These Reincarnators Are Sus! Sleuthing in Another World

The next morning, a few hours before they were to set out for Varant, Ailn found himself standing in front of the Areygni Villa.

Specifically, he stood in front of the dragon statue. He remembered the passage from The Codex of Hidden Paths that Noué had earmarked.

If the dragon thirsts

Would you let it drink?

He'd brought a tall mug from the Fleuve estate, and scooped up a glass of water from the Sussurokawa.

"I guess it does look a little thirsty," Ailn frowned, eyeing the dragon.

Now that he gave it a closer inspection, the dragon's expression did seem to be one of suffering. But he'd figured that was just because it was tied in on itself like a particularly ambitious pretzel.

Like he'd done with the Saintess statue in the courtyard—that seemed like so long ago, now—Ailn felt around the dragon's face, looking for any sort of mechanism.

That's when he realized the dragon's ear could be twisted back. A clink could be heard, along with the whining whir of metal retracting.

Peering into its mouth, Ailn could see that the dragon now had a gullet. And with a shrug, he poured his glass of water into its mouth, letting the dragon drink.

Even from out here, he could hear the sounds of shifting stone.

"Huh," Ailn said, eyeing his now empty glass of water. "Maybe I should be a water mage."

He walked into the Areygni Villa.

Surprise, surprise. The constantly shifting Areygni Villa, so coy to treasure seekers, suddenly seemed to welcome him. All of its inner staircases began to move in concert, arranging themselves as a singular spiral. From all around, Ailn could hear the different rooms of the villa shifting.

The spiral of stairwells led to a section of stone along the back wall, about halfway to the top of the villa. Where the stairs met the wall, two stone slabs drew inward like an opening gate… and revealed a wide corridor.

It was like the villa had acknowledged him and decided to let him into its heart.

What awaited him at the end of the wide corridor was a painted door—an homage to the Birth of Venus, featuring a woman with butterfly wings attended by fae.

A sylph hovering giddily in the air to her left, announcing her presence.

A naiad springing forth from the water by her shell, casting its adoring gaze upward.

An alraune blossoming from the green earth to greet her.

But the meticulously painted door led to a room much plainer: red carpet, and white walls. And in the middle of it stood a simple felt pedestal, upon which sat a ring box.

After Ailn returned from the villa, everyone got ready to head back to Varant.

In the Fleuve estate's stables, as they began to mount their horses, Renea couldn't help but let out a hum of dissatisfaction. It was a small groan, hiding some big worries.

"Was the sale of portraits to Sussuro enough to mend our financial worries…?" Renea muttered. Without realizing it, she started to nervously bite her thumb. "If it's not, the third prince is apt to seize our weakness with a vice-like grip."

She was so nervous she'd started unconsciously reverting to the florid, noble speech she'd used as the Saintess.

"Don't worry," Ailn assured her, settling into his saddle in stirrups. He felt the ring box in his trench coat's breast pocket. "We got something way better."

Renea just gave him a curious look.

The visitors from Varant met up with Count Fleuve's retinue as they departed from Sussuro. There was a note of wistfulness in the air as they reversed the journey through the city they'd made when they came in.

They went across the bridge from the north bank where the Fleuve estate was, into the south bank with all of Sussuro's winding streets, and timber-colored houses.

They took their time, letting the horses go at a lazy trot on the cobblestone, as they listened to the soft whisper of the river, and soaked in the sight of the bluegrass one last time. Finally, they'd made it to the limestone bridge—the one where they'd been attacked on the way in.

It crossed back to the north bank, where the road went on to Varant. Once they'd made their way past the bridge, that meant they'd officially left Sussuro proper.

"Our apologies that we can only take you so far, Ailn," Conrad said. Then he admitted, "You will be safe on your return home so long as you're near the tributary."

"We'll take care of Safi too, Conrad," Ailn replied. "And not just her safety."

"...Thank you," Conrad said.

Watching his daughter ride quietly in front of him, Conrad's eyes misted, remembering how she used to chatter all day sitting on Audrie's lap.

He couldn't help but wonder at a certain irony: that it was the world's cruelty that had brought Safi and her strange friend Cora together, and Safi's kindness and love which forced them apart.

A few meters behind rode Naomi and Kylian alongside each other.

