However, it was all just sweets.
“Mmm, has it already turned night? I was only thinking of taking a short nap, but it seems I slept soundly. When I woke up, no one was in the room. Peeking next door, I could hear cheerful voices.
“What do you want to hear about next?”
“Um, how about your love life?”
I saw two long snake tails. Nina and Anakura were talking happily about something.
“Do you have someone you like now?”
“No.”
“Tarot is generally for predicting the near future or the future with someone you have in mind.”
“Oh, then it’s no good.”
What, fortune-telling?! Is that guy messing around with cards again! I hurried into the room, and Nina looked at me with a blank face.
“Oh, you’re awake. Do you want something to eat? Though, it’s only sweets.”
“No, not now. More importantly, what are you doing?”
Anakura was holding the tarot cards I had seen before.
“What? Fortune-telling. It’s my hobby. Would you like to try too?”
“I’ll pass. Put them away.”
Anakura put the cards in his pocket with a sigh. I’ve gotten into a lot of trouble because of your hobby.
“Hey, since we’re here, why don’t we go see the town at night? You’re nocturnal, right?”
“Yes, I don’t mind. Are you coming too?”
Of course I am, you idiot. There’s no way I’m letting them go alone. I felt sorry for him regarding his birth, but this is different. I don’t know what he’s planning, so I can’t take my eyes off him. If I let my guard down, he might suddenly attack.
So the three of us went outside. The town at night was lovely, with the decorations on the buildings glowing red and orange, like the illuminations for Christmas.
“It really is all sweets. This newly bought lipstick has a nice color, but the scent is too sweet.”
The residents here apparently don’t eat meat. I haven’t seen any fish yet either. Most of it is vegetables and legumes, and animal products like eggs and milk. I might not be lacking in protein, but I still miss real meat.
Besides, aren’t those ingredients for making sweets? Does it mean if there’s no meat, you can eat cake?
“Hey, you haven’t eaten anything at all, aren’t you hungry?”
“I’m fine. I don’t usually eat much.”
Nina hummed in response and looked around the brightly lit town. She seemed to have spotted something interesting and wandered off on her own.
“Your companions are quite interesting. You must never get bored with such unique friends.”
“I don’t trust him yet.”
Just then, Nina returned. In her hand was a glass-like flower.
“Look, they say this is made of candy. It’s a shame to eat it. I’ll give you some. You don’t dislike candy, do you?”
Nina broke the stem and handed it to Anakura. He took a small bite and showed it.
“Mmm, sweet and delicious. Thank you.”
Perhaps satisfied to see him finally eat something, Nina started walking again, licking the candy.
“Are you good at seeing in the dark?”
“Not as much as a Dark Harpy, but I think I can see better than you.”
“Wow, really. Hey, did you meet your parents?”
To Nina’s unusually calm question, Anakura replied that he had not.
“Do you want to meet them?”
“I wonder. Back then, I knew I shouldn’t, but I couldn’t stop myself. Even if seeing their faces would only hurt me.”
Nina turned around with the melting flower candy in one hand. The light from the illuminations reflected on the transparent petals.
“In the end, I lost and lost everything. It’s like my soul is wandering alone in this world.”
“Aren’t you looking for something, then? A place to return to.”
“I don’t have anything like that anymore.”
“Well, after the fight is over, you can come to my hometown. It’s small, but it’s a nice place. But from there, you’ll have to live on your own.”
Was it just whimsy or pity? No, Nina had neither. She turned forward and crunched on the candy. The sound faded into the distance. I glanced sideways at Anakura’s face.
His eyes were looking somewhere far away. Not at Nina’s back disappearing into the night town. Then, Nina bought some snacks and returned to the barracks.
“Fuuuh, I’m sleepy. Good night. Well, you’re probably not sleeping, though. Oh, isn’t Veronica awake? Maybe you can keep her company?”
Nina yawned and entered the building. The barracks, lined up, were mostly quiet, except for a few rooms with lights on.
“Aren’t you going to sleep? Arisugawa?”
“I have to keep an eye on you.”
“Hmm, you’re working hard. The night is long, but are you okay? Oh, how about I give you a fortune-telling to pass the time?”
I lightly nudged Anakura’s shoulder, thinking, “I told you I don’t need it.”
