Chapter 155 - <12>
The final performance of the tour was over.
It felt long, but it was a very short tour, and it was a lot of fun, Anna thought as she sat in a daze, a little away from the clamor of the large crowd. Before her, the circus members were making merry around a bonfire built from a wooden frame.
In their hands, they held various liquor bottles and large glasses. The drinking party had started quite some time ago. Ritz and Edward were also among the revelers. Franz, too, had been reluctantly drawn in and seemed to be made to drink.
As for Anna, she had initially been offered a drink by a kind man from the circus, but Ritz had snatched it away and downed it before she could even taste it. The man who had kindly offered it left with a wry smile, but Ritz gave her a bottle of apple cider instead. He said it was no different from juice.
Today's final day had seen an even bigger crowd than the first, with so many people that they were overflowing not just into the standing room but into the aisles, making it a huge success.
Since the circus wouldn't be coming to Roshozu for another six months after today, it was natural that most of the audience was from the Fire Clan. The merchants also seemed to be busy with their shops, in a great flurry of activity.
Those who had been resting due to food poisoning had returned to the show yesterday, so Ritz and the others should have been relieved of their roles. However, that comedy skit had become strangely popular, so in the end, Ritz played the clown until the very last day, while Franz and Anna clashed with their spirits in their staged fight.
Unlike the first day, she never once felt like she was actually fighting with Franz, but one thing had changed. It was the part where Constanze clung to Franz’s arm. On the first day and the day after their break, she had grabbed him timidly, or rather, fearfully. But yesterday and today, she clung to his arm happily, as if seeking affection.
Franz, for his part, didn't seem annoyed or confused; he simply accepted Constanze. Anna, who knew that the two had properly reconciled from when she and Ritz had peeked into the tent, couldn't be happier.
“What are you smirking at?”
“Eh?”
“You were smiling while looking at my brother.”
“Was I?”
Constanze, who, like Anna, had moved away because she couldn't drink, was sitting next to her and staring at her with a worried expression. It seemed she was anxious about her beloved brother being taken away. Anna couldn't help but smile at that expression.
“What are you laughing at?”
“It’s okay. I won’t take Franz from you.”
“Well, now. You make it sound as if I’m throwing a childish tantrum. How rude.”
“Ehehehe. Sorry.”
“How rude.”
Constanze turned away with a huff. She seemed to still be embarrassed about being seen crying her eyes out, and would get grumpy like this at the slightest thing.
“Anna.”
“What is it?”
“I forgot, but I just wanted to say thank you.”
As if to hide her embarrassment, Constanze said this in a grumpy, blunt tone. It was so much like Franz that it was funny. But Anna had no idea what she was being thanked for, so she tilted her head.
“...For what?”
“For teaching me how to do the laundry, of course.”
“Oh!”
Finally understanding, Anna clapped her hands together. Constanze had attempted to wash Franz’s shirt.
The next morning, very early, Anna had rummaged through the luggage of the still-sleeping Ritz, Edward, and Franz, gathered her own laundry as well, and came to the well with a large bundle. Anna loved doing laundry. When dirty things turned sparkling white, it felt like her own heart was cleansed, and it was refreshing.
On the other hand, the men didn't seem to like laundry, and if left alone, their clothes would pile up. That’s why Anna would sometimes pull them out like this without asking.
Since the circus members woke up late, Anna already knew that if she came to do laundry first, she could do it at a leisurely pace. So, humming a tune, she went to the well, where she happened to find Constanze standing there, completely at a loss.
Having lived a life where laundry was washed by servants if she just put it in a basket, and someone would clear the table after she finished eating, it was no surprise that she didn't know how to do laundry.
At first, Anna offered to help, but Constanze stubbornly refused to nod. But when she saw her try to grab the soap and drop it, then start scrubbing the shirt on the washboard, Anna couldn't stay silent any longer.
Constanze, who hadn't wanted to be taught, finally asked Anna how to wash after Anna’s single phrase, “Your shirt will get ruined, you know?” all while looking up with a pout.
When she delivered the somewhat oddly folded shirt, a product of such hard work, to Franz, he stared at his own shirt with an expression of seeing something truly unexpected.
According to Franz, he “didn't think it would come back in one piece.” When asked why, he explained that when he first started living with Orphe, he knew nothing about laundry or housework, and along with the messy Orphe, he ended up living in what was essentially a garbage dump.
