Her long, neatly-trimmed silver hair reached just above her petite bosom. She had forelocks brushed to the right side of her face and underneath them, blue eyes – as blue as a serene lake found deep inside the mountains – peered at Hikaru.
She's beautiful.
Her beauty was out of this world. It was dark the night he killed Count Morgstad and he didn't have the time to examine her closely.
Unlike back then, she wasn't wearing her pajamas, but a dress as red as wine. It appeared she was reading under the dim, orange light of a magic lamp.
Hikaru's face was well-hidden behind the Sun God mask he had on. He turned his Stealth off. He couldn't be bothered to take out his guild card to change his class, though.
「I've come… to save you.」
He seemingly appeared out of nowhere, causing the girl to give a start.
「Who are you…?」
「…The one you saved.」
「I see. The one who killed the Count.」
I didn't expect her to guess it right that quick. Though I suppose it's not that surprising. Even if she didn't see my face, I'm sure she could tell by my build.
「…Thank you for coming to save me. But I can't get out from here.」
「Is this a magic prison?」
「Yes, that is correct. This magic prison was built by the Alchemists Guild's guildmaster. He's the only one who can open it.」she said indifferently, in a small voice as clear as a bell, yet seemingly devoid of emotion.
She was inside a cell, and the real culprit stood before her. Yet she was as calm as she could get.
Did she simply give up? Or maybe she has no emotion at all in the first place… Yeah, right.
「…I see. I never thought the key would be a living person.」
「It'll open if you kill the guildmaster. But you can't do that.」
「Why do you think so?」
「Because your heart is pure. You can't kill innocent people.」
「The guildmaster could be someone wicked who deserves to die.」
「No, he's a good man. Earnest and sincere, he seeks the truth behind magic.」
「Don't you want to get out of here? You saved me. I have a reason to help you. If you wish to be free—」
「No.」
「Why not?」
「Because I've already achieved my goal.」
For the first time, Hikaru felt her heart waver.
「Because you killed that man for me.」
He saw emotions from her — relief, as if she had found repose in the death of the Count.
「…Sounds like a lot of people didn't like that guy.」
「Very few liked him.」
「He was that horrible, huh?」
「Just the thought of his blood running in my veins makes me want to die.」
Hikaru finally realized…
「You're Count Morgstad's… daughter?」
…that he killed the girl's father.
「Yes, in a technical sense.」
「...…」
「Please don't look at me like that. Did your parents lock you up inside your house? I wonder how long it has been since the last time I was outside. I haven't been out since we moved here, so I guess four years?」
「Wha—」
She was placed under house arrest by her own father? Why? The questions swirled about in Hikaru's head.
「He feared me. But he couldn't dispose of me because I was valuable to him.」she said, as though answering Hikaru's question before he could even ask.
Dispose? Hikaru thought her choice of words was probably something she picked up from Morgstad in their everyday interactions.
「Why do you think the Alchemists Guild's guildmaster had to personally come to build the magic prison?」
Hikaru gulped. Pale, blue light – almost as blue as her eyes – gathered around her. The air's density changed, making it hard to breathe.
「Because I can use extraordinary magic — magic that only knows how to destroy.」
The light vanished. Hikaru's body felt lighter, his back soaked in sweat. He had his Mana Detection on so he knew that was a mass of pure magical power just now. Incredible amount of mana filled the whole cell – so much so that her body seemed to have vanished. He wanted to check her Soul Board, but he couldn't bring it out.
Must be the cell… Tsk.
The moment he tried to summon her Soul Board, the blue runes on the cell started glowing. He was being jammed. The girl's magic was completely shut down as well. Not just the iron bars; the walls, floor, and the ceiling all had ancient markings. Yet even the air around Hikaru, who was standing outside of the prison, changed. That's some incredible power right there.
「Thank you for coming all the way here. I never thought anyone — much less the actual culprit — would come to save me.」
「Who made you out to be the murderer?」
「It doesn't matter.」
「It does. There's just too much stuff I don't understand. Don't you hate your own power? Then why did you show it to me?」
She tilted her head slightly and smiled.
