Chapter 3: Reunion at the Village
Roughly three weeks later, Sara and the others returned to Strahl from the spirit folk village. Sara’s contract spirit, Hel, snuck into the mansion in spirit form and informed everyone of their return. Rio slipped out of the mansion that night to make his way to the stone house where Sara and the others were staying at the outskirts of the capital.
“Sorry for dropping by so late,” Rio said.
“Not at all. Please, come in,” said Sara, and Rio entered.
Invited by Sara, Rio went through the front door.
“Long time no see, Rio.”
“Good evening.”
Orphia and Alma were also there to greet him.
“I’m glad to see the three of you are well. Has anything new happened?”
“Yes. We’ve gotten permission to bring Celia to the village. The teleport crystal has been recharged with magic essence, so it’s ready to go whenever.”
“I understand. We’ll probably leave within the next few days, then.”
“Okay. But there was something else... I’m not sure whether it can be classified as a problem, but there are people who want to meet you once we return to the village,” Sara said to Rio in a rather hesitant tone.
“Meet me? I don’t mind... But may I ask who it is?” Rio cocked his head in question.
“About that... We were asked not to say anything so that the explanation can be given directly. Could you wait until we return to the village to hear the details?” Sara scratched her cheek, unsure of how to explain things.
“All right. That’s fine too.” He couldn’t really understand the situation, but if Sara was the one saying this, then there must be a reason. Rio wasn’t the type of person to pry. He nodded easily and decided to wait until they reached the village.
◇ ◇ ◇
Several days later, it was time for Rio and the others to depart for the spirit folk village. Standing at the front door of Rio’s estate were Satsuki and Charlotte, who had come to see them off. Francois had given his farewells in advance, while Rio and Celia had visited Christina and Flora to inform them of their absence. Liselotte had also said her goodbyes, so none of them were present to see them off right now.
“I can’t believe you’ll be gone for another two months... I’ll be lonely.” Charlotte puffed up her cheeks in a sulking manner, looking up at Rio from a close distance. Any growing boy unaccustomed to girls would’ve been blown away on the spot.
“I plan on staying in the mansion for a while next time I return.” Rio averted his eyes awkwardly. Latifa’s eyes glinted beside him.
“Princess Charlotte, that’s a little too close.”
“We’re about to be separated, so I’m being close on purpose.” Charlotte moved forward even more, closing the gap between her and Rio until there was nothing left. She leaned her upper body against Rio’s chest.
“Onii-chan!” Latifa’s voice was nearly a scream. The only reason why she didn’t tear Charlotte away at a moment’s notice was because she was aware the other person involved was, indeed, a princess. Miharu and Celia were similarly aware of this, but their personalities prevented them from doing anything but watch on nervously.
“Princess Charlotte, your jesting has gone a little too far.” Rio placed his hands on Charlotte’s shoulders and slowly tried to place distance between them. However—
“I’m not joking, though...”
Charlotte immediately took Rio’s right hand in a graceful movement and quietly brought it to her cheek. She then proceeded to touch his fingers with her lips.
“Oops, I’ve kissed you.” There was a faint blush on her cheeks. She added some comments about how it was her first time and how she wouldn’t do such a thing as a joke.
“Th-That doesn’t count! It doesn’t count as a kiss! That was on the fingers. The fingers!” Latifa immediately protested.
“Then I wish to kiss him on the lips next.” Charlotte’s heated gaze was fixed on Rio’s mouth.
“Onii-chan!” Latifa tugged on Rio’s arm, trying to pull him away from Charlotte.
“Hey now, you know you can’t do that, Char. You’re an unmarried princess. We’ll pretend we didn’t see that just now, but you need to leave it at that. Okay?” Satsuki had been watching the series of events in shock, but Latifa’s yell shocked her back into her senses, allowing her to warn Charlotte with a sigh.
“You should listen to Satsuki.” Thanks to Satsuki’s intervention, Rio was able to distance himself from Charlotte this time. In exchange, Latifa clung to him instead.
I’m so tired, and we haven’t even left yet.
They had yet to depart, but Rio felt as exhausted as the end of the journey.
“Get in the horse carriage before Char does anything else strange, Haruto.” Satsuki urged him towards the nearby carriage with a sigh.
“If you would excuse me, then. Shall we go?”
Rio looked at Miharu, Celia, and Aishia, who were the closest nearby. Finally, he looked down at Latifa clinging to his left arm and patted her head. With some final parting words, they boarded the carriage and departed.
“I’m so envious of Lady Suzune. Lady Celia, Lady Miharu, Lady Aishia...” Charlotte mumbled sadly while watching the carriage go.
Watching her made Satsuki feel a little sad too, so she smiled brightly. “Times like this call for a bathing session together. Haruto said we were free to use his mansion whenever, so let’s make the most of it. I’ll wash your back for you.”
◇ ◇ ◇
After the carriage reached the noble district gate, Rio and the others disembarked and made their way out of the capital on foot. They proceeded down the main road out of the city until there was no one else around, then headed off the road towards the stone house where the spirit folk girls were waiting.
When they stepped past the barrier around the house, Sara and the others immediately came out.
“Welcome back.”
“Shouldn’t you be saying ‘I’m home’ to Miharu and Latifa instead?” Alma said, pointing out how they were the ones who had returned from the village.
“That’s true... But everyone’s also returning to the stone house.”
“Hee hee, doesn’t it work both ways?” Orphia suggested in amusement.
“We’re home! And welcome back! Sara, Orphia, Alma, long time no see!” Latifa called out to them energetically, raising a hand.
“It’s good to see the three of you well,” Miharu said.
“Having everyone gather in the stone house really feels like coming home,” Celia added.
“While it’d be nice to take a break like this...is it okay if we head for the village right away?” Rio asked everyone from where he stood beside Aishia.
“Sure. I want to see the village anyway,” Celia said, nodding with strong interest and excitement.
“We’re happy to hear you’re so excited to go to our village.” Sara grinned a little bashfully.
“It’s going to be so fluffy! A fluffy paradise! I want to touch the fur of all kinds of people there.”
“Ah ha ha!”
Everyone laughed in amusement.
“So let’s get going already.” Embarrassed, Celia blushed and urged them to depart.
“I’ll put away the house, then. Conditum.”
Orphia used the Time-Space Cache equipped on her arm to collect the stone house. The area where it stood immediately turned into empty space.
“Then I shall use the teleport crystal. There’s a range to the effect, so please stay as close to me as possible. Especially since there’s many of us.”
“Okay!” Latifa took the lead by hugging Rio’s right arm, while Aishia pressed herself up against him from the other side.
There’s no need to be this close, though...
The effective range was around three meters in radius, so there was no need for seven people to pack themselves together so tightly. Rio’s expression stiffened in shyness, and he lowered his gaze uneasily. “O-Okay. Is this good?”
Feeling competitive against Aishia and Latifa, Celia clung to Rio from the front. The height gap between them meant her face was touching him in the chest.
“Y-Yes...”
Taken aback, Rio nodded uncomfortably. “...”
The remaining free space was Rio’s back. Miharu’s, Sara’s, Orphia’s, and Alma’s gazes naturally gathered on that point. And the first one to move was...all four of them. However, the one who started the closest to Rio’s back was Miharu. The other three were standing in front of him, so they took an extra moment to go around.
“M-Miharu...?”
At the unexpected sensation pressing against his back, Rio’s eyes widened. Since Sara and the others were in front of him, the only one who could possibly be behind him was Miharu—but that was exactly what was surprising to Rio. Miharu had never tried to cling to him before. He couldn’t help turning his neck to look behind him.
“I-I would appreciate it...if you didn’t look behind you...”
But Miharu’s trembling voice stopped him. Her face was dyed the deep shade of a ripe peach. She didn’t want Rio to see her like that.
“Wow, Miharu, your face is bright red,” Latifa said with wide eyes.
“I-It’s not red, though?” Miharu’s denial came out in a rather high-pitched voice. She could feel the heat from her own face.
“Umm, there’s no need to be pressed so close...” Rio tried to protest hesitantly.
“Everyone’s clinging too closely to Rio!”
“Isn’t it unfair that we’re left out, Sara?”
“Yes! Wait, no—?!”
“It’s fine. Please press together closer, or there’ll be no room for us.”
Sara, Orphia, and Alma crowded forward, making things even noisier and more cramped.
I-I can’t move...
Normally, Rio was capable of moving at rapid speeds to evade all enemy attacks, but he was completely helpless at this point. He was blocked in on all sides.
