--it was a fun time.

　The tavern is alive with the voices of other adventurers. With that as background music, we tucked into delicious food and talked about other trivial matters.
　Yes, I think it was the most lively time since I was reborn.

　But strangely enough, bad things seem to happen just at those times.

(Huh?)

　I suddenly noticed something strange about Iltimina-san next to me.

　Before I knew it, her hands had stopped eating her food. I wonder what's going on, even though it's such a delicious dish?

　rattling

　She abruptly landed one elbow on the table. Huh?

　She exhales painfully as she does so, supporting her body. Her beauty is flushed to her ears, and her beautiful hair softly hides it. Sweat ran down her cheeks and trickled down her white neck.

'D-Do you mind?　Miss Illtimina, are you okay?
Oh.

　When I called out to her, she looked up with a huff.
　When she found me looking worried, she made her usual smile.

'What is it, Marle?　I don't do that, okay?
..........

　It's a lie.
　I don't know what it looks like to others. But to me, it just looked like a smile I'd been forced to make.

"Don't lie to me,
..........
Miss Illtimina, you're not feeling well, are you?　...Or am I so unreliable that I can't tell the truth?

　I felt ashamed of myself for not being able to talk about it, and I felt like crying a little bit.
　Seeing me like that, Illtimina-san said, "No, no, not at all!" as if in a panic. And then denied it. But the next moment, her upper body tilted wobbly as if she was dizzy.

(Watch out!)

　Reflexively, he reached out his hands and held her close.
　Illtimina-san's body was hot as if it was on fire.

　When we reached that point, the two people who were present finally noticed our condition.

''What, where are you?''
Irna?　What's wrong?

　In my arms, Illtimina-san is breathing wildly, "Hahaha".

　As expected, Kilt-san stood up.
　When she comes to our side, she puts her hand on Ms. Illtimina's forehead and takes a pulse from her white wrist. She frowns and then looks at me. Her golden eyes stopped when she spotted a wooden mug on the counter.

　There, only half of it was left with a golden liquid that looked like beer.

　Mr. Kilt said with a snort.

'Hmmm ... apparently, the booze got to you.
Spirits?

　I parrot back.

"About the booze. He's not a very good drinker.

　Huh?
　You mean, you're drunk?

　I'm stunned.
　But Solstice looks at me like I'm angry.

'I'm not just drunk, you know. The magic in your blood is going out of control, too.
...magic in the blood?
It's my sister Irna's constitution. When I'm tired and I consume alcohol, I lose control of my magic. It's hard!

　Oh, really?
　I don't know what I'm talking about, as I have no knowledge of magic.

(But I know it sounds painful.)

　Even now, a painful breath rested on my neck for support.
　Kirto-san nodded his head.

I'm not sure if it's because of the fatigue, both physically and mentally. I should have checked on him a little longer.
Um... is it my fault, after all?

　I was anxious to hear it.

　Mr. Illtimina had been through a lot since yesterday.
　Taking a kid like me, climbing 100 meters up the Toggle Cliffs, trudging 40 kilometers through the Great Forest of Aldoria, fighting to the death against the Red Fang Dragon Gad of the Dark Aura - all of that happened yesterday in one day. On top of that, I walked all night to the city of Medis, and today, I even let him give me a tour of the city.

　The discussion of whether I would stay in Medis or not would have cost that gentle soul a lot of money.

It's not your fault.

　'This is all the fault of Illtimina herself,' said Mr. Kilt, once and for all.

This is all Iltimina's fault. She should not drink without knowing how tired she is.
Yeah. Quit being so vain, raggedy.

　Solstice punched me in the back of the head with a vesicle and a hand sword.
　And then his voice got a little soft.

Well, Irna sister must have been relieved that she could go to the capital with her rags, so she got carried away. It's rare to see Irna sister fail like this.
..........

　I look at Illtimina-san's face.
　She exhales painfully, and her crimson eyes, looking at me, are gentle.

''Marle, I'm sorry for making you worry.
Nope.
Are you okay?　A little rest in your room and you'll be better in no time.

　With that, she tries to get out of the chair.

(Oops!)

　Her legs swim and I panic, hugging her again.

'S-Sorry,'

　I shake my head at Illtimina, who shrinks back and blushes.
　Then I look back at the two men behind me.

