Confusion (3) A Terrible Dream
“Temarr. Take care of your brother.”
“…….”
Temarr’s pupils widened greatly. His limbs stiffened rigidly.
In an instant, severe phantom pain struck his arms and legs.
Ruman, noticing him trembling faintly, gently furrowed his brow.
“This is after the ‘Hero’s Miracle.’ Don’t tell me something hurts?”
“…No.”
His body was fine.
What was painful was his mind.
All time was tangled together, lacerating Temarr.
“Why….”
Temarr swallowed his words.
From the beginning until now. Not a single doubt he’d had was ever resolved.
This time, Temarr didn’t ask back and followed Ruman’s words to take care of Ren.
Ren’s small mouth moved as he stood before a small coffin.
“Those who remain will be alright.”
Whose death would make him say such things?
Passing by those dressed in black clothes, Temarr stood beside Ren and… felt a sensation like his mind was splitting apart.
A feeling like his entire body and mind were being split in two from the crown of his head to the tips of his toes.
There was a nightmare he absolutely never wanted to face.
Lying in the coffin was Ren.
***
“Huk….”
“Are you coming to your senses now?”
Ruman, with blood at the corner of his mouth.
Temarr thought it was a cliff.
He forcibly raised his convulsing body and fell several times.
Words that wouldn’t leave his mouth churned his insides.
The violently surging energy couldn’t burst outside and screamed within his body.
The energy tormenting Temarr like rot… was pressed down somewhat violently by another energy.
“Breathe.”
It was Ruman.
“Right now….”
“Ren is safe.”
“…….”
With those words, his breath burst out.
Only then did Temarr see his surroundings.
It wasn’t a cliff.
It was a forest.
Certainly this was the path passing through that damned cliff,
But it wasn’t that place where his limbs had been severed and Ren had thrown away his life.
“I can’t remember that kid’s name.”
“Who?”
“…….”
“Temarr. There’s something we need to address.”
Ruman called him unusually seriously.
“What’s the blood on your lips?”
“Ha. Did you get amnesia or something?”
Ruman sneered, raising one eyebrow.
“Who died?”
“…I really should call Gepetto.”
“Gepetto?”
“Let go, Temarr. I’ll call the physician.”
“No. It’s just, I think I had a dream….”
Temarr, deathly pale, was trembling. He didn’t seem to notice his own hands were shaking. Ruman looked down at the arm he’d grabbed. From Temarr’s hot hands, which could usually be felt even through thick iron armor, he felt coldness. How shocked and terrified he must be. Even without asking, he could guess it was quite a nightmare.
Well.
He’d experienced such things twice recently.
Though Ruman understood, he couldn’t shake the strange feeling.
It was just a little while ago that Temarr had said Heroes had no heart.
To think he… had this much humanity left.
That was certainly something Ruman had hoped for to some degree, but strangely, his mood felt… unsettled.
“…Fine, so let go. What kind of dream was it?”
Ruman organized his thoughts and brushed off Temarr’s arm as if shooing away a bug, looking annoyed.
He slumped down, then briefly looked toward where the carriage was before looking up at the sky.
It looked like it might snow.
The sky full of dark clouds was frozen cold.
“Tell me.”
Temarr couldn’t easily open his mouth.
The cold winter air seemed to have frozen his mouth. If not that, then perhaps that thing called a dream he’d just had was binding Temarr in chains.
Suddenly, Ruman recalled having had such a conversation with Temarr long ago.
That time was also about a dream.
What kind of dream was it?
“That kid.”
The words he barely spat out were only two. His breath scattered white.
Ruman looked at him somewhat incredulously.
But Temarr’s gaze was groping somewhere in empty air. As if he still hadn’t escaped the remnants of the dream, he rubbed his face with trembling hands. He seemed to be trying to come to his senses.
“Who is ‘that kid’?”
At Ruman’s question, Temarr’s eyes slowly rolled to stare at Ruman.
His glaring gaze was persistent. As if he wanted to dig something out.
That wasn’t about Ruman’s reaction, but rather wanting to dig out memories of the person who’d been with them at that moment.
Temarr’s eyes were still deep, solid as rock, and unwavering. But Ruman could faintly, very faintly feel something within them.
It was… a greenish light he’d seen sometime before.
“…The one who became a star first.”
“…Ahh.”
