Wrong About Him
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I was wrong about him. I thought he’d be a good guy, but it turns out that’s not the case at all.”
“What do you mean?” asked Kaede. “He seems like such an earnest person to me!”
“Yeah,” agreed Rin. She had been thinking along similar lines until now, and she felt her opinion of Shiro change slightly as well. But then…
“…But why would someone who seemed so nice suddenly turn into something bad? It doesn’t make sense…”
Shiro smiled bitterly in response to Rin’s words. He looked up at the sky above them with his eyes narrowed, looking troubled by some inner conflict.
Rin could tell from how he acted that there were things going on inside this boy’s head that even he didn’t know about yet. And if they weren’t resolved soon, those conflicts might end up destroying everything around him—including himself.
She wanted to help him somehow before that happened. That much was clear to her. So what should she do…?
The answer came quickly enough: Don’t get involved! Leave him alone for now! If you don’t want to trouble yourself, just leave it be!
That was exactly what Rin told herself as she turned away from Shiro and walked back toward their camp.
Shiro watched her go without saying anything else. After a few moments, he followed after her. When he caught up to her, he said quietly, “…Thank you.”
Then he continued walking silently beside her. They kept silent together until they reached the edge of the forest again. There, they found everyone waiting for them.
When Shiro saw them, he let out a sigh of relief. Then he started talking. “Sorry, we took so long. We ran into some monsters while searching for food, and we got separated.”
As he spoke, his expression grew more serious than ever. The others listened carefully to every word.
“We’re all here now though, right?”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
After they finished eating dinner, the group decided to spend the night where they were. As usual, Kaede led them through the woods to find a spot suitable for camping.
They set up tents, lit fires, made sure no wild animals or bandits wandered nearby and settled down for the evening.
Once they were done preparing for bed, Rin went over to sit next to Shiro. He was sitting cross-legged near one of the fire pits, staring off into space. His face still wore its melancholy smile.
“Hey, are you okay?”
He gave her a small nod.
“You seem pretty upset today. Is something bothering you?”
His shoulders slumped sadly. “It’s nothing important. Just…some stuff I’m trying to figure out.”
“Oh…okay…”
Rin wasn’t really sure what to say to that. Her mind raced as she tried to think of something appropriate to say. In the end, she simply sat there awkwardly, unsure what else to do.
Eventually, Shiro sighed deeply. “I guess I’ll talk to you tomorrow, then.”
“Okay…”
With that, he stood up and left the campsite.
Kaede noticed that Rin hadn’t moved when Shiro had gone. She glanced over at her curiously.
“Is something wrong?”
Rin shook her head. “No, not really. I just feel kind of awkward being around him tonight is all.”
“Huh? Why?”
“Well…he’s always smiling like that, but deep down he must have some problems. Maybe it makes me uncomfortable because I can see past his actions and realize how sad he actually is.”
“Hmm. Well, maybe that’s true. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you need to stay away from him forever. You never know what might happen between you two someday.”
“Maybe…”
Rin couldn’t deny that possibility. Still, she knew she wouldn’t be able to handle seeing him hurt anymore.
And besides, she also realized she needed to keep her distance from him for now. If she stayed too close to him, she risked getting dragged into whatever mess lay behind that cheerful exterior.
So she decided to avoid him for now.
For the time being, anyway.
***
A New Enemy Emerges
The following day, the party headed deeper into the forest.
Their destination was a large lake that stretched far across the land.
According to Kaede, it was located somewhere in the middle of the country. A place called the Great Lake.
There were many lakes scattered throughout the kingdom, but none of them were quite as big as this one.
This particular body of water was fed by several rivers flowing from different directions. Together, these waterways formed an enormous inland sea.
In addition, the region surrounding the lake was home to a variety of wildlife. Many people traveled to the area each year to hunt and fish.
However, the lake itself was completely isolated from civilization. No roads connected it to any other towns or villages. Travelers could only reach it via footpaths winding through the mountains.
Because of this, most travelers avoided the lake altogether. It was considered dangerous territory.
Even so, the members of the party had come here specifically to search for a certain item.
One of the items on their list was a magical tool known as a Water Mirror. This object allowed users to view themselves in a mirror image. However, it required a special liquid to function properly. That meant finding a source of fresh water would be essential if they wanted to acquire the device.
Unfortunately, the lake didn’t appear to contain much of that precious resource.
Still, they’d been given specific instructions about where to look for the item. So even with little hope of success, they pressed onward.
That afternoon, after traveling for hours along the path leading toward the lake, the party finally arrived at the shoreline.
At first glance, the lake appeared to be empty. All they saw was a vast expanse of blue water stretching out before them.
But once they stepped onto the beach, they discovered a strange sight: a giant stone statue standing upright in the center of the water.
Its appearance was similar to those statues carved into the sides of cliffs. Only instead of depicting a human form, this one depicted a woman wearing a white dress. The entire thing seemed to glow faintly, almost as though it were emitting light.
As the group approached, they found another oddity lying beside the statue.
It was a rectangular block of metal roughly half the size of a person. Its surface was covered in runes inscribed in a language unknown to anyone present.
