“Anyway, there is the problem of release adaptation, and that needs to be solved before we can disable the last remaining control mechanism. Roilnia is something to worry about after that.”
“And when do you think that will be?”
“Who knows? That’s why we can’t leave this solely up to Haimar.”
There was more than one way to solve the problem.
Since the time it took for the ‘release adaptation’ problem to resolve varied from person to person, it was impossible to pinpoint an exact starting date.
It was simply a problem that time would solve.
However, while Haimar’s problem might naturally fade with time, the matter of Roilnia was not something they could leisurely ignore.
Therefore, it was wrong to be certain that the Haimar-only solution everyone was thinking of was the best.
If there’s a Plan A, shouldn’t there be a Plan B and C as well?
“Besides, Haimar can get hurt, and there’s no guarantee that he will win.”
“You’re worried about that?”
“Isn’t that obvious?”
Elgran’s eyes, which had been anxiously waiting for Lus’s car, turned to Ben and fixed upon him.
Elgran’s gaze was so sharp it seemed to pierce right through Ben.
Reflected in those large, white eyes like a mirror, Ben felt as if he were looking into himself.
Then, the face, purged of all extraneous thoughts and impurities, moved impassively.
“I don’t think Haimar Eilec will lose.”
“I’m not saying he’ll lose—.”
“He can’t lose.”
It was a clear conviction held by someone who had continually witnessed overwhelming strength.
The belief was so resolute it rendered Ben speechless.
“……”
Elgran was confident in every victory Haimar would achieve.
He was no longer a ticking time bomb that could explode at any moment.
This was because there was an insurmountable, vast difference between Roilnia Ranilgraphe and the current Haimar Eilec.
Haimar losing?
The very thought was unthinkable, even in imagination.
Discussing ‘a winning fight’ with Haimar was meaningless.
To Haimar, who would win any battle, defeat was virtually a non-existent word.
However, a ‘defensive fight’ might be different.
The reason Elgran was confident in Haimar’s victory but dared not predict ‘absolute’ was due to a fundamental difference that had emerged.
That difference meant that a ‘variable,’ which no one had considered before, could now exist.
That’s right. If there was a variable.
If only one such thing existed.
When the one reverse scale that had grown on the purely solid shell of the monster was finally touched, would the man who had never fought a defensive battle be able to achieve the same victory without being swayed by emotion?
A faint crack of apprehension surfaced in Elgran’s otherwise impassive demeanor.
“You should worry about yourself, not Haimar.”
With one sentence, Elgran compressed and dismissed the worry that wasn’t his to bear.
Worrying about his own Guide was much easier for his mind.
In any case, any hypothesis was meaningless unless it involved the parties concerned.
Elgran didn’t know the precise extent of Haimar’s feelings for Ben, and therefore, he couldn’t predict the consequences should something happen to Ben.
Elgran simply hoped that Ben and Haimar could finish the task safely and successfully for the sake of his and his beloved Lus’s well-being.
“You mean I should mind my own business?”
“Something like that. Oh, there’s Lus’s car.”
As a car of a familiar color approached from a distance, Elgran waved his hand vigorously.
The window of the smoothly stopped car rolled down, revealing Lus behind the wheel.
“Thank you for seeing me off, Ben. I owe you a lot for my stay here. I’ll be waiting for you at [Integra], so please take good care of your health.”
Lus leaned out of the driver’s seat and extended his hand for a handshake, and Ben reached out to reciprocate.
However, Ben’s hand was pushed away as if struck by a cat’s paw.
The owner of the fierce hand motion, which left a red mark on Ben’s hand with a smacking sound, was, of course, Elgran.
The cat, who brazenly embarrassed both Ben’s hand and even his own Guide’s hand, bristled his fur and equally abused everyone, be it his lover or an acquaintance.
Was this not a daily occurrence?
Ben, hearing Lus’s apology from behind Elgran, who was arrogantly blocking the passenger-side window, decided to forgo the handshake.
“Yes. I look forward to seeing you again.”
“Who knows if there will be a next time, or if this will be the last. Ah, speaking of which, take this.”
Elgran, who was about to get into the passenger seat but seemed to recall something, opened the back door and rummaged among the various luggage, pulling out a shopping bag and handing it to Ben without warning.
“What is this?”
“We already have too much luggage, and Ellyn said it would be a shame to waste the wine he had left over, so he told me to bring it to [Integra]. I was annoyed about carrying it, so you drink it instead.”
Ben cautiously looked inside the shopping bag and saw a new, unopened bottle of wine resting inside a box.
