Chapter 59 - Promises to Keep [1]
"…"
"…"
Under this odd silence, Camellia and I fidgeted, waiting for the other to speak.
Ever since our first encounter, we have been adversaries.
From trying to kill each other to a forced collaboration, we gradually formed a bond through unspoken camaraderie, culminating in unconditional trust.
Now that we had finally escaped from that hellhole, what was next for the two of us?
The most logical course of action would be to develop a closer relationship or a deeper connection.
And the only thing that could fracture this bond was our conflicting plans:
One of us had a duty to fulfill, charging into chaos once more.
The other yearned for peace, feeling that they had endured enough.
'Camellia looks… slightly different than before,' I thought to myself, finally able to see her again after a week.
Her vibrant red hair and golden eyes befit her status as a member of one of the world's most prominent noble families.
I had seen her true self during the festival when we spent time together, but how could I describe it?
'She’s basically sparkling…' I tilted my head, unable to believe that this was the same person.
Camellia, who often slouched in Arcadia, was a tomboy with a rough-edged persona.
But when we arrived in Kleinford, she regained her elegance, sitting up straight with a noble aura.
It wasn't just Erina who seemed to have changed; Camellia had deviated from her original personality as well.
Erina was supposed to be an enigmatic and intelligent person who would go to great lengths to avoid her responsibilities.
Now, she appeared as an overworked employee, with permanent dark circles under her eyes, looking haggard every single day.
Camellia, despite always having a high temper, was more of an egotistical son of a bitch who changed as time went on into a somewhat decent person.
Now that she had mellowed, her eyes no longer sparkled with hope and dreams; instead, they reflected a deep, solemn desire for peace.
These changes came about after Noah Heavenfall died in Higher Aleph, a person who should have had a greater purpose in this world.
Thus, I was left with no choice but to inherit his will alongside Ichor to pursue my goals.
It was all because I had been a coward who ran away before everything began.
That's why I'll do it, I'll change myself if it must be done—
—To save this god-forsaken world of mine.
"Camellia," I said, placing my hands on my thighs.
"…What is it?"
"I'm sure you know my answer already, right?"
Camellia fell silent and clenched her hands.
"My answer won't change… but if I'm honest—" I stood up and moved closer to her.
Camellia was someone I hated, someone who was my sister, and someone who was severely misunderstood.
There are many things I want to say, truths I could reveal to her with just a few words.
Let me make this clear once again.
But what I genuinely want to say is…
"Can you stop whining?"
—Flick!
"…Gya!" Camellia was flicked in the forehead, left speechless.
"Is this the Camellia I know? Didn't you steel yourself to move forward after we escaped?" I shook my head in disappointment.
"B-But…"
"Shush. I'm sure you knew this would happen sooner or later."
After flicking her forehead, I stood up and went to a wardrobe, grabbing something I had prepared for this day.
"We're finally free, Camellia. It's time to move on to the next phase of our lives, with or without me."
As I uttered a truth she needed to hear, she stood up abruptly, becoming more tense with every moment.
"Then why...! Why are you going far away again, like your cousin?!" Camellia raised her voice, reminding herself of Kuro.
"I waited for so long... but he never came back, and I know I can't see him ever again!" Camellia's eyes grew blurry with tears.
"Not only that, everyone else is gone! It's just Erina and me left here!"
"Bellerose was taken away to another nation, Anemone has gone missing for some reason, and Dad hasn't woken up ever since...!"
—Grip...!
"And big sister Elenore... she's dead! I saw it with my own eyes!"
With loud, demanding footsteps, Camellia approached me, slowing down as she placed her hands on my shoulders.
Yet my face remained unchanged, expressionless.
"Aria... are... are you also going to leave me as well...?"
—Drip...
...
...
...
"Kuro is alive, though."
...
"...What, what did you just say?"
"I said... my cousin, Kuro, is alive."
"..."
"..."
—Grip...!
"Then why didn't YOU TELL ME!!!"
"O-Ouch! Wait, stop shaking me—mgyaaaAAAAH!!!"
Camellia, genuinely angry, shook me left and right, making me feel nauseous from the food I had eaten.
"It's because... you... didn't... ask... me!!!" I struggled to form a coherent sentence, but her grip was too firm for me to handle.
"That's...!" Camellia searched for an excuse.
Since she revealed her identity to me late and ran away afterward, we never really got a chance to talk about it.
"Sigh... why do you always ruin the atmosphere..." Camellia shook her head in disappointment.
"—Because I plan on coming back."
"...You are?"
Camellia looked at me, and my expression was resolute with determination.
"What? Do you think I'd die the moment I set foot outside of Demiurge?"
"But... what about big brother Kuro—"
"He'll be back when he's ready... to tell you how he's doing."
