A Clash of Words, and Their Final Gaze

D-Damn it! I said her name out loud!

Startled by the cloaked figure blocking his path, Ayato had let slip her name before he could stop himself.

W-Wait… I’m still wearing my disguise. With this mask, I should be able to fool her… right?!

“It’s been a while.”

“Wh-Who are you? I don’t know you!”

“There’s no point in hiding it… former personal guard of Selphira Lunareth.”

She’s already figured me out!

“What a coincidence that we meet here. How about we have a little talk?”

“...”

In the end, they found themselves at a nearby tavern. Aurellia offered to treat Ayato to dinner, but he only ordered a glass of water.

“You’re not ordering anything?”

“No. I’ve no intention of owing you anything!”

“Is that so? I’d say it’s the other way around—I’m the one indebted to you. That’s why I’d at least like you to enjoy something while we talk.”

“There’s nothing I could enjoy if it came from you. If you want to talk, get straight to the point.”

Ayato’s curt reply made Aurellia pause. She closed her eyes, resting her hands on the table.

“I didn’t expect a former noble’s guard to be this discourteous. Is that what they taught you in the Lunareth household?”

“Y-You—!”

Ayato nearly slammed his fist against the table, but restrained himself when he noticed the sharp stares from those around them.

“Don’t drag Ojou-sama’s name into this…”

“I’ve no intention of insulting your former mistress. But I do believe your attitude could use some correction—before you make even more enemies for yourself.”

“Ugh…”

Ayato fell silent under her scathing words, his pride stung. Though reluctant, he ended up ordering the same dish Aurellia had.

As they waited for their food, the conversation shifted to their daily lives. But things grew tense again when Ayato asked the question that had been gnawing at him.

“You… you should have left Lunareth weeks ago. Why are you still here, in the slums?”

“Fuh… no need to be so formal. That lecture earlier was only so you’d agree to have dinner with me.”

“Then answer my question.”

“You’re impatient, aren’t you? Well, I’ve no intention of giving you a full answer. Let’s just say it’s a matter of knightly secrecy. My purpose here is only to make sure the monster rampages from Fenlareth Forest don’t worsen the city’s condition.”

“Then tell me—why did you act that way at the mansion banquet?”

Ayato’s sharp gaze pierced her, his voice laced with bitterness. He still couldn’t forgive the actions she had taken that day—actions that had changed his life.

“You should already know, shouldn’t you? About the kingdom’s aid policy?”

“That all local activity must be reported to the capital before action is taken? What about in emergencies?!”

“You’re not wrong to think that way. Especially considering how far this city is from the capital.”

“Then—”

“But even so… they were far too naive!”

Ayato’s eyes widened at her words.

“Naive… you say?”

“Yes. Do you think it acceptable for one kingdom’s territory to deal directly with another without their king’s knowledge? No matter how you look at it, that’s already sowing the seeds of rebellion.”

Ayato had no rebuttal. Deep down, he agreed. He’d seen Selphira’s dealings with his own eyes. The Tenneth Kingdom had demanded nothing in return, yet sent supplies and soldiers in abundance. Nothing in this world was free—especially not between kingdoms.

“And you don’t even realize… the soldiers who came under the guise of helping you? They were the very ones behind the rampaging monsters in Fenlareth.”

“...! What… did you say?”

“Most of the Tenneth forces sent to Fenlareth were monster researchers. They turned the forest into their experimental grounds—creating all sorts of twisted anomalies.”

Anomalous monsters?! Don’t tell me… that scorpion-lion I fought back then!

Their food arrived just as the discussion reached a boiling point.

“Well, our meal’s here. Let’s continue after we’ve eaten.”

Aurellia ate her dish slowly, savoring each bite. On the other hand, Ayato grew restless under his cloak and mask. Disguises always carried the price of discomfort.

Yet strangely, Aurellia looked perfectly at ease in her tattered blue cloak, her hood still drawn even as she ate. Was she really hiding her face with just that hood?

But why… why can’t I see her face clearly through it? Sometimes I catch a glimpse of her features, yet other times it turns pitch-black—as if hidden altogether.

Aurellia chuckled softly beneath her hood, noticing Ayato’s confusion as he tried to peer through the magical veil.

He still had a long way to go before realizing just how enchanted her cloak truly was.

...

“By the way, I don’t believe I’ve learned your name. Allow me to introduce myself first—Aurellia Kraise, Commander of the Lanteracia Knight Order. A pleasure to meet you.”

“Ah, my name is Vin… a hunter.”

“A hunter, hm? So that’s your new profession.”

“That’s right.”

“But given your reputation in this city, isn’t it difficult to sell your spoils to merchants? You go through the back channels, don’t you?”

“Yes, just as you said—I use unofficial routes. The cut they take is steep, but at least it’s enough to repair my gear and pay for lodging.”

“I see.”

Aurellia leaned her cheek against her hand, elbow resting on the table. Her gaze pierced Ayato’s, her face half-revealed beneath the enchanted hood.

“Tell me—why don’t you join me?”

“…!”

“To be honest, I’ve seen you fighting in the Fenlareth Forest quite often.”