Rio tried to move his limbs a little, but the sensation of things that shouldn’t be touched was transmitted back to him. The noisy sounds of ‘I prefer that, Sara!’ and ‘Your face is too close, Aishia!’ echoed around him.
“I said there’s no need to be this close...”
No one responded to Rio’s reserved opinion.
Wh-Whatever. Let’s just teleport away from here as quickly as possible, Rio said to himself, clearing his mind so that he could make a decision.
“R-Right, let’s go now. I’m going to say the spell. Transilio.”
He chanted the spell and activated the teleport crystal in his hand. The next moment, space spiraled and warped around Rio. Another moment later, the scenery changed completely. They had moved from the forest at Galarc’s outskirts to the spirit folk village deep within the Wilderness. Position-wise, they were located one or two minutes’ flight from the village town hall.
There was a time difference between the Strahl region and the village, but it was still bright where they had teleported to. Sunlight filtered through the trees and across the forest. There was a spring beside them and a blue sky extending above their heads.
At an ordinary time, this would have been a calm and peaceful space. However, since the women in the group had been making a fuss up until the teleportation, they hadn’t noticed that they had arrived. This caused their loud voices to echo through the forest.
“We’ve arrived...” Rio said to the girls that were still clinging onto him with a sigh. He then looked around to confirm that they had teleported successfully—which was when he noticed a gaze from a certain direction.
Several people wearing what looked like traditional Japanese clothing were seated on the rocky bank of the spring. They were surprised by the sudden arrival of Rio and the girls—or perhaps they were surprised to see so many beautiful girls clinging to Rio—as they were blinking in wonder.
Why are they here...?
Rio recognized some of the people among them—they were people who should have been at the next stop of their trip.
He froze in bewilderment. The girls clinging to him naturally noticed his gaze and looked the same way. As a result, Rio’s group and the people wearing kimonos stared at each other. Then, one man stood up from the group.
“Why are you here, Gouki?” Rio asked him. He was the senior warrior of the Karasuki Kingdom—Saga Gouki—and the former guard for Rio’s mother Ayame, with Rio’s father Zen.
“We were told you would appear by this spring if we waited here...” Gouki scratched at his cheek awkwardly, then stopped to stare closely at the girls surrounding Rio. “I see you’re in high demand, hmm? As expected of Princess Ayame and Zen’s son.” He burst out in hearty laughter.
“No, umm... This is... Ha ha.”
Rio tried to brush it off by laughing. Miharu, Celia, and Latifa watched on, wondering who the man was. Meanwhile, the three spirit folk girls who had returned earlier seemed aware of their identities, as they were watching Rio’s face instead. As a result, the air was rather awkward between them all.
“Don’t trouble Sir Rio, dear.”
Behind Gouki, his wife, Saga Kiyoko, scolded her husband in a cold tone. It was as though she were saying this wasn’t the time to be joking around.
“R-Right.” Gouki nodded awkwardly. “We were rejected by you once, but we hastened to join and serve you anyway. I know it is brazen of me to ask, but would you allow me another opportunity to convince you?” He lowered himself onto one knee, suddenly, appealing to Rio with humble reverence.
“Please, Sir Rio!” a young girl’s voice shouted. The one who had spoken was Gouki’s daughter, Saga Komomo. Beside her was her guard and attendant, Aoi.
“Komomo came along too, I see... And also...” Rio looked at the girl hidden behind Gouki and Komomo. There was a familiar boy immediately beside her.
“Shin and Sayo too...”
They were the siblings from the village Rio had lived in. Rio had said his farewells to them before leaving the Yagumo region, so why were they here? Rio had a serious look on his face as he contemplated the reason.
“Hey, Sayo. What are you hiding there for? Come on.”
“W-Wait, Shin...”
In a sullen tone, Shin grabbed Sayo by the hand and forcefully pulled her into a spot where Rio could see her better. Sayo met eyes with Celia and the others clinging to Rio for a brief second, then ducked her head to avert her gaze with a nauseated look.
“...”
At the sight of Sayo’s reaction, the girls surrounding Rio were all convinced that something had happened between them.
“Tch, have some more confidence.” Shin looked between Sayo and the girls beside Rio, then narrowed his eyes in a glare.
“At any rate, I’m glad to see you again. I was just thinking of returning to the Yagumo region, but how about we move somewhere else first? I’d like to greet the elders too.” Rio looked somewhat troubled, but eventually softened his expression into a smile.
“Of course. We’d be delighted.”
Gouki bowed his head deeply. Thus, the entire group relocated to the town hall first.
◇ ◇ ◇
At the town hall of the village, in a room on the highest floor...
Rio had his reunion with the elders: Syldora, Dominic, and Ursula. After they rejoiced in seeing each other again, Rio introduced Celia to them.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Celia Claire. Thank you for inviting me to the village.”
Celia stood up from her chair, lightly pinching at the hem of her dress to give a courteous bow. Her good upbringing was evident, making the elders and Gouki’s group widen their eyes.
“I am one of the head elders, the high elf Syldora. Welcome, teacher of Rio. These two are my fellow elders, fox werebeast Ursula and elder dwarf Dominic.”
“I’m Ursula. We’ve heard a lot about you from Rio. It seems Sara and the others have been in your company too. I hope you enjoy your time with us.”
“Welcome, little miss!”
And so, the elders all welcomed Celia.
“Little... Ah, thank you very much.” Celia’s eyes widened faintly at being called “little miss,” but then she giggled happily.
“Hello all.”
Just then, particles of light gathered in the corner of the room, and the high-class spirit Dryas manifested out of nowhere.
“Oh, Lady Dryas.”
“I sensed Aishia’s presence so I came to see her. You must be Celia. Sara and the others told us you’d be coming to the village. I’m Dryas,” she said, explaining her reasoning for appearing before them.
“You’re a humanoid spirit like Aishia... It’s nice to meet you. I’m Celia Claire. I’ve also heard about you from Rio and the others.”
“Yes, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Mine as well.”
After they exchanged greetings...
“Hmm...”
Dryas stared closely at Celia from head to toe.
“Umm... Is something the matter?” Celia asked, blinking.
“You have a high affinity towards mana for a human. You excel at the manipulation of ode, don’t you?”
“Do... Do I?”
“Yes, mana naturally gathers near your body. Consequently, the ode flowing out of you has a very beautiful wavelength. Rio’s is on a different scale, but you’re not bad yourself. On the same level as the high elf Orphia, or thereabouts. You’re almost like an elf—do you have any ancestors who were elves? Perhaps it’s hereditary.”
“How can you tell that?”
“I haven’t been a humanoid spirit for hundreds of years for nothing. Aishia would be able to tell you the same. Spirits can visually see mana as well as ode.”
“I see...” Celia swallowed her breath, impressed by the knowledge of a high-class spirit that had existed for so long. Aishia was on the same level of existence as Dryas and was unmatched in combat strength, but her quiet personality and lack of spirit-like speech made it hard to think of her as a high-class spirit.
“Now that Lady Dryas and the elders have been introduced to Celia, I’d like to speak to Gouki’s group...” Rio began to say, looking at Gouki’s party seated in a corner of the room. The group included his wife Kayoko, daughter Komomo, Sayo, Shin, and others, totaling ten people. There were familiar faces among them, so there was no doubt they all hailed from the Karasuki Kingdom.
“Indeed. Where should we start...” Ursula stroked her chin in contemplation.
“Have you all heard about how Gouki is connected to my parents already?”
“Yes. Though I must apologize for talking about you in your absence.”
“Not at all, I’m sure it was unavoidable in order for you to understand each other. That being said, there must be unfamiliar faces on each side and unclear parts of the situation, so how about I introduce you first?”
“Good point. That would be preferred.”
“First, these are the close acquaintances of my parents, Gouki and his wife Kayoko, and their daughter Komomo. Gouki is a senior warrior of the Karasuki Kingdom, which is located in the Yagumo region... The equivalent to the head of the highest military noble house in the Strahl region. The people around him are most likely his retainers. Those two over there are villagers from my father’s hometown: Shin and his little sister Sayo. Though I’m not sure why they’re here...”
Rio conducted his introduction of Gouki’s party to Celia and the others, gesturing at them with his hand. They each bowed in the order of their names being called out, so it was fairly clear who was who.
“My name is Saga Gouki. Ah, but names in the Strahl region are the other way around, so it’d be Gouki Saga. This is my wife Kayoko, and we both served Sir Rio’s mother, Lady Ayame, together with his father Zen. That was over twenty years ago.”
With a ramrod straight back, Gouki introduced himself and his wife to Celia and Miharu, who were seated beside Rio.
