The young girl was bored.
She was aware that she had gone insane.
Further, her surroundings had rapidly gone insane as well.
Everything was just as she wished.
Whatever she said became reality.
She lacked for nothing.
A paradise made just for her.
“—–“
“You seem bored, Miss,”
the boy said, as if seeing right through her.
He had appeared in her world recently.
And yet, he still did not belong to her.
“……Yeah, it’s not fun. Terribly boring in fact.”
However, the girl laughed.
Not because it was funny, but just out of habit.
If she smiled sweetly, others would instantly become her captives.
But the boy was different.
“Are you perhaps scheming something?”
“No, not really? There’s nothing I want to do.”
“That’s a lie.”
“—–“
Her sweet smile cracked.
His words struck like a knife.
“It’s not that I have nothing I want to do. I just lack a clear direction, is all.”
“……I’m surprised.”
It was the truth.
Just as he said.
There were things she wanted to do.
She just lacked a clear direction.
She had a purpose, but no goal.
“Hey, why don’t you stop all this now?”
“And what will you give me if I do?”
“Well, at the very least, I’ll prepare a place where you won’t be bored.”
●
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT LOCALIZERMEERKAT.PAGES.DEV
Cklares-Airy Step.
A flaxen-haired girl with a side ponytail.
Pale pink and light green odd eyes.
She always wore a mischievous smile.
Cklares is difficult to describe.
She cannot be summed up in a single word.
The one constant is the bright green staff she always carried.
That smile did not necessarily mean she was enjoying herself. Whether happy, angry or sad, she smiled.
It was hard to tell what she was thinking. She was inscrutable.
Such a Cklares said,
“I’m looking forward to the capital, Sensei.”
Sitting cross-legged on the opposite sofa, she wore a mischievous grin.
She had suddenly looked up from the book she was reading and closed one eye in a sweet smile.
“I can’t say I’m too eager about it, to be honest.”
“Is that so? What a shame, I’ve been too excited to sleep for the past week.”
“Oh? By the way, how much did you sleep last night?”
“—-A full twelve hours.”
“That’s way too much.”
“Teehee.”
“Good grief.”
Realizing he was being teased, he looked out the window.
The scenery rushed by at high speed.
Norman and Cklares were currently on a train.
The Trevido Express, running from Balldlum to Nodnorl.
The private cabin seats were soft and comfortable, but there was a low vibration and noise.
Cklares followed Norman’s gaze, looking out over the wasteland stretching to the horizon.
“A train bound for the capital, huh. This is my first time riding one. They really play up it being cutting-edge to jack up the ticket prices. Did you see when we boarded? Everyone riding is filthy rich. Like that museum director you trashed last week.”
“Yeah, I saw him. Let’s avoid him at all costs, a murder might go down otherwise.”
“Yeah, it was lucky we could experience this thanks to the Cartesius’ funds covering the cost.”
She picked up a teacup from the table mounted below the window.
It was part of the tea set ordered from room service.
“The school isn’t exactly fulfilling, you know.”
She attended a girls’ school in Balldlum.
Wearing a white double-breasted jacket and green skirt, her skirt only reached just above her knees when it should have fallen to around her calves.
It was truly rare for an ‘Unlaws’ to attend school.
Sitting across from each other in the not-so-spacious compartment with her skirt that short, Norman thought he might catch a glimpse of her thighs which wouldn’t be good. He thought it, but didn’t say it.
“You should really attend classes properly.”
“Well, part of why my attendance is so spotty is because of work with you, Sensei. But I am pretty popular at school. Every day someone comes to ask me for advice about their troubles.”
“That’s quite the reputation you’ve cultivated, but does it have anything to do with classes?”
“Unfortunately, an all-girls boarding school is mostly just training to be a bride. Boring.”
“Wouldn’t that make it all the more reason to study diligently?”
“There’s no need for me to study. I’m an only child after all.”
Her sweet, sunny smile was as refreshing as a spring breeze.
But her eyes didn’t quite match the smile.