He didn’t know much about wine, but even at a glance, it didn’t look cheap.
He wondered if he was getting involved in Elgran’s self-made trouble for nothing.
Quickly deciding, Ben grabbed the man who was about to get into the passenger seat.
“Please just take this with you. Why are you foisting this on me?”
“Oh, I don’t know. We have plenty more, so we won’t go broke if one bottle is missing. Ellyn won’t lose his mind over you drinking one bottle of his wine. If you’re really scared, just hide behind Haimar.”
“Hold on.”
“I’m leaving now. Leaving this annoying Eternita for my darling and my sweet home that awaits me!”
Elgran, having excellently disregarded Ben’s refusal, got into the passenger seat and cuddled Lus, purring contentedly beneath his chin.
Ben considered throwing the wine bottle out the open window in a fit of pique, but after confirming that there were several identical bottles overflowing in the back seat, just as Elgran said, he quietly accepted it.
He concluded that it would be better to thank Ellyn later than to forcibly hand it back now.
“Then, we’ll be going.”
“Yes. Drive safely.”
Watching the car drive off smoothly, just as it had arrived, Ben waved his hand.
Elgran sticking his tongue out playfully in the side mirror was the last image before the pair of Guide and Esper left Eternita.
Watching the receding car until it disappeared into a dot, Ben noticed the early evening sky where the sun was beginning to set.
Under the orange-hued sky, buildings stood with their backs dark, and patches of dark clouds signaled the coming night.
Checking the time on his smartphone, it wasn’t very late, making him realize how short the days were in winter.
What should I eat for dinner?
The flow of his thoughts naturally shifted toward the upcoming dinner and the someone who would be at home.
Since there had been no contact so far, it seemed likely that the person was sound asleep, and it would be best to hurry back and prepare an early dinner.
Then, Ben, mentally estimating the ingredients in the refrigerator, recalled his ‘minus hands’ and decided to buy dinner outside and take it home instead.
It was a little frustrating—no, honestly, it was very frustrating—but Haimar, who looked like he’d been raised too preciously to ever touch a drop of water with his hands, was good at cooking.
When Ben had eaten the clam chowder before, he’d dismissed it as a coincidence, merely thinking, ‘He has pretty good sense.’
However, as the time they spent together increased, and Haimar coincidentally took over the general kitchen duties, Ben realized it wasn’t a coincidence—he was just good at cooking.
It was astonishing that he could display such skill with only sheer talent, without formal training.
Cooking was not his hobby, nor had he done it often, yet he skillfully made delicious meals, whether he had a recipe or not.
In contrast, despite living alone for a considerable amount of time, Ben’s cooking skills were as if he and fire were mortal enemies in a past life.
His otherwise competent dexterity would only exude a minus aura in the kitchen, making him a potential kitchen terrorist every time.
Because of this, Ben’s main dishes were simple, one-bowl meals or dishes that could be made with retort foods.
Since this was, to put it mildly, at a ‘not good’ level, he once again felt frustrated, realizing that cooking was truly a realm of talent.
Given the circumstances, having to battle the complex ingredients in the refrigerator and create a meal?
Unthinkable.
He himself didn’t have high expectations.
Still, meal kits and pre-packaged foods were so well-made these days.
If the dish could be finished by just boiling or microwaving, regardless of personal cooking skills, surely it would be good enough for the two of them to eat?
The fact that he was considering an extra mouth to feed, when he would have cared little about the taste if it was just for himself, doubled the complexity of Ben’s thoughts.
It was awkward, but he didn’t dislike this kind of worry.
Rather, the act of preparing and worrying about something for someone else was so long overdue that his heart felt warmly ticklish.
If Ellyn, the self-proclaimed famous love scholar, heard this, he would cheer, saying that the ‘love cells’ that had been dormant in some corner of his heart were awakening.
In any case, Ben, struck squarely by the late-winter wind that grew colder as the sun set, buried his mouth in the muffler he was wearing.
Then, he tried to move his frozen fingers, stiff from holding the wine, and searched for the nearest market on his smartphone.
Since he hadn’t brought the car, a proper grocery run could wait for him and Haimar to do together later.
He’d just buy a few simple snacks and focus on the dinner menu.
Since he happened to acquire expensive-looking wine, it wouldn’t hurt to buy a few appetizers to go with it.
Having finished his thoughts, Ben quickly shoved his smartphone into his jacket pocket, seeking refuge from the wind that clawed at the back of his hand, and headed towards the market.
