Longing for the Stars - Chapter 21

Shortly after, we met up with the squad leaders. With everyone ready, we burned down the source tree. Just before it turned to ash, it released a burst of magic—a final act of resistance—but the explosion was much smaller than the one that had knocked Sirius out.

Afterward, we burned the area within a few meters to wipe out any scattered monsters. Light finally shone through the deep forest again. Just like last time, I only realized it was still daytime once the trees were gone. The only difference now was that the sun had already started to set.

Wandering through a vast forest for a large-scale extermination mission takes time, no matter how well things go. I let out a breath, feeling the hours catch up to me, and the squad leader clapped his hands together.

“Alright! We’ve cleared the assigned area near the border. No more monsters or host trees found. Now we’ll head back toward the forest entrance, but don’t let your guard down! Man, I’m so hungry I can’t stand it. I want a shower, a drink, the whole thing. Let’s finish up and go home, everyone. One last push—hip, hip, hooray!”

“Hooray!”

“…Ray…?”

“Aha! That weird face you’re making is hilarious. Is this really Stark’s first time doing… well, any of this? I’m impressed, honestly.”

“?”

“No, no, don’t worry about it, Stark-chan. I was just thinking that guard dogs are scary business.”

“I see.”

“Hey, Yard. How did he end up like this?”

“……Ahaha.”

“Wow. His eyes really do all the talking, don’t they?”

I watched the squad leader walk toward the forest entrance with his arm around Yard’s shoulder. The remaining seniors patted my back as if to comfort me. They all had that same “You’ve got it rough” look on their faces, which only confused me more, but I couldn’t stand there forever, so I followed them.

Nothing strange happened after that. We defeated the few monsters we found along the way, and by the time we left the forest, the sky was a deep orange.

Other squads were emerging as well. Some were already back, some were still inside—but the general atmosphere told me the operation had been a success.

“…We said ‘extermination,’ and I just said ‘okay’ like it was nothing,” the squad leader started talking quietly while looking up at the orange sky.

“We still don’t know where monsters come from, so how do we even know when they’re ‘exterminated’? I mean, we definitely cleared them today, but in twenty days or so it’ll be a new moon again. Monsters will just show up from somewhere, and we’ll be dragged out here again. Oh, don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate the job. I just think it’s a never-ending game of tag.”

It’s a drag if you think about doing this every new moon.

His voice was flat neither happy nor sad and his words flowed like water. It didn’t feel entirely real to me yet, but I understood what he meant.

Back at the academy, we mostly fought students or instructors. We fought monsters occasionally, but we mainly polished our skills against people. That’s why, when I came to the Nebula territory and was told to wipe out monsters as naturally as breathing, I was a little scared. I realized this was a job where you put your life on the line.

I still feel that tension, but it’s thinner now than it was at the start.

I’ve grown used to it—to this environment.

I’ve grown used to a repeating cycle of the extraordinary, something unthinkable back at the academy. Killing things without knowing where they come from, resting, then killing them again. I can understand why someone would call this “a drag” when there’s no end in sight. I thought about this while looking at the white moon in the sky.

I had a feeling almost a certainty that this would be my daily life forever.

A few days have passed since the operation ended.

I haven’t heard any reports of monsters since then, but a soldier’s job isn’t just killing monsters, so we stay busy with various tasks. Since the paperwork has settled down lately, my mornings and afternoons are filled with training, guarding the Lord’s guests, or accompanying hunting trips.

Still, every few days, Heilden orders me to “help out” in that gravelly, hungover voice of his. I organize documents, clean his room, and sometimes Yard joins us for discussions about magic. It’s been a fairly meaningful time.

Sirius and I are still in separate squads. Sirius has actually been moved through several different squads; the Captain is making him do “communication training.” He looked quite depressed this evening before heading out for night watch.

However, he has grown enough to stop showing his displeasure to everyone. The old Sirius would have had “I’m unhappy” written all over his face just because we were apart, but lately, he hasn’t been like that.

Actually, Sirius has a bright and fearless personality, so he has managed to hit it off with almost everyone. That stiff “son of the Knight Commander” vibe that used to follow him around seems to have vanished.

In short, Sirius’s communication skills have improved drastically.

“Hehe… I knew I was right about him.”

“Yes, I suppose so.”

“Right? He’s always been able to do things if he tries. He could understand classroom lessons after being told once, but he’d always say sitting still was impossible or that doing was faster than listening, just to make trouble for me…”

“Yes, yes, exactly.”

“Exactly! Sirius is… Sirius is, you know, um, well…”

“Stark, please… stop sleeping on my back…!”

“I’m not sleeping!”

My view is higher than usual. My legs are swaying. And I smell something unfamiliar.

My body temperature is up, and my breathing feels heavy. But for some reason, I’m in a great mood. The scenery in front of me is a bit blurry, which is quite funny.

“Hehe… I feel so good.”

“You’re drunk.”

“Me?”

“Yes, you. The squad leader and Heilden made you drink. Don’t you remember?”

“Hmm…?”

My brain feels like it’s floating. I try to remember what happened a little while ago.

“The squad leader said the only way to get close is to drink. Then Heilden showed up, and before I could stop them, you’d already downed it, Stark.”

A scene flashes in my mind like a blinking light.

‘Stark-chan! We want to see you do something cool! Drink, drink, drink, drink, drink!’

Noisy clapping, noisy cheering, and alcohol being poured without mercy.

Overwhelmed by the heat and the energy, I put the glass to my lips. I remember the burning heat after the liquid slid down my throat.

‘Alright, good job, Stark! Now, a drinking contest with me! You can tell what kind of person someone is by how they drink. Come on, hold out your glass!’

I remember the noisy blonde man pouring more into my glass. I remembered thinking I couldn’t refuse a drink poured by my superior, so I drank every time he filled it.

“…Oh, I see. I’m drunk.”

Is it so warm because someone is carrying me? Does that mean I passed out?

“Hehe… that was my first-time drinking.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Sirius wouldn’t let me.”

My face relaxes on its own, even though nothing is particularly funny. I usually try to think before I speak, but now, everything I think just comes right out. It’s different from usual; it’s actually quite fun.

“He said I should only drink in front of him, but I broke that rule. I have to apologize tomorrow.”

I realize the hallway of the barracks looks familiar.

Are we almost at my room? I feel bad for having someone take care of me like this, but the apology won’t come out. Instead, meaningless little giggles keep escaping.

I guess I’m a happy drunk. I’m learning that for the first time, too.

The door clicks open, and a familiar scent hits my nose. I can’t recognize my own scent, but I know Sirius’s immediately. Even though we’re from the same country, his scent is nice—kind of exotic.

“I want to be put down on that bed over there.”

The person carrying me says nothing and takes me where I asked. “I’m putting you down now,” they say in a gentle voice. I nod and sprawl out on the bed.

I feel my cheeks relax again at the strong scent of Sirius on the sheets. But then, catching a glimpse of brown hair in my blurry vision, I finally realize who carried me here.

“…It was you, Yard. Thanks for carrying me.”

It’s rude to stay lying down, but I don’t think I can get up.

I undo two buttons on my stiff shirt and kick off my shoes, letting them fall wherever. Sirius might be surprised when he gets back from night watch, but I don’t care. It’s perfectly fine for things like this to happen once in a while.

“…Stark.”

“Hmm…?”

“……Aldebaran.”

“Haha… that’s rare. No one calls me by my name except Sirius.”

“I love you.”

The bed creaked.

“I’m in love with you.”