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The Flying Letters and the Auto-Memories Doll (Part 2)

In cities,

villages and even forests, those touched by the winds laughed at its greatness.

The raging gale’s sounds were a melody of rattlings. With the grace of the Sun,

limpid blue skies blessed the people below.

On that

day, the wind had suddenly become strong from afternoon to evening. The

vigorous airstream was almost as a dragon undulating its body and trampling

down the earth. Wherever the gust dragon pa.s.sed by, the sounds of leaves and

cries of birds and insects chorused. The site of Leidenschaftlich’s army’s Air

Force base, surrounded by woods, became the wind’s playground as well.

Heaps of

guests who had just arrived exited a pa.s.senger truck that had been going on

repeated trips over and over for the sake of the special day. As its interior

became empty, it once again returned to the city. The people who had descended

from it crossed the forest road while chatting cheerfully amongst one another.

As they walked through the tree path, their roars and joyful voices rose at the

profound, swiveling sound of fighter aircrafts dancing in the sky.

The 7th Aeronautical

Exhibition was taking place.

In that

midst, the figures of members of the CH Postal Service led by Claudia Hodgins

were also present. From clerks who had been working in the office to postmen

who were done with their deliveries, they all walked with faces enveloped in a

feeling of liberation.

“Brighten

up, Little Lux.”

While

everyone else seemed to be having fun, Lux alone had a sour expression. The

president, who was now over thirty years old, desperately attempted to talk to

her in order to make her smile.

While

thinking that she was being a child herself, Lux spit out the incomprehensible

feelings in her heart, “No, it’s not like I’m in a bad mood. I… Something I

couldn’t do anything about no matter what… was solved with a single statement

of yours, President… I’ve once again come to understand how things work in

this world; I’m merely climbing up the stairs of adulthood… This world is

so…”

“Was it so

bad to have the public office extend the deadline? But, look. Thanks to that,

we were able to bring everyone from the company to the festival. I… had also

wanted to do something for everyone, since they did their best at work because

they had wanted to come here…”

“But that

receptionist from the public office was your ex, right, President Hodgins?”

“Aah… well,

was she?” He answered vaguely, as she actually not someone who could be counted

as a lover, for the two of them merely happened to know each other’s naked

bodies.

“In short,

you have a relations.h.i.+p of sympathy, in which you normally overlook one another…

that’s why, if I had been the one to ask the favor, it would have been

useless… that’s why…”

Hodgins had

been observing Lux, who was making several different comic faces, with worry at

first, but it gradually turned into amus.e.m.e.nt and he wound up laughing. The

childishness of that girl, who was still alienated to the subtleties of human

relations despite having become able to do quite a lot of work, and therefore

remained too innocent, was adorable.

“Little

Lux. Getting frustrated over something like this is no good. You’re my

secretary, so you’ll have to keep steadily learning my dirty ways from now on.

The president’s statements are…?”

“A-Absolute.”

What was he

trying to make her learn?

“You’re

lacking energy. One more time. The president’s statements are…?”

“A-Absolute!”

Hodgins

patted Lux’s head in satisfaction. “Little Lux is so cute. I’ll raise you into

a great member of society.”

As he

continued caressing her in the manner one would do with a dog or a cat, his

hand was caught by other employees.

“President,

you’ll be arrested for that. By the military police.”

“Lux, too,

shouldn’t follow what the President says. You’re the company’s star of hope, so

you must fight back against anything inappropriate as if you intended to stab

the President.”

“Aren’t you

all terrible?”

The clerks

laughed, and Lux naturally ended up laughing as well. Upon looking at them,

Hodgins was finally relieved. He was no good with women making gloomy

expressions.

——Now, on to the other girl that I’m worried

about.

After

entrusting some warrant money from his own wallet for Lux to buy everyone

something they wanted, Hodgins left to look for Violet and Cattleya. Someone

had said that he would find them if he went on walking, but the number of

guests attending the Flying Letters was the double of the previous time and

breaking a record. The base of the Air Force itself was extensive, so he

believed it would be a difficult task.

