بالتأكيد. إليك النص المترجم إلى الإنجليزية مع استبدال "Aitsuki" بـ "Itsuki" في كل مواضع ظهوره:
"Tell me, Itsuki, what happened to the girl who was next to you?"
The moment he heard those words, Itsuki realized he hadn't heard her voice for quite a while. He began to search the place. With every step he took, his anxiety grew, and fear seized him.
"(I can't believe I even forgot she was here. How long has she been missing? She must have been swept away in the crowd.)"
He returned to Wendy's spot and told her he would go and search, leaving her to watch this location.
"I should have been more careful."
Fear suddenly gripped him. Given her personality and health condition, he couldn't help but be distressed just thinking about what might happen to her in such a crowded place. He ran at a frantic speed through the dense crowd, yet without touching or being noticed by anyone.
Within minutes, he stopped abruptly when he heard shouts and celebrations coming from the center of the public square. As he approached to find out what was happening, he heard what people were talking about.
"They say they found the Queen's necklace."
"What? No, no, it was the commander of the Fourth Division who found it."
"What?? Even though he just arrived, how could he do it so quickly?"
"I don't know, but he did it anyway. I heard he punished the thief for his deed on the spot. What a serious person."
"I think what he did was right. The wrongdoers must be punished."
The moment he heard those words, what Itsuki was looking for vanished from his mind. No, perhaps the shock prevented him from moving from his spot. Nevertheless, he couldn't just stand there. He searched aimlessly, running through the crowds with little hope and much anxiety.
In the squares, in public places, inside stores and cafes. He didn't have time or even remember that his face was completely exposed.
A spot of blood...
Near the main street, as he was running through it. In an alleyway of one of the houses, that was what he glimpsed out of the corner of his eye. He froze in his place, approaching slowly to see more clearly, with a hint of the fear and anxiety he was adept at hiding behind his cold face.
As he advanced slowly, his leg hit something closer to a stick, but it was soft and yielding while emitting a repulsive odor. Drops of it splattered onto his shoe upon impact.
When he looked down, he realized what was at his foot. It was a severed human arm, cut close to the shoulder. Blood was everywhere, and the state of the arm was pitiful. Pieces of cut flesh were scattered near the hand, and the place of the cut was mangled as if cut by a semi-rusty axe.
The anxiety that had been visible on the young man's face moments ago disappeared. It was as if he had returned to his usual calmness. His eyes, which had held a slight fear within them, returned to their natural coldness, though they were closer to black than blue at that moment.
When he turned around, a faint smile seemed to form on his face. That was when he saw the body of the small boy lying before him, swimming in the blood of his severed hand. And in the middle of that pool of blood were the coins he had given the boy a few hours earlier.
He advanced towards the boy and approached him to make sure he was still alive. His face was pale, and his eyes were half-closed. His weak breaths were barely escaping.
When Itsuki tried to place his hand on the boy's chest to check his pulse, the boy's left hand moved slowly to grip Itsuki's wrist.
Despite this, Itsuki did not seem very concerned. Perhaps he realized when he placed his hand on his chest that the boy was already unconscious. No, perhaps his condition was worse. Yet, the faint smile did not leave his cold face. Was it a smile of joy, or had his emotions become so numb that he didn't know what expression to show? Or was he simply mocking what had happened to him despite having warned him? He said to the boy:
"Who did this to you?"
Without any regard for his condition or an attempt to help him.
Then, words came out of the boy's mouth slowly and calmly.
"I didn't steal anything, father. I got this money from a stranger I met on the way..."
The words were not directed at Itsuki. They were closer to the hallucinations of a dying person.
"I feel... so thirsty..."
After those words left his lips, the hand that was gripping Itsuki's fell, and he passed away.
Itsuki stood up and left the place without any reaction. He even seemed more indifferent to the matter. He walked into the street with his hands in his pockets, strolling towards the public square.
At the city center, hundreds of soldiers were gathering, forming organized ranks. They stood with impressive readiness and focus. Standing before that large army was the person responsible for protecting this place. He was the Fourth Commander of the King's army, with the greatest number of battle victories and pure devotion to absolute justice. He was the most trusted person in the King's army after the First Commander, Traidor.
With a frightening rumor spreading around the city that turned its crowded, lively streets into something like a ghost town, the Fourth Commander declared a state of alert for all the King's soldiers in this city and ordered them to cordon off the city so no one could enter or leave.
