Homecoming
Darkness had settled gently over the inn's courtyard.
Lights glowed here and there in the gloom as I quietly took in the boy of the stars.
"......"
Luke stood trembling, staring down at his empty hands. Watching him fail to hide his frustration, I scratched absently at my mask.
...Even I have to admit that was a pretty unfair beatdown.
The spar had been about landing a valid hit from the start. We were still in the early chapters of the original story — it would have been bizarre if the protagonist could go toe-to-toe with the final boss. So I hadn't gotten greedy, and Luke probably hadn't either. Even so, having his sword taken from him was a humiliation no swordsman could swallow easily. The shock was clearly hitting him hard.
"Whoa, that was one hell of a match. Couldn't even see them move."
"Did you see that knight walking on air just now? I've never seen a technique like that in my life."
"And the way he took the boy's sword... I still can't believe it, even thinking it over."
Passersby who'd watched our spar muttered among themselves. There were even a few mercenaries in the mix — men who'd eaten their share of sword-meals — and yet not a single word of praise reached my ears for Luke, who'd shown remarkable skill for his age. I supposed it was inevitable. The techniques I'd used had been far too outrageous.
...Judging by the situation, it looked like I ought to offer him some encouragement myself. A setback like this was something he'd overcome on his own soon enough. But as a fan of the original, I figured the protagonist deserved a little support.
I held his sword out to him and spoke.
"Stand up straight, Hassan."
"Pardon?"
"Wrong name. Stand up straight, Luke. Losing to someone stronger than you is nothing to be ashamed of."
"Yes... I understand..."
His voice was still sunken. My words hadn't landed at all. Huh. Not this, then? He clearly needed something more substantial.
Hmm.
I thought for a moment, then slowly sheathed my sword and walked to the center of the courtyard.
Step. Step.
Sensing the shift in atmosphere, Luke turned his gaze toward me. I looked up at the distant sky and opened my mouth.
"Luke Stareil. You are strong. Your talent is exceptional. Having your sword taken was a serious mistake — but all you need to do is turn it into a chance to grow."
"...Yes."
The boy of the stars still wore a dark expression, his frustration unresolved. I spoke the words that one of the original's heroines — Luke's own master — had once said to him.
"Lift your head and look at the sky. Are the stars shining tonight as well?"
"The stars... you mean?"
Luke raised his eyes at my words. Then he answered, his voice filling with strength.
"Yes. They're shining brilliantly."
"That's right. That never changes. And neither do you. All you have to do is keep moving forward, same as always. Understood?"
"Yes...!"
Had it worked? His answer came back vigorous, nothing like before. Good. That was good.
Though now that I thought about it, I was starting to feel like I'd become Luke's master. Grand Duke of the Empire, something resembling a Demon King, and now the protagonist's teacher on top of it... I clicked my tongue at the ridiculous three-job situation I'd somehow landed in.
"?"
I felt a gaze and looked up at the inn's second floor. Liliana was watching me through the window. The moment our eyes met, she smiled, her eyes curving into crescent moons. With her bright light-green twin-tails and those impossibly beautiful features, she looked like a forest goddess who'd wandered out for a stroll.
I smiled behind my mask and raised a hand toward her.
"We should head inside."
"Yes."
As I entered the inn with Luke, I ran through what this outing had earned me. I'd rescued Liliana and built a rapport with her. I'd saved the elves and laid the groundwork for friendly relations with the Elf Autonomous Region. And with Luke, the original protagonist, I'd somehow ended up forging something resembling a master-disciple bond.
I... might actually be working my ass off here.
When I get back to the capital, I should have Lucy give me a lap pillow.
With that thoroughly wholesome thought in mind, I stepped inside the inn.
The next day, after another half-day's ride from the village, we finally set foot in Trieste, the imperial capital.
"So this is the capital..."
"I-I've never been here before..."
"Whoa, there's a dwarf over there."
Walking along the capital's main avenue, the young girls we'd rescued from the slave traders stared around with wide, round eyes. Enormous carriages rumbled past beside us, and in the shopping district, people haggled with lively energy.
"Hehe. They're adorable."
"They are."
Liliana watched the girls' innocent reactions with a warm smile. Perhaps they'd grown attached after sharing a room. She seemed a little reluctant to part with them. Well... they were children who'd lost their parents. After talking with them all this time, a fair amount of sympathy would have taken root.
We walked on, and around the time the sun hung directly overhead, we came to a fork — one road leading to the Church orphanage, the other to the central residential district.