——I had tried to instigate them to get along

with each other, but I wonder if I managed it.

Unlike

Violet and Lux, those two were a pair with a questionable success rate for

promoting the growth of a friends.h.i.+p. However, as Hodgins had Gilbert and

himself as an example of success, he wanted to bet that the two of them could

surprisingly become friends. He was out of touch with Gilbert at the moment,

but tried not to think about it.

Without

walking aimlessly, Hodgins headed straight to the general resting place.

Several hours had pa.s.sed ever since Cattleya had left the office. They must

have had a good time seeing most of the displays and booths.

He realized

that being tall was useful in that kind of situation. It did not take too long

for him to find Cattleya. There was no way that such a strikingly beautiful

woman, who could even be considered pompous, would not stand out.

Cattleya

was sitting alone on a bench, looking lonely.

“So I

failed?”

As he

attempted to call out to her with a “heey”, another man came to talk to

Cattleya first. He held onto her arm as she intentionally ignored him, in order

to forcefully make her stand up. He was probably inviting her to walk around

the festival with him.

“This is

bad…”

Hodgins was

not worried about Cattleya. He walked fast, pus.h.i.+ng his way through the crowd.

“Don’t

touch me in such a familiar manner!”

As he heard

the shout of a high-pitched voice, he shoved people without holding back. However,

Hodgins was one step too late for the rescue. Cattleya had steadily stood up

and reversed the arm that had been gripped, quickly freeing herself, then

grabbed the man by the chest area of his clothes and dove her knee into his

crotch. It was most certainly an unimaginable pain. The man lay on the ground

without moving.

As Cattleya

intended to send more blows, Hodgins stopped her by calling out, “Cattleya,

come here!”

“Ah,

President!” Seemingly happy, she waved at him and ran in his direction.

Letting out

a skeptical chuckle, Hodgins waved back.

Cattleya

jumped into his chest. Although the stares from the surrounding people were

hurtful, he prioritized Cattleya’s mental state. He embraced her gently once,

then stepped back, receiving a full-fledged smile as he asked if she was all

right.

“Guess I

didn’t make it in time…”

“President,

were you trying to help me out? I don’t lose. But, I see… if I act feebly in

these kinds of situations, you will try to save me. I should have left it as

that for a few more seconds.”

“No, hum.

That’s right.” He did not admit that the one he was trying to save was the man.

“But, y’know, Cattleya… I’m sure I told you that you should try to resolve

things peacefully at times like this…”

“I didn’t

use my fists. I thought a former martial artist like me shouldn’t do that with

an ordinary person, so I used my legs. Because my legs aren’t that strong.

Praise me, praise me, President.”

The young

woman named Cattleya Baudelaire was of a glossy beauty that seemed like she

could have plenty of men on the palm of her hand with just a glance, but on the

inside, she was like a puppy. She was innocent and naïve, as well as vicious,

since there were no bad intentions in whatever she did. Perhaps because she had

confidence in her physical strength, she had the habit to solve anything by

force.

“It’s great

that you didn’t let yourself get caught up by some strange man, but excessive

self-defense is no good, so points off. Let’s leave this spot. People are

looking.”

“Praise meee… ah, hum… but…”

By crawling

onto the ground, the man who had collapsed escaped while the two were talking.

After

sparing a glimpse at his state, Cattleya turned back to Hodgins. “I have to

stay here. Violet ran off somewhere. But she said she’d come back to this place.

If I leave, we’ll end up missing each other.”

“‘Ran off

somewhere’… meaning you don’t know where to?”

“Yeah. I

think she probably… went to chase after that person she calls ‘Major’.”

Hodgins

lost his voice at Cattleya’s words. His face astonished, he grabbed her

shoulders with uneasy and trembling hands. “A black-haired man in a military

uniform!?” It was rare of him to speak so loudly.