“I just introduced them to the elders, but this is my former teacher Celia Claire, my adopted little sister Latifa, and Miharu Ayase, whom I live with. And this is my contract spirit, Aishia. You’ve met Sara’s group before, I believe,” Rio said to Gouki’s group.
They stared at the girls in great interest. Miharu in particular had similar black hair to what would be seen in the Yagumo region, and her name also sounded like theirs, so she attracted more attention than the rest.
Gouki nodded. “Yes, we spoke to Lady Sara and her friends three weeks ago.”
“I was told there was someone who wanted to see me at the village, but that must have been you and your people.”
The surprise from the sudden reunion had faded, but Rio still looked a little troubled.
“Yes. I’m sure it came as a surprise to you, but we wanted to speak to you directly. Please forgive my insolence in following you without permission.” Gouki bowed his head low enough to touch the floor.
“I don’t consider it insolence at all. I’m just bewildered... I didn’t expect you to chase after me,” Rio confessed with a somewhat exasperated sigh. He could tell they hadn’t pursued him with superficial feelings, so he couldn’t get mad at them.
“You said you could return to Strahl alone so you didn’t need retainers, and refused us clearly. We also said we’d give up on accompanying you.”
“You said you’d give up on accompanying me, but you didn’t say anything about not coming after me. Is that it?”
“Well, basically.” Gouki looked a little guilty but grinned widely. Rio sighed once again at his energy and initiative.
“The journey to this village couldn’t have been easy by any means.”
Savage creatures were rampant, and there was no road to follow. There were harrowing natural disasters local to certain areas, and some places were enshrouded in darkness all year round due to abnormal weather, making it impossible to ascertain the direction of travel. Just making it to the village would have been a harsh trip.
“It was beyond our expectations, but we were prepared for it. We knew it’d be an ordeal, and it was a good training experience in the end. We were fortunate to make it without losing anyone.”
“As long as there were no casualties.” Rio let out a breath of relief.
“Well, we restricted our companions to those who could use spirit arts. My retainers are all trained in that area, and while they still lack experience, Shin and Sayo gave it their best as well,” Gouki said, looking at the siblings.
“I really didn’t expect you to bring the two of them.”
Rio looked at them a little awkwardly. Why are they here? That was the question in his head, but he felt too awkward to ask it out loud.
“...” Sayo looked like she didn’t know what to do with herself and kept her head down in shame. Shin seemed displeased by that and had his lips fixed into a frown.
“Sayo had rather strong feelings for Sir Rio, you see... When I spoke to her, she asked to come along with me, so I agreed. Shin is also a man with lots of promise, and he cares deeply for his little sister under that rough attitude of his. He asked to come along for Sayo’s sake. The two of them came all the way here without a single complaint.”
Gouki looked at the silent siblings and sighed lightly, scratching his cheek before speaking on their behalf.
“Hmph.” Shin snorted unhappily. He’d been brusque since back in the village, but now he was especially biting.
“Hey now, Shin. What are you sulking for?”
“I’m not sulking.” Shin denied Gouki’s criticism with a grim look.
“Goodness. Sorry about that, Sir Rio.”
“No, there’s nothing to apologize for... Did Yuba and Ruri agree to them coming?”
“Of course. They’re accompanying us with full permission.”
“I see. In that case, can I ask for the details on how you all made it to this village?” Rio asked.
“We made it to the village by complete coincidence. We left the Karasuki Kingdom merely days after you, but we only arrived at this village about a month ago...”
“Lord Gouki and his people wandered into our forest after Rio took Sara and the girls to the Strahl region. When we listened to their situation, we found they were headed the same way—and then Rio’s name came up. We couldn’t just chase them out after that,” Ursula explained.
“The three elders told us that it wouldn’t be long before Sir Rio returned to this land, so they invited us to stay as guests. We’re extremely grateful to this village,” Gouki added.
“I understand now, I think. That means it’s my turn to give my report next.” There was a somber light in Rio’s eyes.
Sensing the state of his mind, Gouki put on a serious expression and refrained from conveying any praise or celebration. “Sara told us the general gist of things. You were able to achieve your long-held desire. I have no words to express myself.” He bowed his head to express his deep respect for Rio.
“I suppose it’d be weird for me to thank you... And I’m not sure what to say to your people after you went through such efforts to get here.”
Gouki looked confused at Rio’s uneasiness. “What do you mean?”
“With Lucius dead, there’s no reason for all of you to come to Strahl anymore, no?”
In other words, all their turmoil was for nothing.
“...Ha! Ha ha ha! What are you saying?” Gouki burst into hearty laughter after a pause.
“...” Rio was baffled by what could be so funny about his words.
“Ah, my apologies for making a ruckus. With all due respect, Sir Rio, you’ve misunderstood something. Vengeance on Lucius, the man who killed Lady Ayame and Zen... While that was indeed one of our goals, it wasn’t the only one,” Gouki said with a tense expression.
“By which you mean...?”
“Our goal is to serve you. Lucius’s death is positive news, and not a reason to feel disappointment. Our efforts will only end in vain when we become unable to swear our loyalty to you.”
“To serve me... When you didn’t even know if I’d agree to it? I’ve already refused your accompaniment once in the Yagumo region, so I’m sure you could imagine me refusing you again... And there was no guarantee you’d find me just by coming to Strahl.”
Yet Gouki and the others came after him. Rio felt an indescribable emotion at that fact, which showed on his utterly bewildered face.
“None of those serve as reasons not to come after you. We may be able to serve you. That possibility alone is enough—that is why we came after you.”
“To the extent of throwing away the land you were born and raised on? Your servants in particular never even served my mother. Have they truly assented to this?”
Friends, family, finances, status. They would be discarding all of those things by doing this. Going on such a dangerous journey for a wish that may not come true—wasn’t that a rather rash decision? Rio looked at them as though to say just that.
“Hmm, how should I put this...” Gouki struggled to find the right words.
“Sir Rio. My apologies for speaking up as a servant, but would you allow me to make one statement? I would like to explain the emotions of the servants on behalf of Sir Gouki.” Aoi, who was seated beside Komomo, raised her hand to ask for permission to speak.
“Of course, I don’t mind...” Rio looked at Aoi.
“Thank you very much. With the exception of Shin and Sayo, all the servants here are orphans adopted by the Saga family. We were given warm meals, clothes, shelter, and a means of living. Thus, we owe a great debt to Sir Gouki and Lady Kayoko. We will follow them wherever they go, and we will serve who they deem their master. That is our source of happiness.” Aoi bowed her head deeply as she explained their thoughts.
“I see...” Rio said, barely managing a reply.
He wasn’t born or raised as nobility, so it was difficult for him to put himself in their shoes. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t imagine it—he found their loyalty so admirable, he was almost astonished.
“We told the servants they could stay back with Hayate... But they all chose not to. Their loyalty is admirable, if I do say so myself,” Gouki said with a slightly bashful grin. He then looked at Rio with a heated gaze and declared, “However, both my wife and I pride ourselves in having loyalty for Sir Rio that won’t lose to theirs.”
“Why would you go so far for me? Sure, my father was your colleague and my mother was the master you served, but...” Rio was confused. He could tell that Gouki and Kayoko were extremely loyal to him, but he didn’t know the reason why. Was being Ayame’s son that important?
“Kayoko and I were unable to fulfill our vow of loyalty to Lady Ayame in the past. So we thought we could direct that lost loyalty towards her son instead. But our feelings cannot be expressed with that alone.” Gouki grinned shyly, rubbing at his neck in an embarrassed manner. The gesture made him seem embarrassed of his words.
“Lady Ayame and Zen were pursued by the kingdom and had to discard their identities, fleeing to the faraway lands of Strahl. We never thought we’d see them again, but one day their son shows up, bearing full resemblance to the two of them. That was the first time we saw Sir Rio,” Gouki said happily after a pause.
“That brings back memories. It was around two years ago, if I recall.” Rio also thought back on that moment with a distant look.
“I remember it as though it happened yesterday.”
“Ha ha ha.” Rio chuckled with nostalgia at Gouki’s proud statement.
“After listening to his words, we found out that both Zen and Lady Ayame have passed from this world. That Sir Rio made his way to the Karasuki Kingdom knowing nothing more than the stories Lady Ayame told him in his childhood. That he wanted to construct graves for them. He had made such a dangerous journey to the Yagumo region just to do that. Going around countless kingdoms to locate someone who knew of his parents... It must have been a hopeless journey with no end in sight. When we learned of this, we didn’t know what to feel...”