"Kilt-san, Solstice. I'm going to go up to my room for a moment with Ms. Illtimina.
Hmm, I guess that's more like it.
Well, I don't want you to have to worry about the stairs.

　The two of them nodded at me.
　Iltimina-san tried to say something while trying to move my body away from her, as if she was a little flustered.

''Illtimina-san you don't want me to support you?''

　His mouth stopped moving.
　And instead, a loud sigh spilled out.

'No way. I don't hate it.'

　Good.
　I laughed in relief.

"...Merle is a bad boy, isn't he?　My blood is about to run rampant again, in another way.
What?
No, it's nothing.

　She laughed and let her weight rest on my shoulder, as if she was ready for it.

　It's a little close, and I feel a little embarrassed.
　But I don't have time to worry about that, so I keep my hands firmly around her waist.

I'm sorry, Merle. You'll be in charge of Irna?
Rest up, Ilna.

　We nodded to the two worried voices.
　Then we looked at each other's faces in close proximity.

'Let's go then, shall we?'
"Yes, Merle.

　She nodded, her cheeks reddening, and we huddled together and began to walk towards the stairs leading to the third floor--.　


　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇.


　With Iltimina helping me on my shoulder, we made it safely up the stairs to the third floor.

'I'm sorry, that must have been heavy,'
Nope.

　I shake my head at Illtimina-san, who seems apologetic.

　I'm not lying.
　The first time I found her, I carried her on my back from the toggle cliffs to the tower. When I think about it, it was a lot easier now that I had her walking on her own legs as well.

'It was light, Miss Illtimina.
Oh, really?

　Illtimina-san is somewhat depressed, as if a little embarrassed.

(???)

　Well, okay.
　Anyway, now that I've made it up the stairs, there's no more danger of me falling down. I'm relieved.

　Then I opened the door to my room.

　The room was already dimly lit.
　The lights of the city of Medis and the light of the two moons shine through the windows - which at least gives me a clear view.

(No need to turn on the lights, right?)

　Instead, I wanted to lay Miss Illtimina down in bed first, and if she was going to go straight to sleep, she didn't need a light.

'Watch your step, okay?
Yes, sir.

　We moved closer to the bed, keeping close together in the dark.
　Then Ms. Illtimina lowered her big buttocks onto the clean sheets. After all, it seems to be hard to stay awake, and she quickly lays her body down on the bed.

''Phew.''

　One large breath spilled from her cherry-red lips.
　Her beautiful dark green hair was spread out over the sheets, glistening in the light from the window. Her white skin was flushed and moist and wet with sweat.

(.........Don't think weird, me.)

　Being the gentleman that I am, I keep beating myself up in my mind.

'Well, since you're probably interrupting my sleep, I'm going to go now, okay?'

　Part of me wanted to stay close to her, but I would hold back.
　But as I tried to stand up, Illtimina-san's white fingers plucked at the sleeve of my shirt.

'Could you stay with me a little longer?'
........... Yeah.

　She sounded anxious, so I nodded.
　I pulled the one chair in the room and sat down by the bed and held Illtimina's hand. Her hand was so hot. Her white fingers would soon be gripping my hand.

　She laughed, relieved.

'Thank you. Merle is kind, isn't he?
Nope.

　I shake my head in annoyance.
　The three of them said that, but this time it's still my fault. Illtimina-san was so kind to me that I kept taking advantage of her and causing her precious girlfriend to suffer like this.
　I wanted to apologize.
　But I can't even say it because even if I apologize, she won't admit it, and it will only cause her more trouble.

(Why is that?)

　I couldn't help but ask her, even now, as she held the hand of such a child.

'Why is Miss Illtimina being so nice to me?'
...What?

　His crimson eyes look at me in surprise.
　As I look back at them, I say what I've been thinking for a long time.

'I'm just a stranger, you know?
..........
'I happened to save Miss Illtimina's life, but I've been thanked enough for that. No, it's more than enough. ...So why are you being so nice to me?

　I didn't understand.

　I guess I'm an 'unknowable child', if I do say so myself.
　For some reason, I was living alone in the depths of the forest.
　And I have no memory of it.
　I think it's normal to not want to have anything to do with a child like this, even if he or she saves your life.

