Homecoming (4)
The skirmish was over in the blink of an eye.
The enemies were certainly formidable, but they were hardly a match for the combined force of Ariel, Lobelia, and Yuna. Most of the demonkin had their heads severed by Yuna before they could even utter a word. The Librarian had all offensive capabilities utterly neutralized by Ariel's magic, only to be pummeled to death by Lobelia.
As a result, all that remained in the clearing were headless corpses and a single, unrecognizable mound of flesh.
With the threat eliminated, everyone gathered to exchange brief remarks, relieved that the battle was concluded.
Well, everyone except me.
"What is that?"
Dark, viscous energy was seeping from the bodies of the demonkin and the Librarian, rising sluggishly into the air.
Am I the only one bothered by this?
Or rather...
"Am I the only one who can see it?"
Or had it always been like this?
Yet, despite the countless demonkin and Librarians that had attacked the Cradle, I had never witnessed anything of the sort. Granted, I hadn't always watched their demises up close... but I had observed such battles from afar more than a few times. There was no way I could have missed it. The energy lingered in the sky like a colossal ribbon, coiling against the clouds.
"Hmm..."
That meant it truly was visible only to my eyes. Because I was special? The thought crossed my mind for a fleeting moment, but a far more plausible hypothesis quickly took its place.
"Ah... could it be that?"
I hurried back into the carriage and began tearing through my luggage. That strange sense of unease I had felt the night before resurfaced. After rummaging through my belongings and checking the inventory list, the realization hit me.
"Where on earth did the Book of Lemegeton go?"
Hypothesis: this was something visible only to those bound to demons.
By the time I repacked my bags and stepped back outside, the black miasma had vanished without a trace.
It wasn't something I could readily mention to the others. Doing so would be tantamount to confessing that I had been chosen by a demonic grimoire. Perhaps I could confide in Yuna, but even if I did, it wasn't as though anything would change.
Is this Tillis's doing?
Librarians weren't genuine demonic contractors in the first place. They were merely disposable vessels temporarily granted authority by Tillis. Perhaps, upon a Librarian's death, that power naturally returned to her. Since the core contract was bound to Tillis, that would be the most logical explanation.
If so, it had nothing to do with me. Knowing wouldn't alter anything.
But what if it's not?
"Mmm."
I looked up at the clearing sky, deep in thought. Ignorance was bliss, but now that I had noticed, I couldn't simply shake the feeling. There was only one way to be certain.
"...Can't another Librarian just pop up somewhere?"
I needed to see if the same phenomenon occurred when another one was killed.
As though the heavens had taken my wish as an order, we were ambushed by Librarians twice more along the road. Those zealots seemed hell-bent on hunting us down.
"Well, we did go around advertising that we were going to raid Lemegeton's strongholds over the break, after all."
There was a valid reason for their fury. It was only natural that the fuming cultists would pursue us with vicious tenacity.
The exact same phenomenon played out during both ambushes. Seeing as our bodies suffered no adverse effects, the theory that the power was returning to Tillis seemed to be the correct answer. Still, it was too early to be entirely certain. Then again, absolute certainty was probably unattainable regardless of what I did.
With that faint undercurrent of anxiety lingering in my chest, I had no choice but to press forward.
Thankfully, the worry proved short-lived. As the carriage drew nearer to the frontier, the frequency of ambushers plummeted, and for the past three days, our journey had been completely uninterrupted.
After three more peaceful days, when we finally felt confident that we were free from pursuers...
"Whoa..."
We arrived in Damus County.
It was the season when the spring-sown wheat was flourishing, and the view overlooking the county was remarkably picturesque. A few barren patches marred the fields here and there, but...
"It's lovely."
It was just enough to pass for a scenic landscape out of a painting. Ariel’s wide, admiring eyes were proof enough of that. A swell of quiet pride rose in my chest at her praise. It was my homeland, after all.
"Hm?"
As the carriage rolled down a quiet country path, my gaze met that of a woman weeding a roadside field. Strangers were rare in Damus County, let alone visitors riding in an opulent carriage, so it was only natural for people to stare.
Hoping to put the startled resident at ease, I parted the carriage window and offered a greeting.
"Long time no see, Aunt Nella."
"Goodness me! I wondered what grand noble was gracing us in that lavish carriage, and it turns out to be our little young master! Well, aren't you a sight—talk about casting pearls before swine! Ohohohoho!"
