Episode 46: The Second Piece (3)
The child dug into Muriel’s embrace and sobbed. She cried as if she had been holding back for a long time. The tip of her nose twitched. She alternated between shaking violently and trembling softly, conveying her as it was, and Muriel, who felt like the child’s sorrow was directly transmitted to her, felt like crying for some reason too.
“Our dad… sniff… he’s not a bad person, right?”
“What?”
“Huff… my sister said earlier… that our dad isn’t, isn’t a follower of the Demon King.”
“Of course not. Your dad wasn’t a bad guy. He was probably an excellent man. He must have been a diligent and sincere person who worked so hard that his pacio wore out.”
Muriel was relieved that she could skillfully lie at times like this. Even though she didn’t know what kind of person the child’s father was, she could use her words to console her like this.
She couldn’t understand why the child’s father had used up all his pacio at such a young age. Perhaps the pacio he was born with was too little, or maybe he was a greedy man who used his pacio recklessly.
Still, he must have been a very good father for raising a daughter that couldn’t bring herself to leave their home because she was worried about her father despite being ostracized.
In that case, she wanted to help the daughter remember her father as a very good person.
“Dad died because of me. He worked all the time and died… because of me.”
Like all children, the child seemed mature beyond her years at times, yet was still undeniably childlike. Even though she understood why her father had worked so hard, she was tender enough to attribute it to her fault and felt guilty.
“No, that’s not true. It’s not, so don’t say stupid things like that.”
“Hng….”
Muriel held the child tightly in her arms for a long time.
In her mind, she recalled Kaiton and the fragment of Ur that had made her leave early in the morning. But when the pitiful arm, nothing but bones, embraced her, she couldn’t bring herself to say, “Don’t cry, we have to hurry.”
It wasn’t until the chest and shoulders she had offered to the child became completely soaked that her whimpering subsided.
“But what’s your name?”
“…Sierra Cole.”
“Alright, Sierra. I’ll go inside with that man to make your father comfortable, so wait here.”
“…I want to go too.”
When Muriel tried to distance herself, the skinny hand tightly grasped onto the hem of her clothes.
There was nothing pretty about the scene of cutting down a demon with a sword. Muriel turned to Jaron as if seeking his opinion, but he pursed his lips and remained silent.
Instead, he stood there with an unwavering posture, simply gazing at Muriel and the child.
Sigh…
“It won’t be a pleasant sight to see…”
“I want to go. Please take me with you.”
“…Alright.”
The child had meticulously barricaded the windows with planks. She must have a strong and determined personality, so there probably wasn’t a need to be too worried.
“But… if we kill the demons, won’t we… be cursed?”
Sierra, with a worried expression, blinked her eyelashes and looked up at Muriel. Muriel had no choice but to reveal the secret of the sword hanging from Jaron’s waist, because it seemed like Sierra was thinking Muriel would take up the sword herself.
“We have divine treasure that can ward off the demons’ curse, so it’ll be fine.”
“Are you saying that person is a guardian?”
“…Well, something like that.”
“Then, could that person be the owner of this place, Lord Eklum?”
“Uh? Oh, well…”
It was no good telling anyone that the divine treasure was in the hands of someone other than the guardian. When Muriel nodded hesitantly, Sierra, deeply moved, repeatedly bowed and said, “Thank you, Lord Eklum.”
Sorry.
When Muriel mouthed her apology to Jaron, who awkwardly accepted Sierra’s greeting, Jaron firmly shook his head. He seemed to say it didn’t matter what she introduced him as.
The house smelled of dust. The air was stale, as if the door had been locked for a long time. The lingering smell of spoiled food that hadn’t been cleared away also tickled her noses.
But what bothered her the most was the cold and damp air. It was different from the refreshing coolness that surrounded Fen when it was nearby. If Fen emitted a chilly breeze that reminded one of cute fluttering snowflakes, then the demons emitted a heavy, damp, and chilling coldness that one might associate with the monsoon season in midwinter.
As soon as Sierra entered the house, she burst into tears.
“Dad… sniff… Dad… sniff….”
The father who’d worked night and day for Sierra seemed to be a magic stone craftsman. Skillfully crafted gemstones were placed throughout the house, giving off the touch of a skilled craftsman.
It felt strange.
When she looked at the meticulously crafted gemstones, the cold air no longer felt unpleasant. It was just pitiful.
What was this?
What on earth was this obsession? Just do it roughly. Don’t try too hard and just make it half-heartedly.
He put so much effort and gave it his all to make the magic stones. In the barren house, only the smooth magic gemstones shone brightly, retaining their elegance. When even the man who made them had lost his light and become a demon.
“May you find rest by God’s side.”
Jaron drew Dachini’s sword, which fell gracefully without any waste.
Whenever Jaron swung his sword, it was always reckless, unruly, and aggressive, like a thug’s fist. But the tip of his sword that sliced through the white ghost was different. It was neat, dignified, and devout. It was a strike that harmonized well with his prayer for finding rest.
It would be good if he could regain his original form even in death. The fallen demon on the ground remained in the shape of the pure white calamity. It crumbled to a pale ash, making it difficult to discern its original face.
