A New Home and New Companions
After the conversation with his new acquaintances ended, Edgar followed Creed's guidance and moved to another location. Helene and Ariel promised to meet again another time and returned to where they would be staying, with the exact details of their locations to be shared later.
"By the way, you've built quite the solid physique. Did someone teach you?"
"I simply devoted myself to training alone every day."
"Every day, you say. You certainly have some grit."
It was easier said than done. Training diligently no matter if it rained or snowed was no simple task—especially for a child at an age so easily swayed by their surroundings. In that regard, the boy named Edgar left a rather favorable first impression on Creed. Though his stiff manner of speech, unfitting for his age, was somewhat grating, that was something time would likely smooth out on its own.
"You're taking quite the roundabout route."
"It's a bit removed from the main building. That does make it nicely out of sight from others, though."
Following Creed out through a back door of the main building, several smaller structures came into view. Creed continued explaining that some were annexes while others served as quarters for the servants, before pointing to the smallest building at the far right end.
"That's the house where you'll be staying. I heard you're the heir to a barony—disappointed by how shabby it looks?"
"No, sir. It's actually better than I expected, so I'm relieved."
He had been told it was nominally a place that took in children with nowhere else to go. Because of that, he had anticipated something like a ramshackle hut on the verge of collapse, but the exterior looked like an ordinary rural house one might find anywhere. No, to be precise, it seemed a little sturdier and larger.
"Haha, I like your honesty. Just from hearing about it, that's exactly the impression one would get."
Creed let out a hearty laugh and roughly tousled Edgar's hair. His hands were so large that it felt less like a hand and more like a cloth bundle being draped over his head and shaken about.
My head's spinning.
If it went on any longer, he might have thrown up. The force was so strong that his skull still felt rattled. Two more of those and he wouldn't be surprised to open his eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling.
"We've arrived. Come on, let's head inside."
"Yes, sir."
Creed opened the door without needing a key and strode confidently into the building. Edgar followed quietly behind him.
The air feels quite warm in here.
Thanks to the influence of the Symbol of Domination, the climate here was rather mild, but the interior of the building felt even warmer. It seemed there were almost no drafts. That meant the building hadn't been thrown together haphazardly.
Being a two-story structure, a staircase leading upstairs was visible the moment they stepped inside, with hallways extending in both directions. He had heard two other people lived here—perhaps they had stepped out for a while? The interior was so quiet it bordered on absolute silence.
"It seems the others aren't around."
"That's right. They've probably gone out to play."
It appeared to have a freer atmosphere than he'd anticipated. This was inside the Grand Duchy castle grounds, after all, so he had expected that aside from eating and sleeping, outside activities would be limited. Then again, this was a place under Helene's influence, so she wouldn't have left it neglected. The person in charge was also a former knight commander, so he would have some pull.
"And while you're here, don't call me Sir Creed. Loosen up your speech a bit, too."
"Is there a reason?"
"The children here don't know about my background. They just think of me as some neighborhood uncle who's decent with a sword."
So that was the situation. Edgar gave a small nod of understanding, then immediately began pondering an appropriate title.
"Would Mr. Creed work?"
"Call me whatever you like. As long as my origins don't come out, it's fine. You can even call me Uncle."
"Hmm..."
Even so, it was difficult to address so casually a knight who had ranked among the top five in the empire. In the end, they settled on Mr. Creed, and Edgar followed his guidance toward the room where he would be staying.
The interior was extremely ordinary. There was a bed, a desk, and a wardrobe for clothes. The lack of a bookshelf was a bit disappointing, but obtaining books here would be difficult anyway, so this was sufficient.
"If you need anything, just tell me. For example, if there's a book you want to read."
"You'd accommodate that as well?"
As if he had read Edgar's thoughts while he was surveying the room, Creed tossed out the remark. When Edgar blinked and looked up at the man who stood a full head taller than him, Creed smiled as though it were a ridiculous question.
"These kids living here are no different from my own children. Do you think getting a few books for my kids would be that hard?"
"Still, finding a place to obtain them..."
"If it's an extremely rare book, it might be difficult, but thanks to the connections I built in my younger days, I can get most ordinary books quickly. Don't hold back—just say the word."
Once again roughly ruffling Edgar's hair, Creed suddenly tilted his head as if sensing something familiar.
"But wait, didn't you say you were the heir to the Bilhark family? For that, your hair is awfully dark."
"Huh? Ah..."
"Did you take after your mother's side more? Even then, it's unusual."
At Creed's muttered question, Edgar let out a small chuckle and removed the pendant hanging from his neck. For someone who usually avoided accessories, this was unexpected. The reason soon became apparent.
"Hmm? Your hair...?"
When he took off the pendant, his hair began turning red from the tips onward, as if being dyed by ink. The sight was so surreal that Creed belatedly realized it was magic that altered appearance. It was likely the type that directly interfered with others' perception. Unlike magic that transformed one's own form, it didn't change things like voice, so its uses were limited—but in situations like this, it proved quite useful. After all, transformation magic required considerable casting time and was difficult to enchant into accessories like this one.
