“What?”
Ash’s expression crumpled as he asked the question. Lowell hastily continued.
“Not like that! Think about before, all of your previous bodyguards have done the same thing, right?”
“…”
Ash, who was about to retort, shut his mouth again. Now that he thought about it, it was like that before. It had been so long since he had a bodyguard that he had forgotten for a moment.
“That’s fine with me!”
Elain blurted out the response, approaching Lowell quickly.
“You should have mentioned it sooner. Then I’ll always be there to look out for him, right?”
“As expected of Dame Elaine, we have the same way of thinking!”
Then Lowell and Elaine started talking about the advantages of moving her room next to Ash’s, chatting as if Ash wasn’t even there.
“You two seem to get along very well.”
Ash asked, looking at them as if he didn’t quite understand why it was necessary.
“Is it really that important?”
“Of course!”
Elaine turned her head towards Ash. Ash was startled by the sudden movement.
If she was able to move to the room next to Ash, she could respond to any situation right away. She had always felt worried about him when she returned to her quarters after work, but now there would be no need to worry. She was just happy that she would be able to stay close to Ash. Just like before, when they had always been together.
Ash, who had asked the question without much thought, was speechless at her reaction. Her eyes sparkled as she looked at him. It was a face that held pure joy, not due to any kind of selfishness or bad intentions. He didn’t know how to react and kept quiet.
“Do you not like the idea?”
When Ash didn’t answer, she looked up at him and asked, looking slightly downcast. For some reason, Ash opened his mouth and, without realizing it, responded.
“That’s, uhm…. no.”
“So you’ll allow it?”
“……alright.”
Her face brightened up as she looked back at Lowell, who was also smiling contentedly.
“Should we move everything right now? I don’t have much luggage, so it can be taken care of quickly.”
“I would like to do that as well, but first, I think we will need to fix the door and tidy up the hallway. How about tomorrow instead?”
Well, he was correct. The most pressing issues at the moment were as Lowell had said. Elaine nodded in agreement, with a slight feeling of regret.
“Yes, I understand.”
And just like that, the topic of Elaine’s residence was decided.
Was it just Ash’s illusion, or was he completely being dragged along with her whims, whether it was the bodyguard issue or this incident? Ash looked at Elaine’s smiling face and sighed.
After Elaine left, the blood splattered hallway was cleaned up by the employees. They were people who specialized in erasing all traces of situations like this. As assassins frequently appeared, specialized personnel were appointed.
The assassins who had been kept alive, were imprisoned immediately. The broken door was replaced. It was early morning when they had finished. Ash was then left alone in the quiet bedroom. As he laid down, he suddenly remembered what he had seen earlier.
The assassins Elaine had dealt with. After escorting him back to his quarters, they had attacked her on her way back to the dorms. Among the assassins, was a master. The assassins were superior in numbers, but she wasn’t injured at all. Rather, she had wiped out all the assassins herself.
If the bodyguard here today had been someone else, would they have been able to survive? As expected, she was strong, otherwise he would not have accepted her in the first place. It was for that reason he had allowed her to take the position of bodyguard and escort knight.
But was that the only reason? He unconsciously thought of ‘that person’.
It was said that they had been excellent at swordsmanship. Not just outstanding, but a genius talent, unable to be compared to ordinary masters.
Just like Elaine…
At some point, while thinking about this, Ash fell asleep.
In his dreams, there was a sea of fire. Bright blue flames all around. Screams and the sound of children crying. The smell of burning flesh, people moaning in pain. It was a sight that seemed to replicate hell. People suffocated in the heat and smoke from the fires. It was hot, like being in a furnace. He was unable to breathe.
‘Where am I?’
His vision was blurred by the flames. The scene was unclear, as if shrouded in fog. Beyond that, something was flickering as if barely able to be seen.
He stretched out his hand into the distance, reaching for the object. Then the dream ended.
***
Elaine packed her bags and left her room early the next morning. As she had said yesterday, she was going to move rooms today.
She went downstairs and approached the door leading to the headquarters. As she opened it, she was able to hear a murmur coming from the adjoining hall. The knights were gathered in front of the bulletin board on one side of the hall. In the middle, she was able to recognize the back of a familiar figure.
“Huh? Elaine!”
Cezanne turned around and saw her. Several other knights turned around at the sound of his voice. Cezanne spoke as he approached Elaine.
