The next morning, Esper set off alone.
Eladia walked her to the entrance of the camp, going as far as she possibly could.
Noelle leaned against a gatepost, yawning as she waved at her.
“Don't worry, you can leave Eladia to me. Though there's a high chance I'll fall asleep first, Wald and Colmar surely won't fall asleep at the same time.”
“...Can't you say something more reassuring?”
“So demanding? Just get going already.”
Esper gave Noelle a look, then turned around and set off alone down the main road to Maple Town.
She had traveled this road several times, counting both coming and going.
The very first time was when she had wandered to Avalon; she had walked it just like this, entirely alone.
Later, after becoming an adventurer, she would sometimes take this route for quests, her final destination not Maple Town itself but somewhere along the way.
And whenever she walked this path, she couldn't help but wonder: if she just kept going, past Maple Town and all the way into the Demon Realm, would she meet that idiot she thought about day and night? And would that idiot say sorry to her?
Now she knew. She wouldn't. She would say, “I missed you.”
...
She slowed her pace slightly. The weather was a bit cold, she told herself.
It certainly wasn't because she didn't want to get there too early.
Even though arriving slightly later wouldn't make a difference, since they weren't scheduled to meet until the day after tomorrow anyway.
But she still didn't want to arrive too early.
Thus, by the time the silhouette of Maple Town appeared before her, the sky had already darkened.
Autumn was the most beautiful time of year in Maple Town.
The crooked tree at the town entrance was heavy with deep crimson leaves. With every gust of wind, they rustled and fell, carpeting the ground in a thick layer that crunched softly underfoot.
The light of dusk enveloped the maple leaves, casting faint shadows through the gaps between them.
In the past, when it reached this hour, it would be about time for them to head back. After all, it wasn't very safe at night.
But she had grown up. She was no longer that little child.
And so, as the twilight glow settled in, she stepped into Maple Town.
The sign of the Drunken Moon Tavern was still the same old one.
Esper didn't exchange much small talk with the tavern keeper. She simply asked for the room at the very end of the second floor—the one Beatrice had mentioned.
Entering the room, she leaned the Holy Sword against the edge of the bed. Then she sat down in the chair by the window, staring blankly outside.
The wait was far more agonizing than she had anticipated.
She fixed her gaze on the canopy of the crooked tree, watching the red leaves flutter in the wind, and the town's residents bustling to and fro along the cobblestone streets.
Occasionally, a few children would run past the tree holding pinwheels. Their laughter drifted through the window from across the street, fading into a faint, indistinct murmur.
She suddenly remembered a time in their childhood when they had waited for each other just like this.
Even with the blood covenant, there were some things they still preferred to say only after meeting in person.
Back then, simply looking at her made it feel as though all worries could be left far behind.
Pulling her gaze back from the window, she reached into her pocket and felt the maple leaf hairpin.
She hadn't put it in her hair; she was just carrying it with her.
Why carry it if she wasn't going to wear it? She didn't want to think too deeply about that.
Then, she heard footsteps coming up the stairs.
Familiar. Far too familiar. So much so that she instantly knew who it was.
The door opened.
Rafina wore an elegant, simple dark gray dress, with a light beige shawl—a rare color for a demon.
Her long, silver-white hair wasn't tied into her usual twin tails, but was instead loosely draped over her shoulder, making her crimson eyes look even more serene.
The dark circles under her eyes were prominent, incredibly dark, as if she hadn't rested for days and nights on end.
Accordingly, her face looked haggard, bearing the exact exhaustion of someone who had pulled several consecutive all-nighters.
Yet her expression remained dignified. The corners of her mouth were curved slightly upward, maintaining the polite, measured smile expected of a diplomatic setting.
Unfortunately, her tail betrayed her true feelings.
It was wagging frantically behind her, moving so fast it was almost a blur.
The room fell silent for several seconds, save for the faint whirring sound of her tail whipping back and forth through the air.
“...Please have a seat, Your Majesty the Demon King.”
“Yes. Pardon the intrusion.”
Rafina closed the door and sat down in the other chair across the table.
She sat very straight, her hands clasped neatly over her knees, her face still maintaining a dignified composure.
Yet her tail was still wagging, showing absolutely no sign of slowing down.
“Now then, regarding the combat plan in the Abyss, I will first share the Authorities and abilities I currently possess to facilitate our coordination.”
Esper placed the Holy Sword on the table, its white light glowing faintly in the dim guest room.
“Currently, there are four Authorities I can use normally: 『Hope』, 『Gluttony』, 『Blood』, and 『Storm』.
“My constant compatibility with 『Wisdom』 is too low for normal use, but its Authority Manifestation, 『Laplace's Demon』, has now become a passive effect. Beyond those are 『Faith』 and 『Strength』, which I still cannot use.”
Her tone was as steady as if she were delivering a mission report. Her gaze shifted from the Holy Sword to Rafina's eyes, lingered for a brief moment, and then moved away again.
“There are still a few months before the expedition. Once we enter the Abyss, the Holy Sword will trigger its underlying logic to grant a massive boost. At that point, my rank is expected to reach around Rank Eight. Rank Nine is out of the question for now, unless some other variable arises within the Abyss.”
She stopped after saying this, waiting for Rafina to speak.
“I see. Understood.”
Rafina nodded, responding in a gentle, steady voice.
She began to analyze how to maximize the effectiveness of Esper's abilities in the Abyssal environment. Her pace was neither too fast nor too slow, her logic clear. Occasionally, she would pause for a few seconds as if simulating a tactical model in her head, before continuing to deliver her conclusions in that same level voice.
She didn't sound at all like someone speaking to the person who had once scolded her until she knelt and wept. Instead, she spoke as if she were simply conducting a perfectly normal tactical briefing with the Hero.
It was so normal that it felt unnatural.
As Esper listened, she suddenly realized her hand was still resting on the hairpin inside her pocket, and she quickly pulled it out.
The moment Esper withdrew her hand, Rafina's tail froze for a split second, only to resume its frantic wagging immediately after.
The normal discussion continued, and her tail kept whirring at high speed.
They talked and talked.
From tactics to logistics, and from logistics to signal flares.
She didn't mention a single word about what had happened that day.
She didn't say “I'm sorry,” she didn't say “I miss you,” and she didn't say “Can we go back to the way we were?”
Not a single word.
She simply sat there, pouring out every tactical simulation in her mind in a gentle, professional voice, as if completing an extremely important assignment.
She did nothing superfluous.
Esper suddenly realized something.
Rafina hadn't come here to question her, to win her back, or to beg for her forgiveness.
She hadn't even tried to steer the conversation toward a single topic unrelated to tactics.
“Your Majesty.”
“Yes?”
“The dark circles under your eyes... are very heavy.”
Esper hesitated before asking the question she had been curious about.
Then, she watched as Rafina's tail began to spin like a propeller.
“It is nothing. The administrative affairs of the Demon Realm are numerous. I simply used my resting hours over the past few days to clear through all outstanding matters, freeing up this time to hold discussions with you, Miss Hero.”
“...But during this time, more things will probably pile up, right?”
“Yes, but I can handle them once I return. After all, meeting with the Hero...”
“...Rafina.”
“...I'm here.”
Her tail stopped.
So, what should I say?
Esper stared blankly at the girl before her, looking at the dark circles carved under her eyes from staying up night after night just to clear her schedule.
How was the curse? Was managing all those political affairs exhausting? Had she been too harsh that day? What if...
“...It's nothing.”
Just let everything be as usual.
Rate on N.U.
