They stood there, staring at each other for a while. Eventually, the soldier spoke.
“Hey.”
“… Hello. Kenzo.”
The man chuckled, a weathered smile breaking across his face. “What is this sudden respect for your senior?”
At length, the magician finally smiled back. “Well…”
“They really disciplined you, huh?”
He looked away. “……” Another soldier brushed past the two as they stood there. Finally, he answered the man. “It’s been a long day.”
The smile gradually wore away. Kenzo nodded silently for some time before his eyes wandered. He pointed to a nearby fallen tree. “Come. Sit.”
The boy obeyed, and they both made their way over, their boots crunching the harsh earth, littered with sharp pieces of rocks. The man set his rifle against the log, and the boy kept his staff with him, leaned against his shoulder with an arm wrapped around it as he brought his elbows to rest on his knees. They sat in silence. It was the soldier who spoke first once again.
“How’s the Academy?”
The boy nodded, keeping his gaze towards the ground. “Yeah. It was good.”
“Made some friends?”
“Yeah. Lots.”
“That’s good to hear.”
“……”
“… Are they here as well?”
“… Yes.”
Kenzo nodded. His eyes fell to the boy’s chest, decorated with a brooch. Inscribed was an emblem of their nation. “They must be good friends. Smart friends.”
“… Yeah.”
The man reached out an arm and rested it on the boy’s back, lightly patting and rubbing it, his sleek robe creasing and smoothing. “Congratulations.”
The boy shook his head. “This isn’t what I studied for.”
His hand stopped moving, resting on the magician’s back. “I know.” He took off his arm and brought his elbows down to his knees, just like the boy. “Deep down, I wanted to believe that. I’m glad to hear.”
“……”
“……” He took out a photograph. “You remember her, right?”
The magician nodded. “Yes. Koharu.” Taking a closer look at the black and white face, he smiled a little. “She introduced me to magic.”
The man did not move. His eyes were locked on the photograph. Eventually, he nodded, and retracted his arm. “We got engaged sometime before the war.”
“Congratulations.” Some life seemed to come to the boy’s face. “That’s awesome.”
The soldier looked almost in pain. His eyes were still locked to the photo. “I miss her so much. Because of this war, I can’t go see her.”
“Yeah… It’s terrible.” He returned his gaze to the ground. “I can’t see a lot of my classmates. Our studies were interrupted… We’re all stuck in our different groups in the military… Some of them were going to visit home when they graduated… Which would be now.”
The man nodded along until there was a long moment of silence. “Well… stay strong. You kids have a lot of potential for the future. Don’t let this catastrophe ruin it for you.”
Not knowing how to respond, the boy simply nodded. “Yeah.”
Looking up from the photo, he cracked a slight smile. “Do you have a girlfriend?”
The boy’s face flushed. “I… no… it’s not like that…”
“Oh?” He lightly chuckled. “So you do have someone?”
“She’s… just a friend!” Turning his head away, he was flustered that he gave himself away.
“How is she?”
“I haven’t seen her for a while.”
“Ah…” The man stopped. “I see.”
“… She’s probably in the medical division. So she should be fine.”
He nodded. “Do you miss her?”
“… We’re just friends!” he adamantly declared.
The man laughed. “Don’t be defensive! It’s good to have a woman you care about!”
“… We…” he kept pouting. “We’re still kids.”
The senior continued to nudge him on. “Ah, but this is the age to start thinking.”
“I don’t want to think about that…!” He was really blushing now. “I’ve got a war to fight.”
Pausing, the soldier remembered their setting. Raising his head, the clamour of the camp returned to his ears. “Ah… Well, sometimes having someone to fight for helps, you know.” He brought his hands together and rested his chin on his knuckles. “Even if it’s a friend or two.”
“… Yeah… I guess, yeah. There’s a few friends I would like to see again.” After a pause, he quickly added, “In class. Not here. It’s no fun here.”
The man nodded, silent for a while. “These days, I long for the day I can finally see her again.”
“… Is Koharu well?”
“She’s dead.”
“…… Ah…”
The soldier shook his head absently.
“I… sorry to hear that… I didn’t…”
He kept shaking his head. “No. You are a good child.” He raised the photo again. “I’m sorry… I didn’t know how to bring it up to you… I know she meant a lot to you, too.”
“… Yeah…” The boy’s face grew glum. “… But… not as much as you, I’m sure.”
“……”
“……”
“When the war began, she was forced into service. Because she knew magic.”
“… Ah…”
“I was upset, but I was sure she would be fine.” He paused. “She was upset, too. But she grew into her new role. She felt she was doing something useful. And she could write to me easier…” He started to shake his head again.
“… Ah…”
“My heart died with her. I am just an empty shell now. A vessel without its crew. Without its soul. Aimlessly sailing the sea.”
“……”
“This war…” he was shaking his head again. “All of it… could have been avoided.”
The boy nodded.
“The capital still denies we are at war. That the nation is fine. And we are just the police. And it will soon be gone.” He studied the boy for a bit, his eyes falling to the boy’s chest again. “Yet, people like you and me are here… The military… and state magicians. If this is not a war, then what is it?”
“……”
The soldier finally straightened. He turned to the boy and rested his hand on the boy’s back again. “Kei. Listen.”
The magician turned his head towards his senior.
“The reason I’m telling you all of this… other than something you should know… but as your guardian, it is important for me to tell you, even if I can’t do it myself… stay strong.”
Their eyes were locked together. Slowly, the boy nodded.
“Even if the world takes away everything from you, keep moving forward. Because there’s no second chance if you stay where you are. Do you understand me?”
“Yeah.”
He stopped. Then looked beyond, to the camp. Kei’s gaze followed. Eventually, the man smiled. “Thank you for listening. If I keep telling you this, maybe I’ll believe it myself.”