Chapter 24

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“Make sure you keep watch, Yulg.”
“…Yeah.”

Leaning against a rock, I kept my eyes averted from the spring as I gave my reply.
I still didn’t understand how things ended up like this… but Fimia was the one who asked Rolo to swap places with me.
She might end up baring herself, so why would she choose me over Rolo? I really don’t get it.

The sound of rustling clothes, followed by a small splash of water, echoed behind me. Then came silence.

“Yulg.”
“What?”
“To be honest… I’m angry.”

I tilted my head, still facing away, unsure what she meant.

“At what? If it’s about this morning, I’m not apologizing.”
“Not at you. At myself.”

There was a faint splash, and I could sense Fimia turning toward me. Once you’ve been targeted as often as I have, you start sensing these things without needing to look.

“I meant it as a light comment… but I should’ve considered your feelings more seriously.”
“Now wait, did you eat something weird?”
“Please don’t joke. I’m confessing.”
“You’re the one who usually hears confessions, aren’t you? …Anyway, don’t worry about it. It’s just the truth.”

As if to drown out my sigh, the sound of water drew closer. Damn it, Fimia—she’s naked right now, isn’t she? What if I accidentally turned around? That’d be disastrous. She’s too careless. Though… being trusted not to do something like that is strangely heartwarming.

“I’m sorry.”

Her voice came from right behind me, soft and apologetic. It was a little surprising to hear the usually sharp-tongued “Saint” sound so meek.

“I said don’t worry about it.”
“But maybe… if I hadn’t said what I did, you wouldn’t have—”
“You’re wrong. You’re overthinking it. I’d been turning it over in my head for a while. It just slipped out. It wasn’t your fault.”

I waved my hand lightly from side to side, signaling that she was worrying over nothing.

“You sure it’s okay to keep chatting like this? What about your ritual?”
“It’s done. All that’s left is to lighten my heart and sleep.”
“Then I’ll help lighten your heart a bit more.”

Still facing away, I spoke toward Fimia. I’m not great at this kind of thing, but she seemed to be brooding too much. I didn’t want things to get awkward, and I definitely didn’t want her treating me with weird caution.

So I decided to speak honestly.

“Honestly… just having you care this much already means a lot to me. You’ve seen it yourself—people in this village hate me. Back when I was a kid, the only ones on my side were Rolo and his family.”
“Yulg…”
“But then I went to Advante. I met you guys. Sure, Albert turned out to be a bust, but you and Saran—you two stuck with me, didn’t you? You… I don’t know, you were friends, weren’t you?”

Saying it out loud made me feel kind of embarrassed. And besides, is ‘friends’ really the right word? What’s the difference between comrades and friends anyway?

…I’m not smart enough to tell, but to me, you’re all people who matter.

“Because of you guys, I was able to get just a little better. But I don’t expect the villagers to understand that. I was a brat back then—I caused them too much trouble. It’s natural they’d resent me or avoid me. So I figured, once I’ve repaid my debts a bit, I’d leave.”
“That’s… too sad, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, I guess. But for Marhas, the best thing is for someone like me to stay out of the way.”

As I finished speaking, I felt Fimia’s fingertips gently touch my back.

“What is it?”
“You have to stay here. You really do.”
“Were you even listening?”

I couldn’t help but chuckle. This side of Fimia… I hadn’t seen it even after all the years we spent in Silhasta together. I’d always thought she was the kind of woman who avoided conflict and tried to keep the peace. But it turns out she’s more stubborn than I expected.

“I’m a priestess. A ‘Saint.’ So, in the name of the sacred god, I grant you pardon.”
“Huh?”
“I pardon your remorse. I pardon your struggle for atonement. I pardon your words of reconciliation. And I pardon you—for choosing to live among people.”

I felt something warm, like a soft light pouring over my body. Did Fimia just use some kind of magic?

“Hey, Fimia?”
“Listen, Yulg. You’re kind, so you try to distance yourself. But those you push away like that… they’re hurt by it, you know.”
“I’m not pushing anyone away—”
“Yes, you are. People change. You say the past can’t be changed, but even you have changed—from a ‘Scoundrel’ to ‘Skysunder.’ In the same way, those you hurt in the past… they can change too.”

Her gentle voice, and the warmth at my back, stirred something inside me. She was stepping into the part of me I’d always avoided—the part I’d given up on. But surprisingly, it didn’t feel unpleasant. Her words, “I pardon you,” seemed to become a pillar holding me up.

“…Alright. I’ll try. I’ll give it a shot.”
“That honesty is one of your best traits.”

With those words, her fingers slipped away from my back. But the spark she’d lit in my heart still remained.

Confidence…or maybe courage? Whatever it was, it was something positive, and it flickered quietly within me, hard to put into words.

“What in the world… is this feeling?”
“A spell to give you courage. How do you feel?”
“Not bad. Thanks, Fimia.”
“You’re welcome… ah-choo.”

A soft sneeze from the “Saint” behind me. Even if it’s warmer these days, standing around in cold water is still a good way to get chilled. Before worrying about me, she ought to take better care of herself.

“I left your change of clothes there. Let’s head back after you’re dressed.”
“Right. I’d love some hot soup too.”
“Fine, fine. I’ll whip something up later.”

We’ve got plenty of monster meat. And believe it or not, I’m pretty good at cooking it. Adventurer life teaches you these things—on both the eating and the cooking side.

“Rolo, you can come out now.”

Once I was sure Fimia had changed, I called out. Rolo emerged from the shadows of a tree not far away.

As always, he’s good at using magic to conceal himself. No doubt he heard everything we said. Well, I knew he was there from the start—that’s why I was fine talking with Fimia. No need to worry about being accused of anything funny later.

“You knew I was there?”
“Kind of. You can hide your form, but not your presence.”
“I just can’t measure up to you, Yulg…”

I laughed and gave her a light pat on the shoulder.

“I’m still better at hide-and-seek.”
“Ooh, want a rematch? I’ll use magic to find you this time!”
“That’s cheating. Fimia, you in?”
“I’ll pass. I don’t think I could win.”

Chuckling together, the three of us headed down the small path toward the village. Above the trees, the moon had begun to rise quietly into the sky.