「You asked who pinned the murder to me. There's the clue to your question's answer.」
「What do you mean?」
「I'll soon be transported to the royal capital for murder. His Majesty will then show my power to his retainers. Once the kingdom knows about it, I'll be added to the expeditionary force under the pretense of atoning for the murder of my own father. They'll turn me into a killing machine, killing endlessly in the front lines of war. I'll be known as a mass murderer who killed her father and since that'll be a blemish on the kingdom's reputation, my whole existence will be buried in darkness.」
「Wait, so you're saying… that the one who pinned the murder on you…」
Hikaru licked his lips.
「…is the King.」
「Since you're concerned about me, I wanted to at least let you know.」she said, neither affirming nor denying Hikaru's statement.
She smiled – a smile of satisfaction from being able to let it all out.
「...…」
So fragile, Hikaru thought. How could this girl be so fragile? How could she give up on life so easily?
「Thank you for coming here tonight. Patrols should be here soon so you should go home… And don't come back. It's dangerous.」
They lived in completely different worlds. Hikaru was estranged from his family too. He was more or less aware of his cynical side as he grew up. But what about her? Not only had she not felt a parent's love, she was treated as a tool, and with great caution at that.
She doesn't wish to live freely because she thinks she's only a tool? She doesn't want a life of her own?
No.
The girl's hands, pressed together, were shaking ever so slightly.
Hikaru removed his mask. She stared at his face, a bit surprised. His appearance had changed a little since she saw him that fateful night. Once blonde with blue eyes, his hair and eyes were now completely black.
「…I wanna know your name.」Hikaru said as he held her gaze.
「It's a name that's easy to forget. You don't need to know—」
「I'm Hikaru.」
「...…」
She'd given up on life? Not at all. That couldn't be farther from the truth.
「Tell me your name.」
If she did, her hands wouldn't be shaking.
If she did, she wouldn't be reading adventure novels.
If she did, she wouldn't be reluctant to give her name.
She was scared that if she gave her name, she'd give herself false hopes.
「…My name is Lavia D. Morgstad… No, it's Lavia. Just Lavia.」
If she did give up, then why were her cheeks wet?
「Lavia, I swear I'll—」
「No.」she said, raising her voice almost to a yell.
「Don't say any more. If you do, I'll hope. If I started hoping, I won't be able to stop. I was fortunate enough that the man who tied me down died. I can't wish for any more than that.」
Hikaru simply went on, however.
「I swear I'll save you.」
Tears overflowed, streaming down her face.
「No. Don't say it.」
Lavia was prepared for a life of darkness. But a hand stretched out to her and the dam on her heart that kept all her emotions probably burst open.
「You're right. I can't bring myself to kill innocent men. So I won't kill anyone. I'll help you escape without shedding blood. The opportunity will come when you're being transported to the capital by adventurers three days from now.」
She didn't answer. Tears not stopping, she just kept on crying. Hikaru held out his hand. He felt some sort of a barrier around the cell and pressed his palm on it.
「They say I'm arrogant. I'm too confident in myself. I believe I can pull off what I just said. Whether you wish for it or not, I will save you. I will intervene with your life… just like how I came into your life all of a sudden and killed your father…」
Lavia staggered toward him. On the other side of the invisible barrier, she pressed her hands on top of Hikaru's.
「Can I believe in you? I'm an extremely heavy burden.」
「It's okay.」
「If you save me, I'll give you my everything.」
「It's okay. You saved my life first. I can't just sit by and let you die without even returning the favor.」
The door swung open and two knights stepped into the room. The guy who was sleeping and East.
「Ah, for god's sake. I didn't expect to run into that sort of trouble when I came here.」
「That's what you get for goofing off while on duty.」
「Now, now. Let's not get too grumpy. Oh, the lady is fast asleep.」
Lavia lay on her bed with her back turned to them.
「...…」
「What's wrong, East?」
「She's usually reading books at this hour.」
「She must be exhausted.」
「…I guess.」
「You worry about her too much.」
「How could I not worry about her?」
The two of them didn't notice that the girl who had her back turned was still awake, her eyes red from weeping. She didn't want them to see.
They also failed to notice a boy behind them as he slipped out of the basement storage room.
Time left before the execution of the escape plan: three days.
Money left: 1,390 gilans (+7,500+α)