CH 11

Inside his room where the night’s darkness had shrouded the space, the feather held between Alei’s fingertips spun slowly.

It was a siren’s feather.

A little while ago before they went back, the sirens each gave them a feather. The feathers contained mana, so they could feel it vaguely even when they were far away.

“When you want to call us, break our feathers. We can find you wherever you are!”

That’s what Asello, the oldest of the sirens, said.

Ophelia was thankful towards Asello, but what she wanted wasn’t a feather that could call them back.

“Thank you for the feathers, but my request is something else.”

“What is it?”

“The siren’s head, Sante. Bring him here tomorrow.”

“Sante—that Sante? But Sante won’t move just because I tell him to.”

The siren grumbled, but Ophelia was adamant.

“It’s up to you how you’ll convince him. If you do, I’ll bring some food from land. What do you say?”

“Food from land? I’ve never tried any before!”

“Then, it would be great to try some as early as tomorrow morning, right?”

“Yeah!”

Young sirens were easy to handle. Of course, this was because Ophelia negotiated with them skillfully, as if she knew what sirens were like.

So, Alei wondered.

Being adept at using words, as well as handling the magical creatures that she shouldn’t even know existed… How could Ophelia, who was born and raised in the Imperial Palace, know how to do this?

In fact, there was something that Alei wanted to ask Ophelia once he met her at the coast. Funnily enough, it wasn’t regarding his memories.

He hadn’t considered it more important before because his priority was his memories, but he wanted to ask her what kind of relationship he had with Ophelia before he lost his memories. But what would he do with the answer when he would hear it?

How Ophelia gained this knowledge… Why did she want to help him… How she knew him…

Rationally, these questions should not be the first ones that came to mind.

If the information Ophelia was giving him wasn’t very reliable, what could Alei possibly do? Right now, Alei had faith in her.

So, as soon as the Sirens went back to the ocean, Alei brought up the question that was the most rational.

“Are they the ones who can help me find my memories?”

“Of course.”

Her reply was matter of fact, as though it wasn’t even a question that he had asked. Looking down, Ophelia roughly wiped her wet feet with a handkerchief that had been tied to her wrist.

The dress of her skirt was still tied up, showing her thighs, and her posture as she sat on the boulder made him stand around awkwardly.

It made Alei feel quite strange. Perhaps it’s because as he watched, he couldn’t stand her clumsiness.

“You look uncomfortable.”

“Well, the handkerchief is smaller than I thought.”

It wasn’t really a matter of the handkerchief’s size, and Alei had the ability to summon a wind that would dry her at once.

But he kept his mouth shut. It wasn’t in his character to meddle in other people’s affairs.

“Will we go back the roundabout way?”

“It’ll be troublesome to get caught by Lilith… Ah, she’s my second in command who came with me here to Ladeen.”

“A-ha.”

The chatterbox woman.

Alei recalled how his brows raised at the woman who looked at Ophelia like the princess was the greatest hindrance in her life.

He leaned over and caught Ophelia’s hand, which was still awkwardly wiping her feet.

“If you do it like that, you won’t finish until the sun has risen. I’ll do it, so sit down.”

“…I don’t mean to make you do menial tasks.”

“You’re not making me do it. I’m the one who volunteered.”

It would be simpler to use magic, but he was a little tired right now because he used his mana excessively today.

Ophelia was silent for a moment. Perhaps she was embarrassed. Alei wanted to see her expression, but he focused only on the handkerchief. Right now, if he lifted his gaze even just a little, her pale legs would be all that he would see.

She hadn’t stepped deeper into the waters earlier, but up to the middle of her calves were still wet.

Alei held her feet with one hand and began to wipe her skin slowly with the other. As she watched him do this, Ophelia spoke.

“I mentioned that you’re from the tower.”

“Yes, you did.”

Siren was the name of the Magic Tower, but the sirens themselves were also their contact network.

“That’s how you’re associated with them.”

“Then why did you ask them to bring the head?”

“Well… Because he knows you, too.”

She stopped talking for a while. Alei didn’t know if he had touched a sensitive place, but right now, her toes were curled. And the toes that curled were as white as her legs.

