126-126
◆5.04
No one said anything harsh that day.
Before noon, the square was already filled with food and festivities. The earthlings' eyes were black and white, but the adventurers' outlandish behavior was always the norm, and on this day, they were more interested in enjoying the festivities than in finding out why.
The Adventurers have been known to behave altruistically at times of this kind of disturbance, in ways that the Earthlings would never understand. In other words, they will lavishly offer drinks and food on a grand scale without any compensation.
This was the case on this occasion, with much of the food brought in from the Adventurer's personal wealth. Even those adventurers who couldn't cook would stock up on hot food and drink from nearby restaurants and inns, and they would find people they knew in the square and serve them to them, making for a great feast.
Some merchants took advantage of the commotion and tried to make a killing, but products sold like hotcakes without much fanfare, and hiking up prices to get in front of your customers is not well-liked here in Akiba, so this almost never happened.
Some of them, for reasons unknown, were known to be lured by the cheerful atmosphere of the adventurers, and were treated with great gusto by the chefs of the Daichijin.
In such a chivalrous restaurant, adventurers would gather and toast each other until the sun went down.
Isuzu was sitting quietly in the shadows looking out over the Akaneiro Square where the sound of a lute had begun to flow, as if someone had brought it out.
Since it was a victory party, they were dragged around to toast and play until after lunch. Isuzu and the others were the victorious team for this 'Akiva Forced Level Reduction Massive Battle'.
However, if it went on too long, they would get tired.
And more than tired, Isuzu's mood was somber and she didn't feel comfortable in the midst of the glorious celebration.
Waving to her acquaintances at Bloom Hall, who were celebrating cheerfully, Isuzu sat down in the shadows of an abandoned building facing the square.
There are many benches here and there in this moss-covered city. Unlike the modern earthly city, this adventurer's city has no vehicles, so even on the back roads, the roads feel wide. As a result, practical benches made by woodworkers and carpenters make their homes in the shadows of the many trees.
Isuzu sighed as she listened to the lively music coming from the square.
Earlier she had been able to endure it because she had been so uptight, but sitting down like this made her want to cry out in a dull ache.
Isuzu didn't know.
So he had been terribly cruel to her.
That self-loathing is so bad that it needs to be pulled out of her tongue to heal, but she knows that doing that won't help.
Isuzu buried her face in her lap and shook her body to hide her feelings of pettiness and emptiness.
''Why am I so stupid!
This is what I mean when I say it's not funny.
To top it all off, I ran away from Minori and here I am.
My body is sinking into the ground, heavy and tired. Adventurers are strong and it's not about physical strength. It is the mind that is recharged with vitality.
The song of the festival (Rhapsody), which should have been a cheerful one, sounded very sad. Nothing good can come from being in that place, even if I am out of place.
Then a gentle presence approached Isuzu.
Isuzu hurriedly rubbed her eyelids with her kneecaps, but she couldn't look up. She didn't know what to say, and it didn't seem like she was qualified to talk to him.
After a few minutes of holding his knees and burying his face in them, the signs did not leave.
It's a very good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for when you're in the marketplace.
'What is it, Rudy?'
I'm glad you finally called me.
Isuzu felt the source of the voice come low and close to her, and she felt the source of the voice get down on one knee before it crouched down.
In front of Rundelhaus, who was surely smiling serenely, that's why Isuzu was too pathetic to raise her face.
''--The festival, it's over.
'Yeah...'
A sign seemed to cower and sit down next to Isuzu.
A green breeze, the last warmth of the afterglow, blew quickly past the two Isuzu's friends.
Isuzu's friends were chatting excitedly as they passed by. The sound of a group of young Daichijins running off in a frenzy. The sound of a few people carrying a wagon full of food.
Because Akiba is so crowded, all sorts of people are approaching and then leaving, even in this less popular place.
What could be called the "voice of the city" washed over Isuzu and then passed away.
The temperature of the wind against my bare two arms slowly drops.
A nostalgic bird call signaling the time to return home.
For a long time, long enough to span the coming of evening, they sat next to each other, listening to the distant bustle.
'You know, Rudy,'
Yes.
I--
Isuzu squeezed out her voice in the shadows as the indigo dusk fell.
'I've done something terrible to Minori,'
Yes.
Isuzu recalls, shaking with the pain of chest-piercing regret.
Minori had spilled a faintly cherry-red shard in that battle.
