Chapter 70 – Reward

Since when?

That was my first thought when I saw the so-called Commander of the Nameless.

She was standing so close that I could have felt her breath if she wasn’t wearing a mask, and yet, I couldn’t feel her presence.

There was no sound of her entering, and her presence, or anything about her.

To be honest, when I turned around and saw that white mask, I was so surprised I couldn’t even scream. If I had to go to the bathroom, I might have had an accident.

I had thought Kerian was a master at hiding his presence, but the Commander of the Nameless was on a completely different level.

Gulp, I swallowed the saliva mixed with the sweetness of the candy and carefully examined the Commander, who seemed to be watching me.

Gender… female.

Even though she was wearing a large coat, the curves of her body couldn’t be hidden.

Her hips were especially prominent. And while her chest was smaller compared to Luna’s, it was still relatively large. The lines of her body from her waist to her hips were unusually elegant.

What kind of equipment does she use?

I couldn’t tell.

I knew that the Commander of the Nameless was a martial artist. Members of the Eustetia family have often implied it.

But on the surface, she didn’t look like one. It might be due to her loose clothing, but she was abnormally thin.

Martial artists, no matter what, give off an aura about themselves. And the higher their skill, the more their bodies become a weapon that they can’t hide.

I can let it slide with Leona, since she’s a beastkin, but that doesn’t apply to humans.

Of course… it’s not always the case.

The martial artist I know, Arisa, that bitch… didn’t look like one on the surface. I guess that was just her natural physique.

And me, too.

I, too… I look like a nobody on the surface… well.

Anyway, martial artists should have a certain presence, but the Commander of the Nameless standing in front of me didn’t seem to have any of it.

The only thing that stood out was her hand, covered in a leather glove.

Her fist was lightly clenched as if she were holding something.

And it twitched slightly.

And then, swish.

It extended towards me.

Tap tap, she beckoned me to hold out my hand. I stared at the fist for a while before cautiously holding out my palm. And then, plop.

A peppermint candy fell on my hand.

“…What, what’s this?”

“Hahahaha! It seems the Commander likes Ellie.”

At Kerian’s laugh, I looked up at the white mask.

I couldn’t see her eyes even through the eye holes. There wasn’t even a hint of emotion.

I stared at that mask for a long time, before bowing my head slightly.

“…Thank you.”

Nod.

With a cynical nod, the Commander sat down next to me with the agility of a panther.

I carefully moved my chair to the side.

She was sitting too close, and since she didn’t say anything, nor did I see her eyes or expressions… I couldn’t figure out what kind of person she was.

The only things I was sure of was that she didn’t have any hostility.

And that she was stronger than I could ever hope to fight right now.

I wondered who was stronger: Leona or the Commander of the Nameless.

I have to ask Leona about that later.

“So, Commander, what are your thoughts on what my niece just said?” Kerian said.

“I believe it is related to what we Nameless are searching for.”

There was no explanation about what ‘it’ was. I didn’t know if it was because I was present or that it was just her way of communicating.

The bottom line was that I couldn’t keep up with the flow of their conversation.

My father seemed to know something, but I had no clue.

If that was the case, why was I even sitting here?

I just wanted to lie down on my bed.

I was bored, swinging my legs when the Commander turned her head towards me.

I met her white mask.

And spoke with my eyes: What. Why? So what.

It was a slightly sharp response, but I didn’t like how she was treating me like a kid. And I didn’t like how she was standing behind me so ominously.

After a moment, the Commander, who seemed a bit defeated, nodded.

I didn’t know if she did that to me, or to Kerian, but Kerian seemed to understand what she meant.

“Understood.”

Kerian nodded with a heavy voice, then stood up with a smile.

“Since the treasury and the forbidden archive will be open tomorrow, we’ll set the schedule for two days from now.”

Then, with a smiling face, Kerian looked at me.

“I’ll get going now. See you tomorrow, Ellie.”

“Tomorrow? You’re the one who’s going to enter the forbidden archive with me?”

“No?”

“…Then is it Father?”

“Not even the family head.”

Kerian chuckled awkwardly and scratched his cheek.

I had a feeling of what his smile meant.

“…I heard that someone from the Eustetia family would be with me?”

“Since the Nameless is technically part of the Eustetia family, that’s how it worked out. But you don’t have to worry. The Commander here is the strongest and most trustworthy person we have in the Eustetia family.”

“Uhm… I see.”

Nodding absently, I glanced at her. For some reason, it looked as if the white mask was showing a hint of depression.

I tried to ignore that emotion and turned my head.

“But how are we meeting tomorrow?”

“Well, it’s not often that the treasury and the forbidden archive open, so I decided to go as an observer. Even though I don’t look like it, I’m pretty important in the Empire, you know?”

“…Oh.”

“Haha… You look like you don’t believe me at all. Anyway, I’ll see you tomorrow, Ellie.”

“Okay. Be careful.”