The soldiers dispersed, spreading rapidly throughout the city. Both the Fourth Commander and his first aide remained, consulting with each other about what was happening.
"I know it's presumptuous of me, sir, but what is the point of doing this? It's just another rumor. It was said he would be born this year, so how is it possible for him to be a young man of this age? This has been happening a lot lately. People are starting to fear anything that is said. So..."
"I know what you are trying to say, Deputy Commander. But it doesn't really matter. Regardless of whether it's a rumor, that doesn't mean we should neglect our duties towards our people. We must always be prepared for any moment something might happen."
"But this..."
"We are done with this conversation. Go to your position immediately."
The deputy nodded his head and left without a word. When he was gone, the Commander began walking around the city square, observing what might happen at any moment.
Just a few meters into his patrol, he heard a voice close to his ear say, "Hello, Commander, it's been a long time."
Upon hearing that voice, he quickly turned around to see Itsuki standing right in front of him. When he saw the young man's face, extreme anxiety and tension became visible on his own.
"You are not..."
The moment he opened his mouth, Itsuki gripped his face with enough force to break all his teeth on both sides. It was not anger or sadness. Perhaps the matter was not evident on his face; his features were normal. But the only certainty was that he had completely abandoned his caution about everything around him.
"The place here is uncomfortable. Let's go somewhere more private."
His steps were so light that he seemed to float above the ground. He moved at high speed by kicking the ground hard enough to leave a mark. While carrying a man in his right hand, it only took a few seconds to be on the outskirts of the city.
When he reached a semi-deserted place full of old buildings, he stopped in his place and transferred the momentum of his speed to the man he was carrying by throwing him forcefully into the air until he slammed against the wall of an old building. He then fell to the ground, writhing in pain.
"Oh, did your back break now? Unfortunately, my grip was a little bad, so I couldn't throw you harder. Maybe that would have helped you a little."
Itsuki suddenly stopped speaking and glanced sideways, realizing someone was hiding behind a wall slightly far away. But the matter did not interest him, and he proceeded toward the Fourth Commander, who was clutching his mouth while trying to stand with difficulty. He looked at Itsuki with intense fear and anger. He removed his hand from his mouth and tried to speak, but blood filled his mouth, and he spat out his teeth with a large amount of blood.
Itsuki stopped and told him.
"If you try to speak again, I will rip out your throat. I am not here to hear anything from you. I am not interested in anything you are trying to say."
Those words struck terror in the heart of the Fourth Commander. His legs failed him, and he fell to the ground.
"Well, now let's clarify the matter. Why do you think I am doing this? It's simple: to achieve justice. As I recall, you liked those words, didn't you? But don't misunderstand, I am not trying to mock you or anything of that kind. I respected that side of you. That's why I am here to apply justice to you."
Itsuki slowly drew his sword as he spoke, without looking at the face of the suffering person in front of him.
"You always try to achieve your justice on anything without exception. And that is what makes it far from perfect. Cutting off the hand of a boy accused of theft. Depending on the circumstances, perhaps I would do that too, but not to a child of this age. But that's not the real problem. That barbarism, indifference, and obsession with the idea of justice led to the death of that small child, regardless of whether he was a thief or not. You didn't realize, did you, that you killed someone for this reason?"
Then, Itsuki looked into his eyes for the first time since he met him. He saw nothing but fear and distress.
"No, maybe you didn't think about it from the beginning. And to be honest with you, I don't really care. Your justice, your ideals, and your ambitions—I see no value in these things in a fool like you. So I came to apply my justice to you. You killed a small child who was not yet fifteen, with a charge whose authenticity is questionable. So now I will kill you on the principle of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth."
The man listened, his face bowed, realizing what was being said to him. He felt great remorse knowing the boy's death and that he had misjudged things. He looked at Itsuki's expressionless face. For some reason, he felt a slight relief. Perhaps he realized that his sin might be forgiven if he died at the hands of this person. He tried to stand up again.
"Don't worry, there is nothing to prove that I am right, so there is nothing that can force you to endure my punishment for you. So hold your weapon, I will give you a fair and just chance to fight. Regardless of who dies, that will be the true justice because that is what is destined for us."
The Commander stood on his feet, showing his gratitude to the young man who was now trying to kill him. Then, his right eye turned completely black, and a strange mark appeared in its center. At that moment, a small book emerged from nowhere in the Commander's hand. That was a declaration to begin the fight.
