Bangbangbang!
"Open the door! Open it!"
His hands burst out and knocked on the door, which was firmly closed.
"He's sick! Open it!"
Eventually, what he feared happened. His brother, who was already weak, ended up getting sick.
When he saw him lying there, he knocked harder and harder on the door. His hands looked like they were lacerated, but it didn't matter.
Bangbang!
"Open it!"
Bang!
"Please, open...."
"Brother…"
He slowly turned his head at the call from the child, even fainter than usual.
For the first time, he felt glad for the darkness. The child won't see him in despair.
He gently grasped the small hand that reached out toward him. It had been feverishly hot just a moment ago, but now it was completely devoid of warmth.
His heart sank into his chest. He squeezed his hand tighter.
"What… a relief."
"…What?"
What do you mean 'What a relief?'?
He wanted to scream, but his mouth wouldn't open.
"Now, you can leave."
"Don't be ridiculous!"
"Sorry, brother."
"Shut up."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't waste your energy talking about nothing. Someone will be here soon, so stay put."
"Brother."
His whole body rattled with an uneasy feeling. Then his brother held his hand tightly.
Was it an illusion? Even in the darkness, he could see a faint smile tugging at the corners of the child's mouth.
"Brother...."
"…"
"Bro… brother…"
The child's body went still for a moment as he tried to say something.
"Cierr?"
He cautiously called his brother's name. But there was no response from the child.
"Cierr!"
And that was the last time.
He hasn't spoken his brother's name since then. And he thought he never would.
"…Cierr."
I really didn't expect to call out that name again a decade later.
* * *
"Hey, what did he say?"
A touching reunion of siblings. Okay, this is good. How sweet it must be to know your brother exists after 10 years.
Understandable.
"What is he talking about?"
I get it... But why do I have to be in the middle of this!
"Candy."
"What?"
"He wants more candy!"
Damn, now I'm going to have to be a ghost interpreter!
Camilla glanced slyly at Arsian, who continued to talk to the child across from her.
I hate myself for not being able to stare openly! However, I remember that guy's ignorant behavior in the past and suppressed the temper that was about to come out.
"Candy?"
He searched his body hastily. How could he find candy that wasn't there?
Sure enough, his gaze eventually turns back to her.
"Do you have any more candy?"
…This guy!
'I'm only giving it to him because I really like him.'
I'm not giving it to him because I'm scared of you!
Camilla took out all the remaining candy in her pocket and held it out to the child. In an instant, the candies crumbled and disappeared like wisps of smoke.
Cierr giggled as he gobbled up the candy. The smile on his face grew since Arsian had acknowledged his presence.
'You're really cute.'
Even cuter when he smiles.
How come you can't get fat? You look like you could play a child actor if your cheeks were a little chubbier.
"Can I go now?"
"No."
You rotten bastard!
"I don't have any candy!"
"I'll go get some."
As he hurried to his feet, Camilla grabbed him urgently.
"We need to talk."
"Talk?"
"Yes, talk."
"Talk about what?"
"Sit down, sit down."
You should sit down, my head hurts. As he stood, Camilla reached out and pulled him to his feet.
"…"
After wordlessly staring at her for a while, he finally sat back down.
"Since when?"
"What?"
"Since when have you been able to see these things?"
Camilla asked, and he hesitated for a moment.
But his gaze soon traveled to where his brother, Cierr, was.
"When the kid died."
There was no more maltreatment from his father after that.
To sense the presence of the dead, for that was the outcome his father had hoped for.
"Hmmm."
Camilla nodded.
"So you knew the ghost was there all along and you just let it be?"
I was a little curious. He can't see and hear as well as I can, and he just left it alone?
And it's not like he has a soft spot for them.
"You tried to get rid of one last time."
She recalled him reaching out to Amy, the schoolgirl ghost, hands filled with magic power.
To just sit there and let that existence be, not knowing it was his brother, is something I can't understand....
"Don't you know how to get rid of it?"
Well, not just anyone can get rid of a ghost.
"I know how."
"Oh? You know?"
"Everyone in the direct lineage of House of Sefra can get rid of them."
Because they control the darkness.
Camilla gasped at the unexpected answer.
"Then why did you leave them alone?"
"...Just because."
"Just because?"
It seemed as if the damned thing really did work, starting with Cierr's death, I could feel the energy of the strange beings.
If I see any black smoke, I either get rid of it immediately or ignore it.
"Yes."
