It was still early when Esper returned to the Mage Tower camp. She pushed open the door to find Eladia sitting in a chair by the window, flipping through the Greek notebook.
Hearing the door, Eladia looked up. Her eyes rested on Esper's face for a moment before she closed the notebook, stood up, and walked over to her.
She didn't ask how the talk went, nor did she ask why she looked so tired. She simply reached out and gently pulled Esper into her arms, wrapping one hand around her back while resting the other on the back of her head, her fingertips softly combing through her wind-tousled hair.
Again and again.
Esper buried her face in the crook of Eladia's neck, breathing in her faint scent, which was like a mix of sunlight and old book pages.
The two of them just stood there by the door. Neither spoke, quietly feeling each other's breath and warmth.
Just like that, more than a month passed.
Rihanna's training had gradually expanded from just swordsmanship at the beginning to light-armored combat. Every day, Esper fought until her entire body was sore and weak, but it was still within an acceptable limit.
Noelle would occasionally come to watch, though she spent most of her time sleeping.
Renn rarely visited, and the same went for Aure and Jovian. Supposedly, this was due to a new decree enacted by Veronica regarding large-scale subjugations of magical beasts and the honing of the knights' strength.
Rihanna was actually supposed to participate as well, but she could set out and complete her share of the mission within half a day, help a few struggling knights dispatch their beasts along the way, and then return to the camp to teach Esper swordsmanship.
Within half a day.
In short, her days seemed packed, so much so that Esper rarely found herself thinking about what had happened in Maple Town.
It wasn't that she had forgotten; she simply chose not to think about it.
She had only mentioned it to Eladia once on a certain day.
She said she felt Rafina's state of mind was off.
Eladia had only nodded, murmured an agreement, and continued wrapping the bandages around her hands.
Then, Rafina's letter arrived.
The letter was delivered via Beatrice. The deep purple envelope, adorned with silver edges, bore the wax seal of the Cardinal Sword.
The very first line after opening it was in her familiar handwriting. The letter began with a lengthy discourse listing various tactical simulations and supplementary explanations on logistical allocation. It was only at the very end of the letter that she added, in as casual a tone as possible: “If time permits, let us meet at the usual place in seven days.”
Esper folded the letter, slipped it back into the envelope, and took a deep breath as she stood at the entrance of the camp. She looked back at Eladia, who was currently learning basic runes from Noelle.
Eladia happened to look up just then, giving her a gentle nod.
Seven days later, the afternoon sun in Maple Town cast a neat row of light spots across the table through the blinds.
This time, Rafina arrived early.
She sat by the window with several documents spread before her, her fingers unconsciously stroking the edges of the pages. Seeing Esper push open the door and enter, she stood up and nodded slightly, her posture as elegant as ever.
But her tail had started wagging again. Just like last time, it was wagging rapidly, yet she herself seemed completely unaware of it.
She then began discussing various matters and handed over the latest survey report.
Esper took the report, glanced through it, and offered her suggestions. The entire process was much like when they used to huddle together to read in the old archives as children. Their heads were close, and they spoke in hushed voices.
But once they finished speaking and realized they were slightly closer than usual, they both chose to pull back half an inch rather than remaining as they were.
The discussion continued until dusk began to fall.
In the evening of Maple Town, the sunset glow stretched into orange-red bands of light across the table through the gaps in the blinds.
As Rafina closed the final document, Esper noticed that her tail had stopped wagging and slowly drooped.
Her face still maintained a faint smile as she looked at the darkening sky outside the window, seemingly pondering if there was anything she had missed.
There was nothing. Her expression remained unchanged, but her tail drooped a bit lower.
She was troubled.
Troubled by how quickly she had finished talking about everything.
“Ah... that's all for today. It's getting late, Hero. I shall take my leave now.”
She stood up and packed the documents into her folder, her movements still efficient.
But the moment she turned, Esper spoke.
“Rafina.”