Before the Commander could open his book, he did not realize that his head had already been cut off. He fell dead to the ground.
Itsuki stood over the corpse of the Fourth Commander without any reaction. With a faint whisper, he said,
"Farewell, Commander. Working under your command at that time was not bad. I will pray for your forgiveness."
The young man returned his sword to its place and turned his gaze to the side. As if someone was standing there, Itsuki spoke and said,
"If the matter of this person concerns you, then do him a favor and bury him."
With these words, Itsuki quickly left the place without looking back. He was still worried about Leena, who was lost, and there was still something he had to do.
On the outskirts of the city near the old neighborhoods, under a withered apple tree, Itsuki was standing over a grave that looked recently dug. The tombstone was blank, bearing no name or date. With his hands dirty with soil and mud, he held his leather water flask and began pouring it onto the grave. He whispered words while raising his hands close to his face.
When he finished, he took out the three blood-stained coins, placed them on the grave, and quickly left the place once more.
While searching the streets fruitlessly, he met Wendy hours later to check on her search. She told him that a young man, an elf with white hair and green eyes, had found Leena and brought her back to her. He rushed back to her house to check on the girl Leena. Upon his arrival, Leena was sitting near the door, frightened and silent. She was waiting for Itsuki to return. When she heard his voice, she quickly stood up and ran toward him, hugging his leg tightly while trembling with fear.
Upon seeing that sight, Itsuki laughed softly. He lowered himself to speak with her while patting her head.
"You must have been very scared alone in this place. I'm sorry, it was entirely my fault. But it's okay, our work here is already finished. No need to worry, we'll go back right away."
Leena merely wiped her tears and nodded in agreement with what he was saying. Itsuki bade farewell to Wendy and her brother and headed back towards Ishin's shop.
During this return journey, Leena was unusually quiet and spoke little. Every time she tried to talk about something, she suddenly fell silent without an explanation following that silence. On the other hand, Itsuki was not very concerned about this. He seemed to be waiting for her to muster her courage and speak on her own.
...
On the road leading to the capital in that small, thriving village, the red sunset gleamed on a 'Closed' sign hanging on a small shop on the outskirts of the village.
Inside that small place, specifically in the kitchen, a person was holding a metal cooking bowl, putting some flour inside. Then, he added a cup of water and a small piece of butter. He began stirring them lightly for a few minutes.
Then, he started cutting fresh red apples into small slices.
While Itsuki was working on the pie, Ishin was sitting at his table reading a small book. Sitting in front of him was Leena, who was fidgeting in her seat with excitement and anticipation.
When Ishin noticed how she was moving in her seat, he said,
"Are you hungry? Don't worry, despite everything said about that person, he is definitely the most trustworthy when it comes to food."
Leena only nodded her head, while she seemed to pout a little, then said to him,
"I'm not worried about that, but... I didn't really do anything worthwhile. Without my older brother, I wouldn't have been able to do anything alone. Is it okay for me to get paid..."
Ishin interrupted her, saying,
"Regardless of what happened, whether you did something or not, it doesn't change the fact that you accepted this job. And since you completed your work, it is natural for me to give you payment for your effort. Fortunately, it's just a few apples. It's not a big deal."
While Ishin was drinking from his cup of tea, someone from behind kicked his chair's leg strongly, causing him to spill a little tea on his face and burn it. It was Itsuki standing behind him, holding a fresh pie decorated with apple slices on its sides and a rose made of thin apple slices in the middle.
He placed it on the table in front of the girl Leena and said,
"Since you know that, hand over the rest of the payment, you fraud! You don't know what we suffered because of you."
Leena felt bad and embarrassed to ask for more. She stopped Itsuki, trying to calm him down.
"It's okay... no need for that, really. I am grateful to your fraudulent friend. Thanks to him, I was able to work alone and buy something for myself. I am really happy about that."
"You are still calling me by that name!"
Itsuki sighed heavily and replied to her,
"Well, it's not like I don't understand what you're trying to say. Forget it... there's no point in this. Let's eat first."
Leena was very excited but was shy to act that way. She fidgeted in her place without any sign of initiating the meal. Until Itsuki sat down in front of her and took a knife to cut it for her.
In that instant, without warning, in those few seconds, the color of the cold sunset rays turned a dark red.
"Watch out!!" That was the word Ishin shouted during that short time.