Perhaps his

unrest was transmitted to Cattleya, and she began to shake as well. “I-I don’t

know. I didn’t see him. But Violet said he was her user in the past.”

“Which way

did she go!?”

Pinned down

by such a threatening att.i.tude, Cattleya pointed towards the crowd, her finger

oscillating feebly. “T-That way… but, it’s been a while since she left.”

“I’ll go

after her. I’m bringing her back. Sorry, Cattleya, but everyone from the

company is heading to the Flying Letters’ retrieval place, so go meet with them

there.”

“E-Eeh,

I’ll be on my own again?”

“You’re a good

girl so go there! Okay?! And no reckless quarreling even if someone picks on

you!”

“President!”

Cattleya was about to chase after Hodgins as if to hang onto him, but gave up

halfway. She was somewhat exhausted.

She wound

up sighing as she had watched someone’s back while they broke into run for the

second time that day. There was no helping it since she could not oppose

Hodgins, who looked after Violet as something like a subst.i.tute parent, and so,

Cattleya started walking totteringly. While thinking it would be great if she

became someone whom others would go after as well, she was lonely once again.

——Is today a good or a bad day? I wonder which. She thought.

She added the fact that she had become able to talk with

Violet a little to the score. The

fact that the latter had left Cattleya earned a subtraction. She soon

would join the people from the agency and not be lonely anymore. One more

score. However, Hodgins putting Violet before her earned a subtraction.

Comprehensively, after evaluating the ups and downs of her feelings, she could

say that her current situation was of having a bad day.

The reason why she disliked being alone was because it made

her feel as if she had no charm. People naturally gathered around charismatic

individuals. Hodgins was one of them. Cattleya had also been attracted to him as a b.u.t.terfly would be to

honey. Yet she understood that she could not become like him.

She chewed her lips lightly. Her heart was withering. It was supposed to be an extremely

wonderful beginning of month, and the part of her that had been looking forward

to it since the previous one was awfully depressed.

“Hey,

stupid woman. You alone?”

It was

depressed, and yet…

“Benedict…”

…her

tears went right back in at the ironic sentence as she was called from behind.

Meanwhile,

Violet Evergarden, the center of that whirlpool, was facing a man as if confronting

him. Away from the crowd, the two of them stood under the shadow of the plum

trees that surrounded the maneuver area, seeming almost like a couple. It was

not as if they were completely unnoticeable as seen from the venue, so from a

distance, they probably looked as though having a secret date.

“It has

been a while.”

Black hair.

Green orbs. The man glared at Violet with said green orbs as if annoyed. While

it had appeared as if she would lose him in the flow of people many times, from

the moment she was finally able to grab his arm and stop him, he had seemed

sullen.

“Please wait.”

Roughly yanking the arm that Violet had

grasped, the man turned around. Perhaps because her grown-up figure was too

different from the last time he had seen her, the man’s reaction was slightly

delayed.

As he realized who the other was, he unabashedly

clicked his tongue and shoved her away by the shoulder. “Don’t touch me.”

He was very similar to the man Violet had

recalled, but still different. He eyed her with disgust as she did not budge a

single inch even after being thrust away, her torso accepting the impact. He was

unlike Edward Jones, whom she had met in the past, but still keenly similar in

the fact that he exposed Violet’s past.

“You might not remember me, but…”

“I do. There’s no way I’d forget the killer

weapon that ma.s.sacred my comrades.”

Gilbert’s older brother, Dietfriet

Bougainvillea, stood there.

Violet blinked slowly once at the words that

pierced straight through her. Dietfriet was unlike Edward Jones, whom she had

previously met, but still keenly similar in the fact he attempted to expose her

past.

“I see.” Violet simply replied in

acknowledgement.

“What’re you doing…? Someone like you has to be

under watch. What happened to your Master?”

Dietfriet wore the navy’s high-collar uniform.

