WTBFCY Chapter 35

When the doctor's voice pulled Noah back to consciousness at the inn, he couldn't open his eyes immediately. His body felt heavy enough to sink deep into the earth. He lay there, neither asleep nor awake, crushed by his own weight. Then he heard Regina leaving the room.

"...Goodbye."

Even in the moment of escape, she remained polite. Kind of funny. He could have forced himself up to stop her. But the effort seemed more trouble than it was worth.

He lay there without reacting, eyes closed. Yesterday's memory surfaced—Regina's face as she'd shouldered his weight and carried him. How she'd cried while gripping his arm tight. Honestly, she seemed pathetic to him.

'...Does she have no survival instinct? She should've run when she had the chance. What was she thinking? And if she ran once, why come back and do this?'

Regina's flailing made him want to laugh. But strangely, Noah wasn't annoyed by her. His eyes kept following her. He felt unfamiliar to himself.

This strange black faerie was clumsy but honest. Artless. Her emotions showed raw and unrefined because of it.

Like a small animal rubbing its head against a leg—that clumsy collision felt awkward to Noah. Watching her tremble while trying to smile and read his mood made him chuckle despite himself.

Did she think acting that way would make him feel affection toward her?

The futile hope was absurd, but Noah let it be. He knew Regina would someday become a great threat to him. But for now, he just... wanted to let it be.

—You smell delicious.

A familiar voice suddenly echoed in Noah's ears as he lay in bed, eyes closed, thinking. Simultaneously, an image surfaced—a woman sitting collapsed with disheveled hair, crying. A black-haired woman looking at young Noah through tear-stained eyes.

—Such a sweet smell.

A face he hadn't recalled in a long time. Noah frowned. Snapped his eyes open as if shaking off the woman's afterimage. He stared at the clean inn ceiling with blinking eyes. Then forced his body up despite feeling heavy as a thousand-pound weight.

"Urgh... Not fully healed yet, apparently."

Stabbing pain struck throughout his body. He held his breath as he sat up. The room contained only Noah's belongings, left alone.

If she ran, she'd go to the train station.

He hadn't necessarily thought about catching Regina. But if he didn't, she'd consume humans. Besides, he needed the light faerie's pocket watch. He needed it to track down black fairies.

"...Hah."

He ran his hand through his hair irritably. Threw on his coat, grabbed his belongings, and left. He seemed to be sighing more often since meeting Regina.

Noah reached the train station. Sure enough, Regina's back was visible as she sat in a chair. She waited for her train, twitching anxiously. Noah stood some distance away, arms crossed, leaning against a wall. Watched her for a moment.

Did her long, wavy black hair make him think of 'that woman'? He was thinking blankly when Ezra appeared soundlessly, looking down at Regina with her head bowed. Noah straightened with a start.

He hadn't planned on saving Regina particularly. But the moment he saw Ezra's hand reaching toward her, he moved without thinking. Perhaps he didn't want to see Regina's form among the countless black fairies trapped in Ezra's research institute.

"Um... Noah."

He just didn't want to see someone he'd traveled with for a few days dissected alive and trapped in that solution. Nothing more than that. He could never feel affection for a black faerie. Convincing himself of his uncharacteristic behavior, Noah turned his head when Regina called out to him.

"What?"

"Um, well. Are you feeling alright?"

Noah suppressed a laugh inside. She called out to him, then flinched when he actually turned around. Feeling guilty about getting caught running away?

"Rather than worrying about me, you should regret your failed escape."

"What?"

"Just what I said. And next time you run, you don't need to say goodbye politely."

She'd done nothing wrong. She was alive, so she ran to survive. That was all. If anything, wasting time to save him had been the wrong choice.

"Running is the natural thing for you to do. No need to read my mood. We're stopping by Maverick's mansion, then leaving for Hoern today. Keep that in mind."

Noah said that, then turned forward and walked. Missed seeing Regina's face flush with embarrassment.

The escape had failed. Back to square one again. She felt invisible shackles click back into place. Having tasted freedom once, she could now feel the shackles she'd never noticed before. Her shoulders sagged heavily as she followed Noah in silence, head bowed.

Maverick was deep in his research when knocking interrupted him. He frowned. No one should be looking for him. They waited a long while without leaving. Became quite bothersome.

