[Dreaming of an Absolution]

“……Aunt Jiri! — Wait, you’re bleeding!” 

Every single time, he had no idea how she would manage to appear behind him without him noticing. But there was no time to worry about that right now.

Even in the dark, he could tell that she was in a terrible state. Her hooded robes that were supposed to conceal her identity were torn in various places, and her face was almost completely visible. Her hair was a dishevelled mess. Most importantly, one of her arms was covered in blood. The bleeding looked to have stopped, but it didn’t look like a minor injury.

“Man, I didn’t think I’d get into such a big scuffle at my age.” 

Hearing her say that tiredly, Yuri understood the implication in those words and spoke in a stilted voice. 

“……So, did you do it?”

“Can I really say that I did it…? But, well, at least I can say that woman won’t be bothering us anymore.” 

As she said that she stumbled, and Yuri hurriedly caught and supported her. 

“Now then, now that you’ve spent all this time waiting for me, I’ll be asking you to lend me a hand on the way back. It wouldn’t do if we got caught by the knights after coming this far.” 

Yuri nodded at Jiri’s words. 

****

Yuri supported Jiri as they walked down the path that led to the lower quarter, avoiding the eyes of the patrolling knights and other people wandering about the city streets at night.

Jiri had, clumsily, removed a portion of her clothing so she wouldn’t look the same as she did when she was the ‘Dark Wings’. She then used those same clothing to hide her injured arm. 

Jiri was completely silent. She looked incredibly exhausted. Yuri didn’t dare talk to her either, and so they walked in silence.

A single word ran through his mind, and refused to go away. 

Murder. Although she hadn’t said it out loud, it was clear Jiri had killed Mirarem. That was what Yuri had set out to do at the start of all this. But now that it was over, Yuri was struck by the realisation of how outrageous his idea had been. 

He had no reservations wielding a sword. Against enemies that came after him with the intent of hurting him, he had no hesitation attacking back, and even injuring them. But when it came to killing them… actually taking a life, and ending their existence in this world… 

Back then, he had been so overwhelmed by rage that he had felt like killing Mirarem. But now that he had calmed down and thought about it, he wondered if he truly was prepared to take a life. 

Like Jiri had said, in terms of ability, as he was right now, he wasn’t capable of killing someone. But what if he did? If he had let his anger get the better of him, and actually killed someone, how would he have felt afterwards? 

Scared. Absolutely terrified. 

Maybe Jiri had seen that far into the future, and had known. That Yuri wasn’t ready. That his strength and resolve was half-baked. There was no way he could have killed someone. Not in the slightest. 

Years had passed, and his body had grown to the point that he was now able to support Jiri on his own, but at his core nothing had changed. He was still the same kid he had been on that day, of the ‘River Escapade’.

Yuri hung his head and continued walking like that, supporting Jiri silently. 

Neither of them said a single word until they reached the lower quarter. 

****

It was late into the night by the time they arrived at the doorsteps of ‘My Home’. And yet someone was waiting there to welcome them back. 

“Aunt Jiri… and you too, Yuri!” 

“Flynn.” 

“……Geez, why do so many of my kids love staying up late? Is time just a concept to them?” 

Flynn didn’t take Jiri’s grumblings seriously. Even without knowing any details, it was clear just by looking at her, that this was no ordinary matter. A look of suppressed pain came over Flynn’s face. 

But before Flynn could open his mouth to speak, Jiri took something out of her pocket and tossed it to Flynn. A faint, bluish white light traced an arc in the darkness of the night. Instinctively Flynn reached out a hand and caught the object. It was the fountain’s core.

“Go and swap out the fountain’s core with this one. Hurry. …Be careful of the water.” 

We’ll talk later. Sensing the strong determination in her words that would brook no argument, Flynn reluctantly nodded and ran off towards the plaza. 

Once Flynn was out of sight, Jiri turned back to Yuri. She had already let go of Yuri and was standing on her own two feet. 

“Now then. I’m going to get changed. While I do that, Yuri, go make a fire.” 

Yuri, too, went to get firewood without asking any questions. He would probably find out what it was for later, anyway. 

He piled up the gathered firewood in front of ‘My Home’ and got a fire going. As he watched the flames grow little by little, he started to feel more at ease, and it started to feel like everything that had happened today was just a dream. 

But all around the lower quarter, people had fallen. Some among them had died, victims of a plot. And, revenge had been carried out. All of that was real. 

Too many things had happened within such a short timespan. Their monotonous, everyday lives from before seemed so far away now. 

What will happen to us from now on? As Yuri was thinking this, Flynn returned. Unsurprisingly, there was a glowing bluish white orb in his hand. It was a blastia core, and also the culprit behind the fountain water turning into a mysterious poison. 

“I’ve swapped the cores. Swapping them was easy. The water should be back to normal come morning.” 

“Thanks for your hard work. …Well, even if the water is still bad, we still have panacea bottles left over. We should be fine.” 

Both of them cautiously avoided bringing up the crucial subject. Not yet. They only stood on opposite sides of the bonfire, and waited. 

After waiting for a while, Jiri returned. Her injured arm had been wrapped in fresh bandages, and in her other arm she carried a bundle of clothing. To Yuri’s surprise, accompanying Jiri was Hanks, who stood at the doorway and saw her off. But instead of coming outside, Hanks went back into the house and disappeared from sight. 

Without saying a word, Jiri walked over to the bonfire and threw the clothing she was carrying into the roaring flames. Sparks flew up. For a brief moment, the bright fire was darkened by the cloth enveloping it, but it quickly regained its fiery vigour and started greedily devouring its new fuel. 

