DSFL | Chapter 82

~Chapter 82~

After running for a while, I hid in an alley.

Did everyone get scattered?

I had looked around as I ran, but I couldn’t see anyone from the auction hall.

Since everyone there had been wearing the same robes, they should’ve stood out.

But maybe… we’d fallen into different timelines.

While I was lost in thought, the boy beside me punched my leg and shouted angrily:

“It’s all your fault! Why didn’t you save Lady Ailins…? She’s the only one who could save me!”

His brown eyes strangely reminded me of someone I knew—

Even though everything about him—his actions, his words—was completely different. It just felt… familiar.

“Ugh, shut up already! So noisy!”

Suddenly, Penny jumped out of my pocket. She had turned back into human form and yelled with an angry face.

“Who do you think you are, talking like that?! She saved your life, and you can’t even say thank you?!”

The boy started hiccupping, startled by Penny’s sudden appearance.

“Unbelievable! The only person allowed to scold my sister is me, got it?!”

Okay… that part’s a bit much.

“And you’re not even a real—”

I quickly covered Penny’s mouth.

The boy looked surprised but soon wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.

Once Penny calmed down, I let her go.

“Why are you being so mean to me?”

She pouted at me, then walked over to the boy.

“What’s your name?”

“…What’s your name?”

He replied grumpily. Penny glared back.

“I asked first!”

“Wow, you have no manners.”

“Anyway—”

I cut in, stopping their bickering.

They both turned their eyes to me.

“Penny, hide with your new friend somewhere safe until I come back.”

“Hmph! Friend, yeah right! And why would you say my name out loud like that?!”

I ignored her grumbling and started walking.

Lily said she’d wake up in two hours…

But that’s in the real world.

In this dream, I wouldn’t wake up until I’d seen all of Ailins’ memories.

And besides, everyone needs to understand her.

The real problem was me.

I already knew what would happen after Ailins’ seal broke.

Even though I understood her… I was afraid.

And since I was now part of this memory world, there was no telling how long it would take to return.

I checked inside my bag—thankfully, Arkan was still unharmed.

[^^]

…Well, at least you’re okay.

Just as I sighed and began to close the bag, glowing text and an arrow appeared above Arkan’s frame.

[The person you’re looking for just left the imperial palace. Oh! It looks like they’re headed home.]

So the arrow was pointing me to where Ailins was?

“Are you with that man?”

A voice spoke next to me.

It was a woman with a bandage wrapped around her forehead.

“What, man?”

“You’re wearing the same robes. I thought you might be together.”

She held onto my sleeve with trembling fingers.

“If you see him, could you tell him thank you? I survived thanks to him evacuating people first.”

“D-Do you know what he looked like?”

If anyone had the power to protect others at the auction… it was probably Ricardo.

“He wore a mask, so I’m not sure.”

“Do you know where he went?”

“I don’t know that either…”

[Miss! If you don’t go now, you’ll lose sight of her!]

Right… I needed to find Ailins.

But I couldn’t move. My feet were frozen in place as I looked at the wrecked streets.

“Somebody! Please help!”

Cries for help rang out all around.

It’s not real anyway.

That thought flashed through my mind… but my feet had already turned toward them.

[You really are the slow, kind-hearted type. I’ll remember this!]

If being nosy were a crime, I’d be serving a life sentence.

***

[You can’t move forward if you stop for every little thing! The “path” won’t wait forever. Timing is everything!]

[Oh no, the target’s moved! It’ll take time to find a new route—what will you do?! Do you have a backup plan?!]

“I don’t. Not at all.”

[Tragic.]

Why did Arkan sound so much like Cedric?

As I skimmed through the glowing text, I looked up.

“Thank you.”

The woman bowed to me over and over.

Her name was Charl, and her young son was Finn.

“You should be safe for now. But just in case, try to leave the capital as far as you can.”

Soon, Ailins would be forced to surrender to the emperor, and lose her name.

Once that happened, the emperor wouldn’t target these people anymore.

“Are you one of Lady Ailins’ knights?”

“No, I’m not.”

I stood up.

“…Then are you an enemy?”

“I’m closer to being an ally.”

Charl hesitated at my answer.

She clutched her injured son’s hand tightly and breathed shakily.

“Well, since you saved us, I guess you’re telling the truth.”

“…”

“Then, could you help her? Give her your strength?”

I paused. She carefully added:

“Lady Ailins did so much for us. Finn used to be very sick, but thanks to her, we have more time together.”

As if on cue, others began to gather around her.

“Most of us here were helped by her.”

“Even if it’s called ‘demonic power,’ if it saved lives, then it’s a blessing. Don’t you all agree?”

I thought for a moment, then answered quietly:

“You could lose your lives, you know.”

“Haha! We already worship ‘demonic power’—we’re basically dead already!”

Voices of agreement erupted from the crowd.

“Do you have a map?”

Charl pulled out a worn and torn map from inside her coat.

It was damaged, but still readable.

I recalled a map I knew and compared it to hers. Then I pointed to several places.

“These places have minerals that channel demonic power.”

They were former mana stone mines.

Mana stones are usually found deep underground, but for now, I picked shallow ones that could be accessed more easily.

“The same kind of power as Lady Ailins?”

“Yes. But none of you will be able to use them right now. That power only comes from her.”

I used a twig to draw a picture of the mana stones and Kaen.

“They just look like rocks…”

“Yeah, I thought so too.”

I dusted my hands and continued.

“You might see others dressed like me. But I can’t promise they share my intentions. Be careful.”

“Aren’t you coming with us?”

Charl asked as I stood to leave.

“No. I have something else to do.”

“Then at least take this.”

She handed me a piece of bread.

“Thanks.”

Even if mana stones exist, there’s no magic in this world right now.

You need a supply to use it.

…Ailins. You once said I didn’t belong in this world.

But if that’s how you truly felt, you shouldn’t have brought me here.

You made this world more than just ink on a page.

[It seems the target has been captured by knights. Any plan for that?]

“Nope.”

[Ohh, so you’re just going to charge in blindly?]

[A long time ago, many humans lacked intelligence and thought that way. Just letting you know—it’s considered foolish now.]

[In short: Only dumb people do that!]

I glared silently at Arkan.

He quietly drew a new arrow in response.

You could’ve just done that earlier…

“Oh!”

Someone called out to me from a distance.

I turned and saw a young woman pointing her finger at me.

Wait a minute…

Amy Rowain.

A noblewoman who always looked at me with disgust when she was beside Hestia.

And… number 21?

So the person who was being all flirty next to me at the auction—was Amy?!

A chill ran down my spine. I rubbed my arm in disgust.

But then I noticed her expression and froze.

Amy looked like she had just seen a ghost.

She rubbed her eyes furiously and stuttered:

“B-Bianca? Y-You… It can’t be…”

She couldn’t finish her sentence.

Her face turned pale— As if she were about to faint.