“Goodbye….”
Sierra knelt beside the white corpse and kissed her father’s cheek. Muriel was worried that the demon might open its eyes and steal its child’s pacio, but there was no hesitation in the child’s actions. She simply bid a calm farewell, filled with love and longing.
“Thank you.”
Sierra bowed her head without holding onto Muriel, indicating that she should go now. Jaron had offered to help build the grave, but the child firmly declined. She believed that showing the corpse was necessary to calm the villagers’ anxiety.
Indeed, she was a strong child.
To think she would try to live again in this village, in that house.
“This. You can keep this or sell it, whichever you prefer.”
Muriel handed over the red ring that belonged to Rovelia.
“It’s a talisman with pacio inside. If you have it, it will protect your pacio.”
“Can I… accept something so precious?”
“It’s a reward for your strength. Don’t lose heart.”
She hoped that the fact that her father had become a demon after losing his pacio wouldn’t become a burden shackling the child’s feet. Pacio was a difficult thing to work with, for being too reckless could reduce you to white ashes, but being too fearful meant you could take no action.
Wasn’t pacio said to be the flame of life? Muriel hoped the child wouldn’t be afraid of what was likened to be a passion for life. That way, it wouldn’t be too sad. She wanted her to be a strong child who lived boldly.
“If you ever decide to sell it, buy yourself a meal. You’ll have enough money to buy meals for a lifetime.”
“…I won’t sell it. I’ll keep it with care… and repay the favor someday.”
“What favor?”
Sierra received the ring and put it on her finger. As she touched the red pendant, her expression became clouded. It seemed like she was imagining what it would have been like if her father had possessed such a beautiful talisman.
Gently, gently.
Muriel didn’t know what kind of words of consolation to offer, so she simply patted Sierra’s shoulder. The brave child quickly put on a mature smile.
“And… the big guy who helped you. Actually, it’s Jaron. Not Eklum. Jaron Calypso. It’s upsetting when people call you by the wrong name, so I wanted to let you know the correct one.”
“…Ah, yes. Mr. Jaron.”
Sierra didn’t ask why a man with the surname Calypso possessed a divine treasure. She simply murmured Jaron’s name as if etching it deep into her heart and bowed her head towards him.
She truly was a deep-hearted child.
Muriel nodded proudly, but then Fen smacked her head with his tail.
“What is it, Fen? What’s wrong with you all of a sudden?”
-Crrrr.
Fen kept pushing Muriel’s body with his big tail, as if he couldn’t get rid of his dissatisfaction. Even though he wasn’t using much force, he was so huge that Muriel could only be pushed around like a paper doll.
“Do you want me to tell her your name too? Alright, this is Fen, Sierra.”
“…Thank you, Fen.”
“Ah! Stop pushing, you rascal.”
As if it wasn’t enough, Fen continued to nudge Muriel with his snout, but Muriel couldn’t figure out what he wanted at all.
Although it didn’t hurt, Muriel knew that once Fen started to sulk, his heartache would last for quite a while, so she wanted to fulfill his request as much as possible, but she couldn’t understand what he wanted.
Did he not want her to give her Jaron’s name?
“I can’t just let her call him Eklum. Is it because you don’t like seeing Jaron doing well..?”
He sighed, knowing what she was thinking. Muriel must be frustrated that she couldn’t understand his words.
“Well… I’ll ask Crawford what’s wrong with you when I meet him later. I have no idea why you’re acting like this right now.”
Muriel, who did not know that what upset Fen was exactly her referring to Kaiton as Crawford, tried to soothe him.
-Crrrr… (Poor Kaiton.)
“Please also tell me your name, sister. I won’t forget. I will definitely remember it, so please let me know.”
…It was a strange sense of deja vu.
I will never forget, I will remember, so please let me know your name.
Kaiton’s magic was flawlessly thorough, but it couldn’t completely erase what had happened.
So, as Muriel listened to Sierra’s words, similar to the desperate plea she had made to Kaiton, she felt a strange sense of Deja Vu. She also felt longing. The sudden thoughts of Kaiton that kept coming up confused her.
“It’s Muriel Storm. I will remember you too.”
She didn’t know why the words “I will remember” hurt her heart so much. Without realizing the cause of the overwhelming guilt welling up inside her, Muriel set off on her way again.
Sierra waited until they were out of sight, holding her ground and seeing them off. As Muriel moved further away, she kept turning back to check on the child, and every time, Sierra was there.
Stay strong.
Muriel silently cheered for the child’s future in her heart. With all her heart. It wouldn’t be easy for her to live in that place while facing the townsmens’ scrutiny, but perhaps Sierra could get through it.
Stay strong. Stay strong, Sierra.
I thought about it, and damn it, Kaiton watched Muriel forget all about him twice. I think it would rip my heart apart too if someone I cared about, the only one, especially, forgot about me twice. Not saying his anger towards Muriel is justified, but I can get why he turned cold and bitter.
I’m worried about Seirra. I hope the townsmen won’t pick on her any longer, and also how would the kid survive on her own? :((