I didn't realize how much I loved Shiroe-san. No, I didn't understand what it meant to like her at all.
Like an inadvertent tipping of an overflowing treasure chest, it scattered around Minori, and Isuzu, who had been following the instructions of the large scale combat (raid) commander (leader), got a decent look at it.
'Shiroe in Minori, she had a kind face. It was like she was glowing with fluorescence. It's amazing to be remembered with such a soft expression. I think my heart is going to break. Minori must have felt like that when she looked at Shiroe-san.
Yeah.
I don't know if Rundelhaus saw it the same way.
Even though he was in a similar position to Isuzu, he's still the rear guard. And it's hard to say for sure since he was in the middle of the battle, positioning and securing the firing line.
But Isuzu saw it, and I can't pretend I didn't see it.
So much so that it was - a shimmer that pierced my heart.
Shiroe, a guildmaster of the medium-sized guild
A troubled and bemused smile.
Shiroe looks back at herself (Minori) as she walks a little behind.
The coffee we drank together late at night.
A neatly organized notebook to summarize what he taught me.
A muscular wrist holding an umbrella in the rain.
A leather bag, its candy-colored shine increasing with use.
A voice calling out Minori's name.
Even Isuzu had spent the past year under one roof with Shiroe. It was possible to see that the scenes reflected in the shards were Shiroe and her surroundings.
However, Isuzu has never been able to look at those scenes with the dazzling feeling of being filled with these shards, a feeling of sadness and longing that can be cut off. If Minori perceives that as the world, Isuzu is just as blind as she is blind.
''- If that was love, I was an idiot who knew nothing about it. You don't know anything about it, but you're talking about attack, confession, etc.... I was just using Minori as a toy.
Yeah.
Rundelhaus did not deny it.
That was a small consolation to Isuzu right now.
It would have made it even harder for her to forgive herself if she'd been told that it wasn't true.
''Rudy knew, didn't he? That's why you stopped me, but I....
If you recall, Rundelhaus must have known how foolish Isuzu was. He had even tried to stop her.
And yet, Isuzu interrupted him and even said, love me, maiden.
It's from Isuzu (,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,.
A piece of Rundelhaus that speaks to me gently.
I hadn't even noticed it.
The cherry color in my heart.
I was overflowing.
The same thing, I made a mischaracterization of that of Minori.
'I did a terrible thing to Minori! I shouldn't have done that! What do I do, Rudy? What should I do? I...
Unable to bear it, Isuzu jumped up to her face and stared at her partner (Rudy) with a vision distorted by tears.
He's a prince with smoking aquamarine eyes, surrounded by a soft hair line. The expression on his face as he gazed intently at Isuzu conveyed the kindness and intelligence of the Rundell House.
Isuzu realized that he was protecting her from anxiety and heartbreak with his droll attitude. She couldn't fake it anymore because the memories of Rundell House that flooded her chest were so calm and golden sunshine that she surprised herself.
'Miss Isuzu,'
"Hm.
I can't do anything. I can't do anything. There is a door that a man must open on his own. And when he walks through that door, he has to go through it alone.
No.
Isuzu shook her head like a child.
How could Isuzu apologize to Minori then?
Isuzu is as good as pushed off Minori's back, who is holding the same thing as her own kore.
At Rundelhaus' stern words, Isuzu's vision is distorted again.
''No one can follow you, you know. No matter how close a friend you are. Even the most dependable parent or sister and brother.
Rundelhaus speaks patiently to Isuzu. Isuzu feels a great sense of rebellion at being told off as a child, but what she has done is so shallow that she can't help but be treated as a child.
'We live every day to gain the courage to walk through that door. Telling the person you love to stay with you is, as Miss Isuzu said, a battle. ...But to get to that battle, one has to go alone.
Hey! You have to sic Minori on me! I knew Akatsuki would be there, but I didn't.
I almost got myself killed and I can't even fight with them.
It's hard to not even take responsibility.
Rundelhaus' words are cruel. But somewhere inside of me whispers that I'm not wrong.
'Miss Minori understood. If she didn't know, the pieces of Miss Minori wouldn't shine in those colors. Miss Minori is a warrior (hero). She has the strength to choose the right path.
And I'm sure that I can no longer cheat myself of remembering Rundelhaus, who admonishes me in this way, and I know that I will remember him with great care.
It's Minori's fight, so don't stir it up.
It is what it is. Rundelhaus is right.
