Ashes and Kingdoms

When he heard that a new envoy had left for Winnea, the Dean was convinced that it would be Phineas, without having to be asked who it was.

It was a while ago that I came across a place with soldiers in a rough city and became anxious. And then yesterday, I saw him running with a full face like someone else, and he just stroked his chest down saying oh good.

On his way home from receiving only a handful of wheat in the barracks, he turned his thoughts in a distant time. I couldn't imagine how innocent and happy I was from now on that this street was full of hungry people.

Was it when Phineas was about five that he became Dean?

But even then he assisted the Dean as one of the officials, so he also remembered well the peculiar birth of this boy.

A barking provocation of a woman with a big belly and a big smile. If you're going to kill a baby who's not guilty of anything and has never even bitten her mother's milk, then you're the brutal, outrageous killers.

The mayor's bitter voice, knowing it was a trick, decided that the baby's life would help.

The former Dean was restlessly coming and going down the hallway listening to a woman gasping for labor pain and whining if it was stillbirth.

He was young by then.

So the child to be born was innocent and had nothing to do with the sins of his parents, he believed so hard.

- But when the born boy did not die of a common fever, and after successfully crossing the five-year-old celebration, the earlier director retired and he was entrusted with the aftermath... I became anxious.

Because even from his eyes, the boy was a little different.

I wasn't a problem child.

Instead, he was a completely untouched child. There wasn't much to cry about or laugh about, and instead there was a verse that was sharp enough to always observe something. As if the elders and adults were going to judge what they say and how they behave. It may have been because of preconceptions.

One summer, when I was serving my children to Iso and collecting shellfish and seagrass combined with play and fruitfulness, Phineas came as he dragged a chick and one leg. Dyed blood down from the tibia, leaving red footprints in the sand.

"Phineas! You're hurt! Why didn't you call me right away?"

The Dean scolded him as he ran along with the woman's staff.

"Oh terrible, you cut it with a rock. Let's go to the doctor right away."

An official said, he nodded at Kokon. I have a little wrinkle between my eyebrows, but I don't cry or make noise. Exactly. The Dean wondered.

"Doesn't it hurt?

Ask, it hurts, answers in a whisper. There was a sound of patience in that voice, so the Dean relieved himself before feeling sorry for him.

If you're a kid about the same age, it's not uncommon enough to cry even if you just fell and didn't get hurt. If you go to a doctor, you will see even more pain, so sometimes you get bulky if you don't like it. Compared to that, I'm pretty sure I'm patient.

(Doesn't seem to mean I don't feel pain or I'm happy to see blood)

- Good.

At ease and with all due respect for his conscience, he took Phineas to the doctor.

Even while sewing the wound about three or four needles, Phineas ate his face and his teeth, finally not leaking a single groan.

Because of his patience, he did not do anything sweet to his elderly brother or sister, nor to his staff. You can be sweet, say yourself once in a while, etc., but your attitude remains stubborn, as if you suspect it's a trap.

Some couples who visit in search of an adopted child occasionally catch their eyes on Phineas, but do not speak or smile, and do not reply lovingly even when they speak. Clearly, it wasn't popular.

Once, a woman avoided trying to stroke her head chipped her tongue and said, "Not cute. I don't like this girl," I told my husband once.

At the time Phineas kept his mouth shut without changing one complexion, but for some time afterwards, he always grew and had a small mouth count.

Going to look for Phineas, who would not return at dusk, the Dean found one in the corner of the backyard, a boy waving a dead branch sword.

"If we don't get inside now, the sun will go down."

When I speak up, I don't look surprised, and say yes and throw away the branches around it. But I won't walk out any time soon. The dean slowly stopped by and said in a casual manner.

"Your daytime wife was beautiful."

…………

Phineas remained silent and moved his neck to an uncertain extent whether he had tilted his little neck or nodded. The dean puts his hand on his shoulder.

"But you didn't have eyes to see. You're a waste to that wife."

