༺ Time For Flowers To Bloom ༻
Restless spirits continued rushing towards each other, screaming in agony. It was as if they had been waiting for this dawn to come in order to unleash their anger.
All that remained was the instinct to vent their emotions with no clear target in sight.
It was a chaotic feast of the devoured and devouring.
At the center of it all was a blue flame pouring out its own emotions.
The girl’s figure had already disappeared, replaced solely by the sight of flames sweeping through the other spirits over and over again.
“…”
The spectacle that seemed like it would continue forever was slowly starting to show its end.
“Dawn is approaching.”
Sunlight was preparing to extend its reach beyond the mountain range. It couldn’t hide its grandeur and brilliantly illuminated the sky.
Though the light had not yet reached the ground, I knew it would soon.
I could only close my eyes and hope that their hearts would be relieved… even if just a tiny bit.
Day was beginning to shine, slowly calming down the excitement that had risen over the long night.
I fixed myself up because I had become disheveled in the chaos.
The festival could not continue forever. It was time to tidy up.
[Dieeee!]
[I curse you! I curse you to the end!]
[Kiiieeeeek!]
The spirits, still unwilling to give up, continued to thrash about. However, Emily’s flames suppressed them.
A circular shape peeked beyond the mountain range.
When the sunlight began reaching our surroundings, the spirits around the Scrapyard Nomads began to retreat first.
When the warm light touched the cemetery, those who were struggling gradually came to a stop.
Now that the morning sun had risen, it was time to rest.
“I understand. Your grudges and grievances won’t be resolved anytime soon.”
But now you will realize.
What you’ve done is something that cannot be taken back.
Even though revenge will scratch that deep itch in your hearts, you can’t go back to the past.
Because.
You’re all dead.
“You tore each other apart and struggled so hard. But in the end, there’s nothing left.”
The crazed spirits slowly turned their heads toward me. They had complex emotions towards the one who prepared and created today’s time.
“So now, I hope you will embrace the truth and fall asleep.”
Without saying a word, they slowly started to disappear, closing their eyes.
Even their feelings for me were something they had to carry in their eternal slumber.
“Please, I only wish for you to find eternal peace.”
They vanished as if blurring.
Slowly, they all began to sink into the peaceful rest they should have experienced long ago.
[…Thank you.]
She ultimately achieved her revenge, and gained nothing in return. Emily bid her farewell to me, and I responded with a smile.
Normally, my nose would sting in the morning’s cold air, but today, the scent of blossom blooming early greeted me.
February is known as the time when the cold of the north was unable to cross the high mountain range, remaining trapped.
The lingering ice would start to melt as the days became warmer.
It melted in such a way that the frozen cold would instantly disappear, and the temperature would rapidly rise.
From now on, it would be Norseweden’s busiest time.
“Spring has come.”
The cold was melting away.
The time for flowers to bloom had arrived.
For a girl who loved flowers, it was a suitable time to peacefully sleep with a smile.
* * *
“Huff! Huff!”
The Dean had never liked the Northern region. It wasn’t because of any specific bad memories or anything like that.
He simply tended to dislike cold places.
And the mountains?
Contrary to his bear-like appearance, he despised mountain climbing.
“Huff! Huff!”
Watching the Dean, who was repeatedly opening his mouth wide and exhaling, almost as if he was about to vomit, Professor Caren frowned and made a sarcastic remark.
“You should exercise. You’re obese; you have high blood pressure and diabetes, right? Especially judging from how you eat, you consume a lot of salty food.”
“…”
Glancing at Caren, the Dean responded with a scowl.
“So, you really were a health professor?”
“Well, what did you think?”
“Ahem.”
Until now, she hadn’t shown such a side, so the Dean had considered her nothing more than a mere mercenary.
“Oh, I can barely patch up wounds with a bandage. So, don’t come looking for me if you ever get a scratch.”
Caren stuck her hands deep into her coat pockets.
As they crossed the mountain, the city of Norseweden came into view.
The two of them kept moving their feet, finding solace in the sight of their destination, and eventually managed to arrive before sunset.
“Hey, are you two tourists?”
A robust man with a hefty build stood at the entrance of Norsweden, and upon spotting the two, ran towards them.
“We have no need for a guide.”
Caren gestured for the man to go away, wondering if tourists were coming to a remote rural area like Norseweden for men like him to make a living like this. But the man chuckled.
