Published at 20th of February 2020 3:26 pm

Volume 6, Chapter 76 – Regret

This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml

Translated by: Reiji

Luka who was on a high place far away was waving his hand.

I wanted to complain why he was going outside, but seeing his happy face made me unable to say anything.

Aria-san was smiling.

「Luka-kun, he is really attached to Lyle isn’t he?」

「He’s a good boy. But, it’s dangerous there. We have to tell him to go back. That watchtower is rotten so it’s dangerous.」

He was far away so I couldn’t hear what he was saying. I could see how his whole body was radiating happiness. But, the place he was at was bad.

I was worried that the watchtower would crumble and he would get injured.

「Hey, why are you taking care of that boy?」

Aria-san’s frank question made me troubled of how to answer, but I smiled slightly and replied.

「Because he’s a relative.」

「Eh, is that so?」

「No, I just thought that it’d be great if that’s the case.」

「What’s with that?」

I apologized to the pouting Aria-san while turning my gaze towards Luka. I asked various things to Aria-san, but it seemed the battle was mostly over.

「What’s left is only to investigate whether there’s any monsters remaining inside the town. I’ll gather people right away.」

It would be dangerous if there were monsters remaining inside the town.

「……I’ll do the investigation.」

「That’ll be a great help. Everyone is already at their limit after all.」

I knew that just from looking at Aria-san’s tired expression. The surroundings was also excited by the victory, but there were also a lot of injured people.

「I’ll send other people if I find anything like that. I’m also at my li──」

When I was thinking that it was easy due to the convenient Arts, I found one red dot within the map in my head.

「──E, eh?」

「What’s wrong?」

「No, there is one reaction……but this reaction……」

「Is it a small fry? The Griffon and Hippogriffs are defeated, so it’s a relief.」

The slowly moving dot was bothering me.

「All the Hippogriffs are defeated aren’t they?」

「Yes, that’s right. Each gate defeated one of them, and Miranda defeated two in total. It seems that Lionel defeated the remaining one inside the town though……somehow it feels unbelievable.」

I wondered why that guy was so twisted unlike Luka.

The red dot on the map that I checked was slowly approaching a blue dot.

That place was the watchtower where Luka was at no matter how I considered it──

I separated myself from Aria-san, then I started running.

「Wait, what’s the matter Lyle!?」

A yell came from the Jewel.

『Lyle! Hurry and save Luka!』

When I thought whose voice it was, it was the Second’s voice.

At the distance I could see the figure of Luka who climbed the watchtower.

Approaching the high place was a Hippogriff with one wing. Even though it was in a terrible state, the Hippogriff that showed up at that high ground was directing its gaze towards Luka.

「……Lionel, that guy didn’t finish it off!」

Displeasure towards Lionel was welling up one after another while I was running. My legs wouldn’t move like I wanted them to. My body was terribly heavy.

In a stroke of bad luck, there wasn’t anyone around Luka. There wasn’t anyone who could save him.

「──!」

The worst result flashed in my mind.

The place where Luka was at was also bad. There wasn’t anywhere to escape to above the watchtower. It was too high to jump down from. If he was wounded doing that he wouldn’t be able to move. Even before that──Luka still hadn’t noticed the enemy.

「──Run」

Aria-san ran towards me with a worried look.

「Lyle, really what’s going on!?」

「Run! Luka, run away from there!」

I squeezed out my voice as loud as possible, but Luka couldn’t possibly hear it. Perhaps because he was high spirited, he didn’t notice the Hippogriff approaching from behind.

The Hippogriff that was slowly approaching Luka was certainly the Hippogriff that I fought. Lionel should have finished it off.

It wasn’t a distance that could be closed just by doing my best.

My feet stopped.

It seemed Aria-san also noticed the situation. She looked towards the high ground and her face went pale.

「No way……because, they said all had been defeated.」

When Aria-san used her Art to head there, it seemed pain rushed through her body and she crouched down on the spot. The people who noticed the abnormality were gathering.

「Someone hurry to that watchtower! A Hippogriff is approaching that kid!」

The soldiers rushed there in panic, but surely they wouldn’t make it in time.

I who understood the situation correctly──understood well that it would be too late at this rate.

My hand reached towards the Jewel in habit──I clenched my hand without grasping it.

I hesitated.

The Second who noticed my feelings called to me. His voice was slightly shaking.

『Lyle──you understand right?』

I clenched my left hand and looked down.

