Astro (1)
Swoooosh—
Waves rippled gently.
A warm breeze blew from somewhere, ruffling her scarlet hair.
A familiar silence echoed in her ears.
It was a strange sight.
An endless expanse of water.
The sky-blue background resembled a vast ocean.
In that lonely scene.
“...”
The fox opened her closed eyes.
What filled her blurry vision was none other than a dazzling blue sky.
The open sea awaited the girl.
She felt something hard against her back.
Turning around at the strange sensation, she saw bars surrounding her.
The surface was rusted, as if aged by time.
It was a one-room prison standing in the middle of the sea.
“Ah…”
The fox soon realized it was a dream.
A nightmare that had been tormenting her for the past two years.
It was a familiar sight.
She looked around just in case.
The bars tightly confined her. Beyond them, there was nothing.
Only the waves crashed emptily.
Creeeaaak—.
The fox grabbed the bars behind her and rose to her feet.
The old iron bar groaned.
“Ugh, uh…”
Her body staggered.
The floor was slightly submerged. Thanks to that, the rippling seawater covered the girl’s ankles.
Even so, neither her clothes nor her tail were wet.
This was to show that the current scene was a dream.
Whoooosh—.
A sudden sea breeze caressed her cheek.
The unique salty smell spread to the tip of her nose.
The air coolly cooled the heat. The fox frowned.
Because she considered that kindness to be a mockery.
“This is so frustrating.”
She muttered faintly.
The fox stood leaning against the bars. Her black eyes flickered with anguish.
She was as fragile as if she would break at any moment.
This place was lonely.
It was as if the whole landscape had been created to isolate her.
In the background, only the sea.
Not even a single sign of life could be heard.
She was completely alone.
“...I hope I wake up soon.”
A sigh escaped her lips.
The ensuing silence was peaceful and beautiful, but it was all the more terrifying.
The fox waited asleep.
To wake up from the nightmare.
For this sickening sense of loss to be filled.
***
The day after having the nightmare.
As soon as the fox opened her eyes, she went to find the snake. Because there was a favor she wanted to ask.
The boy tilted his head in response.
“Miss Irene?”
“The kids. It’s been over a month since I’ve seen them. I want to see their faces.”
“Hmm.”
Thud—.
The boy closed the book he was reading.
He was silent for a moment, as if lost in thought, before he smiled faintly.
“Hehe, you seem worried.”
“Well… I can’t say I’m not.”
“I understand. They must be precious people to Miss Irene.”
“If you know, let me see them.”
Irene answered curtly.
Actually, she was worried, but the desire to see them was greater.
Was it because of the nightmare she had last night?
She wanted to see the children.
—Sister! Where have you been?
—You idiot! Don’t cling to her when she’s tired!
—Hey, hey, they’re fighting again… Please punish them.
She longed for their pure white smiles.
She needed an escape from the sickening feeling of loss that was choking her, a feeling that would extinguish her heart at any moment.
When she held the children in her arms, she felt sane.
There are still things to protect.
It was something to hold onto so that she wouldn’t collapse.
“...Please.”
Her voice was as sharp as usual, but it sounded somewhat pitiful.
The silent boy soon opened his mouth.
“Hmm… Well, alright.”
“Really?”
“I was going to stop by anyway.”
“...”
Sway, sway—.
Her drooping tail regained its strength and moved.
Although she didn’t seem to realize it herself, it was a reaction that was revealed whenever she was in a good mood.
A tender smile spread across the girl’s lips.
She had no idea at the time. The place where she was going to meet the children.
That the identity of that place.
Was the city known as the worst slum in the Empire.
***
Irene’s request to see the children.
I had been thinking about dropping by to see them anyway, so I readily agreed.
It would have been lonely to go alone.
“Shall we go then?”
There was no need to delay.
It was the weekend, with no classes. We left the Academy right away and got on a carriage headed for our destination.
After some time, we arrived at an alley.
“Sir, this is as far as the carriage can go.”
The coachman refused to go any further.
It was a kind of unspoken rule.
No matter what, one does not enter the ‘City That Never Cries’.
Aside from the issue of looting and robbery… it was uncertain if one would come out alive.
So we had to walk.
“Are you sure the kids are here…?”
Irene frowned.
It seemed she was beginning to realize that this was no ordinary slum.
“Are you sure they’re in a safe place…?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Every alley is filled with a will to live. It’s not like a den of criminals, is it?”
“The streets themselves may be a bit run-down… but I assure you, the place where your siblings are is perfectly safe.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Rest assured. I guarantee it.”
At least, as far as I knew.
They were the kids I raised.
I could confidently assert that there were only a handful of safer places on the continent.
I brushed away her worries with a refreshing smile.
“Your siblings are in a ‘good place’. I sent them there myself.”
“...Can you please stop talking like that?”
“What do you mean?”
“Never mind… Just forget it.”
The fox turned her head away with a look of resignation.
I was suddenly given up on.
What? Why?
Why wouldn’t she let me finish?
I couldn’t help but have a lot of question marks.
Thump, thump—.
As we were walking, having that strange conversation.
Some shadows blocked our path.
“Hey, you two. Stop right there.”
A group of people appeared from the fog.