Perhaps he was stopping by for duty-related matters.

As Violet found herself unable to answer,

Dietfriet clicked his tongue and added, “I don’t mean Gilbert. You’ve been

taken in and are being used by his friend at the moment, right? Hurry back

there. Don’t cling to me.” He gestured as though shooing a dog.

“You are aware?”

Violet’s att.i.tude as she spoke smoothly was probably

deemed as confusing for Dietfriet. When he had met her, she was a monster of

low intelligence that could not utter a word. “Don’t screw around.” He stared

at her as if her beautiful appearance and grown-up figure instigated more fear

within him. “This concerns my sibling. And mishandling. That’s obvious. It’s my

little brother we’re talking about. Now come, I get anxious seeing you in the

middle of a crowd.” Dietfriet displayed his irritation. In light of his wrath,

he forcefully grabbed Violet’s arm. As a grinding creak resounded, he let go of

it in surprise. He looked at the arm and then at Violet’s face.

The two of them were tense. Like an herbivore

encountering a carnivore amidst a prairie, both were at loss as to who would

move first.

“I am not… carrying any weapons. I will not

kill anyone. I was told… to not kill anymore. And I… will not do it even if

ordered to.” Violet unveiled both hands as to emphasize that she was unarmed.

“Like I can believe you. Is that really so?

You… are a tool that wants nothing but orders, right? I’ve let go of you, but

if I ordered something, wouldn’t you do it? Hey. You used to do that when I commanded

you in the past, didn’t you?”

“I will not.”

Dietfriet thrust a finger-gun onto Violet’s

chest. His nail lightly pierced her cleavage. It seemed her self-defense

reaction would awaken at the raw feeling of being touched by the long fingertip

of a man. Her usual self would have taken action upon it immediately. However,

she did not move.

“Kill yourself.”

Violet’s breathing halted. It was still for

one, two, three seconds. Although air soon filled her body again, her face

remained pale. Even the sound of her heartbeats felt as if it would stop at the

words she received from the man that reminisced vestiges of the one she respected

and loved in looks.

And yet, Violet responded, “I will not. I have been…

ordered to live.” The reply she gave with utmost effort was mixed with sorrow.

“Seriously? Close call. I thought about this…

after I had handed you over to Gil… He told you not to die or something,

right…? Really, what a close call. He’s a softie. It would have been better if you

had died while being used by Gilbert. And yet you’re still alive and kicking.

Even now… I still visit the families of the people you killed to give them

money.”

The field of vision of Violet’s blue eyes grew

unsteady. The fingertip that was pulled away from her had not drawn blood, yet

those words impacted her painfully in the same way that physical violence

would. “If… there… is… something I can—”

“I don’t need anything!! Not from you!”

As he raised his voice, he attracted others’

attention. The duo wound up looking like a man in a military uniform intimidating

a civilian woman.

“You… too… leave. Just leave.”

“I still… have questions.”

Dietfriet gave a deep, deep sigh. He scratched

his bangs and scowled at Violet as if he truly did hate her. And so, he

proceeded to grasp the artificial arm that he had once pushed. “Then come with

me in a way that wouldn’t look weird to everyone else. We’re going to another

place.”

By presumption, Violet came as close to

Dietfriet as she could. The guests nearby most likely believed they just had a

lover’s quarrel.

The two walked mutely for a while. Dietfriet’s

consideration in his manner of guiding a lady was proportional to the abusive

language he had used on Violet. Whether or not it was something he did on

automatic without meaning to could be conjectured in his facial expression. He

was wearing the navy’s uniform, after all. Such behavior might be conventional.

That is, walking as if being protected by an adult man.

It was not Violet’s first time walking through

a scenery of people laughing joyfully with her hand being pulled by someone in

a military uniform, yet it was overall a rare life experience. The situation

was completely different from the previous time. The person she had chased, the

height of his line of sight upon looking at her, everything.

