40 – Glorious Vacation (2)
“What do you think of Master Geralt?”
“Hmm…”
Leone suddenly asked, and Jeanne responded with a smile filled with curiosity.
“Well, I think he’s a good person. He’s quite capable as both a Devil Hunter and a mentor.”
“I… I also think he’s an amazing person. Incredibly strong and knowledgeable…”
“Ah… yes.”
Leone nodded softly in response to Jeanne and Nico’s words.
However, while looking at her, Jeanne wore an even brighter smile and spoke.
“But that’s not what you’re really curious about, right?”
“Hm… what?”
Leone’s expression showed surprise at Jeanne’s words.
She then blushed slightly for a moment, and Jeanne spoke with a smile that seemed to find it amusing.
“hehehe, well, I’ve seen someone as young as you act like this before… but in reality, it’s rare to find a guy as decent as him.”
“Uh…”
Leone’s face flushed even more at those words that struck a chord.
Although she had a slight suspicion, Jeanne could easily interpret the meaning behind her words.
While stroking Leone’s head, who was too embarrassed to say anything, Janna spoke in a warm voice.
“So, our little lady has been worried already? Maybe she’ll compete with us sisters and the master later?”
“… “
Leone couldn’t say anything in response to Janna’s question.
The reason she asked this question was indeed because of that.
However,
Janna smiled warmly at Leone and spoke.
“There’s no need to worry so much. It’s true that Gerald is a good person, but he doesn’t have any romantic feelings or anything like that.”
“Is… Is that so? Phew… That’s a relief. Honestly, I thought that you, Janna, would also like the master.”
“Well, I do like him in a way, but not in a romantic way. What should I say… If we compare it, it’s like being at a wedding and being invited as a guest instead of being a groom. That kind of feeling.”
“Um… That metaphor feels a bit odd… Well, I mean, I don’t really see Gerald as a man, so to speak.”
Nico agrees with Janna’s words for the time being.
Observing the reactions of the two, Leone still blushed but a hearty laughter began to form at the corner of her mouth.
Such laughter that reveals the unmistakable emotion of joy…
*
“… “
“…”
Various conversations continue, creating a harmonious atmosphere among the women in the back carriage.
However, in the carriage that is running just in front of them, a considerably heavy silence lingers, contrasting with the noise outside the carriage.
The two passengers onboard were none other than Napoleon and myself.
Though our acquaintance predated those of the Devil Hunters from Section 3, unlike them, whom we had grown almost as close as family through constant companionship, our relationship remained remarkably awkward.
We knew each other’s faces well enough but hardly ever spoke.
Amid the uncomfortable silence, I found the suffocating feeling that had plagued me since the start of our journey intensifying with time.
“Really now… of all possible arrangements, why must I be paired up in such a manner?”
I would have been far less uneasy if I had been seated with the three individuals at the back or with Gabriel.
Being on a trip alone with Eli would have been a most welcome scenario for me.
However, Eli was currently traveling in the lead carriage, escorted only by Gabriel.
Though I didn’t know the exact circumstances leading to her decision, I had no choice but to respect it, as Eli had made it.
“Even so, of all times and people, to end up traveling with the one I’m least acquainted with?… As always, I find that life has an uncanny way of being unlucky at the most peculiar times….”
Mired in this frustration and gazing out the window in silence, Napoleon finally broke the stillness by addressing me.
“By the way, how is Leone doing? I noticed she seemed to have mastered a new spell this time; did you happen to see it?”
Bringing up Leone, our mutual connection, Napoleon had perhaps found a topic that could ease the awkwardness between us.
Calmly, I responded, feeling the atmosphere relax a bit.
“I did see that spell. It might be a bit impractical for direct combat as yet, but surprisingly, it doesn’t seem bad. With more practice, it could potentially lead to great success.”
Leone had demonstrated a spell that incapacitated and then crushed a straw dummy.
To be honest, the spell’s destructive power wasn’t even strong enough to completely destroy the simple straw figure, but considering that she had only just developed the magic, it suggested a potential for significant effectiveness in the future.
“I also think the same way. Although still young, it is undoubtedly a great fortune for us to have such talents on our side. In many ways, they are expected to have a promising future.”
While talking about Leonne in this way, we successfully managed to lighten the mood, the two of us.
Riding on this momentum, to prevent another awkward silence, I continued to speak.
From Noble mtl dot com
“By the way, Napolea, how did you come to meet Elie? It seems that Elie also cares about you quite a bit.”
“Well… It’s not like there is a particularly special story behind it. I, who originally came from humble origins, happened to catch Elie’s attention with my abilities, and thanks to that, I could receive her favor and come this far.”
“I see. Indeed, Elie seems like an amazing person in that regard. Many things, such as dealing with the Devil Hunters of Class 3, and even hiring me immediately, were quite extraordinary.”
Elie, who was almost like the leader of our enemy, immediately appointed me as the leader. Even I couldn’t help but think that her generosity was extraordinary.
Especially considering that dealing with people based on their abilities is not as easy as it sounds.
And so, while talking about various things regarding the people around us, the atmosphere became slightly more relaxed at that moment.
Carefully, I asked the question that I had been holding onto all along.
“But Napolea, why aren’t you by Elie’s side on this journey? Of course, with this distance, you can still provide cover, but wouldn’t it be better to be as close as possible by acting as her bodyguard?”
“Well, that’s true, but for some reason, she arranged things like this today. Well, it has happened occasionally in the past, so I don’t think there’s a need to worry. Maybe it’s because of her mood, I’m not sure, but sometimes Elie switches between Gabriel and me for the task of guarding.”
“Oh… I see.”
Napolea, unexpectedly, was speaking.
Upon hearing this, I felt a slight curiosity and asked if there was something special about it, but even she didn’t know the details about it.
“I’m not exactly sure either. However, considering that she only calls for Gabriel and not the other Devil Hunters, it seems that Elie also has quite a bit of trust in him.”
Now that I think about it, from their first meeting, Elie had always treated Gabriel especially warmly.
At that time, I thought it was just her way of dealing with subordinates, but I realized that it wasn’t the case.
Elie’s attitude was calm and gentle, but at the same time, it had a slight sharpness to it.
I’ve seen her do something that, for some reason, she only does for Gabriel – a warm smile. It’s like a mother looking at her daughter.
Since it’s somewhat ambiguous to openly point out such a fact, all I can do now is acknowledge that there’s something between them.
“Well, if we wait patiently, we’ll find out. About the nature of their relationship…”
*
In the carriage, Elijah and Gabriel were the only ones riding. In that place completely blocked off from the outside world, Elijah was going through documents with Gabriel.
“I always feel this way, but these things don’t seem to decrease at all.”
“Well… that probably means that the times are unstable. You should prepare yourself soon.”
“To prepare…”
The two spoke with seriousness.
As they carried those noble individuals inside, the procession of carriages slowly began to approach the vicinity of their destination.
The capital of the Frantz Kingdom.
Toward Pare…