Chapter 115
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ED: LonelyMatter
Chapter 115 – Whatever It Is, It’s Nice to Meet You
Ain stood there for a few minutes.
As he did so, he finally began to feel at ease and was finally able to pick up the sword he had dropped on the ground.
He felt as if he had reached a place he was not supposed to, a place he was never supposed to reach, and the noisy presence that was born in his heart made it beat even louder.
“It’s absurd…”
Ain bowed his head to the empty gravestone and turned to leave the place.
And there was only one thing he could think of: …He would rely on Marco. He would surely know the reason, and now he could ask the question he had been wondering about.
“…I suspect that grandfather’s proposal was a G.o.dsend.”
It might seem like he was treading on his feelings, but he decided that… he would take advantage of the suggestion.
＊＊＊
“You mean the former territory of Viscount Sage? It’s supposed to be in the custody of the Royal Family now…”
“That’s what I heard. That’s why a member of the Royal Family should go and inspect it.”
A few days had pa.s.sed since the incident at the Royal cemetery. The anxiety that had been there before had been greatly alleviated thanks to Sylvird. The feeling had been lightened to the point where it was now as light as a feather, and Ain did not feel that it was a great burden. However, he was still troubled by what he discovered in the graveyard afterward.
“Yes… what His Majesty says is true. So it’s Ain instead of Katima-sama, is that it?”
In Krone’s office. She was at work as usual, and Ain approached her to discuss the visit. Ain came in abruptly as usual, but for what it was worth, Krone was happy about his arrival and didn’t point it out strongly.
“Sounds like it. Since it’s all this way, I’ve decided to go along, because I think it’ll be a good experience.”
“Oh, that’s a wonderful idea, isn’t it, Your Royal Highness?”
“Right?”
Seeing that Ain was now able to speak easily, Krone also looked up at Ain from time to time and smiled.
“So, let’s adjust the schedule… Wait, huh… Could this be…”
“Hmm? What’s wrong?”
As she opened the large notebook, Krone began to worry about what to do.
“Olivia-sama has plans for that day as well. Since Ain was on his day off, I was supposed to go over and help her with that as well…”
“Oh, that’s right… That means Krone can’t go with me, right?”
“I’ll refuse…”
“It’s okay. Besides, it’s my mother you’re dealing with, and Krone wouldn’t want to say no, would she?”
She put on a sad expression, but inwardly, she thought that was right.
“S-sorry, Ain…”
“No, no, to be honest, it was a sudden decision. So don’t worry about it, then I’ll take Dill and Chris with me…”
It was a pity that Krone wouldn’t be there, but Dill and Chris would. And Ain also thought that he would take the Royal Knights with him…
“Actually, you know, Chris-san will also be with Olivia-sama that day…”
“Now that you mention it, Chris is also my mother’s escort…”
That meant that only Dill could be taken. …But Ain was a little calmer and thought about it, and he felt that this was more convenient. Then he realized that this was a result he could secretly be happy about.
“All right then. I’ll go with Dill, don’t worry! It’s just a visit, don’t worry.”
“I’m really sorry, Ain.”
“Like I said! It’s no big deal, it’s fine.”
Then he gently touched Krone’s head, patting it twice.
“…My hair will be messed up, you know?”
“Yeah, yeah. That’s right.”
If she wanted to complain, she should be a little more careful with her expression. Seeing Krone secretly looking happy made Ain think so.
＊＊＊
On the day of the inspection, they left the Royal Capital in the early hours of the morning.
It took about five hours from the White Rose to arrive at the region the viscount ruled.
As Ain had heard, the region was good at agriculture, and it was filled with a lot of crops.
There were many stalls that could not be seen in the Royal Capital. The stalls were simple, with cloth on the floor and goods lined up on them, but Ain liked the warm atmosphere of the stalls.
The farmers, eagerly antic.i.p.ating the Crown Prince’s visit, kept calling out to Ain without even taking a moment to catch their breath.
“I’m sorry, Ain-sama… What can I say? Does Krone-dono always do this kind of work…?”
The inspection was finished, and it was almost evening when Dill finally began to raise his voice.
“Yes, she always does. I help out sometimes, but not that much.”
“I-I see…”
Dill had learned a lot as a Royal Knight and as Ain’s bodyguard.
Still, the work that Krone usually did was quite a burden for him.
