"Marie, are all those who have stepped onto the Path of Dream like this? Or do even your own people consider you eccentric?"
"Eccentric? You’re the first person to call that... But I don’t think I’m anything special or that I’m all that different from those who live in the Abode of Dreams."
"...I see," he replied flatly.
In fact, his prejudice against Marie had been obvious from the mont she first appeared.
Of course, it could be justified by fear for his own safety and ingrained habits... But to spend every second constantly convincing himself that he didn’t like her and thinking of ways to kill her? That was abnormal.
He’d understood it from the very beginning—it was all because she followed the Path of Dream.
Until the very end, he didn’t want to believe that these people could be... not bad.
’Why would people as bright as you... have a dark Champion like ?’ he thought, ashad of himself.
In all two years of living in this new world, he still hadn’t found the answer to the most important question.
Why did that very being choose soone like him as its Champion?
"Don’t you yourself want to beco the Champion of Dream, Marie...?"
"It would be the greatest blessing and the greatest pride. If that happens, I’ll be happy, but it’s not up to ," she replied with a calm smile.
"Then who decides?"
"Of course, only our Peak of Dream can choose its Champion. Only Peak can choose the most worthy."
A painful, aching sensation pierced his chest once more.
"...And what does your Peak think about all this, anyway?"
"Unfortunately, for many years now, the Peak of Dream has remained silent and does not answer our call. Her last visit was long before I was born." After these words, for the first ti during their conversation, the smile on Marie’s face faded slightly. "The long absence of the Champions’ Gas worries everyone, and it’s all because our Peak has not yet chosen its champion. To tell the truth, that is the only reason why the elders of the Abode of Dreams decided to take the initiative and hold an annual selection in every corner of the world." They did all this to help our Peak of Dream find soone worthy.
"...And your Peak is still silent, isn’t it? Doesn’t it talk to any of you at all?"
"Not at all. At least, nothing like that has ever happened in my lifeti."
This made him smile wryly. What was so special about him that, out of all people, the Peak of Dream had spoken to him twice already?
Not even to his own followers from the Abode of Dreams.
Why the hell, out of all people... him, of all people?
"...I guess that’s why all sorts of rumors are spreading, huh? Like your Peak abandoned you or sothing even worse... Must be upsetting, right?"
"Not at all," she replied, her smile returning.
"But why?"
"Even if our Peak doesn’t answer our call and pretends it no longer exists... We always know that it’s watching over and protecting our dreams right from up there." Marie pointed her finger at the sky, where stars were visible even in the daylight.
"What makes you say that?"
Marie smiled at him.
"Because that’s just who it is — the Peak of Dream."
"..." Mr. Nobody didn’t know how to respond.
He had a terrible urge to smoke... and to smash sothing.
...
anwhile, the two unwilling witnesses were acting a little strangely.
Kuronuma was no longer trembling with fear, but she remained silent. However, naturally, once Mr. Nobody stopped covering her ears, she could hear the entire conversation in detail.
Moreover, after the speech, an oddly sincere conversation and their physical closeness between Mr. Nobody and Marie, the girl lowered her head and averted her gaze.
She no longer looked at them, apparently afraid she might see sothing even more embarrassing.
At the sa ti, the cat... She was behaving as usual.
"Heh-heh, by the way, why has your cat wanted to kill since the beginning?" Marie looked intently into the cat’s disinterested eyes and added, "No, not kill, but, it seems... burn to ashes, right?"
"It’s not... my cat. Besides, you shouldn’t throw around accusations like that. I’m sure all cats are kind and understanding, and this one especially. She definitely doesn’t want to burn you to ashes."
"Hmm, really?"
"Marie, it’s just a cat. Most likely, she’s attached to the girl and is just afraid you’ll hurt her."
"Fine..." Though she replied that way, she didn’t seem to believe those words fully. The gaze of the cat’s cold blue eyes was far more convincing to her.
...
After Mr. Nobody stopped lying to himself and realized his own bias, talking without constantly thinking about how to kill her beca much more pleasant.
He didn’t know how long they’d been chatting, but ti seed to fly by surprisingly quickly.
Most likely because it was genuinely pleasant.
During those conversations with Marie, sotis he had to cover the girl’s ears again, and sotis they just silently gazed at the houses of Southville.
In one of those monts, he whispered his thoughts to himself.
"They’ll find everyone, even ..." The sa phrase he occasionally repeated to himself. "That’s too sad, Ghost. Honestly, I admired the stories about you and always wanted to et you... But apparently, they have even gotten to you," he said into the void.
"..." The cat sitting next to him remained uninterested.
"Life seems more boring knowing that I’ll never et you in any of the dark alleys..."
"Huh? What did you say?" Marie called out to him, apparently having heard sothing.
"... I said it’s ti for us to go. The old man is probably already pacing around restlessly."
"Oh, really? Right, I have a lot of work to do too... I have to hand out flyers to everyone in Concord."
"Does that even make sense? You saw how ordinary people react to you. Most likely, the only ones who’ll show up for the selection are kids of pompous old n from Norwich," he said, climbing back onto the motorcycle.
"Well, there’s always a chance... You did talk to , after all."
She smiled at him again.
"Hah... After talking to for so long, do you still think I’m just an ordinary resident of Concord?"
"Huh? Am I not?"
"You’re definitely a weirdo, Marie."
"What does that an?" the girl blinked in confusion.
"Exactly what I said... Hold on, Kuronuma."
*Vroom!* The engine roared to life again.
"Well, it was nice, Marie... Arrivederci," he said, waving goodbye.
Kuronuma clung to his waist, and the cat climbed back onto his lap.
He was ready to go, but then...
"Wait!"
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