But it's lonely and sad on its own, and Isuzu's heart is also screaming.
''........''
And Isuzu. You too.
Rundelhaus' fingertips touched Isuzu's disheveled and disheveled bangs.
'Don't let go of Miss Minori's hand because of some trivial emotion of awkwardness or guilt, much less meanness. We're together. We're friends, aren't we?'
Yes.
Yes.
I need to be with you.
I can't tell this feeling I have to Rundelhaus, who has made fun of the dog, and even he won't realize it, but I have to be with Minori, who is suffering.
It's important right now, and I have to be with Minori, who is suffering because she can't leave him alone. If Isuzu is right, Minori has already gone to fight.
He didn't even tell Isuzu, and he was alone, as Rundelhaus spoke.
''Then let's go back. What, this Rundelhaus-Code will take care of it. I was still the gerbil of society. I was told it would take a lot of work.
'Already. Rudy, I can't be depressed when you say that.
Isuzu forced a strong, forced laugh.
It was doubtful that she even had the right to cry. Because the person fighting now is her favorite best friend (Minori), Isuzu's favorite person.
Isuzu got up with a lot of energy and started walking to her home (guild house) with her partner in tow.
At least we'll spend the same night in the same place.
Even if it was the smallest possible effort.
◆5.05
The blue-white moon gently embraces the city of Akiba, and the sounds of stringed instruments are still flowing from somewhere in the city. The body of an adventurer is strong. When the party is in full swing, the party goes on forever. Its bouncy melody echoes from afar across the treetops of the trees.
The sun has set, and the farmer is lying in his bed, ready for tomorrow, playing in his dream world. The adventurer has finished his dinner and bath and is changing into his nightgown.
Shilohé stretched out in front of his desk in his office, the back of his chair jerking up and down.
She had been keeping up with the launch of the square until before dinner.
It was the result of a large scale battle (raid) accomplished by Minori, Touya, and the other younger members of his guild. Shiroe, of course, raised his hands in celebration. Winning a large scale battle (raid) is a joyous occasion. The higher the hurdle, the deeper the joy. And this is the first time in their lives that they have accomplished this by themselves, and it is an unexplored large-scale battle (unexplored) that other teams have yet to break through. It's not something that everyone can enjoy.
The Black Sword Guild, the West Wind Brigade, the D3, the Silver Sword and other famous fighting guilds all came to congratulate the team because they know better than anyone else the joy and value of this event.
The younger members of the guilds were delighted with the food that Nyanta and Serara had cooperated to bring to them. Tetra, who challenged Touya to a gluttony contest, held her stomach in the middle and gave up, but a teary-eyed Lelia was avenged by her.
Minori, who served as the large scale conductor (raid leader), was in a heap of trouble. It seems that he was constantly being congratulated and recruited (scouted).
I haven't heard the details yet, but I can see that too.
Large scale commanders (raid leaders) are few and far between. Grasping and commanding abilities that have nothing to do with level are required. Although Shiroe is touted as an operational strategist by those around him, to tell the truth, he has no confidence in that aspect at all. Shiroe is in the role of thinking up strategies, and Kanami is better at the leadership itself. I can't help but feel hesitant about calling the shots in an arrogant manner.
(He must be essentially a petty person...)
With that in mind, I'm more excited about Minori's future.
I handed him a booklet with a description of the meeting procedure (briefing guide), some basic knowledge, and large scale battle (raid) mechanisms (gimmicks) from 50 to 70 levels, along with some strategy notes left by Liese, the brilliant woman of D3.
I thought I was on the right track, but I didn't even think I was certain to break through on the first try.
(In that sense, I'm the one who's no good at this...)
This series of events was something for Shiroe to reflect on.
It is true that he was right about the expected level of the hostile targets, but he didn't expect it to be accompanied by a forced drop in level. Most of Akiva's strength was in the form of non-combat power.
The result is that the younger group broke through on the first sight, which is the best form of breakthrough, but it is not unlikely that the incident was prolonged, leaving Akiva's adventurers, who have plenty of experience in large scale combat (raids), rotten.
At any rate, Shiroe was poorly read and put a burden on Minori and the others.
It wasn't a mistake that anyone could blame him for, given the predictability, but he would need to tighten his mind.
''Even if I try to tighten up, I'm too short-handed to do that...''
A shallow wooden box occupies a corner of my desk, piled high with papers.
