Planetes
4. b. Seal

Early in the morning, Elliot came out of Kazuto's residence and stood by the roadside. Lean on the guardrail, while the net is staring straight at the end of the horizon.

He lost count of time when asked how long he had been on earth. The same is true when asked how old he is. In reality, both Elliot and Poseidon were present on earth for a very long time. Even before entering the year.

Thousands of words 'if' invade the mind. Repeatedly he said 'if' and blamed himself for coming to earth. Starting all the chaos, breaking down the civilization of a people, to create a dispute that has not ended until now with Medusa and anyone involved in it.

Elliot is not a good boy when viewed by earthmen. He is just a good child from his mother. Always and always has been like that. The great neptune. Standing in front of the fourteen faithful months with him. Replacing Pluto as the last child of Mentari.

His brain kept thinking. What the hell has he done? The memories remaining within him were constantly eroded. Only the memory of the last 2 years can he maintain. The rest he had to secure in the container before being eroded back by the curse.

Speaking of curses, Elliot remembered the figure who also bore the same thing with him. The seal on the girl's neck was her mark.

Elliot sighed. Both he and the girl were guinea pigs for the Association. Not having freedom. But it is the sea. But the sea is broken.

Elliot doesn't understand, what else he has to do now. The seal under his left chest was sometimes hot. But when checked, there was no change.

His sister said that it could be a warning to him to be careful. But he never ignored it. Presumably, he had only experienced fatigue or perhaps too self-imposing while using his strength.

It's strange. But he decided not to tell anyone. Prevent others from worrying about him, and also prevent his enemy from knowing what is happening to him.

『One morning you woke up, Elliot.』the familiar voice in the bentala's ear greeted the ear.

Elliot turned his head and saw the figure of Kazuto walking towards him. The man apparently wanted to smoke in the morning outside.

"Kazuto-san." he nodded his head for a moment before turning his gaze back to the edge of the horizon. "I'm thinking about a lot of things."

『You can tell me anything if you want, Elliot. I'll listen to it.』Kazuto slipped a cigarette and gulped it.

"When I lived in America, I worked as an obstetrician in a hospital. Then one time, one of my patients asked me to take care of his son," Elliot began to tell me. "We were living happily at the time. Watching the girl grow up healthy and beautiful. Her name is Alice."

Kazuto furrowed his brows when he heard the name, and he asked. 『Then, where is Alice now?』

As if realizing this line of conversation, Kazuto was curious about the fate of the girl. If Elliot ever took care of a human child, it should have stayed with Elliot, right? But....

"Alice was long dead, murdered by her lover in a bath tub. At that time, I was not at home because I was working in the hospital" Elliot replied without feeling the slightest suspicion of Kazuto's question.

『El, don't tell me that the ghost in one of your curses is your adopted daughter and the one who got you the curse is the ghost of the killer?』Kazuto was unable to contain his curiosity anymore.

"Eh, that's right, Kazuto-san. What's up?" elliot's brows frowned not understanding.

Kazuto sighed harshly. Ghosts whose models are so will be difficult to quell. At least according to his magical glasses.

『Spirit with psychic powers, will be difficult to conquer. Yes more or less because the spirit had a strong bond with vengeance and was still left behind on earth. It will be difficult to destroy it.』Kazuto massaged his temple. 『More, you are his foster father. It's getting harder for you to exterminate, right?』

"But, who should be exterminated instead of the ghost of the killer? Alice doesn't need—"

『You don't know yet if you exterminated the ghost of your adopted son's killer, meaning that your adopted son's ghost was also wiped out? They're one unit, El.』

That statement from Kazuto made Elliot round his eyes. Will he be able to let the daughter he loves be destroyed? But, curse....

Seeing the worry in Elliot's eyes and facial features, Kazuto made no comment. He knew that it was difficult for Elliot to do cruel things. Kazuto does not know that Elliot once destroyed a civilization and even drowned it. He only knew that the embodiment of Neptune was a gentle person and did not dare to disturb ants.

Elliot himself felt a dilemma. On the one hand, he wanted to be free from the curse. However, he could not afford to lose his adopted daughter. Even though that figure is not a living human being.

"What should I do, Kazuto-san?" though unsure of the man's answer, Elliot decides to ask. "Do I have to let go of Alice?"

Relinquish. Since when was he able to do it? For a long time, he never knew how to let go. Letting go of someone who has lived in his world can never be separated.

Kazuto. Choose the right sentence to respond to Elliot's sentence.

『I'm not forcing you to let go, Elliot. Because I know letting go is the hardest thing for you to do.』ada paused in Kazuto's sentence before he continued. 『I'll let you deal with it by just flowing. You will know what to do to face your own destiny. Remember that you are a father, and you have fourteen children. Then act like a father who is facing the delinquency of his sons. Understood, right?』

It's a tough problem for Elliot, as well as the seal under his chest that sometimes heats up and his left chest that constantly burns without any prior notice. Once again, Elliot had trouble acting logically. Even the brain of the weir is not able to process information is too difficult to solve problems.

Kazuto sighed. He knew it would take time for Elliot to get up. It is also impossible that 1-2 sentences of spirit can restore the bentala.

This life is not a manga or anime with a story that is arranged perfectly. It was only natural that there was a strange problem that even Elliot had trouble dealing with.

Kazuto threw away his cigarette butt. He patted Elliot on the shoulder and said.

『I'll prepare breakfast first. You still need energy, right? Clarissa will soon wake up, so keep your cheerful face even if your heart is not feeling well.』

"Well, Kazuto-san."

Kazuto stepped inside his residence. Elliot's gaze returned to the end of the horizon. Again, he was thrown a heavy responsibility. Although Kazuto did not say it, he knew very well that he was asked to solve the problem he had created.

Notnot now. However, until when will Elliot delay it? Elliot shook his head slowly and finally decided to enter Kazuto's residence.