Side Story 3: Promise

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Translator: Soafp

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The place Shiro designated was a village located in the eastern part of the kingdom.

In this village, once a year, a festival is held where fireworks are launched to commemorate the day the Demon King was defeated.

This region produces saltpeter, and in the past, as an act of resistance against the black clouds created by the Demon King, fireworks were launched once a year.

After the Demon King's defeat, however, the festival changed. It became a celebration of the peace that had arrived, and at the same time a prayer for the souls of those who had fallen to the Demon King's army, sending fireworks up toward the heavens.

The place and date Shiro specified happened to be the very day this festival was held.

The five-year war against the Demon King's army had left the country exhausted.

Even now, traces of the war remain scattered everywhere.

Towns and villages forced into ruin, people who lost their parents or children.

The region where the Demon King's castle once stood has become a habitat for powerful monsters, and the kingdom has not yet been able to begin reconstruction there.

Ten years have passed, and people with no direct connection to that region are gradually becoming indifferent to what was lost, and to the neighbors who still suffer.

In some ways, that may be unavoidable.

When people are consumed by their own daily lives, they lose the room to care about others.

But that attitude is nothing more than forgetting the precious lessons given by those who endured suffering, and turning oneself toward the folly of repeating the same history once again.

That is why, at least once a year, as an opportunity to look at what was lost, I want to believe that this festival holds great meaning.

I told the party members that we would be going to the festival as a form of rest and recuperation.

Lying doesn't work on Lena, but since we had been working nonstop, I genuinely felt we needed the rest, so it wasn't entirely a lie.

None of us had ever seen fireworks before, so everyone was looking forward to it.

“Wow, there are so many people.”

“Yeah.”

I nodded at Lena's words.

A village that normally wouldn't have many people was overflowing with them today.

“Step right up! This is fried bird meat that's popular in the neighboring countries! Crispy and delicious!”

“How about a commemorative portrait? I'll draw it with the fireworks in the background if you order now!”

Where people gather, business follows.

There were not only food stalls, but also shops selling ornaments, stalls drawing improvised portraits, and all kinds of vendors.

Unlike the always-busy commercial district of the royal capital, this place felt extraordinary.

Just like fireworks that vanish in an instant after bursting into brilliance, it was a fleeting, special space.

“Alright, let's all enjoy ourselves today! The fireworks won't start for a while, so until then—”

Just as I was about to continue.

“Hey! Someone! Is there anyone who can use healing magic?! A child's been hurt!”

A somewhat desperate shout rang out.

“Here! I can use it! I'm coming right now!”

Without waiting for our response, Lena ran off in the direction of the voice.

“…Can't be helped. Nick, let's go.”

“Yes.”

Phalan and Nick moved to follow her.

I was about to go too, but—

“There's no point in all of us crowding over there. Erius, Nonoa, you two look for a good spot to watch the fireworks. Once things settle down, let's meet back here.”

“Yes, please do. And make sure you two make up as well.”

Without waiting for my reply, Phalan and Nick chased after Lena.

Nonoa and I instinctively looked at each other and gave wry smiles.

Make up, huh.

It's true that since the incident with the ring the other day, things between Nonoa and me have been awkward… seems like we'd been making everyone worry.

…Casually saying something like that really was just like Nick.

“So, shall we go?”

“Yes, let's go—on a reconciliation journey, then.”

After that, we walked together without much conversation.

Even though we were supposed to be finding a spot, this was our first time ever watching fireworks.

Higher ground would probably be better, but if we went too far from the village, it would make meeting up with the others difficult.

While asking villagers which direction the fireworks would be launched, we searched for a quieter place, and found one that was perfect.

“No one's here.”

“Seems like it.”

“Think they've finished over there? Then let's head back and meet up—”

Boom.

Cutting me off with a thunderous sound, a beautiful, massive firework bloomed across the sky.

──Honestly. Even if it was to get Shiro moving, showing dreams and making you buy a ring… wasn't that roundabout?

At her remark, I gave a bitter smile.

──I just wanted to keep at least one promise. I've broken so many that I couldn't keep.