On top of the box is a booklet entitled "Plan for a Goodwill Delegation," which contains information about Minami and Plant hwyaden. It is a masterpiece of Henrietta's work.
The Round Table currently has a number of issues on its agenda, and improving relations with the Holy Empire of Westland and Plant hwyaden is a high priority.
Various preliminary negotiations have been held, and people and goods are exchanging much more than at one time, and the plan to accelerate this is to send a goodwill delegation - in other words, a meeting team - to further accelerate this.
Although the members of the team are not confirmed, at least someone of nobility would be needed to represent the Free City Alliance Eastal. We've negotiated with Duke Sergiad, but currently, Prince Yserus is the most likely candidate. The negotiations would be a formality, but if we were to hold talks with the leading figures of the Holy Imperial Westland, or possibly the Senate or Tori Saigu, we would need at least that level of stature.
Since Prince Yserus is still young, in that case, a bodyguard and a team of advisors would naturally be needed.
On the other hand, the representative of the Round Table, Princess Reinesia, is not a good choice. The distance between her and Prince Yserus, the likely representative of the League of Free Cities of Eastar, was too great, and to begin with, they had to travel to the Yuled Continent.
In the first place, the Holy Empire of Westland, in other words, the team was included in the expedition in order to negotiate with the Holy Empire of Westland, or in other words, to keep them away from this goodwill group. Shiroe and Karasin concluded that Princess Reinesia should be removed from the situation in Yamato for a while.
If that was the case, someone else would have to be chosen to represent the Round Table, and it would be Michitaka or Shiroe. We could play rock-paper-scissors, but I don't think Shiroe would be a good choice.
Whether he was going to send a delegation or a group of Michitaka, it would be too pointless to just send someone to greet them. If such a level of warfare was sufficient, there was no point in sending Prince Yserus in the first place.
According to KR, the stubborn Intix are pushing to make Plant hwyaden stronger.
Even Akiva has been struggling to get its hands on a communication system to the moon. It seems that Plant hwyaden is trying to solve that problem by using new technology to "open a microgate to the moon". In order to accomplish this, they need people, and apparently Intics wants to expand Plant hwyaden.
In the words of KR, "I dream of gathering all the Adventurers.
Shiroe made a stern face, saying that this was absurd.
But if that was true, then of course, Akiva would be among the "All Adventurers," so they would have to make sure to talk to the Intix. Shiroe, who is probably not well-liked because of the uproar over the dissolution of the Tea Party of the Prodigal, feels awkward, but still, they are old friends. He's also one of the players Shiroe respects.
So I want to talk to him properly. I also want to face the things that escaped me at the time.
That includes, of course, a confrontation with Wet Feather, the ruler of Plant hwyaden, who has carved herself into Shiroe's heart in a single encounter, full of sweet and bitter fascination. This trip to the west was also about meeting her again, discussing and coming to an agreement.
That's why--. It is true that Shiroe has been very busy these days, and she has been so busy rooting around and greeting all the parties involved that she hasn't had time to spare.
It's not an excuse to put a burden on Minori and the others, though.
Since I received a response from 〈Plant hwyaden〉 about accepting me, I will have to start the practicalities of dispatching the delegation in earnest, and when I think that I will be even busier than I am now in the future, a sigh escapes me.
I feel like I'm working in black even before I get the job.
--concert.
Just like that, the door rang, and when I called out to come in, Minori popped up with her chestnut-colored hair swinging in the air.
It's a very deep time, but without undoing the battle gear that was doing a large scale battle (raid), she comes in quietly in a dignified yet girlish appearance.
'What's wrong?'
Come to think of it, Minori was always like that.
When she entered Shiroe's office, she made a somewhat apologetic gesture, as if she was trying to sneak in the sound of her footsteps. You don't have to be so reserved, Shiroe always thought.
''I made a report on today's large-scale battle (raid),''
You're early. You could have done it tomorrow or the day after.
No, I mean. I might have forgotten about it after a while.
Okay.
The bundle of paper I received was about ten sheets of light brown paper.
The abilities of the Enemies we encountered in the area outside Akiba, such as the Ash Spotted Demon (Noor) and the Chain Spitting Bat (Chain Bat), their attacking methods, the situations we encountered them, and the methods we used to repel them.
How to join up with the guild after entering the guild hall, and how to form a large scale combat (raid) unit (team). What you took care of, what you actually benefited from, and what you failed to do.
Encounters with the litany of disasters. What they said. Their capabilities. Their methods of attack. Endurance.
