A Scene Just Like Long Ago

“Why can’t you tell me?”

“Th-There are… reasons.”

“Hmm, reasons.”

While deliberately maintaining the same businesslike tone as always, I carefully observed the child’s state, watching the young face that was turning red.

In the process of investigating the child’s journey from the Northern Continent to its end at the Tower, the one thing that had weighed on my mind.

I absolutely needed to find out what had happened in the Holy Kingdom, where the possibility of problems arising was notably higher than in other places.

Even if they had helped sink the Tower, the Holy Kingdom was still a place that rejected beast people.

At the same time, it was where the Saint lived, who had an excessive level of obsession with the child.

It was a place where I should find it strange if no problems occurred, so I had to pay more attention than to other places.

If the child’s safety had been threatened even once, I absolutely could not overlook it.

“I’m not trying to scold you, I’m asking because I need to know what happened.”

“D-Do you really need to know…?”

“Yes. I need to know what happened before I can deal with it.”

Strictly speaking, there should have been no need for damage control.

I wanted to avoid having hidden incidents or problems being revealed belatedly when everything was already over.

But if what I had dismissed as excessive worry turned out to be not excessive at all.

The Holy Kingdom should be made abundantly aware of what kind of people were protecting this child named Lua.

Therefore, I asked once more about what happened in the Holy Kingdom.

Along with advice that it would be better for the child to tell me, even briefly.

“When I learn someone has a secret, I can’t help but imagine and speculate. Usually, those speculations stray far from the truth in a negative way.”

“So, even if it’s difficult to speak about, I hope you’ll tell me. Otherwise, I’ll have no choice but to report to Asha according to my unfavorable speculations.”

At this not-quite-threat from me, the child’s firmly closed mouth finally opened.

The trembling voice that followed, hesitantly and with difficulty telling me about what happened in the Holy Kingdom.

“In exchange for blessing my friends, she asked me to stay with her. So I was always with… the Saint.”

“By ‘always with her,’ do you mean all day?”

“N-Not all day… But I was at the temple with the Saint all the time except when she went to work.”

What followed was a general account of what conversations the Saint and the child had, or what actions the Saint took toward the child.

However, occasionally I heard things that were slightly different from the image of the child I knew.

“You asked the Saint to… stroke you?”

“S-She seemed to enjoy petting me. And since we would be parting in a few days anyway, I tried to create good memories for her as much as possible…”

I was suspicious of the child’s claim that she had gone out of her way to act cutesy, unlike her usual self, for the sake of the Saint who found it nearly impossible to meet with the child.

However, if it was really as the child said, merely hugging the Saint before sleep or feeding her fruit, there was no need to display Lunatic’s power right now.

Setting aside questions about the Saint for the moment, I first brought up another kind of concern.

What followed was a careful question about whether she had been rejected by the people of the Holy Kingdom or suffered racial insults.

“For example, like people spitting at you. Or throwing stones.”

“N-Nothing like that ever happened. Rather, the problem was that they tried to treat me too well.”

Considering that the child, who had been avoiding eye contact, now looked me directly in the eyes, this could be considered the truth.

In other words, it was proof that she was hiding something about the Saint.

‘I don’t mind if she finds you cute… But it would be problematic if she finds you cute in a different sense.’

‘It would be better if you showed a bit more restraint in the future. Well, it’s not like the same situation will arise again.’

It seemed certain that the Saint who was unlike a saint had forgotten my warning from before.

However, I ultimately couldn’t probe any deeper.

There were ways to make someone reveal everything they were hiding in their memories, but it wasn’t a method to use on a child who had just regained consciousness.

Above all, Asha would soon arrive at the hospital room.

If it were revealed in front of Asha that a line had been crossed even slightly, it would immediately become an all-out war.

“Were you that embarrassed just for acting cute a few times?”

“I-I can’t help being embarrassed. I haven’t even said such things to Asha yet.”

“My, Asha will be disappointed.”

Since the aftermath of the Tower hadn’t completely subsided yet, I decided to end the direct investigation here.

For now, it was more important to ensure that the daily life between the child and Asha, which had been difficult to recover, wasn’t disrupted.

Therefore, mobilizing would involve everyone except Asha.

I didn’t want to push someone who had just regained a precious person onto the battlefield, and there was no need for Asha to step forward anyway.

It would be enough to give secret orders to forces that usually operated covertly below the surface to remind them of my “warning” from before.

In just a few days, no matter what exactly happened to the child, they would find it impossible to even touch the tip of the child’s hair.

After everything was wrapped up as intended, a brief report would suffice, as always.

If by chance the Saint didn’t yield, I would just have to move directly in Lunatic’s name to make the Holy Kingdom itself yield.

In any case, they had already confirmed half a year ago that they were madmen who would jump even into an endless abyss for the child’s sake.

“Lua~. Sister is here… What’s this? What are you two discussing so secretly?”

“What other secrets would we have to discuss? Just gossip about someone whose hobby is overprotection.”

I deliberately held up the chains attached to the child’s ankle in front of Asha.

Right after that, I uttered that I didn’t think she would actually imprison the child in the hospital room.

“It would be quite a sight if an article came out titled ‘The Secret Private Life of the Lunatic Guild Master.'”

“It’s just until she’s discharged. I’m only keeping her tied up until she gets healthy again.”

What followed was a complaint telling me to look at the child’s emaciated face from lying in bed for nearly half a year.

“Whatever the case, Lua’s health comes first. She needs to receive treatment here until she recovers, even if she doesn’t like it.”

“But normally, people don’t tie someone up like this.”

“Lua isn’t normal. Have you already forgotten what happened when we weren’t around?”

“How could I forget?”

The child only awkwardly avoided eye contact and muttered a single word of apology as she witnessed the scene of her ankle shackles being rationalized right before her eyes.

Even that soon faded away completely due to people who had actually started working in the hospital room.

What was created then was a scene exactly like long ago.

Groaning while surrounded by mountains of papers that never seemed to diminish no matter how much was processed.

Previewing various documents that hadn’t even been reviewed yet, judging which ones were worthy of going up to the guild master’s level.

Quietly watching all this unfold right in front, occasionally letting out a small laugh with a smirk or showing childlike curiosity.

It was a moment similar to countless repeated days, but it could have been a moment we might never experience again.

“…Hehe.”

“Hm? What is it?”

“Nothing, just… I’m happy just watching.”

“Watching your sister work hard?”

“Not just that.”

Regardless of time and place.

Whether free or not, it was good anyway.

The birthday party I had forgotten about could only be held late in the evening, and I was belatedly informed that I would have to stay in the hospital room for at least two more months.

But still… it was good.

“Oh, right. Could you contact Itar Academy for me? There are people I really need to meet again.”

“The President is looking for you, Rea.”

“…What is it this time?”

“He said he has news to share. For all three of you.”

I doubted my ears for a moment when I heard the words “all of you” from my senior who was both the Academy President’s secretary and my mentor.

That was because there was only one case where Rea herself would be grouped together with others using the word “you all.”

So this time, instead of following behind Kaira, I ran ahead of her to the President’s office.

Sure enough, I saw Iris and Adrian standing in front of the President’s office door with expressions half tense and half expectant, just like me.

After taking a moment to catch my breath, I opened the door, went in, and asked what news he had for us.

No, actually, I already guessed it was about the child.

But I couldn’t be certain of anything until I heard it directly.

And finally.

“Lua says she wants to see you all.”

Only when I heard from the President that the child, who until a few days ago had only shown a sleeping face, had finally awakened, did I sink to the floor.