“I have felt Krone-dono’s strength very strongly… I can only swing a sword, after all…”
“No, no, no, that’s not true. It’s just that Krone is a monster.”
Krone would be offended at being called a monster, but she was not here right now. In fact, when it came to such administrative ability, she really was a monster.
“Oh… the sunset is so beautiful, but I don’t have enough power…”
“…Dill is quite a poet today.”
But as Dill said, the sunsets here were indeed beautiful.
The golden ears of the crops nearby. The red sunset, combined with the occasional breeze, created a magical scene.
The smell of crops, fertilizer, and soil continued to spread. These unique aromas tickled their nostrils and made them feel calm.
“Your Highness! I have indeed purchased the items you instructed me to purchase.”
“Thank you. Did you give them the money?”
“Good heavens… As Your Highness feared, it was really going to be free. So I forced payment.”
It was not that they wanted to flatter him, but these local people were often driven by the desire to offer their crops.
He may accept them in small quant.i.ties, but if they were for personal use or have a large quant.i.ty of goods, as in this case, he tried to pay them no matter what.
“I knew it. So, have you carried the stuff you bought yet?”
“Yes! It will be delivered to the royal capital on the evening train tonight.”
“That’s great news. My grandfather is looking forward to it.”
Ain thanked Sylvird for all his help. Since Sylvird was looking forward to it, his grandchild wanted to deliver it immediately.
“I will return to my duties now.”
“Yes, thank you for all your hard work.”
Dill opened his mouth again and looked at the returning knight.
“Well then, Ain-sama. Shall we return to the train as well?”
“Hmm…”
It’s about time… Dill will probably disagree, Ain said with a dry smile.
“But I have no choice but to do it, so yes…”
“Ain-sama? Did you just say something?”
“No, nothing. Then let’s go back, the knights need to rest.”
It seemed as if Ain was mumbling something, but since Ain had mentioned it, Dill obediently followed his instructions.
＊＊＊
He came here on the royal train. Actually, Katima was supposed to come here, but she was replaced by the Crown Prince.
In any case, since the Royal Family was coming for official business, it was certain that the Royal Train would move.
By the way, the place where Ain was supposed to sleep would also be the Royal Train.
Considering the safety and facilities, this was the most convenient place for him.
“Then, Ain-sama. The schedule is over… and we plan to leave tomorrow around noon and return to the royal capital after the evening. Is that okay with you?”
The car that Ain would board. They arrived at the lounge area and confirmed that the inspection schedule was complete.
The farmland itself was vast, but there were not many people to manage it. They met with the administrators and received a report on the situation.
“Yes. I’m glad it went well.”
Replying to Dill, Ain moved his eyes to the scenery outside the window.
A calm, beautiful landscape that touches the deepest part of your heart… and it stretches forever.
“Then let’s take a short break…”
Dill, who had finished his check, bowed his head and turned to leave Ain’s side.
Ain saw Dill’s gesture and took a letter out of his pocket.
“This letter is from the Royal Family… Can you give it to the driver? It’s an important letter.”
“I understand. I will give it to him immediately.”
“Please do.”
A letter from the Royal Family to the train driver? Dill was curious about the contents of the letter.
However, since he could not check the contents, he could only follow Ain’s instructions to hand it over.
As he watched Dill leave with his head bowed once more, Ain murmured in a low voice, “I’m sorry.”
“Yes… yes. I’m really glad that Krone and the others aren’t here because if they were, this kind of measure wouldn’t work.
She would surely ask him what it was all about. “Why don’t I know about it myself? Is this information that even the Crown Prince’s a.s.sistant does not have access to?” He was sure that she would question him harshly.
If anything, all he had to do was be strong and refuse, but in front of Krone, who did that… It was difficult.
“It’s like taking advantage of Dill’s loyalty, though it pains me to say it.”
He sighed deeply and regretted his behavior. Dill should arrive at the driver’s car soon. When he did, the letter from the Royal Family… from Ain would be delivered, and what Ain had ordered would be carried out.
Thinking about what Dill would say about this… even Ain, as expected, was not too happy about it.
“Better yet, why don’t I just lock the door and refuse? No, I don’t think that’s a good idea…”
It was what he was doing, so he would take responsibility to the end. He made up his mind.
“Ah, I’ve got some sandwiches. Let’s eat.”
Ain, who was hungry, looked in the cold storage and found some food. He picked it up and brought it to the table.
