The Book Of Flowers
Veskal faith
--- In the meantime, not far from the Forest Gate---
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"It's been over an hour, but the three of them are still motionless" Natasha said, as she continued to spy on us with her wind spirit
"Basic. Worse yet, Verdea is not with him right now. No one will be able to bother him when he is angry" Veskal commented
Natasha jumped down onto the branch where Veskal was and sat beside him as we continued to see our position
"After all, isn't it better if you call Verdea first? I'm sure it will help" Natasha gave advice
She's not wrong, but Veskal just feels bad leaving Natasha alone. Miralius was not narrow, so he would definitely take a long time to search for Verdea alone
That's why he just replied with a sigh and began to close his eyes to rest for a moment
"Vescals..." Natasha tried to convince him to come back
"Just ignore him first. Let Verdea finish the job in Miralius as well" Veskal refused
It also made Natasha sigh, before watching the three of us in the Forest Gate area from the top of the tree
...
Veskal was amazed by the calm atmosphere at that time, until he slowly peeked to find out what was with Natasha
But there's nothing. Natasha was just sitting there watching something that might not change for the next few hours
Veskal who saw him was just stunned, fixated on him
...
"Why look at me?"
Natasha who suddenly asked and began to glance at it also made Veskal shocked half to death and almost fell
Had his balance not been good, he would have fallen from that tree. Natasha didn't even seem to have any intention of helping at the time
"A-A-I just feel like there's less to your face inexplicably" Veskal tried to find a diversion topic
"less?"
Natasha tried to touch her face to find out. But no matter how he touched it, nothing seemed strange than ordinary about himself
Veskal tries to make sense while Natasha is still confused, and he finds out one specific thing that Natasha used to do
"Ah yes!" He also exclaimed. "You don't have braids on either side of your hair anymore"
Veskal also remembered that Natasha who usually appeared like a noble was always putting braids that were circular from both sides of her hair to form like a tiara
"You use it every time you come to see me. But somehow now I don't even see it anymore" Veskal continued the diversion
The words made Natasha slowly play her own hair. He was conscious, but...
"I did it intentionally. Because it's... I don't want anything to be a picture of my past back..."
...
"... I even thought I should cut my hair short. But it feels good, too..." Natasha continued
"!!!"
Veskal gasped at the sentence. The words he didn't know he was going to hear until he spontaneously replied
"Don't!" He loudly voiced. "Your hair has made you so beautiful. So don't cut" he added in a slower voice
That reaction made Natasha stop doing whatever she was doing. Then suddenly...
Natasha started smiling. Then the smile turned into an amused laugh
He was amused to see the spontaneous reaction of Veskal, whose face now began to turn red because he was already feeling humiliated
Natasha continued to laugh until she was satisfied, while Veskal was still staring with a face that was boiling with shame
"I didn't think I'd hear the same compliment from a few years ago!" Natasha commented
Veskal also managed to recall what his friend meant. The sentences and scenarios of the conversation are even exactly the same
He wondered how he could forget about it and immediately replied spontaneously
"But yeah..." Natasha continued, making Veskal switch back to staring at her. "Even if I wanted to, making braids by myself was also very difficult..." He continued
Veskal's shame disappeared instantly. He saw an opportunity to do something
"I want to try braiding your hair!" He said once again spontaneously
"Eh?"
"Eh-?"
"Did?"
"..."
But precisely that response once again made Veskal boil. He didn't even have the strength in raising his face anymore to look at Natasha
If he could repeat the time, he should not have balanced himself earlier and allowed himself to fall from this tree
"Take it I don't exist..." Veskal said, to calm the situation
They were silent for a few moments, until the situation felt even more awkward
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"Can..."
Veskal had intended to bang his head against the branch of the tree, but immediately stopped and tried to reanalyze Natasha's words excessively
And when he realized what had been said, Veskal raised his head again. "Can??" She asked
Natasha looked a little hesitant, but then nodded, making Vescal smile happily
He began to turn around until his back faced Veskal, as Veskal slowly approached and began to work
"... I'm appalled. Never once did I think that the cold Vescal Grandier used to have the initiative to do something troublesome" Natasha commented
"Ahahaha yes... I just wanted to try my ability to braid my hair" Veskal replied
"Oh yeah? Apparently there's another girl you've braided her hair for"
"Only Remina and the other boy. Even though me and the little elf were going to mess with Verdea when we braided her hair while she was asleep"
Natasha gave a small laugh listening to that short story
"It looks like you're having a lot of fun with all your friends" he said later
"Sure! Coloring them is really fun if you want to spend time" Veskal replied again
"The right person can change someone. That sentence seems to have a point"
"Heeh~? You think I changed hm~?"