But Franz was naturally meticulous, so he gradually devised his own methods that he found satisfactory and became able to handle cleaning, laundry, and cooking. That, he said, took him half a year.
Hearing that story, Constanze got angry, saying, “To make my brother do servant’s work,” but Franz just said “thank you” without another word and went to put the shirt away.
That simple act seemed to have made Constanze very happy, and she was in a very good mood during the performance that day.
“I completely forgot to thank you. One shouldn’t do things they’re not used to.”
“It’s fine. I’m glad he was happy.”
“Yes.”
Constanze tried to nod while maintaining her grumpy expression but failed spectacularly, breaking into a happy smile. Looking at her like this, she was really just a normal, cute girl. I'm so glad things worked out, Anna thought. When someone around her became happy, Anna couldn't help but feel overjoyed herself.
“Anna.”
“What is it?”
“I have a favor to ask you.”
Suddenly, with a serious face, Constanze looked straight at her.
“Yes. What is it?”
“Will you write me a letter from time to time?”
“A letter?”
“Yes. A letter about my brother.”
“About Franz?”
Anna tilted her head at the confusing words. If she wanted to know about Franz, the fastest way would be to have Franz himself write her a letter.
“Brother would absolutely hate writing to me. Because a letter from him might be opened by Father.”
“Ah...”
If Ville Lucina was looking for his missing heir, that could very well happen. If he were to be tracked down because of it, Franz would surely be in a lot of trouble.
“That’s why I can’t ask Brother. Anna, please.”
The sight of Constanze, who seemed to only ever give orders and never ask for favors, made a smile involuntarily spread across Anna's face. She desperately wanted to grant this earnest request.
“Okay, I will. How about this? I’ll write the address and a short note on the outside, and we can secretly slip Franz’s letter inside. That way, they won’t know it’s from Franz, and the letter will reach you, right?”
When she proposed this with a smile, Constanze’s large blue eyes widened in surprise as she stared at Anna.
“You come up with some very good ideas sometimes.”
She could have praised me a little more straightforwardly.
“I haven’t lived this long for nothing.”
When she said that, borrowing Ritz's words, Constanze's mouth immediately tightened into a pout.
“You've only lived a few years longer than I have, yet you act so high and mighty. You're just a child, too.”
Not expecting that response, Anna couldn't help but burst out laughing.
“What’s so funny?”
“Because Conzie, you just admitted you’re a child. You said ‘you, too’ just now.”
“Th-That was just a figure of speech!”
“Besides, I’m much older than you, Conzie.”
“Much older?”
“Yup. I’m thirty-one right now.”
“Thirty-one?!”
“That’s right. And Ritz, you know, he’s one hundred and fifty.”
“I know that! He’s of the spirit race! But you, Anna? It’s not just that you look young for your age, is it?”
“Yeah. I don’t think so.”
If that were the case, she'd just be a person of indeterminate age. But since her growth was slow even as an infant, that was probably not it.
“Just what are you...”
“Hmm, I’m searching for my parents to find that out.”
When she said that matter-of-factly and smiled, Constanze stared intently at Anna before letting out a breath.
“So that’s why my brother told you not to act so old. I was wondering who he was talking about.”
“Yeah. That’s right.”
“...Good luck.”
After muttering that, Constanze turned her face away. She was probably embarrassed for saying something she normally wouldn’t.
“Yeah. Thanks.”
As she said that cheerfully, Anna spotted Franz walking toward the big top. In his hand hung not Sara-chan, but an ordinary lamp.
“Hey, Franz~!”
She called his name loudly, and he turned around with his usual expressionless face. Then, noticing he was with Constanze, he approached. Seen up close, his white cheeks were faintly red, perhaps from the alcohol.
“What?”
“Where are you going?”
“The big top.”
“What for?”
“To get the orchestra’s instruments. I’m the sober one, so I’m being used as an errand boy.”
“I see. That’s tough.”
“It’s not tough. It’s a pain.”
Franz said this, looking genuinely annoyed, and let out a small sigh. Constanze watched him with a rapt expression. She must be very happy to be near her beloved, admired older brother. That reminded her of the letter matter from earlier.
“Conzie.”
She called softly and beckoned. Constanze furrowed her brow suspiciously. When Anna beckoned again, Constanze finally seemed to understand her intention and leaned in. In a small voice, so Franz couldn’t hear, she whispered.
“Why don’t you talk to Franz about the letter from earlier?”