Kerian waved at me lightly, briefly nodded at my father, and quickly left the drawing room.

Squeak!

The door made an unpleasant noise as it opened and closed.

And so, the only ones left in the drawing room were me, my father, and the Commander of the Nameless, who wore the white mask.

The Commander’s thoughts were still unreadable, and my father was… still making a stiff face.

At least, it was the first time I’d seen him make that expression in front of me.

Was he shocked? Disappointed?

I couldn’t tell, but I knew what I had to do.

I pulled my chair closer. Looking at my father’s hardened expression, I thought about what to say… before finally speaking.

This was the time to use the ultimate move that Sarah had told me about.

So…

“I’m sorry, Da… Da, Dadddd…”

I squeezed my eyes shut and bowed my head.

“Dad…”

At the same time, I heard a thump, the sound of a chair shaking. But it didn’t come from in front of me. It came from beside me.

The Commander of the Nameless, who had been maintaining such a dignified air, had made that sound.

I didn’t know why, but I didn’t look at her. Instead, I raised my head and looked at my father.

My father…

“…Ellie…”

…was making a very complicated face.

It was a mix of excitement, joy, happiness, amazement, anticipation, longing, and emotion.

My tongue felt stiff, and it was like there was a thorn in my throat… I felt uncomfortable. But I continued to speak.

“…I didn’t want you to worry, that’s why I kept it a secret. I mean… you’re already so busy with your work as the family head, and if I made you worry even while I was away… I thought it would just make you more tired… I’m sorry.”

I emphasized the word “Dad.”

That was the ultimate move that Sarah had told me about.

If I ever made a big mistake, I had to call my father “Dad.”

Then, most problems would resolve themselves.

But if I used it too often, I might develop a bad habit, so she told me to only use it when necessary.

And the effect of that ultimate move was…

“Sniff… Sniff, yes. That’s right… Our Ellie. My daughter. There’s no way my daughter would have evil intentions or lie. That’s right, absolutely. Yes, your dad! was worried about Ellie. And it’s not like I’m angry at you. So, yes… as long as my beloved daughter is safe, that’s enough. It’s more than enough. I’m so grateful… Sniff…”

It was overwhelming.

The stiff face that had been so terrifying had completely melted away.

And not just melted, but he was now wearing the same happy smile I’d seen from him when I was still acting cute, before I regained my memories.

…The effectiveness of that move made the triangle of guilt in my heart sting like crazy.

But… thinking about it, I didn’t have to feel guilty.

Why? Because I? Truly felt sorry for my father.

I might have pulled a trick using the word ‘Dad,’ but I was really sorry.

And… I kept it a secret… because I was also worried about my father.

Well, there was also the fact that I thought I would get into trouble.

But still, I was in the right.

I forcibly stopped the triangle of guilt and chewed the candy in my mouth.

“If something like this happens again, I’ll… I’ll try talking to Dad first. So, this time… please don’t scold Sarah or Yurasia too much. They just couldn’t stop me from doing what I wanted.”

Then I glanced up.

Looking into my father’s eyes, which were the same color as mine, I smiled brightly.

“…You understand, Dad?”

“…Sniff… *Sniff.*”

My father seemed to stop breathing.

The Commander next to me flinched violently.

I didn’t know why she kept reacting like that, but I didn’t have time to care about her now.

My body was cringing all over, my bones were itching, my heart was beating wildly, and I felt like I wanted to rip apart my twin tails.

“O-okay, I understand. And… I think… it’d be better if you told your mother yourself about this too. What do you think, Ellie? Wouldn’t it be better for you to tell her instead of me?”

After being stunned for a moment, my father cautiously asked.

I nodded without hesitation.

There was no reason not to.

“Yeah, I will. I’ll tell Mother later… whether by letter or some other way.”

As soon as I finished speaking, the Commander abruptly stood up. The movement was so sudden that the chair fell backward and the table wobbled.

What is wrong with this person?

With a hint of irritation, I glared at the Commander and then turned back to my father. My father was now making a slightly troubled expression.

***

After that, the Commander left, and I was alone with my father, and we talked about things that we hadn’t been able to discuss.

I started with things about the academy, the exams, my fellow students, and other trivial things.

I considered bringing up the branch family, but I decided to hold off. It wouldn’t be too late to talk about them after I visit the forbidden archive.

While I was rambling, my father was listening, nodding, and smiling at me with a consistent expression.

He didn’t ask any specific questions.

He didn’t ask how I defeated the Black Magicians, or about what happened inside the labyrinth.

I don’t know if it was because he was worried about me, or because he knew that I’d be uncomfortable, or maybe because he trusted me… But I was very grateful.

So, I talked more enthusiastically until I had to part with my father.

It was an odd time for me.

I don’t really enjoy pointless conversations like this. But… today’s conversation with my father was fun.

I felt strange.

And the next day came.

I received an invitation from the Imperial Palace.

It was time to claim my reward.