『You, actually can use my Art can’t you? It’s this range. If it’s with my Art then you’ll absolutely make it in time. Besides, if a weapon appears just like with Oyaji then──』

I felt like tears would spill out.

.

It felt like a long time ago.

The oldest memory I had was around when I was ten years old.

I had the memory of my parents being kind to me, but it was hazy and I couldn’t remember when it was. I had family, I had grandparents──I had vague memories of being cherished.

My clear memory was starting from when I was shut inside my own room.

There was a lot of books inside the room. There was also a warm bed. There were even meals brought to me.

But, no one would involve themselves with me.

I once tried talking to the servant who brought me my meals.

「Tha, thank you.」

I said those words thinking that I should try grasping any kind of chance. When I was ten years old, I thought that I was receiving that kind of treatment because I was in the wrong.

The female servant looked down in despise at me who said that.

She kicked the trolley that had the meal placed on it and the food spilled on the corridor.

「──Eh?」

「My apologies. It spilled.」

The servant said that and left. After that she didn’t bring me new food.

I wondered whether I had done something wrong.

I was ignored even when I gave greeting. I was glared at when I called out to someone.

Even though the scene of the mansion in my memory was warm, the reality was harsh.

I was jealous of Celes──my little sister having meals together with my parents. I desperately pondered of how to insert myself into that circle too. I went out to the garden and swung my sword in order to get recognized.

I also worked hard in practicing magic.

But, no one in the mansion would recognize me.

Even the gardener Zel who saved me didn’t have any contact with me at that time, I also had never met him. But, thinking back it might be Zel who cleaned up the part of the garden that I messed up.

When I returned to my room with a tired body, the servants would gather and talk.

「Aa, Celes-sama is truly precious.」

「She is really beautiful. But in exchange of that」

「I wonder why the eldest son is this hopeless. He is a disgrace to the Walt House.」

They intentionally talked like that when I passed beside them.

I couldn’t stand it.

Even so, one day. If I worked hard then surely. My effort would be rewarded. I continued to believe that.

I was living in a big mansion.

But, I was allowed to only use my room and the garden. In addition, when my family was in the garden I would get told that I was in the way and was forbidden from leaving the room.

Thinking back now, I was living in a terribly narrow world.

Sword and magic. And then the books inside the room. My livelihood revolved only around those things.

Clothes and necessary stuff were prepared for me. Perhaps that was something to be grateful about, but I was envious of Celes who was given dresses and various other things from my parents.

How long did I continue to struggle in the mansion where no one would look at me? How much did I work hard? However, even such effort was meaningless before Celes.

I was defeated by Celes who was only holding a sword and ended up getting driven out.

My parents didn’t look at me from the start.

I ended up getting sick of everything. It felt like everything was pointless……it was at such a time.

The annoying them──the ancestors appeared.

I was also happy that Novem would stay at my side. It was also fun traveling with a lot of people.

Honestly, I also didn’t hate my interaction with Shannon.

Miranda-san also had a troubling side to her but……she was looking at me. It was embarrassing and I didn’t know what to do. But, I didn’t hate it.

Quarreling with people was scary and it made me want to run away. Was it because I didn’t want to be hated?

Even so the problem was the ancestors.

They were really noisy and didn’t have any reservation. Perhaps that was why I was also able to show them my own self without dressing up anything.

If they complained then I’d retort back.

Such relationship was really pleasant for me.

But, when the First vanished.

I realized that this situation──wouldn’t continue forever.

The ancestors would vanish after teaching me their Art.

That’s……too lonely.

.

『Lyle!』

The Second’s voice pulled me back to my senses.

『Listen well. You have the strength to solve this dilemma. I want you to save Luka. Hey, you can do it already right? Until now, you intentionally failed right?』

Slowly, I grasped the Jewel with my trembling left hand.

「──Because, that’s just too lonely. Something like Art is sufficient as it is, rather than that I’m!」

Aria-san wrung out her words in frustration.

「Lyle, sorry. I……can’t go to save him.」

……It was impossible for the completely exhausted Aria-san. In fact, she was in anguish since just now because her body couldn’t endure using her Art.

Luka’s smile floated in my mind.

At the same time, the figure of the Second hugging Dewy also came to mind.

『Hey, I’m begging you, Lyle. I──don’t want to see a kid die for the second time. I want that kid to live. It’s my selfishness.』

My body trembled.

The Second let his son who looked similar to Luka to die. I understood how he was regretting that even now.