They were all wearing robes and holding swords in their hands.
Were they thugs who infested the alleyways?
I calmly looked around.
‘Nine.’
That was roughly the number of people surrounding us.
The way they surrounded us so naturally suggested that this wasn’t the first time they had done this.
Let’s hear what they want.
“Hmm~ What brings such fine gentlemen to this place?”
I asked exaggeratedly.
One of the robes stepped forward.
It was the one who had just ordered us to stop.
“You two look unfamiliar.”
“Of course we do.”
“You don’t seem like you’re from around here… Outsiders?”
“That’s right. We’re just here on a short errand.”
“You’ve got guts.”
As I answered leisurely, the guy let out a chuckle.
He seemed baffled by my confidence.
I could understand to some extent.
In their eyes, I must have looked like a frail young master.
A city rife with crime and murder.
If there was a sucker wandering around without a proper escort, it would be natural to target them, wouldn’t it?
“Ha… This is a first.”
“It’s an honor.”
“I don’t want to take your lives. Just hand over 10 gold and we’ll let you go quietly.”
“You’re saying you want a toll.”
“Precisely.”
“Hmm.”
I let out a low groan.
To think that there were still guys out there collecting tolls.
Besides, 10 gold was ridiculously expensive.
I’m pretty sure I wiped them out six months ago, so where did they crawl out from again?
‘Don’t tell me those guys haven’t been managing this place properly.’
Maybe things had gotten lax in my absence.
Should I take this opportunity to tighten the reins again?
As I was lost in thought, the fox standing next to me spoke up.
“What are you… going to do?”
“What?”
“They’re asking for a toll. And they’re even brandishing swords.”
“You don’t really think I’m worried, do you?”
“Don’t say stupid things.”
Irene cut me off coldly.
Her furrowed brows seemed to warn me not to say anything weak.
“...You can kill them all with a wave of your hand.”
“Hehe, that’s true.”
“But I asked you what you were going to do to get out of this because it would be troublesome if we caused a scene.”
“Well.”
I shrugged nonchalantly.
“Let’s just wait here for a moment.”
“What are you thinking now?”
“You know, just in case? Like maybe a mysterious hero will appear out of nowhere and save us from this predicament?”
“You’re still joking at a time like this…”
Click, click, click!
Before she could finish her sentence, a sound reached our ears.
Someone was pounding on the ground roughly.
A faint but distinct bloodlust could be felt despite the distance. It reeked of a well-trained assassin.
It was a movement I hadn’t seen in a long time.
“Looks like they’ve shown up.”
The next moment.
Slash!
A sharp cutting sound rang out.
And the heads of some of the group, including the one who had been talking until just now, were sent flying through the air.
Their heads were severed in an instant.
“““······!?”””
The robed gang backed away in a panic.
Of course, that didn’t mean they could escape their predetermined deaths.
Flap!
A shadow hidden in the darkness flapped like a cloak.
The afterimage disappeared quickly.
A flower of iron bloomed gracefully.
It was so fast that it was hard to follow with the naked eye. Two daggers danced in the blink of an eye.
The swordsmanship was precise despite being shrouded in fog.
Slash!
A silver line was drawn on the pitch-black background.
Starlight twinkled for a brief moment, following the dozens of splitting strikes.
Exquisite.
And cruel at the same time.
While our eyes were glued to the dazzling sword dance.
Thud, thud, thud…!
The rest of the gang’s heads fell to the ground.
It all happened in less than three seconds.
I smiled softly.
“See? Someone really did show up.”
Though I’m not sure if I’d call them a hero.
I added a playful remark, but it seemed to fall on deaf ears as Irene didn’t seem to hear me.
Her eyes were fixed on something.
“Miss Irene?”
“...”
Her breath trembled as if she was tense.
Following her gaze, I turned my head to see a person standing among the corpses.
It was a woman radiating a chilling aura.
Long, flowing black hair.
Two daggers in each hand.
A black mask covering her lower face.
She had a unique appearance.
The woman made eye contact with us and immediately began striding towards us.
“S-She’s coming…!”
Irene drew her sword and took a stance.
Perhaps overwhelmed by the woman’s presence, she seemed mentally shaken.
I calmly soothed the fox.
“Calm down. She’s not our enemy.”
“…You know her?”
Irene asked, bewildered.
I wondered how to explain this, but soon gave up.
It would be easier for her to understand if she saw it for herself.
Thud, thud!
The woman’s steps had brought her close in no time.
A murderous aura spread ominously. It was as if she was warning those around her that she would cut down anyone who stood in her way.
And yet, the woman who had been approaching so fiercely.
Suddenly stopped in front of the snake.
And then.
“Master.”
She knelt on one knee and bowed.
She even disarmed herself, showing complete submission.
“I knew you would return.”
The black-haired woman muttered.
Her voice was filled with emotion.
Tears streamed down her pale cheeks. She seemed to be overcome with emotion.
Her bowed head was filled with reverence.
‘…This is why I was trying not to come here recently.’
A subordinate who showed excessive reverence from the start.
And the fox, who was staring at her with a dumbfounded expression.
Their gazes were blatantly fixed on me.
Really.
It was incredibly burdensome.
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