Published at 1st of September 2019 8:11 pm

[ Day Seven ]

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It was a quieter morning than usual.

Me, Efi, and the bluebird were sitting around a big white table. Having sweets and tea, we were waiting for Phil and Mischa.

"I don't think I can eat too much..."

"Figures, after eating a lie that big."

It was large enough to distort a human's form. I could expect not having to give her a single bite for a week, maybe.

I'd never gone a week without any food myself, so I couldn't imagine what that felt like. Dragons must have real different stomachs from humans, too.

"Wonder if everyone's happy now?", the bluebird murmured with a smile. Unlike yesterday, she had a simple expression.

After the lies were stripped away from Mischa yesterday, the bluebird repealed her power that covered the town.

As she'd told me, most of the "cheery citizens," as I called them, vanished. There was naturally confusion, but the police went around offering an explanation, and by evening, they seemed to be getting back their usual liveliness. These people could just adapt to anything, I bet.

Phil was worried that Mischa would feel lonely with the people who came to visit her being gone, but Mischa said with a smile that it was enough if Phil would listen to her.

With Mischa's song and personality, I was sure people would naturally gather around her again. And not illusions this time. At least I thought so.

"I'd say this is better than before. No reason to call you the bluebird anymore, though."

"Yep. My wings only come out when I'm using my power in the first place. I could make them appear anyway, but it wears me out."

"...Yeah, I feel like this town gets me unusually tired too."

When I met Neil in town, he wondered aloud if the power of a dragon covering the town might have an effect on humans.

Then again, maybe it was just the fatigue from dragging Efi around.

"You met the captain and his subordinate, right? What are you gonna do?"

After the case with Mischa was settled, Neil's force evidently came to the mansion. But I wasn't interested in another glare-fest with that Brett guy, so I stayed up in the room with Efi.

"Yeah, but I told him I'm staying here. I love this town and all."

"Hmm. Seems like you'd be safer with them, though."

"I mean, there aren't a lot of bad people in this town. Oh, and there are lots of big trees. I love leaning on tree trunks and sleeping. So this might be a better place for me."

"Hey, what are you talking about?", Efi interrupted.

Here, I had a thought.

The bluebird being a dragon. The illusion-showing power that had covered the town. The police's explanation.

"...You're a dummy, so you should stay out of the conversation."

Explaining all of that in a way Efi would understand seemed like a huge annoyance... downright difficult, even, so I rejected it.

"Whaaa?! Why not, why not?! Tell meee! You're mean, papa!", Efi wailed.

Shoot. Maybe I pressed the wrong button.

"Al is your papa?"

"Yeah! And Al's name is a lie, too!", Efi casually revealed to the bluebird. She was being such a blabbermouth, I had to stop her.

"And also... Mmh mmfh!"

"Say any more, and no snacks for the rest of eternity."

I covered Efi's mouth to keep her from spilling any more beans. She struggled and made muffled noises through my arm.

"You guys are funny," the bluebird snickered beside me.

There was nothing funny about it, if you ask me.

"Sorry to keep you waiting!"

Right on time, I was saved by Mischa and Phil arriving with sweets and tea.

"Are you certain?", Mischa asked, looking at us lonesomely.

"Yeah, we finished our main objective of gathering info. We gotta get moving somewhere else soon. A traveler's fate and all that."

"Is that so... Then we will pray for good fortune on your travels," Mischa vowed in a clear voice.

"I know we've caused you much trouble." Phil bowed his head low beside her.

"It's done with now. Don't sweat it."

Phil looked at me closely after my blunt reply.

"...Mr. Al, you seem quite different from our first meeting."

Come to think of it, I was slipping back to my "usual" way of speaking with Phil and the rest. Not a great idea for a con artist to let his true colors be seen, but...

"Well, yesterday called for hurrying. And if you've seen it once, no point in hiding it anymore."

"But I believe that suits you more, Mr. Al."

What's that supposed to mean? Because I've got a mean look?

While I worried over it, the bluebird came up to us. "Oh yeah, take this. As proof of our friendship."

She rustled around her waist, then offered us a handful of blue feathers.

"Pretty!"

"Haha, since you talked with me so much, Efi. I hope we can talk again."

The bluebird smiled at Efi with a hint of sadness.

"Right... I suppose I can't call you "the bluebird" anymore. I'll need to think of a proper name for you," Phil suddenly mumbled.

True, she wasn't really a bluebird in any sense, so that could be an issue going forward. Efi was the only one present who didn't seem to follow, but seemed deep in thought about what name would be good for her.

