Episode 114
"Kheh..."
"...Aren't you drinking too much?"
I asked in a low voice, watching her who had been continuously drinking since earlier.
"This much is fine... I haven't even drunk half of half of my limit yet."
"Even so, your face seems too red."
When I questioned her, whose eyes had become slightly hazy, she smiled and spoke.
"It's because it's hot."
"But it's night right now, so it's quite chilly."
"Just... let it slide for today at least."
Saying that, she started reaching for her wine glass again.
Seeing that her hand, which was trembling so much earlier, is now fine, it seems alcohol is indeed the most suitable medicine for matters of the heart.
"How is that canary? Do you like it?"
While I was thinking that, Klana pointed at the canary sitting on my shoulder and started speaking.
"......."
"Don't say you don't like it. That would be quite sad."
Klana said that while checking my expression, so I sighed and spoke.
"It's decent enough to look at."
"I'm relieved."
When I answered appropriately out of necessity, Klana started to show a relieved expression.
'...Surely not.'
Looking at her like that, I suddenly thought of what happened in the previous iteration.
I didn't think it could be, but the expression she's making right now is... too similar to back then.
"My, are you thinking of making a toast?"
As I reached for the wine glass in front of me while thinking that, Klana extended her glass toward me and spoke.
"Let's toast, us."
"...Alright."
My wine glass and her glass clinked at the midpoint. And thanks to that, the surface of the wine glass started vibrating gently.
"...Ugh."
After looking at the ripples created by that and downing a glass, my face frowned involuntarily.
Even by my standards, having tried every kind of alcohol there is, and never getting drunk due to my high mental strength.
This alcohol was just too strong.
"Was it something this strong that you've been downing?"
"Yes, there's something I need to borrow courage for, even if it's through the influence of alcohol."
"What is that something?"
"It's the matter of forcibly serving you because of the pledge... It's extremely difficult if I don't rely on alcohol this strong."
Klana's expression as she said that looked peaceful, and her hands that were trembling earlier were quietly placed on the desk as if nothing had happened.
".........."
But somehow, the feeling is strange.
It feels like looking at a calm sea before a storm sweeps everything away.
'This is definitely strange.'
Today's Klana is definitely something strange.
She suddenly asked to drink alcohol in the middle of the night, and the place we came to is a bar filled with old memories.
Moreover, she was definitely trembling her hands. That means the memories of the trial have already returned to a significant extent.
Yet, why does she have such a peaceful expression?
'It's like someone who has settled everything before leaving on a long journey.'
Of course, it could be my misconception.
But she gave me the canary made from her solar mana as a gift.
And then, please take good care of it?
No matter how I think about it, it's too similar to that bad ending the ancestor left in the prophecy.
The saddest of all the bad endings.
"It's getting late, so I'll head back to the dormitory for today..."
"It's just 12 o'clock? It's not late at all."
"12 o'clock?"
"Yes, surely the empire's greatest scoundrel wouldn't call 12 o'clock late?"
Saying that, Klana pointed at the clock on the wall, and when I checked, it was indeed exactly 12 o'clock.
That means a day has passed and a new day has arrived.
And.
"Hah."
It also means the cooldown of the 'Mind Reading' skill I used on Perlotche has been reset.
"Haha, hahaha..."
"...Frey?"
When I started letting out hollow laughter, Klana tilted her head and looked at me.
"Hah..."
Looking at her like that, I sighed, closed my eyes gently, and.
'No wonder she said she'd give me the canary.'
I started recalling the memories of the previous iteration.
The last memory of her and me, who was tilting her head in front of me.
- Frey Raon Starlight. If you truly want to show me your loyalty, cut out her heart yourself and manifest hell.
The royal palace that had become ruins after being trampled by the Demon King's army, and the tragically slaughtered soldiers.
Blood scattered here and there, and the Royal Knight Order that only left traces with torn armor.
And you, sitting on the collapsed throne, quietly growing cold with your eyes closed.
I didn't know that she, who always radiated brilliant light and burned, could grow so cold.
When I walked to the magic circle set up by the Demon King while holding her like that, a canary that somehow looked familiar was hovering around.
Your temperature, which was already cold, transferred to me and made me uneasy, and to make matters worse, the canary was hovering around making it even more depressing.
But I couldn't stop there, so I gritted my teeth and headed toward the magic circle.
And when I finally reached the magic circle with difficulty and took out a knife from my arms to stab Klana's heart.
"Chirp!"
"...Ack!"
That canary pecked my eye.
Thanks to that, blood started flowing from my eye, and when I swung the knife I was holding in panic.
The canary quickly flew up, settled on the ceiling decoration, and looked down quietly at me and Klana.
As if trying to capture the sight of me manifesting hell in its eyes.
At that time, I just thought it was a pet bird that Klana raised mourning its owner's death.
- Thud!
So after stabbing her heart, I couldn't bear to lift my head again.
I just started the ritual thinking the canary would have flown away somewhere after its chirping stopped.
