Chapter 24

Chapter 24~Visit To A Grave~

〈Retice Castle〉

I gave a deep sigh .

Before me was the grave of Commander Saran, the person who had been saving us until just a few days ago .

This person was someone who had rescued us on countless occasions in the dungeon .

Even so, his grave was in disorder and there were weeds growing everywhere .

Perhaps grasses in this world grew quickly, the beautiful place from a few days ago, was now a meadow filled with overgrown weeds .

「Was there no one who came to visit his grave…?」

It was different from the graves in Japan, if I had to say, the current circumstance was that the flowers that all my classmates prepared when he was buried in a European-style grave had withered .

The flowers that I had put down had also withered .

Even though only ten days had passed, I was sad that no one came to visit his grave .

That day, after Akira disappeared, my classmates had become strange .

The atmosphere was strained, and they quarreled over trivial things .

Those who always got along gathered together, and were looking at the others as if they were the enemies of their parents .

It was as if they were following someone’s orders so that they would quarrel and fall out with each other .

I was the only one who was able to escape something like that which seemed like a curse .

Right now, I was like those around me, but I’m gradually getting cut off from them as well .

「My being sane right now is thanks to you and Akira . 」

I didn’t really remember when the curse was dispelled .

It’s just that, after the curse was broken, I had heard from Vice-Commander Zeal that Commander Saran and Akira had done their best to dispel the curse .

I had also heard from Vice-Commander Zeal that, the king and the princess put the curse on us bit by bit so that we wouldn’t know .

I, before I can say things like saving everyone and saving the world, I should protect those close to me first .

I still don’t like Akira, but I now understood that, Akira had also helped, protected those around me .

I’m grateful as well .

I could only be mad at myself .

If I continue to be as I was at that time, I would only have regrets .

No matter what, I wanted to get rid of the weeds myself, and with the water that I had drawn, I cleaned the entire grave .

I swept the grave with the tools that I borrowed from the castle’s maids .

「…fuu . 」

I poured the water, and I carefully removed the moss with a tool that looked like a scouring brush .

I thoroughly brushed the part where the name had been engraved .

I don’t want, anyone to forget this person .

I had been looking down the entire time, so my neck started hurting, I slowly loosened it .

「…nn?」

I suddenly felt someone’s presence coming from the forest .

There were many places to hide and I didn’t know where they were, but they were certainly peeking towards this direction .

「Who is it!」

I drew out my sword that I carried at all times ever since that day .

When I glared at them, a single woman came out from the shadows of a tree .

「S, sorry . I wasn’t tryin’ ta spy on ya . 」

「You are…Ueno, -san?」

The exorcist Ueno Yuuki-san .

She was the person who, on Akira’s instructions, used dispel on me in the dungeon the entire time until her MP ran out .

She was an energetic person with a Kansai accent, but she was dejected, unlike her usual self .

「No, it’s fine . I was also in the wrong for drawing my sword . It’s not an exaggeration to say that you’re my benefactor as well . 」

「It’s fine . When I look at everyone, it’s normal ta be cautious . 」

「…you’re not cursed?」

It felt like, there was something different about everyone .

The most noticable difference was their eyes .

Compared to the classmates who were glaringly searching for people’s weaknesses, Ueno-san was looking directly at me .

「What are ya sayin’? Imma exorcist . It’s da class with resistance ta curses . 」

I didn’t relax my guard, around the slender Ueno-san who puffed up her chest .

That was how, I was deceived by the princess .

It won’t happen again .

「…I understand that ya kyant trust me . I ain’t sure either if Tsukasa-kun’s curse was truly completely broken or not . So, ken I come hea tomorrow too?」

「Tomorrow too?」

「Yeah, it’s bettah ta have more comrades, right? I know dat I kyant putta curse on myself . I wanna confirm dat . 」

I understood the loneliness of being by myself .

That’s how it was, for me right now .

The only one who was aloof even when they’re by themselves, was a certain assassin .

「I got it . Come here tomorrow as well . It’s just that, I will have my sword nearby, and you have to stay a fixed distance away . Even so, is that ok?」

「Of course . I dun wanna be close ta a guy who is holdin’ a sword either . 」

Ueno-san was finally smiling like she usually did, I gave a small sigh in relief .

「You too, please watch me . Because I will change this world . 」

I picked a flower that was growing nearby that looked like a mallow and offered it to her .

Looking at that, Ueno-san said this in admiration .

「Da flower language fer mallows is ‘a heart that believes’ . Wow, ya found something so befitting in a place like this . 」

「’A heart that believes’…huh . I didn’t know that . I’ll remember it . 」

Just where was Akira, and what was he doing?

It’s been a while, I wanted to see that arrogant smile .

Under the clear blue sky, the inexperienced hero took one step forward .

In order to catch up to the assassin who already went ahead first .