　But she was different.
　She didn't abandon me, who was lame, and took me out of the forest, and at times, she even became a decoy for the Red Fanglong to protect me, risking her own life.

(Why?)

　I really didn't understand.

　My blue eyes wavered in the light of confusion and anxiety - Miss Illtimina's crimson eyes stared back at it in silence, and eventually, with a deep exhale, she replied.

'I'm sure I'm being kind to Marle for my own good.
..........
Shall we talk about the past for a moment?

　She laughed gently, as usual, at my confusion.
　Then, looking at the ceiling, she begins to tell me a story as if she were telling me a bedtime story.

'I was born and lived in a village deep in the mountains a long time ago.
..........
It was an empty village in the middle of nowhere, but it was idyllic and generous, and the people in the village were all very kind.

　Her eyes were very kind as she spoke.
　But then a shadow suddenly falls.

'But seven years ago now, when I was thirteen years old, the village where I lived was lost in a man-hunting raid.
...What?
'With the protection of our father and mother and the kind villagers, me and little Sol, who was six years old at the time, were allowed to escape the village. But all the people in the village were killed, and we were the only ones who survived, my sisters and I.

　Once, she exhales heavily.

'It's a common and not uncommon story, isn't it?'
..........
Then I struggled to survive and protect my little sister. I couldn't trust anyone else in the village. So I relied on myself alone to get by in this world.

　As she told me this, she was looking at the hand that wasn't connected to mine.

　I wondered how much pain and suffering that hand had experienced in her life up to this point.　I can't even imagine.

"But--

　She took his hand in hers and lowered her eyes.
　Then her open crimson eyes looked at me with a small smile.

''To be honest.......I just wanted someone dependable and mature to help me out, you know?
..........
So I wanted to be that kind of adult for Merle.

　sizzling sound

　My hand squeezes tightly.

"I'm sorry, this is so selfish, isn't it?
Nope.

　I was happy.
　I was just so happy and grateful that I felt like crying.

　Seeing me like that, Illtimina-san pats my head, as if to soothe me with a 'Good, good'.
　Then, she lowers her red eyes.

''Just one more thing ... there's another reason too.''
What?
I can't have children.

　Huh...?
　It was so abrupt that for a moment I didn't know what it meant.

'I found out three years ago. The deep hand I suffered while fleeing the village had left me with a body that was incapable of bearing children. As a woman, I am defective. I will never live as a mother again for the rest of my life.
..........
But Merle was cute, so a part of me just wanted to spoil her like a child of my own.

　She turned her motherhood, which had no place to go, to me - with a smile that looked like she was about to cry, she confessed that.

(Illtimina-san........)

　I look into my heart.

　Then I tell her what I found in my heart.

"So, the man who marries Miss Illtimina is a lucky man.　　
What?

　She gives me a surprised look.
　I laugh.

'Because the child will never have to take away your wife's love. And that's what Illtimina will love you for, right?　He's very happy.
I'm not sure...

　Marriage isn't something you do because you want children.
　I think you do it because you want to be with the person you love all the time, and you want to be happy with that person. I feel like kids are probably one of those blessings, not all of them.

(Well, DT-ish in a previous life, in my own opinion?)

　But I really thought so.

　And Mr. Illtimina.

"Merle.

　in one go

　What?
　Suddenly, he pulled my hand back and held it tightly.

(What?　Uh, sir?　(Mr. Illtimina?)

　I panicked a bit.
　But as I try to get out, I notice that her hands are shaking.

(No ... it's not just her hands.)

　Ms. Illtimina was shaking all over her body.

　-- crying.

　I can't see her face from me being hugged.
　But I can see it.
　She was crying, spilling out polo tears and killing her voice.

".........

　I stroked her head without saying a word.
　I stroked her beautiful, silky hair, gently and compassionately, like the love that Illtimina had for me.

　As soon as I touched her, I felt her body tremble with a jolt.



　I begin to hear unbearable sobs.

　The person there must have been Ms. Illtimina seven years ago.
　The poor girl who was burdened with an unbearable burden - I continue to gently stroke the girl's hair, at least to get rid of the frustration of not being able to be there for her at the time.
　That's all I could do.

''Merle, ah........merle.''

　Her sullen voice was forever echoing in the darkened room - her voice was forever echoing.