Chapter 98

"Give me more hints."

"Really, you won't give any?"

Throughout the descent, I asked various questions, but Jazz kept her mouth tightly shut and didn’t say a word.

In the end, Ririka gave up.

'If I remember, I remember; if I don’t, I don’t. Whatever.'

Thinking about such things only makes it harder to remember. She returned to her room and went out with Diaire for dinner.

"Huh? Where's Attil? Surely he's not still swimming?"

At Ririka's question, Pai shook her head from side to side.

"He said he had to go out on the evening boat to buy something."

"Really? What could he possibly be buying?"

"I have no idea."

Pai sighed again. Jazz looked bewildered.

"What the heck, leaving me behind? Who does he think he is?"

Pai narrowed her eyes.

"Don't you know after experiencing it?"

"Ah, you got me!"

Jazz ran her fingers through her hair in frustration and sighed heavily. She resolved not to take her eyes off him next time.

After dinner, Diaire said to Laub:

"Hey, haven't you been feeling restless lately? Want to have a match?"

Laub stared blankly at Diaire. She grumbled.

"I want to challenge Fang, but His Highness keeps saying no. I think I can challenge him if I can give him a good hit."

Since there’s nothing to interfere, Diaire looked intently at Laub. Laub still didn’t answer. Everyone waited with bated breath.

Laub looked at Ririka. Ririka smiled.

"Do as you please."

Diaire said, "Hey, don’t avoid it just because I’m a princess," and spoke boldly. Laub stood up.

"Alright."

"Yay!"

Diaire immediately jumped up from her seat.

"Let's change and meet at the beach!"

The stage was quickly set. Diaire, who had changed into comfortable clothes for the match, began her warm-up, swinging her arms.

Two practice wooden swords were stuck deep into the sand. This mansion seems to have everything.

Pai and Jazz stood side by side, their eyes wide with excitement. Ririka, standing next to Bryn, who held a purple lamp, watched them.

It’s an artifact from Solga, but the true nature of the lamp remains a secret. Tonight, Bryn’s hair ornament was an amethyst.

Suddenly, Ririka sensed something. Her gaze turned to the garden.

"Pai, wait a moment."

Ririka’s words made Bryn’s purple eyes narrow, then she nodded.

"Understood."

Ririka subtly stepped back and headed towards the mansion. In the center of the exotic garden, under a tree blooming with white flowers, Fjord stood.

"Fjord!"

Excited, she ran over, and Fjord smiled.

"How did you get here? Well, I know, but don’t answer."

Fjord chuckled.

"It was tough with all the water around. It took quite a while."

"Then you didn’t have to come."

Fjord’s shoulders slightly slumped at Ririka’s words. Ririka firmly held Fjord’s hand.

"But I’m glad. Fjord, did you know the beach here is shining? Want to see? No, let’s go see it."

Fjord smiled.

"Yes, gladly."

"Ah, right. Wait a moment. I’ll get a lamp from the mansion. The path to the opposite beach is quite dark."

Ririka quickly ran back to the mansion. As she watched, a cold blade was pressed against her neck.

"Who are you?"

Fjord slightly turned back. Just by the unique accent, she knew who it was.

"Didn’t you hear that you shouldn’t attack an unarmed opponent?"

"That’s what they say, but I don’t know."

"No, it’s not about manners."

Fjord raised his hand.

"!!"

Suddenly, something knocked the blade away, and the sound of it slicing through the air made Jazz step back.

Thud

A small sound, and a mark was left on the stone floor.

"An unarmed person means they have something else."

The knife in Jazz’s hand spun once. She grabbed it in reverse and laughed.

"Now I get it."

"Ah! Jazz! Wait a moment!"

Ririka, who was coming with a lamp, raised her voice. Her steps quickened.

"I want to stop you, but if I shout, everyone below will hear and come running, which would be troublesome." Ririka stomped her feet.

"Wait, both of you, stop it."

Fjord was wearing a silver chain as a decoration on his waist instead of a weapon. It was thin but made a heavy sound when it clashed with Jazz’s knife.

The chain wrapped around the blade and pulled.

Jazz twisted her wrist. It should have broken easily, but it didn’t.

He must be doing something.

For a moment, they locked eyes. Fjord was annoyed. He couldn’t kill the prince’s companion, nor could he seriously injure him. He thought about knocking him out in one go, but his skills were subtly good.

He dodged a kick and released the chain, flicking it away.

Just as they were about to clash again,

"Stop it, I said!"

Ririka quickly intervened.

"?! "

"!!"

Their attacks stopped narrowly. Ririka stood between them and said firmly.

"What are you doing so dangerously?"

Upon hearing this, both of them made a bewildered expression for a moment and then spoke simultaneously.

"That’s what I was going to say!"

"What are you doing?"

"Are you out of your mind, standing between us? You could have been seriously hurt!"

"Didn’t you just say you’d be careful? What did I hear? It’s ridiculous."

They both spoke at once, and Jazz huffed. Ririka and Fjord looked at her. Jazz clicked her tongue.

"I apologize for my harsh words."

"Oh, no, Jazz... you speak standard language so well?"

"I use it when I want to be polite. If I speak it, no one will know I’m being rude."

He laughed as if revealing a secret, but his eyes didn’t smile. He switched back to standard language smoothly.

"Anyway, what are you doing?"

Ririka narrowed her eyes. She had no intention of listening to his complaints.

"Shouldn’t you have stopped when I told you to? This is Fjord Barat, my friend. This is Jazz, Prince Attil’s companion."

Sighing, Jazz sheathed her knife behind her back.