“Hmm… It looks like it was made by Martha-san. It tastes the same as usual.”
It tasted familiar, even in a place like this. The fact that he could eat it brought a smile to Ain’s face.
“This is how you replenish your energy.”
Silently, Ain put his mouth to the sandwich so that… he could stay strong for what was to come.
…And so it was while Ain was enjoying Martha’s special sandwich that he noticed.
“Oh, is it starting to move?”
Chug… chug.
The water train began to move, and the sound of it pounding down the track echoed through the air. Since the car was soundproofed, he opened the window and listened closely to the sound.
“Yeah, looks like Dill did a good job.”
The Royal Train began to move forward slowly. The scenery seen from the window changed little by little.
The train began to move forward as if being sucked into the direction where the sun was setting, and it has already started to get dark.
“…Then what happens next is…”
——Bang, bang, bang!
“Ain-sama! Ain-sama, what is the meaning of this…!”
He could hear Dill banging on the door and saw Dill starting to shout this question from outside.
“Achaa…” Ain had expected this, but seeing Dill’s power made him want to run away a bit.
“You can come in anyway. Let’s talk inside.”
The interior of the car was different from the one used for civilian purposes. The door opened with a soft noise, and in contrast to the sound, Dill came in with a loud appearance.
“W-why did the train start moving?”
“Because the letter said so.”
“As I thought, the letter you gave earlier… you said it was from the royal family, but it was actually a letter from Ain-sama, wasn’t it?”
Ain tried to make a funny face, but even Dill didn’t let it go.
“I’d like you to explain…?”
Dill moved closer, looking a little more stern than usual, and began to question Ain about the situation.
“We are on our way to the Baltic now. …As crown prince, I have to check something.”
“T-to Baltic? No matter how urgent… His Majesty and the others know about it, right?”
“I’ll tell my grandfather when I get back, but I haven’t told him yet. If I told him, he would stop me.”
Dill hung his head and held it in his hands.
“Don’t be so depressed.”
“No, I’d say I’m more stunned…”
“Oh, I see… Well, I can’t complain about being stunned, can I?”
Ain felt sorry for Dill, not only for making him draw the poor lot but also for continuing to put him through these hardships, as always.
“Oh, and before we go any further, let me tell you. When we get to Baltic, I’ll tell you what I need to check out, so just bear with me until then.”
“You’ve come with a very painful preemptive move… and I don’t know what to do anymore.”
“Yes, you don’t have to do anything for a while. And… you can take your time until we get to Baltic, and I’m sorry, but can you tell the Royal Knights about this? Well, even when we get to Baltic, Dill’s the only one I’m going to ask to get off the train.”
Dill began to wonder what to do after listening to his eloquent words. But it was true that he must contact the Royal Knights as soon as possible.
“But Ain-sama? Why am I the only one…”
“Because Dill is the one I trust the most. …Isn’t that good enough?”
“I understand. I will contact the Royal Knights now.”
What would Ain do this time?
To be honest, he could only say that he was not the least bit happy about it. But they had already left, and since Ain had ordered it, the knights had no right to stop him. They could admonish him, but it would be too late now.
…After all, he even kept it a secret from Sylvird.
“I’m sorry for all the trouble I’ve caused you.”
“No… I’ll talk to you again when I get back, okay?”
Dill bowed his head and started to walk away.
“…Most trustworthy, huh? …Fufu.”
He began to wonder what to do about the suddenness of the situation. Still, Ain’s words were like treasured words to Dill.
——A few moments later.
Dill returned after the explanation and told Ain that the arrival in Baltic would be around midnight.
Ain nodded his head and told Dill to rest.
Dill asked why. Ain told him that it was due to time constraints. They would begin their activities as soon as they arrived. It’s a moderately crowded schedule, but since they’re moving on such short notice, he couldn’t help but feel that it was too late.
So, while he had a short talk with Ain, they had an early dinner. After that, he asked Dill to go back to the Royal Knights, order them to eat, and wait for them.
It was very early, but lying in bed, thinking about what to expect when they arrived, Ain was anxiously awaiting their arrival in Baltic.
And then. Within a few minutes, perhaps due to the fatigue of his body, Ain slowly slipped into the world of dreams.
＊＊＊
——That’s when Ain woke up next.
It was a place where nothing was expected, a place of calm green and warm air.
