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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: Her Wish (2)
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He couldn't tell if he should be happy or sad to see her again, even like this.
"Amused, are we?"
"No."
"Then wipe that smile off your face before you speak."
Sei-an spoke coldly to Shainos, who was grinning as if Sei-an's troubled expression was amusing.
And why wouldn't he be? Sei-an, who usually just brushed off his teasing with a scolding, was visibly distressed for the first time, and Shainos found it rather enjoyable.
"Before the Chief God calls you again, perhaps you should go deal with this."
"Ugh! Fine, I'm going."
But at Sei-an's words, Shainos, groaning at the reality of having to clean up Jushia's mess, swiftly vanished from the spot.
"Haa."
With Shainos gone, Sei-an, left alone, let out another long sigh and started walking back towards the inn.
He stopped.
But just as quickly, Sei-an had to stop again.
"...Where am I?"
Once again, Sei-an had managed to lose his way back to his companions.
***
"Sei-an!"
"You fool!"
The next morning, his companions, who had been searching for Sei-an throughout the village, found him amongst a crowd of villagers.
Having heard the news that another person had died that morning, the companions, who were already searching for Sei-an, rushed to the scene.
And there he was: Sei-an, looking utterly exhausted, sitting a short distance from where the body lay.
"What on earth are you doing here?"
"Were you here all night?"
Waking that morning to find his bed cold, they had all surmised that Sei-an hadn't returned to the inn last night.
Even the inn staff confirmed they hadn't seen Sei-an leave that morning, forcing the companions to hastily search the village for him.
"Why didn't you come back all night...! You..."
"Don't tell me..."
"You got lost again, didn't you?"
The three, who had been scolding Sei-an in turns, quickly deduced why he hadn't returned to the inn.
"Correct."
"Haa."
Watching Sei-an nod nonchalantly, as if confirming their suspicions, all three let out a collective sigh.
"But why were you here all night?"
"Something came up."
"Don't tell me it's related to the person who died today?"
Jeron wondered if Sei-an had perhaps figured out something about the cause of the deaths last night and had acted on it.
The fact that he'd spent the night near the deceased's home only fueled that suspicion.
"...No."
"Hm?"
"I merely went for a stroll and got lost."
But Sei-an lightly shook his head, concealing the truth. He couldn't reveal anything about the Grim Reaper or Jushia.
"I checked the vicinity all night, but found nothing unusual."
"Really?"
"Yes. It seems it was just a coincidence."
"A coincidence?"
"Do you truly believe that?"
His companions all stared at him with bewildered expressions. They found it hard to accept Sei-an's sudden claim that all these deaths were mere coincidences.
"...There will be no more coincidences, so don't worry."
Confronted with Sei-an's absolute certainty that no one else would die without reason, his companions found themselves unable to ask anything further.
'Something definitely happened last night.'
Clearly something had happened to him last night, but his strangely bitter expression made it difficult to press him.
'Jushia...'
Thinking of Jushia, the root cause of all this, Sei-an's expression grew even heavier. He had been so consumed by thoughts of her all night that he hadn't even noticed the dawn.
A hand reached out.
"..."
"...This guy has a fever."
Just then, someone placed a hand on his forehead, as if to interrupt Sei-an's thoughts. It was Lark.
"What?"
"Sei-an, are you feeling unwell?"
At Lark's words, Jeron and Canto also scrutinized Sei-an's complexion, speaking with concerned eyes.
"Fever?"
"You idiot. Don't you even know your own body's condition?"
Sei-an only realized he had a fever after Lark pointed it out.
'He's as weak as he looks.'
Just one night out, and I'm already sick?
Sei-an, realizing anew just how pathetically weak his body was, let out a long sigh.
He'd felt lightheaded for a while, but only now did he realize it wasn't from overthinking, but from a fever.
"Let's head back for now."
"Okay."
At Jeron's words, Sei-an slowly pushed himself up. But as he moved, the lightheadedness intensified, and he couldn't help but stagger.
"Sei-an!"
"Are you alright?"
"I'm fi—"
He wanted to say, *Well, this much is fine...*
"...not fine."
But Sei-an quickly felt himself fading, and then lost consciousness.
'Damn it...'
