Chapter 54 – You Know, They Don’t (2)

The butler’s words were simple and clear, but it was so hard to accept. Soon, the voices of the students came out sporadically here and there.

“Yes?”

“That…What do you mean by that?”

“Dragon already came?”

“It can’t be…In the imperial family…!”

“Yes. I guessed it would take 200 days. But the dragon came. Exactly the same day we set off for the island.”

He held his breath for a moment. Despair, not fear, was engraved in his breath.

“Of course, 100,000 dragons didn’t come all at once. Only one came to the capital, and even that was a small individual compared to before. Maybe it’s the vanguard that the spokesperson warned about.”

“Then…”

“As soon as he arrived, he burned the capital and other cities. There were no standards. He just burned and destroyed what he saw.”

“…”

“The duke left after leaving us instructions, as if he had obtained information in advance… We escaped disaster thanks to being at sea. But other people on land didn’t. That includes the people you love. There may be.”

The last words were pitiful and cruel. The faster-than-expected appearance of the dragon sprinkled cold water on the flames of hope.

But the problem didn’t end there. I opened my mouth again to point that out.

“Then what happened to the dragon?”

“…”

“Are you still on land?”

“It’s not like that. As I said before, it was a relatively small entity, and we’ve grown since then. We managed to stop it.”

“Did you kill him?”

“I kicked him out.”

It was a completely unreliable answer. Some students covered their ears as if they wanted to stop listening, but the deacon continued.

“We’ve only heard about it, but His Majesty’s troops banished him from the continent. Of course, they couldn’t undo the damage he suffered. Besides… He couldn’t even kill him completely.”

“You mean you might come back?”

“If another dragon comes, it means we won’t be able to stop it this time.”

As he said, the first dragon’s visit inevitably implied the second and third. There was no way to predict when the dragon would come again. And there will be no way to avoid it on your own.

“…”

A dragon attack that burns down the huge capital of the empire. It was a scale that had never been felt before, so everyone was engulfed in vague fear. Among them, there were people who couldn’t imagine the scene, and on the contrary, there were people who showed a grave expression. Of course, fear is growing in their hearts. I just couldn’t figure it out yet.

“…We still don’t know the purpose of the dragons, so we don’t know when the raid will come again. If anything is clear, it is that they are calling our end. And if the main force arrives soon , then the whole continent You will be engulfed in this fire.”

“…”

“I once thought that there would still be time left. But it wasn’t at all. The end of the world doesn’t come in an instant, but like a gallows rope, it’s gradually tightening our necks. No. Maybe not even that. Just…”

“It’s just that the end may be closer than we thought.”

“You’re faster than I thought.”

No one could easily open their mouth to a word that summarized the whole situation. For this moment, even the day remained silent. It wasn’t an atmosphere that could be solved with a joke like usual.

Of course, we weren’t alone. After the shocking story of the deacon, the students gathered in groups of two and three and talked about their future plans. I don’t know what the conclusion will be, but it was clear that the group that had gathered now would be scattered.

Of course, there were also those who did not belong anywhere and wandered among them. For example, Erica wandering around vaguely here and there. I tried to avoid her gaze at her and turned my back.

“…I never thought the advance team would arrive so quickly. It’s an unexpected situation.”

“I’m sure. It’s fortunate that they defeated them, but it’s also true that they’re anxious. You don’t know when they’ll come back.”

“Still, I have no choice but to move. It’s not like I have that much time.”

“That’s right. So, I’ve mapped out a few routes…”

Rebecca opened the map she had brought from somewhere. Then, the dots were plotted one by one in areas fairly far apart from each other.

“According to you, this port is our final destination… And this is the disembarkation point. As you can see, it’s not that far, but it’s not that close either.”

“It’s a pity. I wish we had just gotten here by boat.”

“If that happens, our purpose will be exposed, and most of all, we’ll have to go back a lot. That said, there are many areas destroyed by dragons to land at another port. In fact, the place where we land is the best place.”

“Mr. Wu. Looking at it this way, it looks very far away. Can we arrive?”

“It’s not that far. If the railroads are still running, it’ll be less than a week. Added up the distance traveled, it’ll be less than two weeks. But that’s highly unlikely…”

Her gray fingers her drew long curves along the edge of the land. It was very complicated to look at, and above all, it was long.

“First of all, the first route is to go along the coast like this. Even if you ride a horse, it will take at least two months.

“Two months… Feel a bit long. Besides, it seems to go round and round too much.”

“But at least you’ll be safe from the dragons. Of course, even that isn’t certain. Just because you hide in the sea doesn’t guarantee that they won’t attack you. So, taking a bit of a risk , taking a short route…”

This time her fingers drew a gentle arc across the land. It certainly looked shorter than before, and the route was simple.

“It will be like this. In this way, you can go as close as possible in a straight line while avoiding the areas destroyed by dragons. Might be.”

“It’s definitely shorter than before. Of course, the risk is great.”

“That must be the problem. But for now, this is the best route I think.”

“But Rebecca, there’s a feeling of going around a bit around here. Can’t we just go in a straight line?”

“That’s… If you get out of there, it’ll be hard to walk because you’re close to the mountain. There may be problems with supplies.”

“…”

At my question, Ms. Rebecca stuttered for the first time. Only then did I realize that her gaze was particularly focused on one village.

Is that where your son is?

She was trying hard to pretend she wasn’t, but unfortunately she wasn’t good at lying. But she couldn’t possibly point it out. It is true that when she came out of the island, her help her was great, and it is not that she could not understand that feeling.