Gouki’s words were brimming with emotion. Rio looked a little uncomfortable, but everyone else was listening with serious faces. They were living vicariously through Gouki’s words, wondering how the clueless Rio appeared to him when he knew the truth of Ayame and Zen’s past.
“You were a dazzling existence to me. You were raised so well despite the harsh circumstances... I could only surrender to what a splendid person you ended up as.”
In other words, Gouki had felt extreme empathy for Rio at the time. He believed Rio was a person worth respect even without considering Ayame and Zen. As a military man and as a warrior, he fell for Rio as a person. He had been filled with joy when he received the letter from Yuba about Rio, but he hadn’t thought of swearing his loyalty yet. The more he got to know Rio, however, the more his resolution solidified.
“Of course, the fact that you’re a memento from Lady Ayame and Zen plays a big part, but it’s all because it’s you. We want to serve you because of the person you are—if we remained in Yagumo without swearing our loyalty, we would be living the rest of our lives in vain. That was something we were sure of. So how could we sit around waiting just because we were rejected once?”
Gouki gradually got more heated the more he spoke, but he seemed to realize that himself and paused. “At any rate, that’s the reason why we left the kingdom and came after you. Did that explain things clearly?” he asked shyly as he looked at Rio.
“...Yes.” Rio nodded after an awkward pause.
“In that case, I’d like to ask you once more: will you allow us the honor of swearing our loyalty to you?”
Gouki got out of his seat and proceeded to kneel on the floor before Rio. Kayoko, Komomo, and the other servants followed his lead quietly. The room focused on Rio for his response.
Even asking for favors made him feel awkward. Rio hesitated for a long moment before expressing his disapproval. “Honestly speaking, I’m not used to having someone swear loyalty to me. I doubt I’ll get used to it in the future, and I don’t think I can act like a master to you all. I’m not good at giving other people orders either.”
“I can imagine. I am well aware of your personality.”
Gouki seemed to have predicted such a response and had a strained smile on his face. However, he fixed his heated gaze on Rio to convey his desire to serve in spite of this.
“I understand everyone’s feelings. That’s why I won’t ask that you return to the Karasuki Kingdom. I’m at a loss.”
True to his words, Rio’s mouth was drawn into a completely stumped frown.
“Then...?”
Does that mean you’ll approve of us becoming your retainers? Gouki seemed to sense the possibility of that happening and looked at Rio in surprise.
He had imagined Rio would have answered based on the conclusion that he wouldn’t take Gouki and the others on as servants. No matter how difficult it was to reject them, the former Rio would have done so firmly, as he had done when he refused their accompaniment the first time.
So what about now? While he expressed his disapproval, he hadn’t given a clear no. Far from it, in fact.
“I cannot answer you right now... Could you give me some time to think about it?”
“O-Of course! Take all the time you need!” Gouki was unable to hold back his elated feelings and shouted his response. That was only understandable—for someone who wished to become one of Rio’s retainers, it was a great step forward. He hadn’t planned on giving up easily at a rejection, but this was a welcome miscalculation for someone who had prepared for a much longer battle.
Has accomplishing his long desire changed something within Sir Rio’s heart? Or perhaps it was the influence of these girls around him...
Gouki turned his gaze to Miharu, Celia, and the other girls around Rio. If there was something that had changed during his time away from Rio—other than the vengeance being achieved—it would be the presence of these girls. The elders seemed to have made the same assumption, believing Rio would refuse, as their eyes were widened as well.
“So please stand up for now,” Rio asked, trying to lighten the mood and relaxing his shoulders.
“This calls for a reunion banquet tonight!” Dominic suggested with a hearty laugh.
“You just want to drink, don’t you?” Ursula shrugged in exasperation.
“That aside, I’m sure there’s more you wish to discuss. Many of you are meeting for the first time, so it would be a good chance to interact with each other more.” Syldora summed up the discussions with a smile.
“Indeed. Whether you have an answer by the banquet or not, give it some thought, Rio.”
Rio nodded slowly at Ursula’s suggestion. “I will.”
“In that case, we shall excuse ourselves until the banquet. There’s no rush for a reply, so please give it as much thought as you need.”
Gouki offered for his people to make themselves scarce until they met up again at night.
◇ ◇ ◇
Leaving the elders in the town hall behind him, Rio headed for the guest house he had used when he previously stayed in the village. Komomo looked like she wanted to come with him but ended up going her separate way until the later banquet. This left Miharu, Celia, Aishia, Latifa, Sara, Orphia, and Alma to accompany Rio.
“This is the house we stay at while in the village,” Rio explained to Celia at the front door, inviting her inside.
“Whenever Onii-chan’s at the village, we all live together!” Latifa boasted smugly to Celia.
“Is this what you call a tree house? It’s so spacious on the inside... What a lovely home. I was thinking this as we walked earlier, but the people of this village really live in harmony with nature.”
Naturally, the wood of the host tree was being used as is, creating a space filled with a wooden warmth. It was a type of building that couldn’t be seen in Strahl cities, so Celia looked around the interior with great interest.
“Thank you very much. Please think of this place as your own while you’re here,” Sara said proudly as a resident of the village.
“The bathing room in this house is also quite delightful, so try it out at night,” Orphia noted.
“We’ll have to show you around the village too,” Alma added.
“Yup, I’m looking forward to it!” Celia nodded enthusiastically.
“It’d be nice if we could bring Aki and Masato here again someday. Right, Miharu?” Aishia said to Miharu out of consideration.
“Yeah.” Miharu nodded with a bright smile, though there was a faint trace of sadness to it.
Just then, Rio turned to everyone. “How about we take this chance to go for a walk around the village?”
The girls all exchanged looks. After hearing the conversation between Gouki and Rio earlier, they seemed to have their own thoughts about it. They tried to convey those thoughts to each other with just their eyes.
“Is something the matter...?” Rio asked, noticing how the girls were all making eye contact with each other.
“Onii-chan... If you need to talk, we’re here for you, yeah?”
As his adopted little sister, Latifa spoke on behalf of the girls. The rest of the group silently nodded along, expressing their agreement.
“You’re referring to Gouki and the others, right?” Rio smiled a little awkwardly on the receiving end of the girls’ gazes.
“Yeah.”
“I know the general direction I want to take... I’m just unsure of how to do it in a way that will make everyone happy, so I haven’t gathered my thoughts yet. Right. Would you be willing to hear me out? Everyone else too.”
“Of course!” The girls all agreed to Rio’s humble request in unison.
“Let’s sit on the chairs, then. I’ll take out the tea I prepared from the Time-Space Cache earlier.”
“I’ll help, Orphia.”
Orphia and Miharu headed towards the living room first. Rio and the others followed after them. Preparations were completed in a mere ten-odd seconds, and everyone sat down. The girls then naturally waited for Rio to start speaking, and after a while...
“Like I said earlier, I’m not capable of becoming a master to anyone. If they swear loyalty to me as retainers, I wouldn’t know how to interact with them as their master. That’s why I’m opposed to the idea of taking them on...” Rio began.
“But when I look at you now, I can see you want to answer Gouki and his people’s feelings. That’s why you’re wavering, isn’t it?” Celia said, watching Rio’s expression as though to seek confirmation.
Rio confirmed her statement with a strained smile. “Well, yes.”
“Does that mean you intend on taking Gouki’s group on as retainers?” Sara asked next.
“No... I don’t want retainers, but I’d be willing to live with them on equal footing like with everyone here... Gouki and the others are all important people to me, just like you all.”
He had no confidence in his ability to act as a master, so he was opposed to making Gouki his retainer. But if they insisted on staying with him anyway, he wanted to grant their wishes. The solution he came up with was for them to be comrades.
“I see...” The girls seemed to be thoroughly convinced by that.
“Why don’t you tell them that, then?” Miharu suggested while watching Rio’s expression.
“Yes, I agree,” was Celia’s endorsement. The others also uttered their agreement.
Rio scratched his cheek, unsure. “I’m not sure Gouki will accept that...”
“Why? I don’t see why not...” Celia looked surprised.
“If Gouki’s people are fixated on becoming retainers, they might find my proposal disappointing...”
I can’t make you my retainers, but do you want to come along? Was that the reply Gouki and the others truly desired? Rio couldn’t help but ponder that.
“I believe you’re giving it too much thought...” Sara said with a wry smile.
Celia agreed tiredly. “Right. It’s a bad habit of yours.”
“Have more confidence, Onii-chan! It’ll definitely go well!”
Latifa pumped her fist to cheer Rio on. Rio looked a little embarrassed at that.
