With a cautious expression, Leonardo gently extended his hand and stroked the area far from the wound. The sensation of his touch on my skin was so clear it made me unconsciously swallow.

"I won't say it was reckless. It must have been your best effort," he said.

He lowered his gaze and wrapped a thin cloth around his index finger before scooping out some ointment. The ointment clung to the rough fabric, and the feeling of it touching was slightly unpleasant and sticky.

What should I say? The cold ointment warmed up with Leonardo's body heat, melting like butter and becoming slightly slippery.

At the unfamiliar sensation, I lowered my gaze slightly, only to meet Leonardo's eyes. Somehow, the distance between us had closed enough that I could read his expression. I could guess the layers of questions stacked within him.

The details of the noisy night from last time are a truth shared only between me and those above who weave the stories.

What Godric had tried to do, how I stopped him, what we had to fight against, and why I suddenly stabbed my own neck—everything. For Leonardo, one of the characters involved, it must have been a night full of questions.

Even when the same event occurs, everything feels different depending on the perspective. From his point of view, it must have seemed that we went out in the dead of night to find the ledger, that those things gathered, and that the malicious forces, which had been gathering endlessly, retreated only because of my threat.

In reality, I had been shouting at the moon in the sky, but he probably thought I was threatening those things. So I understand the restrained expression on Leonardo's face, the effort not to pry too hastily.

Meanwhile, Leonardo, having wrapped the wound a few more times with a fresh bandage, slowly moved his fingers to finish the treatment. The slight pressure around my neck reflexively brought something to mind.

When Sub-Writer 1 had taken hold of it, the sensation of cool fingers gently sweeping down my neck came to mind. Suddenly, the dazzling, golden hair like fine threads seemed to cascade like a veil, brushing against my shoulder, and the sensation returned.

Each strand of hair was sharp as a needle, poking my neck and seemingly slicing thinly beneath my skin.

Where the sharp golden needles pierced, dark blood gathered, and blue bruises remained, forming a bizarre galaxy, and following the marks of hands, bruises bloomed on my neck. The image of me, pathetic and helpless, gasping and swallowing my saliva with a glug made me feel like I was buried in mud.

"Isaac."

Leonardo gently pulled me closer, pressing his body against mine. I realized what he had just overlapped with and felt a wave of despair. This wasn't how I intended to be weak. He quietly observed my reaction and whispered softly.

"I won't ask too much. But can you answer just one thing for me?"

His tone sounded somewhat like an interrogation. His gaze stayed fixed on me, unrelenting. It was as though he was looking for a clue. Eventually, what Leonardo asked was really just one thing.

「If the person named 'Isaac' dies here, does it mean that everything can be protected… what does that mean?」

My body froze stiff. Leonardo, as if not allowing any escape, tightened his grip. In the grip of someone else's arm and hand, I was trapped in the smallest prison in the world, facing him.

Could it be that in the chaos, the thoughts I hadn't been able to censor had flowed into Leonardo directly?

Or perhaps he inferred something from seeing me threaten with my life. I wonder if this behaviour might feel out of place for the characters?

My mind becomes a tangled mess. The truth, however, is simple.

If I die, the —which is presumed to reside within me—will most likely be destroyed along with me. Along with the body of Leovald, which is kept in the .

Because I am a human outside of the rules. I am an outsider, a being from beyond the stage, forever nothing more than an outsider…

The idea that everything will disappear when I die is merely a guess. However, Sub-Writer 1 has backed off because they are after the and Leovald's body. That's all there is to the story. But how can I explain all of this to Leonardo, a character in the story?

Leonardo's fingers dig in. Then, unknowingly, I release my tightly clenched hand to accept his fingers. 

When I pull our intertwined hands into my palm, I can feel the rhythmic thumping of his heartbeat. It's said that when two people hold each other closely, their hearts beat at the same pace, synchronizing. And it does. The vibrations of the heartbeats overlap perfectly, amplifying, and the sound of the pounding reverberates wildly inside my chest.

However…

He watches me with a gaze that's more subdued than before. It feels as though I'm being interrogated as a criminal, and it sends a chill down my spine. There's no one in the world who would interrogate a prisoner this way, though.

Seeing me hesitate in confusion, Leonardo collapses his posture, curling his body tightly and burrowing into my embrace. Even though he's still wrapping himself around me like a snake, seeing him in such a crumpled state makes the tension from before melt away.

"I wasn't trying to torment you."

He whispered softly. His voice was much gentler, almost soothing, compared to before.

"I was just worried about you."

His eyes drooped slightly, taking on a darker expression, and without realizing it, I cupped his cheek.

"It was just a threat. I was showing off to the one targeting your corpse that I had it, and even if they came at me in swarms, I'd rather destroy it all than hand it over… Of course, I never intended to actually carry it out. I do know the value of my own life."

In my panic, I forgot to use .

As my voice grew increasingly shaky and distressing, Leonardo seemed to try to calm me, rubbing my shoulder and placing his finger to his lips with a soft "shh", as if there were something more important than hearing a response.

Only after calming me did he whisper slowly.

"So, will we continue to be together?"

I couldn't answer that question honestly.

I just quietly looked at him, and all I could do was share the best assumption I could make.

"…I'll be there to watch the moment you succeed."

When you defeat Godric, when you overcome Sub-Writer 1, and when you truly complete the story and trials.

Until this stage ends.

Until the main scenario concludes.

Until a good ending finds you.

As for what happens after that… well, that's anyone's guess. Perhaps the writers know, but they certainly wouldn't tell me easily. After all, they are not on my side but on the side of the stage's protagonist, Leovald.

'I'm not complaining about it, though… I've come to share the same feelings now. It's fine.'

Come to think of it, I suppose he's still at Ertinez Castle. Maybe I'll visit him tomorrow.

As I leaned against him, I remembered that even this quiet night was a long waiting period leading toward some point in the future.

'So, about the leap year great hunt—'

「Hmm.」

Without missing a beat, he casually shifted the topic as if the previous tense moment had never happened.

The room was silent, and only the quiet murmurs that filled my ears seemed to serve as the backdrop, making it feel like I might be able to sleep soundly for the first time in a while.

***

The next day. Having accepted the Count's proposal, Leonardo began the process of selecting members for the hunting party from the knights of the Count's castle.

Due to the commotion at Nidum Tower, many knights had sustained various injuries, so the pool of candidates wasn't very wide. Even though there were healing potions available, they weren't effective for external injuries and weren't the miracle cure for fatigue or illness. 

As a result, many of the knights Leonardo would take on the leap year grand crusade would likely be trainees he personally trained.

Ah. Still, one position was already filled.

"Wow, Sir Raul. You really have a knack for work. Congratulations on finding a new job!"

"I didn't ask for this! This is forced labour!""

I told him to rest and sent him back to the back alley inn, but less than three days later, Raul returned, collapsing onto the floor with a pained expression. No. He couldn't run away. He was coming with us to the Vernis Mountains.

"Last time, I noticed that you're pretty sturdy and have a strong will to live… Let's see each other for a long time. Haha."

I'll make the most of him, efficiently.

[ Persona laughs wickedly and calculates Raul's capabilities.]

"Stop smiling like you're going to grind people up! Commander, look at that. Isn't it creepy?"

"Watch your words. He looks happy, so it's actually nice to see."

"Ahh!"

Raul, witnessing Leonardo looking pleased in front of him, was completely overwhelmed.

Oh dear.