"If you wish to speak with her before she leaves," Kylian said, nudging her gently, "now is your last chance, Naomi."

"Why do you insist on pressing this point when I lack any idea of what to say?" Naomi asked, lamely.

"Then speak forthright, and from the heart," Kylian said with a sigh. "Lady Fleuve of all people could hardly fault you."

Even Elenira had come to see them off.

"Why don't you come to Varant too, Elenira?" Renea asked. "Maybe it would help…?"

Elenira seemed to consider it.

"...I think I may travel for a while, actually," she replied. "I'm sure you'll see me there at some point."

"Where do you plan to go?" Renea tilted her head.

"I don't really know," Elenira said. "Everywhere, I suppose."

Sooner than anyone would have liked, they were at the limestone bridge—the feeling different, now, that they were going instead of arriving. Sussuro had been its own little world, this unremarkable bridge the threshold.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

Safi looked off to the side, toward the river. Her gaze slipped off the bridge and ran along the Sussurokawa to its most distant reach.

Then, with a guilt couldn't quite explain, she looked to the other side—across the bridge's threshold. Her heart halted. It had been gripped by a sudden fear—the thought that she was betraying her dearest friend. That by choosing to leave, she was choosing to forget… simply because it hurt too much to remember.

She was broken out of her daze by her father's hug.

"I'll miss you, Safi…" Conrad hugged his daughter for a long time, trembling as he did so. "I hope you make as many friends as you've always deserved."

Her eyes were wet with tears threatening to spill. But her mouth was dry. Words of retreat were attempting to rasp their way out of her mouth.

I want to go home.

But she couldn't bring herself to say it. And so she wordlessly nodded, hugging her father tight, and regretting her impulsive decision to follow Ailn, Kylian and Renea back to Varant.

She gave a tiny wave to the mages who never seemed to really care about her. She gave a bigger wave to Naomi who started being kind of nice.

Then they were off. And every step forward began to feel more like a step away—further and further from the friend she'd never see again. The other side loomed, as the weight of the word 'never' grew heavier in her heart.

It was just before they stepped off the bridge that Safi heard the naiads begin to sing.

…Aurelie and Lulu sure had a lot of friends.

Ailn couldn't believe it. There must have been dozens of naiads, joining together as one big river chorus, swimming along as they sang.

Some swam right along the bank, gliding between reeds, their voices coming out like swishing currents. Others lazed along the water's surface, the soft ripples trilling in harmony.

A huge group of them swirled around in an eddy of their own making, making joyful splashes, giggling as they pulled each other in, their melody swelling into crescendos, the fine mist dripping back into the water with a trickle almost like chimes.

And when they'd warmed up and gotten in tune, their playful tones started to become words.

'We'll meet again…'

'Don't know where… Don't know when…

'But I know we'll meet again some sunny day…'

"There's so many of them," Safi said, completely stunned. "Why?"

"They're saying goodbye, Safi," Ailn said.

"To me…?" Safi blinked. "But they hate me."

"Well, they just never got to know you." Ailn tugged on his reins, slowing his horse's pace briefly so he could align with hers. "And they realized they wanted to a little too late. So, they're saying goodbye… for now."

'Keep smiling through…'

'Just like you always do…'

'Til the blue skies drive the dark clouds far away…'

Even though the words couldn't be understood by anyone except Ailn, the melancholy was clear in the water's current, which slowed down to a sigh.

"Mmm…hmm hmmmm dum dah duh duh…" Elenira hummed softly, her memory of the lyrics from her past life faint, the emotions coming through all the purer. "Dum dun dah duh dun…"

The singing, undulating water seemed to mirror her heart, carrying words unspoken across the distance, delivering them to a place far away.

"I feel like I've heard this melody…" Renea said softly.

"It's an old song," Ailn shrugged.

"I thought you said you were young when you died," Renea said, tilting her head.

He cast her an annoyed look. "It's old for me too, just you know."

"I guess you just act like an old man," Renea mumbled. But a small smile crept onto her face. And she shyly waved at a trio of naiads laughing and singing, trying their best to splash her all the way up on the bridge.

'And I will just say hello…'

'To everyone that you know…'

'Tell them you won't be long…'

The entire Sussurokawa was sending Safi off with an au revoir.

