December came, and with it, the end-of-year test season once again. The children were, as ever, busy playing. Citra and Cravie had apparently grown quite close, and the two of them were often seen wandering around together. It would have been nice if Peruere could join them and the three could spend time together, but that wish was thoroughly crushed today.
"Brother... can’t we just catch salmon?"
"Smelt tastes better. And why are you hanging around here? You should be playing with your friends."
"Is it... not okay for me to stay by your side?"
"Sigh... Never mind..."
That was right. Peruere was glued to my side and would not budge. After Capitano’s training ended, she saw the scars carved into my body and declared that she would never let me get hurt again, appointing herself as my personal guard. The scars had improved somewhat because Peruere applied medicine to them every day, but the deeply engraved ones would not disappear. Was that why? She regarded Capitano as though he were her mortal enemy.
"The first time you met that person... was here?"
"That’s right. He showed up behind me while I was ice fishing like this, just like today. It scared the hell out of me. Anyone would be frightened if someone that huge suddenly spoke to them."
"Then he could show up today too. I’ll wait for him."
"Little sister... Have you been coming here with that thought every time I went ice fishing? He hasn’t shown up for days, so can’t you just give up now and go? Go play with Cravie."
Ever since Crucabena told me to take the bar exam, I had been studying nonstop. After seeing me cut down the older children during sparring matches, Crucabena had apparently decided I was trained enough and effectively excluded me from training, telling me to study instead. I was studying myself to death, but using my brain at such a young age made it easy to overload myself. That was why I had recently been relieving my stress by fishing like this. But with Peruere stuck to my side, it felt as though my stress was piling up rather than easing away.
"My head hurts, and I’m fishing to relieve stress. But when you’re beside me, I can’t help worrying about you. For your brother’s sake, go play with your friends."
"Okay. I understand. I’m an obedient little sister, after all."
Only then did Peruere walk toward the year-end festival grounds. Sigh... Now I could finally rest.
One or two smelts at a time were gathering in the hole I had cut in the ice. If I fried these up, heh heh heh...
Just as I was indulging in that happy fantasy, I sensed someone approaching from behind. Judging by the footsteps, they were trying to come closer carefully.
"Who’s walking around so cautiously? Would it kill you to come out with some confidence?"
"Eek!!!"
Huh? That voice...
At the familiar shriek, I turned around and saw Furina hiding behind a tree, staring at me. She was not even wearing her hat, and her hair was a complete mess. She looked like she was under an incredible amount of stress. Was what I said back then still affecting her? I beckoned her over, and Furina hesitantly sat beside me.
"Whew... What did you come here for? As the Hydro Archon, shouldn’t you be swamped with appointments during the year-end season?"
"I don’t have any..."
"You don’t?"
"I canceled all my appointments before coming... I even left without telling Neuvillette..."
At this point in time, Neuvillette probably regarded Furina as a troublesome burden. He likely would not be too concerned if she disappeared. He would surely just assume she had gone out to buy another limited-edition cake.
"If you came out without even telling Neuvillette, this must be something important. Why would the Hydro Archon come all the way out to see an orphan with no one in the world?"
"In my dream... the me inside the mirror appeared... It was the first time since I woke up..."
It seemed Focalors had descended into Furina’s dream. The message was probably that her destined person had appeared, so she should snatch him up.
"So? What did Focalors say when she appeared?"
"You..."
"Me? What did she tell you to do to me? Go on, tell me."
I naturally already knew the answer. But for some reason, looking at Furina made me want to tease her. Was I maybe a little sadistic? As I was entertaining that thought, I saw that Furina’s face had turned bright red.
"She told me... to marry you..."
"Oh..."
For Focalors, that was remarkably direct. Not dating, but straight to marriage? What was that bastard trying to do with me? I would have to ask her in a dream later.
"What about you? Do you want to marry a child like me?"
"Me? Well... I’m Fontaine’s god and a popular star, so there are surely lines of people who would want to date me. But you’re different. You know my secret, don’t you?"
"Your secret? Well... I know some of it. So what?"
"If I leave you alone... my secret could get out, couldn’t it? To prevent that, I need to bind you to me..."
This girl, Furina... It seemed she felt that I had gotten hold of her weakness. The instant I so much as said a word about Furina, it would be exposed that she was not the Hydro Archon. She was scared of that, so she was trying to tie me down by any means necessary. Wasn’t this obsession already?
"You’re afraid, aren’t you? Because if it comes out that you’re not the Hydro Archon, all the people of Fontaine could die."
"Th-that’s... that’s... right... probably..."
Sigh... What was I supposed to do with this idiot? Did she come looking for me knowing what kind of situation I was in?
"Do you... know who I belong to?"
"I know you belong to an orphanage. I looked through your documents, and they say you were born on January 1 and will turn fifteen next year..."
It looked like Crucabena really had filed the documents that way. Furina also thought I was fifteen.
"This orphanage belongs to the Fatui. And Crucabena, the director here, aims to kill you."
At my words, Furina’s face turned pale blue. She had realized that I was one of the tools meant to fulfill Crucabena’s goal.
"S-so... what does that mean? Are you going to kill me...?"
"If I were going to kill you, wouldn’t I have done it long ago? I could have just cut you down the first time I saw you."
Furina looked relieved as she spoke to me.
"And Focalors said that you are my savior. I don’t know if you really will save me, but if Focalors said it, she must have something in mind."
"A savior... I’ve seen the future, so I know what kind of future awaits you too."
An indescribable emotion began to bloom across Furina’s face. He knew the future. That meant this person already knew what ending awaited her. She could not let this child go. She could never hand him over to anyone else. With that thought, Furina steeled herself.
"I see... You really are someone I cannot let slip away.... You know, I never had anyone I could call a friend. I only ever had to hide myself while playing the Hydro Archon.... It was so painful.... Like you said before, when I met that woman, there was a time when my face was smiling, but tears streamed from my eyes...? After that happened, I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t even tell Neuvillette. I could only suffer alone. But now I’ve finally found someone. Someone I can cling to and cry my eyes out with, someone who can understand my mission."
Furina’s eyes began to darken. This did not feel good.
"What’s your name?"
"Avrora Snezhevich. Avrora is my given name, and Snezhevich is my family name."
"Avrora... I’m going to adopt you. I’ll use the authority of the Hydro Archon!"
"...What?"
"What did you just say? You’re going to adopt me?"
"I can’t leave you locked up in the Fatui’s headquarters, can I? You’ll come live with me at the Palais Mermonia. We’ll eat meals and desserts together, sleep together, and then someday... Heheh~"
This girl had apparently become lost in her own fantasies. If this kept up, my plan would be thrown off course. I had to stay at the House of the Hearth until I died!
"Furina? If you try to take me away, Crucabena will try to kill you..."
"I know, but... couldn’t I have my subordinates bring you out? I don’t need to step forward personally."
"I don’t really want to hear that from someone who often goes out to buy cake..."
"Th-that’s different! Anyway! I’m adopting you!"
"...What do you mean by that, Brother...?"
"Ah..."
I heard a familiar voice I had listened to for years. And it was very low.
Slowly, creakily, I turned my neck toward the source of the voice. Peruere stood there holding a handful of fries, glaring at me as if she wanted to kill me.
This looked like it was one step away from turning into total chaos.
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