Grinding his teeth anew at Shainos for putting him in such a frail body.
***
"It's a combination of a cold and overwork. I'll prepare some medicine, so come with me. He'll be fine after a few days of rest and medication."
At the words of the Healer, who had been on a trip to the neighboring village and only returned the next day, Canto and Jeron breathed a sigh of relief.
They hadn't slept a wink until the Healer arrived, and only then could they finally relax. Canto, in particular, had witnessed Sei-an's body break apart during his suicide attempt, and had worried that the incident might have caused lasting damage, so his relief was even greater.
"I'll go get the medicine."
"Alright."
A moment later, Jeron left the room with the Healer to retrieve the medicine from the Healer's quarters.
"I'll go find a carriage, so please keep an eye on Sei-an."
"What?"
And then Canto also stood, speaking to Lark. He intended to find a carriage so Sei-an could return to the academy comfortably.
"Hey!"
"I'm counting on you."
"..."
After entrusting the still-unconscious Sei-an to Lark, Canto also quickly headed outside.
Lark frantically called out to Canto, but he exited the room without so much as a glance back.
"What am I supposed to do?!"
Lark, who had never once taken care of anyone in his life, subtly furrowed his brow as he looked at Sei-an lying on the bed.
Then he approached, and as if realizing he needed to bring the fever down, he soaked a cloth in the bowl of water nearby and somewhat carelessly placed it on Sei-an's forehead.
"...That should do it."
Concluding that his caregiving duties were complete, Lark flopped into the chair beside the bed and quietly watched Sei-an.
"Tsk!"
Such a frustrating guy.
The more he got to know him, the more frustrating he seemed. Not knowing his way but wandering anywhere, and being unnecessarily zealous about things that weren't even his business—it was utterly exasperating to watch.
This incident was a prime example: he'd persuaded Glomi to help him, even stepped into a courtroom to clear people's misunderstandings, and his only request in return was for Lark to diligently attend classes.
'How foolish...'
At first glance, he seemed sharp and capable of anything, but on closer inspection, there was always something clumsy about him.
That frustrating demeanor, yet for some reason, he kept finding himself bothered by it.
He wanted to ignore it, but when he suddenly found himself obeying Sei-an's words, he was utterly bewildered.
"La...rk?"
"...You're awake?"
"Yes."
Lark, who had been lost in thought about Sei-an, looked at him and spoke quietly at the sound of Sei-an's voice.
"Did I... faint?"
"Not 'perhaps,' you definitely fainted."
"..."
Fainted, huh? This guy is ridiculously weak.
Sei-an once again couldn't help but feel pathetic about the body he was forced to inhabit. A delicate, almost feminine appearance, and a frail physique. There wasn't a single aspect he found appealing.
"Pathetic."
"My thoughts precisely."
"What?"
Lark's expression turned incredulous as he watched Sei-an, who, instead of taking offense at his sarcastic remark, heartily agreed and nodded.
"But where did the others go?"
"To get medicine, to get a carriage."
After briefly answering Sei-an's question, Lark quietly stood up.
"He'll need something in his stomach."
Realizing Sei-an hadn't eaten anything since yesterday, Lark headed outside, thinking that at least if he fed him something, he could tell Canto he'd looked after him when he returned.
*Click!*
"..."
As Lark disappeared, Sei-an, left alone in the room, quietly stared at a spot.
"You can come out now."
"...This is all your fault!"
A moment later, a figure materialized from that spot and immediately spat out a complaint at Sei-an.
"You've ruined all my plans!"
It was Jushia, the Grim Reaper.
"I believe Shainos told you to reflect on your actions."
"Who cares! Shainos, you idiot!"
"It seems you still don't know. He's someone who, no matter what else, has an uncanny ability to hear insults directed at him."
"Gasp!"
*Swish! Swish!*
Jushia, who had been grumbling about Shainos, quickly glanced around nervously at Sei-an's words.
"Ha."
At the sight, Sei-an let out a small laugh and looked at Jushia.
'Still the same.'
Her naturally bright personality seemed unchangeable, even after losing her memories and dying.
How could she be so exactly the same as before? Sei-an found a faint smile forming on his lips without even realizing it.