The full-fledged female soldier reached out for

her emerald brooch naturally. Her child self might have been the invincible

one. The grown-up Auto-Memories Doll Violet was wavering in apprehension.

Once the number of people diminished, Dietfriet

released her arm as if throwing her away.

“You have

any business with me? If it’s about resentment, I won’t listen.”

“I do not…

resent you.”

Dietfriet

snorted. “I wonder about that. I get praises and grudges from many directions.

I have that sort of personality, after all. Sometimes, I feel like I’ll be

detonated just like that.”

“I will not

do it. I will not do… such a thing to you.”

At Violet’s

response, his green eyes strained indescribably. A fury unlike his primary

disdain was encompa.s.sed in said eyes.

As if being

jostled by Dietfriet while he approached her, Violet took a few steps back. Her

spine stuck against the trunk of a big tree, but as she intently stared back at

him regardless without averting her gaze, a fist flew next to her face. She was

not hit, but a piece of wood scratched her cheek. She was not the only one who

bled. With a side-glance, she confirmed that blood was shed from Dietfriet’s fist.

“Do you

remember…? When you were small, I used to punch and kick you.”

“Yes.”

“Whenever I

didn’t feel your killing intent, you would receive a certain degree of violent

treatment from me. When I’m with you, I become a monster too… you make me

like this.”

“I… make

you…?”

“That’s

right. It’s your fault. It’s like that even now. Being with and talking to you

infuriate me. My heart can’t rest. You do that to me. You killed my companions.

What happened back then appears in my dreams over and over. But though I’m

disgusted to h.e.l.l by you, I don’t despise you. No, it might be that I simply

hate you so much I can’t handle it, but it doesn’t feel like spite. It’s closer

to giving up. I think I have no choice but conform to the fact a defective

a.s.set like you exists in this world… have you any idea why?” Dietfriet

punched the tree once again with his other fist.

Violet did

not look away. She earnestly stared at the other with those blue eyes. Perhaps

because they were too blue and clear, they wound up bringing about a feeling of

exposure to Dietfriet.

“One of my

comrades that you killed had tried to rape you. That’s why you murdered him.

Everything, everything, everything, everything goes in circles! It’s because it

all goes in circles…! That’s why I don’t resent any of it.” Dietfriet said.

“The things…

that I did… and that you did…?”

“That’s

right. Hasn’t anyone told you?”

Violet

lightly shook her head. “No, I have been told about it.”

As if

hitting the mark, Hodgins’s prediction now befell upon Violet, “And then, for the first time, you’ll notice

the many burns you have. You’ll realize that there’s still fire at your feet.

You’ll realize that there are people pouring oil onto it. It might be easier to

live without knowing all this. There will certainly be times when you’ll end up

crying as well.”

Until the

time when her eyelids would close for eternity, she would not know the feeling

of having her body burn. Such was the monster she had been destined to be. Yet

the monster, the tool, Violet was currently

living as a person. She had been doing so ever since she had cried as she

brought a deceased youth back to his hometown – rather, way before that.

Despite sniffing the smell of herself being wrapped and scorching in flames,

she had chosen to ‘live’.

“And that’s

why, even if you begrudged me, I would tell you, ‘like I care’.”

There was a

reason why she had chosen to live as a person. Only, that was the sole s.h.i.+ning

light in the monstrous girl’s life.

“You are

mistaken, that is not it… my apologies for stopping you. I had… simply…

wanted to ask about Major.”

Dietfriet

slowly loosened his fist. Blood welled in his white knuckles. “He turned into a

complete mess thanks to you, but what about him?”

“What

should I do?”

“Haah?”

Violet

Evergarden asked Dietfriet Bougainvillea, “Although I am… a tool, I was

unable to protect him. But… he told me to live, hence why I am living. If

there is… anything else… that I… could do, I wish you to tell me. Is it

all right… for me to be alive? I end up… overflowing with sensations.