Suddenly, the red color turned into flames that shattered the window glass, followed by a powerful explosion that completely destroyed half of the front building. Ishin was the first to realize it, so he managed to take appropriate cover and emerged with minor injuries from the flying debris. Leena, Itsuki, and the pie were not so lucky. Itsuki was completely under the rubble, while Leena was unconscious under a piece of the wooden window and part of the wall.
Ishin removed the debris from Leena while looking at the overwhelming number of bandits and mercenaries surrounding the place. Without even asking, he realized exactly what they wanted and said,
"These people chased you all this way even though they saw your face!! They must be really brave."
At that moment, Itsuki was already standing behind Ishin, his face covered in his own blood. He replied to Ishin's question while slowly advancing toward the crowd waiting for him.
"No!! They most likely heard about it from the rumors in that city."
"Ah, I see. Just don't kill them. I don't want to get involved with the King's army."
Itsuki stood before them with his usual cold gaze.
"I know," he affirmed.
Despite the declaration, he did not do anything. He just stood in front of them, watching their arrogant looks turn into fear and despair. Their loud, strong words turned into whispers, consultation among themselves, and visible anxiety accompanied by an unknown fear. Only a few minutes passed before everyone in that gathering disappeared. They were running away, warning others.
Leaving Itsuki standing in his place alone, while looks of exhaustion and a little despair clouded his face.
Leena, who was lying on the ground with her head bleeding, opened her eyes sluggishly—the cloth having been removed by the explosion—and wondered to herself what had happened. But despite that, she didn't care much about the matter. She didn't seem to feel the pain, actually. She hauled herself to her feet. After a few minutes, she was standing.
Ishin asked her how she was, and she replied with these words:
"I must go back... I must go back... I must go back."
She walked past Itsuki, who was still standing in his place, still repeating that phrase. When he saw her in this state, he couldn't bring himself to speak and merely watched her leave.
Then, he heard Ishin's voice from behind saying,
"I can't believe it. This book..."
When Itsuki heard those words, he turned around to see Ishin frozen in his place, holding a book covered in some crushed papers. Itsuki realized that what he was holding in his hand was the book he had been hiding in his pouch on his waist. He then realized it had fallen due to that explosion, leaving Itsuki puzzled about what might happen. It was the first time Itsuki had seen such surprise and confusion on Ishin's face, which made him even more worried.
Then, Ishin spoke, with amazement still visible on his face.
"Tell me, Itsuki, if I told you I wanted this book at any cost, would you give it to me?"
"You know I don't really care about these things. But it's not mine. I'm keeping it for an old friend. So, it's not possible."
Ishin chuckled softly and replied to him.
"You don't understand, do you? It is that important, so I am asking you for it. I don't want to use violent methods with you."
"The same goes for me. I don't want to fight you for something like this. Nevertheless, if you insist on taking it, don't be angry with me because I will never back down."
Itsuki readied the sword on his waist, preparing for a fight. When Ishin saw his serious face, he sighed and said,
"Why do you have to be so loyal at a time like this? This is why you will never be able to live among humans."
Itsuki smiled and replied to him,
"I think this is better than betraying someone who trusted me. For someone who owns nothing, if I abandon these ethics, there will be no meaning to my existence."
Ishin threw the book forcefully toward Itsuki, who caught it as if it were a natural thing.
"As I expected, you really resemble that girl. Perhaps that's why I liked her."
"Do you really think so? Well, I don't think you're wrong. Maybe that's why I want to help her. No, perhaps because she deserves help."
Ishin advanced to stand next to Itsuki.
"So, aren't you going to follow her?"
"Tell me, Ishin, do you think a girl like her could be that Saint they venerate here?"
Ishin put his hands in his pockets against the cold.
"I don't think there are two strangers this odd in our society. I'd be more surprised if she were an ordinary girl."
"That's what you think, then. As for me, I see her as nothing but a small girl carrying responsibilities greater than her size. She is treated specially just because she tries to protect her principles and beliefs."
"When society treats you as something strange, can you prove you are normal? The same applies to you and her."
At that, Itsuki laughed a little loudly, which surprised Ishin.
"After all, Leena was right."
"What do you mean, and why are you laughing, anyway?"
"I mean about her way of calling us the thief and the fraud. But maybe because she doesn't see, I was slightly mistaken in that. I was the fraud all this time."
