By Zephyria ========
The sunlight poured down, warm for autumn. Water droplets clinging to spiderwebs, white feathers stuck to sleeves—sunlight sparkled everywhere. It was only when they were on the verge of reaching the pirate village that Wolf spoke.
“Hey.”
〔Yes.〕
“About the spruce tree… the Type 2 Mutants. You said there are quite a few mutants who grow up without knowing they are spruce trees because the trait identification methods are inaccurate, right? If I’m lucky, maybe there’s one here?”
〔Correction. Luck is a human imaginative construct inapplicable to statistical analysis.〕
〔Statistically, the occurrence rate of Type 2 Mutants is approximately 1 in 3,000.〕
〔Calculating… Based on the average population of 600 for a Stohl tribe…〕
〔Applying the Type 2 Mutant occurrence rate, the probability of at least one individual existing in a single group is low. Approximately one in every 5.5 groups.〕
〔When adjusted to 1 in 3,800 to reflect cases of homicide and early death due to trait identification, it is approximately one in every 6.8 groups.〕
〔It is possible. However, it is not common.〕
Wolf knew that well. He swore by all the gods of Stohl that he had never encountered a spruce tree in his life—not even malicious rumors like, ‘That guy is actually one of those.’
But currently, luck was all he had to cling to. If he were truly, truly lucky, one would exist on this pirate island. That one individual who existed in roughly one out of seven tribes.
“Are there any characteristics of Type 2s or easy ways to recognize them?”
〔Pheromone identification.〕
〔Type 1 and Type 2 Mutants emit pheromones that only they can detect.〕
〔Normal individuals cannot detect the pheromones of mutants.〕
“Pheromones… you mean a smell?”
Suddenly, a certain memory surged forward. The sound of heavy rain. The sound of a door opening. The sudden outpouring of the scent of irises. A fragrance that scattered so thickly, it felt as if someone had moved a summer field into the darkness.
But that was just a hallucination caused by the fever.
That memory, that scent of irises, was clearly a delusion. Since that night, Silver had not emitted a single hint of iris scent.
〔Correction. Pheromones do not refer to smell alone.〕
〔They are a general term for biological chemical signals that spread in a manner similar to smell.〕
Wolf hesitated at Byeoruki’s words.
“You mean there’s something other than smell?”
〔There is the Phase Alignment Symptom.〕
〔A mutual neural synchronization that occurs when a Type 1 and a Type 2 Mutant are in close proximity. The brainwaves of the two individuals align.〕
〔The resulting effects are heightened mutual perception, amplified mutual recognition, involuntary fixation of attention, and strong nervous system reactions.〕
Byeoruki was spouting things he couldn’t understand again. Through long experience, Wolf knew how to handle these moments.
“What the hell are you talking about?”
〔Difficulty in information comprehension confirmed. Re-transmitting as a summary.〕
〔Type 1s and Type 2s react strongly to each other when close. To borrow an expression commonly used by human individuals, the phenomenon is similar to ‘falling in love at first sight.’〕
〔Examples of reaction symptoms: Fixing one’s gaze on a specific individual. Biased interest. Decreased response to surrounding stimuli. Desire for proximity.〕
Another memory flashed by. The moment his eyes first met Silver’s.
The sea, the seagulls, the sky—blue eyes that had been scanning the warriors haphazardly suddenly stopped on him. Wolf stared back at Silver without moving. Suddenly, everything except that strange fellow became blurred. Even the sounds seemed to drift away.
It felt as if he had been cast under a powerful magic spell. It felt as if his body was being contaminated by something. As if it had easily bypassed and penetrated even the defense system implanted by the skeleton wraith…
After that, Silver would not leave Wolf’s retinas. He was driven frantically by the desire to see Silver again. Even while lying on a worn-out bed. Even while having trivial conversations with the warriors. Even on a ship pushed by a storm.
Every single one matched. Fixing one’s gaze on a specific individual. Biased interest. Decreased response to surrounding stimuli. Desire for proximity.
Until now, Wolf had accepted those emotions as nothing more than a strong competitive spirit. But if Silver had revealed his true face when they first met, then perhaps…
Don’t jump to conclusions. Put it aside for now.
One thing was certain. He had to leave this pirate island as soon as possible. To find a rare and peculiar person, it was more advantageous to go where many people gathered.
