Published: March 21, 2026
――At Reytis Castle
I let out a deep sigh. In front of me was the grave of the person who had helped us until just a few days ago: commander saran.
This person had saved us countless times in the labyrinth. Yet the grave was neglected, weeds growing wild. Maybe the grass in this world grows fast — places that were clean just days ago were now fields overrun with weeds.
“No one’s come to visit…?”
Unlike Japanese graves, this European-style grave had the flowers the whole class had brought when she was buried, now limp and wilted. The flowers I had left were withered too. Ten days had passed, and the fact that no one had visited the grave made me sad.
Ever since the day Shi-kun disappeared, our classmates had been acting strange. The atmosphere was tense; they argued over trivial things. The groups who used to be close stuck together and looked at the others as if they were enemies. It felt like someone was ordering them to fight, to turn on each other.
I seemed to be the only one who hadn’t been swallowed by that curse. I was keeping up appearances for now, but I could feel myself drifting apart from everyone else.
“I suppose the only reason I’m sane right now is because of you and Shi-kun.”
I don’t remember much from the time the curse was being lifted. But after it ended, I heard from Vice Captain Zeal that Shi-kun and commander saran had been racing to lift the curse. I also learned from him that the king and the princess had been imposing the curse on us little by little, trying to hide it from us.
Before I tried to save everyone or the world, I should have protected the people close to me. I still don’t like Shi-kun, but now I understand that she protected the people around me in my place. I’m grateful.
All I feel toward myself now is anger. Regret is all that’s left — thinking about how things might have been if I had acted differently.
I wanted to do it with my own hands, so I pulled the weeds and cleaned the grave with water I’d fetched. Using tools borrowed from the castle maids, I scrubbed the stone.
“…phew.”
I poured water and carefully scrubbed the moss off with a brush-like tool. I polished the engraved name area thoroughly. I didn’t want anyone to forget this person.
My neck hurt from looking down so long, so I slowly loosened it.
“…huh?”
I sensed someone over by the woods. There were many hiding spots, so I couldn’t tell exactly where, but someone was definitely watching.
“Who’s there!”
I drew the sword I’d kept on me since that day. As I glared, a woman stepped out from the shadow of a tree.
“S-sorry. I wasn’t peeking on purpose.”
“You’re… Ms. Ueno?”
Yuuki Ueno, the curse removal specialist. She was the one who, under Shi-kun’s direction in the labyrinth, repeatedly removed my curse until my magical power ran out. The energetic Kansai girl looked uncharacteristically deflated.
“It’s fine. My bad for drawing my sword too. You’re almost a benefactor to me too, you know.”
“Yeah. Anyone would be wary seeing everyone the way they are now.”
“…aren’t you affected by the curse?”
She felt different from the others somehow. Her eyes were different. While the classmates looked hungry for someone’s weakness, Ueno’s eyes met mine directly.
“What are you saying? I’m a curse removal specialist. I have the strongest resistance to curses in the class.”
She puffed out her chest weakly, but I didn’t let my guard down. That’s how the princess tricked us once. I won’t be fooled again.
“…I get not trusting me. I still don’t believe Shi-kun’s curse is completely gone either. So, can you come back here tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow too?”
“Yeah. The more people, the better, right? I know I’m not cursed. I want to prove it.”
I understood the loneliness of being the only one. I was living it now. The only one who remained breezy alone was some assassin off in the distance.
“All right. I’ll come back tomorrow. But I keep my sword nearby, and I won’t let anyone come within a certain distance. Is that okay?”