"Lost my momentum. Take care of yourself."

Jazz sighed and left. Ririka also sighed.

'It’s a very Jazz-like reason. It was shocking to hear her speak standard language so fluently.'

Does she speak it when she’s angry? Ririka pondered and turned to Fjord.

Being rude to a guest is still rude.

"Sorry, Fjord."

"No, I should apologize. Suddenly appearing in such a closed space must have been threatening."

"Closed?"

"The island is not easy to leave or enter, so it’s a closed space."

He sighed with a strange expression.

"To react so strongly to that, I still have a lot to learn."

"What? What did Jazz say?"

"No, nothing."

Fjord smiled.

"Shall we go see it? You said the sea is shining."

"Oh, yeah. This way!"

Ririka quickly grabbed his hand and started walking. Fjord looked down at her as she walked with the lamp.

Actually, coming to meet her like this today was not supposed to happen. He shouldn’t have come like this.

But he couldn’t bear not to come.

He understood why Her Majesty the Empress said, "Be careful." He didn’t know how she knew, but he felt like he was getting more and more entangled in a maze.

Still, he is Barat.

Fjord looked at Ririka.

If he hadn’t made a promise with her.

If she hadn’t held him back.

He would have ended everything with a single shot. So he wanted to see it with his own eyes.

The reason he was alive, the reason he wanted to live.

"How is it, isn’t it beautiful?"

She smiled brightly, the sparkling waves as a backdrop. Her voluminous skirt fluttered in the sea breeze, and the glass lamp in her hand glowed warmly.

The blue waves sparkled and crashed endlessly.

"Yes, very."

He narrowed his eyes, feeling a sense of relief. The light he found in the sticky swamp always shone like this.

"It’s beautiful."

Fjord’s words made Ririka look proud.

"Right? Isn’t it beautiful? I really wanted to see it with you. I’m glad we’re here together."

Ririka and Fjord walked side by side, leaving footprints on the beach. Fjord took the lamp from her.

They talked about various things that happened on the island. The story of the sea turtle couldn’t be left out.

With a high voice, full of excitement, she drew a large circle with her arms.

"It was this big!"

Ririka’s words resonated inside him, breaking into thousands of glowing particles that enveloped him. They felt like snowflakes, but they warmed his heart.

This is enough.

He can go back and fight again.

"Riri."

"Hmm?"

"I don’t want to say goodbye. I want to come back and see you again."

Ririka said, "Already?" with a regretful look, but then she nodded, as if understanding something from Fjord’s face.

"Alright. I’ll turn around, then. Goodbye for now."

She turned around, and he saw her small back. Even if he whispered, she wouldn’t hear.

"See you in the capital."

Ririka said behind her back. Fjord felt his breath catch.

"Yes."

This time, he was sure she heard.

A little while later, Ririka turned around. She was the only one left on the beach.

'A little lonely, huh.'

But Fjord looked even lonelier.

'But we’ll meet again.'

At that moment, there was a commotion from the other side. Ririka quickened her pace, thinking the match between Diaire and Laub had ended.

* * *

The match between Diaire and Laub ended with Laub’s victory. Laub bowed before Ririka.

"I’m sorry."

"Hey, Sir Laub, you have nothing to apologize for. It was a fair match. Princess, I’m the one who’s sorry."

Diaire shook her head. She was wearing a splint on her broken arm and had a bruise under her eye.

"I should be grateful for this."

"What exactly happened?"

"Hehe."

Diaire laughed, and Laub bowed even deeper.

"It’s not Laub’s fault, and Diaire is saying this. It’s fine. The royal special ointment will heal it quickly."

"Right, right."

Diaire agreed. She said firmly,

"I think I understand now. What I lack most is limb length. In about two years, the length will be just right, won’t it?"

"Length is the issue?"

"Length is important."

Diaire’s firm words made Ririka nod in agreement, finding it strangely convincing.

The next day, when Attil returned and heard that Diaire and Laub had a match, he was very disappointed.

"Oh, just when I wasn’t here. Want to have another match?"

"In this state, it’s impossible."

Diaire showed her splinted arm. Attil said, "That’s true," and looked regretful.

Ririka asked,

"What did you go to buy?"

"You can look forward to tonight. The last day should be decorated splendidly."

Attil’s words made it hard to wait for the night. Moreover, it was surprising that their time on the island was coming to an end.

As midnight approached, everyone gathered on the beach. Attil raised a stick and said, "Ta-da!"

"It’s a magic firework."

"Magic firework?"

"Yes, it’s a special processing of a magic stone. Watch, if I do this—"

He raised it towards the sky and pulled the string at the back with all his might.

Whizz—

The firework shot up and exploded. It looked like chrysanthemum petals bursting out all at once.

"Wow—!!"

Exclamations of amazement came out naturally. Attil distributed the sticks to everyone.

They took turns, or pulled the strings together.

Large and small fireworks shone brilliantly in the night sky, then faded into glowing dust.

"How is it, isn’t it amazing?"

"Yes, it’s incredibly amazing!"

Ririka, with flushed cheeks, her eyes full of fireworks, made Attil laugh. Ririka hugged him tightly.

"Thank you so much, Attil. I really think I won’t forget this summer. The fireworks, taking me to the deep sea, the night sea—none of it would have happened without Attil."

"Well, as an older brother, this much is natural."

"There’s nothing natural about it."

Ririka lifted her head from his embrace and said. Attil chuckled and hugged her back.

Ririka looked up at the sky from his embrace. Fireworks continued to sparkle and burst.

Exclamations of amazement erupted again.