The course of the battle is roughly summarized in chronological order (timeline) and is easy to understand.
'Yeah, I get it. It's well written.
Good....
He must have copied the format of a major guild, which was found in the document department of the Roundtable. It was a brilliant report that summarized important information without excess or deficiency.
There were more tables and figures and less ground text.
But this was a piece of adventure fiction that contained the heroic battle of Minori and her team.
'Let's hear a general comment. The factors that led to the victory and how well everyone did.
'The reason we won is because everyone worked so hard. Touya was also a solid supporter. When the midfield line collapsed, Lelia-san's evasion shield helped us rebuild.
As the report says, they fought with a basic tactic known as a two-piece shield. Rather than being planned from the beginning, they worked together while looking to rebuild, but the fact that they were able to do so means that they were making the right preparations.
''The team this time had a lot of 'recovery jobs,' but the thick recovery and resuscitation spells with the abundant MP helped keep the morale of the unfamiliar members of the team in check. The burden was placed on the thinner Attackers, and I apologize to Rundelhaus in particular for forcing him to do the work of a few people. In the melee attack position, the coordinated attacks of Milky-san, Seiya-san, Nindo-san and Death Gazer-san were powerful...
Indeed, from the reports, it seems that we are lacking in offensive power.
A well-balanced, large combat (raid) squad (team) with a focus on attack rather than defense would have been able to capture it in half the time. --The less defense the better, as long as the vanguard is holding out and has enough recovery. This is the basis of raiding. If you have enough information about this raid, it's one of the right answers.
However, with insufficient information, Shiroe's assessment is that the imbalance in formation is not a point deduction. Rather, he has many tactics worthy of special mention, such as directing attacks based on a sense of urgency from the number of recovering players, and organizing a reviving player down the back row when rebuilding.
A major guild with a lot of experience would be able to work together on a daily basis, but if it was a unit that was formed on the same day, that assessment cannot be shared.
I didn't have much to offer.
Really?
Groaning, Minori continued her confession in a thin voice.
''........Once, I disintegrated the battle lines. The MP absorption attack of the 〈典災〉 was so strong that I sat down. If Serara-chan and Isuzu-chan hadn't followed up with me, I think I would have failed to rebuild. ........Large-scale Combat (Raid) Commander (Leader) disqualification.
I don't think so.
That's what the report shows.
Whether it's an unknown status abnormality, or a feeling of emptiness due to MP absorption, the front line collapses and the battle situation stalemates. Indeed, if they had been hit by a giant ranged attack here, they would have been wiped out.
But that's no surprise from Shiroe's point of view.
It is normal to lose a large scale battle (raid).
No matter how much the commander (leader) blames himself, that kind of annihilation can happen, so Minori shouldn't blame himself.
But at the same time, Shiroe could understand Minori's feelings.
He wanted to do it.
He thought he could do it.
That meant that he promised himself, not to anyone else, that he would stand on his own feet and take responsibility for this massive battle (raid). He thought he would be capable of this level of competence, and he had an image of the goal he needed to reach within himself, so he blamed himself when he failed to reach it.
The Shiroe of the old days is in Minori's mind.
'Commanders, you can't win alone. Anyone can't win a large scale battle (raid) alone, but a conductor especially can't do anything alone.
Shiroe spoke to Minori.
'No matter how pathetic you feel, if your companions praise you for your 'good command', you have to believe it. You were praised, weren't you?
"Yes. She said, "Thank God. "I'm relieved to hear that the instructions came through. "I followed the directions and it was fine.
The words might sound to Minori now, or as if they were words she had forced herself to spin to follow up on. Like the logic he made up to avoid blaming Minori.
But Shiroe knows very well that it's not.
Long experience had taught him that, and if you were in the plaza in front of the guild hall today, it was only natural to know unless you were an idiot. Minori's comrades were so happy about the victory.
''You mustn't throw away that blessing when you believed in the battle of the friends you fight with. It's one thing. You can't take only one of them. It was Minori who entrusted you with it, and it was Minori who gave you the praise.
Yes.
With her small fists clenched tightly together, Minori whispered back.
'Let's go again,' he said.
'Good. That's Minori's. Minori will be a dream come true for all of us.
--Can you be? Shiroe nodded widely to the girl who was visiting her with what a desperate look on her face.
''Of course! Why do you look like you're about to cry?
Minori will become.