“If Gouki and his people join me, they’ll naturally end up interacting with you more... Are you all okay with that?” he asked, changing the subject subtly.
“Yup. They seem like really nice people, so I’m looking forward to talking to them at the banquet tonight,” Latifa replied with great curiosity.
Miharu giggled in agreement. “That’s right.”
“Then it won’t be a problem if they end up living together with us.”
“No. All that’s left is for you to tell them how you feel.”
“Ah ha ha... Right.” Rio chuckled weakly and nodded.
“Say, Rio... A master-servant relationship can come in all shapes and forms. You may not think you’re capable of standing above others, but I don’t agree. That’s probably why Gouki and the others want to serve you as well—like Latifa said, have more confidence. Right?” Celia smiled with a one-sided dimple as she gave her opinion from the point of view of a noble. That made Rio’s expression brighten as well.
“Right.” He nodded.
“Hmph. As expected of Celia. You weren’t Onii-chan’s teacher for nothing.” Latifa’s cheeks puffed up like a balloon. Other than Aishia, the other girls all looked similarly envious.
“N-No no, I didn’t say anything special,” Celia said, flustered.
“Well, that aside... There’s one thing I wanted to ask Onii-chan before the banquet.”
“What is it?” Rio met Latifa’s eyes and stiffened in wariness.
“Umm, you know. We might end up living together with them from now on, so we need to know more about them, don’t you think?”
“Uh, I guess...”
There was nothing wrong with what she was saying, but for some reason, Rio had a bad feeling about it as he agreed with her.
“Then, a question! What happened with that Sayo girl? And that Komomo girl too.” Latifa’s hand immediately shot up in the air as she fired off her questions.
“U-Umm...?” Rio was flustered by the sudden interrogation.
“Based on Sayo’s reaction, something definitely happened between you two at the Karasuki village, didn’t it?”
“Uh... I wonder about that...” Rio tried to feign ignorance, but—
“That’s a lie! That’s definitely a lie! Right, girls?!” Latifa sought agreement from Miharu and the others.
“Indeed.”
Everyone nodded in agreement. Celia had been avoiding the prying questioning, but she took the chance to nod along with them. Thus, an encircling net of questions was laid around Rio within moments.
“I-It’s a private matter.” Rio averted his eyes guiltily.
“See! Something happened! That answer means something happened!” Latifa glared at Rio.
“Spare me...” Rio groaned, at a complete loss. Thus, the time before the banquet was filled with a barrage of questions from the girls.
◇ ◇ ◇
Finally, the banquet was upon them, and it was to take place in the large dining room in the village town hall.
“Listen up, everyone! There’ll be no stiff greetings tonight. We drink, and we talk! Cheers!” Dominic raised his glass with enough momentum to splash the ceiling. Of course, he wasn’t tall enough to actually reach the ceiling...
“Cheers!”
Glasses were raised across the room, accompanied by cheering voices. Rio also raised his glass and tapped it against Miharu’s, Celia’s, Aishia’s, Latifa’s, Sara’s, Orphia’s, and Alma’s.
“Cheers, everyone!” Dryas skipped over and clinked her glass against them all one by one.
“Latifa! Rio! Sara...and everyone else!”
“Ah, it’s Vera and Arslan!”
Latifa’s close friend—and Sara’s little sister—Vera came up to them, waving her hands enthusiastically. Behind her was the lion werebeast, Arslan, and the chief warrior of the village, Uzuma.
“Long time no see, everyone!” Vera’s silver wolf tail wagged happily as she greeted them.
“It’s been so long, Vera!”
“Yes! I’ve missed you so much!”
The two girls hugged each other, rejoicing in their reunion. Arslan shot them an exasperated look before turning to Rio.
“Hey, Rio.”
“It’s good to see you again, Arslan. And you too, Uzuma.”
“Yes, I’m glad to see you in good health, Lord Rio.”
“You too, Uzuma. Although Aki and Masato stayed behind in Strahl...” Rio said.
“We heard about that last time Sara and the others returned. Masato still owes me that sparring match. Ugh...” Arslan muttered, disappointed.
“Masato wanted to see you too, Arslan. It might take some time, but I’ll figure out a way to bring them here again someday.”
“Please do.”
“Leave it to me.” Rio nodded. He then looked over at Gouki and the others from Yagumo, who were waiting a few meters away. “Hold on, I’m going to say hello to Gouki.”
He started walking, but—
“Ah, we’ll come too.”
The others who were listening to the conversation followed behind him.
“Will you allow me to make a toast to you all?” Rio checked over his shoulder for the people following him, then started talking to the group by raising his glass.
“Of course!” Gouki replied with delight, having been waiting for Rio to approach them.
“Cheers.”
Rio and Gouki tapped their glasses together as the others present raised theirs.
Gouki gulped down the contents of his drink and started chatting merrily. “This is such a nice banquet, isn’t it? I enjoy a good banquet wherever I go. And the alcohol in this village is superb! I was surprised to see they had Yagumo drinks as well.”
“The dwarves probably made it. There’s no one in this village who appreciates a good drink more than them.”
“So it seems! I have confidence in my ability to hold a drink, so I was shocked when the high-ranking dwarves of this village all turned out to be heavy drinkers.”
“It sounds like you adapted to the village well.”
“Only thanks to you, Sir Rio. Things were really tense until your name came up.”
“This village has always been extremely hesitant about accepting humans... But how did my name come up?”
“We figured if we came across this village on our way to Strahl, then there was a chance you did as well. There was no guarantee, but I believed it was possible you stopped on your way and asked them.”
And it was worth the attempt.
“I see.”
“This village is full of experienced warriors, including Lady Uzuma over there. With the disadvantage in location and numbers, there’s no doubt we would have been captured if we responded wrongly.” Gouki laughed heartily with a glance at Uzuma. “That aside, I want to hear your tales too, Sir Rio. Komomo and Sayo have been wanting to speak as well. May they join in?”
The two girls had been restlessly listening to the conversation beside them, so Gouki glanced over and sought permission from Rio to include them.
“Sure. And I’d prefer it if you didn’t worry about formalities like that, truly. It’s in the past, so please forget my mother’s status,” Rio requested with a frown.
“That’s a rather difficult request... But I understand. You heard him, come join the convo. There’ll be no standing on ceremony tonight.” Gouki beckoned them over.
“My little sister and my friends have been wanting to talk to the three of you as well,” Rio said, looking at Latifa and the others behind him.
“Oh, what an honor. I previously heard that you have an adopted sister, so it’s a pleasure to finally meet Lady Latifa in person. As mentioned earlier, I am Gouki Saga, former guard to Rio’s late mother, Lady Ayame.” Gouki bowed his head low before Latifa, extending his deep loyalty to her as well.
Latifa stiffened at the strong display of respect towards her, then bobbed her head with a polite curtsy. “Ah ha ha... I’m not related by blood to Onii-chan’s mom or dad, so there’s no need to be so formal. My name’s Latifa. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Blood connections are irrelevant when it comes to Sir Rio’s little sister. May I ask how old you are? At a glance, you seem to be the same age as Komomo...”
“Umm, I’m thirteen.”
“I see. That makes you one year older than Komomo.” Gouki glanced at his daughter.
“Wow, really? Let’s get to know each other, Komomo!”
“Yes, Lady Latifa.” Komomo gave a cute smile and energetic reply to Latifa’s greeting.
“There’s no need to call me that. I don’t want to be called a ‘lady’ by someone my age, and we’re only one year apart... Right? There’s no need for titles.” Latifa looked embarrassed.
Komomo hesitantly looked between Gouki and Rio. “But you are Sir Rio’s sister...”
“I want to become friends with you... Do you not want to be friends?” Latifa cocked her head uneasily, watching Komomo’s expression. Social status and position were barriers to forming friendships. For the daughter of an established warrior who was trained in etiquette, social standing was an important matter. It was a difficult issue to address, but...
“I would like to ask the same of you, Komomo,” Rio requested.
“Umm...” Komomo was in clear conflict with herself.
“The people in question are saying this themselves. It wouldn’t hurt to agree to a friendship in this case.” Gouki smiled gently and gave his permission. He felt a slight objection himself, but he was capable of considering the circumstances and adapting to them.
Komomo took a long, deep breath and said Latifa’s name nervously. “Then... Latifa...?”
“Yup! Please be good to me, Komomo!”
“...Of course!”
The two exchanged friendly smiles.
“Let me introduce my friends to you next! Do you know them already? This is Vera, and beside her is Arslan.” Latifa pulled Komomo by the hand and led her over to where Vera and Arslan were behind Miharu and Sara’s group. Thus, the younger ones began mingling with each other.