『I didn’t make it in time. Because I broke my promise, my son died. I regretted it all this time even now. Are you going to shoulder the same regret like me?』

When I lifted my face, it was when Luka finally noticed the abnormality.

.

──Luka saw how the soldiers at the wall were saying something towards him.

「……Me?」

When he looked around, he saw a Hippogriff that lost a wing and a front leg was dragging its body to approach this watchtower while blood was trickling from its mouth. He didn’t notice before this even though it had approached until this near.

Luka felt scared and fell on his butt on the watchtower.

「Hih!」

The Hippogriff was looking pained, even so it gazed at Luka with hatred and put its front leg on the watchtower. The rotten wood easily broke. Luka clung on the tilting watchtower.

The Hippogriff was turning its large mouth towards Luka who was sliding down and almost slipped off.

「So, someone……save me, dad!」

He asked for help from his father who had died.

Luka’s crying voice resounded from the high ground──

.

I could hear Luka’s voice crying for help.

It was the voice of a son asking for help from his father.

『Are you okay with this!? I absolutely can’t forgive this. Absolutely! What need is there in hesitating? You can do this. You can save Luka! That kid is asking for help from you!』

──That’s right. I can do it. I can do it but.

『Stop weighing a dead guy with a living human! We’re already dead. Inside this Jewel is only memories. We’re just something like dregs! That kid has a future. He is still that young. That kid will experience many happy and painful things from here on. He is different from us!』

The Second’s enraged voice changed into a frail one.

『……Hey, Lyle. Please. Grant this selfish wish of mine. I don’t want, to see a kid die anymore. I don’t want to see it.』

Tears overflowed. I couldn’t stop it anymore.

I took off the Jewel in my left hand’s grasp as though to tear it away. Then the chain stretched out straight. It stretched out with the Jewel as the center to left and right──no, to up and down. The metal became liquid and swelled up.

「Wait, Lyle what are you──」

I slowly parted from Aria-san, and then I looked at the shape of the silver weapon in my left hand.

It was a “bow”. A silver bow with a trace of the bow of the Second.

However, it had no string.

The blue light from the Jewel intensified.

The silver bow materialized a bowstring of blue light. When I pinched it with my fingers and pulled, light was produced and created the shape of an arrow. At first the shape was vague, but it gradually obtained clear and precise shape.

It was an arrow of light.

「I won’t reach at this distance.」

When I muttered that, the bow changed its shape in order to accomplish its master’s objective. The bow became bigger and changed shape into a longbow.

The bow grew to a size that surpassed my height. The arrow also became bigger. I aimed with the arrow that was created from magic light towards the Hippogriff faraway.

The Second’s third stage──the Art’s last stage was Select.

After I fixed my aim at the faraway Hippogriff, I was able to see magic circle marks assigned.

「Lyle, are you crying?」

I couldn’t answer Aria-san’s question.

I gritted my teeth.

I could hear the Second’s kind voice.

『Lyle, you’re a kind child. ……Thank you.』

「──!」

My fingers let go. Then, the arrow charged forward in a straight line toward the Hippogriff with terrific speed.

Both Luka and the Hippogriff didn’t notice it.

The Hippogriff opened its mouth largely and waited for Luka to fall from the watchtower. The watchtower was crumbling and Luka could fall down anytime.

After a slight delay, the hippogriff’s head burst open. Even the cloud was broken through and a gaping wide hole was opened from that part in a wide range.

Seeing that Aria-san was,

「──Amazing.」

Cheers came from the surroundings.

My hands fell down limply. The bow returned to the shape of the Jewel──a necklace. I tightly grasped the Jewel.

……The Second’s presence was vanishing.

I crouched down and clasped the Jewel with both hands and pressed it on my chest.

「I’m……sorry. I’m sorry.」

I cried while apologizing. The Second’s kind voice came to me.

.

──Lyle’s anguished apologizing voice could be heard.

「I’m……sorry. I’m sorry.」

The Second saw Luka falling from the watchtower on his butt. He was shocked because in front of him the Hippogriff’s head was blown away and it collapsed. The surroundings was also relieved that he wasn’t injured.

Seeing that, blue light particles were emitted from the Second’s body while he recalled the scene of that day. That scene overlapped with Lyle and Luka.

He imagined himself being able to come running under the rain before Dewy died.

He called out to the crying Lyle.

