Chapter 103 Ivy And Irony
The next day, the sky was still cloudy, like it was dragging yesterday along with it.
Maybe the heavy atmosphere was just unsatisfying. Birds flew low, not making a sound, as they passed by me and Shura, who were strolling down Joosa Street.
We had been walking around for almost an hour. But it wasn't like we were sightseeing or anything.
We were just assigned to patrol the neighborhood in the morning.
"Yo, strolling with you brings back old times."
"...Now that you mention it, it's not like it was that long ago."
"Ha! Remember when I was just a nobody? Now look at me – the main event."
"You keep saying that."
"Yeah, I've been preaching progress to you for ages. Time to see it in action, right?"
"Hmph. You got schooled by that woman yesterday, though."
"Uh, no way! That was just... giving her a chance to shine! I wasn't beat!"
"Yeah, yeah."
Shura, who casually cuts through the nostalgia, is as tough as ever today.
What's up with that? Compared to when we first came to Korghi Village, I've made huge progress. Sure, Shura, who's been famous for a while, might be used to it, but I think it wouldn't hurt to get a little praise.
"Okay, let me ask the hero knight. Have you noticed? The weirdness in this town?"
When I shot her a resentful look, she responded with a probing question.
"Weirdness, huh?"
"Yeah. We've walked around a lot, but this town is missing things that should normally be there. Even things that were in Korghi Village."
"..."
I stopped and thought about Shura's unusual hint.
What's missing in Joosa that was in Korghi Village? If it were the other way around, I could think of a few things right away, like the Inquisitorial Council's presence or that overly secure storage room.
But if that were the case, I wouldn't say we've walked around so much. I guess the weirdness Shura is talking about is something we noticed while patrolling.
"...Orphanage?"
"No way. It's not that unusual, but it shouldn't be there."
With "Orphanage" being dismissed right away, I had no choice but to raise the white flag.
"──It's a cemetery."
"!"
Hearing that, I was taken aback.
Now that I think about it, I hadn't seen any communal graveyard in Korghi Village while on patrol.
In this world, unlike modern times, burials are mainly done in the ground. There's a proper culture for mourning too. Otherwise, there wouldn't be roles like Mr. Eigun, the gravekeeper.
A town without a cemetery, Joosa.
I could understand why I felt out of place, and why Shura did too. Compared to Korghi Village, this town was many times larger, and it seemed to have a proper resident registry, so not having a cemetery was... even I thought it was strange.
"Oh, there you are."
"! ...Haboch, the town mayor."
Thanks to the timely appearance of the town's leader, this question was resolved.
"Well, well, thank you for your hard work. Actually, I would like to ask you both to help with the 'funeral rites' in our town Joosa...
Do you have a moment?"
* * *
The sharp sound in my ears wasn't the rain.
The waterfall in the valley on the outskirts of town was crashing down into the river below with a loud splash. The cloudy sky looked like it was about to rain, but it hadn't started yet.
But tears were falling.
"Ah, Mimone..."
From the hand of a man dressed in mourning clothes, a handful of ashes was scattered.
From a small urn into the vast world. Riding the wind, it dissolved into the air.
The man watched as the white remnants disappeared, as if he was trying to chase after them.
"Mimone Lancey. Please, please, rest in peace. Be calm. Sleep well. I hope you become a single drop that fills the sky, thinking of this town that watched over you."
With those words of mourning, Mayor Haboch placed a hand on his chest.
His face, which always wore a smile, was solemn at that moment.
The sound of the waterfall echoed, splashing down. The husband, who had sent off his wife, wishing she could be a single drop, quietly shed tears.
(...the funeral rite, huh)
He ground the ashes into fine powder and scattered them into the waterfall.
From the river that flowed from the waterfall, eventually to the mother sea. A ceremony to return the life given back to its source.
This was the custom of Joosa, which had been passed down for generations in this town, and the reason why there was no cemetery in the town.
"Thank you, town mayor. I think this will bring some peace to my wife's regrets."
"Oh, no need for thanks. This is my duty as the mayor, so there's no need for gratitude."
"And to the knights as well. Thank you for protecting us on the way here."