He will be a better commander (leader) than the commander (leader) of any major fighting guild.
It's so easy to jump over Shiroe with ease.
Those who know their own weaknesses and helplessnesses, and know the meaning of their words, will be good leaders. This is true in any environment, whether it is a large scale battle (raid) or not. That was the truth that Shiroe had received and relied on from the Elder Tail.
Minori can be anything,
Shiroe smiled at that.
Anything and everyone.
Anything you wish will come true.
Shiroe saw the tears and determination in Minori's eyes, and she believed that.
'I--I love you, Shiroe.
Minori told Shiroe with a slightly sad smile, as if letting go of her lifeline.
Perhaps that was the real decisive battle that Minori had to fight today.
◆5.06
'You and Touya, I've thought you were wonderful since you and Touya had no friends to talk to in your first game.
Shaking out her voice, Minori flattened her chest.
I could see that it was forced, but that's what she was pinning on.
'I thought what an amazing person she was when she rescued me from 'Hameln'.
She was clasping a small white cobbler in a tight grip, so fragile and dignified in her white priestess costume that she looked like a piece of snow if you touched her.
'As we began to spend time together, I began to see the cooler and cooler side of him, he was kind and gentle, and my love for him grew.
The distant eyes and determined tone of voice, as if remembering, are enough to make even Shiroe, who is unfamiliar with the subtleties of human relationships, realize just how much resolve Minori has in mind.
'Seeing Shiroe-san draw the poorest of the poor makes me feel somewhat heartbroken and painful.
What did she see herself as to the girl she had thought was still so young? When Shiroe thinks about it, she realizes that she hadn't even imagined such a thing well enough until now, and she feels like swearing at herself.
The only thing that is now more painfully obvious than anything else is that this is a special, truly special moment for Minori.
'I'm still a child and I can only teach you - I love you, Shiroe. He's a teacher, but I love him.
Shiroe, who ran away from the same thing, knows.
Minori is amazing. She is a girl to be respected.
She didn't rely on anyone, she didn't cheat or stall, she just jumped straight in. It's a far cry from Shiroe's pettiness, which she realized later on that she should have done so.
She was embarrassed that she was soaring at the mention of being a teacher.
Minori is much stronger and more determined than Shiroe. That was just dazzling to Shiroe.
Unspeakable time(s) passed.
Shiroe thought of several replies and cut them off.
Shiroe searched within herself for something comparable to the courage and determination that the girl in the miko's outfit had wielded from her tiny body, but was being shunned.
They were not wrong, but it seemed obvious that they could not match Minori's nobility in words.
No amount of persuasion would ever reach Minori, and Shiroe knew that it was arrogant to try to convince her of her feelings through persuasion in the first place. Only the truth, no matter how uncool, was appropriate for this place now.
That was the only solution that Shiroe could believe still barely existed between Shiroe and Minori, the only solution that could respond to the faintest of trust.
'I'm sorry.'
He didn't lower his head.
Because I hesitated to look away from Minori's expression, even for a moment. In this special moment, it seemed like a cowardice worthy of all death.
I'm in love with a girl," he said, "I'm not in a relationship. I'm not in a relationship with her, but I think I like her. I think it's good to be with her. The city looks beautiful. Time slows down. I don't know what's going to happen next, but I think I like her.
Compared to Minori's dignified declaration, my own sounded rather pathetic and excused. But this poorly written list is the best I can offer to Shiroe right now.
It's the truth about Minori's truth that Shiroe can respond to.
So I'm sorry.
Shiroe told him.
If it was okay to be smug, this apology might hurt Minori. But even that was her just reward.
That was the answer Shiroe had been unable to get from 'her' due to her own cowardice. That's why Shiroe articulated it clearly.
Minori did not spill a tear, nor did her shoulders tremble with agitation. He just looked straight at Shiroe, as if he was trying to remember everything, and said a short "Yes".
Minori was much more right than Shiroe.
And she's a nice lady (lady).
To Shiroe, Minori looked somewhat dazzling right now.
(I wonder how it looks to Minori...)
The thought of that makes me almost chuckle.
In Minori's confession, I think Shiroe was portrayed as being a bit too upwardly adjusted for her own good. But that doesn't mean you should laugh at it or make fun of it.
''It's okay! I'm sorry to have embarrassed Dr. Shiroe! Even though I look like this, I have a lot of guts. I'm as good as Touya, so I'll be fine.