...
...
...
Ugh, this is embarrassing.
I'm avoiding revealing my new identity because once I do, I don’t think Camellia would ever let me go.
"I-I see..." Camellia’s gaze softened as she held her choker, feeling relieved.
"Then at least…!" She stood up again and moved closer to me.
"Promise me. Promise me you'll come back."
Not wanting to take any chances, she extended her hand towards me, offering her pinky finger for a pinky promise.
“Pfft. Buhahaha!” I let out a loud laugh.
“H-Hey, don’t laugh!” Camellia pouted, her cheeks puffed up.
"Hahaha… n-no… sorry, don't worry much about it." I smiled at her.
The atmosphere was unnerving, but after calming down, she became less anxious when I dropped a truth bomb on her out of nowhere.
“Here, I have something for you.” I handed Camellia a box I had been planning to give her.
“Huh…?” Her eyes sparkled with curiosity.
As she silently unwrapped the gift, her hands went to her mouth, surprised by what she found inside.
It was a hairpin resembling a familiar flower—one that symbolizes her.
Just as I had done with Erina in the past, I gifted Camellia a silver hairpin that complemented her appearance even more.
“Do you like it?” I asked her.
“You know, your name really suits you now that I think about it. What was it again? Loyalty, inner strength, and—”
Self-reflection, I wish I could tell her that.
“Ha, this is just an excuse for you to remember me, but… thank you for trusting me, Camellia.” I smiled and patted her head.
It took me a moment to realize what I was doing, and I stopped immediately when I noticed.
“Ah, sorry about that, it was just by habit that—”
“Aria!” Camellia suddenly ran towards me.
“Huh? Whoa!? What… what are you doing?” I hesitated to react as she hugged me tightly, making it hard for me to breathe... literally.
“Thank you…” She pressed my head against her chest, “Thank you… so much.” She hugged me even tighter.
“Ow, ow, ow!!! You’re… squeezing… me… too… hard!!!” I struggled to break free, but she held on with increasing pressure.
“A-Ahaha… sorry about that.” She stepped back and wiped her tears, clearly pleased with the gift.
After that, she held the accessory close to her chest and looked up at me.
Her smile was beautiful; it was as if she had finally bloomed into the person she was meant to be—a red, crimson flower, someone who now accepts their mistakes without shame.
She was timid but adored the people she knew. She could be annoying, but she stopped when asked.
Her name is Camellia, someone who longed to be accepted by others.
“So, do you still promise?" Camellia extended her pinky finger, urging me to seal the promise.
“Hehe, I promise." I chuckled, amused by her persistence.
From that moment on, our relationship returned to normal.
We reminisced about our experiences in Kleinford after losing contact when we were about to part ways.
The joy, sadness, and anger from our brief journey together felt like years, but it was our desperation that helped us survive each day.
If I had never met Noah, would any of this have happened?
Thoughts like these occasionally crossed my mind.
This situation may have been a blessing in disguise—a gift exchanged for great responsibility.
But with this path, each step I take brings me closer to the place I belong.
It is my one true goal…
Till it all ends.
“Hmm… what is this really?” I pondered as I examined the emblem that Orion had given to me.
I had never talked to Orion about going to Trestkania, but since he gave me this emblem, he likely isn’t going to accompany me.
“Trestkania, huh… Going there to get the Exitium Stone is one thing, but actually getting there is the hard part,” I sighed, shaking my head.
I was lying in bed, scrolling through social media.
Stupid, but my best option is to use an app to translate the words on the emblem.
“Ah—it worked.” I was surprised to see the app decipher the language in real time.
The sigils on the logo don't belong to Trestkania, nor do I know of them.
It suddenly struck me that the language barrier would be another challenge.
Most nations have their own unique languages, and I had no idea how I would even communicate with them.
“…Then again, this world is a century ahead of my own; there’s probably some sort of advanced translator available instead of this flimsy phone.” I lay back on the bed and glanced at my left arm.
I had been preparing to go to Trestkania, focusing on food, magic, and, of course, my physical fitness.
I had only been in Kleinford for a week and had worked out during that time, which wasn’t nearly enough, but there wasn’t much time left.
“Ah, crap, my eyes are getting heavy… What time is it?” I muttered to myself.
I squinted at the clock and realized it was already 3 a.m. Way past midnight.
“Dammit, I lost track of time again,” I sighed in exhaustion.
“…Maybe I’ll just close my eyes for a bit,” I told myself, completely forgetting about the results of the emblem’s translation.
Without intending to, my consciousness slowly drifted away, and I fell asleep almost instantly.
…
…
—Ting!
A loud notification sound echoed from my phone as it completed the scan.
The emblem displayed two words:
Project ANGEL.