Realizing that the blood flowing from my eyes was flowing a bit more diluted.
I had brought hell to the empire.
"Frey."
"...What?"
Lost in deep thought like that, I came to my senses at Klana's call.
"It seems you like that canary."
"What are you suddenly saying."
"What do you mean? You're petting the canary right now."
Hearing those words and coming to my senses, the situation is quite funny.
I had lowered the canary to my shoulder at some point, and I was quietly petting it with my hand while placing it on the table.
"I'm really glad. That you like it."
Klana, looking at me like that, spoke again with a peaceful smile.
"Here, one more bottle of alcohol..."
- Poke!
When Klana raised her hand to order alcohol, I poked the canary that was preening its feathers.
"...Umm."
Her reaction is not ordinary.
"What's wrong? Klana?"
"...N-nothing."
When I asked in a low voice to Klana like that, she averted her gaze from me and made an excuse.
"Hmm..."
Quietly tapping the table with my finger, I reached for the new bottle of alcohol the server brought, and carefully pouring alcohol into the glass, I opened my mouth.
"Still not drunk?"
"...Are you the one not drunk? You definitely had low tolerance."
Klana asking like that was breathing heavily as if she was starting to get drunk.
"You... are you tickling the canary right now?"
Quietly looking at her like that, when Klana asked in a slightly flustered voice, I answered with sharp eyes.
"I am."
"W-why? Why would you do such a thing..."
"You gave it to me as a gift, so whatever I do is my will. Isn't it?"
When I said that, Klana quietly lowered her head and spoke.
"Then, will you keep tormenting it like that?"
"...Occasionally when stress builds up?"
"But you won't hit it, right?"
"I can't guarantee that."
Saying that and downing a glass, I see Klana chewing her lips gently.
"You said you don't pay much attention to animals?"
"That's true. But my own pet is a bit different."
"What's different?"
"Well..."
Trailing off, I tickled the canary again, and Klana started trembling.
"Haa..."
"You can tell by looking."
When I said that to her with the corner of my mouth raised, Klana, who had been quietly lowering her head, suddenly started downing alcohol repeatedly.
"It doesn't matter."
"What?"
"That's a gift I gave you. You do as you please."
"Are you saying it doesn't matter what I do?"
Even when I asked in the coldest voice possible, she just answered with a smile.
"Do as you wish."
Hearing that, I stopped tickling the canary and quietly placed it back on my shoulder.
"...You're drunk."
"No, not yet..."
"Your breathing is rough, and your face is red too. Stop making excuses."
Saying that, when I grabbed her hand reaching for the wine glass, Klana froze in that position.
"U-ugh..."
"Klana?"
"Uuuugh...!"
Klana, who was trembling while making a dazed groaning sound, eventually turned pale and shook off my hand.
"D-don't touch my hand."
"Klana?"
"Before it's too late... even a little time with you... ugh..."
Saying that and holding her head while trembling, Klana quietly opened her mouth.
"The limit is approaching."
"What?"
"Let's leave here now. I can't end it in a place like this."
"........"
"Why are you like that?"
Looking at Klana standing up with a pale face, I quietly murmured.
"...It's nothing."
"Is that so? Then let's hurry outside."
Klana, who somehow heard that, slowly got up from her seat and urged me.
"So, where are we going now?"
"Hmm..."
When I asked about the next destination to Klana like that, she smiled quietly and started speaking.
"Originally, there were many places I wanted to go, and many things I wanted to do."
"Really?"
"Yes, but... it seems there won't be time for that. Unfortunately."
A gloomy look briefly passed over Klana's expression as she said that.
"I wanted to visit the dessert cafe we went to last time, and clothing stores, and a cat cafe too..."
"And?"
"...It's late at night, right? So I'll let go of regrets and go to the final destination."
When I frowned at those words, Klana, who grabbed my arm and left the store.
"Right there."
"...There."
Pointed to a place both I and she knew very well.
"...The forest where we made the pledge."
"Yes, that's right. The forest where two fools made a promise recklessly."
"Why do you want to go there?"
When I asked her that, Klana started walking slowly and speaking.
"Last time, the canary flower you were going to give me."
"...You, you remembered that?"
"I was regretting not receiving that flower so deeply."
Klana, ignoring my question, slightly turned her head and started looking at me.
"So, give it to me again."
"...The nearby flower shop would be closed."
"Since I didn't get the canary flower from back then, I want to receive a sunrise flower as a gift from that place."
"A sunrise flower?"
When I asked again, Klana nodded quietly and added in a low voice.
"...We should reconcile before going."
"What?"
"Since we've come this far."
With those final words, Klana quietly turned her head and started heading toward the forest.
"Hah......."
And quietly watching her like that.
"No way."
I muttered while looking at the skill window I had been keeping in front of my eyes, using it right at the hour struck.
[Klana Sol Sunrise's current emotion: Love/Self-sacrifice]
"...That's my specialty."