Never to be Solved
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The day of the race dawned bright and clear, with a cool breeze from the north. The sun shone down on us as we stood in our starting positions at the edge of town. I was positioned near the front row this time around; I’d been given some advice that said it would help me get used to being out there before my start.
It seemed like good advice, so I listened to it. There were quite a few people who had come here specifically for today’s event. They all looked excited about participating—and not just because they could win money or prizes. Some even came wearing their best clothes. One woman even brought her whole family along! She must have really wanted them to see her run.
I couldn’t wait until I got started myself…but first things first: We lined up according to the last name, then took off running toward the finish line. As soon as everyone crossed over into the next lane, another group began the same process, which meant that by the end of the morning we should have runners coming back through both lanes several times each.
This way, if one person managed to break away from his competitors, he wouldn’t necessarily know where the other racers were hiding. In fact, most of these races weren’t decided based on speed alone but rather on how well you knew your opponents’ strategies.
“Hey!” someone called out to me when I passed him. “You’re fast.” He sounded kind of surprised. Was he talking about me? Maybe I did look pretty quick after all. But no matter what happened during the actual competition, I wasn’t going to let anyone take away this moment. Not yet anyway.
As I ran past the crowd lining the course, I saw that they were cheering enthusiastically for me. That made me feel great, especially since I hadn’t seen any of them yesterday. I guess word of my performance spread quickly among the locals.
My friends were right behind me now too. Thanks to the advice I’d gotten earlier, I was able to keep pace with them without much trouble. All three of us kept together throughout the entire race. Even though we didn’t say anything to each other, it felt nice having them close by.
And although I tried hard not to think about winning, deep inside I still hoped that maybe someday I might actually make it onto the podium.
Finally, the final stretch arrived. Everyone else had already finished long ago, leaving only me and two others left competing. After taking one more glance backward, I picked up the pace once again. With less than twenty meters remaining, I heard footsteps approaching rapidly from behind.
Turning slightly, I found myself face-to-face with an unfamiliar man. His eyes narrowed suspiciously. A second later, something struck me directly above the head. At least, that’s what it felt like. Then everything went black. When I woke up, I realized I was lying facedown on the ground. Looking up, I noticed that the sky overhead was darkening considerably. Hadn’t it been sunny just moments ago…?
There were voices nearby. Someone was calling my name. I turned my head to try and find whoever it was. Suddenly, a pair of hands grabbed mine tightly. I struggled against them, trying desperately to free myself. Just then, the voice spoke up again.
“It doesn’t seem like she’ll wake anytime soon,” it said. “We can’t leave her like this…”
My heart skipped a beat. Who are you?! Where am I?! What do you mean, ‘we’? I thought frantically, struggling harder and harder against whatever held my arms pinned tight. Finally, however, I stopped moving altogether. Everything grew quiet except for the sound of heavy raindrops hitting the pavement beneath my body.
Then, finally, I opened my mouth.
“Whoa—”
A single word escaped my lips, followed immediately by another.
“…Huh?”
I stared blankly upward at nothingness. No sooner had those words slipped out of my mouth than I suddenly remembered where I was. The previous night, I’d gone to bed thinking I was safe, and secure within the warmth of my own room. Yet somehow, I ended up outside somewhere completely different.
And why is it raining? I wondered aloud. Why does it smell so bad out here? Wait…is that blood…? I shook my head violently. Come to think of it, I don’t remember ever getting hurt anywhere while I slept. So how exactly did I wind up lying unconscious on the street?
After staring vacantly at the darkness for a minute or two longer, I slowly sat up. Something warm pressed firmly against my cheek. Carefully reaching up, I discovered that it was indeed blood. More precisely, it was my own. It must’ve come from some part of my body because there wasn’t even a hint of pain accompanying its presence.
Still, I could tell that the wound itself wasn’t serious. There shouldn’t be any reason to worry. Or perhaps I’m wrong—maybe this is far worse than I realize. Either way, I need to get help.
With that in mind, I reached down and pulled the hem of my shirt aside. Beneath it, I spotted the source of the bleeding: A small puncture wound near my shoulder blade. Although it looked shallow enough to have healed almost instantly, it certainly wouldn’t go unnoticed if I continued running around like this.
In fact, given the amount of blood covering both my clothes and skin, I probably should’ve taken a moment to clean things up before continuing onward. Now would’ve also been the perfect opportunity to change into a fresh set of clothing as well, but unfortunately, none were available at present.
