A Sudden Reunion at the Manor
The kingdom's new legal code had just been established, and the Thousand-Day Campaign Armistice Day—marking the end of the historic war—had created a perfect four-day break sandwiched between two official holidays, complete with a weekend in between. In the original novel, the protagonist Alan had enjoyed that exact stretch of rest with a select group of heroines, sharing quiet moments and deepening connections away from the battlefield's chaos.
...Among those heroines, Liliana and Aria were still in seclusion, so the event had been canceled entirely. But that was none of my concern.
During this break, many academy students were rushing back to their hometowns. I had decided to return to my own—Ventus County in the north.
The goal was simple: to meet Duke Ignis through Princess Aine, and to see Princess Yuril, whom I had recently encountered, as well.
Of course, Riel Ignis was coming along.
Ventus County lay a manageable distance—roughly five hours on the train, followed by two more by carriage.
We boarded the train and arrived at Little Lake, the northern city of Bruen Marquisate. After a quick meal, Riel and I continued by carriage toward the county.
Riel walked with light, springy steps toward the carriage stop. Having arrived in the cold northern lands, she had tied back her usual loose hair and now wore a warm fur coat instead of her uniform.
"Why are you staring like that?"
"Huh? Nothing. Just... nothing."
I blinked and realized I had been staring. Heat crept into my cheeks as I shook my head to shake off the gaze.
Phyllis, standing behind us, let out a soft, amused sound that might have been a chuckle.
We climbed into the carriage bound for Ventus County.
But we were in for a most unexpected encounter.
"Um... are you two in the same class...?"
The silver-haired beastfolk girl was bundled in a thick fur coat, her tail hidden beneath a large hat flipped backward. Emilia Silvrate stood there.
"Emilia Silvrate...? Why are you here?"
Why was she here?
In the original story, she should have been left behind at the academy during the holiday break. But now she was traveling north.
I had never directly interacted with her before, so I hadn't marked her presence. Yet something felt... different. A subtle shift in the air.
Since few travelers ventured this far north, the carriage held only the three of us—Riel, Emilia, and myself.
Riel and Emilia had already begun chatting. The bond between them seemed natural now.
Thinking back, Riel had always been a little more open with Emilia than with most others. Still, they had never been this openly friendly.
...It felt awkward to sit here listening while the two girls conversed. I closed my eyes, leaning back against the seat and letting my thoughts drift.
My father and mother waited at home, along with my younger brother Astar and my younger sister Kino.
It had been nearly half a year since I left the county to attend the academy, yet the time felt like ancient history.
My father, who ruled the duchy while never neglecting his family, had always placed great importance on nurturing talent. When I told him I wanted to learn the sword, he had smiled with genuine joy and taught me everything with care. He had been so proud, calling me a rare prodigy.
My mother, the countess and true mistress of the house, had been delighted when I announced my interest in magic. Of course, when I admitted my only affinity lay in wind magic, she had been a touch disappointed she couldn't teach her beloved plant magic. But we still exchanged frequent letters, so I never truly felt the distance.
Then there was Astar, my older brother, training relentlessly for the day he would surpass me in swordsmanship. When I left, he had promised we would spar again soon. I couldn't wait to see how far he had grown.
And Kino, my little sister.
The memories of spoiling her senseless were the brightest in my mind. But the truth about Kino...
...it weighed far too heavily on my conscience. I couldn't bear to think what her expression would be if she ever learned the full extent of my past sins.
And the other members of the duchy... the people of Ventus County...
As old memories surfaced, my body grew heavy with drowsiness after the long train ride.
'Why don't you accept my heart?'
'You only ever speak those words and never look at me.'
'Is that child so precious to you?'
'Even after everything is taken away, your first concern is still that child?'
'Then keep watching him in that helpless state.'
'You will watch your precious child slowly wither and die!'
"Kyuu! We're here! Wake up!"
Riel's gentle shake finally pulled me from the dream. The drowsiness vanished instantly.
The carriage had stopped. Across from me, Emilia was packing her things.
...It had been such a vivid, if absurd, dream.
I could only remember the slick, venomous voice of a woman filled with hatred and jealousy.
Well, dreams like that are to be expected.
"Thanks, Riel."
"Mm-hmm."
Smiling back at her cheerful laugh, I stepped down from the carriage.
The moment my feet touched the ground, the crisp, biting air of the north greeted me.
