Chapter 74.1: God of Sleep
◆Dark Knight; Kuroki
W-What should I do now?
Reiji was currently standing right in front of me.
I made a dumbfounded face since I never expected him to show up here.
The Dark Knight and Hero of Light ended up bumping into each other in this kind of place.
But, no reason to get scared since I didn’t do anything wrong.
「AWAWAWWAWAWAWA!」
I ended up getting flustered.
「Are you Cornes’ messenger?」
Reiji spoke with a daring smile on his face.
Thus, I noticed that something was amiss about this situation.
There was something wrong with the way he looked at me.
「Uhm, what? Is there something on my face?」
Since I didn’t say anything, Reiji asked with a suspicious look on his face.
「Uhm, don’t you remember my face?」
「Hah? No idea.」
Reiji replied with a slightly irritated voice.
Thus, I was convinced.
THIS FUCKER DIDN’T REMEMBER MY FACEEEEE――――――!!!!
Come to think of it, I never showed my face properly either, save for the moment when my helmet broke after the battle in Rox kingdom.
It saved me from a whole lot of trouble, but somehow it stung.
「The heck? Why are you suddenly orz-ed in front of me?」
I heard Reiji ask curiously.
Reiji might simply not care about men’s faces.
Well, that fact ended up saving my ass, though.
Rather, it was more convenient if he treated me like a mob.
Yup, let’s play along with him.
「NONONO! IT’S NOTHING! IT’S JUST SOMETHING TRIVIAL!!」
I put more strength into my voice.
「Is that so? What a strange fella.」
Reiji was tilting his head in confusion.
SORRY FOR BEING STRANGE!!
Rather than that, why in the hell did Reiji appear in this kind of place?
Thus, I noticed that something was amiss.
It seems that Reiji and co were also suspicious of Ainoe. If that’s the case, Ainoe might really get killed this time.
In addition, it might be really difficult for me to contact Ainoe from here on with Reiji and co around. I have to leave this place immediately before things turn sour.
「I just feel a little bit under the weather!! Excuse me then, please give this bouquet to Ainoe-sama!!」
I showed a forced smile as I pressed the bouquet towards Reiji.
I might be showing a cramped smile right now since Reiji showed a puzzled look on his face, but I didn’t have the leeway to care about that.
「Eh? Ah? I understand.」
Reiji received the bouquet obediently.
And then, I turned around in a hurry and quickly left that place.
===
◆Sword’s Maiden; Shirone
In front of me was delicious cheesecake and fragrant tea.
「Uwa~. It looks so good. As expected of Sahoko-san!!!」
I give praise to Sahoko-san.
「Hehe, thanks Shirone-san.」
「Is this mintea?」
「Yeah. It’s the tea loved by Shirone-san’s childhood friend.」
According to Sahoko-san, Kuroki often drank mintea in Nargol.
But, I had no idea whether it was the truth. He might have had no choice but to drink this since this tea was the only one available for him.
I thought so while looking at the tea that Kuroki loves.
「Everyone, I’m back.」
Reiji-kun returned with those words.
「Welcome back, Reiji-kun. So what kind of person you meet?」
I asked Reiji-kun.
Reiji-kun should’ve been back after he met the person who wanted to meet Ainoe-san.
「I can’t really use any expression to describe that fella. But, I felt that something was unusual about him.」
Reiji-kun replied with a serious look on his face.
I tilted my head upon seeing that face. It was rare for Reiji-kun to make such a face. I mean, he always had this carefree look on his face.
He never made such a face even when facing insurmountable hardship and always managed to surpass it with the same carefree face. Just what in the world could force him to make such a face?
「Something unusual about him, is it?」
Chiyuki-san asked Reiji-kun.
「I don’t know but, my body has been trembling non-stop since the moment I met that fella.」
Reiji stretched out his right arms as he said so. It was trembling even now.
「Is something the matter, Reiji-san? It’s as if you’re trembling in fear.」
Rino-chan voiced her worry.