Sensations… from being involved with people. Just from being involved with

them. Even though… I am Major’s tool… I was… told to live… I… towards

Major…”

The two of

them used to be a monster and her keeper, a wielder and his tool. Everything in

their relations.h.i.+p had changed.

“As if I’d

know!! Why are you asking me!?”

Even so,

the servant pursued teachings from her former master.

“Because I

used to be… your tool.”

The monster

he had picked from an isolated island had developed, became able to speak and

was trembling in restlessness.

“If you’re

a tool, don’t go having a will of your own!”

Trembling

in restlessness and seeking for help.

“Because…

you… used to be… my… Master.”

Dietfriet

was caught off-guard by Violet’s statement.

——Did you think I was your Lord?

Violet’s

blue orbs were beautifully limpid. Therefore, they caused Dietfriet to

reminisce to the things he had made her do in the past like a mirror.

“As if I give

a d.a.m.n about a tool I threw away! You’re a monster and a calamity that

destroyed my little brother’s life!”

The things

people did to others came back to them through time.

“Sir

Dietfriet… then, why is it… that you… gave me to Major?”

Pain and gentleness

came back to him. It was a gaze that seemed to shoot in his direction. One that

was hanging onto him, but that did not say so. Those were the same eyes she had

showed Dietfriet when parting ways with him. He had been pierced by such gaze

and brought her with him from that remote island, leaving her to his younger

brother, who was the only member of their family that he had contact with.

Why had he

handed her over to Gilbert? It was as Violet had said.

She was a

useful tool, yet Dietfriet had deemed her as too much for him. He did not

believe he had a concrete proof that his younger brother could properly use her

as he entrusted her to him. The fact that he could have kept her alive and sold

her must have run through his head. It felt as if Gilbert had been pressed on

by Dietfriet.

What did

Dietfriet have in mind when leaving Violet to Gilbert? Was there really no one

as option except for Gilbert? What about the other navy officers? Back then,

there must have been additional choices. Yet he gave her away to his family.

“Do you

understand human feelings?” Dietfriet stretched out his hands to grab Violet’s

collar.

Did he want

to hit her? Did he want to kill her? Or perhaps was it a lecture?

“If you do,

then die. Accept my wrath and grief. But you… won’t die even if I tell you

to, right?”

“Yes.”

“I won’t

die either. And I don’t want to understand… what you’re puzzled about. I’ve

been doing things much worse than you did for a living. But so what? I’m alive.

When I die, it’ll be over. Even I have laments and hards.h.i.+ps. There are also

times when I think dying would be much better, and at those moments, I consider

doing so. You keep making a face like you’re the only one having it hard;

everyone has it hard. The guys you killed wouldn’t have died had they not

gotten involved with me. It might have been my fault. I was the commander,

after all. I wasn’t able to protect them while leading them. But, y’know, Monster…

if you… have the slightest remorse for what you did, and won’t die no matter

what… live on, until you get killed by someone or your lifespan runs out.

Rather than dying…”

Did he want

to hit her? Did he want to kill her? Or perhaps…

“…it’s

harder to stay alive.”

Perhaps…

“It’s way

harder to stay alive. Still, swallow all of it down and live on. It just so happens

that those who can’t do this end up dying. If you won’t die by your own hands,

never blame your sins on anyone, and live on. Live, live, live, live, live,

live, live, live, live, live, live, live, live, live, live, live, live, live,

live, live, live, live…” Dietfriet suddenly let go of Violet’s collar, “and

then die.”

Violet

regarded Dietfriet with a gaze unlike the one she would give Gilbert, but it

was certainly of someone who was looking at her Lord. “Sir Dietfriet. Has Major

really… pa.s.sed away?”

“What do

you… want me to say?”

At his

words, Violet inhaled a ragged breath. She could see something glistening in

the sky. “You will not… say ‘yes’, as everyone else, will you? I have just

confirmed it. If Major had died, you would definitely, by all means… already

have killed me.”