It must have been a longing, just as Shiroe's was for her.
Just as Shiroe had for her.
Shiroe thinks it is a sacred feeling. Longing and disappointment are ultimately a treasure for those who have them. You can't deny your feelings for them, even if they are directed at you.
Minori's courage is dazzling as she clenches her fist in front of her chest and smiles. The faint voice that she forced up, the words that were wet from the pain in her nose, were irreplaceable.
There was no way to continue the conversation.
It didn't seem right.
'Good night! I'm a bit tired after writing so many papers. Dr. Shiroe writes so much every day and I think he works too hard after all. Good night!
As she lowered her head vigorously from her waist to ninety degrees, the sound of the girl's small footsteps disappeared behind the door, and after a moment's pause, she ran out.
Shiroe listened attentively to the sound and did not cower in front of the office desk.
Did he have something to offer that was balanced by the girl's precious truth? As a child in the library at dusk, frightened of the dismissal bell, I wondered if I had changed at all from that point on.
Shiroe asked herself that.
◆5.07
Stifling her breath and killing the sound of her footsteps, Minori crossed the hallway.
He walked down the darkened stairs, opened the door to the dining hall so he wouldn't see anyone, walked through, went through the entrance, and walked out into the night.
Minori made her way through Akiba at night, the damp dewy grass under her feet making her toes wet, alone.
There was no destination.
Minori just walked through the night, staring at the ground as if being rushed.
She kept her breaths to a minimum as she pulled her mouth into a knot.
If he was not careful, his voice would flood out of his numb nose.
It was sludgy and swirling, and if he wasn't careful, it would spew out of Minori in all kinds of ugliness. Clenching his fists to withstand the pressure, Minori moved forward, forward.
Minori followed the darkness of the night, avoiding the gentle, intimate lights of the Hotarubito, the inviting melody of the Khadrir, and the repeated murmur of toasts.
Not wanting to just be depressed, rather than to find a place to go, Minori continued to stare at the night ahead.
He loved Shiroe.
Confess.
Rejected.
That's all it was, a common plot, a predictable ending - painful to the point of burning his lungs.
It's not that anything unusual or unexpected happened. So why is Minori's chest screaming?
Why does it hurt so much that her bitten lips are numb.
I'm not wrong.
Minori screamed in her mind.
He knew that if he confessed, this would happen.
It wasn't because of Akatsuki or anything, but because he sensed that Shiroe didn't see him as a love interest. If he wanted to have a relationship with Shiroe, maybe he should have taken the time to get her to see him as a woman. That would have been the smart thing to do.
But that wasn't possible.
Because it was the right thing for Minori to confess to him this evening.
Because Minori loved Shiroe, and because she wanted to be on the battlefield. Because he didn't want to be coddled by the master-disciple relationship and be blessed with a victory from the cheering section at ringside.
I did the right thing.
Even now, Minori can say that.
So why is the sound of blood rushing through his ears and his chest burning like a coal pressed to the floor?
The unanswered question descended and became a chain, tangling around Minori's legs.
It was supposed to be moving forward, but it lost all of its vitality and eventually stopped moving, awkwardly, as if it were restrained.
On the riverside path on the outskirts of Akiva, Minori couldn't move an inch.
Out of the center and in the darkness, where the sound of music was sparse, Minori still found a shadow falling at her feet, and she spotted the moon shimmering in the air.
Minori wanted to resent the irony of the moon's light being so gentle in spite of all this pain.
'Minori. Found!
It's a bit late for this kind of night, don't you think?
How long had he been standing there? The moon hung in the hollow and such a voice came to Minori, damp with the night dew.
'Touya, Mr. Rundelhaus...'
With a low, trembling whine, a familiar two-horse wagon appeared. They were the carriages of Minori and her friends, pulled by Danish and Croissant, who had supported us on that painful journey to Saphir.
At the driver's seat is Rundelhaus, who is smiling and waving, and Touya, who has a reassuring expression on his face, beside him.
As I approached with each of them, I noticed that on top of the hood was the same brightly colored, thin-dressed Mofur sisters who hadn't changed since I met them.
'You'll see scary ghosts when you're out this late at night,'
Haunted! You're scary!
White and big and wispy...
The Great Lizard!
The two sisters jumped down like a lump of hair and rushed over to Minori, who was taken aback, and together they picked her up in their arms in rejoicing.
'Hi! We got you!'
Hi! I got him!
