odorekijin

[Forest of Ice]

Something beckoned me to look up at the sky. High above us, I distinguished Owen flying on his broom.

He was scattering white flowers, as if littering trash, over White’s body.

Akira: Owen?

Owen scoffed, exasperated.

Owen: Twins sure are the same every step of the way.

Yesterday, Snow was wailing and weeping at the bar, just like you are now. Pretty annoying, if you ask me.

Buried under the flowers, White slowly blinked.

White: Snow? Like me...?

Owen: Though I can understand why you would want to cry. I can’t believe that the killer wants to bring along his victim to a festival to greet the dead.

Poor, unfortunate White. You could tell Snow to stop pestering you. Why not be honest with him, and just tell him that he’s a nuisance?

Does it pain you to tell him yourself? In that case, I could do it for you.

White: …

The corners of Owen’s mouth stretched into a smile before adding:

Owen: ...Ah, but you’re afraid, aren’t you? If you ever dared upset him, Snow might wipe away your existence then and there.

For you to live, or to fade away—that decision is all in Snow’s hands. A dead soul doesn’t get to decide any of that anymore.

You really are unfortunate, White.

Giggling, acerbic sneers trickled down along with the white petals.

Such fragile flowers who, as they fell, faded for a moment in the pale snow.

I somehow knew, without even being told, that those were the Afterglow Lilies.

White took some of those eerie, flake-like petals in his hand, contemplating them.

Suddenly, he began to laugh.

White: Fu, hahaha.

It is you I feel pity for. You envy us, do you not?

Owen: ...Ha?

White: Even in death, Snow still keeps me close. For every single year, he has never failed to make the proper preparations, proof that he will never forget me.

Do you have such a person by your side? Even in death, will there be someone who will think of you always and forever, a companion who will remember you for eternity?

Owen: …

White: Thus, it is not I who is unfortunate and pathetic. It is you, Owen.

Owen: I'm not a fool, I don’t need that sort of company.

Owen replied as if those words meant nothing, but his smile had disappeared.

White: That, I do doubt. Your statements are most often contradictory.

Bitterness, envy, and jealousy won’t lead you to what you desire. That emptiness of yours shall never be filled.

Owen: Oh, so you’re going to lecture me now, are you? Expected no less from our dear teacher, slayed by his beloved other half.

So, how does it feel to speak of your relationship with Snow in the place where he killed you?

White and Owen both held invisible, razor-sharp blades to the other’s throat.

The sheer bloodlust emanating from them was so sharp I was sure it could cleave my skin apart. I couldn’t even muster up the courage to intervene.

[Footsteps]

Bradley: Just you guys? The hell are ya even doing? Don’t make other folks pick your damn crap just to slack off on yer own.

Mithra: Hold on, Owen, you didn’t get a head start now, did you? The reward is mine.

Akira: Bradley, Mithra…

I knew right away that the situation had been saved. With the two of them cutting in, the lethal ambience finally dissolved.

Bradley eyed us suspiciously, perhaps sensing the underlying odd atmosphere.

Bradley: ...Somethin’ happen?

Akira: W-weeell…

White: Hohoho, I was simply taking a break from our search when Owen found me having a rest. I was complaining quite a lot about it just now, you see.

More importantly, your harvest appears to have been rather fruitful, doesn’t it? We almost have the full amount we’ll be needing. Come now boys, one last push!

White clapped his hands and urged everyone to get back to work, putting away his boiling rage as if nothing had happened.

Bradley: Ugh, ain’t that enough of ‘em already?

Mithra: Please do hand over the flowers you pick to me, Master Sage. Victory depends on it.

Bradley: At least do it fair ‘n square, damn.

Grunting and complaining, the Northern wizards returned to their search, disappearing into the forest.

Owen: …

As he left, Owen glared at White. His piercing gaze cut clear through the air, sending a tremor of apprehension through me.

——

[Town of Ice]

We eventually managed to gather enough Afterglow Lilies, so we returned to the Town of Ice.

There, Snow and the Western wizards were waiting for us in good spirits.

Snow: I see you all have returned safely.

Murr: Over here, Master Sage!

Rustica: Welcome back. How did you enjoy your stroll through the Forest of Ice?

Shylock: Oh my, don’t you all look adorable together with your matching flower baskets.

Akira: We've all worked hard to collect them.

Bradley: I sure ain’t gonna do it twice though.

Owen: Why don't you try out that bell you won, Mithra?

Mithra: I certainly won't, even if it costs me my life. Maybe I'll just toss it in a pool of magma instead.

White: Hohoho, no matter where you may discard it, there are still plenty of bells at our disposal.

Akira: How was the mansion, everyone?

Chloe: Just as I imagined! Oh, and we found the outfits for the festival!

White: Splendid. It seems nothing out of the ordinary occurred, then.

Shylock: Indeed, nothing at all.

Save, of course, for Murr’s attempts to plunge into a shelf lined with incense burners, lured by their scent—or running off to a pile of questionable bones, claiming he heard something odd.

Sounds like they had quite the field trip.

Snow: ‘Tis true that we faced rather heart-wrenching sights as well, however...

I truly did pick the finest, most able people for this search. Now then, Chloe, time for us to get dressed.

Chloe: Yeah!《 Suispicibo Voitengok 》!

——————

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