“Eh?”
“If you two talk, I’m sure you can get his approval. If someone else were here, Franz would definitely be too embarrassed to agree. Right?”
“You do have a point there.”
“Once you get Franz’s permission, I’ll make sure to arrange everything, so do your best.”
“Okay.”
She looked up to see Franz standing there sullenly with a grumpy look on his face.
“Whispering secrets right in front of me?”
“Yup! Sorry about that~”
Apologizing with a smile, she prompted Constanze, who fidgeted and looked up at the standing Franz.
“Um, Brother...”
“What?”
“Um... may I come with you?”
“Where?”
“To the big top.”
“...I don’t mind, I guess?”
“Thank you, Brother!”
Happily, Constanze jumped to her feet and took Franz’s hand. Franz, who had looked at her hand with a puzzled expression, perhaps aided by the alcohol, seemed to make up his mind and took Constanze’s hand in his.
“See you later, Anna.”
With those cheerful words, Constanze walked away with Franz. The sight of the identical-looking brother and sister walking hand-in-hand was truly heartwarming.
I wonder if I look like that when I'm with Ritz, who's like a brother to me, she thought, but there was no way for her to know. But there was something off about calling Ritz a brother. Brother, guardian... somehow, those expressions had started to feel a little different lately.
But she couldn't quite figure out what expression fit perfectly.
“Miss, may I sit next to you?”
A man's low, affected voice spoke from behind. Surprised, she turned to see Ritz holding a bottle of liquor.
“You scared me! Oh, it’s you, Ritz.”
“Yep. Mind if I sit here?”
“Go ahead.”
When she nodded, Ritz plonked himself down next to her.
“Good for them, huh? Conzie and Franz.”
Apparently, he had been watching from somewhere. Maybe he saw that Constanze had left and Anna was alone, and decided to leave the boisterous circle. Ritz was always concerned about Anna, so something like that seemed possible.
“Yeah. Conzie looks so happy.”
“Franz probably doesn’t mind it either.”
Ritz sounded happy as he said it. He must have been worried about the Lucina siblings. Ritz was a kind person to those with wounded hearts.
“Ritz, are you always in the same mood as Franz is now?”
She suddenly asked what she had been thinking about earlier, and Ritz showed a puzzled expression.
“What do you mean?”
“Well... I was wondering if you feel like that when you’re with me.”
“Like a big brother?”
“Yeah.”
“...As for me...”
Ritz hesitated slightly and put the bottle to his lips.
“Well, I guess it’s something like that.”
“I see.”
“What about you, do you feel like Conzie?”
“Hmm. I think I have it easier than Conzie.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Because you talk to me a lot, Ritz. And you always hug me, right?”
“Ugh... well, yeah.”
“Besides, unlike Franz, you let me pamper you. The feeling of being needed makes me think I’m happier.”
“Being needed?”
“Yeah. It would be lonely if I wasn’t needed. I don’t want to be a little sister who is only ever protected. I hate just always chasing after someone's back.”
As she said that and looked up, for some reason, Ritz wore the same complex, sorrowful expression as before. Worried, she instinctively reached out a hand to his cheek.
“I love you, Ritz. So, let me pamper you like before, okay? I love it when you let me. It makes me feel like I’m needed.”
The moment she finished speaking, Ritz’s hand covered hers on his cheek. It was a large, warm palm. When she looked at his face, Ritz murmured a single word in a quiet voice, with the gentle smile he only ever showed her.
“I... like you too, Anna.”
She gasped at his sincere expression. In an instant, her face grew hot, and her heart began to race. But that expression on Ritz’s face was fleeting, and in the next moment, he was back to his usual cheerful smile.
“So no matter how kind they are, don’t drink any liquor offered to you by a man. Men like that always have some ulterior motive. Remember that.”
As soon as he finished speaking, he flicked her forehead with his index finger. While trying to calm her still-racing heart, Anna asked quietly.
“What about you, Ritz?”
“Me? I like to think I have no ulterior motives when it comes to you.”
Did that mean he had ulterior motives with other women? Ritz’s adult words were sometimes a mystery. While a confused Anna looked on, Ritz, who had been drinking, took a deep breath as if he had just thought of something and said.
“We’ll take down this tent tomorrow, and leave Roshozu the day after.”
“...Okay.”