Rafina's footsteps halted.
“Hmm? I'm here.”
“Are you really okay?”
Rafina turned around, tilted her head slightly, and gave her a smile that could only be described as flawless.
“The curse is still within manageable limits. Thank you for your concern.”
“That's not what I mean.”
Esper stood up, her chair scraping back half an inch.
She didn't step forward. She simply stood where she was, staring at the silver-haired girl before her with her crimson eyes, which had reverted to their natural state.
“...Have you really moved past it?”
“...Hero, how do you expect me to answer such a question?”
It was still her professional smile, but with her words, that layer of disguise began to waver.
“I just don't know what you're thinking.”
“...Why be troubled by that?”
“Because you are Rafina.”
The air fell silent. Rafina gazed at her, her lips parting slightly before she pressed them back together.
“...I only intended to discuss tactics with my companion as normal.”
“But your tail has been wagging this whole time. Even now.”
Rafina's face stiffened. She reached behind her back and grabbed the base of her tail, as if holding down a disobedient accomplice.
“...It's fine, Rafina. I won't force you to tell me why. I don't have the right to do that now anyway. I am just... confused.”
Esper's voice grew quieter as she spoke.
“...Confused?”
“I don't know how you see me now...”
At that, the hand gripping her tail loosened. The tail, which had been hanging limply on the floor, began to wag once more.
Rafina responded to Esper with a faint smile.
“This is not something incomprehensible, Esper.”
“Then what on earth do you want...”
“I want to start over with you. Starting as companions, getting to know each other again, and then building a bond.”
The words spoken by the calm-faced girl plunged Esper into a moment of bewilderment.
“...What?”
“Just that. Nothing else is needed, as long as I can continue to get along with you like this.”
The end of her sentence finally carried a trace of an imperceptible tremor.
“The mistake has already been made, and I cannot change the past. So I can only look to the present and focus on the future. To try and get a little closer to you.”
“...I said I hate you. Do you really...”
“Do you really hate me that much, Esper?”
Rafina suddenly took a step forward, slamming both hands onto the table. Leaning her body forward, her crimson pupils locked straight onto the scarlet eyes opposite her.
This was the first time in her life she had looked at her with such a forceful gaze.
“Esper, if you truly hate me that much, then say those words again.”
She was afraid.
Her hands were shaking, her body was shaking—every part of her was trembling with fear at an imperceptible frequency.
“If you say it, whether now or in the future, I will never try to get close to you again. I will never take the initiative to seek you out before you forgive me.”
She spoke rapidly, but she couldn't hide the unease and anxiety in her voice.
“...Do you think I don't dare to say it?”
A trace of coldness crept into Esper's tone.
“Whether you dare and whether you want to are two different things. Of course you dare, Hero. You have said it once before. But I don't care if you dare; I only care if you want to. This is my last chance, and it is also your last chance. So, will you say it, Esper? Say it once more now—that you hate me, and that you will never forgive me. Will you say it?”
“...”
Esper looked into those eyes, seeing the fear, exhaustion, and long-suppressed emotions churning deep within.
The resolve to hand over her destiny for judgment, wagering all her options on the bet that Esper could not bring herself to say those words a second time.
Esper opened her mouth.
“Rafina, I...”
She couldn't say it.
The anger and pain from before had long been exhausted in that outburst. Since then, Rafina's cursed, falling-flower-like collapse and her growing dark circles had also become shackles that held back Esper's words.
Thus, she couldn't utter a single complete sentence.
And this was the answer she gave Rafina.
“Then, let us start as companions first, Hero Esper.”
Rafina laughed.
“My name is Rafina Thun. I am the Demon King who will establish a Utopia in this world—a world where a girl named Lonia Catori can live happily forever.”
She extended her hand toward Esper.
“And you?”
“...”
Esper looked at the hand she had held countless times.
“...”
She grasped the hand.
“Esper. Just the Hero.”
.
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