Underneath the Silhouette-Chapter 80: Journey to the Weeping Unknown

"Just give us the mission already."

Shade sighed, his arms crossed, his eyes rolling dramatically. "I don’t want to listen to your banter."

Mr. Blade stared, his mouth falling open. He pointed a trembling finger at Shade. "You... you should stop absorbing everything your mentor taught you. You’re turning into her—" Smack! Scarlett Jenkins’s hand collided with the back of Mr. Blade’s head, cutting him off mid-sentence.

Queen Regina, clearly at her limit, rubbed her temples again. With a weary sigh, she permitted the mission, despite its unreasonable and cruel nature. It was settled: Eirin and Shade were to be forced into cooperation.

"All you have to do is bring me a weeping bindweed from the Slumbering Slopes. It’s a rare flower which only blooms on the 14th to 16th of August, once every hundred years."

Eirin bit her lower lip as they stepped out of the Director’s office. All the mission details still being written up on paper, set to be sent to them later that day.

"Eirin," Pierre called, stepping out from where he’d been waiting. He caught her arm, pulling her close to a whisper, "Why are you risking your life for someone else?" Eirin felt Shade’s eyes, like daggers, on Pierre’s hand. Gently, she pulled her arm free, putting a little distance between herself and Pierre.

As Shade walked away, Eirin quickly explained that it wouldn’t be fair for him to be the only one punished, not when they had both nearly killed each other.

"Hurry it up," Shade said over his shoulder, already walking away. Eirin waved goodbye to Pierre. The young man, in turn, let his fingers lightly brush her arm as he murmured, "Be careful out there."

A faint smile touched Eirin’s lips as she hurried back to the dorms. Every moment counted now. They had to depart immediately, before the precious weeping bindweed withered away. As soon as she entered the room, she rushed to the cabinet and pulled out her backpack. She didn’t even know what to put, so she just put everything she thought she will need.

"Ei, you’re back."

Eirin jumped, startled by the voice. Her roommate, Coleen was already inside, bustling around the room.

"Are you going somewhere?"

Eirin’s gaze flickered from her packed black backpack to Coleen’s curious face. A knot tightened in her stomach. How could she even begin to explain this? She hated keeping secrets from Coleen, so she took a deep breath and launched into the full story.

"What!? And it’s all because of Shade Cromwell? That man really had it coming—" Coleen’s voice rose, and she took a furious step towards the door. Eirin lunged, grabbing her arm before she could burst out into the hallway.

"I’m the one who suggested this."

Coleen’s forehead creased, and she closed the distance between them, her eyes wide with alarm. "Why? Why would you suggest such a dangerous thing? And for someone who almost killed you?" Her voice was thin, bordering on a squeak.

"It’s—I just wanted to be of help to him."

"No! That guy would only treat you like baggage and might even leave you behind when things get worse. I don’t want you to—"

Eirin squeezed Coleen’s hand. "Look, you don’t have to worry so much. I’ve been training my flair, haven’t I? And if Shade does leave me behind, I’ll try my best to come back alone."

"That doesn’t assure me at all!"

In the end, Coleen’s pleas were useless. Eirin’s jaw was set, her determination radiating. All Coleen could do was hug her tight and wish her luck. The mission parameters were clear: Eirin and Shade were to depart immediately in search of the weeping bindweed, an extremely rare flower that bloomed only once every few centuries, specifically between the 14th and 16th of August.

On her way to the academy’s main gate, Eirin’s brows furrowed. She squinted, trying to make out the figure standing beside Shade Cromwell. As she drew closer, a flash of instinct made her dart behind a nearby tree, out of their view.

"What do you think you’re doing, Shade?"

Eirin’s eyes widened, and she clapped a hand over her mouth. Her gaze was riveted on the woman beside him. She was breathtaking, almost ethereal. Silky ebony hair cascaded to her waist, fluttering with the wind, wispy bangs nearly obscuring her stunning, cat-shaped emerald eyes. She held herself with an effortless gaze that stole Eirin’s breath.

"What did I do?"

Eirin’s forehead creased once again. Shade, ever the oblivious one, seemed completely unfazed by the captivating woman before him.