“Next is the Birdfolk’s village. It’s quite a long way from here.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Roshozu is on the Yuresla side of Fornu, and Tashkur, where we’re headed next, is on the opposite end of the neighboring country, Sarnia.”
“Wow... that sounds like it’ll take a while.”
“This is probably the longest route we’ve taken so far. Once we get back to Motiana, I’ll buy a horse for you, too.”
“Huh? Really?!”
“Yeah. It’s likely to take nearly two months.”
For some reason, Ritz sounded disappointed as he said it. But she was happy to have her own horse. Now she wouldn't have to trouble Ritz.
“In that case, I’d like a chestnut-colored horse~”
Just as she said this happily, a violent explosion erupted.
She whipped her head around to see fierce sparks bursting from the ceiling of the big top, scattering with a deafening roar.
“What...?”
As Anna stood there, stunned and speechless, Ritz put down his bottle and stood up.
“The way that’s burning... it must be Crimson Fire Stones.”
“Why are there Crimson Fire Stones?”
“I don’t know.”
Ritz groaned heavily, but then let out a small sigh. Forgetting the boisterous party, the circus members were gaping at the big top, which was now repeatedly exploding violently, and just stared in a daze.
The fierce sparks, like fireworks in the darkness, released beautiful flashes of light, scorching the night sky.
If it wasn't for the fact that it was scorching the big top, it would have been a beautiful sight. But as it engulfed the tent that had become familiar over the past few days, it was a terrifying one.
“Well, the only saving grace is that there’s no one in the big top. If people were inside during an explosion that big, death would be unavoidable.”
Ritz’s words made Anna’s vision go dark.
“R-Ritz...”
“What’s wrong?”
“There are people.”
“Huh? What’s wrong? You’re pale as a sheet.”
“There are people inside!”
Her whole body was shaking. Ritz grabbed her trembling body with both hands and shook her firmly.
“Are there people inside? Are you sure?”
“I’m sure... Franz and Conzie are in there!”
Her voice cracked, turning into something close to a scream. But Ritz, upon hearing her, turned even paler than Anna.
“Wh... at?”
“What do we do... What do we do, Ritz!”
To a panicking Anna, a stern-faced Ritz turned to face her.
“Go back to the tent right now and get your wind bow and arrow.”
“Huh...?”
“Hurry!”
Without understanding why, Anna started running at full speed. She didn’t know how or where she ran, but when she came to, she was running back to Ritz, holding the wind bow and arrow from her tent. Gasping for breath, she looked up at Ritz, who was gazing at the big top with a grim expression.
“Ritz!”
“Yeah. Thanks.”
She looked around and saw that everyone was gone. Standing with his arms crossed, Ritz shifted his gaze to the big top, and saw that flames were already starting to rise. The sparks from earlier had caught fire.
Ritz's gaze, fixed on the flames that burned ominously red in the darkness, was so serious it was frightening.
“I’ve asked Ed and Marguerite to handle the evacuation of the circus members and to start fighting the fire from the well. I’m going to check if Franz and Conzie are inside.”
“...What?”
For a moment, she failed to grasp the meaning of Ritz’s words.
“You’re going in there?”
“Yeah. There’s no time. I’m going to explain the plan, so listen up.”
“Wait, but you just said they wouldn’t survive if they were in there, right?”
“That was a possibility. But he’s a fire spirit user. There’s a chance he took some kind of defensive measure, and there’s also a chance he’s already escaped. But at this stage, we have no choice but to check. If the pillars collapse, we won’t be able to save them.”
“But...”
“If we dawdle, their chances of survival will decrease. Just listen!”
His stern, commanding tone made something snap inside her head. When she realized it, she was grabbing Ritz’s clothes with all her might and shaking him.
“No! I don’t want you to die, Ritz!”
“Anna.”
“Absolutely not! Don’t go!”
“This isn’t like you. If there’s a chance they can be saved, we should bet on that chance, right?”
“Ah...”
She was in such a panic that she didn’t know what was what. That’s right, if Franz and the others could be saved, that would be better. If there was even a small chance, it was worth a try.
But if it failed, Ritz might die. No one knew how long the pillars of the big top would hold.
As Anna clung to a distraught Ritz, he spoke to her gently.
“Alright, Anna. Let’s make a bet. I’ll bet that I’ll definitely come back to you alive. So if I win the bet, Anna, you have to pamper me thoroughly.”
“Huh...?”
