ERTHMB Chapter 80

Dance Above the Sunset

Promising to show her the view, he stepped onto the stairs leading down to the lower floor.

After descending about ten steps, the surroundings gradually grew darker. Not far away, a large clock hand was visible. The place Ian was leading to was behind the auxiliary clock.

“Close your eyes for a moment.”

When there were still about ten more steps remaining, he made the request. Though there were more than a few suspicious things about this, Helena willingly closed her eyes. As she carefully took one step at a time, thud, she finally felt herself reach the ground.

“Don’t open them yet.”

The voice, tinged with laughter, repeatedly urged. Helena followed him more quickly than she had on the stairs, answering.

“I haven’t opened them.”

She wondered what she would see even if she did open them anyway. The darkness was palpable even with her eyes closed. She found it amazing that he could find his way in such a place.

There was also a somewhat musty smell of dust. It seemed people didn’t frequent this place often.

Just as she was about to ask what exactly he intended to show her, she heard a click sound. It was the heavy sound of a large lock being undone.

Creeeeak—

The metallic scraping sound that no amount of oil could help, inevitable given its size, immediately followed.

‘Was there a door here worth opening?’

The moment she had this thought, he finally gave the order to lift the visual restriction.

“You can open them now.”

Helena gently lifted her tightly squeezed eyelids.

The wind that had been holding its breath suddenly rushed in with a bright light source. The timing was as if the world had conspired for this very moment.

Beyond the wide-open circular door made of clock parts, an open landscape. The vast nature that inspired praise crashed in like a tidal wave.

The clear sky meeting the endlessly stretching horizon, waves so piercingly blue they could dye one’s eyes.

Above it, sea mist rising ethereally like angel’s wings. The colorful roofs clustered together and the distant sound of seagulls, the salty smell of the sea.

It was an enchanting sight magnificent enough to steal one’s soul in an instant. She even felt an impulse to throw herself into it. Without realizing it, her upper body leaned forward.

Ian quickly reached out his arm to stop her.

“Of course it’s dazzlingly beautiful, but even if you spread your arms and run toward it, the wind won’t embrace you.”

“…Ah.”

Helena blinked her dazed eyes. Ian gently pushed back the arm that had been restraining her chest.

“Look at me with that same drooling expression sometime.”

“I’ve never done that.”

At such an outrageous rumor, Helena pushed away his arm and stepped back. Even knowing he was teasing, her hand went to her mouth for no reason.

…There’s nothing there.

Just as she was about to direct a sharp look at him, a small vibration rang out once. The large gear installed above their heads began to turn.

Helena turned her head to the opposite side following the intricate ticking sound. The destination of the interlocking gears was there. The clock on the main gate side that had made Blacktailed the famous place it is now.

This time Helena pulled Ian and approached in front of it.

‘This is the first time I’ve seen it this close.’

The scrap metal figures attached to each number moved tick-tock tick-tock to ring the bell. Soon, when they all gathered at the center of the circle, a seagull symbolizing Hyer popped out from above the 12 o’clock position.

Finally, Chronos, the god of time, flipped the hourglass, and the seagull pecked the bell with its beak to announce the time.

Faint cheers erupted from below. They would be the free-spirited musicians and comedians, or perhaps painters. The area around the clock tower was an artists’ quarter.

This originated from the clock tower’s history of having been used as a prison. In the past, a culture developed of mocking prisoners with music and sometimes ridiculous comedy, which evolved into today’s artists’ quarter.

The bell rang starting from 6 AM every three hours, and now that exactly half a day had passed since the beginning, the artists began playing their instruments as if they had been waiting.

It was a sweet song of love. The wind carried the melody to where the man and woman stood in the evening light.

Rich sunset light flowed in through the clock door he had opened earlier. The melody mixed with it became even more dreamy, tickling Helena’s heart.

Ian naturally rode this atmosphere. He stepped back two or three paces, then bent his waist and extended his palm flat. Helena’s eyebrows curved in confusion.

“Dance… you want to dance?”

Ian nodded.

“Here, right now?”

“There’s a wonderful stage, beautiful music, and above all, a perfect partner right in front of me. What could be wrong with that?”

He tilted his head toward his palm as if urging. Helena hesitated, then gently placed her fingertips on it. The moment their hands touched, dyed in crimson light, Ian moved.

Like the finest silk, his arm wrapped around Helena’s waist. Their hands, which had barely touched at the edges, crossed caressingly and lightly grasped each other. Once their bodies were stably close, Ian slowly began to step.

The dance he chose was a waltz. The wave-like rising and falling movements suited the current atmosphere well. Since it was just for enjoyment, he didn’t execute full-fledged steps.

However, Helena could clearly feel his courtesy and restrained movements. She could also see that he had the same wonderful face whether holding a sword or moving his feet to the melody.

