Ch.173Chapter 173: Arrival Day (2)

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After spending a tender time with Shizu in the sleeping compartment.

And then passing time chatting with Excel and the others in the passenger car.

The high-speed train that had been racing without pause was now announcing the arrival at our journey’s final destination.

“We’ve arrived.”

Just as my sister quietly remarked while looking at the scenery outside the window.

The train that had been running tirelessly along the tracks was now approaching the fifth stop of this journey.

The final destination of our travels—Rubeo City, the capital of Duke Lanos’s domain.

Just like at previous stops where the window view changed from nature to developed urban landscapes.

The same scene unfolded without exception as we reached our final destination.

The difference compared to our previous stops was.

That the scenery before my eyes was somewhat familiar?

Despite being one of the oldest cities in the Empire along with the Imperial Capital Solarium.

My hometown still displayed its dignity as the Empire’s second city, thanks to consistent and active urban planning.

From high-rise buildings that didn’t fall behind the Imperial Capital.

To the state-of-the-art platform that was no less impressive than Solarium’s bustling platforms.

Everything announced that this city ranked among the finest of all the places this train had visited.

“This is Conductor Steiner. We are now arriving at Rubeo City, the capital of Duke Lanos’s domain, known as the City of Swords. Passengers disembarking here, please gather your belongings.”

The conductor’s deep voice, which had become quite familiar after hearing it for days, penetrated my ears.

Following the visual confirmation, this auditory announcement that we had reached our destination.

Made me rise from my seat in the passenger car to collect my luggage from the sleeping compartment.

Just as my body was starting to feel heavy at the thought that the journey—long in some ways, short in others—was finally coming to an end.

Shizu, who had been sitting beside me, also stood up and.

“I have… a lot of luggage… could you help me carry it?”

I could see her asking me with a hesitant voice.

Hearing that, I remembered.

Right after the Subjugation Festival ended.

Before Shizu left Night Haven.

She had shipped most of her belongings to Cradle or the Proxian Duchy, but still had quite a bit of luggage left.

And simultaneously.

I imagined Shizu struggling to carry all that luggage, which might not seem like much to others but was substantial for her.

“Nngh…!!”

The image of her struggling formed in my mind.

And when that image appeared.

How should I put this…

I wasn’t sure about anything else, but I was certain that such a sight of Shizu would be incredibly cute.

“…Cal?”

Ah.

I got lost in thought and was staring into space again.

“You don’t have much luggage, so I’ll help you carry it.”

Realizing my mistake, I immediately agreed to her request.

I could see her hesitant expression brightening a little.

Is she really that happy?

About me helping her carry her luggage, I mean.

[Well, I don’t think that’s it.]

‘I know. I was just making idle talk.’

[You’re just not being honest.]

While continuing this conversation with Paphnir, which was the first I’d heard from him today.

I went to Shizu’s sleeping compartment and picked up her packed luggage.

The luggage was so heavy that I was slightly amazed she had managed to pack it in a way that could still be carried by hand.

[…Did she use some space compression spell? It feels too heavy for luggage of that size.]

Even Paphnir expressed surprise at the weight as he watched me lift it.

Most likely, there would be household servants waiting for us beyond the platform.

But I wouldn’t want to hand over this luggage to them, even as a joke.

How disconcerting would it be if they threw out their backs because of luggage they thought would be light?

Our household treats servants well.

While they would receive appropriate compensation for injuries sustained during work.

No one likes getting hurt.

I should carry this myself.

With that thought, I picked up one of Shizu’s bags and started walking.

“Next time when we have something like this, let’s pack together. I’ll help you.”

I said to Shizu, who was moving beside me carrying another bag.

Rather than packing things indiscriminately.

Packing lightly and only what’s necessary for the situation.

That’s the virtue of traveling.

Whether my message was properly conveyed or not.

“Y…yes.”

I could hear Shizu quietly expressing her agreement beside me.

Though she did agree.

