Katahane no Riku

Chapter 81.The turning point

“Yes, it is just as you′ve said.”

The priestess of blindness, Shibira, showed a faint smile with her lips.

Her clothes didn′t change much from the last time Riku had seen her. She had a pure and white fabric enveloping her body and the white like silk hair that extended to her back, and just like at that time before, her eyes were still kept closed.

“Do you want some tea and sweets?”

There was tea and baked sweets at the table front of Shibira. It had been elegantly prepared for them. There were no signs they had been touched. In the worst case, there could be poison or some other drug in the food. Riku shook her head.

“I don′t. More importantly, for what reason you thought writing me that you would tell me the [location where the Demon Lord was sealed] was a good idea?”

Riku gave a look of doubt at Shibira.

Riku couldn′t think of any merit for Shibira to tell Riku of the [real location of the seal].

The only merit she could think of was pretty much Shibira telling them the real location of the seal in exchange for her safety to be guaranteed.

If the Demon Lord was to be resurrected, it is possible the humans might end up all killed. And when it happens, the possibility she would be an exception to that was extremely low. That is why she might have made her move in order to protect her own safety.

Only, although not exactly, one way or another she was a priestess, and at the time she would weight her own life and the life of many people, would she really choose herself before others? No, it wasn′t possible to think she would.

In that case, why would she tell Riku the location of the seal? Until Riku got here, she had been pondering about this, but in the end, she couldn′t think of a answer that made sense.

“Would you be planning on having spiritualists ambush us for an decisive attack once we get at the place?”

“No, I am not thinking of such thing.”

Shibira shook her head.

“My eyes see the future. This is action is only in accordance to the future I′ve seen.”

Shibira lightly pressed at her own eyes. (TL note: With her fingers I guess?.-.)Her expression was very lonely. Would that mean she had seen something in particular with her eyes? Before Riku could ask this, Shibira started to speak once again.

“The location of the seal is written here.”

Shibira put a document onto the table. The location where the Demon Lord was sealed should be inside it. Riku moved her hand to take the document, but Shibira didn′t take her hand from it.

“However, I have only one condition before I can give it to you.”

Riku thought “See? Here it is”.

There was no way Shibira would easily give Riku such an important information that easily. There was no mistake she is going to come with a condition that Riku and the other demons wouldn′t be able to meet. Or perhaps, would she really be asking for her safety after the resurrection of the Demon Lord?

After confirming once again there were no signs of people spying on them, Riku took her hand from the document.

“Fine, tell your conditions.”

“It is an easy thing to do.”

Still with her hand on the document, Shibira calmly told Riku the condition.

“I would like to ask you one more time…. whether you really don′t intend on leaving the Demon Lord army.”

“…Is that all?”

“Yes.”

Riku became open-mouthed.

Why was Shibira asking her such an obvious question that she was already supposed to know the answer? Riku wondered if there was a deeper meaning in those words, but she couldn′t imagine of anything in particular.

“Now is the turning point. If you make the choice to leave the Demon Lord army, it will be possible to change the future where [death] awaits you.”

“Turning point, right?”

Riku muttered in a bored manner.

Sometimes, Vrusto would be recalling her about it, saying things like “Ojou-chan, it′s fine even if it is only for this year. Don′t you think it is better if you retire from the Demon Lord army for now?” or “What do you think about that thing of your determined death?”, but Riku didn′t mind about it this much. Of course, if someone was to ask her if she was scared, she wouldn′t be able to deny. However, she had the feeling she wasn′t scared to that point.

“There is no way I can quit the army just because of something like the prophecy of my death.”

Riku flatly declared.

“If my resolve was only to this extend, I would have deserted and died a dog′s death long ago. I will use the life that was picked up by captain Leivein for his sake until my last moments. I won′t have any regrets about it.”

While putting her hand at her chest, Riku told Shibira the reason.

In the end, both humans and demons will die someday.

Moreover, the lifespan of a human was only half of a demon′s. Since it is already decided Riku was going to die someday, in that case, she wanted to be of use to Leivein until she died. Of course, it was unlikely that Leivein would wake up while Riku was still alive. If she couldn′t remain alive through this winter, she wouldn′t be able to hear Leivein′s voice once again. This felt somewhat lonely. However, in order for Leivein to praise her once he wakes up, Riku would continue maintaining the army and unseal the Demon Lord.

This was what she could do for the sake of making Leivein′s ideals become true; it was her duty. Even if she was to die tomorrow, she would do all she could up to her last moments, and if anything would result from it, it would be enough.

“…I understand. If this is the future you chose to follow, I won′t stop you. Please, feel free to continue going in this way.”

Shibira slowly moved her hand from the document and handed it over to Riku.

“Do you love Leivein Adlar?”

When Riku′s finger was about to touch the document, Shibira spoke. Those words stopped her from moving further.

“Eh?”