「Fear? Me?」
Reiji-kun was looking at his right arm as if he couldn’t believe what he heard just now.
The same goes for me. Chiyuki-san, Sahoko-san, Rino-chan and Nao-chan, all of us looked at Reiji-kun’s face with disbelief.
Even Reiji-kun had the same kind of face.
「This is unbelievable. Just what kind of guy that can instill fear into Reiji-kun?」
Reiji-kun shook his head.
「Dunno, Chiyuki. He looked like your average good guy who can be found everywhere.」
Slightly heavy air surrounded the room.
「Ahahaha. Why everyone so gloomy, it might be just your imagination you know!!」
Nao-chan, the mood maker of our party, broke the ice with her usual bright voice.
「Yeah. Maybe it’s just our imagination… Rather than that, what’s the bouquet in your arm, Reiji-kun?」
Chiyuki asked while looking at the flower in Reiji-kun’s hand.
「Ah, this is…」
He then showed the flowers to us.
「It’s such a beautiful flower, Rei-kun.」
Sahoko-san spoke while admiring the flower.
It was a beautiful, light violet flower.
「This is the flower from that guy who came to see Ainoe. I took one flower from that bouquet. Chiyuki, does the smell of this flower remind you of something?」
Upon saying so, Reiji-kun gave the flower to Chiyuki-san.
Chiyuki then sniffed the flower.
「Is this… mintea?」
「Yeah. It’s definitely the aroma of mintea.」
Everyone also agreed with Reiji-kun.
Though we knew mintea when it already became tea, it was the first time we were seeing it as a fresh flower.
「Eh? When you’re talking about mintea, they shouldn’t be able to bloom outside of Nargol, right?」
「You’re absolutely right, Rino-chan. Mintea is Nargol’s flower.」
They were right. Mintea was Nargol’s flower.
「Say, Shirone-san. Why did the man who called himself as the senate Cornes’ messenger being such a flower with him?」
I agreed with Chiyuki-san.
「Since Cornes’ messenger came with such flower… it means that the person himself is the worshipper of demon king.」
Sir Decius concluded so while nodding in understanding.
「Aah, come to think of it, that guy seems to know me too. Well that’s only natural, I’m the famous hero after all.」
Reiji-kun spoke with a grim face.
Maybe he recalled Cornes’ messenger.
That messenger was definitely not an ordinary person to be able to force Reiji-kun into making such a grim look on his face.
「I see, in this case, there’s a high possibility that Ainoe is in cahoots with Sir Cornes.」
「It is just as you say, Decius-dono. Maybe it’s better if we start the investigation right away. Let’s head out to Sir Cornes’ mansion after this short break.」
Everyone agreed with Chiyuki-san.
===
◆Dancer, Sienna
I clasped tightly on the katana that I received from the Dark Knight a while ago. I was looking at the theatre from a slightly separated place.
In addition, I didn’t neglect to check my surroundings every now and then.
I couldn’t help but tremble in fear toward the guy who turned Marchas into THAT.
I pulled the katana lightly from its sheath, looking at its black blade. I felt that I could see black flame dwelling in the sword’s blade.
This was definitely an enchanted weapon.
It seems this katana was made by the Dark Knight himself.
Though the Dark Knight’s sword arm left me in awe, I was even more surprised upon seeing the enchanted weapon made by him.
I then remembered the scenery from this morning.
I recalled the figure of the Dark Knight when he swung his wooden sword in his routine morning training. It seems that the Dark Knight never neglected his daily training even after he became so strong.
I recalled his figure when he swung his sword really slowly, yet flowing smoothly. It took a really long time for him to finish one swing of his sword.
And he repeated such motions many times over.
I ended up exhausting myself, sweating from head to toes after completing one swing when I tried to imitate his training.
According to the Dark Knight, it happened because I used the muscles that were normally never used by me with normal training.
And while I was lying down, dead tired from that one swing, Dark Knight kept repeating such training, as if he was observing every little part of his swing, trying to find even the smallest fault in it.
Albeit slow, his movements were graceful and beautiful.