"..."
There was nothing to hide here. Being a rural province, our county operated much like an extended family. It wasn't that I lacked standing; this was simply how they showed affection.
"Um... hello."
"Hello!"
At my greeting, Ariel and Yuna leaned forward from behind me to chime in. Lobelia didn't go so far as to poke her head out, merely offering a subtle wave from the shadows of the carriage interior. Cramming four faces into that narrow window would have been absurd anyway.
"My, my, what graceful young ladies..."
Aunt Nella’s eyes rounded in utter disbelief.
"Well, they certainly couldn't be brides for our young master, right? Ohohohoho!"
"..."
At this point, I felt it was time for some serious introspection. I thought I possessed a fair degree of objectivity regarding my looks, but had I been mistaken? Was I... actually ugly?
"Yuna, serious question. Am I not on the handsome side?"
"Handsome? Definitely not. But you're not ugly either. You just... have a face."
What kind of description was you just have a face? That wasn't even a recognized category of evaluation.
Still... well, she said I wasn't ugly, so that was some small comfort.
"...In my eyes, Yohan is the handsomest man in the world."
Any compliment prefixed with in my eyes carried very little statistical credibility. Somehow, it tasted oddly bittersweet.
"Only you understand me, Ariel."
"Ehehe..."
Even so, sweet flattery was far better than blunt dismissal.
As for you, Yuna—points deducted.
We finally arrived at the manor.
"I welcome you to—"
My father, who had been bowing respectfully toward Lady Ariel, swallowed hard the moment his eyes drifted to Yuna standing right beside her.
"—our humb..."
Remembering his noble dignity, he straightened up to finish his greeting, only to catch sight of the final figure disembarking from the carriage. His knees gave out, hitting the flagstones in an instant.
"I pay humble homage to the Child of Divine Blood!"
What a seamless transition. That was my father for you. A textbook aristocrat who understood precisely how low to bow before absolute power.
"It feels like it has been quite some time since I last heard that greeting. Rise, Count Damus. I have merely stopped by to recuperate, so I would prefer things to remain casual."
"How could we dare! I shall have our finest chamber prepared at once!"
"No, what I meant was... thank you."
Lobelia waved her hand in polite refusal at first, but soon clicked her tongue in exasperation. She had clearly realized that turning him down would only make him more anxious.
"Ahem! Everyone must be exhausted after such a long journey, so allow me to show you to your quarters. What are your wishes regarding dinner?"
"A bit later would be perfectly fine. This must have been a sudden visit for you as well, Count Damus."
"Your Imperial benevolence knows no bounds, Your Highness!"
"...Yes, you are unquestionably Yohan's father."
Though clearly fed up with the excessive reverence, Lobelia followed the head butler into the estate.
"To think this manor would host so many guests..."
Nostalgia washed over me. Though modest, it was still a noble estate. While far from a grand castle, it boasted a decent garden, making it more than spacious enough for our family of four.
Of course, to Ariel or Lobelia, it probably felt dreadfully cramped. Furthermore, once we received support from the Ether Ducal House to expand our county, the manor itself would likely be rebuilt.
Even so, this place was home. This manor, neither too vast nor too small, was where I had grown up.
"Son? Instead of putting on that wistful face, why don't you start explaining yourself?"
"What is there to explain, Father? It is simply as you see."
"Do you have a death wish, boy?"
"...I didn't expect Her Highness to tag along either."
"And Student Yuna?"
"Ah, I knew about her. I was the one who asked if she wanted to come."
"Have you lost your blasted mind?! Bringing your mistress right alongside your fiancée?!"
"I suppose the time has finally come to tell you the truth, Father."
Maintaining a solemn, distant expression, I delivered the reality to him.
"Yuna is not a being I can control with my own power."
"What in the world is that supposed to mean?"
If I could stop her, I would have already. At this stage, whether she had feelings for me or not wasn't the main issue. It was what came afterward that terrified me.
In the worst-case scenario, I could be abducted by Yuna before I could even open my mouth to protest. Given her behavior lately, it wasn't an empty worry. What made it truly terrifying was that she had the exact skills required to pull it off.
"She's an unrivaled figure in the assassination business known as 'Safe Clown.'"
"Are you insane?!"
"For now, I told them she was a vassal of our house, so I trust you will play along accordingly, Father."
