Chapter 29 The Brightening Night Sky And Two Fools
For Quollio, reading time was pure joy, the best part of his day, and a way to escape.
Every time he turned a page, he loved the smell of the paper and ink. It was like stepping into a world filled with ideas and knowledge.
Every time he learned something new, he felt alive. He had lost count of how many times he got so caught up in a book that he looked out the window and saw the morning sky turn into a starry night without even realizing it.
But now...
"Ugh, I can't focus on this at all."
Something was off.
Normally, he could sit still for hours.
But now, one of his feet was restless, and his fingers kept tapping on the spine of the book.
Instead of the usual quiet reading, it felt like a storm was raging inside him.
"What's wrong with me? Why can't I concentrate?"
This was more than just a little distraction.
Quollio knew deep down what was bothering him.
He glanced at the empty bed nearby, feeling frustrated.
"Yeah, it's that guy's fault. He skipped practice and went off somewhere. Now I'm the one getting questioned."
Today was already turning out to be terrible, and it was all because of someone who wasn't even here.
"It's all his fault..."
He felt the need to complain about it.
"Who's to blame?"
"Hey! You! Where have you been wandering off to──."
He turned around to see the source of his annoyance, the one person he had heard too much about this past week.
Hiiro stood there, covered in mud and holding a crumpled paper bag. Quollio couldn't find the words to complain anymore.
"Yo, what's with you? Why'd you suddenly go all quiet?"
"Don't talk to me about suddenly coming back! But seriously, why are you so muddy?"
"Oh, this? Ugh, don’t even remind me. That old geezer Mardock had me doing a bunch of crap: cleaning, gardening, sorting junk in the storage room. I barely made it back before curfew!"
"Cleaning? Gardening? You skipped knight training for that? What were you thinking?"
Quollio was completely confused.
He knew Hiiro took his training seriously. In fact, he thought Hiiro was one of the most passionate new recruits.
Some instructors even had high hopes for him. That's why Quollio felt even more unsettled seeing this side of someone who had treated him badly before.
"Hmm..."
There was no way to understand why Hiiro was doing all this extra work instead of training.
Quollio expected an explanation, but Hiiro didn't say anything.
Instead, he just shoved the crumpled paper bag toward Quollio.
"What's this? A paper bag?"
"...It's a promise."
"A promise?"
The moment he took the bag, he felt its heavy weight.
Hiiro looked away, not saying much.
Quollio felt a strange knot in his throat as he tried to peek inside the bag.
"Hey, Merifar!! You finally made it back, you rascal!"
"Huh?"
"Don't act surprised! You just come back and ignore what I'm saying! The instructor told me to bring you back as soon as you returned!"
"Ugh, I heard you already."
A young knight burst into the room, making a fuss as he confronted Hiiro.
This knight was serious and had been chosen to lead the new recruits in the dorm.
He must have been sent to bring Hiiro back for skipping practice.
But Hiiro didn't listen to him and came back here anyway, prioritizing something else.
"Then hurry up and come with me. Just so you know, the instructor is really angry. Be ready for a tough lecture."
"Yeah, yeah. I was expecting it."
"Don't act cool after skipping! Let's go!"
"Alright, see ya, Quollio."
"Hey, wait!"
Without much resistance or explanation, Hiiro followed the knight out. It was all so chaotic.
He came in suddenly and left just as quickly, like a storm passing through.
But inside Quollio's room, the storm was far from over.
"...The Pleiades, the Star Crown Beast Catalog..."
He took out the contents of the paper bag and looked at the title stitched on an old book.
His heart was anything but calm.
"That guy, really."
He thought it would be impossible to find this book, no matter how much he searched the bookstores across the country.
He said it knowing it was impossible. He had no intention of forgiving him. It was just a front to avoid getting involved.
"Is he stupid or what?"
He remembered Hiiro from just a moment ago.
Covered in mud, looking worn out.
He had skipped practice, but looked way more tired than on days he actually trained. He must have gone through a lot just to get this one book.
"Why does he have to go out of his way for a weakling like me?"
He had no choice but to accept it.
Because at this point, he was starting to hate himself even more.
He was already someone he disliked, and now he was becoming someone he hated even more.
"You're really a coward, aren't you?"
A coward who wouldn't stay hated.
A coward who proudly showed off his results without even explaining himself.
There was no way he could enjoy reading while only he faced the consequences.
"Ugh, what the heck. In the end, I'm the only one being stubborn here."
At this point, Quollio finally understood.
He realized the true nature of his stubborn "disgust" that refused to acknowledge Hiiro's sincerity.
He understood and accepted it.
It clicked for him. Hiiro's attitude of facing difficulties head-on was truly that of someone who fights bravely.
It was the very idol of faith that blocked his own dreams.
It made sense to be stubborn and to feel hatred.
"Is it about pride, then?"
It made sense.
But still, it didn't add up. After all, the reason to hate Hiiro was already in his own hands.
If that was the case, anything more would just be venting his frustration.
Ah. Overall... he really didn't like that guy.
Hiiro Merifar. A rough person, whether with good or bad intentions.
"Damn it."
Quollio Betigan placed the lamp on the floor with resentment and sat down heavily.
The punishment would be long. Probably until midnight. Maybe even until morning. But still, Quollio felt he had to say something to that rough guy.
He couldn't just let it end with him being the one who got hurt.
"...Thanks to you, my tomorrow is definitely going to be hell!"
With a determination to stay awake, Quollio waited that night for the coward to return. He didn't move an inch.
As the deep blue of night turned into the pale light of morning, he continued to wait until Hiiro, completely worn out, came back to the room.
The next day, during the knight's training, it was no surprise that the two of them, having hardly slept, were taken to the infirmary together.
* * *
Thus, the future of Quollio Batigan, who was supposed to be called 'Yumillion's Nightmare' and 'The Evil Kofu (Yellow Master / 黄父),' and who had plunged the entire Yumillion continent into fear, would change greatly due to his encounter with a foolish, reckless man who never knew when to give up.
Eventually, in the dream's gap that would come, Quollio Batigan would realize.
This connection with that man was...
surely. Something irreplaceable, like a miracle.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)