Ch.2828. Return Home

After spending a few days at the Marquisate of Feiosha, we were fully rested and began our journey back to the County of Sianella.

Though I was sick of carriage travel again, I couldn’t exactly lay down a mat and live there forever.

Accepting my fate, I dragged my heavy body onto the carriage.

Nothing particularly eventful happened on our return journey.

We did have the misfortune of encountering bandits once, but…

‘Mere bandits are nothing before a Sword Expert.’

They were easily dispatched thanks to Diolia’s prowess.

The blue mana afterglow rippling on her sword was the unique martial prowess of an expert knight.

The bandits who saw Diolia’s sword immediately lost their morale, behaving like goblins facing an orc.

Thanks to this, we were able to handle the confused bandits even more easily.

‘And Sione also came out of the carriage once to help.’

That wasn’t all.

Sione must have experienced some change in her mindset, as she even aimed her bow at the thieves without hesitation.

Of course, she only aimed and never actually shot any arrows through the bandits.

Still, it was surprising to see such boldness from Sione, who had trembled violently even after killing fanatics who were trying to take her life.

Moreover, on this return journey, both Sione and Diolia helped with annoying tasks here and there.

Thanks to them, I was able to enjoy a more comfortable carriage life than when we traveled to the Marquisate of Feiosha.

And finally.

“…Finally.”

The walls of the County of Sianella that I had been waiting for came into view.

Now I could finally end this wretched outdoor living.

I was going crazy missing my assigned room and soft bed.

Secretly delighted, I turned my gaze away from the window.

Sione came into my view.

As expected, she was lying on the carriage floor, staring at me intently.

Crunch. Crunch.

All while continuously eating an apple without pause.

Chomp. Nom nom nom.

Sione took a big bite of the apple and munched it down.

Perhaps she’d gained weight from all the cookies I’d been giving her.

Sione’s cheeks had filled out.

She barely moved in the carriage, just lying there snacking…

Well, nothing to be done about it.

When we get back, I’ll just make her exercise intensely.

I spoke just as she swallowed her apple.

“The county walls are now visible, so we’ll arrive at the territory soon.”

“Really?”

Sione’s expression brightened immediately as she jumped to her feet.

She darted to the window seat like a flying squirrel.

“Phew… I’m sick of carriage life. I miss my room.”

Such exaggeration when she’d been living in this carriage as comfortably as in her own room.

I asked the delighted Sione:

“What do you plan to do after returning to the county?”

“Nothing special. I’ll live as before. First, I’ll briefly stop by my room and then visit my mother.”

“You mean the head of the family?”

“Yes… I need to talk to her about the broken engagement and other things…”

Sione’s shoulders hunched.

She must be imagining Ainel Sianella’s reaction to the broken engagement.

I silently cheered her on in my heart but said nothing more.

It’s not like I’m the one getting scolded.

This is all Sione’s karma.

She’ll have to humbly accept the consequences.

* * *

We arrived at the territory and eventually reached Sione’s room.

Seeing the familiar corridors and scenery made me finally feel like I’d returned home.

To think this place that I thought I’d never get used to now feels like home.

Time is truly frightening.

While I was slowly looking around with new feelings to see if anything had changed, Sione pulled out a neat set of clothes from her wardrobe.

“I’m going to change before seeing my mother, so wait outside for a moment.”

“I’ll wait in front of the door.”

As she instructed, I left the room and waited outside.

Shortly after, Sione called me from beyond the door.

“I’m done, you can come in now.”

I re-entered Sione’s room and examined her changed outfit.

She twirled around once to show off her clothes.

“How is it? Is this appropriate for visiting my mother?”

“It seems sufficient.”

I nodded slightly.

“However, your collar is a bit disheveled… let me fix it for you.”

Everything else was well-dressed, but the disheveled collar was quite bothersome.

If she went to Ainel like that, she’d surely be scolded for not checking her clothes properly.

Better to minimize the harsh words she’ll hear.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

“Please do.”

Previously she would have tried to move away, embarrassed by even the slightest proximity.

Now she seemed more mature, waiting patiently as I fixed her collar.

Thanks to this, I was able to easily fix her collar and step back.

“It’s done.”

“…Thank you.”

Sione expressed her gratitude with a faint smile.

She continued:

“I’ll go see my mother now. Rest well and wait for me.”

“…May I have some tea while waiting?”

“Of course. Also, please bring some snacks for my portion too. So I can enjoy them when I return.”

“I will do so.”

“Good.”

With those words, Sione passed by me and opened the door.

She said with a bright smile:

“I’ll be back soon.”

* * *

I waited for Sione in her room, enjoying tea.

Time passed quickly as I slowly savored the snacks and tea.

Thanks to this, waiting for Sione wasn’t entirely boring.

Still…

Sione had promised to lend me the flower language dictionary when we returned to the county.

I think it would have been better if I’d borrowed it to pass the time.

Reading a book would be more effective for killing time than just sitting and sipping tea.

Immortality herb, plum blossom, and what was the other one?

Anyway, I’m curious about the flower meanings Sione mentioned.

When she returns, I should ask her for the flower language dictionary at an appropriate time.

Just then, the door opened with a creaking sound.

It seemed Sione had finally finished talking with Ainel and returned to her room.

I put down my teacup to greet her.