The bluebird thought for a while, then suddenly looked up.

"Well, Al sounds good."

"...Why?" I winced with a sort of disgusted surprise.

"It's a fake name anyway, so why not? Gimme your name, Al...", she whispered in my ear. Seemed she was being careful not to let the others know.

"Ahh..." I hesitated to reply. It was a pseudonym, but still... why my name?

"Well... sure."

"Hooray," the bluebird whispered with a wide smile. Then she turned to Mischa and Phil.

"Since Al saved me, I said I wanted to make my name Al too so I don't forget. And then Al said I could use it. So from today forth, I'm Al."

So she told them. I was speechless from the feeling that I'd been out-conned.

"Oh? That's wonderful."

"Heehee. That's great, Al."

Phil and Mischa both smiled happily at the bluebird. I had been using that name for the past week, so it gave me a weird ear-burning feeling.

"Will you come to this town again?", Phil asked me.

"Hmm... If I feel like it."

"I wanna hear miss singer sing again!"

Mischa bent down slightly to Efi's eye level. "Oh, I'm so glad. I'll have to practice my singing plenty."

"Well then, excuse us."

At this rate, Efi would only get that much more unwilling to leave town. So I turned around, pulled Efi's hand a little forcefully, and went down the road out of town.

"Bye-bye!"

Before Efi fully turned her back on the town, she waved goodbye to Mischa and the rest.

A quiet "goodbye" came from behind.

"...Hm?"

After walking a ways, I noticed a little flower blooming at my feet.

No... Actually, there were little flowers springing up and blooming along the path we were walking.

It was still a cold season. Too early for flowers to bloom. The bluebird must have set this up.

So the range of the bluebird's power did extend past the town. That's really far.

...Maybe I should've gotten a little more information.

"Wooow!", Efi shouted with amazement at the dreamlike spectacle.

"Must be that bluebird. Guess it's a perfectly good use of that ability."

"She's not the bluebird, she's Al!", Efi reminded me angrily.

"Yeah, yeah, got it. Doubt we'll be stopping by that town again anyway."

"...So we really aren't going there again, huh?" Efi's face went sullen.

"Like I've said before, I can't just come and go to places like I please. You never know who's watching, and you could get stabbed any moment in this line of work. Wouldn't want me to get stabbed, wouldja?"

Efi silently shook her head.

"That's right. The people you build good relationships with are the ones you can't avoid trouble with. So we won't be going back to that town."

"Sniff..."

Efi was a dummy, but she probably more or less got what I was saying. Still, she was pouting hard, not able to fully accept it.

"...If we can clear a bunch of things up... go all around the world, and run out of towns to go to. Then I'll take you there again."

"Really?!"

Eh, it was a lie, of course. But Efi didn't notice my lies, so this would do.

"Hm?"

Suddenly, my cellphone rang. I answered the call, and the hat informant's voice leapt into my ears.

"Yoohoo! Done with bluebird hunting?"

"Yeah, with results. Let's make a trade next time we meet."

"Whoa-ho! Amazing. That's our gifted conman. How does Vermilion Town sound next?"

"Vermilion Town?" Hmm... I'd never heard of it. Once this call was over, I'd have to find directions there.

"There's an interesting legend they've got over there. I'm heading there now, so I'll be waaaiting!"

"Right, got it."

I hung up, and Efi looked at me as if to ask "who was it?"

"...Our next destination is decided. Vermilion Town."

"Va...?", Efi tried to repeat in a dumb voice. Probably didn't hear me very well. "Are there tasty treats there?"

"That'd be nice."

...I had to get a lot of money ready for next time. With Efi along, I wouldn't be surprised if I ran out.

There were still things I couldn't resolve. First of all, the lie I'd told to my family. That was a lie that still wouldn't come off.

This journey of ours was more accurately an escape. I was constantly fleeing from place to place.

It was something I'd have to bear my whole life, I was sure.

I don't feel like asking forgiveness. It's fine.

"I hope I can eat your lies too someday, papa."

"Don't call me papa," I retorted, and Efi let out a quiet "gack!"

...Efi, eating my lies. Would a day like that come, I wonder?

If it did, that might be the day I'm saved. ...Now, I'd come to have silly thoughts like that. Strange as it was to put any hopes in this little dummy.

"I'll do my best to stay with you forever, papa!"

"Really now?"

Ever since our shocking meeting, I was constantly getting pushed around by this brat.

But.

...For now, maybe I was happy being pushed around like this for a while.

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