"Isn’t it proper for me to be the one to accompany you on such an important mission? I’m higher in ranking, and I wield better skills than that girl." The young woman’s words hit Eirin like a slap, though she couldn’t argue with their truth.

’But did she have to say it like that?’ Eirin sighed inwardly, almost regretting her decision.

"Stop being such a child, Naya."

Eirin froze, her heart giving a little lurch. Naya. It was the first time she’d ever heard Shade use someone’s name, other than Link’s.

"And what are you hiding for? Let’s go."

Eirin flinched, stepping out from behind the tree, a flush creeping up her neck. This stunning young woman was Naya Oswin, a name Eirin vaguely recognized. Even as she followed Shade Cromwell towards the main gate, she could feel Naya’s burning gaze on her back.

Naya’s palpable hostility clung to Eirin, a stinging presence even after they left the academy grounds behind. This was a new experience – a girl who wasn’t fawning over Shade. Despite her burning curiosity, Eirin held her tongue, knowing any question posed to Shade would likely to be met with a snarky, unhelpful response. She simply continued following him, a silent shadow.

"So you remember everything."

Eirin’s mind raced, replaying her clumsy lie from before. Her heart sank. Now that her deception was laid bare, what could she possibly say? The weight of her dishonesty crushed her, making her feel so small.

Eirin gulped. "It’s all in the past now. We did what we did to survive, and now we need to focus on another mission."

Shade let out a heavy sigh, and Eirin braced herself, assuming the topic was closed. But then he whirled around to face her, his eyes blazing. "Do you know how dangerous it was for you to say that to them? To that hag?" The words ripped from him, a shout that made Eirin jump back.

"It’s reckless for you to suggest going on a high-rank mission in front of that hag! Didn’t you already know how much she wanted to get rid of you? To get rid of both of us?"

Despite his shouting, Eirin saw the wild panic in his eyes, a stark contrast to his usual composure. Behind it, a deeper current of worry swirled. ’He’s never been this worried,’ Eirin thought, and instinctively reached out to pat his shoulder. Shade flinched, pulling himself back.

"We’re already both in this situation. The least we can do is help each other." Shade slapped his forehead hearing that, then stomped his foot like a frustrated child.

A laugh threatened to bubble up in Eirin’s throat, a ridiculous reaction considering their predicament, but she bit it back. The two continued their journey towards the Slumbering Slopes. It wasn’t long before they passed the entrance of the Lively Grove, a sight that brought back an unwelcome memory of Ava’s illusion.

There was no other way to reach Grimsby, the town nestled near the Slumbering Slopes, so the two had to walk. It took them a grueling full day to finally arrive. Since the flower bloomed for a maximum of three days, they knew they needed to make haste.

Eirin felt more drained by the strained silence between them than by the long trek to Grimsby. The moment their feet touched the town’s cobblestone streets, however, a wave of relief washed over her. It was a vibrant, ordinary town, teeming with all kinds of people, a welcome contrast to the tense journey.

The locals greeted them with smiles and nods, despite their black cloaks—Shade’s idea, of course, to conceal their academy identities. Eirin found herself smiling back, a genuine warmth spreading through her as she followed behind him. With the sun already setting, Shade (mostly Shade, Eirin noted) decided they would find an inn for the night.

They couldn’t afford anything fancy, so they’d have to make do. Shade, being more experienced with these kinds of missions, led the way, and Eirin kept quiet, following his lead. But the moment they stepped inside the inn, Eirin’s breath caught. The common room was filled with burly, grim-faced men, their eyes heavy with suspicion. She swallowed hard.

"Welcome," the manager greeted them, and they settled into a table behind a group of what appeared to be bounty hunters. Eirin felt their eyes on her, a chilling prickle on her skin, and she immediately dropped her gaze to her lap.

"We shall make haste before the academy discovers the location of the weeping bindweed."

Eirin’s eyes snapped open at what she heard from the bounty hunters, her breath catching in her throat. ’Why would they say that?’ she wondered.

"Why should we care about that?"

The food in front of Eirin turned to ash in her mouth, her body rigid with a sudden, icy tension. Every nerve screamed at her to maintain her disguise. That the stars they’d worn these black cloaks.

’Wait, was Shade aware of this? Was that the reason why he forced me to wear this—well, force was a little—but still..."

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