"Y-You... what on earth have you been doing out there?!"
"Tell me about it..."
How on earth had my life devolved into this? The universe truly loved screwing with me.
A modest banquet was held.
It was an admirable effort for a family of our standing. The overall atmosphere wasn't terrible, but having two completely unannounced guests naturally cast an awkward veil over the room.
Yuna blended in effortlessly, paying no mind to the surroundings, but Father, who had been clued in on her true identity, couldn't manage more than a stiff, nervous smile whenever he looked at her.
See, Father? Your son is popular. Primarily with dangerous women who can kill people with a twitch of their finger. It's all your handiwork.
As for Lobelia, her imperial blood made her an intimidating presence, leaving our household servants and attendants walking on eggshells. Who in this rural backwater would ever expect an imperial princess to grace their dining hall?
Ironically, the one who blended in best was Ariel. Her shy, fidgety demeanor made her look adorably bashful, and with the knowledge that she was my fiancée, everyone in the hall watched her with warm, fond smiles.
As for me...
"I can't get used to this."
Returning home after so long felt strangely disjointed. It was familiar, yet fundamentally altered. Part of it was the banquet itself, but more than that, the experiences I had accumulated had irrevocably changed the person I was. Or perhaps everyone else was changing while I remained frozen in place.
"Hmm..."
Leaning against the stone balcony railing, I gazed down at the flower bed in the backyard. That patch of earth was the only thing that remained exactly as I remembered.
"Yohan."
"Ariel? Shouldn't you be enjoying the banquet a little longer?"
"I saw that you were alone. Besides, it’s not as if anyone will notice if I slip away from the hall, right?"
I highly doubt that.
Every pair of eyes in that room was probably tracking her every move. This was our county, and Ariel was my fiancée. What would people think seeing the two main stars of the night rendezvous on the balcony?
"My goodness... they look so well together, don't they?"
"To think our young master could win over a noble lady like her..."
"I know, right? But doesn't it make for a rather picturesque scene?"
Whispers drifted from just beyond the doorway. If I could hear them clearly, there was no chance they escaped Ariel’s keen senses.
"Ahem! Yohan, what were you looking at?"
Just as expected. Ariel's face was already burning bright red. The fact that she had pretended not to hear and walked out here anyway was nothing short of admirable. Or was she deliberately trying to flaunt our relationship before the onlookers?
Glancing back over my shoulder, I saw that all eyes were indeed fixed on us. I reached out and took Ariel's hand.
Muffled squeals of delight echoed from within the hall. At this point, the servants weren't even trying to hide their eavesdropping. Despite her shyness, Ariel squeezed my hand gently and stepped closer.
"I was looking down at the flower bed. I planted it myself once. I wanted to see if it was doing well, and it looks just as I remember."
"I didn't know you had such a hobby, Yohan."
"Is it strange?"
"Not strange, just... unexpected."
"I suppose so."
I agreed with her assessment.
"What did you plant?"
"Rosemary."
"Come to think of it, the herbal tea served at the banquet had a hint of rosemary, didn't it?"
"I've always had a preference for practical things."
"Is that so?"
Ariel tilted her head curiously, then peered down at the bed below.
"That's wonderful."
"Pardon...?"
"I heard that rosemary takes years of care before it finally blooms. That means you must have tended to it with great devotion all this time."
"Well... lately the servants have been doing all the work for me."
"Even so. Everyone must have tended to it diligently because they knew how much it meant to you, Yohan."
"I've never really thought of it like that."
They probably just did it because they were paid to do their jobs. I doubted there was any deeper sentiment attached.
"I'm glad I came to Damus County."
"Are you?"
"Yes. Because thanks to this, I've come to know you just a little bit better, Yohan."
Her shy grip tightened slightly against my fingers. Her warm hand felt steady and reassuring.
"I'm feeling a little regretful, myself."
"Why is that?"
Gazing down at the flower bed once more, I answered softly.
"I only wish I'd had more time to prepare for your arrival."
"I love it just the way it is now."
"Then I'm glad."
A faint, bitter smile touched my lips as I turned back toward the warm light of the hall.
"Shall we return to the banquet, then? They seem to have prepared quite a spread."
"Will you escort me?"
"I already am."
And so, with our hands intertwined, we stepped back into the lively warmth of the banquet hall.