The dawn of the day I decided to leave, a chilly air seeped into my collar. I left the house, glancing around like a criminal. My palms were clammy, and every nerve was sharply on edge.
If anyone saw me now and realized I was heading for the Devil's Fangs, I would be caught immediately and rendered utterly helpless.
The villagers' piercing glares and accusations were as clear as day. The scolding would be even harsher than when I carelessly started a small fire as a child.
More than anything, I didn't even want to imagine what would happen if this reached my friend Lea's ears.
'She might just crush me with her bare hands.'
Surely it wouldn't come to such an extreme situation, but Lea was definitely someone capable of it.
Her exceptionally strong physique, even from childhood, had only become more formidable through relentless training, to an unimaginable degree.
'No, for now, just try to act naturally without getting nervous. I'm still in front of the house. Just go quietly.'
I closed my eyes and slowly inhaled and exhaled.
"Hooooh—"
"Hooook—!"
Just then, a moist and warm breath brushed against my ear.
"Ugh-uh-uh-ack!"
'This faint floral scent and the subtle smell of blood tickling my nose...'
"Lea! What are you doing here!"
My face instantly turned pale, and I couldn't even breathe properly.
'I'm dead.'
Desperately trying to believe I hadn't been caught, I forced a smile.
"Ah, you startled me. I was just surprised because my ear was itchy."
"Sorry, your reaction was too funny. As an apology, how about you come over to my place today? I'll make you something delicious."
Lea grabbed my arm and affectionately linked hers with mine. Her unusually excessive kindness felt rather eerie.
"I have plans today. I don't think I can go home."
"Really? Come to think of it, you're fully equipped. Where are you going?"
A large backpack was strapped to my back. Inside were water, emergency medicine, food, and even a can of oil, and a thick rope with a sharp hook at the end was tightly wound around the outside of the backpack.
A dagger was also strapped to my waist, and I was wearing leather gloves.
Finally, goggles to protect my eyes from the intense sunlight hung around my neck. (The snow-covered Devil's Fangs strongly reflected sunlight, which could cause fatal burns to the eyes.)
Normally, since I helped the villagers carry their loads and guided them on mountain paths, I often dressed lightly when going to work to keep myself agile.
"Oh, I'm going to work, work. I have a client waiting, so I need to hurry."
As I tried to quicken my pace, Lea subtly blocked my path.
"You're not, by any chance, going to the Devil's Fangs, are you?"
At that question, a surge of emotion welled up within me, and my voice rose.
"No! What are you saying? Why would I go there!"
Lea slowly placed her hands on my shoulders, a chilling smile on her face.
"Hey."
Lea's voice, suddenly piercing my ear, was completely different from her usual lively tone. An ominous premonition wrapped around me.
The shadow cast on Lea's face deepened in an instant, and the warmth of her smile was replaced by a cold chill.
It was like the tense silence just before a massive tsunami hits, when the seawater recedes without a trace. Instinctively, I sensed a tremendous storm was about to break.
"Why…"
A trembling voice barely escaped my lips.
"Then why are you wearing such thick clothes? It's the middle of summer. Unless it's the Devil's Fangs, are you planning to die of heatstroke under the scorching sun?"
Lea's question pierced my heart like a sharp dagger. It was a clear accusation that left no room for excuses.
Indeed, the clothes I was wearing were heavy winter gear, thick enough to withstand the bitter cold of midwinter.
Sweat trickled down my spine.
"Actually, the client just wants to take a quick look around near the Devil's Fangs, uh… Ack! Aaargh!!"
*Thwack!*
Before I could even finish my sentence, a strong force gripped both of my shoulders. The back of my head slammed hard against the solid wall, and a short, sharp pain shot through my entire body.
Lea's gaze was cold and fierce. Her deep, dark eyes, like those of a predator, held me captive as if trying to see right through me.
"You're not really planning to go to that horrible place, the Devil's Fangs, are you? Tell me no. It has to be no, right?"
She seemed to be giving me one last chance to tell the truth. A faint hope flickered through my mind that if I confessed honestly to this question, she might take a step back, at least for now.
"Ugh…"
A suffocating pain pressed down on my chest.
"Your pupils are shaking uncontrollably right now. Don't look away. Look at me straight. Are you going? Or not? You need to answer carefully right now."
Lea's voice was firm, and mixed within it were deep sorrow and worry.
Lea was my irreplaceable best friend, someone I had laughed and cried with since childhood.
Whenever I acted foolishly and recklessly, she was always the first to step forward and scold me harshly, but within her reprimands was always genuine concern and affection.
Sometimes, she would embrace me warmly like a mother. And here I was, about to sneak off to that dangerous place without saying a word to her.
I had been afraid of hiding this from her, but looking back, I realized how foolish and thoughtless I had been.
'That's right. I can't hide it anymore. I should tell her everything honestly, even now.'
I steadied my trembling breath and put strength into my tightly closed lips. Seeing the subtle change in my expression, as if I had finally made up my mind, her eyes widened with anxiety, and her face turned ashen.
"Lea, I—"
"No."
A resolute and cold word cut off my sentence like a blade.
"No, I—!"