“When do you think my Rut will start?”
〔Statistically, within 3 weeks after manifestation is complete. Lasts for one week. During this time…〕
“Enough. You don’t need to review it for me.”
Wolf cut Byeoruki off. He truly did not want to hear that story again. If an ash tree cannot relieve its desires in time, the interval between Ruts shortens. 2 months, 1 month, 3 weeks, 1 week… and then a conclusion of dying from a cerebral hemorrhage or stroke.
Damn it. I’m terminally ill.
Before he knew it, the lodging was close. Wolf’s pace slowed down of its own accord. He had decided not to make hasty conclusions about Silver, but as the lodging came into view, his mind became clear. His thoughts leaped toward something he hadn’t realized until now.
Silver didn’t react to me.
On the ship, he had attacked him out of nowhere. When they reunited on the beach, he treated him coldly. He was frigid almost every moment. Mockery, threats, and lies every time he opened his mouth. A sharp gaze that looked at him as if peeling back tree bark. All of it was the exact opposite of the Phase Alignment Symptom Byeoruki mentioned.
The back of Wolf’s neck grew cold. Was the iris scent just a fever dream after all? Was the intense interest in Silver merely a competitive instinct? Had he mistaken a starving desire for victory for something entirely different?
As an answer, this was the most rational and accurate. As simple as one plus one equals two. But why, why…
Why did his head suddenly feel so empty? And why were his knees wobbling as if mimicking a reed?
He let out a hollow laugh, appalled by himself. What’s wrong with you? Are you disappointed? Did you actually hope Silver was a spruce tree?
As a cause for his body suddenly turning into a straw, disappointment was indeed the most accurate. But there was something else that surprised Wolf. This sudden disappointment was too deep and immediate. It was almost…
Almost like…
Stop it. Stop right here.
Wolf flopped down on a nearby stump. With his fingers interlaced, he stared intently at the dirt ground. A beetle was crawling across the black soil.
Eventually, Wolf closed his eyes. This emotion isn’t real, he told himself.
It’s a physical reaction. It’s not a real emotion.
He recited it ten times, then again.
It’s a physical reaction. It’s not a real emotion.
Another ten times. Again.
After repeating it countless times, he opened his eyes. In the meantime, the sunset had spread across the sky. Wolf stood up abruptly and strode toward the lodging. A smile played on his lips as he opened the door.
“Hey.”
The moment he stepped inside, the smile vanished. Silver was gone.
Wolf stood frozen, gripping the doorknob for a long time. Only ashes remained in the hearth, only a crumpled blanket lay strewn across the bed, and the air inside was chilly. Silver had left long before he arrived at the lodging.
Did he go out to fill his stomach? To hunt in the mountains or the sea?
It was a reversal that felt like being doused in cold water. He had spent a long time reciting internal monologues with a scowl, only to be facing an empty house. It was like flexing his muscles in front of an empty room. While he felt hollow, he also felt a sense of relief. He belatedly remembered that he had told Silver he would bring him a meal.
Wolf set the lunch basket on the floor and headed for the bed. Eat a lot, you liar.
“Silver…”
Wolf called out as he flopped onto the bed.
The empty room did not answer. Of course it didn’t, fuck.
Perhaps because the sense of lethargy was so great, sleep washed over him. Wolf pulled the blanket over his head and closed his eyes.
The dream arrived quickly. Wolf was lying side by side with Silver in a field, looking at each other. Wolf smiled brightly at Silver. Silver smiled brightly too. With a clean, pretty face devoid of burn scars.
That smile was different. It was a bright, sunny smile, completely unlike the twisted smiles he had shown Wolf until now. While Wolf’s heart pounded, a sense of déjà vu brushed past him.
I know this face.
I’ve seen it many times. That smile of Silver’s…
The field, swaying in the wind, embraced the two of them. The scent of irises swirled around.
Wolf opened his eyes. As always, the memory of the dream vanished quickly, leaving only a fluttering heartbeat like sea foam.
What’s wrong with me? Did I have a dream about being chased by a skeleton wraith?
He rustled the blanket down and rolled his eyes. There was only darkness. Wolf got out of bed and stepped outside. The night sky glowed purple. No one was seen coming down the distant slope.
The path remained empty.
Silver did not return that night.
104 – Hell’s Execution Order