Shiro picked up the object and examined it closely. After a moment, he placed it back down again.
“What is it?” asked Rin.
“Looks like a magic item,” replied Shiro, “but I don’t recognize the markings.”
“Magic Item?” repeated Rin. “Like a wand or staff?”
“Yeah, pretty much. They’re usually used to cast spells.”
“Wow! Can we take it?!”
“Not without permission from its owner, no.”
“Who owns it?”
“Nobody knows. Nobody has ever seen whoever made it.”
“Really?! How did it get here?”
“Weirdly enough, nobody seems to remember exactly how long ago it showed up. There are stories going back hundreds of years about people who claim to have witnessed it appearing right next to the lake.”
“Hundreds of years? That’s amazing!”
“I guess so. Anyway, there aren’t any signs of life anywhere nearby. Let’s go check things out.”
With that, Shiro began walking forward.
He led the others to the edge of the lake. When they reached the water’s edge, they spotted something else peculiar floating in the depths.
It looked like a small boat drifting aimlessly on top of the waves. As they watched, it slowly drifted closer to the shore.
When it came within arm’s length of the ground, however, it suddenly stopped moving entirely. Then, it floated gently downward until it rested against the sand.
Once everyone was gathered around the vessel, Shiro climbed aboard. He then proceeded to pull himself up to the deck using his hands alone. Once he was seated, he turned to face the rest of the group.
“Okay, let me explain what happened here.”
Everyone listened intently as Shiro explained the situation.
Apparently, the ship had washed ashore sometime during the night. And since it hadn’t moved for over twelve hours, it must’ve run aground while sailing across the lake.
After hearing Shiro’s explanation, the party decided to investigate further.
They all boarded the boat and took turns exploring it.
Inside, they discovered several barrels filled with foodstuffs and other supplies. In fact, the whole interior of the vessel smelled strongly of fish.
Then, when they opened the door leading outside, the smell intensified. Apparently, someone had caught some fish recently.
The boat also contained an assortment of weapons and armor. Most of these pieces were still wrapped in cloth, but they appeared to be well-made.
Finally, they found a large chest containing a number of gold coins.
This discovery proved especially exciting for Rin. She immediately started counting the money inside.
“Twenty thousand yen…” she murmured. “How many of those do you think are real?”
“Probably not more than ten percent,” said Shiro. “Most of them probably belong to the previous owners.”
Rin nodded thoughtfully.
“So…what should we do now?”
“Well, according to my research, the Water Mirror can only be activated by a certain type of liquid called ‘water.’ But judging from our surroundings, I’m guessing the lake doesn’t contain very much of that substance.”
“You mean we need to find a stream somewhere?” suggested Kouta.
“Right, that’s what I figured too.”
“And where might such a place be located?”
“Let’s see… We’ll start by heading northward. If nothing shows up soon, maybe we could try searching south.”
“Sounds good to me.”
“Me too.”
“All right, then let’s head off.”
***
Several days later, the party continued their search.
Eventually, they came upon a river flowing through the forest.
“There it is!” exclaimed Rin excitedly.
She pointed ahead of her and shouted, “Look! A waterfall!!”
Indeed, just beyond the trees lay a massive cascade of water falling straight down from the sky. It was easily three times taller than the tallest building in town.
“That looks promising,” agreed Shiro. “But before we jump into the middle of the river, let’s make sure it actually contains water.”
“Sure,” replied Rin. “Just give me a second to grab my sword first.”
Kouki and Tatsuya both gave each other confused glances at the sudden request.
Shiro didn’t seem surprised in the least.
“What’s wrong?” asked Rin.
“Nothing. Just wondering why you’d want your sword if it’s already wet.”
“Oh, yeah, that makes sense. Sorry.”
As she spoke, Rin pulled out her weapon and held it aloft. The blade gleamed brightly under the sunlight.
“Is that thing really metal?” Kouki wondered aloud.
“Of course, it is,” answered Shiro confidently. “My sword isn’t made of wood or plastic either.”
“Huh? Really?!”
“Yes, this is one of the most powerful swords ever created. Even though it has no magic abilities, its cutting power far surpasses anything else available today.”
Tatsuya couldn’t help but feel impressed.
“Wow, that sounds pretty cool. What kind of material did you use to create it?”
“Iron ore, mostly. However, I used a special technique to strengthen the steel even further.”
“Really?! So how does it work?”
“I don’t know exactly myself. All I can say is that it’s extremely difficult to replicate.”
“Hmm… Well, whatever the case, I guess we’re ready to go.”
Rin jumped into the river without hesitation.
A moment later, Tatsuya followed suit.
Meanwhile, Kouta hesitated for a few seconds longer.
He finally shrugged and dove in after them.
“Hahaha! This feels great!”
“Yeah, I agree. Let’s get going!”
Once he reached the bottom, Kouta swam toward the center of the river.
It wasn’t long until they arrived there. As expected, the current was quite strong. They would have been swept away downstream if they weren’t careful.
However, once they got past the point where the river narrowed, the flow became less intense.
At last, the group emerged on the opposite shore.
“Whoa…”
“Hey, look at all those fish!”
