“T, that’s…!”
“Coh? (You asked me to find it.)”
Mallang patted the pebbles down on the desk. After that, it must have been quite difficult, so they dispersed and returned to the gravel.
“There really was.”
Clarisse forgot that she was supposed to warm up and cautiously greeted the pebbles while looking at them from a close distance.
“Hello, I’m sorry for bringing you all the way here. I want to ask you something. Do you mind if I give you some magic power?”
There was no answer from the stone, so Clarisse carefully placed the tip of her lips against the cold surface.
[…Ah, ah?!]
At that moment, she heard the stone’s answer with the sound of surprise.
[Bad guy.]
“Sorry, I’ll make sure to send you back to the forest on the way to the capital later. Mhm?”
Despite Clarisse’s pleas, the stone’s feelings didn’t seem to change.
[Bad guy.]
“I just want to know about an incident you may have seen. Can you tell me anything?”
[Bad guy!]
After the last words returned sharply, the gravel had no further answer.
* * *
The next day, Clarisse brought a bowl of lukewarm water and placed it on the desk.
“Coh! Coh!”
Mallang raised its arms in excitement, and Clarisse quickly put Mallang into the bowl of water.
“How’s the temperature?”
“Coh…”
It seemed to enjoy it. She could tell by how it relaxed in the water.
“That’s a relief. Wait a minute.”
Clarisse opened the drawer and began to put other stones into the water, one by one, with a splash.
“Coo! (My bath!)”
Mallang jumped up, causing the area around the desk to become covered in water as if there had been a flood.
“You should do it together. That’s why I brought a bigger bowl of water.”
“Coh. (Now Clarisse doesn’t think of me as special at all.)”
“Absolutely not.”
Clarisse chuckled as she tapped on Mallang’s head with her finger.
“No stone can dare take your place.”
“…Coh.”
“And.”
Clarisse gently placed the last stone she had picked up yesterday into the water bowl.
“The water must have cooled down a bit. Right?”
After that, she poured some more hot water she had prepared in advance. As the water flowed, the pebbles collided, creating a sound like a musical instrument.
With the temperature adjusted, Clarisse sat down, resting her chin on her hand, watching the pebbles of various colors peacefully immerse themselves in the water.
‘Cute.’
How can stones be so lovely?
Just watching them like this made her smile involuntarily, laughter bubbling up within her.
“Coh.”
“You want to come out? Wait a second.”
Clarisse brought some soft towels. After wiping off all the moisture, Mallang felt better and went to the window to get some sun.
“I’ll take you out too.”
Clarisse first took out the red stone she had received from Noah when she was young.
[Thank you, girl.]
“Mhm, it’s nothing.”
[The girl always takes good care of us, and we’re grateful for it.]
“I do it because I like it. Do you want to get some sun?”
Since the red stone said it wanted to, she placed it next to Mallang.
After that, she cleaned the stones she had picked up from Sheridan’s garden or Heiden, one by one, and placed them wherever they wanted, such as by the window, on cushions, or in drawers.
Everyone seemed satisfied with their bath with Clarisse.
Except for one stone.
[….Bad people.]
Clarisse didn’t respond to that unchanging answer but took a brush out of the drawer.
This is because small grains of sand are stuck in the cracks of stones that have been outside all their lives.
Clarisse knew from long experience that the stones really liked it when these things were removed and cleaned up.
[B, bad…]
Srrrk.
After smoothing the surface with a soft brush, the stone stopped criticizing.
Clarisse cautiously asked if the stone was feeling any better after the treatment.
“You know.”
[Bad!]
Srrrk.
[…]
“I want to ask why you think of me that way. If I’ve done something wrong besides bringing you here, I should apologize properly to you.”
[You… you’re friends with a bad person.]
“Bad people?”
Clarisse gently wiped away the sand that had been washed out with a soft towel.
[Mhm…]
If it’s about Clarisse’s friend… Could it be about Noah? But Noah wasn’t bad at all.
[If you like bad people, you are a bad person.]
“I’m sorry, I don’t know who you’re talking about.”
Clarisse took a magnifying glass and looked closely at the surface of the stone.
And she meticulously swept away the last traces of sand left in the smallest crevices, ensuring everything was impeccably clean.
