Ch.244Chapter 244: Return, And…

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Finally, it was over.

The practical discussions necessary for the military alliance between Solarium and Geumwol, two powerful nations that held hegemony over vast continents, to counter the threat known as Mageong.

The moment had come to leave this Geumwol Empire where I had stayed for about two weeks.

I had built quite a few memories in the serene winter landscape of this eastern continent, a place I had never set foot on before my regression.

Even after hearing Princess Lukius’s words of appreciation for everyone’s dedication to their duties.

My first feeling was joy at returning to the central continent—my homeland.

Yet simultaneously, I felt regret wondering when I might set foot again in this eastern continent with its beautiful winter charm.

Had it not been for my sense of duty to return to the central continent and eliminate the source of chaos in the world, I’m certain this regret would have completely filled my heart.

Regret is regret, but I couldn’t allow myself to forget my purpose and wander aimlessly in such sentiments.

The Demon God, Desire, had begun activities at an unprecedented speed—unprecedented not just before my regression but throughout all the memories I had received.

How could I leisurely enjoy the winter atmosphere here?

So I quickly prepared for the journey home, converting my regret into a sense of duty.

…Though “preparation” is an overstatement, as I had hardly anything to pack and didn’t even need an hour to get ready.

Ironically, I spent more time helping others prepare for their return journey than I did packing my own things.

Naturally, the person who tried hardest to help me pack was Shizu.

As my choice of words suggests, she tried but couldn’t really help.

That’s because Shizu stubbornly refused my assistance and insisted on packing by herself.

Compared to the luggage she had packed three years ago when returning to the Ranos main house, it had decreased significantly, but…

“…Hiiing. It won’t all fit in the bag.”

I burst into laughter watching Shizu struggle to put back into her bag the items she had somehow managed to take out, making the bag bulge impossibly.

“Let me help you.”

As I approached Shizu, who was struggling with her packing, expressing my intention to help.

Shizu, who hadn’t noticed me until now despite my greeting, looked at me and immediately:

“I’ll…I’ll do it myself!!”

Her face flushed with embarrassment, she stammered and waved her hands, refusing my help.

Unable to force my assistance on her, I could only stand by and watch quietly.

I almost burst out laughing again seeing her try so hard yet still failing to organize her luggage properly, her face about to crumple.

“Cal…, you just laughed, didn’t you?”

Maintaining her dejected expression while slightly puffing her cheeks in annoyance, Shizu made me laugh even harder.

“…I hate you.”

Saying she hated me, she pounded my chest with her two fists, which I took without resistance.

It didn’t hurt physically, but perhaps because she maintained that pouty expression with puffed cheeks the entire time she was hitting my chest.

It did hurt.

My heart, that is.

She was too cute…

[Stop being so sappy and just apologize, why don’t you?]

‘…I was just about to do that.’

[Seeing how you didn’t answer right away, you were clearly scheming to keep watching her. Acting innocent, are we?]

‘….’

Thanks to Paphnir speaking to me at the right moment, I couldn’t continue watching Shizu’s violently cute display.

“I’m sorry. You’re just too cute…”

Upon hearing my sincere apology:

“R-really?”

Shizu immediately deflated her cheeks and blushed slightly, showing me yet another form of cuteness.

[Why are you telling someone who would be cute just breathing next to you that they’re cute? What kind of attitude is that?]

‘Please be quiet, you’re disturbing my appreciation.’

[…I should just stop talking.]

After silencing the strange noise echoing in my head, I carefully observed Shizu as she tried to cool her slightly flushed face by fanning it with her hand.

She was fidgeting, not knowing how to handle my gaze after just one comment about her being cute.

As time passed, she put more strength into her hand-fanning to cool her face.

And each time I took a step closer to get a better look at her:

“…”

“…Shizu?”

She would immediately take one step back, overwhelmed with embarrassment.

I’ve seen many wonderful things since my regression.

But nothing seems more joyful and happy than spending time with Shizu by my side.

That’s true now.

And it will never change.

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The journey back to Solarium after completing all the hastily added schedules was just as quiet as the journey to the Geumwol Empire.

…It couldn’t help but be quiet.

Flying leisurely through the unoccupied sky on a high-speed aircraft that represented the culmination of all of Solarium’s machinery and magical engineering.

If this skyway weren’t quiet, that would truly be a serious problem.

Before my regression, there actually was a time when even this skyway couldn’t be freely traversed, and serious problems did arise.

When Desire, who manipulated me like a chess piece and engulfed the central continent in flames, tried to shoot down the Cradle, which had become an aerial city to escape his clutches.

When Desire resurrected the corpses of the Red Dragon clan, who had surrendered to him during the Great Holy War, as undead and used them as the vanguard in his attack on the Cradle.

Even as undead, they retained their red scales that painted the sky, and from that moment, the skyway that had belonged to no one became a bloodier battlefield than even the ground below.

At first, the Empire was helpless against the might of the dragon zombie task force targeting the Cradle.