"Then I'll be taking my leave. Thank you once again for your teachings, Sir Licht."
"Of course."
Short as our time together had been, Luke seemed to have gained something from our spar, and he expressed his gratitude. He'd stayed up late last night in the room we'd shared, but he didn't look particularly tired.
I was giving him a casual wave when the young girls approached and bowed their heads.
"Um... Sir Knight. Thank you for helping us."
"Th-thank you."
Children who'd already learned the world's cruelty at such a young age. Had I managed to give them even a little warmth? Receiving their thanks, I felt something soft and warm well up in my chest.
Then one of the girls threw herself into Liliana's arms.
"Unni... hic... I'm going to miss you."
"I'll miss you too. Stay healthy and study hard, all right?"
"Hic, okay..."
"Ugh... waaah!"
In the end, all three girls clung to Liliana and burst into tears. Liliana was kind — she must have treated them quite well yesterday. A farewell this heated was a little awkward to just stand around watching...
I sidled up to Liliana and spoke as if it were nothing.
"We're sending them to the Church orphanage, so you'll be able to see them again. I know someone in the Church — I'll put in a word."
"Thank you... You really are a kind person."
Liliana looked up at me with dew-wet eyes, the corners of her gaze curving softly. We were close enough that the fragrant scent of grass rising from her body reached me directly.
"...Not particularly."
I turned my head slightly, suddenly self-conscious. After waving goodbye to Luke and the young girls, I set off with Liliana toward the Divelion family mansion.
Walking side by side through the capital's central residential district, we drew glances from people passing by. There were two reasons for that. First, I'd taken off the mask along the way and returned to my appearance as the Grand Duke. Second, even by the standards of wealthy merchants and nobles, Liliana's beauty was simply too striking.
Wondering if the attention might be weighing on her, I glanced at her face.
"?"
"It's nothing."
She met my eyes and lifted the corners of her mouth in a gentle smile, and I turned my gaze forward again. Fortunately, she didn't seem particularly bothered.
"By the way, are you sure you don't need to go to the Imperial Academy? The Mayflower family said they'd offer a reward, so you don't need to worry about repaying me."
"I want to repay you myself. And..."
"Hm?"
"Ah, it's nothing..."
Liliana started to say something, then stopped. Her dazzling hit-and-run left a vein throbbing on my forehead. Liliana, there are two ways to make a person angry. One is starting a sentence and not finishing it, and the other is...
"Ah, I think we've arrived."
Just as I was about to grab her and demand to know what she'd been about to say, we found ourselves standing before the front gates of the Divelion mansion grounds. It wasn't quite on the scale of the estate in the northern territory, but the sprawling garden that unfolded before us was something most noble houses couldn't even dream of matching.
"Wow..."
Liliana stared blankly at the enormous gates — they looked more like the entrance to a fortress wall — and let out a short gasp of wonder. The Mayflower family were nobles of the Elf Autonomous Region, but they apparently couldn't compare to the grandeur of House Divelion.
A deep, heavy rumble sounded as I waited for Liliana to finish her sightseeing, and the massive gates swung open. Beyond them, dozens of servants stood in ranks on either side. And at the center of that long procession, a silver-haired beauty stood with her hands folded neatly before her, greeting me in a voice that was both familiar and dearly missed.
"Welcome home, Master."
"Yes. Anything happen while I was gone?"
"No."
Lucy answered without a trace of emotion. That usual demeanor of hers made it feel like I'd truly come home. I introduced Liliana to her briefly.
"This is Liliana Mayflower. Fate brought us together, so I've brought her to the mansion. Prepare a room for her."
"Yes, understood."
"Um... I'm Liliana. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"A pleasure to meet you as well."
Liliana fidgeted with her hands clasped together as she greeted Lucy. Lucy studied her face for a moment, then replied in her usual blunt manner.
"....?"
And yet something felt off. Lucy's demeanor was subtly different from usual. A difference so small that anyone without a superhuman physique would never have noticed. But I could tell. When she'd spotted Liliana, Lucy's eyebrows had lifted, just slightly.
"Master. Previously, you told me to name something I desired."
"Hm? I did."
"Then... may I speak of it now?"
While I was still turning over Lucy's minute change in my mind, she turned toward me and parted her small, soft lips. Right. I'd promised that if she managed well in my absence, I'd let her use a wish. But she was cashing it in now, of all times?
Well... I suppose it doesn't matter.
Puzzled by Lucy's strange shift but granting permission with a slight nod all the same, I waited. A brief silence. Then, with Liliana and me both watching, Lucy spoke.