Shadowless Night

He could hear screams. Having been inflicted with fatal wounds, there was no way to escape.

The fire grew uncontrollably. Smoke engulfed the sky, obscuring the castle. Diech blew the flute as he used to in the past, but his skill was not as excellent.

He had come here in search of fragmented and unrecognizable memories. The sharp stench of blood pierced his nose. It was a dark and unpleasant place, cold and damp. Children whose names he had never called. The screams of people. A white, pointed castle. The beautiful resounding sound of bells.

Amongst these stirring memories, something peculiar emerged. It was unfamiliar to him. It was a memory of the past ‘Diech’.

It was the appearance of a girl. The girl whose curly black hair was cut short and her white nape visible when she lowered her head.

She stood upright under the sunlight, looking straight ahead, and smiled brightly. From the memory of ‘Diech’, he knew how strong her power was under her gentle smile, unwavering to anyone or anything. She carried something precious in her heart and had the courage to step forward alone.

He didn’t know who she was, why she was so beautiful, why she shone so brightly. Just thinking about her made his heart ache. The Diech of now, with only emotions inherited without memories, felt perplexed.

Thus, occasionally, the memory of the black-haired girl started to blend in with the memories that began with the lifeless people behind iron bars. Because of that, the current Diech, who blew the flute, fluctuated between anger and joy, laughter and tears without reason.

Three years later, Diech finally came face to face with the girl in his memories.

After the White Jade Castle fire incident, it was known that the 5th Prince, who suffered from shock, had retreated to a villa and received care for a long period. The truth was that he needed time to inherit the memories from his body’s owner, learn human language, and familiarize himself with imperial etiquette.

After three years, the grown-up Diech regained his kind smile. Everyone welcomed his return, including Raymond, a knight who served as the escort for the 2nd Prince, Ricardis.

They had a long-standing connection since childhood. Diech had seen him a few times, even when he was a pet. He didn’t particularly like the human who bothered him by petting him. Despite his seemingly foolish appearance, Raymond was an astute individual.

But it wasn’t a problem. Even if Raymond felt some strangeness, he would probably think it wasn’t strange for Diech’s state of mind to change after experiencing a major event where his mother and the servants who attended to his every need perished in the burning flames.

Without realizing how dangerous it was, Raymond embraced Diech, shedding tears. Diech was taken aback. Weren’t nobles not supposed to be touched recklessly? He read that in the etiquette book, right?

A massive man with tightly compressed muscles was hugging him… and crying.

Diech felt like he was going crazy. The man sniffled. Did anything get on his shoulder? He felt uneasy. In the midst of the bewildering and muddled emotions while being embraced, he encountered Rosaline. Raymond asked if he remembered her. She used to be an apprentice knight, but now she had officially become a lesser knight.

Rosaline Radwiell. Rosaline Esther.

Her stern face, devoid of even a faint smile, felt unfamiliar. Her sharp gaze seemed angry. It differed from the image in his memories, where she always smiled. Although that smile wasn’t directed at him, she always smiled. But something restless in her demeanor made him uncomfortable. That weak and inadequate guy left behind a pathetic impression and bothers me for no reason, he thought.

Regardless of the initial impression she made, the three of them frequently met. Raymond seemed to want his Favorite Friends 1 and 2 to become close. Only on the third meeting did Diech finally realize that Rosaline’s default expression seemed displeased and angry. Only after realizing that did he begin to see a glimpse of her.

Occasionally, her words were calm. Her voice was pleasant. It didn’t rise sharply or sink low like the surface of a windless lake. Rosaline had a habit of looking directly into people’s eyes. Her green irises could appear yellowish when exposed to strong sunlight. Her black hair shone beautifully. Her gait was neither heavy nor light but gracefully light.

Her thick, downturned eyelashes fluttered. Her eyes, which had been looking down, moved swiftly.

Their gazes collided.

Caught red-handed while stealing glances. At the Imperial Library. Except for Raymond, who had fallen asleep with his head on the table after picking up a children’s fairy tale book and overturning it, they had been stacking and reading various things. However, instead of books, Diech eagerly explored the subject named Rosaline. It had been long since his hand stopped turning the pages, and his gaze was so obvious that Rosaline couldn’t be unaware of it. Only after their eyes met did Diech realize he had been staring at her for a long time.

Rosaline had a penetrating gaze that seemed to delve into people’s inner thoughts, and Diech didn’t shy away from her direct gaze. Time passed, and the silence continued without being broken.

