The tears of Eldia with a mental age over 30 wasn’t something embarrassing. ‘Cause even the elf who lived 126 years cried, too. They were unquestionably reasonable tears.

 

   “Really amazing, there.”

 

   Asileye got exasperated at my mental gymnastics and slapped my back.

 

   In the end, the two of us whose eyes puffed and bloated couldn’t help but laugh at each other’s faces the moment we woke up the next day.

 

   But besides our eyes puffing up a bit, there wasn’t anything new or special. I trained like always, took over Asileye’s work a bit more than usual, and we passed the remaining day like nothing had happened. Besides promising to write letters to each other through the Adventurer’s Guild, it was a day not at all different from the every day we had lived until now.

 

   As if believing that we could naturally meet again unhurt even if the time passed if we do, we passed the day normally as if promised, then packed my bags as if going on a trip together and welcomed our last day.

 

   Truthfully, there wasn’t anything notable in my bags. Light clothes and a water bottle that Asileye had used, a few bandages and Asileye’s pouch that contained various medicinal herbs by type. And a small sleeping bag was all.

 

   Even then, when I placed the clothes inside the sleeping bag and then wrapped it around my scabbard and tied it to my back, my appearance became light enough to look like I was going on a picnic on a hill next door rather than going someplace far away.

 

   “You’re traveling together with the escort group in any case, so there isn’t really a need to wear your sword. Rather, the current Eldi wearing your sword could become an insult to the escort group.”

 

   It felt really awkward because I hadn’t worn my sword on my back even once ever since I’d gotten the real sword, but I couldn’t help it once I heard Asileye’s explanation. Her explanation that an underaged commoner child who wasn’t even recognized as a warrior in front of everyone refusing to let go of his weapon, regardless of however big an achievement he had accomplished, ultimately meant no different than saying he couldn’t trust the escort group was unquestionably reasonable. 

 

   “Come here.”

 

   Once we finished all the preparations, Asileye pointed at a chair and called me over. When I immediately trotted over and sat down on the seat, Asileye brushed my hair a few times and then raised something up and showed me.

 

   “Earring?”

 

   The thing raised in Asileye’s hand was an earring that showed the same color as her hair. About a fingertip big and shaped like a braided hair, the earring, even though I couldn’t tell what kind of string it was made out of, was absolutely solid as if it was compressed and varnished.

 

   “What’s thiiaaaack!”

 

   And before I even had a chance to be puzzled and ask what it was as I looked, she immediately pierced it into my ear! I reflexively shouted at the feeling of something piercing into my earlobe, but there unexpectedly wasn’t any pain. But even so, that didn’t stop my surprised heart from thumping at seeing a tiny hook abruptly fly beside my eye.

 

   “What the?!”

   “It’s an elven earring. It’s a type of a charm wishing for a safe return that’s made by cutting and braiding one’s own hair and completed by processing it with magic.”

   “Asileye…!”

 

   Moved thinking that this was why she’d been fiddling with something since yesterday, I immediately stood up and looked at Asileye, but she was also hanging an earring on her ear.

 

   “Eh?”

 

   The shape was the same, but it was black and shiny like black silk unlike mine. Come to think of it, if the thing hanging on my ear was Asileye’s hair, then didn’t that mean that’s my hair?

 

   “I cut it yesterday while you were sleeping.”

 

   As if having read my such question, Asileye nonchalantly spoke. I wasn’t worried of looking partially bald since that much could’ve come out just by cutting a few strands due to my hair having gotten a bit long from not cutting it as often recently, but honestly I wanted to personally make one for her if it had that kind of a meaning.

 

   “No, I mean, I’m fine about cutting it, but does that still have the meaning even if you make it yourself? I wanted to make you one myself if there was something like that, you know…”

   “It’s fine so don’t worry. It’s the feeling and the form that’s important for this.”

 

   I felt like it would be odd in its own way if that was fine as well, but she satisfyingly smiled as she hung it on her ear herself, so I decided not to needlessly add any comment. Well, it’s fine if both of us were satisfied.

 

   “Have a safe trip, Eldi. And write when you have time.”

 

   Looking up at me who’d finished all the preparations like that and climbed onto the borrowed warhorse, Asileye said a short goodbye. Really a lot of thoughts brushed past me that moment, but in the end I realized that answering her with a smile was the best.

 

   “Yeah. I’ll be back soon, Asileye. I’ll write the moment we arrive, so make sure to visit the town often.”

 

   Turning away from her satisfyingly smiling and waving at me, I rode the horse.

 

   Until the cottage that slowly turned far away like that became small and I couldn’t see it behind trees, I looked back and waved my hand for a long time.

 

   🔷

 

   In the end, I arrived at the camp while forcibly holding together my tear glands that had begun loosening around the halfway point. Lagnis, who came out right away to greet me when she heard I’d arrived, let out an amazed laugh seemingly having understood the situation the moment she saw my face.