But he couldn't, not with the black presence beside him.
"I just... wanted to leave it alone."
Perhaps, deep down, the possibility had crossed his mind. He wondered if the late Sierre was by his side.
He had always followed him around since he was a kid, so he figured he'd do the same when he died.
'But…'
It was really him.
"He's hungry."
If it wasn't for her, I would never have known.
"Go get him something to eat."
"…"
"Just a second. Your brother is bringing something to eat."
The way she talks to the child so affectionately caught his eye. He's never been envious of someone before.
I envy her.
'I want to see him, too.'
I miss him, my brother, so much.
"What are you doing, aren't you going?"
At Camilla's urging, Arsian quickly rose to his feet.
* * *
Swish.
The eyes of the 3rd Year Class C turned to the front door as it slammed open.
Camilla, the woman who's been getting more attention than anyone else lately, strode into the room.
Clomp.
She didn't hesitate to walk toward Arsian, who had helped create the atmosphere in Class C.
Wham!
Same as last time, she slams her hand down hard on Arsian's desk.
But unlike last time, she had a piece of paper in her hand.
Camilla put the paper down in front of Arsian and grinned.
"Sign it."
"Cough!"
I- Informally!
Those few words sparked an even louder response from those around her. Her tone toward Arsian had become too comfortable.
"…"
But what was even more shocking was what happened next.
Swoosh.
Without another word, Arsian picked up the pen and signed the paper Camilla held out to him.
"Huh? You didn't even read the content?"
Camilla was taken aback. She didn't expect him to sign it so quickly.
"I thought I told you I'd do anything."
"Oh."
'I'll raise the interest to the highest level.'
Camilla let out a small laugh as Arsian reiterated what he had said earlier.
The paperwork was brief. It simply stated that he would actively assist in the recruitment of Black Mages.
I need to hold on to this piece of documentation so I don't have to explain myself later.
"Let's go outside, I have something to show you."
"Show me what?"
"Let's get out of here first."
This wasn't something you can just take out.
Camilla grabbed Arsian's arm and pulled him to his feet.
She was excited she had finally caught the golden ticket to creating an escape fund.
Little did she know, her nonchalant act had the classroom frozen as if they had been doused with ice water.
"Is that really Arsian?"
"I don't think so...."
"She must be crazy."
As Arsian walks out of the classroom, being led by Camilla, the students all had the same expressions on their faces. They were all stunned, as if they had seen something unimaginable.
"Did she just grab Arsian by the arm and walk away?"
"Uhuh."
That guy who has an extreme aversion to human contact?
There was no one in the room who didn't know that.
One of the students, who placed a hand on Arsian's shoulder — a mistake, indeed — which he had instantly snapped, let out a weak laugh.
"He said he'll do anything."
"Am I hearing things?"
They never thought those words would come out of Arsian Sefra's mouth...!
In the midst of the chaos in the classroom, Pedro Jévillon stared silently at the space where Camilla and Arsian had disappeared with slightly downcast eyes.
* * *
"Hello."
[Yes…]
Oh my, are you talking to me as if I hadn't seen you for a day?
Arsian's younger brother, Cierr, hid behind his brother, poking his head out just as he had when they first met.
'I knew it was coming, and I've prepared for it.'
Camilla pulled a handful of cookies out of a small pouch in her hand. She had made them herself with the help of Ferrol, the ghost chef.
"This sister prepared it for you."
[Th… Thank you.]
Only then did the child walk over to her, picking up a cookie and munching on it.
Cierr was fascinated to learn that he can eat food even when he's dead.
Whoosh.
Just like last time, the cookies in her hands crumbled, quickly disappearing into the air.
'I want to keep feeding him.'
I don't know if it's because he's skinny, or if it's because he's like a hamster, squatting down and munching on his food. I kept wanting to feed him.
"What do you have to show me?"
After watching the two of them interact for a few moments, Arsian spoke quietly.
Then Camilla pulled the black mineral out of the other bag she'd brought with her.
Arsian's eyes widened for a moment as he stared wordlessly at the mineral she held out.
"It's a magic stone."
"Oh, you recognize it right away?"
"Give it to me."
"Okay!"
Camilla promptly handed the black mineral over to Arsian.
"The energy it contains is not much...!"
His eyes widened. Camilla's mouth dropped open, as well.
The color of the mineral changed at Arsian's touch.
The color went from pitch-black to as blue as the sky in the first light of day.