Ch. 7: If I Just Had Courage (SUN)
The dim corridor of the caste was filled with a gloomy aura.
From within, I had finally found the lost Leonie and I rushed over to him.
OO: "Leonie, are you al lright…? You were suddenly gone, I got worried."
But Leonie was so small and curled up, and he just kept mumbling the same thing to himself over and over.
Leonie: "…courage…oooh…if I just had courage…"
OO: "Leonie…"
Leonie: "…"
OO: "Hey, Leonie!"
Leonie: "…huh?"
I loudly called his name and clapped him on the shoulder, and he finally looked up.
His face was like that of a small, frightened animal, twisted in terror.
Leonie: "W-what…did you come to laugh at the coward?"
OO: "Of course not…but Leonie, I don’t think you’d be any different even if you had courage…"
Leonie: "W-why? It’s simple, I just need to get my courage back and…!"
Leonie looked at me as he bit his lip in frustration.
Leonie: "Or are you trying to tell me it’s impossible for someone like me to get that courage back?"
OO: "That’s not…I just don’t think courage is something another person can give you."
Leonie: "…but Oswald did…"
His voice came out bewildered and he shrunk in on himself again.
OO: "Right…I don’t really know what it was you got back then…"
How can I explain this to him?
I clutched my chest and, thinking, I chose my words carefully.
OO: "I’m sure you did get something back then, but to call it courage…"
At that time…
Leonie: "!?"
Leonie sensed something and turned his sharp eyes towards the courtyard.
OO: "What’s wrong…?"
Leonie: "Something’s … out there!"
OO: "What!? The soldier from before…"
Cowering in fear, I stepped back.
But behind me was a cold, marble wall. This time, there was nowhere to run.
What do we do…!?
I looked around in a panic.
Leonie, his legs trembling in fear, looked out into the darkness of the courtyard.
Then…
Toy Soldier: "…!!"
Toy soldiers formed up in ranks and moving awkwardly appeared in the courtyard.
A weird noise like that of broken machinery could be heard as they drew closer.
From within the group, one of them raised its hand high overhead in the darkness.
OO: "…! Run Leonie!"
Leonie: "OO!?"
Our voices echoed loudly in the castle of the night.