“I didn’t want to send you two like this because you’re both still students,” Otou-sama said anxiously . Perhaps, he might look expressionless to others . He’s a damaged person even though he’s my Otou-sama . However, he didn’t care about how anyone thought of him .
I’m wearing simple black trousers and a long white, shiny, silvery jacket that looks silver embroidered with violet threads . It’s the Albans uniform . I probably look a little like an Albans even if I’m only 11 .
“Otou-sama, that’s what we’ve been saying . Lei won’t be convinced if I didn’t go . It probably wouldn’t do even if Jude goes . She won’t return easily if she’s not convinced . That’s how Lei is . ”
“But…”
“It’s Wester’s capital, so I can go . The Supervision Department won’t let me go if she was in Lentforce, this is actually good,” I smiled to reassure Otou-sama .
“And you know, you’re getting Jude to come with us . And I’ll be with Gill . ” I looked at Gill . He’s wearing the same simple black trousers as me, and a black jacket with blue embroidery . The 14-year-old Gill is thin, but he’s almost as tall as an adult .
I’m really grateful because there should be few elements that look down on us because we’re children .
“I think we’ve taken all the measures conceivable together, but we don’t know what will happen . Nevertheless, please take care of yourself and not just Lei and come back safely . ”
The things Lei has given me .
Not only lovely Lei herself, but also the free love that she gives .
And, Otou-sama .
I don’t think Otou-sama is a cold father at all . According to what I heard at the academy, noble parents aren’t very affectionate . After Okasama passed away, I was lonely, but I thought it was natural .
But, Lei gave me Otou-sama . She taught him that it was alright to love his daughter and son like he had loved Okasama . It was very warm to receive love from someone like I had from Okasama . Not only that, Lei taught me the joy of showing love .
So even if Lei is gone, Otou-sama will still love me, and I can love him . I reached out to Otou-sama without hesitation .
He hugged me tightly . People around us looked at us in surprise . Are you embarrassed even though you’re old enough to attend school? Don’t do anything you’re embarrassed about . I’ll do it as much as I can . And, I’ll get the courage to move on, Lei and Otou-sama .
After the departure ceremony in front of the royal castle, Gill and I rode the Rug Dragons and headed towards Wester’s capital . I improved so much that I could ride Rug Dragons by myself if we weren’t in a hurry . It’s unusual for people to ride Rug Dragons from when they’re children, and I think that’s why the Rug Dragons became emotionally attached to me . So much so that it surprised the breeders . “Your Otou-sama was the same,” an old breeder had told me, but Otou-sama was the same as always, “I’ve never compared it to others,” so I don’t know if it’s true or not .
Wester’s capital, Sebel, is a little southwest from Kingdom’s capital . So, we weren’t taking the path that Lei’s kidnappers took . We were passing through Earl Rouge’s fief, then Earl Tucker’s .
Therefore, Earl Rouge and Earl Tucker, who stayed at the royal capital, will be accompanying us .
“Annoying,” Gill said, but whether it be Gill or his father, why are the Lisburns so straightforward even though they’re part of the same Four Marquises?
“Gill, I know how you feel, but keep that in your mind . ”
“Well, I’m anxious about my uncle, but it’s annoying that I have to care about other guys until we get there . ”
“I’m also anxious about Lei . I don’t know why she’s with a Lisburn or why she ended up in Lentforce…”
“Yeah . What’s the likelihood that she’d be with someone else who has the Four Marquis blood when Frontier is so big?”
Of course, even though Lei is alive and healthy, I couldn’t help but worry about the other things . However, the Lisburn child is said to be 11-years-old . Gill is Gill, and he seems to be worried about having to call someone younger than him uncle, but I was probably anxious that myself and memories of me have been replaced because the Lisburn child is the same age as me . Because it’s been more than six months since Lei was kidnapped . What if she calls someone else ‘Niini’?
It would take a long time for Lei to return from Lentforce . She would barely reach Sebel even though a round-table conference was held, the messengers were adjusted, and even if we prepare slowly . We weren’t overdoing it and are heading to Wester on a slow schedule .
Earl Blaze and Earl Blackley enthusiastically said, “You have time anyways, so how about going through Kaylie?” However, Otou-sama knew that they only wanted to appeal to the citizens that they were acquainted with the Four Marquises, so he refused courteously, and a bit rudely .
“When Lei comes back, and you’re able to go wherever you like, then you’re free to travel until you become an adult . But at least for now, I won’t give them anything that will benefit them,” Otou-sama whispered to me secretly . Apparently, he still held a grudge against them because the kidnappers had passed through their fiefs and they hadn’t cooperated in the investigation afterwards . I think it’s interesting that he could actually hold grudges when he wasn’t interested in anything .
On the other hand, Earl Rouge and Earl Tucker are delightful people . Earl Rouge’s fief is an agricultural area that doesn’t connect with Frontier and is far from the mountain range . He didn’t seem obsessed with the Four Marquises and the barrier probably because his fief wouldn’t receive much damage from the Hollows even if the barrier didn’t exist .
Earl Tucker took the current matter most seriously, because his fief is located very close to Wester’s capital . As one of the messengers from Kingdom, he will also accompany us to Wester .
“We originally traded a lot with Wester, especially Sebel . We imported half of their magic stones, and Blackley imported the other half, no, Blackley imported more than us?”
Apparently their current situation . The Albans, who handle magic stones in Kingdom, mainly traded with Blaze and Blackley . That’s why my birth mother is also a member of the Blaze House .
However, I interacted with Earl Neville throughout the summer holidays, and Otou-sama also turned his attention to Farland . And through this, he also turned his attention to Sebel, and not the country, Wester, nor the town, Kaylie .
People around me put their guard down around me because I’m only 11 . Of course, I wasn’t told to confirm anything . Still, I decided that I would do as much as I can so that Lei wouldn’t be kidnapped and used again in the future .
“You’re too stiff . ”
“Gill, you’re too honest . ”
“Lei’s going to hate you if you’re too rigid . ”
“Hey, that’s not true . Lei will hug me and call me ‘Niini’ no matter how I am . I’m sure of it . I’m sure she’ll forget about you since you’re just brother’s friend who comes to see me once in a while . ”
“Sh-she won’t . I’m sure she’ll call me 『Giww』in her cute voice . ”
Lisburn men are optimistic . I feel like I could understand how Otou-sama feels a little .
“Oh yeah, the First Prince of Wester is also Gilbert . ”
“Y-you don’t think she calls him Gill too?”
“She might not be able to tell . ”
“No . It’s fine . It’s alright,” Gill muttered while looking sideways, and the Rug Dragons slowly advanced through the deep autumn prairie . A little more . Just a little more .