Kanata seems to be leaving the scars from his fierce battle with the Master of the Witch’s Forest behind.
After receiving a rough but warm welcome from the First Unit on the bridge, I lay down in a coffin labeled with the nameplate “Lolicon Bastard Kanata.”
I wanted to thank Hotaru too, but she had disappeared from the bridge while I was being manhandled.
She probably figured she couldn’t abandon me, her comrade, but she didn’t want to get too close.
What sort of conversation did Hotaru and Shuri have in the City of Blazing Flames?
I’m curious, but I can deal with that after returning to the Garden.
For now, I need to rest my body. The chest wound from the Master of the Witch’s Forest is quite deep. Marika-san told me to get into a Medical Pod after a nap.
As I placed my hand on my chest wound, the gold chain of my pendant touched my palm.
I placed the sword pendant in my palm and remembered. Emperor’s Princess (Rose).
Rose looked at me with a strong resolve in her eyes and said.
“I’ll be the one to end this war and this tragedy.”
…Perhaps I led Rose down a thorny path.
But hey, Rose, I’m holding out hope, you know?
That you might be the one to change this warped world.
If the Commander knew what I was thinking right now, I’d probably be turned into rusty sword.
I… if it’s about changing the world, I’d rather it be Rose than the Commander. It’s true.
After a nap, I went to the infirmary and received a check-up from the army doctor, Dr. Hasubami.
“There’s no fear of contagion. Your injuries are minor, apart from the chest wound. You’ll need to enter the Medical Pod to close the chest wound. It should take about two days to heal completely.”
“Understood. Thank you.”
“This resilience is unique to the Zero-shiki. Like Captain Marika, they’re amazing units, the Zero-shiki. It’s a shame the method of their creation is lost.”
“They’re extremely useful militarily, aren’t they? Their sustained combat capability is on another level.”
“That may be true for you, soldier Kanata, but I’m a doctor. I want to use the potential of the Zero-shiki in medicine, especially their basic resistance to poison. This is even more true in this world where environmental pollution is advancing.”
“…Have I been poisoned by this harsh world too? Technology should be used to save lives, not to kill.”
“It’s natural for you, soldier Kanata, fighting on the front lines, to think about surviving. The Medical Pod is ready. Please get in.”
I entered the Medical Pod to heal my chest wound.
Waking up inside the culture fluid is never a pleasant experience, no matter how many times I go through it.
“You seem to be awake. Good morning, Kanata-kun. I’ll drain the culture fluid right away.”
Emerging from the Medical Pod in nothing but my underwear, I wiped myself dry with a towel handed to me by Dr. Hasubami.
The wound from the Forest Master was closed, but four claw marks remained on my chest.
“When you return to the Garden, you should have Dr. Hibiki treat these scars. She’s a top-notch plastic surgeon, so she should be able to make them disappear cleanly.”
“Doctor, is it bad if these scars remain?”
“No, it’s purely an aesthetic issue.”
“Then I’ll keep them as they are. They look kind of cool, don’t they?”
“Hahaha, it certainly makes you look like a seasoned warrior.”
The reason for keeping the scars isn’t just because they look cool…
I want to engrave the events of the Witch’s Forest, literally, onto my chest.
Leaving the infirmary, I decided to take a walk through the ship’s interior in the early morning.
My internal clock read 4:50 AM. The sun seemed to have just risen.
Maybe I’ll get a little fresh air, from the ship’s best vantage point.
I decided to head to the bow.
The morning wasteland viewed from the ship’s prow looks a little different than usual. Perhaps it’s just sentimentality.
Looking back from the prow, the iron fortress shining in the morning sun, its heroic figure exhilarates me.
I took a deep breath, drew my sword, and assumed the “Hane’i Muso” stance of Mugen Ittouryu.
Then, with a fierce cry, I slashed the air with my treasured sword, Zanbu.
It’s been less than a month and a half since I left the Garden, but… I’ve gotten stronger. I savor that realization.
Will I use this strength… solely to survive?
There are things I want to protect, people I want to protect. But beyond that… isn’t there something more?
“…You’re working hard from this early hour. Practicing your sword?”
Shuri called out to me, holding paper cups in both hands, and I snapped back to reality.
“Yeah. I got a secret manual for Mugen Ittouryu in Rigrit.”
“A secret manual for Mugen Ittouryu! That’s not something that just shows up at a flea market!”
“I received it from Mikoto-sama of Terukyo, who was visiting Rigrit. We met at a party hosted by the Commander.”
Shuri nodded in understanding at my words.
“I see. Kanata, you’re from the Hachioki Clan Head family, aren’t you? If the times were different, you could have been a lord.”
“Don’t say that. I’m not interested in status or power.”
“Don’t tell me all you’re interested in is breasts.”
Shuri warned me with a stern look and handed me a paper cup.
“Thanks. I was just thinking I wanted some coffee.”
Shuri and I sat down on the prow, deciding to have a coffee break.
“Shuri, why were you up so early?”
“I always wake up around this time. I was bringing some refreshments to the bridge operators when I saw Kanata, so I came to check on you.”
“You’re really diligent. Why don’t you relax a bit sometime?”
“It’s not that I’m diligent, it’s that you guys are not!”
It’s not just Shuri; diligent people usually don’t think of themselves as diligent.
“Alright, alright. So? You didn’t just come to check on me, did you?”
“Yes. In the City of Blazing Flames… I spoke with Hotaru. I looked her in the eye.”
“…May I ask what you talked about?”
“That’s what I came here to tell you. I said I spoke with Hotaru, but we didn’t actually get to talk. Hotaru tried to say something to me, but she started tearing up and choked on her words… so I decided not to push it. I was content with her looking me in the eye.”
A step forward, perhaps? Yes, the matter with Hotaru shouldn’t be rushed. One step at a time is fine.
“So you don’t know what Hotaru wanted to say?”
“I don’t.”
“You don’t want to know?”
“I do want to know. But I don’t want to force her. And I did realize something.”
“You realized something?”
Shuri took a sip of his coffee and opened his mouth with a grim expression.
“Something happened to Hotaru. I don’t know what it is, but it’s something very serious and sad. Do you have any idea, Kanata?”
“Why are you asking me?”
“I told you before, I want to emulate that aspect of you.”
“That aspect?”
“What everyone calls the Natto Bacteria: your observation and analytical skills. Even if I don’t notice something, you might. …And besides, you’re my friend.”
Ah, we are friends. That’s why there are things I can’t say. However, I won’t give you a careless answer.
“Shuri, Hotaru tried to tell you something, right?”
Shuri nodded slightly, without looking away from me.
“If that’s the case, even if I knew what it was, I wouldn’t tell you. Would you want a friend who blabs about something important that someone is trying to tell you themselves?”
“…That’s right. As long as Hotaru has the intention to tell me, I should hear it directly from her.”
That’s right. Only Shuri, who cherishes Hotaru more than anyone else, should hear it directly from her.
If Hotaru decides to confide her secret to Shuri, and can’t bear to look at me afterward… then I’ll disappear from the Garden.
I want to stay in the Rose Garden forever, but Utsusemi Shuurinosuke is my best friend.
If my existence continues to reopen the scab on the heart of Hotaru, whom Shuri cherishes deeply, then I have no choice but to disappear.
After all, even the best doctor can’t completely heal a wound of the heart without leaving a trace.
