A Distant Reverie

Chapter 31

Marine twisted her wrist. Her blade effortlessly sunk deeper into the flesh of her victim. With a tiny whimper, the creature uttered its last breaths as life escaped its diminutive body. Marine carefully picked up the small carcass. The creature's brown fur, bushy tail and beady eyes reminded her of a similar animal back home—one that had gained the adoration of the aristocracy for its cute, beloved appearance. One country's love for the creature was so profound that it declared the animal a national species, making them illegal to hunt.

Marine thought it was ridiculous. Only the privileged who lived a life of abundance had the luxury of making such a frivolous decision.

I just did something that would have put me in a noose or on a guillotine.

...So really, nothing changed. This would just be another entry to my endless list of crimes.

She mused, examining the small animal that she had just hunted. It was supposed to be her dinner for the day, except—

Marine blinked as a raindrop landed near her eyes. This incessant rain had been pouring for the entire day. It was near impossible to start a fire in these conditions. Maybe if she found a cave, but she also needed dry kindling. And even then, she wasn't confident, given the dampness of the air.

Maybe if I had Vesper with me.

She could see the scholar in her head, pointing at a pile of wood with his thin outstretched fingers, before whispering some words in a foreign tongue. And poof! Magically, a flame would arise.

"Something, something...ignis!" she muttered to herself as she pointed at the carcass in hand. Obviously, nothing happened, much to her dismay. Marine sighed, trying to ignore the growing prangs of her stomach. Without proper knowledge of this world, she was reluctant to eat anything raw, including the numerous plants in her vicinity. Each time she considered it, memories of being poisoned in the Azure Woods surfaced in her mind.

I wonder how the other two are doing.

Marine was worried. Perhaps it was arrogant of her, but if she was struggling this much, she could only imagine the troubles that Suisei and Vesper would be having. She sincerely hoped that Lady Ouro was merciful and sent them to a more amicable place.

Why did she separate us anyways?

The thought left her bitter. The godlike entity better had a good reason for doing so, and not because of some strange esoteric whims. Even if she had to dance in Lady Ouro's palms, she refused to be treated like a plaything.

Her eyelids suddenly grew heavy. Marine took a seat, leaning close against a nearby tree trunk. She had been on the move for the entire day, keeping her senses sharp while she looked for her companions. The strenuous efforts proved fruitless as the day slowly converged to night.

Marine closed her eyes. Her mind drifted with innocent thoughts, praying that she would have better luck tomorrow. The gentle pitter patters against the mossy earth and the lush undergrowth caressed her ears like a lullaby, inviting her to a dreamy sleep. Slowly, her fatigue disappeared. She was on the verge of drifting off to a peaceful slumber—until a strange sound caught her attention.

It was by chance. She normally wouldn't have noticed it, especially amidst the loud rainfall, but she had grown accumulated to the ambient noise of this forest. Anything that deviated from this norm was bound to draw her attention.

Marine's eyes shot open, right as a metallic glint flashed in her sight. She instantly threw herself to the left as something sharp whizzed by her shoulder, digging into the tree trunk with a soft thud. Marine drew her sword and hid behind the tree. Slowly, she peeked out.