episode_0104

Since it was quite a distance from the academy to the mansion, the conversation was neither short nor long.

What have you been doing, how much training have you done, what kind of place is Lucerne… Although we couldn’t talk in depth, we were able to talk broadly and shallowly enough.

“Oppa. Have you read all the letters?”

“Of course.”

“Really? The hard work was worth it!”

“…Did you read mine too?”

“Okay then. I read yours too. I didn’t even throw it away after reading it.”

It is said that as the physical distance increases, the distance in the mind also increases, but such worries turned out to be unfounded. After meeting face to face and chatting a few times, things to talk about continued to arise.

Siron glanced out the window while listening to his younger siblings talking.

‘Isn’t it too late?’

Many people were lined up starting from the main gate of the mansion. As always, the experience of passing on a street with hundreds of people bowing their heads at once makes you feel like a special person.

Shiron got off the carriage and bowed.

“How are you? Eldrina.”

“You have a face that says you are needlessly fixing things.”

“…It can’t be.”

As expected, the extravagant hospitality was prepared by Eldrina, the hostess of the mansion. Although he entered the mansion, he did not stop by the main building, so Siron saw Eldrina for the first time in five years.

‘They look so similar.’

Siron glanced at Siriel who was snuggling next to him and then looked straight ahead again.

“Don’t worry about it.”

Eldrina smiled softly at Shiron’s reaction, who couldn’t forget what to say.

“It is also unseemly to treat the person who will lead the family poorly in the future.”

“Do you mean… in the house?”

Siron narrowed his eyes. I don’t know why, but I felt a little uncomfortable hearing the word ‘household’ coming out of Eldrina’s mouth.

‘Once again, I pretend not to know.’

Eldrina covered her mouth with her fan and looked at Shiron and the girls next to him. Siriel, Siron, Lucia… It wasn’t ideal, but it wasn’t a bad picture.

“Besides, it’s partly your fault, right? There was no message when you came in or when you left. I thought it would be good to do at least this much.”

“Excuse me.”

Siron chuckled and lowered his head.

Then, Siron heard words that he could not help but doubt.

“Mother. How about sneaking in? The day is hot.”

“Oh my gosh, I held on to it for too long.”

“…”

Siron opened his eyes wide. It was not Siriel who spoke.

The unfamiliar title “mother” came out of Lucia’s mouth, and Eldrina did not find it strange.

“You’re going to be tired, so let’s just go in. Um… Even if it’s not a big deal, let’s have dinner together.”

“Yes.”

“Oppa. See you later.”

Siron waved his hand to face Siriel, who turned around.

*

The path leading to the outbuilding.

“Since when?”

Siron patted the shoulder of Lucia, who was walking side by side. There were many things he wanted to ask, but first he wanted to relieve the frustration that kept lingering in his head.

“What?”

“Since when did I start calling my eldest mother just “mother”?”

“Ah…”

Lucia said, curling her lips.

“Mother, Eldrina told me to call you that first. Before entering the academy, he first brought up the story, saying that the absence of my parents could cause unnecessary noise.”

“Then you also call your uncle “father”?”

“…That’s not it. My father is alive.”

Even if I’ve only seen your face once.

Lucia muttered as she kicked the stone.

“Eldrina. He was a better person than I thought.”

“…”

“I am grateful to Eldrina. Because Eldrina treats me like a real daughter. Yes, you could say that I have received a lot of grace.”

“…I didn’t mean to say anything.”

“Then?”

Siron grinned at Lucia who was looking up.

“I do that because I’m unique because I don’t act alone and adapt well.”

“What… I’m not even a child.”

Lucia turned her head and began to take the lead. As we continued to talk, we eventually reached the outbuilding.

Since she had to take off her school uniform to participate in the banquet that was to be held in the main building, Lucia hurried into the annex.

“Ah.”

‘Seira?’

When she opened the door, Lucia flinched and froze. A familiar face. Instead of the maid who always served Lucia, there was an elf nun.

‘You bastard, why are you still at my house?’

“…Hello.”

Unsure of how to deal with her, Lucia decided to bow to Seira.

The identity is…

Lucia was conscious of the theory that followed.

‘not now.’

There was a plan to reveal that he was a reincarnation someday, but that was never the time. Yura might not know, but it was unreasonable to hope for a touching reunion with Seira.

“He has a good personality. Be nice too.”

Seira stroked the head of Lucia, who bowed her head without knowing anything.

‘…what.’

Lucia, who was suddenly treated like a child, gritted her teeth. The slightest desire to reminisce about how I had been was fading away.