…………

Phineas was still silent, but now he nags with a complicated look. The dean looked down at it and smiled feeling that he had finally understood him only a little.

"You're a lighter, you're losing money."

As soon as possible, my little ears stained peachy. After the boy walked out shitty without raising his face, the dean sneered and followed him.

After that happened, several times the story of the adopted son broke into Phineas, but all broke before it reached his ear. One of the reasons, of course, is because his character leads to the hips of his parents, but in rare cases it did not, the dean did not hide it and tell him.

"Truth is, he's got a little bit of a problem with birth, but are you sure about that?"

- and.

That was enough to suggest that the orphan was a criminal or a child of slavery. You can't be a citizen's family by nature, you're a slave.

Even without revealing that his birth parents were notorious robbers who vandalized a strip a long time ago, the camouflage alone decided that all parents would give him up and welcome another candidate for adoption.

In doing so, Phineas also grew, and then, no longer, more than ever, those who wanted to pick it up appeared.

(Don't you think you can keep growing it at my disposal?)

By the time he was past the age of ten and eleven, the Dean had become serious about thinking so, too. He's a responsible kid who has no affection but takes good care of his younger years without signs like he once worried, and he even looks more reliable. Sometimes he joins the joke with Taz, and he won't have to worry about anything.

I saw the children playing in the garden and the dean smiled warmly.

There's been an incident with that arrow tip.

The starting point was that Taz, who came out to use, got tangled up in a citizen's child and had a one-to-many fight. There are always a handful of citizens who scorn just because they are orphans, and children raised by such parents honestly represent it in their actions. It has long been common for children without parents, abandoned children, etc., to be annoyed and insulted in large numbers and for young children in the hospital to cry.

So everyone was worried about taking care of Taz when he came home with all his body bruises and punctures, but it was still common.

But a week or so later, there was an unprecedented retaliation.

Hearing that Taz and Phineas were not there, the Dean was suddenly driven by anxiety. Since what happened the other day, I've been wondering why Phineas is acting so strange.

"Brother Taz, I went out with a stick. He said he was going to wrap it up."

With an innocent word from the little kid, the officials panicked. I jumped out of town to get him back. I won't take a pull with them for wanting revenge, but as an adult position I know I shouldn't make the problem bigger, I have to stop.

The Dean was also in a hurry to search the streets. And

"Wow!

"Hey, hey! Hih, wow!!

The screams of the boys made a dodgy, dull noise, and he realized it was too late.

Turning to the noisy one, a herd of pigs and robbers walking down the street can be seen. The dean pressed his eyebrows and took a breath before rushing to the place where the livestock had escaped.

As he turned around the narrow alley and left for another street, he stood and opened his eyes.

The road surface is wet, even though it's not raining, and several boys are flipping and moaning. Traces of hooves like embossed pattern on the garment. By its side, Taz said, "Shit, no!" and so on and jumped happily. but when he notices the dean, he becomes a bit of a runaway as soon as possible. The dean stopped by him no matter.

"Where's Phineas!?

On a rushed clap, my shoes slip and jeopardize me. I have no hands on the road surface. Soap water. The Dean felt anger and admiration at the same time, recovering with a sense of crisis that exceeded it, and again questioned Taz, who pretended to be surprised.

"You didn't set it up on your own. Where's Phineas!

"What, I mean, I don't know anything, suss! He set it all up... Oh, no, I went that way after the one who ran away by himself."

Taz made excuses, but feared for the dean's complexion, he rushed to confess where he was going. That's all the dean asks.

"After we're both together, it's a sermon."

I threatened him with a word and ran to the alley Taz pointed to.

The narrow alley that twists and runs between the house and the house has little light in the day and is dim. There were gaps all over the place where he could escape if he was a child's physique, and the Dean ran desperately, making sure of every one of them.

And I found the sight I was afraid of.

"Phineas, don't!

Unexpectedly he was yelling.

Phineas was pushing a boy older than himself against the wall. Eat your elbows down your throat, relentlessly, even if your opponent's toes are floating in the universe.