『Idiot. It’s me who should apologize. Lyle, thank you very much.』

The Third stood up from his chair and extended his hand while watching the Second’s vanishing body.

『──Tou-san.』

The Second’s body was enveloped in light.

『Even though that Oyaji could remain for several days, this is as far as I can go. Sleigh, I’ll leave the rest to you. I’m counting on you guys too. Lyle is……a good kid.』

The Fourth nodded a bit.

『No need to worry. Lyle will be fine.』

The Fifth scratched his head.

『He accomplished a Griffon subjugation. He’s a splendid man of the Walt House. ……There is nothing to worry about.』

The Sixth was smiling.

『Second──don’t worry about the rest. After all, we’re staying with him.』

The Seventh looked at the Second’s face.

『Being able to face the house head of previous generations like this is also a strange story. But, Lyle is fortunate. After all he is able to learn the true feelings of the First and the Second while he is alive.』

The Second smiled in embarrassment.

『……Then, that’s good. Both me and Oyaji were small feudal lords. I was especially plain and didn’t leave behind anything memorable. Even so, I’m happy if Lyle could take in something from us. I wanted, to teach him more things that can be of use.』

The crying voice of Lyle could be heard.

The Second──Crassel looked at Luka’s state.

His figure who was saved in a hair’s breadth overlapped with Dewy’s figure.

『Lyle……you will be fine if it’s you. You’re even more splendid than me. I’m really glad……to be able to meet you.』

He was able to see the face of his descendant from a distant future.

He was able to see Luka──a kid who looked exactly like his own son getting saved.

Lyle had properly……made his resolve.

The Second was vanishing.

He became particles of blue light, and at the end he left behind his words.

『I’m plain like this till the end. I wish that I could vanish coolly like Oyaji──』

Another one vanished from the room of the round table.

The chair where the Second sat also vanished, and the door behind it also vanished.

A silver bow manifested.

It was floating just like the silver great sword.

Inside the room of the round table, at the spot where the Second sat, a beautiful silver bow appeared──

.

After the victory.

The whole town was filled with furor.

Alcohol and food were served. The surviving soldiers and knights made merry.

After making a speech and proclaiming our victory, I left the venue. Under the cold sky, I looked up to the night sky with a blanket covering my body.

The moon was pretty.

Even though cold was seeping into my body, somewhere inside I felt uncaring.

I climbed on the building’s rooftop and spent time alone. The voices of my allies making merry at the party could be heard.

Eva-san was singing her song among the high-spirited voices.

Even though it looked to be really fun, I didn’t wish to join in.

On such a rooftop, I heard the sound of footsteps coming up the ladder.

It was Aria-san.

Her body was bandaged here and there and she had the smell of medicine coming from her body. That was how much she had worked hard.

Sophia-san apparently fainted and she was sleeping right now. Miranda-san too seemed unable to really move for today.

Novem was treating the wounded. Monica was helping.

Shannon……she was joining the party. That girl was always in freedom.

Clara-san was also helping Novem and also taking care of the paperwork that I asked her to do, so actually I also should work. But, I couldn’t make the motivation to do so.

「You will catch a cold if you stay at this kind of place.」

Aria-san brought warm soup. She held two cups. It seemed the soup she brought was entered into a canteen.

She poured the soup into the cups and handed one to me.

「Here. It’s hot so be careful.」

「……Thank you.」

Aria-san who sat beside me also drank the warm soup.

When I took a sip, it felt like warmth was seeping into my cold body.

「I don’t know what happened but, what’s the matter with you today? You suddenly cried and collapsed in the middle so I was worried.」

After that. After saving Luka, I was carried up by Aria-san.

She must be worried because my condition was strange.

I felt like I had done something bad.

「Well, it was because of various things……really, thank you so much for today. It was a great help.」

「If you don’t want to say then it’s also fine. Both Novem and Miranda also don’t look like they really want to press the question so I also won’t ask.」

It would take a bit of time to explain what happened. For me right now that was tiresome.

「Those two mentioned something like that?」

「Yeah. Eva seems like she wanted to ask various things but, Novem warned her, telling her to endure. While Sophia is in that condition so she might not even know. She was reeling on her feet, so I wiped her body and let her sleep. Come to think of it, Sophia’s breasts are getting──」

Aria-san continued searching for a topic to somehow keep the conversation going and she began talking about Sophia-san. But even if she told a man like me how her breasts were getting bigger or how when she carried her those big breasts were──I could only smile wryly hearing those.