Looking around, he saw a meadow with a gentle breeze blowing through it, and Ain was lying there all alone.
Was it… a dream?
“…So where am I?”
He was sure that he was lying in his bed. And the train was supposed to go to Baltic, and it should not come to such a warm and sunny place.
…But this landscape looked familiar.
“Oh, yes. This place is…”
It was when he returned from Euro. He remembered lying here when Elder Lich was kneeling over him.
When he raised himself with his hands, there was beautiful greenery as far as the eye could see. And the place where he was lying was on what looked like a slightly elevated hill.
“You’re awake.”
He heard the sound of someone walking on the gra.s.s behind him, and he quickly turned to look in that direction.
“U-uh… who are you?”
It was a man wearing a black shirt and black pants. He wondered how black this guy was, but the guy had long silver hair.
Ain asked the man, although he has such an unfamiliar feeling that he would like them to unite if they come to this point.
“Is it because of your blood relation that you can’t guess?”
He sighs lightly and brushes his silver hair from his face. The man’s face is masculine, yet somewhat melancholy, like a woman’s.
Ain couldn’t see him because of his clothes, but he recognized his face.
“Are you Dullahan…?”
“I cannot accept that you are slow to understand. It’s always logical…”
“Wait, you? Are you still nitpicking? Personality doesn’t really change, does it?”
“Uh… W-when did you…?”
Ain suddenly felt a touch on his shoulder from behind.
When he turned around, he saw that the person was a woman, wearing a deep black robe that covered half of her face, with a large staff floating at her side.
“Just now, you know. …So, you? I’ll be watching closely, so don’t waste too much time, okay?”
“Oh. Okay.”
After saying that, she started walking away and seemed to walk in front of Ain and Dullahan but then stopped a few steps away.
Then she brought a table and chairs into an empty s.p.a.ce and sat down with graceful movements.
Her beautiful hair, even darker and shinier than obsidian, spread out from the robe she was wearing.
Her appearance was that of a beautiful woman with kind eyes. …She smiled kindly at Ain and Dullahan.
“Could it be… Elder Lich?”
“It’s only natural, since I’m here. …Then it is time to begin.”
——Thud.
The Dullahan pulled out a large, long sword and threw it at Ain.
“What do you mean start? …Dullahan suddenly appeared, and I honestly don’t understand what you mean at all.”
“Just call me Cain. I know my name is somehow similar to yours, but don’t worry about it.”
“Ah, yes. Then Cain-san…”
“Okay then? Then pick up your sword, stand up and let’s begin.”
For a moment, Ain’s body glowed, and then his entire body was covered in black armor. It was clear that Cain had done something in front of him because Ain had not intended this action.
“What is this?”
“Even in a place like this, you can’t get hurt. It might have had some kind of psychological effect on you.”
Ain could not close his open mouth and checked his entire body.
This armor was familiar, too. It was Dullahan’s armor, which was described in the book Katima had bought.
“What exactly do you mean…?”
“I wanted you to beat him with skill, not brute force.”
“I’m sorry. I don’t understand what you mean.”
He was suddenly summoned to such a place and a sword was thrown at him to begin with. When he was told that, all he could think of was question marks.
“I’m going to polish that unsightly swordsmanship so that you can actually see a little bit of it. That’s what I’m saying”
“No, no, no! Does that mean you want to look at my sword? No, I’m certainly flattered, but… I mean, shouldn’t Cain-san be wearing protective gear as well?”
Ain asked, looking at Cain, who, before he knew it, was holding a huge sword.
“Even if I put it on, what’s the point?”
“No, but you said earlier that it would be bad if you get hurt.”
“Like I said, your sword is nothing more than a child’s toy. …That’s what I meant.”
——It clicked.
Ain stood up quickly and picked up the sword Cain threw at him.
He checked his grip a few times to make sure he could feel it. He quickly readied it and glanced at the man in front of him.
“I don’t know how strong you are. But, you know, making fun of people like that…”
“I can at least cut a sea dragon in half, you know?”
——Ah, heh… Right.
“I’d appreciate your guidance.”
“Hmm.”
Why did they call him here? What did they want him to do? And if he may ask, where was this place? And why now?
He had a lot of questions, but since he was going to practice first, he decided to ask them later.
The power to cut a sea dragon in half… won Ain’s interest in seeing it before his eyes.