"Oh, the truth is, I was worried my hair might draw attention, so I slightly altered my appearance with this necklace."
It was something he had put on just before entering the castle. Few people knew his true identity, but it didn't hurt to be cautious.
Only then did Creed understand, nodding in satisfaction. He didn't know whose idea it was, but it seemed they had paid attention to even the smallest details. If this was the boy's own plan, it was quite impressive.
"Oho, that's a smart idea. So while you're staying here, you'll remain like that?"
"For the time being, yes."
"It must be inconvenient. At least it's not a ring but a pendant."
A ring would be fine to wear constantly as long as it wasn't made of easily corroding metal, but a pendant would likely get in the way when running around. After stroking his chin thoughtfully for a moment and humming, Creed snapped his fingers.
"I'll ask an acquaintance of mine to make something similar in the form of a ring. That way, you can wear it all the time without it bothering you."
"You don't have to go that far..."
"I'm doing it because it bothers me. It's better than having someone who might be exposed at any moment by my side."
Despite his words, it was clear that Creed was being attentive to the finer details. Edgar decided that refusing any further would be impolite, so he bowed his head deeply and expressed his gratitude.
Satisfied, Creed gave his back a hearty pat, left instructions to unpack his belongings, and exited the room.
Two more of those and my bones might break.
He probably thought he was being gentle, but from Edgar's perspective, it was quite painful. After shedding a single tear, he began unpacking in earnest, starting with his clothes. After that, he took out his favorite books, frequently used items, and other things he had brought, and the room quickly filled up.
"Whew, that was tiring."
Once the unpacking was roughly done, Edgar flopped down onto the bed. Perhaps they had known he was coming and cleaned in advance. Even though it was an unused room, there wasn't a speck of dust. He felt like sleeping right then and there, but since it was his first day, he wanted to look around at least.
Should he go with Creed? Going around completely alone might draw attention.
Hmm?
While staring at the ceiling lost in thought, the floor suddenly began to vibrate, accompanied by a loud thudding sound coming from outside.
An earthquake?
As the vibrations drew closer and the noise grew louder, Edgar jumped up in alarm. At that moment, the door burst open with a clatter.
"Hi! Are you Edgar?!"
"Ah, h-hello..."
"......?"
Suddenly, a boy and girl pair had barged in uninvited and greeted him energetically. To be precise, it was the boy who had greeted with energy, while the girl hid behind his body, only peeking her head out.
Are these the children who live here?
From the circumstances, nothing else came to mind. Following that, heavy footsteps sounded, and Creed appeared beyond the door with a wry smile on his face, his massive frame filling the space.
"These kids really wanted to see you. Why don't you exchange greetings?"
"Ah, I'm Edgar. I'll be living here for a while."
At Edgar's plain self-introduction, the boy standing in front stood with his chest puffed out, his brown hair swaying as he responded.
"I'm Leonel! I'm fourteen years old, so just call me Leo."
He's got quite the friendly personality.
At least, he was a type Edgar was seeing for the first time. It was as if his mere presence brightened the surroundings just by talking. He seemed like a boy who would grow up to be well-liked by those around him.
"Hey, Enya. Hurry up and introduce yourself too."
"Uh, um..."
After finishing his introduction, Leonel pulled the girl hiding behind him forward and gave her a light push on the back. The girl with short orange hair, who had been fidgeting and unsure where to put her hands, lowered her head deeply and recited her name.
"I-I'm Enya... I'm thirteen years old."
So she was younger. Since a one-year difference was close enough to be friends, Edgar nodded casually and returned the greeting.
"Nice to meet you, Enya. By the way, what is your relationship with Leo?"
"Wh-what do you mean by relationship...?"
Enya lifted her deeply bowed head, her face noticeably flushed red as she asked back. The sense of déjà vu Edgar had felt earlier seemed to have hit the mark. With a smirk, raising one corner of his mouth, he played a mischievous prank on the girl he had just met.
"You two seem really close, so I was curious. I wondered if he was your boyfriend."
"L-Leo and me...? Hweh, th-that's..."
Enya couldn't say no nor yes, frantically waving her hands in the air. Unable to watch any longer, Leonel stepped forward and cut Edgar off sharply.
"We're just friends! Right, Enya?"
"Ah, y-yes... That's right. We're just friends."
When Leonel declared in an extremely firm tone that they were simply friends, a shadow fell over Enya's face. Watching this, Edgar shook his head internally.
What a sinful boy. It's obvious even to a third party.
Other people's romance stories were always interesting to hear, but he couldn't butt in without tact. Besides, doing so to people he'd just met would be ridiculous. Anyway, they seemed like good-natured friends, which put his mind at ease. They didn't seem like they would act territorial just because they had arrived first. And above all, watching over their relationship from the side might be quite entertaining.
Thus, his first new encounter in his newly assigned home turned out to be far more pleasant than expected.