Her voice was so small that.

Feeling puzzled, I turned my head toward her.

Only to find Shizu contentedly stroking her face with the hand not holding the bag.

“Eh…hehe…eheh.”

As a bonus, I heard a rather silly-sounding laugh that I’d rarely heard from her before.

…What’s going on?

Did I fail to communicate something properly just now?

I only suggested that we pack together next time.

I can’t understand what part of that statement would make Shizu look so excited like a silly person.

“Ca…Cal and I together, just the two of us…hehe.”

….

Seriously, what’s happening?

[…You look smart but at times like this, you’re nothing but a fool.]

‘Why are you picking a fight all of a sudden?’

[Oh, you hopeless fellow. Think about it yourself.]

While I was still overwhelmed with confusion and unable to properly organize my thoughts thanks to Paphnir’s sudden comment.

[Ah, by the way.]

Paphnir’s voice, as if he had just remembered something, echoed in my head.

‘What is it?’

[Before that young lady came to wake you up. You seemed to be having a nightmare, your physical condition wasn’t good, and all my attempts to wake you up failed.]

‘…That happened?’

[You must have been having quite the nightmare. I called you loudly enough that you would normally have woken up startled, but you didn’t.]

‘I see.’

[Judging by your reaction earlier, you don’t seem to remember the dream. Does anything come to mind?]

Well, something that comes to mind…

The dream vanished like smoke from my mind as soon as I opened my eyes, so there wasn’t much to recall.

If there’s one thing I can think of.

‘I suspect it was a nightmare indirectly revealing how someone beat me like a rat yesterday evening, leaving my body quite exhausted.’

That’s about it?

Perhaps the poignant feeling that made me want to cry when facing it was from seeing myself exhausted after being thoroughly beaten by Paphnir?

When I conveyed this spontaneous impression to Paphnir.

[….]

Paphnir was filling my mind with silence.

Considering how Paphnir usually made my head ring with his rather loud voice.

The silence he was creating now was definitely silence, but.

At the same time, it wasn’t silence.

Why not?

I don’t know exactly how he affects the material world, but.

Despite the silence, Paphnir’s presence seemed to fill my head completely after hearing my playful response.

…Hmm.

Maybe my joke went too far.

I was about to speak to him to defuse the situation before he could react more seriously, but.

“Our train has now arrived at Rubeo City Station. The exit doors are on the left side.”

The conductor’s deep voice echoing throughout the train thwarted my attempt to speak to Paphnir.

And because of that, in my head right now….

[Hooh….]

After letting out a soft exclamation, Paphnir.

[I’m very pleased to see that I’m teaching you properly.]

I heard him speak in a voice tinged with laughter.

Though it was one of the more cheerful voices from him that clearly contained amusement.

Within that cheerfulness, an indescribable, massive torrent of energy made my head spin.

And I could easily recognize what it was.

It was an energy with an aura that was impossible not to recognize.

It was identical to the fighting spirit he emitted when beating me up almost every day.

How could I not recognize that?

Ah….

Damn it.

[So, young one, I’ll make tonight so exciting that it will make all your previous experiences seem like nothing in comparison. Hahaha!]

This is bad.

It seems I’ve gotten myself into a situation where I’ll pay dearly for one careless remark.

My footsteps, which had remained light despite carrying the heavy luggage, unconsciously became heavier.

#

Leaving behind the situation where I’d brought trouble upon myself with a slip of the tongue.

My gaze was surveying Rubeo City Station, the place where we continued our steps after exiting the train.

More precisely, not the interior of the station.

But the figures of my travel companions who were walking ahead of me.

First was the leader.

My sister, faithful to her role as guide, had entered first.

“Even after being away for so long, Rubeo City is still impressive. The vitality created by people traversing through history is remarkable.”

“That’s all well and good, but isn’t it too obvious when you say such things while looking only at me?”

“Hmm, I don’t think there’s much difference between the impression I get from looking at you, who represents this city, and the impression I get from the city itself.”

