The composition of the people presumed to be the delegation to find Dante was as follows.

Lily, who leads the delegation as a representative and is a healing magician, Ivan, who seems to be a swordsman but whose skills aren’t yet known, and… Kade, who used to be a spirit magician.

If Lily, who treats me as an infallible patient, and Ivan, who jokes with me from time to time, are kind to me, Kade isn’t.

He seemed to hate me, if I had to argue.

“…”

“Hello.”

It hasn’t been long since we packed up and set off, and I said hello first even if he ignored me. Even after that, I was either treated invisible or looked down on, and I couldn’t figure out why he didn’t like me.

At first, I wondered if I should take a look as one of the people I went with disliked me, but…

“That blanket next toㅡno. I’ll just take it.”

After a few hours, it quickly became annoying. Just because that person hates me doesn’t mean I have to go low.

Later, Ivan offered a non-explanatory explanation for Kade’s ill-fated attitude, yet it didn’t make much sense.

“That Brother is always like that, so don’t worry about it either, Sister! It’s because he’s a bit sensitive.”

“Ah, right.”

I wondered if that was a problem with his personality rather than being sensitive, but I’ll say I understand for now.

If there’s no fight, it’s okay, only fight.

***

Except for the fact that the people I went with have changed, nothing much has changed. The road we went through was the same, the place we were going to was the same, and my final goal was the same. Or maybe I don’t feel a big change just because of my personality.

In any case, nothing had changed, so there was nothing uncomfortable. I was getting used to Ivan’s prank, Lily’s friendly smile, and those unique… glaring gazes, and on the contrary, I even felt that it was more comfortable being with these people.

Monsters also started appearing frequently, and it’s strange to think that it’s comfortable even though the road has become rough.

“Miss Ei, stay here for a while. It will be over soon.”

Anyone who sees how quickly and neatly they solve whatever comes up will feel that way.

Even now, look at the wolf-like monster walking around, yet they went out to deal with it right away. There was no time to feel threatened.

It was said that they were colleagues who fought with Dante, but it seems that only people with outstanding abilities gathered. I opened the carriage door and got some fresh air, intending to wait patiently, when I heard a voice calling me from afar.

“Sister Ei! Look at this.”

“What is that?”

Ivan, who seemed to be going with Lily, stood holding something. With a bright expression, something suddenly came out, so I reflexively looked at it, and a familiar yet unfamiliar appearance caught my eye.

It was a fruit smaller than a fingernail. Its bright green color seemed to be close to fluorescent color, and the flesh looked somewhat hard.

The smooth surface of the shell glistened in the sunlight, like the surface of glass.

Where did I see it? I recalled vague memories as I accepted some of the fruits that Ivan had picked.

“These fruits are pretty.”

“Yeah, it’s pretty.”

“Right? It contains poison.”

What? I reflexively dropped the fruit under the carriage. When I was taken aback by the added comment, Ivan smiled innocently, “It’s okay if you just touch it.”

“I brought it to tell you to be careful whenever you see this.”

“I see… Thank you for your consideration.”

“It’s not a thankful expression.”

“I usually make a face like this when I’m thankful.”

You’re thankful yet you put on such an expression as if you couldn’t believe it? I waved my hand roughly at the words that followed as if it was absurd.

Ivan soon erased his pouting expression and smiled brightly once again as he continued his words.

“But really, this fruit is famous among travelers. There are quite a few people who eat the wrong thing and get scolded.”

Ivan playfully rolled the fruit in his hand.

“It’s not a very dangerous poison, hmm, is it better to just think that if you eat this wrong, you won’t be able to walk that day?”

“How can it be a not-so dangerous poison?”

“It’s not like you won’t be able to walk forever.”

I can’t follow that kid’s way of thinking. Is he weird or am I weird?

“I was joking, so don’t look at me with such strange eyes!”

“That’s a joke… Ah, yeah. Let it be. So what are those fruits?”

“Um, so. There are a lot of trees that bear this fruit just before entering Ronen Village.”

Aha, I see.

“I’m going to get off there, so be careful, right?”

“Yes.”

Ivan nodded his head with a slightly darkened expression. I stared at him wondering why he was doing that at the sudden change in expression, but I heard a small voice yet sufficient enough to be understood.

“By that time, even if Sister Ei picks up anything and eats it, we won’t be able to stop it…”

“I’m sorry, but do I look like a 10-year-old?”

“I was talking to myself, did you hear me?”

How can you ask such a mean question? Unknowingly, I clenched my fist, and Ivan immediately made an expression as if he was acting cute. Wow, that’s disgusting.

“Of course you know that I’m saying this out of concern for you, right?”

“Yeah… I know, I know.”

It’s a problem because I feel like your worry is making fun of me. Instead of adding that, I let out a shallow sigh.

Whether or not I looked at him with a confused expression, Ivan turned his back and started looking at the nearby flowers. It was a shameless attitude that I couldn’t help but admire.

There was only one person whom I thought was ‘shameless’ lately.

‘I came to meet you, my love.’

Only one.

At that moment, someone familiar came to my mind, and the feeling subsided as if it had waited.

At the same time as the blades of grass were swaying in the wind, Dante’s back seemed to flutter in front of my eyes, so I kept my mouth shut. I know best that there will be no end if I keep worrying about you like this.

