Chapter 373
Chapter 373
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 373
Chapter Title: Side Story 58. Sword and Star (3)
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"Waaah, there are still so many! Come here and look at the fish!"
"Wow! Wow! It's real! Can I go fishing?"
Iril beckoned.
Aria, who had turned her head, gaped in admiration.
Beneath the clear river water, black-backed bream were swimming gracefully.
Though humble fish, they brought a different kind of wonder compared to the arowana in an aquarium.
"Ahem, be careful not to fall in."
Schlieffen, who was rowing, cleared his throat.
The mother and daughter were squatting side by side at the edge of the raft.
It looked like they might tumble in at any moment, making it impossible to look away.
Iril turned around with a bright smile and waved her hand dismissively.
"Ehehe! Don't worry, I swim well!"
"Me too! Big Sis Erin taught me just recently!"
"Even so...
Hoo."
Schlieffen smacked his lips.
He had somehow made it to Nimberton, but he couldn't shake off his anxiety.
He had toured Nimberton with his family since early morning.
Less a tour and more a rural experience, perhaps?
They dug potatoes with dirt-caked hands, milked cows, and sat on stumps drinking the fresh milk.
Having changed into shabby clothes, no commotion from the locals recognizing them occurred.
After lunch from the bento Iril had packed, he became the ferryman, steering the raft.
Of course, he was happy.
It was an unexpected stroke of fortune, but Schlieffen was the kind of man—like a plant needing only sun and water—who could live just seeing his wife and daughter happy.
'It's enjoyable. But I don't have time for this...'
Still, he felt uneasy.
What should be in his hands right now was not an oar, but a sword.
Even at this moment, Naviroje and Zaifa were surely growing stronger.
'What on earth does she want to show me?'
As Schlieffen bit his lip, unable to overcome his obsession,
Iril, who had suddenly stood up, tottered over with quick steps.
"Ehehe, let's go somewhere else now. Ah! If we go downstream, we can dock near our house!"
"...Understood."
Schlieffen did as she said.
There was an irresistible magic in Iril's sparkling eyes.
Thanks to the current, he barely needed to row.
After disembarking from the raft, they soon arrived in front of a small house.
Ivy vines covering the outer walls were beautiful.
The potato sacks were still displayed in the backyard.
Seeing the area empty, Iril breathed a sigh of relief.
"Phew, luckily no one's here. I was worried tourists might swarm..."
"Indeed. We're fortunate."
Schlieffen grumbled in agreement.
In truth, it wasn't just luck.
The day the Nimberton trip was planned, he had contacted the capital's tourism office immediately.
Even as the Duke of Grancia, renting out Ronan and Iril's birthplace—one of the top attractions—was no easy feat.
Of course, Schlieffen had succeeded, but he had no intention of revealing it until the trip ended.
Aria blinked.
"Heh, what's this place? A warehouse?"
"Ahaha, it might look that way to you, Aria. It's not a warehouse—this is the house where Mommy lived."
"Eek? This is a house?!"
Aria was shocked.
To her, who had lived her whole life in the Grancia mansion, it was a tremendous impact.
It was smaller than the shed storing snow-clearing equipment in one corner of the territory.
Iril gently stroked her head.
"Mommy and Uncle Ronan lived here for a long time. Even longer ago, Grandma and Grandpa were here too. Shall we go inside first?"
"Yeah! I wanna go in!"
Aria nodded.
Holding tightly to her mother's hand, she opened the front door.
The scent of old wood and dust wafted out.
The interior, even more worn than the exterior, unfolded before them.
"Ah... Nothing's changed at all."
Suddenly, Iril sniffled.
Memories bloomed everywhere her eyes touched.
The dining table where they ate as a family, the chair with a wobbly leg.
The large cauldron where they saved money for whenever Ronan might want to pursue a dream...
While she was lost in time travel memories,
"Hm?"
Aria suddenly raised an eyebrow.
Her already big eyes widened further, like a rabbit sensing a presence.
"What's wrong, Aria?"
"Mommy. There's something in that room."
"Huh?"
Iril turned her gaze.
Aria was staring intently at the master bedroom.
As if entranced, she began walking toward it.
"Ah, wait! What's there?"
"Hmm... It's definitely somewhere here."
Entering the master bedroom, Aria looked around.
The surprisingly cramped room held only a large bed for two and a small wardrobe.
Schlieffen and Iril quietly watched her.
At some point, Aria, sniffing even with her nose, suddenly flopped down and crawled under the bed.
"Aria...!"
"Ah! That's dirty!"
The couple exclaimed in unison.
As Iril reached to pull her out by the waist,
Aria, who had been rummaging noisily, suddenly yanked herself out.
"Found it!"
"Huh? That book..."
Iril paused.
In her daughter's tiny hand was a thick, large book.
Clap!
Suddenly, Iril clapped her hands.
"Wow! So it was here! No wonder I couldn't find it no matter how much I looked!"
"Hieeek!"
Aria shrugged her shoulders.
Calming her pounding heart, she asked Iril.
"You scared me... Mommy's book?"
"Yes. More precisely, it's a fairy tale book Grandpa gave me. It has so many fun stories, I used to read it to Ronan every day. Hehe, what a pleasant surprise."
It was a book she had read every single day until it went missing.
Iril gently dusted the cover.