But unlike now, when they eventually succeeded in developing aircraft and launched a counterattack, the nature of the battlefield, which had been centered on the ground, changed significantly.

Now… I don’t know if Desire will resurrect the Red Dragon corpses again to use them as his pawns like before.

[…Such a thing happened?]

Judging by the ominous tone in Paphnir’s voice as he read my thoughts about the past.

I could imagine the level of fury that Paphnir, residing in my head, would unleash if the scene I recalled were to be reenacted in this timeline.

I sincerely hoped such events would not repeat themselves.

Despite the many variables that had arisen due to my diligent actions after regressing with my memories intact.

I had no desire to see the corpses of the Red Dragon clan, concentrated in the western continent, roaming the battlefield.

[You worry too much about things that may not happen. Well, if such a thing were to occur, it would be sad. But I would have no choice but to accept fighting against my kin with composure.]

Thanks to Paphnir, who had been fiercely angry just moments ago but was now encouraging me after reading my thoughts, my heavy heart lightened somewhat.

I returned to the window of the aircraft and felt the winter sky rushing by.

It was nothing but quiet.

And I wasn’t the only one who felt this quietness.

On either side of me were people busy expressing their impressions of their time in the Geumwol Empire and alleviating the boredom that had set in since boarding the aircraft.

“Yaaawn… No joke, standing guard on the roadside would be more interesting than this.”

Excel, who was yawning and expressing how tedious the current situation was, and:

“…Winter sky pretty.”

Shizu, whose eyes sparkled as she fixated on the winter sky visible through the aircraft window, were both busy eliminating boredom by constantly speaking beside me.

Unlike these people who were merely passing time to alleviate boredom, there was exactly one person in the delegation who was genuinely busy during this return journey:

“Your Highness, I’ll place the materials you requested here.”

“Thank you, Wibel. Thanks to you, the time it will take to prepare the report for my brother has been greatly reduced.”

Princess Lukius, who was preoccupied with preparing a report for the Crown Prince after the delegation mission ended, and Wibel, who was busy assisting her.

Other officials who had assisted her and carried out the delegation mission were also busy handing over materials they had reviewed and offering appropriate advice.

But no matter how busy they were, they were still more relaxed compared to Princess Lukius, who was directly writing the report.

I thought it seemed excessive to be so busy on the return journey after completing the work, but on the other hand, I understood why it had to be this way.

In previous years, it would have taken about a month to travel by carriage to the port where ships operated to the central continent, then by ship to the central continent, and then to the island of Solarium.

There would have been plenty of time to leisurely review materials and write reports.

But thanks to this aircraft, the embodiment of magical engineering excellence, the time to return to Solarium had been drastically reduced.

“I’ve reviewed countless reports before they reached my brother at the imperial palace, and sometimes even approved them directly. But this is the first time I’ve been so frantically writing a report myself.”

Though she was speaking as if for our benefit, the expression on Her Highness’s face as her right hand diligently wielded the pen needed for document preparation was, how should I put it…

It slightly overlapped with my sister’s expression when she was writing requisition forms for personnel and supplies for Night Haven before the end of the year.

That desperate determination not to abandon one’s duty despite being slightly worn out by fatigue…

Yes, it could be described as having a ghastly intensity.

Like friends, they were similar in this way.

Come to think of it, even for a report submitted by a delegation visited by a prominent imperial royal—and not just any royal—

It seemed like something that could be entrusted to the other personnel assisting her, rather than the princess herself working so fervently.

It appeared she was doing this because she thought the result would be better if she wrote it herself rather than delegating it.

Just like the excellent ruler she would become in the timeline before my regression, the report I glimpsed over her shoulder was shaping up to be a document worthy of its name.

As a bonus, the princess’s expression lightened as the report neared completion.

That’s similar to my sister too.

She had the exact same expression after finishing work, having thought nothing of staying up all night when busy.

Speaking of which, I wonder how my sister is doing after not seeing her for two weeks.

Normally, she would have personally gone to Night Haven and crushed the Mageong bastards obsessed with southward expansion.

Now, is she leisurely drinking coffee or tea while waiting for us, hearing news of victory from afar?

When I return, I should first report to her that I completed my job properly.

Just like Shizu, who shows no sign of leaving my side now that she’s free from escort duties.

My sister, who has been my strong supporter since I became an Imperial Knight, is also precious to me.

She’ll probably nag me about inadequate follow-up when she hears about my achievements there, but I’m sure the corners of her mouth will slightly turn up.

Thus, the return journey through the sky continued with people divided into those enjoying their leisure and those busy with work.

Of course, whether they were relaxed or busy, everyone would soon be preoccupied with preparing for what was to come.

With my head full of thoughts about future tasks, I was determined to move forward without wavering.

“Iriana Ranos, who urgently took to the field herself to stop the sudden increase in Mageong’s activities, has been caught in fierce battle and is miss…ing?”

That is, until the day before returning to Solarium, when I read the urgent communication transmitted through the aircraft.