Chapter 63: Returning home

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Translator: Soafp

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Just before arriving at the town of Blue Ring, we were attacked by Ashera.

For me, it was a pleasant surprise, but for others, it was not only irrelevant but also an inconvenience.

It seemed Ashera was aware of this, as she bowed her head and apologized along with me.

After the apologies, she rode alongside me on the same horse.

Her sitting in front of me resembled a small animal. It was hard to imagine her as the feared girl who slays her enemies.

Everyone else, being inherently kind-hearted, laughed and forgave her for her mistake.

Some were smirking while others wore faces that suggested they’d bitten into a bitter bug, but everything seemed to be okay.

After a while, we arrived at the gates of Blue Ring.

We paused at the gates, and Noel conversed with the gatekeeper.

Unexpectedly, even the gatekeeper on break came out and, along with others, saluted our carriages.

Instinctively, El and I returned the gesture while passing through the gates, drawing attention from the crowd.

“Let’s head straight to the mansion.”

Amidst the public gaze, we proceeded toward the mansion with our heads held high.

Upon reaching the mansion, we finally relaxed our shoulders.

“El, my shoulders are stiff.”

“Mine too.”

It was the first thing we said after dismounting our horses.

As much as we’d like to unwind, we couldn’t afford that in Blue Ring.

We couldn’t afford to be impolite and not attend to our guests!

“Everyone, well done. This is Blue Ring’s Lord’s mansion. Please freshen up and take a good rest.”

It seemed the old man had forewarned them, as the maids bustled about unloading luggage into the rooms.

I escorted Olivia, the VIP guest, while El guided Faristea to their respective rooms, and that was it for us. The rest was left to the maids.

Next, we had to greet and explain the situation to our father and mother. Frankly, it felt bothersome… explaining things to Ice Witch-san is something I’d rather avoid.

Steel your nerves, brace yourself for the situation.

When I arrived at Father’s study, El was already inside, and I could hear their conversation.

I knocked and announced myself.

“It’s Aldo.”

“Come in.”

I opened the door and entered the study.

“Aldo nii-sama!”

Clara jumped on me. I picked her up.

“I’m back, Clara.”

“Welcome back, Aldo Nii-sama!”

“Have you gained some weight?”

Clara looked surprised before suddenly becoming upset.

“Aldo Nii-sama! Please put me down.”

“A-aah, sorry. What’s wrong, Clara?”

I slowly lowered Clara, who suddenly became moody.

“Aldo Nii-sama, you lack delicacy! To mention that a lady has gotten heavy!”

“Ah! I’m sorry. That’s not what I meant. I meant you’ve grown a bit in my absence…”

As I hurriedly tried to explain myself, Clara’s mood finally improved.

“I’ll forgive you. But, in return, you have to tell me various stories later.”

“Understood. Thank you, Clara.”

With that, the conversation with Clara settled. I glanced at Father and Mother before speaking.

“I’m back. Father, Mother.”

“Welcome back, Aldo.”

“Father’s given me a general idea, but I’d like to hear the details directly.”

“Understood.”

I then proceeded to explain the altercation between the elves and the kingdom over the potion, the uncertain treatment of Faristea, securing her protection by notifying the kingdom and Count Sandra, the unexpected attack on our way back, focusing on presenting only the factual events.

“I see. It aligns with what your father mentioned, but I hadn’t heard about the recent attack.”

“Two days ago, around noon, our squad was targeted with a ‘monster bait.'”

“Monster bait. The possibility of it being a coincidental monster attack diminishes.”

“Yes. It was undoubtedly something deliberately thrown.”

“How do you perceive this, Aldo?”

“Well, there are a few possibilities…”

“Please, tell me.”

“Firstly, thieves intending to weaken us by instigating a monster attack.”

“I see. And second?”

“Secondly, intending to abduct either me, El, or Olivia to demand a ransom.”

“….”

“Thirdly, the attack occurred right after entering Blue Ring territory. It might have been directed at me, El, or even the lord of the land.”

“….”

“Fourthly, intending to abduct Faristea.”

“Why her?”

“Perhaps creating a debt directly with an Elven diplomat…?”

“Are there any others?”

“There are, but these seem to be the main possibilities.”

Father was jotting down my words. He then referred to his notes to continue.

“Which possibility seems suspicious to you?”

“Well, first, I doubt the first possibility.”

“Why is that?”

“With 12 knights and 6 carriage boxes in our squad, it would require a considerable number of thieves to attack us. However, there have been no reports of such a large band of thieves.”

“I see. What else?”

“The second possibility, for similar reasons. To attack our squad and secure our hostages would need multiple squads. Also, using monsters isn’t a wise choice. The monsters might inadvertently kill the targets.”

“Any other possibilities?”

“From the ones mentioned, the third possibility of harassment stemming from grudges seems quite likely. As for the fourth, similar to before, there’s a chance the monsters might have harmed Faristea.”