Perhaps Aria-san herself thought that it was bad. Her face was red and she averted her gaze shamefully.

「So, sorry. I unconsciously got into my usual mood.」

Was that the mood between fellow women?

Thinking of that, Aria-san too had really become like a female adventurer. I didn’t know whether it was a good thing, but she had become reliable.

I looked up to the moon.

Come to think of it, after the First vanished I was also looking up at the moon with Aria-san like this.

At that time I said something and got slapped, by the reason of that was still a mystery.

It seemed the ancestors knew the reason, but they wouldn’t tell me.

Let’s try to ask someone about it after this.

「……Somehow you seem sad. You don’t look happy even though you’ve defeated a Griffon.」

「I’m thinking that the price for it was big.」

「It’s impossible to do it without any damage. A knight who fought together with me told me, that it’s a miracle we won against a Griffon with this number.」

It was a miracle with tricks and preparations behind it.

From my point of view it was a fight that could be won. But the Second was lost from such a fight.

……Actually I should finish my farewell with him properly.

I was unable to see the Second’s face at the end.

I also had the feeling of wanting to resent someone.

But, who should I resent? Lionel who was unable to finish off the Hippogriff? Monica who left her post? Or perhaps Luka who went outside?

I was also in the same boat when it came to not finishing off the Hippogriff.

Monica changed her priority because she sensed danger to me. The result of that was Luka rushing out of the evacuation site, but it was no use even if I blamed that.

Should I blame Luka? But the Second wouldn’t wish for something like that.

In the end, there wouldn’t be any problem if I properly learned the Art from the Second and had a proper farewell with him.

It was my bad for postponing the farewell so simple-mindedly.

While I was looking down and thinking, there was a sound of a cup falling.

When I noticed Aria-san was leaning her head on my shoulder while sleeping soundly. She must be tired.

I put a blanket on Aria-san and then carried her on my back.

「……Aria-san, she is warm.」

I felt the warmth on my back while going down from the rooftop. I brought Aria-san to where everyone was in order to let her sleep.

.

──The next day.

It was decided to let Lyle rest. Clara and Novem became in charge of paying the reward.

Shannon who was brought along as a lie detector was grumbling complaints since the morning.

「I’m tired. I don’t want to work anymore.」

Clara soothed down Shannon with a troubled look.

Even if she called it work she only needed to check if a soldier was lying or not. Besides, the defeated monster’s number had been reported so they already got the main gist.

They had grasped how many monsters were defeated in which battlefield.

「It’ll be just a little bit more so let’s work hard. Besides, if the reward payment is finished then a break time is waiting for us.」

Shannon was sitting on a chair with her chin placed on the table. Her legs were swinging to and fro.

「Because, everyone is only thinking of how many gold coins they can get. Just listening to them is tedious already. ‘I’ve defeated ten monsters~’, there are only people saying those kinds of things.」

People who gave honest reports were on the rare side.

There were also people who subtly added more to their report, that kind was troublesome too.

Anyway, it wasn’t a really interesting work.

Novem was doing her work indifferently.

「This is also work. When this is over there will also be snacks that Monica-san prepared. You’ll be able to eat them together with Luka-kun.」

When the name of Luka who was like her little brother came out, Shannon changed her attitude slightly.

「That’s right. I’ve got to boast to Luka how hard I’ve worked.」

Clara was relieved seeing the motivated Shannon.

「You’re right. Let’s work a bit more in order to do that too. Well, the last one might be the most troublesome though.」

The work that was continuing since early in the morning would soon be over already in the afternoon.

But, the last one was problematic.

Novem’s expression was different from usual. No emotion could be read at all from her face. The cause of that also lay with the other party.

Clara looked at the paperwork.

(Lionel Walt──he is a distant relative of Lyle-san. Well, at this level it’ll be alright even if they’re called strangers though.)

Lionel’s problem was also related to his relationship with Lyle, but the biggest factor was regarding the Hippogriff.

The person reported that he defeated a Hippogriff, but in reality the Hippogriff was still alive and it ended up creating trouble.

In the end Lyle was the one to deal the finishing blow, so it was normal to not pay Lionel any reward.

However, the person himself wouldn’t accept that.

Lionel entered the room.

He looked vaguely restless.

「You must be Lionel-san. Please sit down.」

Lionel obediently sat down just like Novem told him.

(Perhaps it will end without any problem like this?)