Instead, I decided to simply wipe off the worst of the mess using the sleeve of my jacket. This seemed to work fairly well; after wiping away all traces of blood, I examined the area closely for signs of infection. Thankfully, there weren’t any. However, I couldn’t stop worrying that someone might notice the stain during the morning inspection. If that happens, I definitely won’t escape punishment!
So, what next? Do I continue forward through town, heading toward the Academy grounds? No matter which route I choose, I doubt anyone will follow me. They’re all exhausted from their efforts last night, aren’t they? Besides, I really don’t want to cause trouble for these people who saved me.
That being the case, maybe I should check back over my options carefully. Maybe I can find somebody willing to take care of the problem for me.
Just then, a familiar voice called out to me.
“Hey, you okay?!”
The speaker appeared to be a young girl wearing glasses and carrying a large umbrella. She approached me cautiously, not quite sure whether I needed assistance or not. As she neared, she glanced briefly downward, then smiled nervously. Her expression made me feel strangely uncomfortable. Then, just when I started wondering why an unpleasant memory came flooding back to me.
That’s right! Last year, I met someone very similar to her! I remember now! At least, I hope it was her…
In truth, though, I didn’t actually know anything about her other than her face and general age. I knew only that she lived alone with no parents nearby, and that she always wore thick-framed spectacles. Furthermore, she claimed to live somewhere in the city, yet never went to school.
Most important of all, however, was the fact that she often accompanied me whenever we ran errands together. We spent most days wandering around our respective neighborhoods, stopping to pick up supplies along the way. And one day, she offered to carry something heavy for me. When I thanked her profusely, she replied cheerily, “No worries!”
At the time, I assumed she meant that I oughtn’t to worry about helping her out since she herself already worked hard every day. But looking back, I realized that the phrase sounded suspiciously close to “no worries.” Not only that but the way she said it suggested that she was used to doing such tasks regularly.
After hearing her say that several times, I began to suspect that she may have had some sort of disability. For example, maybe she has difficulty walking or struggles with certain kinds of physical labor. Perhaps she suffers from chronic fatigue syndrome or arthritis. Who knows?
All I do know is that the more I thought about it, the less confident I became that this person standing before me was actually the same girl.
But still, she seems friendly enough. How am I supposed to explain myself without giving too much away? What if she asks questions I can’t answer? What if she tells others where I live?! I guess I’ll have to ask her directly first.
I stood up unsteadily, preparing to address the young woman. Just then, however, another voice cut in.
“Oh dear, are you alright?” The new speaker spoke softly, his tone filled with concern. He held a wooden cane in one hand and carried a bucket full of water sloshing gently beneath him on its head. It took me a second to realize he wasn’t referring to me. Rather, he was talking about himself—a man who’d apparently fallen unconscious while working outside.
He must have woken up sometime later and found me lying here. Why did he decide to come help instead of going inside to rest? Does he think I’m injured badly enough to require medical attention? Or perhaps he thinks I need urgent transportation home?
Whatever the reason, I felt grateful to see him here. Still, I hesitated to speak until I figured out exactly how to approach him. Eventually, I decided to try asking him straight out:
“Um…” My mind raced frantically, desperately searching for words to describe my situation. Finally, I settled upon: “…Do you happen to know of anywhere I could get cleaned up?”
To my relief, he answered immediately.
“…Of course,” he responded warmly, gesturing behind him. “You’re welcome to use my house anytime. There’s plenty of room inside. You might even fit into my bedroom.”
Huh…? Bedroom…? Wait… Could it possibly be…?
My heart pounded furiously as I stared at the man. His name was Rudeus Greyrat; he was the son of a noble family living within the city walls. In addition to having an older brother named Sels, he also happened to be friends with both Lute and Tisalia.
Although I hadn’t spoken with him much during our brief acquaintance last year, there were many things I remembered vividly about him. Things like his long, dark hair tied neatly under his hat, his gentle smile, and the faint scent of flowers wafting off him.
Plus, I recalled seeing him wear a necklace bearing the crest of House Greyrat. This particular item seemed impossible to overlook, given that it was so distinctive among those worn by the people of Albedo. So what does that mean? Is he really related to Lord Greyrat after all? If so, then surely he would recognize me!
Or maybe not. Maybe he doesn’t remember me at all. That would certainly make sense, especially considering the circumstances. After all, he probably hasn’t seen me since I left town over half a year ago. Besides, it wouldn’t be easy for us to run into each other again once I moved away.
Even if he noticed my resemblance to someone else, he likely wouldn’t recall the details of their conversation. He definitely couldn’t expect me to reveal why I came to visit them, either.