"Who the hell is making all that noise?"

Click.

Once a sound started annoying him, it wouldn't leave his ears. He had no choice but to stop his research. Pressed the switch on the telescope beside his desk, closed one eye, and looked through. The telescope he'd modified to show the front gate revealed Noah and Regina—they'd visited a few days ago.

"Noah?"

He hadn't expected Noah to return so soon after visiting recently. Maverick jumped up in surprise. He pressed the button to open the mansion gate. Shortly after, he could see Regina and Noah descending the stairs.

"Noah, is this your first time returning within days? Did something happen? Ah, Miss Regina, we meet again."

"Hello, Mr. Maverick."

"I nearly died meeting an upper-tier. Used all my bullets, so I'm here to buy more. Replace my weapons if possible."

"Upper-tier! An upper-tier—those actually exist?! Where on earth did you encounter it?! No, more importantly, you faced an upper-tier and lived to tell about it!"

One shock after another. Maverick finally examined Noah's face closely. He did look bloodless. His face was white as a sheet. He must have been seriously injured.

"Well, I was lucky. Can you show me the weapons first? I don't have much time."

But Noah waved his hand dismissively, finding Maverick's scrutiny annoying. Urged him to show the weapons.

"Ah, yes. Just a moment."

Maverick opened the inner wall panel, pulled out several revolvers from the display, checked their condition. Glanced sideways at Regina standing dejectedly to one side. Noah beside her just stood expressionless.

'Did they fight or something...'

Maverick wanted to avoid getting caught between the awkward atmosphere surrounding them. He focused on selecting weapons.

"Noah, how was the revolver I gave you last time? I attached a blade to the barrel—was it too heavy?"

"Not bad. Wasn't too heavy either. But both are unusable now. My blood didn't work on my opponent."

"What?! Your blood didn't work? That can't be... Are you certain?"

The unexpected information made Maverick put down the revolvers he'd selected. If Noah's blood didn't work, these types of weapons were meaningless. He considered briefly, then seemed to decide something. Closed the weapon wall panel again.

"Why are you closing it when I asked for weapons?"

"Your blood didn't work? Please explain the situation in detail."

Noah hesitated at Maverick's firm attitude. Saw his serious expression. Sighed quietly as if he had no choice. Explained his confrontation with the upper-tier faerie as briefly as possible.

Maverick listened quietly, nodding as if understanding. Then suddenly approached the desk where he'd been sitting moments ago.

"Perfect timing. I've been researching something. Not finished yet, but it needs testing."

"What...?"

"Actually, I've been investigating the 'black star fragments' that recently appeared in the capital. The Royal Research Institute 'Arme' suddenly started distributing them, but the source hasn't been revealed to the public. Strange stones."

"Maverick, I'll say it again—not much time before the train to Hoern. I don't have time for a research presentation. Just give me the weapons and ammo boxes now."

"Then I'll just give you the conclusion. These stones react to your blood, Noah."

"What?"

Noah had been about to just hand over money and take the weapons if Maverick repeated himself once more. Now his expression turned shocked. Regina, who'd been standing quietly with her mouth shut, was equally surprised.

"They react to Noah's blood? The black star fragments?"

"Yes! That's right, Miss Regina. Seeing is faster than hearing. Look here, please."

Regina had been looking at the mountain of machinery piled in the corner. She lifted her head, looked at Maverick. With Regina and Noah's attention focused, Maverick shrugged his shoulders proudly like a professor before students. Held up a beaker from the desk in one hand.

"This beaker contains a black star fragment. If I add one drop of Noah's blood that I collected a few days ago..."

Crackle!

The moment Noah's blood touched the small diamond-shaped stone fragment in the transparent beaker, the stone lost its form. Crumble. Collapsed into powder. Its hard, smooth surface vanished instantly. Turned to dust.

"What the hell...?!"

Regina's mouth opened slightly. She leaned toward the beaker Maverick held. Noah raised one eyebrow, glared at the black powder in the beaker.

"When it touches my blood, it turns to black powder. That's just like..."

"That's right. Exactly, Noah. Just like a black faerie."

Maverick grinned, finishing Noah's sentence.