Lucia was a colleague of Seira in her previous life, but she treated her as a colleague, not as a close friend.

Seira and Kylie were like opposites.

Back then, there was a culture in which wizards and swordsmen didn’t get along, and their personalities… When I thought about it myself, they both seemed to have a screw missing somewhere, so if it weren’t for Yura’s mediation, the two would have met as enemies, but as colleagues. The thing itself…

‘I don’t know.’

Lucia stopped putting her hands on her head because she didn’t know why Seira Rohmer was in this annex or staying by Siron’s side.

“But who are you? Why are you here?”

“I am Seira Rohmer. The little priest’s trustworthy companion and great wizard. Since we’re colleagues, it’s common sense to stay together, right?”

“Aha…?”

Although she wondered what the hell that was all about, Lucia decided to nod her head for now. Lucia wanted to ask Siron where he had been wandering around for five years before he picked this up.

“Then why are you wearing a nun’s uniform? You are a wizard.”

“It’s comfortable.”

Seira fluttered the bottom of her nun’s robe and smiled broadly.

“Look. Is this well ventilated and easy to move around in? It’s not hot in the summer and it’s okay in the winter. And… wouldn’t it be better to dress up as a nun if you want to be with Siron, the priest?”

“When did it happen? I thought you were still sleeping.”

Siron approached the two and intervened.

“How do you keep sleeping?”

Seira shrugged her shoulders.

“I spent some time persuading the demons who came to clean your room, making them realize that I am not the enemy, and doing some annoying work.”

Although I had told Encia and Ophelia in advance, it seemed like there was some friction, perhaps because of the curse.

However, being treated like an unfamiliar intruder was something Seira was used to, so it was not difficult to respond.

Seira has faced many experiences over the past five hundred years where relationships that were built at best are falling apart.

Even without using mental interference magic, Seira was able to skillfully demonstrate her affinity in situations where a plan existed and the game was set. If you weren’t good at building new relationships with new people, you wouldn’t have survived the past 500 years.

‘You’re closer than me?’

Lucia had complicated feelings as she watched the two talking without hesitation. Seira seemed closer to Siron than Kylie, and Siron seemed closer to Seira than Lucia.

*

Northern region of the Empire, Macal Mountains

In the rugged mountain range that divides the world into the magical world and the non-magical world, there was a remote castle.

The frozen corridor of the Dawn Castle. Yuma bowed his head to the man who suddenly appeared.

“Are you here?”

“Yes.”

Glenn rubbed his forearm and exhaled.

“It’s cold.”

“There is no need to set fire to a castle where no one lives. Because you’ve been outside for so long.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. It’s been two years since my last return.”

Yuma chuckled and approached Glenn. Yuma wrapped the man in a snow leopard print coat that he had prepared in advance.

“It’s a little better.”

Yuma said as he adjusted the front flap of his coat.

“By the way, you returned sooner than expected. There are still a few months left until the coming-of-age ceremony.”

“You don’t want me to come back to the castle?”

“You really don’t want to come back to the castle.”

“I just have more room.”

Glenn said, blowing white breath.

“An apostle’s position has disappeared.”

“…I see.”

“I’m not surprised. Without asking any more.”

“It was expected.”

Yuma turned his gaze and looked out the window. It was hard to see because it was night, but in the direction she looked, beyond the endless snowy mountains, there was Siron.

Glenn saw who Yuma was thinking about now.

“I was so opposed to bringing in Irina.”

Irina was Glenn’s wife, who had already passed away. Yuma’s eyes filled with tears.

“Ma’am was very poor. It wasn’t enough to survive in this barren place. Judging from my many experiences, it was natural at the time to notify me of rejection.”

Irina couldn’t get out of bed all the time. The woman, who coughed with a squeak every day, died without seeing only one heir.

The head of the family, Glenn, no longer had a wife after Irina’s death. Instead, I picked up a girl.

A girl who looked exactly like him with red hair and a different scent.

“Yuma.”

Glenn read the doubt in Yuma’s eyes.

“Lucia is my child.”

“…Who said what?”

“Okay. As you know, the child proved it himself by passing the succession ceremony.”

Glenn suppressed a sigh of relief. But that didn’t stop a few beads of sweat from rolling down his back. Yuma closed his eyes and lowered his head.

“It’s probably a good thing. These days, I was thinking that the succession ceremony wasn’t very helpful. I was thinking about maybe holding the coming-of-age ceremony in a slightly new way.”

Maybe this will be the last coming of age ceremony…

Yuma thought of Shiron and clutched his tight chest.