The Saintess in the Birdcage Knew Love, and Then She Fell Into Madness - Chapter 15: What Do You Want to Do?

Chapter 15: What Do You Want to Do?

“Laurent-kun,”

“Yes?”

“Did something… happen?”

“Well, I met my mother.”

Meeting my mother wasn’t particularly something to hide.

“She seemed as indifferent to me as ever, but still, it felt like we talked for a longer time than usual.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes… Well, I’m not sure if it can be called a long conversation, but at least I made my intentions clear.”

“Intentions?”

I nodded, lightly continuing with what we talked about.

“If I had the talent for swordsmanship or magic, I probably wouldn’t be working as a soldier like this. Maybe I’d aspire to be a knight, or inspired by my parents, try being an adventurer…”

“Yeah.”

“But that didn’t happen… And now, here I am as a soldier… I told her that this was good for me – of course, I didn’t mention anything about Aria-san, but finding this place and meeting you has been great.”

“…Laurent-kun!”

Aria-san disappeared from sight, and the next moment, I was enveloped in a tight embrace.

How many times has this happened now? The familiar pleasant scent and softness gradually raised my body temperature.

“Really, I’m just so happy that Laurent-kun comes to see me. That’s all I could ask for!”

“…Aria-san.”

This girl… really gives heartfelt words so straightforwardly.

Because she’s such a wonderful person, I don’t want her to think that this enclosed space is the only world she can live in… There’s still so much to investigate, but somehow, I want to free her from this.

“Aria-san, there’s something I want to try.”

“What might that be?”

“Later… would you like to step outside for a bit? I think it’ll be alright if we hold hands tightly.”

“Is that okay? Aren’t you in the middle of work?”

“Well, not many people come here, so it should be fine.”

Good, I’ve got Aria-san’s agreement for now.

This is also a kind of experiment – to see if Aria-san leaving the room really causes any abnormalities in that barrier.

“Aria-san… I might be about to do something bad. But still, will you—”

“It’s okay. I’ll go along with what Laurent-kun wants to do.”

“…Thank you.”

I’m really happy to be trusted so strongly.

We’ve only tried it once, but when we go outside and let go of each other’s hands, she’s forcibly returned here… It might be good to test it immediately after leaving the room.

“Ah, that’s right, you know, Laurent-kun,”

“What is it?”

“I… I’ve been having dreams.”

“Dreams?”

“Yes—dreams about traveling through vast lands outside with you, places unknown to me.”

“Outside… as in beyond the kingdom?”

“Um… just outside, anyway.”

Outside… huh.

I’ve been outside the capital, but never beyond the kingdom’s magic shield.

It’s been eighteen years, and for a kingdom dweller, that’s not too unusual… It just shows how comfortable it is inside here.

“And there’s something else I want to know—what is this warm feeling I hold in my heart?”

“That is…”

“Fufu, let’s get back to the point. So, what are you planning to do?”

Right, I should explain first.

I took Aria-san’s hand and headed towards the entrance, opening the door to step outside together.

As expected, no one was outside, just us.

“I’ll try letting go of your hand while the door is still open.”

“Oh, I see.”

Aria-san, understanding, nodded and slowly unwound her fingers.

The moment our touch completely ceased, Aria-san disappeared from the spot… and the next instant, she was back in the center of the room.

It was incredibly fast, like the speed of light, but it’s clear: if Aria-san leaves my side outside, she’ll be returned here without fail.

“It’s a strange sensation. The moment I stepped outside, I felt the sense of direction rush over me, but as soon as I returned to the room, I was back to my usual self… No, that might not be it. It’s more like I return when Laurent-kun’s hand lets go.”

“…I see.”

Not returning unless… huh.

That could mean… Alright, let’s move on to the next test.

I took Aria-san’s hand again and stepped outside—heading towards a place where we could overlook the outside… From here, the town below and the magical shield floating in the sky were clearly visible.

“That’s the barrier of Aria-san, see?”

“Yes… it looks like that. But I’m more interested in the town than that.”

She did seem very excited.

I chuckled, but then Aria-san exclaimed in surprise… something was happening in the sky.

“Hey, look at that!”

“Not again… What is going on?”

Knights and many others around the place we were looking down from raised their voices.

They were looking up at the sky—at the magical shield.

“…Just as I thought.”

The magical shield was shimmering.

What had been displaying patterns in an orderly fashion was now starting to distort irregularly, seeming to grow increasingly larger.

“That is…!”

“Aria-san?”

Aria-san’s hand almost slipped away, and I quickly gripped it more firmly.

Seeing my face, Aria-san, who seemed on the verge of panic, regained her composure and nodded to assure me she was okay.

“…It’s that strange sensation again. I need to get back quickly… I need to return to that room as soon as possible. Laurent-kun—if I stay outside, that will undoubtedly disappear.”

“You’re right… Okay.”

Alright, the verification is done, time to head back to the room.

After ensuring Aria-san was back in the room, I checked outside once more… The magical shield had calmed its shimmering and returned to its usual state.

“Ah.”

Looking down, I saw not only my mother but also my father.

They didn’t seem as panicked as the others, but they were clearly very concerned about this unprecedented phenomenon.

“…Well then, what to do now?”

Considering everything… What should I do, what do I want to do… It seems I’m going to be pondering this for a while.