SGB: Episode 121

Episode 121: Dark Cloud (5)

For a moment, I stand still, gazing ahead.

Inside the room where Misha assumed no one would be, there are two figures.

Misha and Erwen.

‘They couldn't possibly know each other, so did Erwen come to see me and run into her by chance?’

As soon as I enter the room, I habitually analyze the cause and effect based on the given circumstances.

But that's all it is.

Kwaaang!

Unlike the humid air outside due to the pouring rain, a strangely chilly atmosphere pervades my small, single room.

This room is full of mysteries.

‘What the? Why is she so pissed off?’

Having spent almost every day together for the past few months, I can tell just by her expression.

Right now, Misha is very, very angry.

It’s incomparable to the time when she was caught secretly throwing out carrots after eating all the meat.

Even her tail fur is slightly puffed up, as if she's feeling wary...

What's strange is that Erwen is the same.

‘…Is she crying?’

Tears well up in her eyes.

She's not bawling, but she's trying her best to hold back, as if enduring something.

It’s an expression closer to enduring with frustration rather than crying out of sadness.

‘Did these two fight or something?’

Based on the information I see, I reach a conclusion.

It seems like Erwen and Misha had a fight.

As for the reason, well, I don't know either.

I don't think either of them is the type to clash emotionally with someone they just met.

Clack.

As soon as I close the door, Misha and Erwen's gazes simultaneously turn to me.

It seems they only noticed my presence after the door closed, perhaps because of the sound of rain and thunder...

Misha is the first to speak.

“Ah, Bjorn, you’re back? This is your guest.”

Misha greets me with a smile as usual.

But her eyes aren't smiling at all.

And at that moment…

“Waaaaah! Mister…!!”

Erwen bursts into tears she’d been holding back and runs towards me, even jumping.

I instinctively dodged.

But was it an unexpected sight?

Erwen, regaining her balance like an agility-based character, bites her lip and asks me,

“Is it… because of that woman?”

What is she talking about?

Although it seems like her vibe has changed a lot since I last saw her…

Well, it’s been a while.

“Because of that woman?”

“Ah, it’s nothing!”

Erwen shakes her head violently as I ask back, thinking they really had a big fight.

And then she glances at Misha as if trying to gauge her reaction.

“Bjorn, why are you so late?”

Misha approaches me with quick steps as our eyes meet.

“You left in such a hurry, is everything okay?”

Her voice is filled with an unbearable nasal tone.

I shudder but answer her question,

“Everything is fine. Karon was accused of being a marauder, but after I went and said a few words, it was all resolved.”

“Hee, I see. Good job.”

Misha says something condescending and pats my head.

She would usually pat my arm or back.

At this point, I have no choice but to ask,

“What… the hell is wrong with you?”

“What do you mean? I’m praising you for doing a good job. You can’t consider a barbarian as a stranger.”

I involuntarily tilt my head.

That wasn’t even what I asked…

…and her answer itself is full of contradictions.

“Why? Barbarians and beastmen get along, don’t they?”

…Is that so?

Hmm, well, they’re better than fairies, who are sworn enemies.

“He, here’s a towel!”

Just as I’m about to ask another question, Misha jumps and places a towel on my head.

“Dry your hair first. You’ll catch a cold.”

“Ah, uh… alright.”

I dry my hair with a towel, feeling suspicious, and turn my gaze towards Erwen. I can’t keep neglecting my guest.

“Erwen, did you come here first?”

“Yes? Ah, ye, yes…”

Erwen shrinks back and avoids my gaze as I speak to her.

And she was the one who ran to me earlier.

Ah, so she feels a sense of distance because I dodged?

“Anyway, it’s good that you came. I was thinking of visiting you sometime—”

“Yes? You were thinking of visiting me?”

“…So?”

“Really? I’m happy. I thought you might have forgotten about me…”

I chuckle at the sudden change in atmosphere and answer,

“I won’t forget someone I met during my first labyrinth exploration.”

“Ri, right? How could that be? It just meant something special only to me, after all?”

Huh?

Although I feel a strange sense of dissonance…

…I nod at Erwen’s earnest gaze.

