Graduation Trip (1)

For just a moment, I could sense it.

No, actually, it would’ve been stranger if I hadn’t noticed anything unusual. In a room without even a fan, a sudden gust of wind appeared before my eyes and vanished in an instant.

…Most tellingly, the moment Eris’s body floated slightly, my mana also decreased a little.

‘Sei…’

I thought she had completely disappeared from my sight, but it seems she’s been by my side all along.

It could’ve been a coincidence-Sei passing by, catching Eris as she was about to fall, and then vanishing again-but Eris’s reaction was too strange for that.

“Mama…?”

Instead of reacting with surprise at the sudden sensation of floating and then settling back down, she responded as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Almost as if she had always known Sei was by her side.

‘Maybe the reason Eris learned to walk faster than other children, or started speaking earlier…’

If Sei, who had disappeared, had actually been by Eris’s side 24/7, it would explain everything.

Like Sei supporting Eris every time she was about to fall while learning to walk, or constantly talking to her and engaging in conversation.

“Yes, Eris~.”

‘For now, it’s better to pretend I don’t know.’

Sei and I still haven’t formally reconciled. If I let on that I know she’s with Eris and try to approach her, she might leave my side again.

Reconciling with Sei is something I should only attempt after I’ve definitely obtained the “Feather of the Wind Bird.”

Once this graduation ceremony is over, I should talk to Ethan about visiting Lilia’s hometown.

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

“You think a wind spirit has attached itself to Eris?”

“Lower your voice, Ethan. If Sei overhears us, it’ll be trouble.”

“…Wouldn’t she hear us regardless of how quietly we talk?”

To be fair, if Sei were truly determined to hide, eavesdropping on our conversation wouldn’t be impossible for her. But lately, she seemed to be sticking close to Eris, so it should be fine.

“To be precise, it’s my former spirit. The one that disappeared when I ran away.”

“…Right. You mentioned before that you couldn’t control spirits after that.”

“Sally, the fire spirit, still comes when I call, but I haven’t seen Sei in a long time. And just now, I barely noticed she’s been with Eris all this time.”

“She’s not causing any harm, right? If not, then isn’t it fine to leave her be?”

“She’s not just harmless-she’s actually helping Eris, but…”

As Ethan said, that wasn’t the problem. The real issue was on my end, not Eris’s.

“Anyway, there’s another problem right now.”

“Another problem?”

“The thing is, Sei and I didn’t exactly part on good terms. I need to apologize and mend our relationship before it’s too late.”

“Is apologizing that difficult? Wouldn’t a sincere apology be enough?”

“To reconcile with a wind spirit, you need something called the ‘Feather of the Wind Bird.’ And the Wind Bird isn’t an actual bird-it’s a natural phenomenon where wind takes the form of a bird. You can’t capture it or keep its feathers. You have to collect them on-site and use them immediately.”

“…That’s… tricky.”

“Yes. That’s why I’m asking. After graduation, could you come with me to get the feather?”

“Do you know where the Wind Bird appears?”

“According to Lilia, it often appears in the Northeastern Great Plains during autumn and winter…”

“…That’s the complete opposite direction from Blackwood Manor.”

“…Yes.”

Though I called it a request, it was really an enormous imposition. It meant taking nearly two weeks away from Ethan, who was about to become the Duke of Blackwood.

I’d already taken a year of his time-time he should’ve spent returning to the manor, performing the rites, and succeeding the Blackwood family. And now I was asking for another half-month on top of that. Even I couldn’t help feeling guilty.

Especially since the reason he’d wasted that year-and the reason I needed to reconcile with Sei-was entirely my fault. It made this request even harder to make.

“Actually, I thought about just sneaking off to the Northeastern Great Plains myself after graduation…”

“…You think I’d allow that, Lillith?”

“O-of course I was going to tell you! I-I’d never run away like before, I swear! Besides, it’s unthinkable for me to leave Eris behind and go somewhere now.”

“…Right.”

“But now that I know Sei is with Eris, reconciling with her means taking Eris to the Northeastern Great Plains. And if I tried to take Eris somewhere without you, you’d never allow it, right?”

“Of course not. If you pulled something like that, even if it’s you…”

“……”

“Ah, no. Never mind. Since you told me beforehand, it’s fine.”

It didn’t seem like a conversation worth pursuing, so I didn’t press further.

The last time I ran away and got caught, I was locked behind iron bars. Somehow, I had a feeling something even worse might happen this time.

“Is reconciling with a spirit something that needs to be done so urgently? Wouldn’t it be fine to wait until Eris is a bit older…?”

“According to the Spiritology professor, it’s best to resolve it within three years…”

“How long has it been since you and Sei parted ways?”

“…It was mid-March last year, so about a year and nine months now.”

“…That’s cutting it a bit close.”

Once we return to Blackwood Manor, it’s obvious I’ll be stuck there for years without being able to leave.

If that happens, I’ll lose my chance to reconcile with Sei forever-and as I’d said before, I might never get to speak properly with her again in my lifetime.

Naturally, I didn’t want that, so I had to create an opportunity to reconcile while I still could.

“…Father might really lose his temper this time if he finds out.”

“D-don’t worry, I’ll ask him with you. You don’t have to be so concerned, Ethan.”

“…Right. If you ask together, he probably won’t get angry.”

Lately, Harold had been openly favoring me, so if his daughter-in-law made the request, he’d probably agree somehow.

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

“Ohh! Really, Senior Lillith?!”

“…Yes. So during this winter break-no, I mean, after graduation, I’m planning to visit Lilia’s hometown as a graduation trip.”

“That’s a wonderful idea, Senior Lillith! I’ve always wanted to show you my hometown!”

“P-please don’t shake me so hard…”

The moment Lilia heard I was planning to visit her hometown, she got so excited she started shaking my shoulders.

Given how she usually treated me, I had expected this reaction.

“I know exactly where the Sky Larks appear! And besides that, I’ll show you all the famous sights of the Babaracus Tribe-the Red Canyon, the Frigid Desert, everything!”

“I-I’d be fine with just seeing the Sky Larks…”

“Don’t hold back! It’s an honor for me to host Senior Lillith!”

…If I bluntly said I wasn’t interested, she’d probably be genuinely heartbroken.

There was no need to upset Lilia, who was so passionate about introducing her hometown.

That said, I didn’t actually intend to go on a full tour of Babaracus’s famous sights. Once I found the Sky Lark-the Wind Bird-I’d just make up some excuse to skip the rest.

“Ah, come to think of it, I hope I’m not intruding on your time with your husband. Prince Karaham must’ve been looking forward to seeing you this winter break. If my request causes problems between you two, I’d feel terrible.”

“Ah, we’re not actually married yet… A-anyway, you don’t need to worry about that, Senior Lillith!”

“Huh?”

“My husband has been living as an honorary member of our tribe since this summer! My father and uncles have already officially recognized him as a true Babaracus!”

“……What?”

…Wait, what kind of nonsense is this now?