Chapter 223: Lainella's Fate is Decided by Lainella (16)
Chapter 223: Lainella's Fate is Decided by Lainella (16)
The next day, I received a potion from Emma.
To be precise, it was a poison. Emma warned me about just how terrifying the effects of this transparent liquid were.
"Be careful. Even a single drop is enough to knock out a demonic beast in seconds. Any more than that, and it could be lethal… But do you really need a poison this strong?"
"Yeah. It’s better if they lose consciousness as quickly as possible."
Emma couldn't quite hide her lingering worry.
Looking at her, I made a suggestion that sounded almost like a joke.
"If you're that worried, do you want to come with me?"
"……Hu-huh?"
Emma stared at me blankly, as if she hadn't understood. A playful smile played on my lips.
"To the Percus Territory. You can keep an eye on me and make sure I don't do anything reckless."
In truth, it was a selfish request.
I was worried about how much she would overwork herself while I was gone. Since she didn't even eat properly, I wondered who would help her if she fainted again like she did today.
It was a thoughtless suggestion, tossed out on a whim.
However, the weight of those words seemed particularly heavy for Emma.
Holding her breath for a moment, she stared at me vacantly.
After a long silence.
Emma eventually let out a bittersweet smile.
"No, it’s okay."
"Because of your research?"
"No, not that. It’s because… I’m a commoner."
Her blunt answer forced me into silence.
"Even if I’m the Young Master’s friend, what would the servants who have to look after a commoner think? What about your family, who are nobles?"
"My family doesn't care about things like that."
"Maybe so, but I care."
Emma gave a slight eye-smile and persuaded me in a quiet, gentle tone.
"Ian, I know my place. Even the dream of wanting to stand by your side is a greed I shouldn't permit myself."
When a woman speaks with such conviction, how could I possibly ask again?
I simply nodded with a silent, bitter smile.
"One day, I’ll make it so that you’re the one who says you want to meet my parents first."
"Will you?"
Emma carefully took my hand. I could tell exactly how she felt just by looking at that poignant smile.
"Thank you, Ian. And I’ll be waiting."
"……See you in the second semester."
With those final words, I finished my farewell to Emma.
My luggage was light. Not only did I have a spatial expansion pouch, but I was heading back to my hometown anyway.
Since most of my belongings were already at the Percus Mansion, all I really needed to pack was my gear.
However, there were several unexpected figures waiting at the path to the Warp Gate.
First, a girl with gray hair.
"……Seria?"
"Senior Ian!"
When I reflexively called out my favorite junior's name, she approached me with a bright face. Seria, the top second-year student of the Swordsmanship Department and the genius swordsman of the Yurdina family, had come to find me.
As I stood there blinking, unable to guess why she was here, Seria spoke without hiding her joy.
"My sister gave me orders to head to the Percus Territory. First, I’m to take command of the family's private army stationed near the territory…!"
Only then did I realize what the 'special gift' Senior Delphine mentioned was.
That gift was Seria herself.
Seria was a junior I cherished, but she was also a swordsman who had already reached the early stages of an Expert.
Having just reached the Expert level myself, there was one fact I felt more keenly than ever.
The gap between an Expert and all other swordsmen was vast and high.
For a minor family like Percus, having even one Expert stay with them was something to be profoundly grateful for. Furthermore, since Senior Neris had promised to visit later, it was safe to say there were now three Experts included in our available forces.
The minimum conditions for crushing the Dark Cult's conspiracy had been met.
Of course, Seria wasn't the only one joining me on the journey home.
"Ma-Master?"
The girl who approached me hesitantly couldn't hide her anxiety as she fiddled with her pointed hat.
It was Senior Elsie.
After her bombshell declaration yesterday, it had become awkward for Senior Elsie to return to her own family home. Instead, we decided she would join me on my trip back.
However, Senior Elsie had been a bit strange lately.
Well, she was always a bit strange, but her attitude toward me was subtly different than before.
Even right now, for instance.
She would steal glances at me, only to turn red and hang her head low.
And lately, Senior Elsie seemed to be having trouble defining our relationship. To be precise, she seemed to want confirmation of her position in my life.