They hadn’t noticed before because of the rushing water, but the area around the waterfall was teeming with life. There were countless varieties of aquatic creatures swimming about. Some looked like small eels while others resembled giant carp. And among the latter, there was something that seemed to resemble a whale shark.
In addition to the fish, there were also plenty of plants growing along the banks. These included ferns, mosses, and various types of seaweed.
“Looks like we’ve come across a freshwater ecosystem,” observed Shiro.
The Water Mirror had appeared here as well.
“Now we just need some water,” said Rin. She took a bottle from her bag and poured it over herself. Then she drank it down.
“Whew… That’s cold!”
“Good job. Now let’s move on.”
After finishing her own drink, Rin headed back upstream.
“Wait a minute, Rin! You shouldn’t waste so much!”
“Don’t worry, I won’t die of thirst. Besides, I’m not planning to stay here forever.”
“Okay, okay, I believe you.”
“See ya later, guys!”
With that, Rin disappeared behind the falls.
“Well, now what do we do?” asked Tatsuya. He turned to face his companions.
“We should probably follow her,” offered Shiro.
“Agreed. But we can’t leave our bags unattended.”
“True enough. In that case, we’ll split up and meet back at the waterfall in an hour.”
“Sounds good.”
“You two take care of things here. We’ll be fine.”
“Understood.”
“Let’s go, Touya.”
“Right.”
Tatsuya and Kouta set off together.
***
“So this is the place…”
When they returned to the spot where they’d left their belongings, they found everything intact—even the food.
“Thanks, Shiro.”
“No problem. If you hadn’t done that, we might never have gotten out of there alive.”
“That’s true. Thanks again.”
“Not a problem. After all, you saved me too.”
“Ahh, right… It seems my memory’s still a little fuzzy.”
Kouki put his hand to the side of his head. His eyes were half-closed, and he seemed to be having trouble focusing.
“Are you feeling all right, Kouki?”
“Ngh… Yeah, I think so. Maybe it’s the heat.”
“Maybe. Anyway, let’s hurry up and find Rin.”
“Sure thing.”
Shiro and Kouki started walking through the forest. The trees grew thickly here, blocking any view of the sky.
As soon as they entered the woods, the temperature rose noticeably. Sweat began pouring down both of their faces.
“This is hot…”
“Yeah, it’s really humid.”
Even though the sun was setting, the humidity didn’t seem to drop significantly.
“What are we gonna do when night comes?”
“Oh, don’t worry about that. We’re used to camping outdoors. Just keep moving forward until morning.”
“But what if we run into danger? What if someone attacks us?”
“Then we fight. That’s why we brought these swords.”
“I see…”
Despite being worried, Kouki nodded.
“By the way, Kouki, did you hear anything strange earlier?”
“Huh…? Oh yeah, I remember hearing something weird. Like a voice or maybe a scream.”
“Really?! Were you able to make sense of it?”
“Sorry, no. I couldn’t understand it even after listening carefully for a while.”
“Hmm… Well, whatever it was, it must have happened pretty far away.”
“Probably. Hey, Kouki, how many people could Rin possibly be talking to?”
“She doesn’t know anyone else who’s here, does she?”
“Doesn’t mean she isn’t making friends.”
“Uhh, sure, I guess.”
It wasn’t hard to imagine Rin meeting new people during her travels. But Shiro had a point: Even if she met someone, it would be unlikely that they knew each other already.
“Hey, Kouki, do you think she knows those guys?”
“Who?”
“Those three men.”
“Hm? No idea. They look kind of familiar, but I don’t recognize them.”
“Do you think they’re dangerous?”
“If they were, wouldn’t Rin have told us by now?”
“I suppose.”
They continued on like that, discussing various possibilities without coming to any conclusions. Eventually, they reached the waterfall.
“There she is.”
Just as Shiro said, there stood Rin. Her hair hung wet around her shoulders, and she looked exhausted.
“Rin! Are you all right?!”
“Yup, I’m fine. Sorry for worrying you.”
“How long has it been since you got here?”
“About ten minutes ago.”
“Wow, you’ve walked fast.”
“I just wanted to get out of there before dark.”
“All right then, let’s go home.”
The four of them headed back toward the campsite. As they went along, Kouki spoke up once more.
“Um, Rin, do you mind telling us your name?”
“My name’s Rin Kamisu. Nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you, Rin. My name’s Kouki Yagashira.”
“And mine’s Shiro Kazami.”
“Okay, nice to meet you, everyone.”
After saying goodbye to Rin, they made their way back to camp.
“Well, at least we’re safe,” Tatsuya muttered in relief. “We can relax tonight.”
“Yes, I agree. Let’s eat dinner first.”
“Sounds good.”
Once they finished eating, they settled down for the night.
“Goodnight, Touya.”
“Night, Kouta.”
Takuya and Miyuki turned off the lights in their tent.
Miyuki lay curled up next to him, asleep within seconds.
He felt bad leaving her alone, but he also understood that she needed rest. He’d never seen her sleep so soundly. She hadn’t even stirred when he left the room.
So instead of staying with her, he decided to take a walk outside.
The End