There stood the grand Ariandrod Fortress, Ventus County's only city and mighty stronghold.
"Then I shall handle the entry procedures."
"I'll leave it to you."
I watched Phyllis head toward the main gate and turned to the two girls still talking nearby.
Emilia's home village lay deep in the forest, not inside the fortress, so this was where we would part ways.
Riel waved Emilia off with a wistful gaze, their new friendship evident.
After exchanging a final greeting, Emilia offered a small bow in my direction before stepping into the forest path.
Once she had vanished, Riel turned to me.
"By the way, where exactly is Emilia's village?"
"It's one of the many settlements built by the northern natives," I replied. "Could be any of them."
I had started calling her "Eimi" recently. She must have grown even closer to me in my absence.
"If they live in the forest, won't the monsters be a danger?"
"The natives have some of the strongest warriors among them, and the duchy soldiers are stationed nearby too," I assured her. "It should be fine."
The duchy soldiers stationed in the village served first as guardians against raids, then as escorts to protect the villagers during large monster incursions and lead them to safety at the fortress.
This treaty, signed when our ancestors negotiated safety and tradition with the natives, had been honored by my father and me.
"Then Emilia should be all right?"
"Of course. And since we already announced our arrival, the villagers will be waiting to greet us."
Especially for the Silver Wolf tribe.
I swallowed that thought and waited for Phyllis to return.
Minutes passed. We stood waiting before the fortress gates when a group suddenly emerged from the entrance.
A mixed group of roughly ten men and women.
They wore the same distinctive uniforms, their expressions stern yet arrogantly proud.
"They're here again."
"Kyou? Why are you so tense?"
"Those people."
I glanced at Riel, then pointed toward the group emerging from the fortress.
"The Church."
"The Church...? The World Tree Church?"
"Yes."
The World Tree Church.
A religion that worshipped Yggdrasil and her fairy children, the spirits.
It spread across the continent regardless of borders, and most people here believed in it.
If anything, it was the minority who did not.
"They always come to proselytize."
"Don't the northerners believe in the World Tree Church?"
"Most northerners are descendants of the natives, so they tend to be wary of outside religions."
The northern people—aside from the original settlers and their descendants—were overwhelmingly of native blood.
They clung to their ancestral faiths rather than the imported one.
Even our own Ventus ducal family did not follow the Church.
"Then what do they believe?"
"Not religion per se. Ancestral faith. Those spirits from the old stories."
"Oh! I read about them in a book!"
The northern natives revered their ancestral spirits far more than the Church, and that tradition continued unbroken.
"Does Riel believe in the World Tree Church?"
"I... given that our duchy has been at odds with the Church for generations..."
"I see."
The Ignis ducal family had clashed with the Church since my father's predecessors.
This was a plot point from the original novel as well. In the story, Riel had not accompanied me to meet Yggdrasil.
"So Kyou believes in spirits?"
"I don't believe in any gods at all."
"That's... weird."
Well, what else could I do?
The World Tree might hold power equal to a god, but I had already revealed it was not one. I had arrived in this world after all.
Phyllis finally returned, and we all entered the fortress together.
As we stepped inside, the soldiers posted at every post snapped to attention and offered crisp salutes of welcome.
My father and the troops were clearly well-disciplined.
The timing—when monsters were active—only made their alertness more noticeable.
The carriage that would take us to the ducal residence inside the fortress had been arranged by my mother, so we simply needed to reach the agreed spot.
Then it happened.
A sudden gust of wind slammed over us.
"Kyaaah!"
Riel let out a startled scream.
Of course. The wind had blown straight into our faces.
But I and Phyllis had felt nothing at all.
Because this wind, despite raging through the freezing north, carried no chill whatsoever.
It was warm—comfortingly, perfectly warm.
I recognized the sensation immediately. The person who had come to greet us had to be...
Oh no. Of all people...
"Kukukuku... the first reunion in thousands of years, my bloodline."
It had only been half a year.
A small girl with greenish-silver hair like my mother's, one healthy eye peeking from beneath an eyepatch, wearing a vintage cape over the other healthy eye. She looked like a miniature version of me.
"This 'Blood Wind's Alukinon' has come to welcome you! Then shall we return to Eden!"
"Long... long time no see, Kino."
...My greatest sin and the victim of my own childhood chunibyo. The original sin I had committed.
Kino Wentos had come to greet me.