“…Ahem.”

…And Excel, who was still the same, following closely behind my sister while not sparing any nonsense and leaving her speechless.

What about the middle?

Perhaps because everything in Rubeo City was new and fascinating to her.

“As I’ve heard, this is a wonderful city with a charm different from the capital.”

I could see the princess expressing her delight at the scenery, turning her head several times with each step she took.

Seeing such a reaction just from looking around the station, a mere fraction of the city.

I thought she would be even more satisfied when we left the station and explored the city streets.

For reference, Wibel, who had been shadowing the princess like her shadow in the passenger car, had now concealed her presence.

Though concealed, she was still protecting the princess from not too far away.

It was such perfect camouflage that I wondered how she could hide herself like that.

It was at a level that would be difficult to detect without my recently sharpened spiritual perception.

Despite being assigned as a guard.

Because her mask was so conspicuous.

To eliminate the risk of unnecessary attention being drawn to the princess she was protecting.

She deliberately concealed her presence to focus on guarding the princess—truly an excellent shadow.

Some might question whether removing the mask would eliminate the risk of attracting attention.

But as someone who knows what face is hidden behind that mask.

I had nothing to say except that this was the best option.

…Really.

Whether she stands out by wearing it or by removing it, it’s all the same, so it’s better to just hide her face.

While continuing my observations of our group, and because watching just our party wasn’t enough.

I also looked at the other people moving through the station.

Like us, they had disembarked from the high-speed train.

The expressions of those who had rightfully set foot on their homeland and were immersed in nostalgia were impressive.

And there was a poignancy in the scenes of those waiting for such people, bursting with the longing they had accumulated.

To the point where I wondered if I could create such scenes myself.

It’s quite embarrassing to say this now.

But I did think that I now had at least one person waiting for me.

Yet I suddenly wondered whether Rubeo City, which was also my biological hometown.

This land I was setting foot on for the first time in nearly ten years, counting even my life before regression.

Was truly my genuine place of rest.

…It’s an unreasonable complaint, but still.

For a boy who had self-deprecatingly said he couldn’t even be a shooting star, let alone a star, who had abandoned his hometown in despair.

To return so intact just because of time reversal.

It still remains as a stumbling block in a corner of my heart, which is probably why I had such thoughts.

“Sigh….”

After clearing away the discomfort that had unknowingly risen in a corner of my heart with a single sigh.

I turned my gaze from observing others to my surroundings.

There was Shizu, continuing with steps that had lost their lightness, weighed down by the luggage she had packed.

“…Heavy.”

Seeing her struggling, as the bag must have been quite heavy.

“Hehe.”

The lips that had just sighed now broke into a smile.

And the moment that smile appeared, I gained a small realization.

Even if I couldn’t find peace on this land.

If I have you who laughs and cries for me.

Even if I don’t find rest in returning home.

I could feel it every day—a conclusion that might seem like amateur philosophy.

Well, in any case.

The feeling of setting foot on my homeland, which I had never been able to step on again in my life before regression, was better than I had imagined.

And using this good feeling as a foundation.

I should calmly create memories to accumulate in my hometown.

This was the only thought in my mind throughout leaving the station.

With the hope that I would continue to have such thoughts during my stay here.

But was it just a vain wish?

As soon as we left the station and boarded.

The carriage prepared by the household that was waiting for us.

And shortly after entering the Lanos mansion, which evoked nostalgia even more than my homeland.

My modest wish was shattered.

There was a simple reason for this.

As soon as we entered the Lanos mansion, we were confronted by.

My father, whom I was meeting after a very long time.

“Now that you possess that sword, you too cannot escape the trial of the Sword Mound.”

He delivered this bolt-from-the-blue news to me.

How could I possibly stay relaxed in such a situation?

I came to my hometown intending to rest comfortably.

Yet somehow, it seems I’ll face an even more challenging situation than what I experienced in Night Haven.