Taikutsu-girai no Fuuin Jutsushi

63. An honest smile

Outside the mother punk, I and Shura lined up in the field.

Pearl and Akane-san, Dia and Garratt came to see off.

I turned my head and looked for a girl with white hair.

“She…isn’t here?”

There was no figure of Layla.

In the end, did showing her the letter, a good choice?

I don’t know the contents of the letter. It would be nice if she could recover her spirit after seeing the old man’s letter… At this point, I’ve no choice but to believe in the old man.

“Seal-kun, Shura-chan”

Akane-san smiled gently and gently put her hand on my and Shura’s heads.

“If it gets hard, you can always come and visit us.”

Uh… what a lovely mother.

Please stop… You’re making it hard…

“Yes. It was a short time, but I’d been in your care. Thank you.”

“W-well, if I feel like it, I’ll come and visit you!”

It seemed that Shura was shy.

“Fufu, I’m looking forward to it. “

Next to Akane-san, Pearl folded his arms and laughed as usual, “GhaHaHa!”

“I will go to the Imperial City after I get rid of the work that has accumulated in <Mother Punk>!”

“You don’t have to. I mean, Don’t leave Akane-san alone here.”

“Ara ara, Seal-kun will be a good husband! “

Akane-san squinted and looked at Pearl.

Pearl looked apologetically, “Yeah.”

Then, two small shadows appeared in front of me. 

Dia and Garratt.

“If there is something wrong with <Engetsu>, bring it here and I’ll fix it.”

“A’ight”

“If you want to pet this I, Garratt, come back anytime!”

When I slid my point of view to the right, Shura was glancing at Garratt and turned her cheeks red.

“If you want to touch, you should touch.”

“Uhh… then, just a little”

Shura attacked Garratt with a big hug. Garratt received it with a scream, “Urgh!?”

After the farewell greetings, we set out on our journey.

“Alright, time to go.”

It was when I was about to turn my back on <Mother Punk>.

“WAIT!!”

A girl’s voice stopped us.

I looked back and looked at the source of the voice. I couldn’t help but make my eyes round.

“You――”

“She is…”

The owner of the voice was a girl with white hair.

She was dressed in pure white clothes. Definitely, she was Layla Frieheit.

However, the hair had been cut to about the shoulders. Her long hair that stretched to her waist wasn’t there.

With a flower-shaped hair ornament on the head,

She also had a bag on her shoulder.

“What happened? Your hair is…”

“Hmm? There’s no deep reason. I just cut it because it was in the way. You think, it doesn’t look good?”

――It’s a foul to ask that while glancing up like that. At least for me.

“No, no… it looks good on you. Rather, it’s my favorite length.”

“Really? Ehehe… thanks.”

Layla looked relieved while playing with her short hair with her index finger as if she got shy.

“Why are you getting embarrassed. Ewww, stop, it makes me feel sick!”

“Why are you getting frustrated?”

Shura looked at the bag on Layla’s shoulder and pointed her finger.

“Hey, where are you going with your luggage?”

“Oh, right. First of all, I have something to tell you… “

Layla walked over to us and looked back.

“Let me follow your journey, too. Seal-kun. I also want to go to the Imperial City. I want to go there and clear my grandpa’s name.”

“Hah?”

“What!?”

“Is it… a no?”

“Nope!”

“Welcome”

“Hey!”

Shura looked up at me and glared.

“What? There should be no problem in terms of strength, right?”

“Ugh, that’s right but…”

“If you’re heading to the old man’s house, it’s better to have this girl. Am I wrong?”

“Mmmー…”

Even if I don’t take her, this girl will move alone. If so, it’s easier to keep her within reach. I can’t let this girl die after all.

Besides, this girl’s ability goes well with me. I’m sure there is no loss in moving together.

“I’ll be in your care, Shura-chan! Hmm～! You’re so cute after all…”

“Hmmph! Just don’t be too much of a burden!”

Two footsteps approaching Layla.

Pearl and Akane-san were staring at Layla with lonely faces.

“Miss Layla…”

“Thank you very much, Pearl-san. Akane-san too, thank you…”

“Layla-chan. It looks like you’re okay now.”

“Yes……”

Layla bowed to the couple with a few tears.

When Layla raised her head, I opened my mouth.

“Layla”

“What is it, Seal-kun?”

Raised my index finger and pointed to the cherry blossom-colored hair ornament on Layla’s head.

“That hair accessory, looks good on you. I really like it. It seems you’ve got a good sense.”

It was a beautiful cherry blossom color.

A color that would calm you down, just by looking at it.

” ――!? Um, mmm… Thank, you.”

Layla looked down and briskly passed me.

…Hmm? Did I make a mistake? I honestly praised her though…

“Hey, Seal-kun”

Layla raised her face and looked into my eyes.

“Can I, take back my previous statement?”

The smile was as radiant as the cherry blossoms that color the city. It was beautiful and bright without any cloudiness.

“After all, you look a lot like the person I like the most…”

The Everlasting Spring Town, <Mother Punk>

It seemed that I finally got the chance to see Layla Freiheit’s honest smile in this place where the cherry blossoms were scattered.

“Is that so? Well, what an honor.”

And so, Layla joined the group, and we left <Mother Punk>.

“Then, let’s go! Next is the Imperial City <Avalantia>! “

In this way, a new page of the story began.

I, Shura, and Layla set foot at the same time toward the plain, where volcanoes and valleys were awaiting.

TN: So this is the end of arc 2. I managed to finish this arc before the manga release tomorrow. I hope the art for the manga will be good.

Just some info, in the LN, Seal ordered the weapon before the battle with Layla, but that’s all, the flow of the story in overall still the same.

Next, after considering this for a while, 3, I’ll do the side story after arc 3, since arc 3 will end in a better way to start the side story.