 

   “Wow, even that Eldmia knows how to cry?”

   “It’s ’cause something went in my eyes.”

   “If you say so. Then this means you’ll be accepting Sir Ekav’s offer, right?”

   “I said I didn’t cry.”

   “Who said anything?”

 

   It was annoying how Lagnis wasn’t even trying to hide the subtle excitement in her voice while gleefully smiling without a care for my feelings, but I didn’t disagree with her since what she said was true.

 

   “Yeah. For a revenge to do either way, doing that will raise my chance of survival. Asileye agreed, too.”

   “Yep yep. That’s right. Honestly I worried that Eldmia will characteristically refuse and I’ll abruptly hear about you dying several years later, so you made a really good choice.”

   “What kind of a bastard am I in your head?”

   “A reckless guy that charges in first before anything?”

   “It’s kind of an odd feeling that it teeeechnicallyyyy doesn’t sound right but doesn’t feel wrong, either.”

 

   I did charge in with plans, but it was hard to both disagree nor agree when those plans always came with recklessness. Satisfyingly smiling at me, who thanks to that even forgot about my sad feelings and drew an awkward face, Lagnis took me to where Sir Ekav was.

 

   “Thank you for accepting my offer.”

   “I should be the one thanking you for giving me an opportunity like this, sir.”

 

   Sir Ekav, who I naturally added honorifics to since he would be both teaching as well as feeding and housing me from now on, reacted rather happily with my decision. When I got surprised at how happier he looked than what I’d expected given that a knight like him should have plenty of other people to teach, Radnellvandes who noticed this added an explanation from the side.

 

   “Your potential is one thing for sure, but this lad dotes on his daughter rather a lot, you see. But he’s actually been troubled for a while because there’s no one her age who can match her skill, when you happened to show up.”

 

   According to him, Sir Ekav was especially modest and serious for someone of his status and fame, and was a man that prided himself for it. As a result of that, he apparently had been simultaneously proud of his daughter who’s been growing wonderfully as well as worried sick recently that she might become conceited from being too great. Since she was soon entering the Royal Academy where talented children from across the kingdom were said to gather, he felt that he’d feel better once she went there, but still couldn’t ignore the issue that was lying right before his eyes.

 

   Putting aside those uninteresting explanations, honestly it was an explanation that was all praises to the point that I’d have thought to be bootlicking if it was said by someone else, but surprisingly it simply sounded like dry facts when Radnellvandes said it. As expected, were mages animals that only spoke truths? It all just sounded like facts!

 

   “She actually is pretty superb since she did win admission to the Royal Academy at the top of this year’s freshmen. Even if she’s few with words, she’s kind as well.”

   “…though I do feel a bit sad because she’s for some reason gotten a bit distant recently, sir.”

 

   Seeing how he was praising her more than her father, Sir Ekav, it looked like they weren’t just empty words. Anyhow, she should be 14 years old if she’s the same age as me, so would her feeling distant be puberty, too?

 

   “Kkugkkugkkug. Come to think of it, did you say last time that she got cranky from her servants not washing her clothes separately or something and didn’t even talk to them?”

   “They did say she didn’t berate them or lashed out at them at least, but… haah.”

 

   Looked like the fantasy world’s puberty really wasn’t that different, either.

 

   Even more so, the fact that even the man who was the King’s 3rd Sword let out a sigh like that when the topic concerned his daughter was unbelievable. The typical nobles I’d heard about from here and there tended not to show deep familial love that openly, after all.

 

   He should be an incredibly high-ranking noble considering how he had ‘Tusin’ in his name, but rather unlike the typical nobles known by most people, high-ranking nobles might be bonded together with a tight familial love.

 

   “Anyway, I won’t deny Master Radnellvandes’s words. It will certainly be a good opportunity for both of your growths.”

 

   It felt like a gentle halo was shining behind Sir Ekav, who was drawing a gentlemanly smile that could only be described as saintly as he spoke. It wasn’t a brightness that could be compared to when I met Asileye, but anyhow it felt like that.

 

   This men… might be a true gentleman!

 

   “Thank you, Sir Ekav. Lagnis? Honestly thank you for giving me a chance like… this…?”

 

   Lagnis, who I turned and looked at to thank, was drawing an oddly stiff smile while fiddling with her neatly gathered hands and repeatedly pushing down on her own thumb. That for some reason… was a look that gave off odd nervousness and worry.

 

   Just like that of someone who came across an unexpected problem…

 

   “This much is natural for paying back a benefactor. There’s still far more to go to pay it all back, so do look forward to it.”

 

   Her looking like she was oddly biting her lips as she smiled was… probably a trick of my mind.

 

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Translator: CSV

TL note: 2/3

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Ch.27

Chapter List

Ch.29