“We don’t charge anything. We’re helpers who are paid by the lord to assist people.”
“Helpers?”
The Dean asked while wiping his sweat away with a handkerchief. The man nodded vigorously in response.
“Yes, so you don’t have to worry. If you feel uncomfortable, I can just tell you the location of where you want to go.”
Hearing that, Caren spoke.
“Where can we find the Verdi Household?”
“Hmm? You’re a guest of the Margrave? But why didn’t you use the carriage road?”
“The carriage road?”
They purposely used their own legs because carriages couldn’t cross the mountain path, so they wondered what the man was talking about.
The man heartily laughed and continued explaining,
“There’s a separate carriage road in the back. Although you have to take a detour around the mountain path, it’s still much faster than crossing the mountain.”
“…Our coachman said this was his first trip.”
“Oh, I see. You’ve been through a lot.”
As she had not been in Norseweden before, Caren was unaware of other paths. And without considering the surroundings, they hurried here from the academy.
Caren didn’t have any issues, but the Dean was in a pitiful state.
“Let’s go for now. There’s still some distance to cover.”
Upon hearing that they had to walk further, the Dean let out a sigh as if he was deflating. But Caren pretended not to notice and followed behind the ‘helper’.
The city was bustling. When one thinks of the northern region, they would tend to imagine a cold and quiet city. But Norseweden was quite lively; people were rubbing shoulders on the street, and the friction between them seemed to ward off the cold.
And just like this man, there were many other ‘helpers’ wandering around and assisting the citizens in various places.
‘It’s fascinating.’
The snow-covered scenery was beautiful, but for those living within, there was nothing more inconvenient. But even without considering the challenging environment, this city was filled with vitality.
“Well, here we are.”
“Huff! Huff! I almost died.”
“Take a moment to catch your breath before going in. If you enter like that, you’ll only ridicule yourself.”
“Y-yeah. Right.”
“I’ll take my leave now.”
The Dean caught his breath in front of the mansion, while the man left without accepting any money. Caren offered him a tip, but he refused, saying he couldn’t accept anything.
As Caren watched him leave, she spoke to the Dean,
“That man, he’s from the Republic.”
“What?”
The Dean, wiping his forehead once again with a soaked handkerchief, looked at the path where the man had walked with a bewildered expression.
“And not just that. All seven people who greeted us similarly when the man passed by were from the Republic.”
“C-Clark Republic? You mean they’re barbarians?”
“Yes.”
Since their distinct accent and unique scent hadn’t faded yet. They must have recently settled in Norseweden.
“Hmm.”
A disciplined body, natural reluctance to reveal his name, and quick wit…
“From the resistance, perhaps?”
Given the number of rebel groups in the Clark Republic, he could be one of them.
“Tsk.”
Furthermore, Caren, who had received requests from the Republic during her mercenary days and subdued the resistance, felt an uncomfortable taste in her mouth. She turned her body towards the mansion.
“Let’s go inside. We need to return quickly.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
The Dean, who had been resting, gathered his strength and stood up.
It was already March. Loberne Academy started its new term, but evil spirits were still causing trouble.
Although they had asked several priests to assist, it was uncertain if they would be able to do anything.
They entered the mansion and were guided by the servants.
Meeting Deus turned out to be surprisingly straightforward. It seemed like they were prepared, as the Dean and Caren were immediately guided to Deus’ office.
The door swung open, revealing a sight that immediately caught their attention; a magnificent red carpet extending all the way to an imposing desk.
Beside the desk stood an intimidating burly man, and on the opposite side stood a petite black-haired woman with her arms crossed.
It was Darius and Deia Verdi.
And sitting in a large chair, casually crossing his legs, was a black-haired man glancing at them.
Deus Verdi opened his mouth as he investigated them with his eyes,
“Long time no see.”
The moment Caren saw that, she became certain that they had already been informed of their arrival.
Since when?
‘It must have been those helpers.’
The colleagues who had greeted their guide several times during their passage must have been the ones to let Verdi Household know that they had arrived at the mansion.
In fact, their guide might have purposefully chosen a longer route, ensuring that the information reached Deus before they arrived.
Caren could already feel a headache coming.
It seemed that the negotiation to rehire Deus Verdi…
…would not be easy at all.