So what should I tell him? Should I just go ahead and introduce myself right now? No matter which option I choose, it feels wrong somehow. I feel as though something terrible will happen if I let slip anything personal about myself. As much as I want to meet up with him, I don’t want to cause any trouble for anyone else.
On top of everything, I’m worried about whether he’ll take offense when he realizes I’ve lied to him. And yet… I miss him terribly. When we parted ways six months earlier, I didn’t imagine I would ever see him again. But here he is, standing before me in the flesh. I have no idea how this happened or why, but I refuse to pass up such a rare opportunity. All these doubts aside, I simply cannot ignore this chance forever.
I sighed heavily as I considered the dilemma. Then, finally deciding on a path forward, I turned back toward the stranger.
“Thank you very much!” I called cheerfully. “That sounds wonderful!”
The moment I said that the air around me began to shimmer faintly. A few seconds passed, then suddenly, a small portal opened above the ground near the man’s feet. Immediately afterward, two figures appeared from seemingly thin air. One looked vaguely familiar. The other was unmistakably Rudeus Greyrat.
It was indeed true. They were the same person.
***
Rudeus had been expecting to find his friend waiting for him somewhere nearby, but he never imagined they would appear together. Not only that, but it almost sounded as though she had arrived through some sort of magical device. Was this her doing? Did she conjure them using magic?!
His surprise quickly gave way to confusion, however. While the woman was clearly female, she possessed features quite unlike Rudeus’ own. Her skin color was different too, along with her eyes and hair. She wore clothes similar to what he remembered, although they were cut differently than his own outfit.
Most importantly, however, her expression was completely different compared to how he knew it. Instead of the peaceful gaze he used to know well, hers radiated hostility.
He felt as though he’d met her before, perhaps several times. It wasn’t possible, however—he hadn’t even known who she was until a minute ago. Yet despite this, he found himself instinctively trusting her without question. Perhaps because he recognized that look in her eyes. Or maybe because he trusted the source of its power. Whatever the reason, he decided to follow her lead.
With a final glance at the mysterious newcomer, he followed her down the road leading out of town. Unlike the others, he kept his head lowered respectfully while walking alongside her. Though he still didn’t understand where they were headed, he assumed it must be important enough to merit his silence.
Still, he could hardly help wondering: What exactly did he get himself involved in today?
After traveling for another ten minutes, the pair reached a large estate set amid the lush greenery beyond the city gates. Judging by appearances alone, it belonged to one of the wealthiest families in Albedo. From afar, it resembled a modest-sized castle built atop a hill overlooking the rest of the civilization below.
However, upon closer inspection, Rudeus realized there was nothing humble about this place. For starters, the main building itself was far larger than most palatial mansions. Its walls bristled with countless towers and turrets, making it resemble an enormous fortress rather than a private residence.
Furthermore, numerous smaller buildings surrounded it like satellites orbiting a planet. Some were simple houses, but many more seemed designed specifically for business purposes. There were also several shops scattered among the various structures, including a bakery, a tavern, and a general store.
These establishments served both residents of the neighborhood as well as passersby from outside of town. In addition, the entire compound was ringed by high stone walls topped with barbed wire. This made it clear that security played a significant role in maintaining order within the community.
If things went awry, people would naturally come running to assist the guards stationed inside the fortifications.
This arrangement might seem strange in modern cities, but it actually reflected common practices during the age of the Holy Empire. Back then, nobles often maintained their own armies and fortified compounds as insurance against external threats.
That meant the inhabitants of these communities couldn’t rely entirely on local law enforcement agencies to protect them. Thus, they established their own armed forces capable of defending themselves against potential aggressors. Even after the fall of the empire, the practice remained widespread throughout the world.
Many countries continued to maintain their own military units under the umbrella of national defense programs. Others relied solely on police forces staffed by members of their respective nations. Of course, those weren’t the only options available; in certain cases, wealthy individuals hired mercenaries to serve as bodyguards.
As Rudeus observed all this, the woman ahead of him stopped in front of a massive gate flanked by soldiers standing at attention. He noticed that each soldier bore a single red rose pinned to their breastplate or helmet, indicating that they held positions of considerable authority.
Their presence here indicated that someone higher up the food chain than the lady he accompanied was likely responsible for protecting the grounds. After exchanging greetings with the sentries, the two travelers proceeded into the courtyard beyond the entrance.
As expected, they soon came across a group of men dressed similarly to the ones guarding the door. The newcomers greeted the first contingent warmly, which led to further exchanges between the groups. Then, after passing beneath the archway connecting the inner court to the outer wall, they finally entered the heart of the property.