Though the Moonlight Goddess who was training with him did the same, her movement was… awkward.
That Dark Knight’s strength was real. And then, there should be nothing left for me to fear since he said that he would become my patron.
I then looked at the theatre again.
Thus, I saw the Dark Knight walking in my direction by himself.
Something about his condition didn’t seem to be right.
「Uhm, did something happened in the theatre?」
When I asked him, the Dark Knight just shook his head.
「Just something trivial that made me feel tired… By the way, sorry Sienna. It seems we won’t be able to meet Ainoe. The hero and co are in the theatre right now.」
The Dark Knight was apologizing to me while bowing his head.
「Eh? Is that so?」
「Yeah. But, I don’t know whether that flower will reach Ainoe or not.」
The Dark Knight was pondering by himself.
It seems that AInoe-neesan was with the Hero and co right now, but… no, wait a minute, they might be in the middle of investigating the troupe due to the flute that I entrusted to my brother.
I mean, my brother did say that he would investigate the incident during the banquet along with the hero and co.
Thus, I told the Dark Knight about this matter.
「I see. That flute is with your brother huh.」
「Yes, I believe that they’re in the middle of investigating the troupe right now.」
「I see. But, I guess we can’t go to the theatre with this… Is there any way to gain the information about Reiji and co…」
The Dark Knight seems to be really troubled right now.
I also pondered over it for a while.
My brother did say that he will investigate the incident with the hero and co. In that case, my brother might also be in that theatre right now.
I recalled what happened to Marchas. There was an extremely dangerous person manipulating Ainoe-neesan from the shadows.
Will that dangerous person harm my brother?
If that is the case, then I have to do something about this situation.
「Eh? It seems there’s some urgent news.」
When I was wondering about my brother’s safety.
The Dark Knight suddenly raised his voice.
「Uhm, did something happened in the theatre?」
But, the Dark Knight didn’t say anything to me.
It was as if he was talking to someone who isn’t here.
「Sorry Sienna. I’ve to go to a certain place for an urgent matter . Can you go back by yourself? Kuna had told me to meet Runfeld who came to the labyrinth after all.」
The Dark Knight left in a hurry after saying that, leaving me behind alone in this place.
===
◆???
This place was heaven.
There was a lot of delicious food here.
It was a great contrast compared to the western desert, the place where I was born and raised.
I gave my deepest gratitude to the leader who called me out to this place.
I was walking inside a mansion.
The childrens whose eyes were covered were running around happily.
I was really happy to see such a scene.
I love children, after all. I feel blessed just by looking at them.
The sandman was always bringing their children’s out for a walk after the sunset.
The sandman was the priest of the God of Sleep, the son of the God of Death. In short, they’re my faithful followers.
The sandman scattered medicinal powder called 『Sand』 which gave a pleasant dreams to humans.
But, the human wouldn’t wake from their sleep after a long time use of 『Sand』 and thus became the permanent residents of the dream world.
And then, they became familiar with the god of dreams.
It was an extremely pleasant story.
It also made me full.
The reason why all the childrens had their eyes closed was simply because there’s no need for them to open their eyes.
I enjoyed the scenery of childrens frolicking around.
Was it because of the children’s happiness? I even saw a shining butterfly flying around those childrens.
「Oh my?」
Then, I noticed.
A girl was walking away from the crowd of the childrens.
It was an extremely beautiful, silver haired girl.
But, that girl’s eyes were wide open.
「I’ve been waiting.」
I restrained that girl.
That girl turned around.
「What is it?」
It seems she was in a really bad mood.
「Why did you open your eyes? You naughty girl. You should close your eyes just like them. Now, close your eyes and enjoy your dreams like every child in this place.」
I spoke to her as I pointed toward the children who were running around happily.
「Kuna will only enjoy a nice dream when she sleeps with Kuroki. This isn’t a place for sleep.」
I was puzzled upon hearing the girl’s remark.
Strange. There shouldn’t be a silver-haired child amongst the ones brought by the sandman.
That moment, I finally noticed the grave situation.