“You said you wanted to pamper me, right? Got it? You’ll let me rest my head on your lap, stroke my head, and sing me a lullaby. And for the whole night, too.”
“Ritz...”
Ritz, who had said this cheerfully to reassure Anna, pulled her close and kissed her on the forehead.
“It’s okay. Trust me.”
“...Okay.”
As she nodded calmly, Ritz let out a small sigh and then, with a serious face, explained briefly.
“First, douse me with a Water Sphere. Then, send a slow-moving Water Sphere ahead of me and throw it into the tent.”
“Okay.”
“Then, as soon as I go in, shoot the wind bow and arrow at the tent. It will create a safe path inside, even if just for a short time.”
“Okay. I get it. I’ll try.”
“Alright, good girl.”
Ritz, with his usual confident smile, gave Anna another deliberately loud, showy kiss on her forehead. That helped Anna breathe a sigh of relief and calm her heart. It's okay, Ritz can do it.
“Alright, let’s do this!”
“Okay!”
She closed her eyes and focused her mind. Opening her eyes as she grasped the sensation of overflowing water, she created a Water Sphere the size of her outstretched arms.
“Here I go.”
“Yeah.”
When she burst the created Water Sphere over Ritz's head, he was drenched. But instead of complaining as usual, Ritz just stared intently at the big top. It seemed better to hurry.
Anna took a deep breath and concentrated again. The power of water spirits was weak here, so creating a large Water Sphere like usual required tens of times more power than it would by a body of water.
“O water spirit who governs tranquility and healing. Grant me your strength.”
As she focused, she crossed her hands above her head. Marguerite had taught her that by visualizing, she could create a Water Sphere of any size she wished. Opening her eyes, she slowly spread her crossed arms to the desired size, and a large Water Sphere materialized.
Her head swam. The spirits were draining dozens of times more power from her than usual.
“Ritz, are you ready?”
“Anytime.”
“Go, Water Sphere!”
Thrusting her hands forward while mentally commanding it to fly toward the big top, the Water Sphere spun as it advanced. Ritz followed close behind. But there was no time to worry. Anna nocked the wind bow and arrow she had just retrieved and timed her shot.
If she was too early, the wind shield, which only lasted a short time, would vanish. If she was too late, Ritz would be engulfed in flames. Until now, she had always used spirits in situations where it was okay to fail. But this time, that wasn't an option. The moment she was in a situation to apologize with a “Sorry~,” Ritz's life would be over.
And if they were still trapped inside, Franz and Constanze’s lives too...
Sweat trickled down from the tension. The fingertips holding the bow were trembling slightly.
Staring intently, she saw Ritz leap into the single path created by the Water Sphere that had flown into the big top.
Aiming for that exact moment, she released the wind arrow.
“Please, protect them all!”
The wind bow and arrow, imbued with her wish, cut through the air in a straight line toward the big top and struck it. As if summoned by the arrow, the strong wind blowing over Roshozu was drawn into the big top in a gentle swell.
She could see the hem of the big top gently billow with the wind.
“Please...”
All Anna could do now was pray.
Please, please let them all be safe. Goddess, Water Spirit King, please...
She didn't know how much time had passed.
It felt like both an instant and a long time.
Just as Anna was about to be crushed by anxiety, she suddenly felt a presence in front of her. Thinking it might be Ritz, she looked up to see a man standing there. The light from the flames was so bright that she couldn't see his expression from where she was.
He had black hair and was tall, not unlike Ritz. And he had a similar atmosphere to Ritz.
“...Ritz?”
“...Oh...”
The man in front of her muttered, impressed. The voice was definitely not Ritz’s.
“Can you see me?”
“...I can see you.”
“As expected of the princess, I suppose.”
“...Princess?”
“It seems Laria’s disguise was seen through as well. It appears that dark spirit magic does not work on you.”
To a bewildered Anna, the man smiled. The skin of the man who slowly turned to face the flames was a lustrous brown, like Laria, Raven, and Ritz's mother, Ciela. And his eyes, reflecting the flames of the blazing big top, were the same dark brown as Ritz's.
...He's from the Clan of Darkness.
The moment she realized that, tension shot through her. She instinctively looked around, but there was no one else besides her and this man.
“As expected of the land of fire. I only set up a little prank, but it burns quite well.”
The man said this in a calm, gentle voice. Anna’s eyes widened. So this fire...
“You set the fire?”
“No, Princess. I do not get my own hands dirty. The one who set the fire was the blond spirit user.”