In the fury of the Dean, Phineas quickly left. The boy's body collapses and he puts it down for a beat before coughing up with the geese. Alive. The dean breathed in relief.

While the Dean was close, Phineas, unlike Taz, did not run or hide, stretching his spine and standing still. Dean looks angrier than he really is when he loses the cold one.

"It's too much to do in retribution. You're gonna kill me."

Strictly speaking, let him grab the arm of the weeping boy and stand. The boy shook off his hand, relaxed but backwards, and turned his angry eyes to Phineas. I opened my mouth to curse something, but the only thing that leaked instead of my voice was wheezing. Even the gaze of hatred sways under the opponent's freezing temper and falls to the ground with fright.

Eventually, he held his throat and ran away as he watched the two react.

Dean didn't even look at it anymore. He was concentrating his entire nerve on a boy he should know well enough to stand opposite him.

The eyes of the same colour as the sea of Nanais had unprecedented ruthlessness. The expression disappeared completely, like a doll.

Even though he was still a child and obviously no match for the Dean with his arm strength, he still couldn't help but be vigilant. I don't want you to take my life.

"... Phineas"

Call your name unconsciously. I'm there to see if it's the ghost of a murderer who borrowed the boy's appearance.

- And, unexpectedly, my blue eyes swayed.

Different colors come back all at once to a face that had no emotions. He chewed his lips gently, gripping his hands against his fists beside his body, and nagging.

Dean relieves tension and takes a deep breath. I got a faint tear in my ear.

"I'm sorry"

A short, small word with too many emotions. When the dean realized his exhale had been misunderstood, he held Phineas' shoulder and slapped him gently.

"You must have said something so terrible that you couldn't stand it. I'm not disappointed in you. I'm just relieved. I'm so glad you didn't kill anyone."

"... I don't mean to"

Phineas remains nagging and shakes his head small. The dean hid his squeaky emotions behind his chest and tried to disguise himself as a calm tone.

"Even if you don't mean to, if you kill me, it's a felony. If you almost stab me in the face, it won't be payback."

"Yes."

An honest answer returns. It is unlikely that he was about to kill one person.

(Even if you don't mean to, do you know how to kill them)

Where did you learn, such as how to feed your elbows down your throat like that? I'm relieved if he keeps putting his strength into it.

I couldn't help but be sure of my fears.

"... if I hadn't stopped, would you have crushed his throat like that?

"No. I was going to let you go right away. I just wish I'd lost my voice for a while."

Answering without hesitation, Phineas was rubbing his elbow as he tried to reflect on what his hands had done. A little silence, then he added, with a small voice.

"I know I can kill you if I do it a little bit more."

"Phineas... oh my god"

Dean groaned unexpectedly, then rethought and shook his head. Stop your legs and turn around in front of Phineas who stopped with you and place your hands on your shoulders. Phineas has looked up at this one without fear. It was a look I was sure I had not done anything to embarrass myself.

"Okay, but you didn't do it, did you?

"Yes."

"Why didn't you do it?

"It's"

Phineas floats to the boulder, blinking his eyes for a while. After a moment of thought, he answered anxiously.

"Because you must not kill. He doesn't have to talk for the rest of his life, but he's not enough to kill you... and if I kill people, they'll be annoyed."

"Even if you're so angry that you can't stand payback, that's what they thought, huh?

"Yes."

"Right. … well, you did well"

The dean nodded deeply, stroking Phineas' head in a sneeze. Phineas rounds his eyes and solidifies without knowing how he reacted. To his appearance like that, the Dean laughed and showed him a prank.

"To be honest, I couldn't stand on my stomach for my kids to cry all the time. Now both the bad kids will refrain from doing the same. Parents will say it more softly, so as a prefect, I must scold you and Taz, but I really want to applaud that soapy water."

…………

Phineas blinks pussy and nags with what a complicated face. Both cheeks were cheerful as cherry shells. With a small voice, I say it in a grip.

