A Promise in the Quiet

The door of the inn closes with a creaking sound as Lucien steps inside. His face looks tired, like someone who's been chased. The bottom of his coat is damp from the puddle water that splashed on it as he was running. He looks around carefully before addressing me.

"So you've managed to make it back," he says with a faint smile appearing on his face. "Kaito."

I just nod, as I'm still under the influence of his surprising entry.

"So this is where you're staying," he says, scanning the place around him. "What a coincidence."

His gaze lingers on the door to our room for a moment. The faint smile fades, and for a brief second, his eyes seem colder. When he looks back at me, it returns like nothing had happened.

"Is your elf friend alright?" he asks softly.

"Y-yeah," I stammer, scratching my neck. "She seems to be better, but still has to rest."

"I see," he says, with the faint smile reappearing on his face.

Why does this feel so awkward right now? He helped me escape, that's why I am here... Right. I should thank hi—

"Thank you, Kaito, for coming with me," he says abruptly. "This way, we had a better chance of escaping."

"Uh, yeah. Splitting up was a good idea, too."

I hear the door behind the counter opening. Mr. Volk steps out, lifting his eyebrows in surprise.

"Oh, Kaito, you've made it back before the curfew. I was going to tell Sylvienne about it, but I didn't want to upset her, so I waited until now. But I'm glad you're back," he says, then looks at Lucien. "The curfew will last for a while, traveler. But luckily, there's an empty room for you, right next to Kaito's."

Lucien bows, casting down his eyes. "Thank you, Mr." 

Sylvienne? White hair catches the lantern glow as Sylvienne steps out in her pajama dress, rubbing one sleepy eye with the back of her hand.

"Kaito, you can come back, I'm done cha—" she says, cutting her voice off. Her tired eyes slightly widen as they lock onto Lucien. "Human mage?"

Human mage?

"So you're Miss Sylvienne," he says with a smug look. "Elves are incredible. So the rumors are true. Elves can really detect mana."

So what Langwar said was true. Then the elf at the square...

"Yeah," Sylvienne says, nodding. "My detection is faint, but I can sense someone's mana if they're close enough."

"Wait!" I turn to Lucien, "Are you really a human mage? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't have time for that," he answers briefly.

"But if we could use magic, we could have escaped so easily!"

"That's true," he says. "But it wouldn't have been wise to use magic. They could have taken me for a vampire if I did that, and trace me easily, following the flow of my mana," he explains. "Besides, I'm primarily a merchant. I rarely use magic."

Guess I can't argue with all this...

Sylvienne tilts her head, her voice soft but curious.

"Why did you become a mage?" Sylvienne asks right away.

"To defend myself," he says, leaning closer to the wall. "Traveling across the Outlands alone isn’t exactly safe. You're aware of that, aren't you?" he glances at Sylvienne.

"I've been in the Outlands countless times. It has become more and more dangerous each time," she says, bowing her head as she slightly wonders. "But who taught you magic?"

Lucien just stares forward for a moment.

"I once got a spellbook as a payment for saving someone's life..." he says, pausing. "They taught me some of the basics of sorcery, too. I figured it was a useful tool for a merchant wandering in such a dangerous region, so I picked up sorcery as a kind of hobby."

This guy's incredible!

"That does make sense," Slyvienne says, nodding.

"Hey, Miss Sylvienne," Lucien raises his head. "Are you the elf from the legendary warrior's party?"

"Eheheh, I've been found out," she answers, laughing awkwardly, scratching her head.

“It’s an honor to meet you. Though I never witnessed your heroic deeds for the four races, including even the vampires, I can’t help but feel deeply indebted to you.”

"I-it was a long time ago, you don't have to..."

Lucien pushes himself off the wall, straightening up.

"Well, if you'd excuse me now," he says, turning his face towards the barman. "I shall occupy my room."

"Be my guest for the time being," Mr. Volk says, accompanying Lucien to his room.

As the footsteps fade down the hall, the inn falls into a thick, muffled quiet, broken only by the soft creaking sound of the door as it shuts. For a moment, we just stand without saying a word.

The growling sound of Sylvienne's stomach breaks the silence.

"It still hurts," the elf clenches her tummy, whining.

"This is going to take a while to heal, isn't it?" I state awkwardly. "Now, go back and rest if you want to get better by the end of this vampiric madness."

"Kay, kay," she raises her hand, turning away, and walks back inside sluggishly.

Still, she's looking better than in the morning... I smile as I follow her into the room, closing the door behind us. The elf flops onto the bed, like a sack of potatoes. She curls up under her cover, only her pointy ears sticking out.

"Kaito," she says in a muffled voice under the cover.

I'll take that back. It doesn't sound like she's gotten any better...

I sit down on the edge of my bed, sighing.

"What is it?" I say in an annoyed voice.

Damn this total curfew... Will I have to tolerate her whining for—

"I was worried..." Sylvienne mumbles, her ears reddening. "You were gone for so long."

Huh? Worried?

 "I failed Zyron..." she continues. "He would have never let his comrades wander off into danger alone. He'd follow us even in his greatest pain. But he would never drag us into any danger."

"Sylvienne?" I ask, feeling surprised and confused at the same time.

"And here I am, dragging you into this world... Right into the danger," she says, crawling out from under the cover with teary eyes.

"Hey, do not say that," I say softly. "I mean, at the beginning, I was really angry at you for summoning me here. And I still want to go back home. But there's nothing we can do right now, is there?" I ask her, smiling. "Sure, I was scared out of my mind out there, being chased by a bunch of guards, amidst the danger of a vampire attack. But that wasn't your fault. Besides, I feel pretty safe in this world, knowing I am accompanied by a person like you."

Not the part that overeats, though...

Sylvienne sniffles but smiles faintly. Then her expression hardens with a quiet resolve. 

"You… really feel safe with me?"

"I couldn't wish for a better company in a world like this," I say, smiling.

Sylvienne sits up.

"Even if I overeat?" she asks, her face all red.

"Even if you do," I giggle. "But I hope that's not gonna happen often."

"Kaito… You've been the one taking care of me ever since you arrived in this world," she says, her voice fueled with determination. "I usually don’t meddle in affairs between vampires and humans. I see them simply as creatures who are prisoners of their own nature. Ever since I helped Gerome clean the vampires' name, they've been trying to redeem themselves by defying their nature. Unlike back then, they live their lives working as blacksmiths, lumberjacks, merchants, and clerks, just like humans," she pauses, putting her hand on her heart." But I feel responsible for you! So from now on, I shall be the one who protects you!"

I stand up.

"Alright," I say, smiling at her as I pat her head. "But for now, you should just rest."

Sylvienne pulls herself together, puffing her cheeks.

"Heeey, don't dismiss what I just said," she says.

"Okay, okay, understood."

I let go of her. Sylvienne glares at me for a moment, then flops back down onto her bed. Within seconds, her eyelids begin to droop. 

I stay seated on my bed, staring at the ceiling. The faint lantern light flickers across the wooden boards, swaying in rhythm with the breeze that sneaks through the open window.

I lean against the wall and close my eyes, letting the silence sink in.

It hasn’t even been that long since I arrived in this world. And yet… so much has already happened. So many experiences in a single day. So many... 

"Feelings," I whisper to myself.

Is this how life should be?