“…”

“However, these are possibilities. Given there were 12 knights, we can’t entirely rule out reconnaissance.”

“Reconnaissance?”

“Ah, by ‘reconnaissance,’ I mean… it’s a step beyond ordinary scouting, involving light combat to gauge the enemy’s strength, command structure, and ideally uncover hidden forces.”

“Was that your idea, Aldo?”

“…Yes, it was.”

“Got it, I’ll use that too.”

“Yes…”

“I understand the situation. You must be tired from the long journey. Rest until dinner.”

“”Yes.””

Having finished reporting to Father, we left the room. In the corridor, I approached El.

“El, are you going to rest?”

“Yes, I’m thinking of taking a short break. Won’t you rest, Nii-sama?”

“Well… maybe.”

“Oh, is that Ashera over there?”

El seemed to notice Ashera in the corner of the corridor.

“See you later, El.”

“Yes, at dinner.”

After parting ways with El, I headed toward Ashera.

“Ashera, I’m back.”

“Welcome back…”

Finally, being able to calmly say “I’m back” to Ashera made me feel like I was truly home. Ignoring my feelings, Ashera began speaking.

“Aldo, I couldn’t ask earlier because there were people around.”

“Hmm? What is it?”

“Who’s this Faristea person?”

“Hmm? Faristea is a friend from school. Her parents were forcibly sent back to the Elven country and left her stranded, so I took her under my protection.”

“I see. Then, what’s the relationship with Lady Olivia?”

“Oh, Olivia is a school friend… There’s nothing suspicious.”

“Questionable. You danced with her even on your 10th birthday.”

“You remember even that?”

“Aldo’s first lady is me. And the second is already decided.”

“Eh? Wait. You’re the first, but what do you mean by the second?”

“Slip of the tongue. You don’t need to know, Aldo.”

“Oi? We’re talking about my wife. Isn’t it funny that I don’t know?”

“Ignore the little things.”

“Eh? Isn’t that a big deal in my life?”

“Aldo.”

“Eh? Eh?”

“Welcome back.”

“…”

Ashera’s words, coupled with her smile, were incredibly impactful. It felt like something crucial had been brushed aside, but for now, it was fine.

“I’m back, Ashera.”

Ashera jumped into my embrace.

“I felt lonely.”

“Sorry…”

“No, it’s okay…”

“Ashera, I love you.”

“I love you too.”

We held each other in front of the office. Father, mother, and the maids pretended not to notice and passed by. Only Clara softly exclaimed, “Kyaa, kyaa.”

After replenishing the Ashera quota for a while, we talked about life in the capital and life in Blue Ring. As we did, it was time for dinner.

The first dinner consisted of my family, Ashera, Olivia, Faristea, Anna-sensei, Lewis, and Nero—11 people in total.

I wanted Marl to join, but apparently, as an apprentice of the Ice Witch, attending a lord’s family hosting was not permissible. However, if she was a lover or an engaged person, then it would be okay.

Yet, engagement required various procedures, and making it happen today was impossible. So, Marl had to take a rain check this time.

At the dinner table, Father introduced the family and delivered welcoming remarks to everyone who was there as a guest.

Except for Anna-sensei, the rest were considered friends of mine, so the greetings were casual, with manners kept informal.

If we’d been strict with etiquette, Nero would have been handed a red card right away.

Father slowly explained matters concerning the Blue Ring territory during dinner. His casual conversation covered various topics, revealing the depth of what it meant to be a noble.

Well, I had already decided deep down that I wouldn’t become a noble.

Come to think of it, I need to tell Ashera that I won’t become a noble at some point. Somewhere in my heart, I fear I might be ‘abandoned’ if I can’t bring myself to say it.

Suddenly, I looked at Ashera, and our eyes met. She smiled at me. Crap… if she rejects me, I might not recover. That’s what I was thinking.

The dinner ended soon, and as we were enjoying each other’s company, Louis dropped a bombshell.

“Aldo, speaking of which, didn’t you mention someone here who could beat you up?”

“Yeah, I did.”

I was screaming in my head, ‘Don’t say any more!’

“I remember someone mentioning a fiancée… Was that a bluff?”

“Come on, stop it. Do you want to die?”

“Nobody would believe that a delicate lady could beat you up.”

Amidst that atmosphere, Ice Witch brought up something dreadful.

“Alright, let’s have a simulated battle with volunteers starting tomorrow morning.”

“Is that okay? We don’t want anyone getting hurt.”

“I’ll join too.”

“Count me in, of course.”

“I’ll participate as well.”

“I guess I’m forced to join…”

“Of course, I’ll be there too. Shall we do it after breakfast tomorrow? Remember not to overeat tomorrow morning.”

Was that ‘not overeating’ a way to hint at purging?

I felt uneasy but couldn’t bring myself to ask.

Having a sudden simulated battle… Seems like the Ice Witch is a bit of a battle enthusiast.

And so, the first day in the Blue Ring territory came to a calm end.