None of the Thunder Fang members have a Relic.
"But Axe's mom is a famous delver, right?"
"Yep, yep. She's got one of those rare wearable-type Relics."
"And her own son doesn't have one?"
"Right, right. Actually, it's not that unusual—Relics aren't something you inherit."
They're not hereditary.
Then what about the Edda, the race that's supposed to always have two Relics?
And what about me?
"But all of them?"
"Indeed, indeed. That's quite rare."
"So it really is unusual."
"Well, there are plenty of delvers who operate without Relics. The thing is, most of them join up with a party that has at least one Relic-holder among its members."
So then why... Oh, I see.
"Is it a complex?"
"A com-com?"
"I think the reason there are no Relic-holders is psychological."
"Hmm, hmm. How do you mean?"
"Both their parents have Relics, but they don't. It'd be a lie to say that doesn't weigh on them."
"Yeah, yeah. So it bugs them—that's why they won't let Relic-holders in?"
"I think it's stubbornness. Especially when your parents are famous, it only gets worse."
"Hmm, hmm. So it's not that they dislike Relic-holders, then."
"Well… I'm not so sure about that."
Jealousy and envy toward Relics. I imagined there was admiration in there too.
But that was just speculation.
What Axe thought about Relics.
Only Axe knew that.
"My, my, you really are something, young Wof. Then you can figure it out without me having to spell it out, right?"
"That I should keep quiet about being a Relic-holder."
"Mm-hmm. But you know, they're Fourth-Rank delvers too. They're genuinely capable."
"I don't mind personally, but what about my apprentice?"
She'd become a delver through special circumstances, so she almost certainly had a Relic.
The witch slowly swayed her tail and let out a hmm.
"Yes, yes. That's exactly the thing. What is Emmy thinking, I wonder?"
"Emmy. Axe's mother?"
"That's right. She should know about Thunder Fang, too."
Which meant she also knew that not everyone in the family had Relics.
"I'll try bringing it up casually with my apprentice."
"Mm-hmm. I'm counting on you. Oh, right, right. Hey, Wof."
"What is it?"
"So how did that go, hm? The potion-making I said even you could handle with where you're at?"
"Ah, that — well, things came up and I haven't tried it yet."
That village. After what happened there, I just couldn't muster the motivation.
Even though I had all the ingredients, I had no desire to brew. The witch said, sounding surprised.
"Oh my, that's unusual for you."
"Sorry about that."
"No, no, nothing to apologize for. If it works out, I'd like you to tell Kan."
"Sure. I definitely will."
I felt just a tiny bit guilty.
I left the witch's house.
On the way home.
I bought cucumbers and lemons at the vegetable stand.
"......"
That complex brought back a memory.
A memory from my past life. Back when I was a student.
There was someone I absolutely didn't want to lose to.
But that person was better than me at everything.
So I worked hard.
I believed that if I tried hard enough, I could surpass them.
That was summer.
Summer vacation. Midday, stifling hot, with the cicadas buzzing like mad.
I was drinking barley tea in the living room.
The ice had melted and it tasted a little watered down.
The TV I'd left on wasn't interesting either.
I turned it off halfway through a segment on the supernatural.
I was bored out of my mind.
And I was hungry.
But I was sick of somen noodles.
What should I do?
"Oh right. That thing. There was a cucumber in the fridge."
I'd try making that thing I saw in a video yesterday at lunch.
Even someone like me could pull that off.
That's when it happened.
The doorbell chimed.
I had no idea who it could be.
It was summer vacation, and apart from me, nobody was home.
Figure it was some solicitor, I dragged myself to the front door looking annoyed.
I was surprised.
The person I'd unilaterally decided was my rival.
Short black hair. A straw sun hat.
A pure white dress.
Slightly tanned skin.
Pitch-black eyes fixed on me.
As always, they held a fierce will.
She was there.
I still don't understand.
Why she came to my house.
For now, I let her come in.
I led her to the living room and prepared barley tea with ice.
I didn't ask her why she'd come.
She sat down, drank the barley tea, and stayed silent.
Several times I tried to speak to her.
For some reason, the words wouldn't come.
We know each other.
We talk as classmates — not a lot, but normally.
I see her as a rival, but she doesn't know that.
I'm just unilaterally jealous and envious, working hard to catch up.
Thinking back on it now.
I liked her.
That's why I didn't want to lose.
Without a word, feeling awkward, I turned on the TV.
The spiritual feature was over.
The news was covering a convenience store robbery or something like that.
She watched the TV in silence.
And I watched her like that.
It was unconscious.
I noticed her cheeks had gone slightly red.
She had noticed she was being watched too.
But she didn't say anything.
Aware of being watched, looking embarrassed about it.
Even so, she just stayed silent, letting herself be observed.
When I realized that fact, I felt strangely pleased.
What was that, I wonder.
She accepted everything I did.
If I reached out, I could have all of her.
That's how it felt.
Why did I think that?
I understand now.
But back then, I was young.
"——Hey, aren't you hungry?"
"Huh."
"There's something I've been wanting to try."
"What?"
"From that summer."
Looking back now, that was the moment.
It was all the courage I had.