CH 52

There is No Freedom to be Found in Running Away

The single bullet that was fired, pierced through Oz’s body before my eyes.

Thud. Together with that dull sound, her small body lay on the ground.

“… you’re not dead, huh.”

The bullet had pierced through Oz’s flank. It wasn’t a wound that would result in instant death, but she was bleeding heavily. Oz wouldn’t be able to move for a while.

I fixed my gaze on Mize, who was hiding in the distance.

Mize silently nodded and approached us while carrying BF28.

“… I don’t understand.”

Oz groans by our feet.

“28, why did you become like this…?”

“… Who knows.”

Even though I’m like this, I am still the person who was called the ace of the Organization.

But I’ve repeatedly violated orders, and even killed colleagues. Oz’s question is not an unreasonable one.

Even so, I didn’t feel bad about what I’ve done.

I can confidently say that much.

At that moment, I heard the buzzing sound of something vibrating beside Oz.

I took out a [Communication Paper] from Oz’s cloak.

There was an incoming transmission.

“How long do you plan on continuing this?”

As I held the [Communication Paper] to my ear, Chris’ voice comes out.

“You do realize that you are the ones who have been cornered by this? You have lost your means of transportation and your elopement will now be even harsher than it was before… You may be able to somehow manage by yourself, but what about Her Royal Highness?”

I couldn’t refute that warning.

“Even if you could escape to the Republic… Did you really think that there would be peaceful days lying ahead of you? <Wisdom Road> is a powerful magic. There is no country in this world that would treat Her Royal Highness as an ordinary human being. Even if you run away, the same thing will happen over and over–”

“– I know that.”

I say, interrupting Chris.

“I’ve already known that for a long time.”

I ended the transmission with Chris and threw the [Communication Paper] at my feet.

Oz has already lost consciousness. At this rate, if she was left alone, she would die from blood loss. But judging by the timing of the transmission a while ago, Chris is probably waiting somewhere nearby. It’s fine to leave the first-aid treatment to her.

“Tweight-san…”

Mize looked at me with a worried face.

The carriage had been destroyed, and all the food and medicines we kept in it were lost.

It’s not just Mize, I am also reaching the limits of my physical strength. The battle with Oz had severely exhausted both our minds and bodies.

Even so, we can’t stop moving.

“… Let’s go.”

To where? That question remained unasked.

◆

I’ve been aware of this since we left the Kingdom.

This elopement is unreasonable.

Several days have passed since the battle with Oz had ended.

We continued to walk, for what seemed like an eternity, across the vast wastelands beyond the horizon. We have no water nor food. The sunlight that poured down incessantly from the sky was swelteringly hot, mercilessly draining our physical strength.

“… Mize, are you alright?”

“… Yes.”

We continued to walk with nothing to drink or eat, and in time, we began to speak less often.

With an unsteady gait, occasionally stumbling over nothing, we headed for somewhere.

“… Eat this.”

I finish off a small lizard that was crawling on the ground, skewer it, and give it to Mize.

“… Thank you for the food.”

Mize started to eat after roasting the lizard over the campfire, saying only the bare minimum.

After watching Mize silently chew on its meat for a while, I light a branch with the flames from the campfire and leave the place.

I then reach out under the shade of a boulder, taking an animal carcass I had previously hidden.

There was no meat left on the carcass. The corrosion had progressed to a point where its remains were already inedible.

However, there was a large number of maggots wriggling on the carcass.

I roasted them and brought them to my mouth.

I still have some more physical strength left.

That’s why I should prioritize giving food to Mize– just as I was thinking about that.

Before I knew it, Mize, who was standing behind me, took the roasted maggots from my palm and brought them to her mouth.

“Mize…”

“I can’t be the only one taking it easy.”

After saying so, Mize offers me half of the remaining lizard meat.

I took a bite of the lizard scraps and thought about the future as I chewed.

— How long can we continue to live like this?

I don’t say these words aloud; they’re uttered only in my head.

I already knew it.

No matter where we run to, the Kingdom will forever continue to pursue us.

But still, at that time.

I left the country with Mize because I couldn’t accept the way things were heading.

I’m sure that the choice I made back then wasn’t wrong.

If I hadn’t left with Mize, she would have been assassinated by now. That’s why I don’t regret the choice I made.

— We had no choice but to run away.

Both at that time, and even until now.

Even if there was no hope in sight, all we could do was continue to run.

But that too–

“… has reached its limit.”

Both Mize and I are at the limits of our physical strength.

The pattern on the stones resembles a child’s face. The sound of the wind resembles an infant’s cries.

Now that our consciousnesses have been taken over by visual and auditory hallucinations, it’s the end. We no longer have the strength to regain our lost sanity.

At that time, Mize, who was walking beside me, suddenly collapsed.

“Mize…?”

I slowly crouch to check on Mize’s physical condition when she sandwiches my face between her hands.

“Tweight-san… let’s run further and further away.”

“… Yeah.”

“To a place where no one knows, a place that’s free, and peaceful… the two of us, no matter where we go, together…”

As Mize smiled unreliably, I pursed my lips.

Now, I was convinced.

— There is no freedom to be found in running away.

Even if we escape from our enemies, we will never be able to escape from the anxiety of being attacked.

I… finally understood that.

“Running away… ends here.”

I mutter, while carrying Mize on my back.

When I saved Elysia, I realized that an everyday life is a place to return to.

So then, is this… is this situation really the place we should return to?

— It’s not.

We’ve left our friends; we’ve shot a comrade.

Are these days the place we should return to?

— Absolutely not.

I don’t want to think of these days as a place to return to.

Neither Mize nor I wanted these days.

“Somewhere along the way, we’ll have to confront them directly.”

I say, as I gently lay the fallen Mize down behind the shade of a boulder.

“Freedom… must be won openly.”

I leave a small, leather waterskin and several lizard carcasses by Mize’s side.

As I stood up, Mize looked at me with eyes on the verge of tears.

“Where, are you going…?”

“… Wait here for a while.”

If I don’t return— I swallow these words.

If I don’t return, then Mize will die. I will not abandon that responsibility.

I picture a map of the surrounding area in my head.

It would take around 10 days or more to walk from here to the Republic. But the cities of the Kingdom of Arcadia are just a stone’s throw away.

I walk for around 1 hour at a brisk pace through the empty wastelands.

In the midst of the sweltering heat, I find a group of 2 men clad in armour.

“You guys are from the army of the Kingdom of Arcadia, right?”

“What is it to you, bastard?”

As I was about to fall over, one of the men cast a suspicious glance at me.

“Hm? Wait. I’ve seen his appearance somewhere…”

“O-oi. That guy, don’t tell me, is he that wanted man…”

The men became increasingly confused.

I raised both of my hands before the two of them.

“I surrender. So… take me to your king.”