"But I knew it was a little, too much"

"Right. Well, even adults forget to add or subtract when they get to their head too much. You were calm about that. So it was great."

Dean gently slaps Phineas on the back, urging him to walk out.

"I was surprised at that pig and Roba, too. How did you get him to run?

"Uh... that's, uh"

As he hesitates to wonder if I can distract him from this, Phineas explains the full retaliation plan. The Dean was laughing and listening to it.

(It's all right. I'm sure she'll be fine)

I can see the line you shouldn't cross. There is the power of reason and will to stay in front of it.

I have the sincerity to just reflect on my actions, and most importantly, I have the compassion that annoys everyone.

And, unexpectedly at that time, voices from the past rose to the back of my brain.

- My, little cute fangs. Suck their blood instead of my milk.

A woman's voice whispering to the baby. But the dean had no more trouble.

(This child may have sharp fangs. But not a mad beast like you)

Stick with me persistently. I command the ghost to stick his finger in his heart and leave for Nara. Until now, I couldn't get rid of it, but the ghost fogged away easily.

"Hey, Phineas."

The dean looked down at the boy walking beside him and said:

"You, after all, …"

"Ah!! Dean, good, you found Phineas!

An official's voice blocks words. Turning around, the front street was already right there. The street, which remains wet with soapy water, is glowing in the sun. Beyond the officials I call in, Taz was shriveling.

Phineas looked up waiting for him to continue, but when the dean smiled and pressed his back, he left first on a small run without asking questions. Taz rushes over to it and talks to him about whether he's hurt, whether he's done it, etc.

Dean painstakingly took care of his majesty, while slowly slipping through the alley later. Waiting on the move, to confront the bully's parents.

The certainty of that day did not shake for a long time.

Even after I revealed his qualities to Oandus, when I found out he wasn't kicked out of the windmill cabin and on the contrary was more loving, I was relieved that this was really all right now.

That said, I still missed a lot of the boy leaving his hands thinking about his own child as he did.

(But I'm still glad that was it. away from my hand, that kid got stronger and stronger)

Masud taught me sarcastically. He left with his family, going into the darkness awaiting death.

(That kid, and if he has that family, he'll get over how deep the darkness is)

If I were you, I wouldn't know if I'd given him so much strength. But anyway, pride fills my chest that I also played a part in the growth of a young man with the power of his own will to advance into darkness. That was an emotion I had long forgotten since I was surrounded by darkness.

(Phineas will be fine. I'm sure you'll get it done)

A light of hope shoots into my heart, which was dark. When he got back to the hospital, he smiled at the children and officials he had gathered with for the first time in a long time.

"Did you get any good news?

An official looking tired asks in confusion. Dean smiled and nodded.

"Oh, the envoy for rescue is on his way to Winnea."

"Really..."

I've been there before, but there's no tone out, the voice says. The mood is obvious, though not in front of the child, in words.

One toddler, not sure of the circumstances, pulled the dean's hem.

"Doctor, what are you talking about? You're giving me dinner?

"That's right. My very strong and wise brother, who was in this courtyard until a few years ago, hastened to Winnea to get me some food."

"Really!?

"Oh, even if it's true. So until then, for a little while, don't be a good boy and be patient."

The dean gently stroked the toddler's head. Toddlers shake with their hands up.

"Wow! Hey, how long? Tomorrow or the day after tomorrow?

"Right......"

Now the Dean laughs bitterly at how to mislead. I don't know, the staff just clapped their shoulders.

"About a week."

"Uh, not so much!?

"Winnea is far away. But it's okay, I'll definitely be back. It's like waiting until then."

"Uh-huh."

The Dean will hold the toddler with his pointed lips. My broken shoulder hurts.

"It's gonna be okay."

Unconsciously he was repeating himself. As if I were going to tell myself.

(It's okay, he'll definitely be back)

So until then, let's not lose this little hope.

He gave me a slight light.

(Final)