"Absolutely not!!!"
Lea's voice echoed sharply around us.
"Lea…"
No matter what I said now, it felt like Lea wouldn't hear me. Her eyes, filled with intense emotion, were unwavering, and her whole body was trembling slightly. I lowered my head in helplessness. For a moment, a heavy silence descended.
How much time had passed? I couldn't feel the full sensation through the thick leather gloves, but I felt a warm and soft warmth carefully seeping onto the back of my hands. Along with a small pressure, I realized that someone was holding both of my hands.
Slowly lifting my head, I saw Lea looking deeply into my eyes with a sorrowful gaze. Her eyes were brimming with tears.
"You can't go."
Her trembling voice was filled with desperate sadness.
"Lea, do you really think I won't come back alive if I go to that Devil's Fangs? When it comes to climbing mountains, I'm the best in this village."
I asked cautiously. Lea gave an unexpected answer.
"I don't care about that."
"You don't care?"
I asked back, bewildered.
"It doesn't change how dangerous the place you're going to is. You might die, but if you're lucky, you might not? It's not funny at all."
Lea's voice was filled with genuine desperation.
It was conveyed directly to the depths of my heart through her warm touch and sorrowful eyes.
However, even if I yielded to Lea now and backed away, the longing for the Devil's Fangs would only grow stronger with time.
So, I wanted to settle things here and now. My heart, already deeply captivated by that mountain, was too intense to turn back.
"I'm sorry, I'm really sorry. I'm so grateful for your concern for me. But if I give up now, I think I'll regret it for the rest of my life... So I won't give up. I'm really sorry."
At my resolute answer, Lea coldly shook off my hand that she was holding. In that instant, the look in her eyes turned icy.
"If you go to that mountain, you should consider our bond severed."
"What are you talking about? Severed?"
Her stiff voice, devoid of any emotion, felt foreign. The hairs on my body stood on end as if pricked by needles, and I vividly felt cold sweat running down my spine.
"Even if you come back alive from there, I will hate you. Don't even dream of thinking something as naive as, 'Well, I went and came back alive, so it's fine.'"
"Lea!!"
I called her name urgently.
"The moment you set foot on that mountain, you've already severed your ties with everyone else."
Lea's voice was cold and resolute.
'What should I do? How can I change Lea's mind and still head to the Devil's Fangs, which I yearn for so much? Should I lie? Right now, I need to show her a firm decision!'
But my mind was tangled in confusion, unable to find an answer. Whatever choice I made, it felt like only lifelong regret would remain.
In this critical moment, I cowardly sought only a way to escape this situation, unable to make any choice between 'going' and 'not going'.
My face probably wore the most pathetic expression in the world.
Lost in deep thought, unable to say anything, Lea finally opened her mouth with difficulty.
"I'm sorry, Pre. I spoke too harshly."
Her voice had softened a little, but sadness and regret still lingered within it.
"..."
I couldn't offer any reply.
"I baked your favorite pie at home. Let's go and eat it together. And let's talk about this again slowly later."
Lea tried hard to put on a bright expression, but her eyes were still red-rimmed.
"Lea."
"Hmm?"
"The honey?"
Lea seemed momentarily unable to understand my sudden question, but soon a faint smile touched her lips.
"Of course, I put plenty in!"
Actually, Lea didn't like sweet things very much.
Seeing her say "plenty of honey," I knew she was being considerate of me.
'You were always there, looking at me with warm eyes as we shared something sweet.'
Lea gently took my hand and tried to lead me home, but my feet remained rooted to the ground as if they were firmly planted.
"I'm sorry."
I murmured quietly.
Without turning around, Lea asked in a trembling voice, "Why?"
The grip on my hand tightened.
"I had a slightly bad idea. Will you listen?"
I carefully opened my mouth.
"Hmm, admitting you had a bad idea means you're reflecting and won't do it again, right?"
Lea's voice was still cold, but it seemed to contain a very faint hint of expectation.
"Yeah. It's like a delusion. Just a simple delusion."
Within her tightly clenched hand, the tingling sensation slowly returned to my hand, which had been white and numb.
"Okay, tell me."
Lea stared at me with a cold expression. I also looked straight into her eyes and continued in a trembling voice.
"If I go to that mountain, you'll be angry with me from then on and never associate with me again. Even if I go secretly, you'll eventually find out. So, I'll openly go to the mountain, barely survive a near-death experience, and collapse in front of you, looking extremely serious, so much so that I absolutely can't survive on my own. Then, I wonder, will you be able to coldly abandon me?"
Lea looked at me with a complex and subtle expression. It was a face that seemed incredulous, disappointed, and somewhat sorrowful.
"That wouldn't happen, would it? While you're nursing me back to health, I'll look at you with tearful eyes and beg for your forgiveness. I'll say it was all my fault. That I'll never, ever do it again. If I show you a completely weakened state, both physically and mentally, you won't be able to be harsh with me. And then, slowly, very slowly, if I can open your heart again…"
"So, you don't want to give up on me that much. Even if it means faking a life-threatening situation."
Looking intently at Lea with determined eyes, I said once more.
"Lea, I am going to the mountain."