Chapter 8

“Today was so much fun! Harupon onii-chan will get along with Jan onii-chan and Diar onee-chan right away! They’re good people!”

Following Musha, who seems to be returning to her cell, Diar and I follow. Leading the way is Harupon, the guard in charge of Musha. There’s no tension at all; Musha has the atmosphere of someone going home.

“Hahaha, if Musha says that, it must be true.”

Harupon’s expression toward Musha is gentle. I get the feeling that he sees Musha as someone he should protect.

“So this is the prison? I mean, it’s quite a simple prison. It’s almost like a shed.”

After walking for a while, we arrive at Musha’s cell, which is made of simple stone bricks. Although it’s simple, it’s clean and well-insulated against the cold. There are clean blankets and warming stones—a type of magical device that emits heat when magical power flows through it.

“There’s no cell for children, so we modified a temporary holding place to serve as a cell. So, Musha, if anything happens, be sure to let us know.”

“Got it!”

Musha jogs into the cell, and Harupon locks the door. For a moment, Harupon looks sad before coming over to where we are outside.

“Um, Jan-san? And Diar-san. Thank you for today. Musha has been feeling lonely… So, um…”

“Harupon-san. I’m sure Musha-chan isn’t lonely at all.”

“Huh?”

Harupon seems flustered by Diar’s words. Is it really that shocking?

“Harupon-san, you said Musha-chan had a bright expression after seeing us, but the biggest smile on her face today was when you came to see her.”

“Is that… really true? But Musha has no relatives coming to visit her, and the only one who comes to see her now is my sister… and besides, then why does Musha try to escape almost every day?”

“Harupon-kun, it’s highly likely that Musha is a shrine maiden. I think the reason she tries to escape from the cell is that she has a purpose. It’s not out of loneliness, anxiety, or dissatisfaction that she wants to get out. Also, from the look of that cell, even though it’s simple, it doesn’t seem easy to escape from. If Musha were to escape, wouldn’t it be because you’re intentionally letting her go?”

“…Huh? That feels strange… Yes, I am intentionally letting Musha escape. But that’s something the higher-ups are aware of too. Before I became a guard, she actually did escape. If I didn’t catch her, she wouldn’t have to return to her cell. I don’t know how she did it, but Musha would take advantage of the brief moments when the guards weren’t looking to escape. It’s really hard to explain; that’s why… I thought she had some special power. But you’re saying it’s the power of a shrine maiden?”

“Well, that seems likely. I don’t mean to be rude, but Musha isn’t that smart. She shouldn’t have the ability to outsmart the guards and escape. Yet, she’s able to do it. If she’s not human, and if she’s a shrine maiden, maybe she’s borrowing the power of a deity to achieve that. Harupon-kun, doesn’t Musha sometimes show sharp intuition or prophetic behavior?”

“Intuition… Oh! Huh? But… could it really be that? You see, Musha doesn’t have parents. A long time ago, Musha’s parents ran a sand transportation business, and she was basically raised by her grandmother. But one time… it seems Musha pleaded with her parents not to go to work that day because it was dangerous. However, her parents disregarded her words as childish and went to work anyway, only to get caught in a sandstorm and lose their lives. While it was a prophetic event, I thought it wasn’t unusual for a bad feeling to turn out to be true…”

“Her parents… I see, so that happened. What about Musha’s grandmother?”

“She passed away from old age two years ago… After Musha’s grandmother died, she lived with my family. We were neighbors and got along well.”

“So, she really has no blood relatives left. But it’s strange; the royal family, which should hold absolute power and authority in Ednail, allows a child to show disrespect toward them. In other countries, just displeasing a king or even a high noble can lead to death. So even though Musha is in prison, it’s effectively a permitted situation.”

“…Well, that’s because there have been bad rumors about the current royal family. If they were to kill Musha, who treats the royal family as a fake, it would be acknowledging those rumors as true. So the royal family wants Musha to remain quiet and not stir up trouble… But that’s a bit risky.”

Harupon looks at my face. Huh? What?

“Musha’s life is maintained on a delicate balance. Musha is treated as if she lost her sanity and went crazy due to the shock of losing her parents and grandmother. By treating her words as those of someone mentally ill, they undermine her credibility. But… then you came along, Jan-san. You are a traveler, an outsider. An adventurer knowledgeable about outside cultures, and… wait, were you an archaeologist? Either way… Jan-san, if you believe Musha’s words and spread the word that she is correct… the royal family will have no choice but to take action.”

“Oh!! Is that how it is!? Eh…? This is bad, what should I do? Diar…!!”

What if Musha’s life becomes seriously targeted by the royal family because of me…

“Let’s do what you want, onii-chan! Don’t you think Musha-chan is right? Besides, it’s probably connected to the myths and history of Ednail. Isn’t that a good deal? I mean, it’s not about gains or losses for you, onii-chan. I will grant your wish. I’m amazing! If you want something, I can do anything!”

Diar’s eyes are fixed on me. When she looks at me like that, I feel like I can’t look away. That’s right, my answer has been decided from the beginning. I was just scared, but I already knew what I wanted.

“Harupon-kun, if it comes to it, Diar and I will help Musha. I will prove Musha’s correctness and act to restore her honor.”

“Wha-!? Jan-san!? Why would you go that far… I mean, Musha just met you, and you have no relation to her. There’s no guarantee that what she says is true—”

“I don’t need any guarantees. I just need to investigate. If I look into it properly, I’ll naturally find out whether Musha is right or wrong. Harupon, regular people can’t enter Edna’s library, you know? Even high-level adventurers can’t get permission. There are things being hidden. In other words, if I want to investigate Ednail properly, I’ll have to make enemies of the royal family. For the royal family, someone who exposes what they want to hide is a nuisance.”

“…No, that’s not what I meant to say. I don’t understand. Why do you want to investigate Ednail? What’s the meaning of it…?”

“I love it. I want to know what people thought, what they achieved, what they wished for and entrusted to the future in that place and time. History isn’t just a cut-off past; it’s a vast carpet woven from threads of thought that connects to the present. There are no gaps, just forgotten threads, and we’re also part of that carpet. It’s impossible for it to be unrelated. It’s all about relationships. Because someday, we’ll also be a part of history.”

“…You’re a strange person, Jan-san… But you’re serious, aren’t you? I understand. Then I’ll prepare myself too. I feel the same desire to help Musha.”

Harupon’s expression changes. The look of hesitation disappears, replaced by a strong will. It must be his determination to protect Musha. For Harupon, Musha might be like a sister.