Why do I keep thinking of you and getting anxious…

All I knew was just rumors. I haven’t personally seen Dante run amok, nor have I heard a specific story.

But even so, sometimes, no. Perhaps the fact that I couldn’t meet Dante often made me feel uneasy. There’s still a long way to go, and there’s nothing good about being impatient because of inaccurate rumors.

Where does this anxiety originate from? Right before I got caught up in my thoughts, I suddenly came to my senses when I heard Ivan’s voice.

“Sister said that Ronen Village is your friend’s hometown, right?”

“Uh, yes.”

“Then what about you? Did you also live in Ronen Village?”

“No. I just… I just heard that my friend went back to that village a while ago.”

I sneaked away from Ivan’s eyes and stroked my neck. It’s embarrassing that the lies seem to be increasing one by one, but I couldn’t help it because the questions Ivan asked were usually things that couldn’t be passed without lying.

Is it an illusion to think that if I continue to lie, I will end up in trouble? I sighed reflexively, yet Ivan opened his mouth again.

“That friend of yours is also very special. Even if it’s his hometown, to think that he moved knowing that the Magic Tower is right next to it.”

“…”

The weather is fine, his tone was light, as if handing out regards. Ivan was still touching the flower in front of him without any hesitation, and his expression was as clean as before.

The problem must be that I didn’t take Ivan’s words lightly.

“…Come to think of it, when I say Ronen Village, everyone talks about the Magic Tower.”

“Ah, do common people say the same?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, it must be very famous.”

‘Common people’, he said? I felt a sense of incongruity in his choice of words, but that wasn’t what was important now. I asked in the calmest voice I could, as if I had no interest in it.

“Why is the Magic Tower so famous?”

“Well, rather than the Magic Tower being famous.”

Round and round, the flower spun around in Ivan’s hand.

“The person in it now is famous.”

“You mean the Master of the Magic Tower?”

“Yes.”

I didn’t have the courage to ask right away, so I hesitated for a while.

“Why him?”

At my question, Ivan, who had been looking down at the flowers, raised his head. What was reflected in Ivan’s spotless yellow eyes wasn’t suspicion or distrust, but a simple question.

“I guess Sister hasn’t heard many rumors about the Master of the Magic Tower?”

“Hmm… I was away for quite a while for some reason.”

“Even if you were in a foreign country, it wouldn’t have been easy not to hear it… Well, it could be possible.”

Ivan shrugged.

“You know that the Master of the Magic Tower is the most famous among those who went to war, right?”

“Yeah.”

“There were more than one or two of those who were famous for being crazy during the war. But do you know why they only insist on saying that the Master of the Magic Tower is crazy?”

No, I don’t know. But I think I do. Unanswered words lingered in my mouth.

“It could be because he was the number one contributor to the war, so attention was drawn to him, but it was because he ‘suddenly’ went crazy. Did they say he changed around at the beginning of the war?”

“…”

“Usually, before people go crazy, they have a slight hint of it. However, I heard that the Magic Tower Master was fine until then. He changed that overnight.”

Ah, I heard this directly from someone who said they knew the Master of the Magic Tower! The added words didn’t remain in my head and quickly scattered.

Instead of those words, what filled my head was something unknown. A feeling that seemed to fill my chest pitch black.

Before I could guess what kind of emotion this was, Ivan’s words continued.

“And, um. He’s also famous for what he did.”

“…What did he do?”

“Wow, you really don’t know anything.”

My expression almost contorted at the words of admiration, but I held it in.

“That’s the reason, that’s what’s best known.”

Ivan suddenly pointed to the sky. The sky I looked up at at the gesture was still clear and endlessly blue. Like the day I walked through the town with you one day.

I didn’t have huge likes or dislikes for the color, but I quite liked the color of the sky. I especially liked the blue color of the late afternoon and the color before sunset. And I also liked Dante, who used to stand under it and laugh.

The color the sky now reflected was also a color that seemed to go very well with the Dante I remembered. A peaceful color that was still clear and endlessly blue, and seemed to have no room for any despair or anxiety. I always thought I was at peace when Dante was by my side.

However, the words that followed were far from what I remembered.

“He drew a large-scale explosion magic circle in the sky in full view of the kingdom army.”

“…”

“How many people died from it? I guess there were too many. I heard that the enemy’s damage was enormous.”

“…I see.”

“Some people say that the blue sky was dyed red, but in my opinion… No. It’s nothing.”

I had only heard a piece of information that Dante sided with the Empire in the war, but this was the first time I had heard of how he acted in detail.

Dante, who smiled brightly just by holding my hand, and the crazy Master of the Magic Tower who was said to brutally kill the enemies were out of place in my head. They must have been the same person, yet I couldn’t possibly think of them as the same person.

I just nodded, seized by the spinning feeling in my head, but Ivan didn’t seem to notice what I was doing.

I was glad he didn’t notice. There’s nothing good about finding out that I’m bewildered by the story of the Master of the Magic Tower.

“In fact, there weren’t that many battles in which the Master of the Magic Tower participated, but as long as he did participate, no trace of the enemy army was left.”

The peace I felt when I was with Dante was still clear. That’s what it used to be, and now Dante, towards someone else…

“Well, in one word.”

Swoosh. The red petals that had fallen before I knew it were blown away by the wind.

“It was a disaster.”

A heavy silence fell.