The sword princess' tale

Volume Two Chapter 8 - A Present, And a Departure

-Takeru's POV-

......I see. So in the end, you're but an Irregular. It's always like this, or has it stayed like this for eternity? I didn't know the answer as I gazed at the stars and the twin moons above.

Far away from my grasp. The ever so distant dream I had. Lost, forgotten and shattered just a step before completion.

In the end, what remained was simply regrets. The sorrow of having to abandon my life-long aspiration. The sadness of having to lose the person I loved. The hopelessness of having to live in a world without her.

Humans may grieve. People may cry to ease their sufferings. And yet, would there truly be a replacement for the cherished moments in the past? Would there be a replacement for the one I pledged to love for all eternity?

......the answer is no. Even so, in the presence of another Irregular, my heart swayed and my body desired to indulge within the dead past. At a loss, deluding and lying to myself. Over and over again.

Closing my eyes for once, I could finally see the truth. That which kept me around. That which pushed me to obstruct this girl's ideal. All because a mirage was there. All because of my weakened heart wanted to take no more grief.

Life is a struggle. To resist the obstacles and to change fates were the reasons why life could be so vibrant and shining as brilliant as the sea of stars above. Some might have accepted who and what they were. Some might have destroyed their past selves to be freed from their fates.

Reopening my eyes, what I saw was a girl who stared at me with questioning gaze.

She was probably expecting me to laugh at her childish resolve. Well, as if anyone could love this world born from the ashes of the old world. If there was any who really meant those words then I would stuff them inside a crate and lock them inside a well full of Canoths.

It would definitely be an entertainment for the eyes. At any rate-I hopped from the rock and landed right behind Chibikko.

"Wu-!?" Surprised, or more like, shocked by my sudden movement, the girl stepped back. Frightened as she tried to turn around but....

*click*-such sound emerged. Chibikko's eyes widened the moment she noticed a sliver of dull amber light below her chin.

A crude set of chains encircled her neck. Small and delicate, and also slightly long. Then dangling below like a pocket watch, was a bronze locket. Though it was crude as it had several edges which were not cut and refined, the locket was actually worth more than how it looked like.

Strictly speaking, it was a keepsake. A memento I modified at some point due to me being drunk at some point. The girl with golden hair stared quizzically, the locket in her palm and her stare traversed from it to me.

"......what is this?"

"A graduation gift."

"...no, I know that much from having it around my neck. But... just what is this thing? I can't identify it as a gift."

Oho. So she at least could recognize that the locket was special. Praise it will be but I have no reason to allow her to inspect it any further.

"If you don't want it then you'll have to wear the dresses in the drawers."

"Okay, thanks a lot! I'll treasure it even if I I have no neck!! I'm definitely not going to lose it no matter what!"

...tch. She dodged the ball. I thought women liked to dress up more often. In fact, it's all because a certain idiot loved to wear fancy dresses that I was given the job of tailoring her clothes. No matter though. Turning my heels, I decided to go back first.