“Franz did?”
“Yes. I placed the Crimson Fire Stones in the orchestra pit and then placed a dark spirit on top of them when he arrived. He splendidly lit the Crimson Fire Stones himself.”
“Why would you do something like that?!”
“Why? Why do you wish to know the reason?”
“You can’t do something so terrible without a reason! People’s lives are in danger!”
“Would it be acceptable if there were a reason?”
“It would not!”
With or without a reason, doing something like this could never be forgiven. But without a reason, she couldn't understand what had happened.
“No matter what the reason, I will not forgive this.”
“You are very kind, Princess. Though it would be simpler to have those without skill die.”
“Huh...?”
The man smiled and said this with a gentle expression, as if he were peacefully admiring flowers. A chill ran down her spine.
“Just as you seek the truth, we have a truth we wish to protect. However, you are ones who possess the same as our Spirit King's Eye. We are not permitted to directly interfere with those who possess the Spirit King's Eye. Therefore, we are allowed to play pranks.”
“Pranks?”
“Yes. Pranks. Just a little something to slow you down.”
A little something... With that, she realized. The landslide in Red Valley, Jin in Ciedena. It was possible he had orchestrated both. But those were by no means trivial matters.
“It’s not a trivial matter. People’s lives are at stake!”
“Indeed. But before our truth, it is a small matter. Besides, if they die from something like this, you have no right to seek the truth.”
“People’s lives are not small!”
As she glared at him and said this, the man smiled a gentle, kind smile. The vaguely familiar smile sent a shiver down her spine. This man... he resembled Ritz just a little.
“Do you understand, Princess? The truth is not always gentle. At times, the truth can become a weapon that hurts people. We are not trying to kill you. We are trying to test you. To see if you have the resolve worthy of knowing the truth.”
“That’s...”
“There are truths that are better left unknown. Do you have the strength to overcome them? We must know that.”
“And you’d involve others for that?”
“Yes. We would not shy away from that either. However, we do not favor grandiose actions, so we will not cause the kind of disaster you fear. For we are apostles of a god.”
“Apostles of a god...?”
“Wherever you go from now on, we will set up trivial pranks. It may be a disaster that befalls an unrelated person, or it may befall someone precious to you. But will you still seek the truth?”
She understood that the man was asking if she would still hold on to her desire to seek her own truth. But Anna couldn't lose to him. To lose would mean that everything up to now would be for naught.
Her journey, learning the path of walking alongside precious people, all of it.
“...If disaster befalls someone precious to me, I will be the one to drive it away.”
“Hoh...”
“I will never lose to a coward!”
She stared straight at the man and shouted. She would never give up or lose. The man, who had silently stared back at Anna, eventually slowly curved his lips into a smile.
“Understood, Princess. We will never willingly lay a hand on anyone, but we will work on the darkness in their hearts.”
“What do you...”
“You will understand when the time comes. We simply wish to protect our truth. In order to protect our truth, we must know if you possess the capacity to accept it after you have learned it.”
“The capacity to accept it?”
She asked again, but the man didn't answer, only smiling softly. She sensed that he had judged it unnecessary to answer now.
“The truth is one, but the facts are not. The key lies within you. Do not forget that.”
The man smiled softly and turned his back to Anna, about to leave. She couldn’t help but call out to his back.
“What’s your name?”
It wasn't that she expected a reply. But unexpectedly, the man stopped and answered without turning around.
“My name is Kuchiba. I hope you will remember me from now on, my princess.”
Just as Anna was about to question the man's words further, a loud sound, like something snapping, echoed in her ears. She instinctively turned around and realized that the worst-case scenario was unfolding.
The big top was starting to collapse. Much sooner than Anna had anticipated.
“Aah!”
The sound grew more intense. Eventually, the central pillar creaked with a high-pitched sound and snapped in one go. The pillar, barely saved from complete collapse by the support of the other pillars, slowly pulled them in, and one by one they collapsed toward the center.
“This... You can call this a trivial matter?!”
She turned to glare at the man who had called himself Kuchiba, but she couldn't. The man had already vanished from the spot.
Where the man had been, there was only spreading darkness.
Anna bit her lip. She was frustrated with herself for not being able to understand the man’s words. As she fought back the tears that threatened to spill, the central pillar finally collapsed. With a roar that shook the ground, the two massive pillars broke and fell.