Within

Violet’s field of vision, something fell from the blue skies over Dietfriet’s

head, like snow, like flowers.

“He is

alive, right?”

The Flying

Letters were raining down. A gush of wind swabbed in-between the two, blowing

fiercely with a rumble. The letters flowed about like a blizzard.

Yellow

planes flew as if cutting the sky open. They scattered the letters that carried

the feelings of many, so as to deliver them to the people below. It was as if

they meant to say, “Choose one from these. The letter you will pick up upon its

fall will cheer for your fate.”

“Violet!”

Within a deprived line of sight, someone yelled Violet’s name and forcefully

carried her as if she were luggage.

Dietfriet’s

figure grew farther and farther away. She attempted whispering his name, but could

no longer reach him. The last she saw of him was as he abruptly turned on his

heels. He did not spare a single glance in her direction.

Violet then

called out to the person running after desperately abducting her, “President…

Hodgins.”

“Keep your

head low!”

“Everything

is fine, President Hodgins.”

“It’s not!

Why… are you with such a dangerous person!?”

Violet

checked once more the spot of the s.h.i.+ning object that she had confirmed

earlier. Nothing could be seen there anymore. “It really is all right. I had

already noticed that I was under the aim of his underling’s sniper rifle from

that hill.”

“‘Sniper’,

you say…!?”

“His

bodyguards were not together with him, but once I was close to him, I was able

to sense the danger. That person… had always walked around with bodyguards… so

I knew it when I did not see them. But that was merely for watch. He did not

have any intention to give a signal. President Hodgins, is work going well?”

Her

calmness was usually reliable, but he could not say so in such a situation.

Hodgins replied with anger and impatience blended with relief, “I was thinking

Cattleya would cry, so I ended it as soon as possible… and then, I heard you

had gone after a man in military uniform… I got chills. Don’t ever go see

Gilbert’s older brother, Little Violet. Though that person is related to

Gilbert by blood, they’re completely different people. Even if he’s your former

Lord, you can’t. He’s a scary one. He… hates you. I was careless… From now

on, even if it’s a festival, we won’t partic.i.p.ate in this one. I thought you

were going to be dragged back into the military… I’ll have you go back home

for today. Okay?”

“Yes.”

“Did he say

anything? Are you all right?”

Violet

didn’t answer immediately. She stretched a hand towards the sky. Still being

carried by Hodgins, she took one letter in her hands.

“Hey, did

he say anything weird? Little Violet?”

She picked

the thoughts of a person directed to another.

“No, no.

Nothing… I’ve only… received something.”

“Live.”

“What was

it?”

“Without ever blaming anyone, live. Live.

Live.”

“Encouragement.”

“And then die.”

Dietfriet

walked amidst the dispersed letters. He distanced himself from the center of

the maneuver area, on which people were going crazy about the Flying Letters,

entering the control tower that was forbidden of access for anyone except the

staff. He nodded at those wearing the same naval uniform as himself, as well as

those wearing the army’s.

“If you’d

done anything uncalled for, my underlings in the acrobatic flight would have

seen it.” Amongst them, a man who stood on the side spoke to him. “They’re

still flying.” As a screech resounded from his mechanical arm, the man who had

talked pointed towards the sky.

“It’s been

a few years.”

His

appearance was different from when Dietfriet knew of him. One of his eyes was

covered by an eyepatch, and a laceration was half-hidden by it. His hair was

the color of dusk. His emerald green irises were as real gems. His profile,

bordered on melancholy, littered with coldness. His tall body was clad in the

purplish black army uniform of Leidenschaftlich, the seacoast country so famous

for being a military nation. It was not the one that any soldier could wear. A

golden badge attached to his cloak indicated the scale of his status.

Gilbert

waved off Dietfriet’s hand, which had rested on his shoulder.

“How cold.

Just now, I met your tool.”

For the two

of them, it was obvious what “tool” referred to.

