“Go. I’ll fix this.”
Kaiton gestured towards August with his eyes. August stood by the door, looking worried.
“What about you, Kaiton?”
“I have to handle that.”
At Kaiton’s nod, Debbie, who had been trembling in the corner, let out a gasp and stood up. August, who was standing farther away, seemed to have missed the whispered conversation she’d had with Kaiton, But Debbie, who was closer, saw and heard everything. Even if Muriel told her that Ur’s true name was Kaiton, she’d had no intention of revealing to her who Kaiton Ur was.
“Then I’ll stay here too…”
Feeling a sense of responsibility, Muriel spoke up awkwardly.
“You too?”
Kaiton raised an eyebrow in surprise. He seemed to think she would undoubtedly go to August with Ondal without hesitation.
“Well, her… it’s because of me.”
“Ah… right… it’s because of you.”
Kaiton burst into a good laugh. The change in his expression was astonishing. Instead of his usual sarcastic demeanor, he bent the corner of his eyes in the shape of a crescent, and smiled with genuine joy. He looked at Muriel with a softened face and even smiled satisfactorily.
“You were flaunting Kaiton Ur as the Demon King just a little while ago, so what made you call me Kaiton as soon as you saw me?”
It would only be right for him to blame her, but his tone and expression were so soft and pleasant that it sounded like he was praising her. If she felt a sense of pride on the clearly scrutinizing face, she must clearly be mistaken, right?
“…I didn’t do it on purpose. It just popped out without realizing it…”
At Muriel’s excuse, he even nodded his head in satisfaction, like a benevolent ruler. Muriel became confused. Kaiton was clearly mocking Muriel’s mistake, and so she wondered why she was misreading him like a fool.
“Well… for now, Ondal. I’ll be there in a minute, so can you ask August to wait for a moment?”
Muriel remembered the task that needed to be done with her blank mind and said to Ondal.
“Can’t…I stay here as well?”
That was difficult. Muriel didn’t know what Kaiton meant by ‘handling.’
The magic of memory erasure briefly came to mind, but it was an ancient magic that had disappeared a long time ago. It was because it was forbidden due to severe side effects. Even if it was Kaiton, it seemed unlikely that he would know about memory erasure magic. In that case, the only remaining options for handling the situation were radical and extreme.
“August must be worried by himself. I’m telling you… It’s nothing to worry about.”
“…If Muriel wants it… I’ll do that. If you want me to leave… I’ll do that.”
Ondal did not cry or cling. Rather, he appeared calm and indifferent, just like when they first met. However, Muriel knew that he could skillfully hide even extreme fear or anxiety. It seemed more like he was accustomed to being detached than making an effort to hide things, really. It broke her heart that he could easily conceal his emotions of pain while being unable to hide his joy. But now, it seemed right to let him go. She didn’t want to involve him in something that could potentially kill an innocent wizard.
“…Explain it well to August. I’m begging you.”
Ondal nodded silently and went out with August, who supported him. Before leaving, he briefly touched his blindfold, perhaps wanting to personally confirm that Muriel was unharmed, but it was just for a moment. He didn’t want to trouble Muriel. He didn’t want to hear her tell him to get out again. He wanted to listen to whatever Muriel wanted.
It was for himself. He was used to enduring and holding back fear, anxiety, and pain, but he didn’t know how to handle Muriel’s distress. Just the thought of Muriel getting angry at him made it hard for him to breathe. If Muriel really vented her anger at him, he knew he wouldn’t be able to handle it at all. So Ondal hastened his heavy footsteps and did as she wished.
He missed her already. But this time, he couldn’t see her through Sharan’s eyes. It was a feeling he couldn’t name because he’d never experienced it before. He desperately wanted to see Muriel, but he didn’t want to see her by Ur’s side.
He hated the arrogant, confident man who claimed he could protect her without even cherishing her. Muriel was his moon, and he didn’t want the man with black eyes like the night sky to stay by her. He didn’t like how they naturally stood together, like they completed each other, as if it were obvious.
However, he had no choice if that was what Muriel wanted. Because it was Muriel. His moon, his savior. The sun he dared not raise his eyes to, but he always yearned for the world beyond the darkness. Muriel. Ondal quietly pronounced his name with his eyes closed to avoid the white brightness of the snow wilderness. With that alone, he was no longer in the darkness.
“What kind of action… are you planning?”
Muriel asked as Ondal left. Perhaps it was because she was thinking about preparing for what was to come, her voice came out overly grim. Kaiton chuckled lightly at Muriel as he took out a piece of Ur from his pocket.
Did that mean he was going to turn Debbie into a demon?
Debbie seemed to think so too, but she couldn’t move a muscle.
She seemed to be under Kaiton’s spell. Just like the new black wizard who brought Kaiton to Debbie’s house. She stuck by Debbie’s side, but she wasn’t scared at all. Instead, she observed Kaiton with curious eyes.
“Is that by any chance a piece of Ur?”
Sadie, the black wizard with freckles and auburn hair, asked.
“Yeah. Some say it’s the pinnacle of black magic, so overwhelming that it’s not strange to call it the Demon King’s power.”
“You, aren’t you Kai Crawford? The Court Wizard. Why does Sharan’s dog have a fragment of Ur?”
“Sharan’s dog, huh…”
I’m being treated like a dog a lot today, Kaiton said with a sarcastic laugh. Even though it wasn’t directed at her, his smile was so chilling that it sent shivers down her spine. Muriel thought that no matter what action he took, she had to deal with her mistake herself, so she reluctantly thought it couldn’t be helped at the moment and grabbed onto Kaiton’s clothes.