As fair as her legs…

It was the only thought that echoed in his mind.

“The tower is only known to be well guarded and hidden, but it’s actually in a more accessible location than people think. It’s in the middle of the ocean, and near it, there’s a colony of sirens. That’s why the tower is also impossible to get close to if people went by ships.”

“……”

“…Alei?”

After she called his name, Alei finally managed to come to his senses. Suddenly, as he looked up while still holding her feet, their eyes met.

It’s that look again. That kindness.

Her red hair fluttered in the wind and her blue eyes were clear. There wasn’t even any light to illuminate her, but even her lips were glistening.

Tonight, as she sat on the dark reef, Ophelia was terribly striking.

“Are you listening to me?”

Alei nodded in a hurry, trying not to let her know that he was momentarily distracted.

“…I’ve been listening. I was only surprised.”

“I know how you feel. I was also surprised when I first heard it. How many people would possibly think that the tower was in the middle of the ocean?”

Alei began to move his hands again, reluctantly averting his gaze. Fortunately, Ophelia didn’t seem to notice.

Thanks to that, he didn’t need to make more excuses. It was good for Alei, since he wasn’t very adept at making excuses.

But those words still crossed his mind.

He could hide them from Ophelia, but he wouldn’t be able to hide them from himself.

Whatever happened, in the end, he never told her that he could just dry her feet with magic.

It was a dishonorable night for Alei.

Whether it was punishment for that night or not, when he had just fallen asleep, Ophelia appeared in his dreams.

No, to be exact, it was a red-haired, blue-eyed woman.

He couldn’t remember her face properly. He could only recall her red hair and blue eyes.

Even if her hair color had been exactly like Ophelia’s, when he woke up, he had a gut feeling that it wasn’t her.

The woman in his dream was smiling cheerfully.

“Really? So I can walk on land?”

And her lower half was a fish tail.

* * *

Was it part of his lost memories?

Even after waking up from the dream, Alei stared blankly into the air for a while.

It was too vivid for it to just be a dream. So if it wasn’t a dream, then who the hell was she?

Red hair and blue eyes.

Of course it couldn’t be Ophelia because she wasn’t a mermaid.

There were so many similarities between them. Were they not related to each other?

And on top of that, Alei had far too many questions already for Ophelia.

She was someone who not only knew the existence of sirens, but she was also good at handling them. And she seemed to be well informed about the Magic Tower, which should not be something that the general public knew.

On their way back from the beach, Ophelia spoke.

—I’ll answer one more thing since you helped in many ways. Ask me anything.

Her generosity had prickled at Alei’s conscience, but Alei’s morals weren’t rigid enough to throw away an opportunity like this.

—If I ask you what your true purpose is, will you answer?

—Purpose?

—Why are you helping me regain my memories?

Upon hearing her explanation about the sirens, he realized that the ‘request’ she asked of him was eventually connected to the method of regaining his memories.

Considering that transactions were supposed to be done in a way that should benefit the individual, it only made Alei wonder.

But on the contrary, if he thought about it in reverse, it was more comfortable this way.

—What good would it bring you to find my memories? Will it benefit you somehow?

Right now, that’s how it looked to Alei—that she was helping him with his amnesia for her own gain.

It seemed that he hit the nail on the head because Ophelia narrowed her eyes slightly, then confessed.

—What you’re saying is right. But I can’t answer that question.

—I knew it.

In fact, he didn’t even expect much.

Alei knew that Ophelia wasn’t a foolish person. If revealing her purpose right away would have helped her cause, then she would have said it to him already.

And that’s why Alei hadn’t asked until now.

However, it was a waste of the opportunity that had come to him

Alei mulled over it. He brought up a question that was of a lower priority.

There were quite a few to choose from, so he picked a question that was as personal as possible.

—Then can you tell me how you found out about these things?

—About the sirens and the tower?

—Yes. Is it difficult to answer?

—There’s nothing difficult about it. I thought you already noticed, but I’m surprised you haven’t yet.

—Noticed what?

—You’re from the tower, and I know you.

Ophelia turned head and looked at him squarely.

—Everything I know… You’re the one who told me.