Riku looked at Shibira′s eyes. Her eyes were still tightly shut. However, her expression was extremely serious. Undoubtedly, she was asking this from her true feelings. When Riku realized what Shibira had said, she unconsciously broke up in laughs.

“Pu-hahahahahahhah.”

Riku ended up laughing, putting her hands on her stomach. She knew it was an impolite reaction for the serious question of someone else, but it was so weird she couldn′t hold herself back from laughing. Because of how much she ended up laughing, her eyes ended up becoming teary.

“Sorry. I just got a bit surprised.”

While lightly wiping her tears, Riku apologized to Shibira.

“Even though you are a priestess, you really have interest in worldly things. It was unexpected.”

Shibira also had part of the fault for asking such a worldly question.

While thinking that, Riku took the document. Unfolding it, Riku could see the information of the location of the seal written in delicate letters. Once she went back to where Vrusto was, she would immediately send scouts to the area.

“Thank you for that. I will be taking it.”

While showing the document, she said her parting words to Shibira.

And it was at that time.

“Hm?”

The faint sound of whistling reached Riku′s ears two times.

This was the signal she had decided with Roppu before. No matter how much of an excellent of a spy one could be, there was no way someone would be able to mimic the signal that sounded close to whisperings right on the moment. (TL note:?? It would make sense if it was because of the crowd being loud outside, but this is talking about imitating… Is Roppu whistling in some secret ninja way or something? T.T)

Something had happened to Roppu.

“Goodbye, Shibira.”

“Goodbye Riku Barusak. May your future be blessed.”

While feeling Shibira′s prayers behind her back, Riku rushed out of the room.

Roppu became in danger. If not that, something similar to a dangerous situation had happened. Maybe the cause for it was Asty, who he had spotted before, or perhaps it was something else.

Regardless of what it was, Riku decided to think about it once she got there.

—-

“…I went together with Chatlotte-chan at that stall…”

This was at the same time Riku was talking with Shibira.

Rook Barusak leaned against a tree that was at the side of the street.

Even though the lively parade was passing through him right in front of him, he didn′t even bat his eyes to it. Rook was looking at the shoot the target stall at the other side of the road. It was the place he had met Charlotte in real life for the first time. Among all he had done until now, Rook could only see this shoot the target stall, which was shining, while everything else was fading away.

With the shopkeeper being busy managing the stall, it seemed like his shoot the target business was flourishing. There were no signs of him noticing Rook, who was looking at him from the distance. In case he did notice him, there wouldn′t be any way he would remember Rook had come to his stall before.

“…If I hadn′t met Charlotte-chan at that stall… Ha…”

Rook seemed to be pressed by his guilt.

“It haven′t been even one year.”

While looking at the leaves dyed in red of the trees at the roadside, he blankly stood there, thinking about those things.

At that day, he had the feeling that it had been so cold to the point he wondered if it was snowing. He had the feeling that at that day, he had many clothes stacked up under his coat. Rook had invited Cellia Buryuuser in place of Selestinna. At the time they were enjoying the circus, Rook had told a lie to Cellia, saying he was going to the toilet, and headed to the shoot the target stall Charlotte would be at. After he had showed his skills at target shooting…

“Ah!?”

“Of, brother. Sorry there…”

A boy stumbled at Rook, raising a loud sound with the impact.

It was a plain looking boy who wasn′t wearing any costume. With his hands inside his pocket, the boy ran into the crowd of people. Seeming like he was in hurry, the boy immediately vanished from his view.

“Well, since he apologized, it is fine I guess… Hm?”

At that time, Rook felt a strange feeling of loss.

It felt as if his pockets somewhat became lighter. Moving his hand to his pocket, Rook noticed a certain important fact.

“M-my wallet is not here!!”

Rook couldn′t feel the weight that was supposed to be at his pocket. The money he had prepared for his journey was not there anymore.

“Where did it fall down? It should have been here… Hm, ah!”

The image of the boy from before surfaced in the back of Rook′s mind. Rook remembered the boy had stumbled at him shoulder to shoulder at the street. However, the place Rook was at was somewhere where he wouldn′t be a bother for the other people walking there. He had leant his back at a tree at the side of the street, half assimilating himself to the scenery. Normally, would people really stumble at someone like that?

“That′s bad, I′ve been stolen by that kid!!”

Rook hurriedly started to run to the direction the boy had disappeared to.

However, no matter where he was to look at, only people covered his view. Moreover, everyone was wearing weird eye catching costumes now. No matter how he tried, his attention would end up getting shifted to the people wearing those costumes, so it was difficult for him to spot that boy who was wearing plain clothes.

“Ah- really, where did he go to!? That brat!!”

“Rook Barusak?”

It was right at the moment Rook Barusak had shouted.

A sharp voice was directed to him from behind. Its tone felt as if it was condemning him, inquiring why he was here.

Rook slowly turned back.