Ruman laughed hollowly, as if to say “so that’s what it was.”
Probably the “that kid” Temarr couldn’t remember was referring to the comrade who had died when the 7-Year War broke out.
Were they small and thin? Or were they big? He didn’t remember.
What he remembered was only that small voice, full of worry.
“I don’t remember either.”
At Ruman’s words, Temarr’s pupils briefly expanded in surprise, then returned. He nodded as if understanding.
“Right.”
They probably didn’t have the mental capacity to remember such things.
Because back then, he was still a boy with something resembling dreams left.
Because they didn’t know that Heroes could be beings who might die.
Because before they could even chew over the death before their eyes, they had to fight the terror of death.
Many things changed after that.
“If you’re curious, go up and ask Gizel.”
“No. Never mind.”
Deep scars formed on Temarr’s arm that Ruman had torn. Though a blue light swirled around the torn skin and tendons, slowly healing them, the speed was slow. Ruman frowned and gestured at his arm with his chin.
“Bandage it.”
“With something like this?”
When Temarr asked back as if it were ridiculous, Ruman made an exasperated expression.
“Won’t Ren ask if he sees it?”
“…….”
“Temarr.”
Are you alright now?
His complexion was better than when he was tormented by the dream earlier. But that was comparatively better; he didn’t seem completely in his right mind.
Had he already lost his mind since that cliff?
Ruman flinched at the thought he’d brought up himself.
Because he recalled the limbs rising up and Ren throwing his body beyond them.
It’s better not to think about such things if possible.
Ruman deliberately smiled more, recalling a rule he knew well.
“Temarr.”
“What?”
“This makes it the second time you’ve lost your reason. You know that?”
“…Yeah.”
But looking at his face, he didn’t seem to remember properly.
There’s no need to tell him in detail, but he should definitely warn him.
If a Hero went on a rampage, the only one who could stop them was another Hero.
Or else, the King’s command, which Heroes obeyed so completely.
So, if Temarr lost his mind again while Ruman wasn’t there. No one present would be able to guarantee their life.
However, could a few words control Temarr?
“You’ll die at this rate.”
Temarr didn’t answer, only narrowing his eyebrows. His tightly closed mouth seemed to be holding back anger.
So you understood what I meant. Those were eyes that properly knew who would be in danger of death.
Ruman examined Temarr’s expression.
“Without even time to do anything. The shoulder I briefly grabbed was also shattered, so if you go wild, they’ll probably become an irreversibly dead body in less than 30 seconds. Even with Priest Kirki’s treatment, it was that severe, so what about injuries worse than that? How common are high-ranking priests like Priest Kirki?”
“I know.”
“No. You don’t.”
“I’m telling you I know.”
“Listen properly.”
Buuuung.
The wind blew low, sweeping the grass. Ruman felt the scratchy sensation of running his fingers through it.
“Think properly. You might hurt Ren instead.”
“…….”
Temarr’s face stiffened slightly.
“If it’s not a violent situation, but rather a situation where Ren’s body develops an illness on its own. It would be Ren’s way to survive if you remove yourself from the scene instead. Rather than charging in after losing your reason.”
Temarr.
The King’s most powerful Seventh Star. The brightest and highest shining blue star.
Subduing him was difficult even as a fellow Hero.
Unless you shaved off some of your life, that is.
“Try to travel with multiple people when possible. It probably won’t be feasible, but it would be better if there’s another Hero among your party.”
“…….”
“What would be best is.”
Ruman, meeting Temarr’s eyes, smiled with the wind.
“For Ren to never be sick on his own.”
Temarr seemed to have a lot on his mind.
Ruman waited until he organized his thoughts.
From his perspective, this was the best option.
Though this seemed to be the first time Ren had a seizure, the boy Ruman had been watching would often have bad dreams. Ruman had just pretended not to notice him groaning in pain at night.
He thought that Ren’s nerves, having endured things difficult to overcome alone while staying in the village cabin by himself, might have all worn away in that village.
And this incident had made it worse….
Ruman was someone who thought things might get worse beyond measure.
It probably won’t get better right away.
If luck is bad, it’ll be like that for life.
If Ren died, he would kind of… dislike that.
Death, which had grown dull, finally came to Ruman again with meaning.
That was… quite… a disgusting feeling.
Ruman briefly covered his mouth, feeling like he might vomit.
