When one is tormented by emotion, time seems to slow to a crawl.
Zenith felt as if her tears had long since dried.
Her hair hung loose and disheveled over her shoulders. Her face was haggard, her eyes blank as she stared at the valley ahead.
Faint figures moved in the snow.
Nearly all the adult men of Buena Village had come to help dig through the drifts. The news of last night's disaster had spread quickly, and the rescue operation had begun without delay.
Eradicating monsters was always supposed to be the duty of the entire village. Because they had shirked that duty, out of fear, while Paul was away, the danger had only grown. So now, after Paul and the others risked their lives to enter the valley alone, the villagers all truly felt indebted.
They had all grabbed whatever shovels or makeshift spears they could find and followed Paul into the forest that night.
Strangely, there had been a few scattered monsters on the outskirts of the forest — but the closer they came to the valley, the fewer they saw. By the time they reached the valley itself and started digging, not a single monster had appeared.
"Everyone, keep going!!"
Paul's hoarse voice rang out from up ahead. His face was weary, his beard unkempt, dark circles ringed his eyes — but he still dug with relentless efficiency.
Even so, the snow blocking the valley's mouth had yet to be fully cleared.
The sun was beginning to set, casting its rays through the mountain peaks onto Zenith's dazed face.
It had been a full twenty-four hours since Allen and Sylphy had fallen into the chasm.
"I shouldn't have let them go to the forest… it's my fault, my fault…"
"Madam… Allen is strong. He'll be alright."
"It's my fault… my fault…"
Lilia watched Zenith's expression. Her own face was numb now, her red hair in disarray on her shoulders. Even as she spoke words of comfort, she knew it was just that — empty comfort.
Everyone here already understood the truth, having learned the details of what happened the night before.
This wasn't just a simple snow slide blocking the entrance.
The two of them had fallen… from halfway up the mountainside.
Even with Allen's strength, that was a drop of over a hundred meters. If he hadn't found some way to stop their fall right away, then…
Lilia shook her head, banishing the thought.
She reached over and pulled Zenith's coat tighter around her shoulders — her skin was already starting to turn blue. Both women had been woken in the middle of the night and rushed out of the house in only their coats, leaving the children with a neighbor.
When Zenith had first seen the snow-covered valley, she'd just frozen. Then her face had twisted, and she'd sat down in the snow, silently crying.
Even after dawn, she kept muttering the same words to herself.
As an adventurer, she must have understood just how slim the chances of survival really were.
And then there was Rudy…
Lilia turned to look.
Rudeus was crouched in the snow, wrapped in a blanket, staring at the ground with a blank, dreamlike look. If Zenith's breakdown was obvious, Rudeus's was more subdued — but no less real.
At least Zenith was still eating, but Rudeus hadn't moved from that spot. It was as if huddling there let him escape reality, burying his head so he wouldn't have to see the rescue efforts.
It was the first time Lilia had seen him look so weak.
But… this was how a child was supposed to act, wasn't it?
Everyone understood, and no one bothered him. As a child, he couldn't really help. And as a mage, Paul had forbidden him from using magic.
Yes — though wind and fire magic might have helped, Paul was afraid of causing another avalanche. And casting too little would just be too slow. Fire could melt the snow, but if it refroze, it would only make digging harder.
So he was left sitting there.
Lilia walked over and crouched down, handing him a piece of bread that was already frozen stiff.
He took it dazedly and still managed to say thank you, then tucked it into his coat without eating.
Lilia started to say something, then sighed instead.
His coat already held several untouched pieces of bread. Every time she'd handed him one, she'd hugged him and told him it wasn't his fault… but he never smiled.
He'd thank you and answer clearly — but his eyes always looked distant, like he was dreaming.
She watched him for a while, then turned toward Paul to bring him some food — but then Rudy spoke.
"Lilia… what do you think Allen was feeling when he came to save me?"
Lilia froze, then quickly looked at him.
Rudeus kept staring at the snow, not really expecting her to answer.
"If it were me… I'd have saved them too. Because just imagining their bodies lying there in pieces… I know I'd regret it. So I'd save them, even if I ended up the same way. I know I'd save them."
Lilia's lips trembled, but she didn't know what to say.
Rudy slowly raised his head, his eyes distant even as he looked at her.
"Then… why was it me that was saved? Why wasn't I the one who saved them?"
Lilia was stunned.
His voice quickened, gaining momentum.
"My mana was more than enough. If I'd pushed myself, maybe I could've blown us all back to Father. So why did he save me? Why didn't I save them?"
"I'm always saying Allen is just full of pretty words… but in the end, all I did was say some pretty words to myself and scold myself, right?"
"When Allen saved me, I saw his face. He didn't even hesitate. Did he know he'd die? Or was he like me — just trying to make a choice he wouldn't regret later?"
"If we both had the same resolve… then why am I the one sitting here regretting everything? Lilia, I don't understand."
He stared at her, as though waiting for her to scold him, waiting for her to tell him something he could hold onto.
The blunt way he questioned himself reminded Lilia of Allen during the infamous night of the affair — but back then, Allen had been scolding others. Now Rudy was scolding himself.
In just two years, that butterfly called Allen had changed more than one person.
Lilia couldn't find any words.
"Ah!!"
A cry rang out from the dig site.
Zenith and Rudy both shot up at the same time and ran toward it. Lilia followed.
When they arrived, they froze alongside Rold, his wife, and Paul.
The snow hadn't yet been cleared — but its color had changed.
Beside a discarded shovel, the snow was now a thick, blackish-purple.
Everyone who saw it felt the same chill in their hearts.
(End of Chapter)
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