BSS 67

Chapter 67

“Rai. My order was clear. I told you not to worry about me and to kill those bastards.”

[Master.]

“What?!”

[I’m one of the freer spirits, it’s true. But even so, there are priorities. The most important mission that I—and all spirits without exception—share is to protect our ‘master.’ Not to kill someone.]

“Damn it… fine! I remember their faces. I’ll catch them even if I have to turn them over to the guards!”

I remembered the wanted posters plastered on walls everywhere.

There were plenty of hunters and mercenaries who targeted only wanted criminals. If I put money on it, the chances of catching them would go up.

They hadn’t just touched me—they’d hurt Iruje too, so there were many ways to put out a bounty.

Iruje’s parents might even put up an enormous reward.

And if Ash—if by some chance he really was royalty…

That would cause an uproar.

Come to think of it, this wasn’t something that could just pass quietly.

Laying a hand on a member of the imperial family was enough to wipe out an entire house.

“Come to think of it, where’s Iruje?”

[How would I know how that brat is doing?]

“Tsk. Useless spirit.”

After being unconscious for two days, all I had left were questions.

Were Iruje and Ash in different rooms? I picked up the candlestick on the table and left the room.

There were too many thoughts tormenting me to just lie still.

The whole time I was hurting, the same questions had kept coming back.

Ash, why did you save me? We were strangers. You’re nothing to me, and I’m nothing to you.

Why did you give me this burden on my heart?

What reason did you possibly have to risk your life for me?

The corridor I stepped into was wrapped in deep darkness, as if it were much later than I’d thought.

If Rai weren’t with me, I might have been a little scared.

[I hear voices over there.]

As I followed where Rai pointed, I finally realized I was barefoot.

But I kept walking anyway.

“…You heard it too, didn’t you?”

“That’s impossible. Are you saying that boy really was His Highness the Crown Prince?”

“That’s why they’re asking us to keep it secret.”

“My goodness…”

Standing near the stairs were people I knew well.

Teacher Irito, and Captain Tonel of the knight order. I moved closer.

“You said it yourself back then, Captain. The insignia on the knights who came for that boy belonged to the Elan imperial family.”

“That’s true, but… who could have imagined that a boy rescued from slave traders would be a direct member of the imperial line?”

“I felt the same way. But the people who came today…”

The two of them, whispering in secret, noticed me and flinched, cutting off their conversation.

“Ginny, you’re awake.”

A sense of foreboding made me impatient.

I hurried up to Teacher Irito, my lips painfully dry.

“Teacher. Where’s Ash?”

For some reason, Teacher Irito knelt in front of me, gently cupping my cheek, her eyes full of pity.

I kept asking, one question after another.

“Is Ash okay? Where is he?”

“…Ash—His Highness Epirus—has returned to the palace. You won’t be able to see him.”

“No!”

“Ginny.”

“I haven’t even…”

I hadn’t even been able to say thank you.

I hadn’t called him an idiot, or a fool, or told him that it was something I never would’ve done myself—and that was why I was even more grateful.

I hadn’t said anything at all.

“I didn’t even get to say goodbye!”

I couldn’t accept it.

The fact that he’d gone somewhere completely out of my reach.

After becoming someone who mattered to me like this, all on his own terms!

“Ginny? You have to forget what happened that day.”

“……”

“Don’t tell anyone about it. Do you understand?”

Teacher Irito, wearing a rare stern expression, grabbed my shoulders firmly and made me look straight at her.

Her warning gaze told me this wasn’t something to take lightly.

“You’re a smart girl. You know what I mean, don’t you?”

I bit my lip hard.

Of course it would be shameful for royalty to have been kidnapped by slave traders.

Of course they’d want to pretend it never happened. To keep secret that they’d been caught up in something like that.

But this was too much!

I was furious without even knowing exactly what had been taken from me.

“Ginny, he asked me to be sure to tell you thank you.”

“Ash did?”

“Yes. He said thank you for saving him, and that someday he would repay the debt. That’s what he wanted me to tell you. He wanted to leave you a letter, but his hand…”

Teacher Irito trailed off, unable to continue. My own feelings turned strange, and I couldn’t stop the tears from spinning up in my eyes.

More vivid than Ash’s face was the blade that had pierced straight through his small palm.

Just remembering it made me hurt, afraid, terrified—and my eyes welled up with tears.

My throat tightened, and my voice came out trembling on its own.

“His hand—what about Ash’s hand? Can it be healed? It happened because of me.”

“…I don’t know.”

“How can you do this to me! Ash is the one who saved us! I’m the one who should be thanking him! I just…!”

I’d stayed still because I didn’t want to be hit.

I’d curled up, just hoping everything would end quickly.

Ash had charged at the slave traders because they were trying to drag Iruje and me away.

Out of the three of us, Ash had been the stupidest—and the bravest.

“He’s royalty, so he’ll receive the best treatment. Probably… let’s pray together that he’ll be all right.”

“…I want to write Ash a letter.”

Teacher Irito shook her head with a pained expression.

“Why not?!”

“You won’t be able to send it. Ginny, the imperial family…”

Her voice grew very quiet.

“They don’t want this matter brought up. They won’t pass along your letter, and they won’t let you meet him.”

The burden on my heart was so heavy that I found myself gasping.

Like someone suffocating, I struggled to breathe, biting my lip to keep from crying.

I must have looked terrible.

“Ginny, for now, let’s get you some rest. You need to stabilize.”

“…What about Iruje?”

“Just some light bruises. He’s fine now.”

“Did Iruje get to say goodbye to Ash?”

“He didn’t either. They… took Ash away as soon as they arrived.”

Teacher Irito held both my hands, trying to comfort me in a worried voice, but I could barely hear her.

My mind was consumed with only one thought: how I might be able to see Ash.

I couldn’t accept that this was the end.

“You look awful. Let’s stop here and go back to your room to lie down, okay? Ginny.”

“……”

“You have serious internal injuries, so you need rest. Two weeks, at least. You won’t be able to participate in the tournament. Fortunately, Leo can take your place…”

“The tournament.”

“You didn’t even want to compete in the first place, remember? For now, let’s just focus on you resting.”

Right. I hadn’t cared about the tournament at all.

There was no way a childish brawl between kids could be interesting.

But right now, I desperately needed it.

“I’m going.”

“Ginny? I said you need to rest.”

“I’m going, no matter what!”

I had to go and win a prize.

A very big one.

My voice was more resolute than ever.

“I have to win. If I do, they’ll let me meet the Emperor, right?”

By tradition, the winner of the tournament received a certificate awarded in the Emperor’s own name, bestowed by the Emperor himself. And the Emperor granted the victor a special privilege—to ask for one wish.

Most winners wished for a fine weapon or a higher noble title.

And as far as I could tell, that was the only way I could ever see Ash again.