"......Aight, don't get too sentimental 'bout it. We can't promise shit'll go right, period."
"Haha. You're right about that."
It was a smile without strength.
The beast disaster that had brought the theater troupe to offer their condolences. He was one of the victims, having lost his wife.
Even after the memorial, he wouldn't be able to recover right away.
I could see it in his eyes, still vaguely chasing the shadows of the past.
I understood, having seen it before.
"Hey."
So, even more so.
"Do you hate the beasts?"
I didn't understand why Shura suddenly asked that.
"Of course I hate them."
"..."
"They always take away everything. They take and take, and create nothing. They're just destroyers; every last one of them should be wiped out. I truly believe that from the bottom of my heart."
"......"
The man glared straight at Shura, as if to say it was a foolish question. His resentment overflowed without hesitation. The hand that still held the ashes was tightly clenched.
"But we are weak. We have no power. That's why we are counting on the knights. I believe your righteous swords will eradicate those hated beasts!"
The righteous sword that would destroy the hated beasts. For him. No, for most powerless people, that's what knights represented.
"......"
(...Shura?)
But Shura didn't answer anything.
I just kept staring at the man's hand, which was still pale from the ashes.
If it were the old her, she would have reacted, no doubt. It was as if even she didn't understand why she was asking such things, her red eyes just trembling.
"Well, well. The wind is getting chilly. Shall we head back? Knight, please take care of the way home!"
"Yeah."
"..."
The sun hadn't set yet, but the breeze by the water was cold enough to make you shiver. The town mayor's suggestion to shake it off had no reason to be turned down. In many ways.
*Crunch*. The sound of boots crunching on gravel got closer as the roar of the waterfall faded away. The girl knight next to me, who usually snapped at every little thing, didn't even try to speak.
So, it was even more. It was so quiet that it felt uncomfortable.
"The beasts that serve the 'witch'... should be burned by the flames of justice."
(...Witch?)
I caught the murmurs of the man walking at the back, slipping through the gaps of the waterfall's roar.
Even though I was curious, I couldn't ask her to repeat it.
* * *
After finishing the funeral rites, we quickly returned to Joosa.
That meant we were supposed to go back to patrolling the neighborhood.
"Leave me alone for a bit. If you come after me, I'll cut you down."
As soon as we arrived in town, Shura said that and left without waiting for a reply. I had no idea where she went. I couldn't even call out to her.
So here I am, all alone, trudging on with the patrol.
(The shift change isn't for a while, so what should I do?)
I wasn't really focused. Maybe I should go see the Neshana sisters who are on guard duty down south. They might be whining about being stuck there, and Lyam could be having a hard time with it. If that's the case, switching with Sham and relaxing with Lyam might not be a bad idea.
I was positively considering a plan that would probably make the captain frown if he asked.
"──Mr──for sure──."
In the middle of the town, in front of a strangely empty plot of land.
I spotted familiar red hair, muttering something while looking down.
"Ugh, you..."
I couldn't help but let the words slip out.
"!? Oh, you. Did you hear that just now?"
"Huh? ...Nah, I didn't catch nothin'."
She probably didn't notice.
I wonder if I accidentally heard something I shouldn't have. Even though I was being honest, Rose kept glaring at me with suspicion.
"What's good? You whisperin' 'bout nobody or somethin'?
"...Unfortunately, I'm not one to be scared. If I have complaints or issues, I'll throw them right in your face."
"Tch, sounds like you know me all too well, huh?"
"Oh, could you stop acting like you understand me after just one day? It's giving me the creeps."
"Ain't ya the one who dropped knowledge on me yesterday, huh?"
"What are you talking about?"
"You wicked woman...!"
Grr, this person. She always come back at me tenfold. And she seems to be enjoying it. To me, she might be a bigger enemy than any beast.
I just couldn't shake off this uneasy feeling towards Rose.
"...But, yeah.
It's probably not healthy for us to keep insulting each other without knowing anything about one another.
So, I have a little suggestion."
"...Huh? A suggestion?"
"Yes."
And then came a "suggestion" that only made things worse for me.
It rolled off her lips, painted in red.
With a chillingly seductive smile.
"How about we grab a meal together after this?
──Just you and me."
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