“I want to clear up your misunderstanding. Could you please explain in more detail?”
[Really, is it not a bad person?]
The question from the stone didn’t seem like something directed at Clarisse.
Other stones seemed to have come to Clarisse’s aid at the window, on the cushion, and in the drawer.
[But…]
Clarisse said no more and calmly waited for the stone to tell its story.
[Really! I, I saw everything without leaving anything out!]
* * *
The stones of the forest had held their ground for many years. They would sharpen their senses with each passing moon, only to drift into half-sleep as their magic waned.
Sometimes animals would come near, but they never showed any interest in the sturdy stones.
So, it was the first time.
Being constantly touched by someone’s hand.
｢What should I do… How… Oh please..｣
The young man who appeared suddenly last night hid below the cliff path, gently stroking the surface of the protruding stone with his fingertips.
Occasionally, when he would flinch at the sound of people coming from afar, he would hold on to the stone tightly.
The warmth of a living thing touches it for the first time…
Even in the middle of winter, it was so warm that it felt like summer had arrived, and the stone began to like that man.
Although he is not the Golem Master and will not be able to hear the stone’s story.
｢Please come quickly. Please.｣
The man said this prayer several times. He almost looked like he was crying.
The stone, not knowing what he was waiting for, hoped that his wish would come true.
[….!]
Then the hand that continued stroking the stone stopped.
It seemed like he felt something.
Soon the man stood up, holding the stone.
The stone looked forward to it, thinking, ‘Could it be that he wants to take me away?’ The stone wanted to follow someone who stroked it like this at least once.
The man quickly ran up the slope.
Through the gap of his fingers, the stone sensed someone approaching. However, the falling sunlight didn’t quite reveal the features of the approaching figure clearly.
｢Ah… Ah….｣
The relieved man staggered and took a step toward the other person.
It was at that moment that the stone fell on the white snow.
He seemed unaware that he was holding the stone, taking a step forward towards the figure, leaving the stone alone on the ground.
* * *
“So what happened?”
When Clarisse asked, the stone hesitated for a moment and answered.
[…The bad person hugged the man and stabbed him in the back with a knife.]
“….”
[I, I… even if I couldn’t go with him, I wished for his happiness. Because he caressed me…]
Perhaps because Mallang felt sorry for the stone that was muttering gloomily, Mallang came closer and patted its surface.
“That… person, could it be?”
Clarisse was very nervous and asked a question.
Because, while listening to the story of the stone, a certain person came to mind, and Clarisse couldn’t possibly think of him as a bad person.
[You called that man ‘Wizard Asto,’ Clarisse.]
The trembling heart, filled with anxiety, tightened suddenly at that moment.
* * *
Alstair slowly descended into the prison cell beneath the second wall.
On his shoulders, instead of a white robe, there was a long black coat made of expensive fabric.
With each step down the stairs, the end of his coat fluttered like a wizard’s robe.
“Please behave yourself properly.”
As soon as he came down the stairs, a royal servant pointed out his attire.
“Ah, I’m sorry.”
Alstair shrugged his shoulders but didn’t properly put his coat back on.
“It’s a habit. If I don’t flap, I get anxious.”
“Leave it.”
Soon a solemn voice was heard from inside the prison. The servant still looked at Asto with disapproving eyes, but he couldn’t say any more and lowered his head.
Because he was an important guest.
“Please come inside.”
“Thank you every time.”
Alstair passed by the servant and entered the long prison hallway.
The vibrating rotten air seemed to gather even the experienced, who had been through all sorts of trials and tribulations, involuntarily.
However, the person waiting for him didn’t seem to sense this terrible smell at all.
No, rather, she exuded an aura so dignified that one might think the scent of roses only surrounded her.
“I greet Your Highness, the Great Queen.”
Unlike other wizards who were vulnerable to the etiquette of nobles, he was very familiar with this.
She held out her white-gloved hand and Alstair lightly brushed his lips against it.
“Not even this background dares to affect Your Highness’ beauty.”
Since the words were half sincere, it is likely that the response would be humility.
Amelda handed over the business without even flinching an eyebrow.
“What about the wizard?”
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