Here, everything changed drastically. Rather than being dominated by ostentatious architecture, the area now looked much more subdued. Buildings were arranged in clusters around open spaces filled with trees and plants.
All sorts of animals roamed freely, including dogs, cats, chickens, horses, cows, sheep, pigs, goats…and even some exotic creatures such as peacocks and parrots. Not long afterward, Rudeus saw a man wearing a white lab coat approaching from the direction of yet another gate.
His appearance marked him as a doctor of medicine, judging by the insignia displayed above his chest pocket. He spoke briefly to the person next to him, then turned toward the pair following behind him. When he spotted Rudeus, his face lit up instantly. “Rudy! You’re back!”
The young man responded with a smile. “Good afternoon.”
“Welcome home,” said Dr. Harnack cheerfully. “I see you’ve brought your friend along too. I’m glad to have you both here again.”
Dr. Harnack was the owner of the clinic where Rudeus had been treated earlier in the day. Since he lived just down the street from the facility, he frequently visited patients at odd hours of the night. Despite his busy schedule, he always managed to make time for Rudeus whenever necessary.
Today’s visit proved no exception. Indeed, the doctor wasted little time before introducing himself to the boy and asking what had happened since last week. After hearing the whole story from start to finish, he smiled knowingly.
“Well, Rudy, if you keep doing stuff like that, you’ll never get any older. Don’t worry, though—it looks like the wounds are healing nicely. It should be safe enough for you to go out tomorrow without having to wear bandages. Just take care not to bump yourself while moving around, okay?”
“Okay…” replied Rudeus, who didn’t feel comfortable taking off the wrapping until he knew it wouldn’t leave anything behind when removed.
After examining the youth closely, Dr. Harnack nodded once. “Yes, that sounds fine to me. Your injuries will heal faster if you don’t move so gingerly. Besides, if you do end up hurting yourself, later on, it won’t matter anymore anyway.
So, let’s say we give you permission to head over to the village and play with your friends today. How does that sound? And speaking of which, how about letting us know beforehand next time you plan something dangerous, eh?”
Rudeus grinned wryly. “Sorry. But thanks for looking out for me.”
“No problem,” answered the doctor amiably. “But there shouldn’t really be much need for concern. There aren’t many people living outside town right now. If anyone did try to cause trouble, it would probably be one of those guys hanging around near the forest edge.
They’re pretty scary-looking, but nobody wants to mess with them because they’d definitely put an end to whatever they set their minds to. Well, that is unless they happen to come across a particularly foolish opponent—”
At that point, the conversation ended abruptly as the doctor suddenly began coughing violently. In fact, the sudden fit lasted longer than usual; apparently, it took quite a bit of effort for him to control his breathing afterward. A moment later, however, he regained composure completely.
Smiling weakly, he asked: “Didn’t you hear me? That guy was trying to steal my horse! What kind of idiot goes around stealing other peoples’ livestock these days?! Do you think I can afford to feed all these strays?!”
It seemed unlikely that Dr. Harnack had heard a word of what the visitor was saying during the brief interval between bouts of coughing. Still, the words themselves made perfect sense. Considering the circumstances, it wasn’t hard to imagine why he might want revenge against whoever tried to rob him.
Unfortunately, the way he went about pursuing that goal sounded rather extreme to Rudeus. While the thief hadn’t actually taken anything from the good doctor, he still felt uncomfortable standing idly by while someone else suffered at this stranger’s hands. Fortunately, the situation presented an opportunity to test his newfound abilities.
With a slight nod, Rudeus decided to speak up. “Um, sir. Would you mind telling me what exactly happened?”
“You mean you weren’t aware of this already?!” exclaimed the doctor angrily. Apparently, he thought Rudeus must have been hiding in the bushes or eavesdropping somehow. “Don’t tell me…you were out playing somewhere nearby!”
“Uh, well, yes. The truth is, I saw some strange men talking together near the woods yesterday evening,” admitted Rudeus sheepishly.
A look of shock appeared on the old man’s face. “What?! You couldn’t possibly have seen more than that! Those men came back after dark and stole my horses! They even got away with my cart too! Not only that, but they also injured two of my dogs!
Now I haven’t gotten another single thing done today because I’ve been dealing with all sorts of problems caused by that incident! Why didn’t you warn me sooner?!”
In response to the doctor’s outburst, Rudeus simply shrugged apologetically. He didn’t know whether he could count on being believed, but it hardly mattered either way. At least, he hoped it wouldn’t. As far as he was concerned, he had no reason to lie to the old man. Moreover, it looked like his actions had finally earned him some respect among the locals.
The End