Ishin recalled that conversation in the morning and realized what Itsuki meant by being a fraud. He had been trying to deceive her so he could help her all along. But he never thought for a moment: did she actually need help? Was she really sad? She didn't seem so. And because of that arrogant idea of his, the little girl learned things she never imagined. She came to know hope and warmth by accompanying Itsuki. That's why that pie might have broken her heart more than he realized. Ishin then wondered, was Itsuki wrong in what he did? For the first time in his life, he realized that considering someone's circumstances is far better than unprovoked kindness.
Ishin sighed and said,
"Perhaps you are right. Wait, if you were the fraud, does that mean I am the thief? I don't think I've stolen anything throughout my life."
Itsuki laughed while following Leena's footsteps. He waved to Ishin and said,
"You haven't stolen anything yet, then. That might be true, but it doesn't mean you won't do it in the future. See you later."
When darkness fell deep in that dark forest, there was nothing to illuminate the gloom but the lake's fireflies on the banks. On one of those banks, both Leena and Itsuki were sitting there.
Itsuki was wrapping medical bandages around her head and sterilizing her wounds, concluding with a bandage on her forehead.
"Well, I think that's enough. What do you think, did the pain go away?"
"Yes, thank you very much. There is a slight pain, but I am much better. I'm sorry for always causing problems."
She said those words with a wilted face, hugging her feet with her arms, curling up, depressed and sad. While Itsuki was collecting the simple first-aid kit and putting it in his bag, he said to her,
"Tell me, Leena, aren't you tired yet? Are you still able to live alone here?"
There was no sympathy or kindness in the form of the question. It was more like a reprimand.
"In truth, I feel very tired. I forgot when I started fearing being alone here. It's true that the animals are kind here, but the anxiety of staying in this state for a longer period exhausts me a lot. But that doesn't mean I can abandon this place for this reason. Yes, I promised him, so I won't leave."
That was the first time Leena spoke about how she truly felt. Perhaps the injury had affected her, or perhaps Itsuki's question did not carry a hidden meaning behind it. Regardless of the reason, the words that poured out of her mouth made her shed tears without realizing it.
Itsuki stood in front of the river, picked up a stone in his hand, and threw it onto the water's surface to skip several times before sinking into the depths of the lake.
"So, what do you think about a vacation from work? Every Sunday, you can forget this place and do whatever you want. You can sleep all day if you want. I will guard this place for you every Sunday, so you can rest a little."
"Why would you do this for me? I don't want that. I prefer my old life over causing you more trouble."
She was advancing toward him recklessly, not noticing she was heading toward the water. Before she fell into the lake, Itsuki grabbed her by the neck.
"Can you be quiet for a bit? Why do you assume I am doing this for you in the first place? All that is happening is that I took an apple without telling you. So I am trying to wait for the owner of this orchard to pay him for it. But I cannot be here all the time, so I will come every Sunday. Do you understand now?"
After hearing those words, Leena's mood quickly changed, and she accepted the matter readily.
"So that's it. I can't do anything about that, then. But what do you think? I was right all along. You intended to steal from the beginning, didn't you? What a bad person you are, brother."
He patted her head, smiling, then said,
"Yes, yes, I'm sorry for deceiving you all this time. Forgive me."
Then the first scene of her calling him a thief came to his mind, and he laughed at it while saying to himself, "(As I expected, Ishin, I was the fraud all along.)" Despite his claim of having stolen, his bag contained nothing but the items he was carrying.
While Itsuki was thinking about that matter, Leena was strongly clasping her wrist, trying to say something to Itsuki. Every time she tried to speak, she stopped herself until she finally spoke, with anxiety showing on her face.
"There is something I want to tell you, brother. When I was lost a little while ago, the person who helped me..."
She suddenly paused, then spoke again.
"Actually, his voice was like the voice of the owner of this orchard. At first, I thought I was only imagining it, but every time he spoke, I was sure it was the same person."
"What do you mean by that?"
Then, she took out a paper she had been hiding in her pocket.
"When he returned me to Wendy's house, he gave me this and asked me to hand it over to you."
Itsuki took the paper and began to open it, muttering,
"To me? What does that mean?"
Immediately upon reading that single line on the paper, for the first time, Itsuki's expressionless face turned into a frowning face with eyes burning with the fire of anger. As they made their way toward the apple orchard, the crumpled piece of paper lay on the ground in their place. And those words, written in pure Arabic with a simple drawing of a winking face, said:
؟..." (Can you protect her, then?...)