“Snort… Tsuh… Uh…”

A strange sound echoed from somewhere in Raymond’s nose. It was unclear if he was sniffling or mumbling in his sleep. Rosaline’s gaze turned toward Raymond. With an expression that seemed to convey her embarrassment, she briefly glanced at Diech with a subtle side glance.

Because my superior and your friend is acting foolishly, it’s embarrassing, right? Diech chuckled in response to the pleading look in her eyes. It was involuntary laughter that emerged because Raymond seemed foolish. Rosaline also laughed soundlessly. It was the kind of smile he hadn’t seen before.

Ah, that laughter. It silently filled the entire space with warmth and sparkle. It quivered like a dance.

It had been three years since that day when memories that didn’t belong to him began to intertwine. One year, 365 days. A day, 24 hours, an hour, 60 minutes, a minute, 60 seconds. Time after time, she led him away from the space filled with a pungent smell, trapped within the confines of time.

How much did the young you laugh under the sunlight during those three years? Within the immeasurable, countless moments. How many times did we meet?

His hand trembled. It felt like tears would well up. Unexplainable anger, a terrible scene of unknown circumstances. Wasn’t that actually important? Upon seeing Rosaline’s smiling face, yes, that’s right. A vague belief that everything would be fine arose. He simply wanted to say it.

Rosaline, I wanted to see you for a long time during those three years, within the flow of time that passed much too quickly.

He wanted to have many conversations and see her smiling. He wanted to etch it into his memory and find new happiness in that memory. Wasn’t the time of suffering too long? Did he come here to put an end to it?

Strangely, his eyes felt a stinging sensation, so Diech blinked and averted his gaze. Instead of stealing glances at Rosaline, his eyes fell upon a haphazardly spread open book.

[…Their crime was not only committing an inhumane act but also betraying Idelavhim and…]

His breath caught in his throat. Diech hurriedly turned the pages with an anxious touch. For that brief moment, he didn’t think of Rosaline.

[Enraged by the actions of the heartless mages who betrayed Illavenia, the people…]

Various pieces of information beyond mere words began to float in Diech’s mind. No, what are they saying? What are you all talking about? This book told a story different from his memories, to the point where it seemed to want to convey evil.

Diech clenched his head tightly.

The scene…

Began with people dying inside iron bars.

What did it mean? What was the agony that tore at his soul? Faint outlines began to emerge. His body trembled. It felt as if someone was choking him. Even in that situation, Diech was perfectly acting like the ordinary “Diech,” so Rosaline didn’t notice his subtle changes and continued to gaze beyond the library window.

Ah, Rosaline. What should I do? Rosaline, please…

[…Even as time passes, will that sin ever disappear?]

***

“Hehehehehe!”

The loud laughter only intensified his frustration. Verum, the priest serving under High Priest Laheansi, scowled deeply.

“Look, look, just look. Pay attention! You disregarded me, as if we were engaged in some childish game! Who do you think you are, Verum? You can’t even play a simple game properly, you insignificant little sprout! Ugh, heheheh!”

About an hour ago, Laheansi complained about being bored inside the tent, so Verum handed out the cards that had been confiscated earlier. Verum had memorized the rules after Laheansi remarked about how there might be some fun in playing a card game alone. However, this annoying High Priest skillfully took away the best cards one by one. It infuriated Verum to the point where all the mental and physical training he had dedicated to Idelavhim’s teachings for 20 years seemed worthless.

To compare the amusement that transformed the dignified demeanor of an experienced priest into a desolate thorn bush with mere child’s play was absurd. He must be losing his mind. How could he expect this inexperienced sapling to comprehend…

“I lost! I lost to you! I keep losing, and the thought of losing again is tiresome! Is there any chance that I could win at least once!?”

As Verum angrily threw his cards onto the blanket, Laheansi extended his hand and smirked. He had the audacity of someone who had come to collect a gambling debt.

“What is it, High Priest?”

“You lost, so hand it over. It’s worth twenty-six gins.”

“What kind of extortion is this…? You never mentioned anything like this!”

“In the sacred path… No, in the realm of games, nothing comes without a price. The God of Play will not be pleased!”

You were about to say it was gambling. And you, a believer in the sole god Idelavhim, even as a High Priest, dared to complain about the God of Play? Who appointed this man as a High Priest, of all people?