"Quite a lot of it. I only saw you smile once when we were in Crux first! But now you're so smiley that it makes me wonder what you're possessed of!"
Veskal began to buzz happily while continuing to braid Natasha's hair
Then he was silent for a moment, until his smile dropped slightly from before
"... Veskal?" Natasha wondered what was going on
But Veskal only shook his head violently before returning to work with a face full of smiles
"I just remember everything we've been through. Especially in the bitter hour..." Veskal said later
"The bitterness...?"
"so. Every journey is sweet and bitter, isn't it?"
"True too"
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...
"Can you tell me more about everything?" Natasha asked, replied by a nod from Veskal happily
"Where do we start...?" Veskal tried to think
Then he got the idea. The beginning was from the moment we caught him infiltrating and spying on us
The moment I caught him, and then left. When he was thrown away, and rediscovered. When he fights and makes up again
The broken wooden sword of Verdea, My words to him, he who cried loudly and then came down to apologize...
Then the three of us and the others went through everything
Go to Goeitias to celebrate the new year. Attacked and chased by dozens maybe hundreds of monsters at once. Verdea was kidnapped so we had to save her. Unforgettable new year event
Back to Seren. A thrilling free fall. Attending a debutant event is a trap. Separated because of the situation
His life in Bargalos with Verdea. Re-meeting with me. Kidnapping that Eloy he hates with me. Rescue the people of Andromeda. Watching Seren fall from the air. He decided to learn alchemy from Eleanor
Negotiate. Hunting Walter. Invitation from Black Hunt. Arrested Xiang. Farewell to Darwin. The title of Verdea
Everything he told me was very short but easy to understand and describe
"I'll tell you everything in more detail if you want to hear it later. But I warn you: It will be sanga~t long" Vescal said
"EEh...? Why?" Natasha who sounded disappointed asked
"Because your braid is done" Veskal replied
He also raised his hand after the two braids he had finished even though the time consumed was quite long
"Whoa! It's the first time I've tried a side braid, but I'm satisfied with the result!" Veskal commented again
Natasha also calls her wind spirit to make a mirror, proving that Veskal's words are true. Even Natasha was satisfied with the braid
"Good right?! Now you are as beautiful as ever!" Veskal said proudly
"Hm! You're right" Natasha replied, still amazed by her braid form
He then returned to Veskal with a sweet smile and the words, "Thank you"
Veskal just rubbed the back of his head watching Natasha who looked happy. He was completely blushed to hear the praise from his old friend
...
"Vescal" Natasha called her name again
"Why?"
...
"Your friends... It's really fun"
Veskal was a little jolted at hearing that
What Natasha meant was not bad, but she still felt shocked for some reason
"I mean, Vainzel sounds really good. Verdea is jolly. Remina sounds so sweet. Luna and the others also felt really cool
I've never really listened to someone tell me about their friends as much as you do..."
...
That sentence also triggered a sense of pleasure in Veskal's heart. Something of appreciation that he really wants everyone to know, but it would feel embarrassing to be told in person
Having a person like Natasha who is the place to tell stories makes Veskal feel more relieved
"Because..." Veskal said quietly with his head bowed. "They are worth it. As much as I can give"
Her small smile caught Natasha's attention until she was stunned. He who this time silently looked at Veskal who continued to smile, until his smile was slowly contagious
"I'm happy for you..." Natasha muttered, until Veskal accidentally heard her
He simply threw away his face and spoke again. "I just understand that you trust your friends so much"
"Heeh~? I'm sure that's not what I heard just now~" Veskal tried to tease her
"Well! Not that I'll repeat it again!"
"Sounding it once is enough"
Veskal began to laugh happily, while Natasha once again only studied
Her laughter was so contagious, that Natasha unconsciously smiled again
She didn't know why, but smiling at the moment was fun. Not as usual where he had to force things to be milder...
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"!!!"
But that smile only lasted a moment...
His spirit suddenly acted strangely so that the feeling spread throughout his body
He looked back and forth to find out what was wrong, and he realized that the wind around him was not normal
Meanwhile, Veskal immediately fell silent and began to be confused by Natasha's behavior without wasting time immediately watching my position again
And he was surprised by what he saw...
"What's up, Natasha...?"
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"The dragon is dead..."
Veskal's eyes widened in disbelief at what he heard until he immediately jumped down and ran towards the Forest Gate followed by Natasha from behind