“Aunt Jiri, that’s —” 

Yuri, realising what the flames were eating away at, said. Black, bloodstained clothing. It was clear at a glance what they were — the outfit of the ‘Dark Wings’. 

“I’m retiring.” 

Jiri said that in a voice of a traveller who had, despite their weariness, arrived at their final destination. 

“This is the end of the ‘Dark Wings’ — or at least, the end of the me that was the ‘Dark Wings’.” 

There was deep emotion in her voice as she muttered those words, but when she saw Yuri and Flynn’s expressions, she raised her eyebrows. 

“Just to be clear, it’s not because I’m getting too old for this. …Well, if I’m being honest, that’s also true, but that’s not the main reason why.” 

A thought flashed through Yuri’s mind, but before he could open his mouth Flynn spoke up.

“……Is it because… of Mirarem?” 

As expected, Flynn was reluctant to say the word ‘killed’ out loud. But his meaning was perfectly clear. 

“Yuri, Flynn… you’re both smart kids. If you’re not careful, you’ll end up saddling yourselves with unnecessary hardships. But, well… it’s as you guessed. The ‘Dark Wings’ doesn’t kill. That was my promise. Now that I’ve broken it, the business with the ‘Dark Wings’ ends here.” 

Saying that, she turned her gaze towards the open doorway of ‘My Home’, where Hanks had been just a few moments ago. 

“Promise…? You mean, with Grandpa Hanks?” 

“And on top of that, someone’s been asking a lot of questions.” 

Jiri stared at Yuri. Her eyes seemed to be reproaching him for asking her questions, or maybe they were trying to determine if he and his questions were worth answering. Eventually she sighed deeply, and plopped down next to the bonfire. 

“Well, I suppose this is as good an opportunity as any. Let’s talk about an old story. Listen well, because this is the only time I’m ever going to say it.” 

Yuri and Flynn both nodded obediently. 

****

A long time ago — though it had only been a few decades — a band of robbers roamed the streets of the imperial capital Zaphias, looting and pillaging. They had no sense of loyalty or anything of the like. They were only interested in wealth and the thrill of it. They didn’t just steal; they also did all kinds of things that weren’t appropriate to speak of. They were lowlifes that had no regard for human life. And because they possessed dangerous blastia, even the Imperial Knights were afraid of them. 

It was also because they were like that that the bonds between members were superficial at best. One time they broke into a place, but suffered a devastating counterattack, and the survivors fled. Not only did they abandon their dead comrades, but they also left behind their wounded, still-living comrades. 

Among those who had been abandoned was a woman. As she lay there dying, she closed her eyes to all the sins she had committed, and lamented her misfortune while cursing her comrades for abandoning her. But she was helpless. Somehow, she managed to escape to the lower quarter, but it was there that she collapsed, unable to move any further. 

The moment she realised she was going to die like this, alone and without anyone knowing, the woman became extremely terrified. She felt scared, alone, and sad. Up until then, she had been a woman who was afraid of nothing, whose glare made anyone who saw it give way to her, who hadn’t cared for human life in the slightest.  

That woman had been saved by the whim of an eccentric man. He was a man from the lower quarter who just happened to be passing by. The man treated the woman’s wounds, and let her stay at his home until her wounds healed. He never once asked who she was, and once, when the Imperial Knights came searching, he even shielded her by claiming that she was his sick wife. 

Of course, the woman had to ask him. Why would he go so far for her? The man answered, it was because she asked him for help. It was only natural for people to help each other in times of need. He couldn’t leave her alone, so he saved her. That was all. 

The woman had plenty of time to think while her wounds healed. The way the man — and other residents of the lower quarter — acted and behaved was something the woman had never known or experienced before. Slowly, the woman began to feel that this ‘something’ was more valuable than any money or treasure in the world. Eventually her wounds healed, and she felt the desire to protect this place and its people — if she was allowed to — and if possible, become one of them. 

But the woman had a dark past. It followed behind her, and always chased after her. So the man gave her a new name, and a new place to belong to. With that, the woman was reborn anew. Ever since that, the woman has always stood by the man’s side, because the man had offered it to her — a place only meant for her, for her to take. 

“—As for what happened after that, I’ve told you the story already. Famine struck the lower quarter, and none of the officials would aid the residents. So the woman dusted off the skills and techniques she had learned in the past, and once again, became a thief. But it was different now. After consulting with the man, the woman made a few vows. She would only do this for the sake of the lower quarter, when there was no choice left, and she would never hurt or take a person’s life.”

****

The firewood crackled and popped. 

The outfit of the ‘Dark Wings’ had completely burned out, leaving only ashes in its wake. 

Yuri and Flynn listened to Jiri’s story without speaking up once. They knew that she wasn’t just some ordinary person, but her story had surpassed any of their expectations. And then there was Hanks. Who would have imagined that the calm and gentle elderly man — though, of course, back then he must have been still quite young — had played such a role in her life. The story Jiri had told them was only a small portion of it, for sure. Between them, there must have been a lot of interactions that had gone unsaid. That no one else would ever be privy to. 

Jiri softly opened her eyes, which had closed at some point. Those eyes now gazed at Yuri and Flynn in turn. 

“That’s a look that says you still have a lot you want to ask me, but are hesitating on it. But let’s end the conversation here. We’ve had a long day, and a lot of things happened today. If we don’t go to bed now, morning will soon be upon us.” 

With that weary remark Jiri stood up, leaning back and stretching her waist. Then she turned and headed for the open doorway of ‘My Home’. 

All of a sudden, it felt to Yuri like her back looked smaller than it had been before.

Left behind, Yuri and Flynn couldn’t decide whether to say anything or remain silent. They simply stared at the flickering flames of the slowly-dwindling fire.