Anna gasped at the terrifying sight. She hadn't confirmed if her companions were safe yet. If they were still trapped inside... they wouldn't survive.
“Ritz, Franz, Conzie...”
Unable to suppress her anxiety, Anna started walking along the edge of the collapsed big top, which was still emitting smoke. What had been a grand tent just moments ago was now a charred wreck, exposing its tragic remains while radiating heat.
Her footing was strangely unsteady. The anxiety and the fatigue from using the spirits had made everything feel uncertain.
After circling halfway around the big top, she ran into the circus performers. They seemed to have been fighting the fire near their residential tents, passing buckets of water.
In the center of them, she saw Edward and Marguerite, who seemed to have been directing them. Edward's posture was not the slightly stooped, smiling Old Man Ed he had been playing since joining the circus, but his usual self.
That Edward spotted Anna.
“Are you all right, Anna?”
“Yes... um, Ritz and the others...”
The joy of seeing Edward safe and the fear of not knowing if Ritz and the others were safe made Anna tremble alone. She still had no idea what to do. Lifting her eyes from Edward's gentle gaze to the burnt ruins that loomed right before her, she couldn't stop shaking.
Are the three of them safe? Where on earth are they?
What if they’re still inside the big top?
Edward gently put an arm around the shoulders of Anna, who was about to be crushed by such anxiety, and turned her around. As she was turned halfway, the figures of a man and a girl, sitting there in a daze, came into Anna's view.
There, covered in soot, were Franz and Constanze.
“Franz, Conzie...”
The two of them looked embarrassed as they raised a hand to signal they were safe. She ran over and hugged them both tightly.
“I’m so glad~ That explosion was so huge, I didn’t know what to do~”
“My brother was with me, you know? Of course we’d be safe.”
“You’re right! You’re amazing, Franz!”
“...It was nothing.”
When she instinctively patted his head, Franz grimaced, but even he, who would normally brush her off, just sighed and endured it. Constanze clung happily to such a Franz.
Somehow, they had survived that explosion. If it had been just Constanze, she wouldn't have been saved, and if the two of them hadn't resolved their conflict, they might not have been saved either. The thought brought her a heartfelt sense of relief.
“It wasn’t my strength alone.”
Then Franz’s gaze dropped. At the end of his line of sight lay a large figure, also covered in soot, sprawled out with arms and legs thrown wide.
“You’re safe... I’m so glad...”
As she murmured in a trembling voice, on the verge of tears at the sight, the sprawled-out Ritz sat up with a start. His hair, which had been singed during practice with Franz, was now even more burnt. It was in a terrible state. Once things settled down, she would really have to cut it short for him.
“Yo, Anna.”
Ritz raised a hand with a smile. It was the same defiant, bright smile of the Ritz who was always, always getting into trouble.
Until now, she had been convinced that no matter what happened, Ritz would be fine. But from the moment Ritz changed from a guardian to a partner, something big inside Anna had started to move. That's why the thought of something happening to Ritz sent anxiety and fear swirling within her. Even though she believed in him, she was about to be crushed by anxiety.
But he was alive. He was safe and sound.
She instinctively ran over and threw herself into the arms of the still-seated Ritz. The moment she was held tightly, the tears she had been holding back spilled over.
“Hey, hey, you’ll get all black.”
“I don’t care.”
As she sobbed, Ritz gave a wry smile but stroked her head. The tears flowed even more freely.
“I told you, Anna. I’m good at betting.”
“Yeah.”
“You haven’t forgotten, have you? I’m looking forward to it.”
“Yeah.”
“I won’t let you sleep tonight, you know?”
“Ugh... I might want to sleep a little...”
“You idiot, I’m just kidding.”
Ritz, who said this playfully and burst out laughing, had Anna press her forehead against his chest. She could hear his strong heartbeat.
I want to protect him, she thought from the bottom of her heart.
She would never lose her comrades or her partner. She would definitely protect them with her own hands.
She didn't know where the truth lay, or what that truth, said to be anything but gentle, was. But as long as the truth existed, as long as there was a way to know it, she swore in her heart that she would never give up and would chase after it.
It might be easier to give up on knowing the truth and close her eyes. But that would never lead to the life she desired. People grow by accepting even the most terrible truths and overcoming difficulties with their own strength.
Once things calmed down, she would have to tell everyone about Kuchiba. And together, they would walk the path, Anna vowed from the bottom of her heart.