She nodded at my words.

──That's right. We promised, didn't we? That once the Demon King was defeated… we'd all watch fireworks together.

A promise made long ago.

A precious promise, finally fulfilled.

──Yeah. I've seen them so many times, over and over, that I thought I was tired of fireworks… but seeing them bloom in a sky not blocked by black clouds… they really are beautiful.

──Yeah.

──Thank you, for taking this sky back.

──No. The two of us… no, all of us, right?

──Yeah. You're right.

I was happy.

That she said “all of us.”

That she acknowledged we fought together.

We continued watching the fireworks in silence for a while, and then she chuckled softly and spoke.

──But… I wonder what will happen now?

──Huh?

──Us, I mean. Our relationship?

I sensed her smiling quietly.

──Who knows. That's not something we get to decide.

──Fufu… that's true.

──But, well… I guess a little mischief is allowed. After all… if you believe Shiro, we're ghosts anyway.

──Mischief?

──I saw it on the way here. That portrait stall had red dye. Let's borrow a little.

She looked exasperated at my words.

──Honestly. I don't think that's a very good use for it…

──I finally thought of it right before dying, so a little mischief should be fine, right? …So, could you put on the ring you took off?

──The ring? Yeah, sure, but…

──Well, this is the end. Both the ghost act, and everything else.

──……

──See you, Nonoa.

──Yeah. Bye… Erius.

──“Guide.”

At parting, her smile was bright.

And yet… it carried the same fragility as fireworks—destined to disappear after leaving behind a single, fleeting burst of light.

“Hey! Erius! Nonoa!”

At Phalan's shout, I snapped back to my senses and turned around.

The two of us were standing in the same place where we had split off from the other three earlier.

I had no memory at all of returning here after the fireworks went up.

I glanced beside me at Nonoa.

She seemed just as confused as I felt.

“What's with you two just standing there spacing out…? The fireworks are already over, you know.”

“…Ah, right. Sorry. How about over there?”

“That finished ages ago. It wasn't a serious injury.”

“Oh, there you are! Erius, Nonoa, welcome back!”

Lena and Nick were walking toward us.

It seemed the three of them had been looking for us.

Phalan started walking toward the two of them, and I moved to follow—

when, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Nonoa's ring glint.

The instant I saw it, I—

“Nonoa, that ring…”

“Huh? That's strange. I thought I took it off…”

As Nonoa tried to remove the ring again, I reflexively grabbed her hand.

She looked at me in surprise, and words spilled out of my mouth, as if squeezed from my chest.

“You don't need to take it off. …It suits you. That ring.”

Nonoa stared at my face for a moment…

Then she slowly brushed my hand away and shouted toward Lena, who had just arrived, as if asking for help.

“Lena, this is bad! What do I do?! Erius just said something weird! He said the ring suits me—even though it totally doesn't! This has to be a fake!”

“…Oi.”

“Eh? He looks real to me?”

“But that's weird! It's Erius!?”

“Oh dear, he's finally awakened—into Erous.”

“…Lena, could you not?”

Watching the two of them laugh and tease me, I thought about it.

Why had I said something like that?

…I didn't know.

But if I had to exaggerate a little—

it felt as though fate itself had ordered me, “You must say this,” and forced the words out of me.

(Is this another ghost thing…?)

With resentment and gratitude mixed together, I looked at my still-excited party members…

(No—this is something I should be grateful for.)

Hearing my companions' laughter spilling out for the first time in a while, I found myself smiling too.

Even though I was still young, I'd been stiffly carrying myself as the leader, as a swordmaster.

It felt like someone had just told me, “That's not how it should be.”

If me becoming the butt of a joke brings smiles to my party, then as a leader, that's something I should welcome.

What truly matters is the bond between comrades—just as “Dragon Fangs Bite” signifies.

That was the lesson I felt I'd been taught.

As if searching for the ghost who had taught it to me, I looked up at the sky.

Just as Phalan said, the fireworks were already over.

In the cloudless, star-filled sky—

it felt like two stars were shining with unusual brightness.

──And from that day on, we were no longer troubled by déjà vu.

End