The two of them called out as if they couldn't be accused of kidnapping, and then they lifted Minori above their heads, carried her like a mikoshi (portable shrine), and threw her straight into the hood of the carriage.
'I think Minori is hungry,'
You can have it, baby!
The sisters pressed the bag of cookies they were about to eat into Minori's hand, and with a very gentle look on their faces, they took turns nudging Minori's head and clambering up the top of the hood. Maybe that's their reserved seat.
The carriage departed quickly, with no room for Minori to ask or say anything as she was thrown into the back seat.
In the back seat, lit by three magic lights and piled high with cushions, Minori was being hugged from both sides by Serara and Isuzu. They had been supporting Minori from both sides from the moment she was thrown into the car.
Rather than fight the carriage's sway, Minori tried to soothe its somewhat desperate clinging, and failed.
Because both Serara and Isuzu had tears in their eyes.
I'm sorry for worrying you.
Minori's throat broke down with startling ease as she clumsily grunted as she tried to speak those words she had prepared.
I'm not going to cry.
I can stand this much.
I was prepared for it from the beginning.
As if to mock such a flimsy excuse for Minori, the unrestrained impulse in Minori herself caused large tears to raggedly flow out of her mouth of their own accord, and a pitiful voice came out of her mouth as a sound that didn't lead to any meaning.
'Minori-chan....'
I'm sorry... Sorry, Minori.
Minori didn't know why Isuzu was apologizing so desperately as she held Minori's head in her arms, but Minori finally couldn't stop sobbing in earnest when she heard her voice.
Her head was a mess, her nose was clogged up, and she couldn't even talk.
In the midst of the misery of being an infant again, Minori and the others hugged each other in a group and cried out.
I love you.........
Yes.
He loves it.
I said.
It didn't arrive, but Minori told him properly.
The first thing that comes to mind is the fact that it's not a dream.......................
Going out with a slightly better looking teacher, dressing up, going on dates, and talking like an adult. It's not that I didn't admire those things, but it's not the only thing I wanted to do.
'I like you properly...'
To put up a chest.
'I'm not faking it...'
To tell Shiroe.
That it wasn't a mistake.
He had done the right thing because it was right to tell Minori's first love, wise, clumsy, kind, and insensitive, to show her the truth of his heart as best he could offer her, the day he understood, because it was right to tell her his feelings.
That it was an infantile longing that would eventually turn into disappointment, that it was just a misunderstanding of respect for skill, that it was a favor that saved his life, someone might eventually deny that to him.
No, even Minori herself might lose her confidence somewhere in the future and switch her memories to think that it wasn't love after all. Minori thought that was unfair, and that was the only thing that was different, so she told him her thoughts.
It was soft and immature, even if it wasn't very good at it.
'I love you...'
It's love, Minori thought.
The carriage made its way through Akiva and out by the river to the sea.
It proceeded slowly, but without stopping, through the deepest darkness of late night, illuminated by the pale light.
While I dozed off a bit from crying, the two of us in the groom's seat carefully made our way through the rough streets and led the way through the distant, clear indigo-purple air of the dawn.
When Minori woke up in the morning mist, Celara said, "I've only got this much," and pulled out more than ten servings of food from her magic bag. The sisters, who were peeking out from the top of the bag, seemed half worried and half hungry, taking the spit-roasted food and offering words of comfort to me.
At Minori's request, Isuzu sang a little to her.
The three of us laughed at the funny rattle that had become so rough from crying so much, but when she said it back and sang it herself, it sounded worse than it was.
All three of us had red eyes and a limp nose, and we couldn't call ourselves adults. They laughed and butted heads with each other, but fortunately the two talented boys didn't seem to make fun of them.
'I like you, Minori,'
Me too! Minori-chan!
Yeah!
The carriage was moving along an abandoned road along the seafront as the lights at the beginning of the day framed the horizon like a golden wire. It was a drive at dawn. And at Minori's side are Touya, her favorite Isuzu and Serara, the dependable Rundelhaus, and the helpful Mohur sisters.
So I'm sure they'll be fine.
When night falls, I can get myself back on my feet.
Minori thought as the softness enveloped her.
It's a little too much for now, but surely one day she will be able to remember this day, not with heartache, but with nostalgia and pride.
The three of us who held hands and sang in a faint voice like a whisper, were singing a song of a nightingale, desperate in love with the stars (longing).
Log Horizon Ep13
Song of the nightingale (Nightingale) End