The deep green cover was made by weaving thousands of thin vines.
"Wait a moment. That book couldn't be..."
Suddenly, Schlieffen's eyes narrowed.
He hadn't noticed until moments ago, but an ominous presence emanated from the book.
Looking closely, a few differently colored vines formed letters.
An ancient language no longer in use.
Schlieffen slowly read the word.
"My God."
Schlieffen's face hardened.
No matter how many times he checked, the result was the same.
Harmony: Bloer.
The only volume among Savior Cain's magic grimoires that had never been found.
Iril, skimming through Bloer, tilted her head.
"Hm? What's wrong?"
"This isn't an ordinary book. Did nothing strange happen while reading it?"
"Pardon? What do you mean?"
"Exactly that. Did you hear any odd voices, or feel nauseous?"
"Uh... Of course not. It's just a book—why would anything like that happen? I read it so many times."
Iril seemed completely unaware.
Schlieffen started to say more but soon gave up.
It would take too much mental energy to point out every concerning detail.
"...Then that's good. Aria, how did you find this?"
"Hm? I just felt a presence and followed it."
"A presence?"
"Yeah. I still feel it now. Like whispering... It seemed frustrated, so I took it out."
Aria smiled.
Schlieffen was too shocked to speak.
He prided himself on mana detection second only to Asel, yet it seemed his six-year-old daughter had surpassed him.
"...I see. Good job."
"Ehehe."
"Dear, may I take this book?"
"Hm? Sure, I don't mind."
Iril readily handed over Bloer.
Schlieffen stowed the final grimoire deep in his backpack.
Iril called it a simple fairy tale book, but it was far too dangerous to leave in such a rural place.
...This works out well.
After a moment of silence, Schlieffen spoke.
"Dear, I think I need to head back. I'll assign escort knights, so please continue touring slowly with Aria."
"Eek?! Why all of a sudden?"
"Actually, the book Aria found isn't ordinary. Beyond its value, it's an extremely dangerous artifact. I'll take it to a secure location in case of trouble."
His voice was grave.
The reason was logical, leaving no room for criticism.
In fact, all three of Cain's grimoires were rated as top-danger artifacts.
But to Iril, such things mattered little.
Spreading her arms, she blocked Schlieffen's path.
"No way! I haven't shown you all the places I wanted yet—you can't just slip away! Absolutely not!"
"But..."
"I told you there's no problem with that book. You're just anxious, right? Feeling like you're falling behind right now. You've been fidgety the whole trip."
Iril whispered in his ear.
She didn't want to upset Aria.
Schlieffen's eyes widened, completely seen through.
"...!"
"Did you think I wouldn't notice? Really."
Iril's cheeks puffed out.
Schlieffen could only break into a cold sweat, unable to defend himself.
He had indeed planned to dive into training immediately upon return.
The most grueling regimen he could devise, to hone Stormblade.
Checking Schlieffen's wristwatch, Iril continued.
"I'm sorry for not bringing you sooner. But it's gotten quite late. We were supposed to leave around this time anyway."
"Time... Where exactly are we going?"
"Promise me first you won't run off again."
"...I promise. I apologize for my petty scheme too."
"Good. That's more like it."
Iril pulled back with a smile.
Her sun-like smile flushed Schlieffen's face red.
He had nearly bungled his clumsy escape.
"Waa... So fun..."
"Ah! When did she!"
Aria had slyly pulled out Bloer and was reading it.
Her eyes sparkled as she read the fairy tale of the Dragon King Orse.
Iril sneaked up and hugged her from behind.
"Princess Aria! Shall we go to Mommy's favorite place last?"
"Hiee! I did wrong!"
"Aw~ Mommy's already read the whole fairy tale book. Shall we head out then?"
"Y-Yeah! I wanna go too!"
Aria nodded eagerly.
Iril showered her with kisses and took Schlieffen's hand, leading him.
"Come on. You'll love it too."
Night had deepened.
Darkness blanketed everything thickly.
The sky was cloudless and clear, but the new moon provided only dim light.
Schlieffen asked in a worried voice.
"Dear, are you alright?"
"This is a breeze! You're always so overprotective!"
Iril shook her head.
Though she insisted it was fine, he couldn't help worrying.
They were climbing a mountain in the dead of night.
The winding path was narrow enough for only one person.
The lanterns in their hands were the only light source.
"It's been quite a hike... I'm worried your beautiful feet might get hurt."
"I've walked this path since I was little, so it's fine. Come on, let's go!"
Iril stepped forward briskly.
She never stumbled or faltered once.
Though rocks and tree roots protruded everywhere, she advanced without hesitation.
"Hoo... Hooo..."
Aria had already tired out and fallen asleep on his back.
After the raft trip and now hiking, exhaustion had claimed her.
Drool from her mouth was soaking Schlieffen's back in real time.
'To think she frequented a place like this... Unbelievable.'
Schlieffen didn't mind.
But he couldn't help admiring that Iril had enjoyed coming here since childhood.
The distance was considerable, and the terrain extremely rugged.
What charm did she find here?
A chill mountain breeze brushed his cheek.
Suddenly, Iril, leading the way, spoke.
"It's here."
"Pardon?"
"Have I ever told you that old story?"
Her voice was calm, unlike usual.
Her steps didn't stop.
Without turning, she continued.
"The story from before Ronan was born."