And the girl who had never gotten so much as a cheerful hello from anyone but her father stopped her horse in its tracks—because this sudden outpouring of love was only making it that much harder to say goodbye.

"U-uh, um…" Safi tried to speak up, her voice quiet as a mouse.

No one could hear her.

She felt so small all of a sudden.

Safi didn't know what she wanted. But what she did know, is at that moment she didn't feel like she had it in her to leave.

Her deep wish for friendship was attempting to push her ahead, while the winds of pain, guilt and sorrow shoved her back. And though these two forces of her heart seemed to be at a standstill, a tie meant her fears would naturally win.

If she wanted to stay, all she had to do was stop moving forward.

Watching Safi from the Sussuro side of the bridge was a certain water mage who'd dithered until the last moment, and failed to say a proper goodbye.

Naomi tried to call out, to encourage Safi who looked like she might burst into tears and come galloping back any moment.

But her voice was too far, too tiny for Safi to hear over the singing of the naiads. So Naomi started yelling louder and louder, until her yelling started to annoy the naiads—who glared at her even as they kept singing.

She was ruining all of the practice they'd put in for this performance. Frankly, it was completely indecorous.

Still, Naomi kept shouting, her face turning terribly hot as she performed the most extravagantly public faux pas of her entire life… right in front of the count and all her peers.

'They'll be happy to know…'

'That as I saw you go…'

'You were singing this song…'

"Safi! SAFI!" Naomi shouted, having somewhat lost her composure. "T-...THIS LARGE!" she waved her arms out wide.

A few of the Azure Knights had to cover up their laughter with coughing.

"...What is she even saying?" Ailn asked, as he drew his horse near Kylian's.

Kylian averted his eyes. "I'm… not sure," he admitted.

"W…What?" Safi tilted her head.

"THE RIVER!" Naomi shouted. She pointed all the way right, then all the way left. Then she whapped her arms out again. "THAT IS HOW YOU OUGHT TO LIVE YOUR LIFE!"

'We'll meet again…'

'Don't know where… Don't know when…

'But I know we'll meet again some sunny day…'

She took a deep breath, knowing she would shrink into absolutely nothing if she took a moment to consider what all those snickering knights found so funny.

Then, she shouted out her last encore.

"YOU'RE AS GRAND AS THE SUSSUROKAWA, SAFI!" Naomi shouted. "SMILE!"

Safi slowly took in the water mage's heartfelt plea.

At first, she gave just a thin smile—one that seemed more polite than anything. But as Safi watched her friend's fierce arm flapping, that tiny smile started to curl into something brighter, until it was as wide as the river itself.

She clapped her hands together and laughed in total delight. "Okay!" Safi waved back with both arms spread wide. "Bye everybody! I love you!"

'Keep smiling through…'

Her mood lifted, and her optimism on its way to being restored, Safi hummed along gently to the naiads' lovely singing as she set her horse to galloping, even though she couldn't understand their words.

'Just like you always do…'

Then she giggled happily. "You know, when Naomi flaps her arms like that, she looks kinda like a big chicken!"

Upon hearing Naomi's comparison to a large bird, Kylian felt a deep pang of guilt, wondering if she'd taken his advice from the night prior a little too literally.

On the other side of the bridge, Naomi held her head from atop her horse.

"I see… this is how my time in Sussuro ends," she muttered, convinced leaving town was the only way she could cope with her embarrassment. Her hands moved to cover her face. "...I wonder if other cities will accept a water ma… a mage whose specialty is water."

Despite her worries, however, Count Fleuve drew near, patting his First Mage's back with a reassuring air—though yes, he did laugh at her social mortification.

He was just happy he got to see his daughter smile before she went.

And so Safi set off for her own next adventure, to the naiads' beautiful song—even if they were a little miffed about being so rudely interrupted.

'Til the blue skies…

…drive the dark clouds far away…'

Turning back to the river one last time, she swore she could pick out Cora's soft trickle among all of its sighs and swells. Hoping the river would carry her message on, she whispered the goodbye she'd never had the chance to say.

"Tell me all the stories I missed next time, Cora…"

'We'll meet again…'

'Don't know where… Don't know when…

'But I know we'll meet again some sunny day…'