NB Chapter 8

Why had Zycklint left that dagger together with information about Rosemary Clark? She wasn't someone who did meaningless things.

But what could be the reason for leaving that dagger? And one with a noble family's crest so prominently displayed, no less.

Was it really the Clark family crest? If she'd truly wanted revenge, wouldn't she have left information about the Clark family rather than a dagger?

Moreover, the shop owner at the weapons store they'd visited during the day had shown signs of nervous tension throughout their conversation. And the expression that appeared on the young man's face when he first saw the dagger.

That had been closer to horror than surprise or curiosity.

Gale rubbed his temples and swallowed a sigh. Lying on his side on the bed, Gale's eyes were still directed toward Magnolia. Sleeping Magnolia's expression was peaceful.

He'd followed Magnolia, who said she was going to the capital, partly to avoid Irene's nagging. He'd helped because what she was doing seemed like it would only lead to trouble.

But Gale knew well that this was an excuse he was making to himself.

'So is there something you want to do?'

Gale's gaze lingered on Magnolia for a long, long time, losing track of the hours.

Crash. The sky flashed. The sudden downpour had brought thunder and lightning with it. Magnolia was running home in a hurry, completely soaked. Zycklint's nagging about coming home early because it looked like rain in the afternoon came to mind.

'I'm going to get in so much trouble when I get home.... Should I go to Gale's house instead?'

Magnolia paused and looked back for a moment, then frowned and shook her head. She started running again. As she ran, Magnolia became puzzled when she saw the house in the distance. It was getting dark due to the late hour, but no light was coming from the house.

'Has mother not come home yet? But she didn't say she'd be late today.'

But if Zycklint hadn't returned yet, that would be fortunate for Magnolia. Magnolia let out a sigh of relief. As she tried to open the door and take out the key from her inner pocket, Magnolia belatedly noticed that the door was slightly open. She clearly remembered locking it when she left in the morning.

'Is she waiting without turning on any lights to scare me? That can't be right.'

Zycklint wouldn't do anything to make Magnolia anxious. Magnolia wondered about it as she slightly opened the door.

Rumble… BOOM!! At that moment, thunder rumbled again and lightning struck. Lightning flashed through the window across from the door, briefly illuminating the dark interior of the house. Magnolia couldn't understand the situation that flashed before her eyes for an instant.

"...Mother?"

At her small whisper, the person standing upright in the middle of the living room was startled and hurriedly disappeared through the back door.

Magnolia slowly entered the house. As her eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness, she could see someone lying in the living room.

"...Mo... Mother... Mother...."

Zycklint was lying there bleeding with her own sword pierced through her chest. At the sound of her young daughter's crying, Zycklint coughed and turned her head toward Magnolia.

"Magnolia...."

The metallic taste in her roughly strained voice made Magnolia scream and collapse.

"Mother, how... what is... mo... mother...."

The panicked Magnolia just fumbled as she crawled toward Zycklint. She couldn't properly grasp the situation.

Then Zycklint strongly gripped Magnolia's hand. At that grip, Magnolia stopped crying and hiccupped.

"Magnolia... just now, that man, did you... see his face?"

Zycklint struggled to speak. Magnolia shook her head.

Because the lightning had briefly lit the house, making the face backlit and obscured. Moreover, Magnolia had fallen into panic immediately upon seeing Zycklint and hadn't paid attention to the fleeing man.

Zycklint's eyes flashed.

"My... longtime... very longtime... enemy...."

Tears formed in Zycklint's eyes, filled with hatred, then mixed with the blood splattered on her face and flowed down.

"To think I'd die at that bastard's hands...."

Gasping, Zycklint fumbled for the trembling Magnolia, then brought her other hand to her pocket. What came out of the pocket was the key to the drawer in Zycklint's room.

"That bastard has exactly one daughter, just like me. Though my daughter is prettier, of course."

"Mother...."

"My beloved daughter... you understand what mother means, don't you?"

Zycklint was not a good person. Magnolia knew that well.

"My precious treasure... my beloved...."

Her dark reddish-brown eyes hesitated for a moment, then her breath stopped. She could feel the warmth gradually leaving their clasped hands. Accordingly, Magnolia's crying also subsided.

The smile that had always been present when she was with Zycklint was nowhere to be found, only the traces of silently flowing tears remained.

"You'll avenge mother's enemy, won't you?"

At that moment, Zycklint suddenly sat bolt upright and glared wide-eyed as she shoved her face toward Magnolia. Magnolia's arm was grabbed from behind as she flinched and pulled her body back, startled.

Startled, she turned around to find Zycklint's face streaming tears of blood. Blood-slicked lips whispered by Magnolia's ear.