“Thank you very much, Sir Rio,” Gouki said.
Rio shook his head pleasantly. “It was nothing.”
“If I may ask something I’ve been curious about—are you from the Yagumo region, Lady Miharu?” Gouki asked.
Black was the typical hair color in Yagumo. The facial structure of the Yagumo people also resembled that of Eurasian people on Earth, and they had similar skin tones to those of Asian people. A Japanese person would blend in with them rather naturally, making Gouki’s misunderstanding of Miharu understandable.
“No, Miharu’s circumstances are a little special... Have you heard of how there are heroes from other worlds being summoned in the Strahl region recently?”
“Yes...”
Either he didn’t understand the words, or he understood the words but couldn’t process them, as Gouki nodded awkwardly with a blank look. Kayoko, Sayo, Shin, and the other servants all looked similarly puzzled beside him.
“Well, it is confusing.”
Rio exchanged a look with Miharu and chuckled.
“It may be hard to believe, but I came here from another world.”
“Does that mean...Lady Miharu is one of those heroes?”
“No, I’m not a hero...”
“Miharu’s friend is the hero. Miharu was dragged into that friend’s summoning and ended up in this world,” Rio added as explanation.
“Haruto saved us when we wandered into this world without a clue,” Miharu further explained.
“Haruto...?” Gouki cocked his head at the unfamiliar name.
“Oh, I’m sorry! By Haruto, I mean...” Miharu had used the name ‘Haruto’ out of reflex, but when she realized Gouki and the others didn’t recognize it, she apologized in a fluster.
“It’s the name I’m using in the Strahl region.” Rio was used to speaking his explanation, having done so many times now.
“S-Sorry...”
“Don’t worry, I was going to explain it to Gouki anyway.”
“Why did you need to change your name...?” Gouki asked, sensing that there must be a reason from Rio’s expression.
“The truth is...I was once falsely accused of a crime in Strahl...”
“What?!” Gouki’s voice took on a sharp tone at that revelation.
“It hasn’t caused any real inconveniences for me so far, so don’t worry about it.”
It would probably be best to explain his past life as well, but that wasn’t a topic for a cheerful banquet. Rio decided to stay silent about it for now.
“Hmm... I understand.”
Gouki nodded reluctantly. He wasn’t that easily convinced, but he didn’t want to dig into it further during an event like this.
“At any rate, that’s the reason why I don’t use the name ‘Rio’ in the Strahl region. I met Miharu while using the name ‘Haruto,’ so she’s used to calling me that. Very few people know that my real name is ‘Rio’ over there.”
“Is that so...”
“We’ve wandered away from the topic, but Miharu is most certainly from another world.”
“It’s a far-fetched story, but it’s coming from you. I have no choice but to believe it. Such sorcery must exist in the Strahl region.”
“It’s extremely ancient sorcery from the age of the gods, so it’s impossible to recreate using modern sorcery. Some ancient magic artifacts with the sorcery sealed inside all activated at once for some reason. It caused a bit of a stir in Strahl for a while. Sorcery isn’t widely used in Yagumo, so I’m sure it’s even more confusing to you. She does have the hair and facial features of someone from the Yagumo region.” Rio chuckled out of consideration for Gouki.
“Indeed. I almost mistook her for the beautiful daughter of some noble family. She reminded me of Lady Ayame in her youth—wouldn’t you agree, Kayoko?” Gouki finally broke into a beaming smile. Reminded of Ayame, he turned to his wife with a gentle look.
“Yes. My first impression of her was a well-natured young lady. She definitely resembles Lady Ayame.”
“I... I look like Haruto’s mother?” Miharu blushed.
“Lady Ayame had long hair as well. It was a glossy black like Lady Miharu’s, and the length was exactly the same too. Hmm.”
Gouki retold his memories enthusiastically, not noticing the change in Miharu’s reaction. However, Kayoko, Sayo, and all the female servants including Aoi picked up on it.
“Is that...so...” Miharu touched her own hair with a face like a blushing maiden.
“Ha ha ha, sorry for doing all the talking.”
“Not at all, I wanted to listen to you from the beginning.”
“If you only learned of us after arriving at the village, then that’s only natural. It’s much better speaking directly than having things explained by hearsay. That’s why we only asked for the bare minimum of updates about you from Lady Sara and her friends. Pardon my enthusiasm.”
“Many things happened after I left Yagumo...”
“I can imagine. You have many people with you as well.”
“Yes.”
“Be that as it may... There are so many interesting people around Sir Rio, it renders me speechless. That’s right. You also said Lady Celia was your teacher?” Gouki looked around at the people near Rio warmly, then focused on Celia, who hadn’t been brought up yet.
“I’m not that great of a teacher, but I did instruct Rio up until he was twelve years old.”
“Which would be four or five years ago, hmm? But you appear, ah, a little young for that? I’d say you seem to be the same age as Sir Rio...” He actually found her to look even younger than Rio, but he chose his words carefully.
“Celia’s only five years apart in age from me,” Rio said, calling Celia’s name without a title.
“Oh? And that’s why you seem close?” Gouki hummed in great interest seeing them speak to one another. Kayoko also looked at Celia with a glint in her eye. Meanwhile, Sayo was watching Miharu and Celia with an entranced gaze.
Lady Sara’s group, Lady Miharu, and Lady Celia are all beautiful people... And so is Lady Aishia standing right beside Sir Rio.
Her face had fallen completely at the sight of all the girls around Rio. They were all like princesses—fundamentally different from her, an ordinary village girl. Rio was just as wonderful as he had been before, but would he even spare a glance at her now that he was surrounded by all these lovely women?
Those were the woes tormenting Sayo. At the same time, she felt even more embarrassed for confessing her feelings to him before he left the Yagumo region.
“...”
Shin looked between Sayo and Rio in silent displeasure.
“As for Lady Aishia... I can feel something extraordinary in her aura.” Gouki took notice of Aishia’s beauty and impenetrable guard. From that, he could guess that she possessed exceptional abilities as well.
“I’m not surprised you noticed. Aishia is very strong.”
“Oho... I did hear that Lady Aishia is a high-ranked spirit like Lady Dryas. And that she has a contract with you, Sir Rio...”
“She slept within me for a long time due to the contract.”
“So she was asleep when you first came to Yagumo.”
“Yes. She woke up after I parted ways with everyone and arrived back in Strahl. We’ve been together since then.”
“Haruto’s always taking care of me,” Aishia said when Rio looked at her.
“I should be saying that,” Rio replied. “Aishia’s saved me many times now.”
He introduced her to Gouki and the others.
“Ha ha ha, you seem to be great friends. With everyone else, as well... Perhaps that—or the fact you accomplished your greatest desire—is the reason why your aura seems to have changed, Sir Rio.” Gouki smiled at Rio and Aishia, then looked around at Miharu, Celia, Sara, Orphia, Alma, and Latifa as he spoke.
“If so, that’s definitely thanks to everyone else. I wouldn’t have changed if I were by myself. The only thing that would have changed after I got my revenge would be to shut myself off more.”
“You were blessed with meeting a great number of people,” Gouki said earnestly, seeing Rio express his feelings honestly.
“I truly was,” Rio agreed with a gentle smile. The girls listening to the conversation around them blushed in response.
No no, you really have changed. The shadow hanging over you has weakened a lot. Boys can change so fast, if you blink you’ll miss it, Gouki thought in awe. There was still a faint shadow over him, but he no longer rejected the people entering his space.
“That aside, are you free to discuss the matter of becoming my retainers right now?” Rio said, bringing up the earlier topic.
“O-Ooh. Of course!” Gouki nodded immediately. He didn’t have a bad feeling about it thanks to the flow of their previous conversation, so his voice was lively with expectation.
“In the end, I don’t think I can become anyone’s master. All the more so for wonderful people like you and your wife. And so, I cannot say that I will employ you as my retainers, but...” Rio trailed off, taking a breath to prepare himself. He fixed his gaze on Gouki and said, “If you don’t mind, would you like to travel together without becoming my servants? We won’t be together constantly, but at least for some of the time.”
“What does that mean, exactly...?” Gouki asked nervously, unsure of how to interpret those words.
“Like a friend, a comrade, family... I’d like to get along with you on close terms like that. That’s why I won’t give you or your people any orders. Of course, you can return to the Karasuki Kingdom whenever you wish, and you’re free to move separately for any periods of time. How does that sound...?”