“The Fenlareth Forest… since when?”

“I won’t answer that—not before you join me.”

Ayato lowered his eyes, considering how best to respond to Aurellia’s invitation. On the surface it seemed like a golden opportunity, but for him—whose heart was still fractured and far from healed—it felt like nothing more than a trap.

“…I must decline.”

“Oh? Care to explain why?”

“I have no intention of joining the enemy of my former master.”

“Enemy, is it… Well, I’ll admit—you do have strong loyalty. Even if it’s toward a master who cast you aside.”

“What did you just say?!”

Ayato’s eyes flashed, sharp with defiance at Aurellia’s slight against his former liege. Even if Selphira had cast him aside, the debt of gratitude he owed her would never fade. If anyone had the right to condemn her choices, it was Ayato alone—for such matters belonged to the two of them, and no outsider had the right to interfere.

Catching the fire in his gaze, Aurellia dipped her head slightly.

“My apologies… I may have gone too far. Consider it a lapse of temper, frustrated that you rejected my offer. Allow me to make amends for this in the future.”

“T-That won’t be necessary.”

“Thank you.”

“…Hey, may I ask you something?”

“Hmm? And what would that be?”

Ayato, stealing occasional glances at Aurellia’s veiled face, finally asked while turning his eyes aside.

“If you already know that Selphira ojou-sama and the others have been hiding their involvement with the forces in Fenlareth Forest… then why didn’t you just ask them directly?”

“Vin… let me answer your question with one of my own. Why would they hide it in the first place?”

“That’s…”

“Doesn’t that sound like an admission that they harbor ulterior motives?”

“They… they only wanted to ease the burden of their people! With monsters running rampant and harvests failing, the needs of the citizens weren’t being met! That’s why—!”

“Even so, asking for military and logistical aid from a neighboring kingdom is the same as placing this entire city in their hands.”

“Then what were they supposed to do?!”

“…I have no authority to answer that. But what I can do, as Commander of the Knights, is suppress the rampaging anomaly monsters in Fenlareth Forest.”

“I see…”

Still unsatisfied with her answer, Ayato lowered his head in resignation.

In the end, no matter what he said… he was no longer part of this city.

...

The next day, Ayato headed toward a shop near the border between the main district and the slums to stock up on magic stones and maintenance tools.

Step by step, he followed the patrol routes he’d marked on his handmade map.

…Strange. There were far more patrols today than usual. Was there some kind of event? Ah—

Ayato instantly ducked into an alley when he spotted a squad of soldiers marching down his path.

That was close. I’d better postpone today’s visit. Hm? That’s—?!

Damn it!

Peeking toward the main district, his eyes accidentally locked with someone he knew.

No way… what is she doing here?! Or… did I just mistake her for someone else?

When he tried to glance again from behind the corner of the building, their gazes met once more.

Shit! She noticed me! I need to get out of here!

Ayato bolted at full speed, while the figure who had caught his eyes stood frozen, watching his retreating back with melancholy. She turned away, hiding the truth in her heart.

“Once again, I couldn’t find him today. Forgive me… Selphira ojou-sama.”

A faint smile tugged at her lips, relieved that the man she knew was still alive, still strong enough to run so far. Her heart eased, though she would have to lie when reporting back to her mistress.

...

Damn it!

Ayato sprinted through one alley after another, losing his trail in the shadows of crumbling buildings.

Damn it!

He pushed himself harder, racing toward the hidden passage in the slums that led through a gap in the city wall.

I… I no longer have a place here!

Ayato fled from the city, toward the Fenlareth Forest—the only place with no eyes to hunt him, no regrets to haunt him. All that remained there was instinct. The raw, relentless instinct to keep living.

Even after running so far, his breathing stayed steady.

Sweat streamed down his body, but it wasn’t enough to rob him of his breath. The only strength he understood—and used to push himself further—was his iron stamina. A body that could keep moving at its best for as long as he needed.

Still, fatigue would eventually come if he failed to pace his breath… or if he recklessly unleashed magic—magic he had yet to truly master.

Looks like I’ll be staying in the forest for now. The city… it’s too suffocating.

Ayato slumped against a nearby tree, his body sliding down until he sat with his back pressed to the bark.

Head bowed, he struggled to process the storm of feelings that churned within him after that fleeting encounter with Kaelyn.

Elyn… she’s hunting me too…

From the scraps of intel he’d gathered, his face was plastered all over the main district. Posters, bounties—proof that he was now branded a criminal to the entire city.

At first, he thought Selphira’s words of dismissal had been the end. That it would sever only their bond.

But no… it wasn’t enough for their bond to end.

My life has to end too, huh? …Hah… hahaha… ahahahaha!

Ayato’s laughter rang through the forest, wild and hollow. No one heard it—save for the panicked birds scattering from their branches.

I… I really don’t have a place in this world anymore.

****

Damn it! Work is giving me such a headache! If only I could split myself in two. I’d gladly take the role of relaxing and writing all day, while my other half worked like a mule to earn money! Hahaha… enough dreaming—time to keep pushing toward tomorrow.