"You killed Rosemary, didn't you, my beloved daughter."

The Zycklint in front of Magnolia, who had been pierced through the chest with a sword, pulled out the sword with her own hands and placed it in Magnolia's hands.

"Drag the life of the one who killed me, who took everything from me, into hell."

"Mother...."

"You will, won't you? My beloved daughter, my precious treasure."

Zycklint twisted her lips grotesquely and laughed loudly.

"Answer me!"

Magnolia covered her ears and curled up her body. It was a terrible nightmare.

"Magnolia!"

"Mag!"

Her eyes snapped open. An unfamiliar yet familiar ceiling came into view. She could see the morning sunlight coming through the window beside the bed. Magnolia blinked slowly.

"Why are you so hard to wake up?"

Gale's face was bright, as if he'd already washed up. In his hands was a tray with soup and grain bread. Seeing only one serving set, it seemed Gale had already eaten and come back up.

"I thought you'd be awake when I came back from breakfast, but you're still sleeping? Today's breakfast is clam soup. I asked the innkeeper specially for it. What's with the oversleeping? I brought wash water, so hurry up and get up to wash and...."

As he placed the tray on the table while nagging, Gale trailed off when he met Magnolia's eyes. Magnolia, who had been meeting Gale's gaze in a daze, soon fully emerged from sleep and sat up in bed.

"...I'll go wash up."

Clearing her hoarse voice, Magnolia got down from the bed. When her legs gave out and she staggered for a moment, Gale quickly supported her.

"You had a bad dream."

"No."

"Liar."

"I said no."

"I guess lying makes you feel better?"

Magnolia smiled quietly without answering.

"I'll wash up and come out. Tie my hair up."

Washing her face with cold water also gradually washed away the remnants of last night's dream from her mind.

After Zycklint died, Magnolia was often tormented by nightmares. They were dreams of Zycklint suffering as she died at the hands of some faceless man. Those dreams became more horrific after killing Rosemary. Though she hadn't been having them much since coming to the capital.

Drying her face with a towel, she looked at her reflection in the water. Magnolia truly didn't resemble Zycklint.

Magnolia had pale platinum hair, dark green eyes tinged with blue, and fair skin. But Zycklint had light auburn hair that looked crimson at first glance and dark brown eyes.

Even setting aside hair and eye color, Magnolia had a clear, gentle appearance, while Zycklint had sharp eyes and gave off a somewhat cutting atmosphere like a withered tree.

'Do I look like father?'

When young Magnolia asked this while worrying about their dissimilar faces, Zycklint stroked her and laughed softly.

'My beloved treasure, you look like mother.'

The sadness, tenderness, and anger swirling in her eyes were vivid, contrasting with Zycklint's strange expressionlessness as she spoke those words. Seeing her mother's unfamiliar appearance, Magnolia never spoke about her father again.

"...Resemble her how? I don't look like her at all."

Magnolia muttered as she stared intently at her own eyes beyond the water's surface.

If there was any resemblance, it was probably just talent with the sword. Magnolia recalled the sword Zycklint had always worn at her waist. It was an elegant sword that shone entirely in silver, looking obviously expensive and ornate.

A poor unmarried mother living in an alley carrying around a fancy sword often led to trouble. But when Zycklint drew her sword, opponents either ran away within minutes or ended up sprawled on the ground in an unseemly state.

Magnolia had learned the sword from Zycklint because it was the only thing she could inherit from her mother, who had been a knight before having her. So even though she had no particular interest, she'd pestered her to teach her.

At that time, Zycklint had been troubled but extremely pleased.

That fact was clear, but Zycklint's face wasn't vivid.

Magnolia feared she might forget Zycklint at this rate.

Shaking her head to dispel these thoughts, Magnolia changed clothes. Putting on a light, practical tunic and pants, Magnolia placed the wash water outside the door and sat at the table.

Gale, who had been sitting across from her, pushed the tray of food toward her and stood up. It was a thin soup with mushrooms. The mushroom smell was very good.

As she slowly ate while tearing bread, Gale combed her hair with a brush and spoke.

"Pack up after you finish eating. I've already gathered the extra clothes we sent for laundry at the inn."

Since her mouth was busy eating, Magnolia just nodded a couple of times. Magnolia listed the things she needed to pack in her mind.

There weren't any important items essential for a wandering life except for the dagger.

"Ah."

"What? Does it hurt?"

"No, no. Something just came to mind for a moment...."

Magnolia trailed off. Gale, his attention diverted to tying up her hair neatly, lightly passed over Magnolia's words.

Rosemary's letter that she'd brought from the academy. She'd definitely put it in her pocket then... but she couldn't remember where she'd put it after that.