“G-Goodness me... You want to interact with us not as servants, but as family?” Gouki bit down on his lip, his body trembling.
“It may not be the answer you wanted, but...is it an acceptable alternative? If you insist on becoming servants, then you may reject the idea.”
“N-No, I would never! We are extremely delighted to receive such deeply thoughtful consideration from you.”
Rio had emphasized that it was okay to reject him, but Gouki shook his head furiously, bowing his head low.
“I see... In that case...would that be okay with you?”
“Y-Yes! Of course, of course it would!” Gouki nodded his head over and over again. Kayoko and the other servants bowed low beside him.
“Thank goodness... I was actually thinking of visiting the Karasuki Kingdom next. I’m sorry you’ll be turning back after making it all the way here, but would you like to go together? I’m sure you’re worried about the people left behind too.”
A weight must have lifted from Rio’s shoulders, as he let out a sigh of relief. He informed Gouki of his intention to visit Yagumo next and invited him along.
“Oh... Oh, it would be our greatest pleasure...! We shall gladly accompany you!” Gouki bowed his head repeatedly in a dramatic gesture, expressing his happiness.
“Seems like the matter’s settled. Now let’s get drinking!”
Dominic, who had been watching over the scene nearby in wait for the right moment, raised his glass and interrupted.
“Yes, let’s. Cheers to our future.”
Rio chuckled, his expression softening as he made eye contact with Gouki, and raised his glass.
“CHEERS!”
With Dominic’s voice at the forefront, the dining hall burst into lively cheer.
◇ ◇ ◇
Nearly one hour later, at the banquet hall...
The feast was underway, and excitement was rising in the air. Alcohol had made its way into the systems of those drinking, splitting those who paced themselves from those who were drunk off their feet. Those too young for alcohol were drinking juice, but an example of one of the less drunk participants was Sayo. Her shy personality and lack of courage made her actively avoid talking to strangers.
As a result, Sayo only spoke with Gouki’s servants, but when the servants spoke to those from the spirit folk village, she would swiftly disappear behind them. Rio and the girls occasionally drew near, but she shrank back out of nervousness and kept herself at just a far enough distance to make any conversation difficult.
That naturally left her alone with her brother the entire time, and Shin’s personality made it hard for him to get along with the spirit folk villagers. This created an anti-social space with a blunt brother and shy sister within. However, Shin seemed discontented by Sayo’s inability to talk to Rio, and he frowned as he drank his alcohol.
Meanwhile, Komomo’s natural communication skills had made her the best of friends with Latifa and the others. She integrated into the childhood friends and obtained a position beside Rio, allowing her to rapidly become closer with the villagers that came to greet Rio for his return. However...
“Sir Rio, Sir Rio.” Komomo tugged at Rio’s sleeve.
“What is it, Komomo?”
“Why don’t you talk to Sayo as well? She’s been looking forward to meeting you a lot. And besides...” Komomo said, looking at Miharu, Latifa, Celia, and Sara’s group. They all looked like they wanted to talk to Sayo as well, but the incessant crowds of people coming to talk to Rio had made it difficult for them to start a conversation. They still hadn’t made any contact with her, which Komomo tactfully noticed.
“I’ve tried to do so a few times, but it seems she’s avoiding me. No... Perhaps I’ve also been avoiding her myself. I understand.”
Rio had noticed how Sayo placed herself at a distance, but the same applied for him. He gathered his resolve and decided to walk towards her.
“Eek...”
While she hadn’t come near him, Sayo had been constantly gazing at Rio the whole time, so she noticed immediately when he walked towards her. She didn’t think he was coming to talk to her at first, but when she realized he was making a beeline her way, her eyes darted around in a fluster. Eventually, they were a close enough distance to have a clear conversation with one another.
“Good evening, Shin, Sayo.”
“...’Sup.”
Shin lifted his glass up in his left hand casually, giving Rio a curt greeting.
“Do you have a moment to...”
“Shin! It’s not ‘’sup’! Sir Rio is royalty. How could you be so rude...!”
“...Aren’t you the rude one for cutting him off?” Shin pointed out with a smirk.
“I-I’m so sorry, Sir Rio!” Sayo apologized in a panic.
Rio smiled in amusement at the two of them. “It’s fine. I’d prefer it if you treated me like how you did in the village.”
“You’re such a coward. He’s saying it’s fine too, see?”
“Sh-Shin! That doesn’t mean you can forget your manners!” Sayo scolded him, worried about the gazes of Miharu and the others behind Rio.
“I’m glad to see you’re both as close as ever,” Rio said with relief. Seeing him interact with someone they didn’t know well yet made Miharu, Celia, Latifa, and the other girls listen in curiously. This made Shin notice the number of girls surrounding Rio.
“I see you’re still keeping a lot of women by your side. Who knows how many girls in the village cried because of you...” he muttered sullenly, glaring at Rio.
“Huh?” the girls all responded at once. They all perked up attentively at the mention of Rio making women cry, focusing their stares on his back.
“D-Don’t use such misleading words.” Rio broke into a cold sweat at the gazes on his back.
“Th-That’s right, Shin! Sir Rio didn’t make anyone cry! If anything, they were all delighted!”
“That phrasing has its own problems...” Rio mumbled quietly at Sayo’s indignant protest.
“Huh? He at least had you bawling your eyes out. After he rejected you and left the village,” Shin said, dropping an even bigger truth bomb.
The village girls were all...delighted?
Huh? Rio made Sayo cry?
Does that mean Sayo confessed to him?
Wha?! No one mentioned this!
The gazes on Rio’s back intensified. Latifa had led the questioning for details on Sayo before the banquet started, but Rio had used her privacy as a shield to hold his silence.
“Huh?!” Sayo’s face was red enough to catch fire.
“...”
Rio felt like he was standing on thin ice. He froze in shame, then forced a fake smile.
“Hmph.”
Shin snorted, satisfied to see Rio so uncomfortable in front of Miharu and the others.
“Sh-Shin! What are you saying?!”
Sayo snapped back to her senses and whipped around to face Shin.
“It’s the truth, isn’t it?”
“Th-That doesn’t mean you should say it in front of Sir Rio! Ah, umm, I confessed to Sir Rio before he left the village, but I was utterly rejected... S-So don’t worry! I’m sorry for acting out of line! P-Please forgive me!” Sayo confessed the truth herself out of thoughtfulness for the girls—or perhaps her strong awareness of them.
“I-It’s not something to apologize for, right?” Rio hurriedly called out to the girls, who agreed with him one awkward beat later. They were still processing the shocking revelation.
“R-Right...”
Since Sayo had admitted it herself and Rio hadn’t denied it, things must have happened as Shin described. But the circumstances of the time were still unclear. Thus, they continued watching over the outcome in confusion.
“That’s right. He’s the one who should be apologizing,” Shin jeered, gulping down his drink. His face wasn’t very red, but the alcohol might have been affecting him.
“Shin, are you drunk?! How many glasses have you had?!”
“I’m not bothered to count. And we’re talking about him right now. I’ve got something to say to him.”
“Sir Rio, I’m so sorry about this! Shin’s really drunk right now! We’ll be leaving now!” Sayo apologized in a panic, pulling at Shin’s sleeve as he tried to approach Rio.
“Shut up. Listen, when this guy left the village, he said he wouldn’t bring you. In other words, he wanted to avoid carrying dead weight like you. Yet now he’s surrounded by a ton of other women. What do you think that means? He didn’t bring you because you had no charm? Huh?” Shin glared angrily at Rio. His expression looked more sulking than irritated.
So something like that happened...? Miharu stared at Sayo as she listened.
“Hey, Shin. You know that’s not...” Gouki began as he approached to warn Shin, as he had been listening nearby. But Rio silently raised a hand to stop him.
“At that time...the reason why I rejected Sayo’s accompaniment was because I couldn’t respond to her feelings. I was about to depart on a journey for vengeance. I couldn’t say that I didn’t mind her coming along on such a trip. It’s exactly as you say—I didn’t want to bear such a burden. That feeling applied for my entire journey, but...” Rio trailed off awkwardly after saying that much, looking around at Miharu, Celia, Latifa, and everyone else.
“It’s embarrassing to say, but many things happened. Would you like to talk about it? I want to tell you what happened to me, and I want to hear about what happened to you two as well.” He looked between Shin and Sayo nervously.
“...”
Perhaps it was because Rio had responded rationally—or perhaps Shin had somewhat predicted Rio would respond rationally—but Shin refrained from making any further emotional comments and fell silent in shame.