“……Do you even know who’s paying your tuition?”
“Hmm, now who could that be? Some kind benefactor, perhaps?”
“……..My sister. Don’t forget that.”
“Teehee.”
She took a sip of her tea.
“Well, it’s a rare chance to leave the city environs and even visit the capital. I’m honestly just looking forward to it.”
“Cklares. Just to be clear, we’re still working, you know?”
“I’m well aware. But surely I’m allowed to enjoy the sights of the capital as we go, no?”
“As long as you get the job done. We were planning to stay overnight anyway.”
“Teehee. Yes, I’m really looking forward to it, Sensei.”
She set down her teacup and deftly spun the shaft of her staff in her palm.
Round and round it went.
Norman just shrugged indifferently.
A year and a half after first visiting Balldlum, Norman was now headed for the capital after a six-month gap.
He was visiting Cartesius headquarters in the capital to file various reports.
It was originally his sister Spheria’s duty, but she was busy with affairs in Balldlum, so Norman was acting as her proxy while doing some sightseeing.
Cklares was accompanying him.
This was also an extremely rare opportunity.
“For an ‘Unlaws’ like me to actually leave the city, you know?”
She wore a bright smile, yet her eyes didn’t smile, as the girl called a monster who couldn’t leave the city
She has some freedom of movement within the city, but if she leaves the city without permission she will be detained or killed.
At least that’s what happens to Unlaws, whose location and presence are known, and she is informed.
So it’s probably true that she’s floating around.
“And I even get to go on an overnight date with Sensei. Everyone will be so jealous.”
“Well I’d go anytime if I got invited like that.”
“Oh? What if all four of us invited you at once?”
“………..I’d just make clones of myself.”
“Aw, I was hoping you’d say you’d choose me, even if it was a lie. How sad.”
Contrary to her words, Cklares seemed delighted, smiling sweetly as the staff shaft spun.
“The train isn’t so bad.”
Cklares murmured, looking out at the scenery.
“As long as there are rails, you can go anywhere. Much faster than walking, horses, cars or bikes. But it can’t run without rails. Isn’t that interesting? Free, yet the least free of all. Only able to travel a predetermined path, yet traveling that path is the fastest way.”
“You mean the restrictions?”
“No, not quite Norman Sensei. There are restrictions, but freedom exists within them. Like this cutting-edge express train for example, what exactly makes it cutting-edge?”
“It’s way faster than before and can carry tons more cargo.”
“Indeed. And just to confirm, how many cars make up this train and how many are passenger cars?”
“Ten cars total, with two being passenger cars. One has the bar and restaurant, the rest are freight cars.”
“Right, exactly. That very car ratio is part of the freedom. Here’s the strange part though – not many people leave Balldlum. There are traveling merchants sure, but would they really need to dedicate luxurious passenger cabins on an express train? Couldn’t it all just be freight trains?”
Cklares’ question gave Norman some pause.
“I don’t think it’s that complicated, really.”
“Oh?”
“It’s probably for the merchants themselves. The freight cars in back to ship tons of goods to the capital. That’s necessary for transport and hauling – food, daily goods, expensive items and whatnot. Riding in the express cars would be the final step. But then the hauling costs go up, right? So it gets more expensive, and more responsibility too. If there’s more responsibility, you’d want the person in charge accompanying the goods.”
“I see, I see. So those are the people riding in these cabins.”
Her staff rapped the floor.
“Brilliant deduction, Norman Sensei.”
“Don’t go praising me now.”
Norman stood up.
“Where are you off to, Sensei?”
“Getting a refill on the tea. It’ll still be a while until we reach the capital, right? Did you want me to pick up anything to eat too? Getting peckish?”
“On a fancy train like this, can’t we just call for service? But then again—–“
“But?”
“It might be best to not go out there just yet.”
“Say…
Whew.”
She said, then exhaled loudly.
“Fuuuh—“
Before Norman could wonder about it, she kissed him. By the time he registered the sudden act, he found himself pushed back into the sofa seat.
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