“…That’s right, isn’t it?”

“Yes! It was just that! As expected!”

Erwen’s face brightens up at my single answer, although I don’t know what happened.

I guess that’s enough socializing for now.

I decide to ask what I’m curious about first.

“Anyway, it’s been a while. So how have you been?”

“Me? You’re curious about how I’ve been?”

“So…?”

“Then I’ll tell you!”

Erwen then starts chattering like a bird, telling me everything that happened since we last met.

Most of it is about the labyrinth.

Going up floors with her sister, killing monsters, absorbing new essences. Ah, she also said that she usually stays cooped up in her room and trains day and night?

“Look! I can control all four spirits now! And I’ve even awakened three of them!”

“What? Three?”

“Yes! I worked really, really hard!”

Honestly, I’m also a bit surprised.

It’s hard to consider it as an achievement made in just a few months, even if she was raised like a secondary character thanks to her sister’s help.

‘Is this what talent is?’

In many ways, her case is different from mine.

If I became stronger with high-grade essences and equipment, she really achieved it through training and developing her abilities.

‘She hasn’t even been an explorer for a year, and she’s already a bow-wielding fairy who has succeeded in awakening three elements…’

This is definitely rare.

If she can awaken all four elements, she can do ‘that’ later on.

‘Tsk, if it weren’t for her sister, I could have added her to the team.’

I feel a bit disappointed as if I’ve lost a talented individual.

But I decide not to say anything unnecessary.

We’re not forming a team right now anyway, and she won’t abandon her family and come with me.

“Anyway, it’s a good thing you were busy training. I thought I couldn’t visit you because I moved accommodations. Well, you also had to focus on your growth rather than me.”

“Ah, it’s not exactly that…”

“Right, Bjorn is right. You should focus on your own survival first when you’re not even a 1st-year yet.”

Misha, who had been listening silently, gets up and puts her arm around Erwen’s shoulder.

Erwen flinches and—

“Yes…”

—nods weakly.

Is it just my imagination that she seems to be wary of Misha?

I belatedly ask,

“Ah, so what happened between you two while I was gone?”

Actually, I’ve been curious since the beginning.

But Misha just tilts her head innocently at my question.

As if she heard something strange.

“Huh? Nothing happened?”

“Nothing happened? I thought you guys had a fight or someth—”

“Nyaha! Fight? No way. We became really close, right, Erwen?”

“Yes, Miss Kaltstein…”

“What’s with ‘Miss Kaltstein’? Just call me sister.”

“Yes, sister…”

It’s like watching a delinquent girl taking an innocent schoolgirl to an alleyway.

I’m sure something happened…

But as long as they keep their mouths shut, I doubt I’ll get the answer I want even if I ask.

‘I’ll figure out what happened later…’

I walk past them and open the window.

The sky is clear, the dark clouds having disappeared. Sunlight shines on the wet street, making it sparkle.

So I give them a subtle order to leave.

“The rain has stopped, so you should both leave now. I need to wash up and get some rest.”

For some reason, I feel a wave of fatigue washing over me.

____________________

After leaving mister’s room…

Erwen faces a difficult situation.

“Huh? You’re going this way too?”

“Yes, but…?”

“Then go ahead. I’ll go a bit later.”

She’s heading in the same direction as the beastwoman.

Well, fortunately, it seems like this woman also doesn’t want to walk with me…

“Then you go first. I’ll go later.”

“No, you go first.”

This is the biggest problem.

Going later?

How can she trust those words?

She feels like the woman will turn around and go back to mister’s room as soon as she’s gone. Looking at her expression, it’s clear that she suspects her of the same thing.

“Ha…”

Erwen and Misha both sigh at the same time.

“Then should we go together?”

“Yeah, that would be better.”

An awkward silence fills the air as they walk.

No one speaks first, and they just focus on walking.

Well, it’s only natural.

Although she told him nothing happened, that wasn’t true.

[Well? Don’t you already know what I mean?]

The moment she heard those words, Erwen felt like her mind went blank. Her heart raced with anxiety, and she couldn’t bear it any longer.

