104 – long distance
Since it was quite a distance from the academy to the mansion, the conversation was neither short nor long.
What have you been doing, how much training have you done, what kind of place is Lucerne… Although we couldn’t talk in depth, we were able to talk broadly and shallowly enough.
“Brother. Have you read all the letters?”
“of course.”
“Really? It was worth the hard work!”
“…Did you read mine too?”
“Of course. I read yours too. I didn’t even throw it away after I finished reading it.”
It is said that as the physical distance increases, the distance in the mind also increases, but such worries turned out to be unfounded. After meeting face to face and chatting a few times, things to talk about continued to arise.
Siron glanced out the window while listening to his younger siblings talking.
‘Isn’t it too late?’
Many people were lined up starting from the main gate of the mansion. As always, the experience of passing on a street with hundreds of people bowing their heads at once makes you feel like a special person.
Shiron got off the carriage and bowed.
“Have a nice day, Eldrina.”
“You look like you’re spending a lot of time on unnecessary things.”
“…That can’t be right.”
As expected, the extravagant hospitality was prepared by Eldrina, the hostess of the mansion. Although he entered the mansion, he did not stop by the main building, so Siron saw Eldrina for the first time in five years.
‘They look so similar.’
Siron glanced at Siriel who was snuggling next to him and then looked straight ahead again.
“Don’t worry about it.”
Eldrina smiled softly at Shiron’s reaction, who couldn’t forget what to say.
“It is also unseemly to treat the person who will lead the family poorly in the future.”
“Inside the house… you mean?”
Siron narrowed his eyes. I don’t know why, but I felt a little uncomfortable hearing the word ‘household’ coming out of Eldrina’s mouth.
‘Once again, I pretend not to know.’
Eldrina covered her mouth with her fan and looked at Shiron and the girls next to him. Siriel, Siron, Lucia… It wasn’t an ideal picture, but it wasn’t a bad picture.
“Besides, it’s partly your fault, right? There was no message when you came in or left. I thought it would be okay to do this.”
“Excuse me.”
Siron chuckled and lowered his head.
Then, Siron heard words that he could not help but doubt.
“Mother, why don’t we go in quickly? It’s hot.”
“Oh my, I’ve been holding on to this for too long.”
“…”
Siron opened his eyes wide. It was not Siriel who spoke.
The unfamiliar title “mother” came out of Lucia’s mouth, and Eldrina did not find it strange.
“You’re going to be tired, so let’s just go in. Um… even if it’s not a big deal, let’s have dinner together.”
“yes.”
“Oppa. See you later.”
Siron waved his hand to face Siriel, who turned around.
*
The path leading to the outbuilding.
“Since when?”
Siron patted the shoulder of Lucia, who was walking side by side. There were many things he wanted to ask, but first he wanted to relieve the frustration that kept lingering in his head.
“what?”
“Since when did I start calling my eldest mother just ‘mother’?”
“ah…”
Lucia said, curling her lips.
“Mother, Eldrina told me to call you that first. Before entering the academy, she brought up the story first, saying that the absence of my parents could cause unnecessary noise.”
“Then you call your uncle also father?”
“…That’s not true. My father is alive.”
Even if I’ve only seen your face once.
Lucia muttered as she kicked the stone.
“Eldrina. You’re a better person than I thought.”
“…”
“I am grateful to Eldrina-sama. Eldrina-sama considers me like a real daughter. Yes, I can say that I have received many blessings.”
“…I didn’t mean to say anything.”
“then?”
Chiron smiled at Lucia, who looked up.
“It’s because he’s not out on his own and he’s adapting well, and it’s wonderful.”
“What… I’m not even a child.”
Turning her head around, Lucia started ahead. After talking about it, we arrived at the outbuilding before we knew it.
Lucia hurriedly entered the annex because she had to take off her school uniform to participate in the banquet to be held in the main building.
“ah.”
‘Seira?’
Upon opening the door, Lucia flinched. A familiar face. There was an elf nun instead of the maid who always served Lucia.
‘You bastard, why are you still at my house?’
“…hello.”
Unsure of how to deal with her, Lucia decided to bow to Seira.
The identity is…
Lucia was conscious of the theory that followed.
‘not now.’
There was a plan to reveal that he was a reincarnation someday, but that was never the time. Yura might not know, but it was unreasonable to hope for a touching reunion with Seira.
“He’s a good-natured kid. He’s also kind.”
Seira stroked the head of Lucia, who bowed her head without knowing anything.
‘…what.’
Lucia, who was suddenly treated like a child, gritted her teeth. The slightest desire to reminisce about how I had been was fading away.
