Episode 76: Continuing the Dream
What she felt first, swaying in the carriage, was a sense of fulfilment.
Her body was tired, but her spirits were bright, and it had been a very long time since she’d felt this way.
“You look happy, Fiine.”
“…Maybe.”
“You’re allowed to admit it.”
Smiling, Yuria handed her a loaf of bread she’d been given in the city.
Fiine had tried to pay properly for it, but had been refused: “We can’t take payment from Lady Fiine, who saved the city!”
Thanks to Edgar spreading the story far and wide, Fiine had become thoroughly famous in Mond.
“They were a lively lot, weren’t they.”
“…Yeah. They were a bit odd, so I was anxious at first.”
By the end, spending time with them had left her feeling even a little sad at the thought of parting.
“I’m sure we’ll see them again. It’s close by, so we could even take a trip to the Kingdom of Lyon.”
At their farewell, they’d said they would show her around if she ever came to Lyon.
She might not need to brush it off as mere social politeness. Perhaps she could take them up on it.
“…Yeah. I’m glad I got to talk properly with Mr. Burkhardt too.”
Looking back, the mission had been full of good things.
Of course there had been hard parts as well.
“Mr. Burkhardt said he’d come to our house, too.”
“Yes. We’ll have to host him properly when he does.”
A trip with Yuria. A visit from Burkhardt.
All that came to mind were things to look forward to in the future.
When had she last felt like this?
She lifted her face a little and looked out of the carriage window.
It was an unremarkable view, and yet it looked strangely beautiful.
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“U-um, Fiine, are you really sure?”
“Yeah. It’s fine, so please go all out.”
“…If you say so.”
Yuria, uncharacteristically nervous, reached for the scissors.
After checking once more, “You’re really sure?”, she gently touched Fiine’s bangs.
Snip, snip…
With each sound, silver hair fell to the floor.
By the time Yuria lowered the scissors, her field of vision was far clearer.
“…Yeah, that looks good.”
In the mirror, her heterochromia was plainly visible.
Until now she’d tried desperately to hide it, but she was done with that.
(I know that something like this won’t make a person change.)
It was more like a declaration of intent.
“Then, shall we go?”
“…Yes.”
The place they headed for was Yuria’s grave.
Fiine sometimes came alone, but she had never once brought Yuria here.
(But this, too, is something I need in order to move forward.)
Through Burkhardt’s request, Fiine had been able to honestly acknowledge what she felt.
(I’m going to change. So I can become someone I’m proud of.)
After pressing her hands together in front of the gravestone, she turned to face Yuria.
Today, she’d decided to talk about the cause of her death here.
“Yuria died protecting me.”
She explained the situation of that day flatly, so as not to become emotional.
How they’d been running around together on a battlefield short of hands. How Fiine had lost control and been unable to move, and Yuria had put her first and died.
Her voice trembled each time she said a fact aloud, because it reminded her of her pathetic self.
“Thank you for telling me, Fiine.”
“…No.”
“But it was pretty much what I’d expected.”
Ahaha, Yuria laughed in a bright voice that didn’t suit a graveyard at all, and squeezed Fiine’s hand.
“Because I’d absolutely do that.”
“Fiine,” Yuria called in a gentle voice, and cupped Fiine’s cheeks in both hands.
Before Fiine could say her name in return, Yuria’s lips touched her forehead.
“…Yuria?”
She looked up. When their eyes met, for some reason both of Yuria’s eyes were full of tears.
“A farewell kiss.”
“Eh?”
“…You decided to, in order to move forward, didn’t you?”
For a moment she froze, not understanding what Yuria meant.
Then she realised she’d caused an enormous misunderstanding.
“That’s not it!! I have no intention at all of disposing of you, Yuria, you know!?”
“…Eh? B-but to fight, I’m still in the way, aren’t I. With me around, Fiine can’t use her full strength…”
What Yuria said was correct.
Sustaining her, a magic doll, around the clock cost Fiine an enormous amount of magic.
(But giving Yuria up because of that… is out of the question.)
Bringing a dead person back and keeping her by your side forever as a magic doll wasn’t, surely, the right way to behave.
But Fiine didn’t want to be a right person.
She wanted to become strong, and to become someone who could protect everything precious to her.
Naturally, Yuria was among those precious things.
“Yeah. That’s why I’ve decided to get stronger. Strong enough to fight properly even while sustaining you.”
“…Fiine.”
“I told you the other day, didn’t I? Until I die, I’ll keep protecting you.”
Tears spilled from Yuria’s eyes.
She wiped them gently with her palm and gripped Yuria’s hand tightly.
“Let’s go home, Yuria. To our house.”
“…Yeah.”
Never again would she let go of this hand. She’d protect everything precious with her own two hands.
She had lost so much.
Even so, there must still be things she could redo.
“Yuria.”
As she stopped, a small child came into the corner of her vision.
They were crouched in front of someone’s grave, crying, pressing their hands together with all their might.
(I don’t want there to be any more kids like me.)
She had despaired of reality and stopped dreaming.
But surely it wasn’t too late yet.
“I want to see the rest of the dream, with Yuria.”