So she blurted out something without thinking.

[You wicked cat…!]

It was the first time she had ever cursed at someone.

And on top of that, when she came to her senses, her hand was reaching for the dagger at her waist.

That’s when Erwen realized…

[Hey, is there something wrong with your head?]

…that if it weren’t for those words, she would have already drawn her dagger.

The beastwoman is strong.

Not just her imagination, but truly.

Fairies, with their naturally keen senses, can feel other people’s magical energy.

‘Twice as strong… no, maybe even three times.’

There was a huge difference in their magical energy.

It means that she has absorbed many more high-grade essences. And she could also tell from the aura and posture the beastwoman was emitting.

She felt dizzy as soon as she realized it.

Misha Kaltstein.

This woman is an enemy.

But she can’t defeat her in a fight.

That means… she’ll lose.

Just like she did before, she’ll lose something precious.

Yes, she’ll lose.

Her emotions, separated from reason, overwhelmed her.

A memory engraved in her mind paralyzed Erwen’s thoughts.

Her mouth moved on its own, driven by her emotions.

[Please don’t take him away… Please….]

A pathetic plea.

Words that she would never have uttered if she were in her right mind.

They came pouring out.

[What…?]

Even the beastwoman, who was staring at her with cold eyes, was speechless.

Erwen knew how pathetic and strange she must look right now, even in her own mind.

But…

…she thought she could do even more if it meant protecting what was precious to her. No, she might have actually knelt down and begged, tears streaming down her face.

Clack.

If it weren’t for mister arriving just then…

[Waaaaah! Mister…!!]

Erwen shakes her head as if to dispel her thoughts.

It was a shameful memory she didn’t even want to think about.

For some reason, her thoughts become irrational whenever it involves mister.

‘…I must have seemed like a strange girl.’

Erwen glances at Misha, blushing with shame.

She’s now standing at a fork in the road.

“I’m going this way, where are you going?”

“Fortunately… it’s the opposite direction.”

“Hmm, I see…”

The moment to escape from the awkward silence has arrived, but neither of them can take a step, just staring at each other.

Misha is the first to speak.

“Are… you coming tomorrow too?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Ha… how did I really…”

Misha facepalms as if she can’t believe this situation.

Erwen feels the same way.

Before she rushed here, all she could think about was meeting mister and having fun together.

“Anyway, I’m going. You go too. Okay?”

“Um…”

“Huh?”

Erwen grabs Misha’s arm, who is about to head towards the other path.

She has something to say.

Although she doesn’t really want to.

“…Thank you.”

“Thank you…?”

“You didn’t tell him… about what happened earlier.”

“The part where you tried to attack me with your dagger?”

“Yes…”

Misha lets out a big sigh as Erwen hangs her head low.

“Alright, let’s make a promise.”

“Promise?”

“You’re going to come here anyway, even if I tell you not to. So let’s keep this between us. That… I guess it’s the same for you, but… I don’t want to make him worry about something like this.”

“…Okay.”

“Then I’ll be going. And you go home too, okay?”

“Yes.”

Erwen then parts ways with Misha and heads back to her accommodation.

Although it’s quite a distance, it doesn’t feel long, perhaps because her mind is so preoccupied.

She enters her room, and her sister greets her.

With a worried expression.

“Erwen.”

“Sister…”

Erwen collapses into her sister’s arms.

“Did you… meet him?”

“Yes. He was really alive.”

“I, is that so…? That’s good.”

She acts spoiled in her sister’s arms for a long time, as if seeking comfort.

And then she gathers her resolve.

“Sister, I’m going to become stronger.”

“Stronger…?”

“Yeah. Is something wrong with that?”

“No, I thought you were going to stop training…”

Erwen tilts her head at her sister’s meaningful words.

Why would she stop training?

Well, when she first found out that mister was alive, she felt like the years she spent training in her room were meaningless…

“But I have someone I have to defeat now.”

Erwen feels a burning desire, even more intense than before.

“So please help me from now on, sister.”

If she doesn’t want to be on the losing side…

…then she just has to be on the winning side.

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