Lucia was Seira’s colleague in her previous life, but she treated her as a colleague, not as a close friend.
Seira and Kylie were like opposites.
Back then, there was a culture in which wizards and swordsmen didn’t get along, and their personalities… even when I thought about it for myself, they both seemed to be missing a screw somewhere, so if it weren’t for Yura’s mediation, the two would have met as enemies, but as colleagues. The thing itself…
‘I don’t know.’
Lucia stopped putting her hands on her head because she didn’t know why Seira Rohmer was in this annex or staying by Siron’s side.
“And who are you? Why are you here?”
“I’m Seira Rohmer. I’m the little priest’s reliable companion and a great wizard. Since we’re colleagues, it’s common sense that we get along, right?”
“aha…?”
Although she wondered what the hell that was all about, Lucia decided to nod her head for now. Lucia wanted to ask Siron where he had been wandering around for five years before he picked this up.
“Then why are you wearing a nun’s uniform? You’re a wizard.”
“It’s comfortable.”
Seira fluttered the bottom of her nun’s robe and smiled broadly.
“Look. Is this well-ventilated and comfortable to move around in? It’s not too hot in the summer and it’s okay in the winter. And… wouldn’t it be better to dress up as a nun if you want to be with Siron, the priest?”
“When did you wake up? I thought you were still sleeping.”
Siron approached the two and intervened.
“How do you keep sleeping?”
Seira shrugged her shoulders.
“I spent some time persuading the demons who came to clean your room, making them realize that I am not the enemy, and doing some annoying work.”
Although I had told Encia and Ophelia in advance, it seemed like there was some friction, perhaps because of the curse.
However, being treated like an unfamiliar intruder was something Seira was used to, so it was not difficult to respond.
Seira has faced many experiences over the past five hundred years where relationships that were built at best are falling apart.
Even without using mental interference magic, Seira was able to skillfully demonstrate her affinity in situations where a plan existed and the game was set. If you weren’t good at building new relationships with new people, you wouldn’t have survived the past 500 years.
‘You’re closer than me?’
Lucia had complicated feelings as she watched the two talking without hesitation. Seira seemed closer to Siron than Kylie, and Siron seemed closer to Seira than Lucia.
*
Northern region of the Empire, Macal Mountains
In the rugged mountain range that divides the world into the magical world and the non-magical world, there was a remote castle.
The frozen corridor of the Dawn Castle. Yuma bowed his head to the man who suddenly appeared.
“Are you here?”
“okay.”
Glenn rubbed his forearm and exhaled.
“cold.”
“There’s no need to set fire to an uninhabited castle, right? You’ve been outside for such a long time.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. It’s been two years since my last return.”
Yuma chuckled and approached Glenn. Yuma wrapped the man in a snow leopard print coat that he had prepared in advance.
“It’s a little better.”
Yuma said as he adjusted the front flap of his coat.
“By the way, you are returning sooner than expected. There are still a few months left until the coming-of-age ceremony.”
“You don’t want me to come back to the castle?”
“You really don’t want to come back to the castle.”
“I just have some spare time.”
Glenn said, blowing white breath.
“One position as an apostle has disappeared.”
“…okay.”
“I’m not surprised. No further questions.”
“It was expected.”
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Yuma turned his gaze and looked out the window. It was hard to see because it was night, but in the direction she looked, beyond the endless snowy mountains, there was Siron.
Glenn saw who Yuma was thinking about now.
“You were so opposed to bringing Irina in.”
Irina was Glenn’s wife, who had already passed away. Yuma’s eyes filled with tears.
“Ma’am, you were so poor. It wasn’t enough to live in this barren place. Considering my many experiences, it was natural at the time to notify me of rejection.”
Irina couldn’t get out of bed all the time. The woman, who coughed with a squeak every day, died without seeing only one heir.
Head of household, Glenn didn’t make any more wives after Irina’s death. Instead, he picked up a girl.
A girl with red hair just like him, with a different smell.
“Yuma.”
Glenn read the doubt in Yuma’s eyes.
“Lucia is my child.”
“…who said what?”
“Yes. You know, but the child proved himself by passing the succession ceremony.”
Glenn held back a sigh of relief. But it couldn’t stop a few beads of sweat from running down his back. Yuma closed her eyes and bowed her head.
“Anyway, it’s a good thing. These days, I thought that the succession ceremony wasn’t very helpful. I was thinking about maybe conducting the coming-of-age ceremony in a slightly new way.”
Maybe it will be the last coming-of-age ceremony…
Yuma thought of Shiron and clutched his chest.