“It seems the merchant has some expertise in these ceremonial dances too.”

“I suppose there’s a prejudice that people in business shouldn’t have such hobbies.”

“…You know you have more secrets than I do, right?”

He didn’t bother to deny it. He simply changed direction slightly with a natural turn and shifted the topic.

“So, how was today’s date?”

Helena looked at him with resentful eyes before reluctantly answering.

“…It wasn’t bad.”

“My efforts were worthwhile. I’ll try even harder next time, so let’s date again.”

Though it was a ticket obtained almost by chance, Ian held back his words. Since he was a capable fellow, if he probed here and there, something would come out.

He would need to meet Elai again soon. With this thought, Ian developed his steps to the right.

Around that time, Helena made a small declaration.

“…Still, I won’t accept any confession.”

“So you’re saying you’ll allow dating.”

“…As long as you don’t confess again.”

“How heartless.”

Ian laughed, his prominent Adam’s apple bobbing. His resonant voice was layered over the rich violin melody. It sounded even sweeter than usual.

Helena slowly moved her hand supporting his back downward. Even such close physical contact felt natural with the veil of dance over it.

The music, having passed the middle and latter parts of the piece, was gradually fading. As if they had become notes fallen on that staff, their movements also became gentle. They simply felt the lingering effects by moving back and forth in place.

Eventually, the deep, resonant cello melody completely drew the curtain. Even after that, Ian and Helena didn’t release their embrace, briefly savoring the permeating sunset light.

“Shall we go now?”

When Ian was the first to slowly separate himself, Helena nodded. The two rode the simple elevator operated by pulleys back down to the first floor.

The conversation didn’t stop even as they headed to where their horses were tethered.

“Let’s each say something we like.”

“…Why?”

“Talking about things you like makes you feel good.”

“…”

“If you don’t feel like it, let me try guessing.”

It was mainly Ian asking questions and Helena throwing short answers, but he seemed quite delighted with just that.

“The founding festival of the capital.”

“Too chaotic.”

“Purple.”

“Not particularly.”

“The taste of coffee Gelda makes.”

“…So-so?”

“Then the smell of grass after rain.”

“That… I like.”

Ian quietly rejoiced, saying he’d already found one thing. Helena, who had been glancing at his face, unknowingly stretched her lips into a smile.

Actually, she liked everything. When heard through his voice, everything sounded good.

So much so that saying today was just “not bad” would be a lie of cosmic proportions.

It was so thoroughly good.

****

When they turned onto a deserted roadside, Ian suddenly stopped.

“Oh no. We passed where the horses are tethered.”

Helena also stopped and looked up at him. Then he showed a sheepish smile.

“I guess I forgot because the puzzle was too interesting.”

“Am I a puzzle?”

“You’re a much more intriguing challenge than that.”

“You must like difficult things. Does it stimulate your desire for challenge, or something like that?”

“I’m just saying I like you.”

The embarrassing words fell so easily. Like breathing, or even simpler than that. Helena was somewhat dumbfounded. Words that wouldn’t come out of her even as empty phrases, he spoke so easily.

‘How long will you be able to do that?’

Even bottles that look the same have different weights depending on what you fill them with. Helena became curious whether she and he had filled theirs with the same thing.

If she was earnestly pouring in gravel while the other was pouring water, she should stop even now. The opposite would be the same.

Ian threw another pebble into Helena’s space, breaking her reverie.

“So you just stay with whatever answer you want. I’ll keep trying hard to match it from now on.”

The already swaying bottle dangerously brimmed over. Helena barely swallowed it down with dry saliva. She attributed her flushing cheeks to the deepening sunset.

“Don’t try too hard.”

“I’ll work hard at that too.”

Ian said he’d quickly bring the horses and retraced his steps.

Helena leaned halfway against the flat log fence that stretched along the road. Time flowed slowly like clouds swimming dreamily across the sky.

How long had she been waiting for him? The feeling of wanting him to come quickly filled the empty space.

At that moment, someone called her name.

“…Helena?”

It wasn’t Ian’s voice. But it was a voice she knew.

“Helena.”

Unbelievably, it was ‘his’ voice. The voice that had made her turn around countless times, always.

Her relaxed body reflexively snapped to attention.

Wondering if it might be another hallucination, she looked around.

“Helena!”

The vivid voice came from behind. At the same time, someone roughly grabbed her shoulder and spun her around.

As a natural physical reaction, Helena’s heart suddenly leaped.

And facing the man who had turned her around, she froze completely. Her heart, turned to stone, fell to the ground with a crash, shattering into pieces.

Ah, this wouldn’t be a dream.

Right now, before my eyes, looking at me with such a cracked expression, stained with fever and anger.

“Eugene…?”

Surely it couldn’t be him.