“Haa… It’s filthy complicated, really. I’m dying of frustration because I can’t even see a map.”

Fortunately, Haru opened her mouth without notice when she was contemplating how to react. As always, his grunting tone made me feel welcome at this moment.

“It’s just a destroyed area, so can’t we just go all the way? Rather, it might be safer. There’s no way to find a place that’s already been destroyed.”

“It’s the opposite. Even on the battlefield, it’s better not to go to the explosion. Usually, when magic bombing happens, the army will come after it.”

“That’s the story of the war. Didn’t they just break it without thinking? Didn’t Grandpa Anbert do the same? There was no standard.”

“I don’t think so. Haru. Dragons are smarter than you think.”

At that time, Saya’s voice flowed calmly. She quietly shook her head and opened her mouth.

“At least that’s what my father said. Actions that seem insignificant to us must have a purpose. It will be the same this time. There is something we don’t know.”

“I have nothing to say if Saya-sister talks like that. Do you have any guesses?”

“Lope explained it by analogy to a battlefield, but I think it’s for a more biological reason. Animals also smell and mark territory when they go to an unfamiliar area. Dragons do similar things.”

“Territory mark. That makes sense.”

“Or it could be creating a more suitable environment for them. For example, making a nest. You can think of that possibility.”

“The truth is that we must hurry anyway.”

“That’s right. Let’s get off and look for transportation first. If you’re going to walk at least, you’ll need to pack some shoes.”

Even in the end of the meeting, the end was in sight. Then Haru stretched and suddenly stood up from his seat.

“Then I need to get my sword back now. Bastards. To steal someone else’s lover like that. If you touch even the tip of a sword, I’ll gouge out your eyes.”

“…I’ll follow you. Just to bring you your sword, Lope.”

“Ah, yes. Please.”

“Then I’ll go too, Rebecca. I’m also…”

“No. Saya you are here. With Lope.”

Rebecca, who accepted Haru’s pampering, shook her head strictly to Saya. Then, before she could say anything, she left immediately. Literally, he didn’t show the slightest hesitation.

The reason was clear without saying anything. That’s why Saya didn’t ask any more. She just lifted her up and let her raised hand drop helplessly to the floor. Her fingers her trembled slightly as they hit the cold stone floor.

Perhaps because of the cold, Saya suddenly crouched down and hugged his leg her. Her deeply draped hood made it impossible to see her expression her no matter how much she looked out of the corner of her eye. I followed her and leaned her against the wall and leaned her head slightly towards her.

Then a familiar smell hit her nose her. The scent of forget-me-nots began to return to her body. But compared to before, it was very pale. In the cold winter wind, Saya’s body odor seems to have been trapped in a small bud.

When this harsh season ends and spring returns, will the scent of Saya’s forget-me-nots bloom again? As she dreams of an unpredictable future, she held Saya’s hand her for no reason. She seems to have carried some of her dependence on her as well.

“Rope.”

A low voice came out as he squeezed her wrapped palm her tightly. I answered without even turning her head.

“Yes?”

“You shouldn’t have done that either.”

“What do you mean?”

“…Hey.”

Saya suddenly turned her head towards me. Then he asked a subtle question.

“Are you afraid of me too?”

“…”

How should I answer so that you won’t get hurt. With that thought in mind, I hesitated to answer. But I wasn’t an eloquent person, so I ended up giving a raw answer.

“No.”

“I see.”

It was an unpleasant reaction. The next words were the same.

“I’m afraid of myself.”

“Buy.”

“I feel like I put a little distance after that day. I try not to show it, but I can feel it. Still, I’m just grateful that you approach me brightly.”

“That…”

“Maybe you’re the only one in this world who isn’t afraid of me.”

“…”

“That’s why I’m more scared.”

Then Saya’s hand grabbed my wrist of hers. Suddenly, while facing me, she naturally wrapped her shoulders around me and hugged me. Then she let out a low voice with a breath that seemed to pierce her ears.

“I don’t think it’s enough to say that I only have you. I don’t know how to express my feelings.”

“Don’t think too hard. It’s a problem you don’t need to worry about right now.”

“And what if it’s too late? Even now, your time is going by twice as fast as mine?”

“…”

“I’m sure the one who will stay longer in this world is me…”

His voice her was very watery. Saya looked at me with an expression that could neither laugh nor cry.

“Why does my time feel tighter?”

“Saya. I…”

“Lope!”

Erica’s voice suddenly jumped through the gap of indescribable emotion. She looked at us and hesitated a little, then shook her head and said,

“That… I think I should come out. Only now…”

“Outside?”

“There are… People.”

Perhaps because of Saya, she brought out an incomplete answer. Thinking that it would be better to go and see it for myself, I slowly got up.

As we made our way to the deck again, this time the sailors, not the students, stood out. They gathered at the edge as one and were looking somewhere with wary eyes.

I followed their gaze and turned my head toward the shore. What came into my field of vision was the sight of the land finally facing me. At the borderline of the continent dyed in black, my heart swelled without my knowledge.

But it didn’t take a second for that feeling to subside.

The borderline of the coastline was stained with a sword not simply because the land and the sea met, but because there was a constant struggle of creatures tossing and turning their bodies. Realizing their true identity belatedly, I gently bit my lip.

That was a person

No, to be precise, it was a crowd.

Waves of people lined up along the shore, no one knows how many.

Upon recognizing this fact, they soon began to hear desperate shouts. In the midst of the wave of desperate life, I spat out a word in a low voice.

“…Shit.”