“…Memories…! How about a magic that erases them?”
“I’m not going to use magic. I didn’t send Sharan away just to let him sneak a peek.”
You don’t want him to peek?
Weren’t you planning to make a demon?
As Muriel leaned, Debbie roared angrily. It was more like she was venting her frustration instead of it being out of fear. She felt injustice and angered.
“Damn it! Muriel Storm!! You were going to do this from the start, right? If I said no to going to the Ghost Estate, you were going to throw me to the Demon King as prey, right?! You’re going to give the Demon King a chance? Since he’s strong, he doesn’t need to make insidious easy choices?! Hell, hell, hell…! I can’t believe I was taken in for a moment by such nonsense. Do you think I became a wizard so I could be fed to the Demon King?”
“I have no intention of devouring you, Debbie Calliger.”
Kaiton smiled as he looked at Debbie.
“Oh, of course, it’s not because of that talk of subordinates. The wizards of the Plateau don’t trust anything other than their own power, do they? I don’t expect you to trust and follow me.”
“…Then what are you going to do? If you’re not going to erase my memories, make me a demon, or kidnap me… Are you going to stab me with a knife?”
“I think I’ll lend you this.”
Kaiton held out the fragment.
“Curious, aren’t you? How on earth did Callahan Ur manage to create something like this? What kind of magic is involved that allows him to steal pacio? Even if it’s not demonic power, it’s still an impressive achievement, so a black wizard would naturally be curious.”
“…Are you saying you’ll allow me to study Ur’s sculpture?”
Debbie asked with a stunned expression. She seemed skeptical of Kaiton’s proposal.
Muriel was also surprised. What Kaiton was holding was the last fragment he had. Two were taken by Sharan, and Muriel had the other four. Her heart started to pound when she realized what Kaiton’s choice meant. He took a step forward. As Muriel hoped, he was looking at alternate paths, not just that of the Demon King.
Muriel’s toes trembled when she realized this. A gentle and warm joy filled her heart, like a soft breeze caressing her face. At the same time, a thrill ran through her body, enough to make her shiver.
“I wouldn’t mind you using it and sacrificing pacio to me, but I think it would be best to throw it as research material to multiple people at once. After all, one wizard is not enough to build the fortress you desire, Muriel.”
“…Kaiton.”
Kaiton looked back, but Muriel couldn’t easily talk. It was because her throat was tight because of the overwhelming emotions that came up.
“That…”
Was thank you enough?
Were there words that can convey the trembling, joy, and emotion she was feeling right now?
Muriel clung tightly to the edge of Kaiton’s coat, conflicted. She wanted to quickly express her gratitude, but no words could properly convey her feelings and it seemed like her heart’s feelings would be diluted if she said them half-heartedly.
“You look surprised.”
“Yes, a little.”
Muriel readily admitted.
“I thought you might kill her or turn her into a demon when you said you’d handle it.”
“Well, that’s one way to do it.”
“…Is it okay?”
Kaiton made a mischievous look and whispered quietly into Muriel’s ear. She could feel his body temperature and breath against her ear. Muriel couldn’t breathe properly and froze in place, still holding the hem of his coat. She was so startled that her grip tightened, and although she was screaming inside, she couldn’t even open her mouth because her breath might come too loudly.
“Don’t worry, no matter how much they study, they’ll never find out the secret of the sculpture.”
“Ah…!”
“There’s why Sharan has been chasing Ur since the founding of the nation. Do you think just anyone can make something like that?”
Kaiton chuckled. Still, the wizards reassured Muriel that they would never let go of the fragment, even if it was a difficult task because they didn’t know what giving up was. What Muriel was worried about wasn’t the increase of objects like Ur’s sculpture that caused chaos in the world, it was Kaiton losing his main weapon. But he seemed unconcerned about that.
“You really look surprised?”
Kaiton raised an eyebrow when he saw Muriel soothing her surprised chest with her hand.
“You said I wouldn’t choose a weak and despicable path because I’m strong, but were those just empty words?”
No, it was because she thought he was going to kiss her… But she couldn’t say that.
His sudden approach reminded her of the night on the plateau…
Gulping.
Trying to look away from Kaiton when her gaze involuntarily kept going to his lips, Muriel shook her head.
“I really believed that.”
Although Kai’s surprise had wiped her mind blank, Muriel still wanted to convey her heartfelt appreciation.
“Thank you. For opening up to me… For trusting me.”
Kaiton wanted to tell her not to so easily conclude that he trusted her, but he just looked at Muriel’s hand, which was clutching his clothes until her knuckles turned white.
“Even though you were mean to Ondal, thank you for sparing him despite knowing he’s a Sharan…. Thank you for giving me the chance to help you, Kaiton. I was so surprised I lost all my strength… I was so touched.”
“….”
“…Sincerely.”
“…It doesn’t mean much.”
“…Yes.”
“As for the fragment, I can come find it anytime…”
“…Mhm.”
Silence fell between the two. Muriel realized that she didn’t need to struggle to find the right words to express her feelings. It was okay to say simple words. Just like Kaiton’s eyes did, Muriel’s eyes would speak volumes on her behalf.
Awww progress
I like how it’s hard for Kaiton to let go of his own ideals and plots for revenge. How Muriel has to work for what she wants, and struggles and appreciates the small steps. A lot of the time, this process isn’t acknowledged in stories.
Thanks! Happy for them, hahah