“It’s only natural for Shin to be angry. Your beloved little sister was made light of... I have a little sister too, so I can understand.” Rio glanced at Latifa as he spoke with remorse. Then, he looked at Sayo. Sayo’s eyes were averted from Rio and the girls awkwardly, and Shin was watching her in turn.
“I’m not angry about it. Honestly, I was thinking of punching you if you pushed Sayo back at this point.”
Shin’s gaze met Sayo’s, and he frowned like a child who wanted to make friends but couldn’t be honest with himself. He probably understood that Rio hadn’t exactly done anything wrong.
When Rio left the village, Shin and Sayo learned of Rio’s background from Gouki. That’s why he wanted to be understanding of Rio’s circumstances.
Back when Rio was in the village, he gave Shin the impression of some distant young man who was oddly trying to keep people at arm’s length. Shin found that creepy, and he honestly didn’t like him. But after learning the truth, he realized that state was the most natural for Rio and felt a bit happy to be able to understand Rio better.
He had accepted Rio as a member of the village despite finding him creepy, so he was glad he learned more about Rio—even if it was the fact he had an awful past under his cool face. He also believed leaving Sayo behind was the right thing to do. If Rio had said he didn’t mind her coming along with him, Shin would have been filled with resentment, demanding he take responsibility.
However, when he saw him acting friendly with girls other than Sayo after rejecting her and leaving the village... As an older brother, Shin was driven by the urge to give Rio a piece of his mind, which was why he’d spoken so harshly to him. But Rio was the one to approach them, saying he wanted to talk to them...
The truth was, Shin was really happy about it. He had actually worried over how to talk to Rio as royalty when they reunited, so he was happy when Rio asked him to interact as he did back in the village. But he couldn’t be honest with himself, so Shin still looked like he was sulking.
“Will you talk with me, then?” Rio asked somewhat shyly.
“...Yeah.” Shin was embarrassed as well, nodding with downcast eyes.
“Oh! I have a great idea!” Latifa raised her hand energetically. If Latifa, who could be said to make the mood of a conversation, was making a statement at a time like this, then...
“What is it, Latifa?” Miharu turned to her with a hopeful voice, sensing that something fun was about to happen.
“I understand what happened clearly. Onii-chan is a man of few words, so Sayo must have felt uneasy too. So! Sayo and Komomo should come stay at our place tonight! We can all talk together in a girls-only gathering! And Onii-chan and Shin can have their all-guys gathering!”
“Ha ha ha, what’s this? That sounds interesting. Let me join that drinking group.”
“Heh, may I participate too, then?”
At Latifa’s suggestion of such a gathering, Dominic and Gouki immediately spoke up.
“Sounds interesting.”
“Well, why not?”
Rio and Shin were also on board with it.
“That aside, Shin. I warned you so many times to watch your behavior around Sir Rio, yet in the end...” Gouki shot Shin a disappointed look, but didn’t criticize him further in consideration of Rio’s wishes.
“Wh-What? He said he didn’t mind.” Shin flinched as he made a feeble excuse.
“You’re still meant to show respect, fool.”
“It’s fine, it’s fine,” Rio said to Gouki in a fluster.
Thus, the lively night continued.
◇ ◇ ◇
Another hour passed, and the banquet continued to go smoothly. Those who maintained their drinking pace and the few who didn’t drink much had opened up to each other in excitement.
The all-guys and all-girls parties were still to be held after the banquet, but that didn’t make it unnecessary to interact with others before then. Thus, in a corner of the dining hall, the residents of the stone house and the Yagumo group gathered together to share drinks with those they’d be living together with. The elders joined them.
Shin was completely drunk and red-faced as he happily bickered with Rio; Sayo clearly wasn’t as stiff as she had been at first. She’d relaxed enough to enjoy her alcohol in a calm manner.
When the drink in her glass ran out, Sayo quietly stood up to leave. People got up every now and again to get more food and drinks, so it wasn’t a particularly conspicuous action. However...
“Hey, Sayo. Where are you going? Wasn’t there more you wanted to say to this guy?” Shin spotted her trying to go and called out to her, grabbing Rio around the shoulder.
“Sh-Shin...! I’m going to get a drink and some fresh air.” Sayo bobbed her head up and down in apology to Rio before trying to leave.
“I’m going to get a drink too.” Miharu gazed at Sayo’s back, then excused herself to Aishia beside her and followed Sayo. Then, she gathered her courage and called out to her. “Sayo.”
“L-Lady Miharu? C-Can I help you?” The unexpected call from an unexpected person made Sayo reply nervously.
“Umm, you can leave off the ‘Lady,’” Miharu said with a frown.
“I-I can’t do that.” Sayo was merely accompanying Gouki’s family as an apprentice servant. They saw Rio as their master, so his friends were also in a position requiring respect.
“Then, if you could at least use ‘Miss’ instead.”
“I’ll... I’ll do my best.”
“I’m sorry for surprising you. I was hoping we could talk alone for a bit.”
“With me?” Sayo blinked blankly after hearing Miharu’s reason for calling out to her.
“It’s, well...about Haruto...”
“I-I’m sorry. I didn’t know Sir Rio was royalty at the time, but I should have known my place,” Sayo apologized earnestly, having guessed at what Miharu wanted.
“E-Err... There’s nothing for you to apologize for, I think? I’m not sure what to do with such an apology...” Miharu looked confused at the unnecessary display of reverence and fear.
“U-Umm... I’m sorry...” Sayo apologized again.
“Heh... Hee hee.” Miharu giggled.
“I-Is something the matter?”
“Err, I was just thinking about how similar we are...”
“Me...and you...?” Sayo cocked her head blankly. In her eyes, Miharu appeared so graceful, her good upbringing clear unlike her village-born self. Above all, she was extremely cute. She couldn’t see any similarities.
“Yes. I heard you told Haruto your feelings for him when he was leaving your village...”
“R-Really?” Sayo was still confused, not understanding how that could be a reason for their similarity.
“Umm, the truth is...I’ve also told Haruto my feelings before...” Miharu said, coming out to Sayo about what had happened during the Galarc banquet.
“I-Is that so?”
“Yes. Because of that, Haruto nearly distanced himself from me... So I thought we were similar.”
“B-But Sir Rio said you were allowed to stay with him, right?”
“That’s because, well... In my case, I was too stubborn to give up... And Ai-chan helped me out a lot...”
At the time, she had just learned that Rio was Amakawa Haruto, but reborn, and couldn’t sit still about it. She failed to suppress her emotions and pressed through with her persistence. When she looked back on it now, she felt truly embarrassed about it—enough for her face to gradually redden. Of course, she didn’t regret it at all, but...
“But if Ai-chan hadn’t helped me, I would have been pushed away, just like you. That’s how strong Haruto’s determination was. It made me realize just how heavy the weight he felt in this world was...”
He couldn’t abandon his identity as Rio and live as Amakawa Haruto. That’s why he couldn’t give up on his thirst for revenge—that was what Rio once told Miharu.
He had his life and relationships that he had built up as Rio. She couldn’t deny that identity of his. And now that she knew how heavy his burdens were by growing up as Rio, Miharu couldn’t demand that he remain as Amakawa Haruto. She had no intention of asking that of him.
However, despite that, she was still in love with Rio. She was still in love with Haruto. Because she had reached that answer for herself, Miharu told Rio that she wanted to stay with him. By telling this to Sayo now, Miharu recalled that feeling. Furthermore, this journey could lead them to Rio’s roots; that was the feeling Miharu had after meeting Sayo and the others Rio had built relationships with as Rio.
“Is that so...”
Sayo gazed at Miharu in empathy, and Miharu gazed back in turn. She felt an indescribable feeling of sympathy after listening to Sayo’s story. As someone who had also confessed her feelings and was nearly pushed away for it, Miharu couldn’t help but call out to Sayo. Like that, a silence fell over them, creating a shared space that only the two of them occupied.
“Err, as for why I suddenly called out to you... I wanted to talk to you about a few things...” Miharu faltered, trying to continue what she was saying. “And I was hoping we could be friends.” She ended with a shy smile.
“If you don’t mind someone like me, then...” Sayo nodded eagerly.
“Then let’s get along, Sayo.”
“Y-Yes, La... Miss Miharu.” Sayo was about to say “Lady,” but mustered up her courage and dropped the title.
“Oh, no fair! These two are sharing an intimate moment alone!” Latifa ran over to Miharu and Sayo, having left the group for a drink.
“I was just asking her to drop the “Lady” title and talk to me like a friend. And we discussed Haruto a little. I’ll tell you later, Latifa.” Miharu giggled.
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