“Lady Sione, you’ve returned.”

“Yeaah…”

Why was her response so weak?

I raised my head from my bow to look at Sione.

Apparently, she had been severely reprimanded by Ainel about the broken engagement, as she looked utterly exhausted.

Dark circles were visible under her eyes, and her hair was disheveled as if she’d been pulling at it on her way back.

Her worried expression was the cherry on top.

“Haaah…”

Thud.

Sione threw herself onto her bed with a deep sigh.

She buried her face in her pillow, looking quite pitiful.

I spoke to her:

“Lady Sione, are you alright?”

“No. Not at all.”

“…Is it because of the broken engagement with Young Master Evan Feiosha?”

Sione, who had been lying face down with her face buried in the pillow, turned over to lie on her back.

She then looked at me and shook her head.

If not the engagement…

What on earth did she hear to make her like this?

Fortunately, before my curiosity grew too much, Sione provided the answer.

“The scolding about the broken engagement was fine. I was mentally prepared for that. But to be told to subjugate monsters right after returning…”

“Excuse me…?”

Monster subjugation?

What nonsense was this suddenly?

That cowardly Sione has to defeat monsters?

My mind seemed to freeze for a moment.

“Did you say monster subjugation?”

“Yes, mother told me to follow Sister Siabel to subjugate monsters in the Beltrin Mountains west of the territory. I know it’s something I must do as a Sianella, following my sister someday. But to think that day would be now…”

With her words, something I hadn’t seen for a long time appeared in the corner of my vision.

[A quest has been formed.]

「Monster Subjugation」

「The Beltrin Mountains to the west of Sianella were once home to high-ranking demons. Although the first head of the Sianella family succeeded in eliminating them, the monsters spread by the demons still remain, causing considerable damage to humans. Unless periodically eliminated, these monsters will increase in number and descend from the mountains, causing significant damage to the County of Sianella. Therefore, those who inherit the Sianella name periodically eliminate these monsters. Protect Sione Sianella safely until she completes the monster subjugation in the Beltrin Mountains with Siabel Sianella.」

「Reward: Increased affection from Sione Sianella towards you, Interest from Siabel Sianella towards you」

「Failure: Acceleration of the end of the world」

I didn’t expect a quest to appear.

The content was simple enough to understand easily.

Protect Sione who will now venture out to subjugate monsters.

Simple but difficult.

Protecting Sione in the Beltrin Mountains.

It was an extremely dangerous task.

Although Siabel, the eldest daughter of Sianella, would be there too, given the relationship between Sione and Siabel, it would be difficult for Sione to stay close to the safer Siabel for long.

If monsters attack Sione when she’s separated from the others in the mountains, I’ll have to protect her.

At least it was fortunate that the opponents were monsters, which I used to hunt daily, rather than troublesome humans.

But I doubt I can do well with this weak body.

Mana exhaustion at every turn, and a body incomparably weaker than before.

How soon after returning by carriage am I assigned such a troublesome task?

There was a reason Sione was sighing deeply with her face buried in her pillow.

“I think I need to talk to Sister Siabel about this…”

Sione stared at me intently.

As I calmly met her gaze, her pupils began to shake as if there was an earthquake.

“How should I approach Sister Siabel…?”

[A quest has been formed.]

「Reconciliation with Siabel」

「Sione Sianella, who was always compared to Siabel Sianella, has intentionally avoided Siabel since putting down her sword. Likewise, Siabel Sianella, knowing that Sione was being compared to her sword skills, couldn’t approach her freely. After years in this state, their relationship has become more awkward than any other. Resolve their awkward relationship and restore them to the close sisters they once were.」

「Reward: Acceleration of Siabel Sianella’s talent awakening」

「Failure: Increased probability of world destruction」

Two quests appeared now when none had shown up for so long.

I was so focused on reading the quests that I gave Sione a half-hearted answer.

“How about approaching her with some nice flowers or flower meanings?”

“Is there… nothing else?”

Ah, I wasn’t listening properly because I was focusing on the quest.

“Could you repeat that?”

“Are there any flowers that would suit Sister Siabel?”

My careless answer was the root of the problem.

Sione was now lost in thought about which flowers might capture her sister’s interest.

I doubted Siabel, who was always swinging her sword, would have any interest in flowers.

I quietly took a deep breath.

“…On second thought, approaching her with flowers might not be very natural.”

“Then what would be a natural way to approach her?”

“How about asking after her well-being and telling her about what happened at the Marquisate of Feiosha to start a conversation?”

“Ah…”

Sione shook her head and sighed deeply.

She had no problem talking to Diolia, yet why was she acting this way with Siabel, who didn’t seem that different?

“Are you that nervous about approaching Lady Siabel separately?”

Sione nodded slightly.

“…Help me.”

In the end, I had no choice but to agree to her request.

I needed to complete the quest.

I don’t understand why the probability of world destruction increases if Sione and Siabel don’t become close, but to avoid the quest failure penalty, they needed to become friends.

I approached Sione, who was lying comfortably on the bed with a somewhat relieved expression.

Click. Click.

As I silently approached the bed and looked at her, she gazed back at me questioningly.

“Please get up.”

Sione, realizing what I meant, made a pitiful face.

I simply smiled at her, raising the corners of my mouth.