“I ain’t

lying. She chased after me. It doesn’t look like she mistook me for you,

though. Be careful. You’re pretending to be dead, right? Why are you doing

things in such a complicated way…?”

“Brother,

about Violet…”

“I didn’t

tell her anything.” Dietfriet uttered no lie. “It seems she was at loss after

you were gone. I just told her something as her former Lord: to live as much as

she could and then die.”

Due to him

not having affirmed anything, Violet Evergarden had gone back home with the

hope she that had been embracing rea.s.sured. He did not intend to reveal that to

his younger brother.

“This is

your wish, right? It’s probably not the same… for that thing. Before I

realized, someone was taking her away. Since he had conspicuous red hair, it

must have been that colleague of yours from your military school days, right?

He must have thought I was gonna kill her. Haha, as if I could manage. If I

were able to kill her, I already would have… Hey, Gil. You wouldn’t possibly

say that you like that monster, would you? You’ve raised it into a pretty fine

woman, but you know what’s inside. Stop that.”

“It doesn’t

concern you.”

“It does.

You’re important. You’re my little brother.”

“This is

between me and Violet. It doesn’t concern… anyone else. The one who pushed

everything onto that ‘important little brother’ was you, wasn’t it? Whatever I,

who was left behind…” Gilbert’s emerald orbs slanted. The sky was so bright

that watching it caused his eyes to ache. However, he did not close them. “…am

betting my whole life to protect is my business. I am carving my own position

for that. Right now, my reason to live isn’t for the sake of aiming for even

higher-ranking prestige in the army, or for cleaning up after you in the

Bougainvillea household. It’s for her. If you ever do anything, I will crush

you with all I have. That’s what my weapons are for. This won’t change even if

my opponent is you, Brother.”

Seeing how

much his younger brother, whom he was meeting for the first in a long time, had

changed, Dietfriet observed the sky as if it were too dazzling. “You’re… not

small anymore, huh.” He balled a fist and attempted to punch Gilbert on the

shoulder.

Gilbert accepted

it. He grabbed ahold of the other’s hand firmly. Dietfriet endured the throbbing

in his hand and wrapped it over Gilbert’s. It was almost as when they held

hands in their childhood.

“Hey, I may

be a s.h.i.+tty brother to you, but… I love you.”

The

brothers told each other secrets. In low voices, so that no one else would

hear.

“I know.”

Within the

Bougainvillea house, they had always talked in such way. In order to not be

scolded, they would only whisper, just the two of them.

“You really…

do understand, huh. Even like this, I love you… with all my might. I love

you, Gilbert… I… wonder why… I just… can’t properly convey this to the

people I’m really fond of.”

“I know,

Brother.”

As the veil

of night descended, the people who had put off the Aeronautical Exhibition

relied on the moonlight and the lamps of their rooms to read the words of

encouragement sent to them by someone unknown. Were their own letters inspiring

anyone? With their thoughts running wild, they thoroughly reflected on that

day. It might have been a good one for some. It might have not for others.

Whichever it was, the kindness given to them unconditionally reduced the

loneliness of a long night and the anxiety towards following morning, bestowing

them with a tiny bit of hope.

Standing

alone by a window, Violet attempted opening the single envelope that she had

brought with her from the Flying Letters after having been taken back to the

Evergarden mansion.

“Yes.”

All it

contained were the words “cheer up”, with a handwriting that seemed to be the

one of a child.

Dawn broke

equally to everyone. No matter who it was.

Mornings

were merely a small part of a whole day. However, it was also an important

moment in which people’s conduct would be demarcated. The color of the sky they

would see, the scent of the air, whether they had eaten, how much they had

slept the day before – each little element was definite for their choices and

actually dictated their fates. Without knowing that much, people would afterwards

regret the decisions they made casually. After all, dawn broke equally to

everyone, but that applied solely to the living.

Once

something begun, the only thing left to do was move on towards the end.