A clear example of this happened while we were in the city.
On the way to the Warp Gate, I happened to receive a flyer.
It was a plea to protect stray cats.
After the recent incident where people were severely attacked by a cat-like demonic beast, public opinion against stray cats in the city had turned hostile. It seemed there were quite a few cat lovers opposing that sentiment.
Of course, I had no interest in such disputes, so I just tore it up.
Supporting either side would only lead to trouble.
I had no intention of taking on unnecessary responsibility through a hasty judgment.
But Senior Elsie seemed to have been bothered by that.
She tossed a cautious question my way.
"……Master, do you happen to like cats?"
"No, not particularly… I just think they look cute, I guess."
At my answer, Senior Elsie practically jumped with indignation.
A heated lecture soon burst from her small mouth.
"Ca-cats are animals that have no loyalty and only cause trouble! They act like they’re the masters of the house! Just think if it had been a puppy instead of a cat that attacked as a demonic beast during the last raid! They would have… they would have died alone with tears in their eyes! But those arrogant furballs……."
"……Why are you competing with a cat?"
I let out a deep sigh and pointed that out, but Senior Elsie’s tirade against cats continued for quite a while after that.
The only thing I could give her in return was a look of half-resignation.
The unexpected company didn't end there.
Tap. I felt someone touch my shoulder.
No matter how much I had let my guard down, there weren't many people capable of taking my back. Startled, I turned around to find Yuren standing there with a mischievous smile.
"Hey, Ian!"
"Yuren!"
I happily shook hands with Yuren. Seeing his bulging luggage, it seemed Yuren was also heading somewhere.
A formal question escaped my lips.
"Are you on your way back to the Holy Kingdom?"
"No, I have a special mission."
With that, Yuren winked at me and then stepped aside.
Only then did I see the woman who had been hidden behind Yuren's frame.
With silver hair and pale pink eyes, a beautiful girl who wouldn't look out of place if she were called a masterpiece of God stood there.
It was the Saintess.
"Ahem, ahem… What a coincidence, right? It just so happens that the next location for my volunteer dispatch was decided as the Percus Territory."
"The Percus Territory?"
I tilted my head at those words.
The Percus Territory only had one shabby temple. The only clergyman there was a single elderly priest.
In all my life, I had never heard of a volunteer group from the Holy Kingdom being dispatched to the Percus Territory.
And of all people, for the Saintess—who held the highest position—to come to the Percus Territory.
Something was fishy, but as soon as the Saintess met my suspicious gaze, she began to pour out desperate excuses.
"I-It really is a coincidence, okay? I’m definitely not trying to be clingy or anything… Re-really!"
I couldn't understand why she was bringing up being clingy.
However, if the Saintess joined us, it was certain she would be a massive help to our strength. I brightened and took the Saintess's hand.
"Then I look forward to working with you, Saintess."
"……Ahem, ahem. Yes. It’s a co-coincidence, but I’ll be in your care for a while."
As she said that, the Saintess and Yuren exchanged glances.
For a split second, it looked like the Saintess was pumping her fist in victory, but I decided not to pay it any mind.
It was because the crowd heading to the Percus Territory had grown larger than I ever imagined.
Four more people than planned had joined the group.
The master of the Percus Territory was the Percus family.
Naturally, the Percus family had the obligation to entertain the distinguished guests who came as visitors. The more guests there were, the more issues there were to worry about.
My head was already starting to ache thinking about how to treat guests like the Saintess, Senior Elsie, and Seria.
However, in the end, this was a good thing.
Right now, an unidentified evil plan was underway in the Percus Territory. The more allies we had, the better.
Of course, that was just my perspective.
As soon as Celine saw the faces of the people I had brought along, she immediately let out a scream.
"……What is all this?!"
Celine had been dreaming of a cozy trip with just the three of us. It wasn't surprising that she was angry now that the group had suddenly expanded so much.
So, I could only offer an awkward smile.
Now, the preparations were complete.
All that remained was the road leading back to my dear hometown.
To the Percus Territory, where my younger sister was waiting.