Clara thought that, but as expected it seemed that it wouldn’t go like she wanted it.

Novem told expressionlessly.

「Due to your help with the work and then your participation in the battle, your reward is one gold coin.」

「No way! I defeated a Hippogriff. My reward should be fifty gold coins!」

「……You deserted in the face of the enemy didn’t you? Besides, you didn’t finish off the Hippogriff. Because of that a citizen was harmed.」

「Tha, that was because the Hippogriff got up. It didn’t move anymore when I checked. Besides, that citizen went out on his own right? Obviously it was his own fault for getting injured.」

「Is that so. Then, you won’t be given the reward due to deserting in the face of the enemy. It was a compassion to even pay for your work, but it seems you won’t understand that.」

Lionel’s gaze wandered around. It seemed that he himself was feeling guilty.

And then when Clara thought he was going to apologize──

「Ple, please. Give me fifty gold coins. Most of the equipment I borrowed are lost. I also lost a lot of my friends. I’ll get laughed at if I return like this.」

「That’s your own problem.」

It was rare that the usually kind Novem was being this cold.

(Novem-san, does she hate Lionel-san? Well, I can somehow understand why though.)

He had been picking a quarrel a lot with Lyle since the start. He also said unreasonable complaints. For Novem he must be someone she couldn’t forgive.

「I, it’s fine even if you count the money as debt. If I become a Viscount house’s heir, I’ll return it double later. That’s why, I want you to make it so that the achievement of defeating the Hippogriff belongs to me.」

Novem was about to say something, but Shannon addressed Lionel.

「You’re……pitiful.」

「Wha-! What, what do you want to say huh?」

Lionel was getting slightly flustered from being sympathized by the younger Shannon. Shannon’s eyes were faintly shining gold.

「You aren’t going to return the money anyway even if you become the heir, but even if you have the achievement it’ll still be meaningless. Because, Otou-sama won’t make you into his heir.」

Lionel stood up forcefully. Because of that his chair fell back.

「Li, lies. Viscount-sama is putting his expectations on me. That was what he told me.」

Shannon was really feeling pity.

「Even Onee-sama said that’s absolutely not the case. It’s better to just give up. It will be for your own sake to not get involved with Otou-sama.」

「Hah! You’re just trying to trick me by saying that. I know it. You all are trying to make Lyle inherit the Circry House by doing this. I’m not going to get tricked.」

「Eh? Lyle won’t inherit anything. Because he isn’t interested. We stopped by at Centralle was also to search for our next destination.」

Lionel’s face turned pale drastically. He looked down and muttered 「Ahahaha, so he really isn’t interested as I thought」.

Clara raised her guard seeing Lionel like that.

He looked like he was going to explode anytime.

Shannon continued.

「You know, Onee-sama told me, your house’s status is too low to succeed our house. If it’s Doris-oneesan who marries into your house then it might be okay, but the reverse won’t happen. That’s why, if it’s just marrying Doris-oneesama then──」

There was hierarchy even between nobles.

Lionel was barely a noble at the lowest ranking in the Bahnseim Kingdom. As expected it was an impossible story for him to be accepted as the heir of a Viscount house.

「──Then, why was I told to participate in this kind of subjugation force. Obviously it’s because they’re holding expectations for me isn’t it?」

When Shannon fell silent with a troubled look, Novem took over the talk.

「You still don’t get it. We were abandoned by the palace. It’s the same with you when you were sent here. You were discarded by Ralph Circry.」

Lionel’s fist was making groaning sounds.

「Your reward is one gold coin.」

When Novem placed a gold coin on the table, Lionel tried to say something but he swallowed his words. And then, he grabbed the gold coin and immediately rushed out of the room.

What did he want to say?

Shannon tilted her head.

「He had a really complicated feeling there. I wonder why.」

Novem wrote in the paperwork that the reward had been paid while explaining to Shannon.

「It’s pride. He wanted to push away the reward from Lyle-sama. But, he knows that if he doesn’t have money it will be hard for him. He was unable to make the choice of not accepting it. Also……well, Shannon-chan’s sympathy was the cause.」

「Wh, why is that!? I was thinking for that guy’s sake! Besides, if he wants to marry with Doris-oneesama, it’s fine even if he doesn’t marry into our house, that’s all I wanted to tell him!」

Shannon thought that Lionel was really in love with Doris. She had a naïve thinking that even though Lionel had no money, he could earn money if he became an adventurer like Lyle.

(……Shannon-chan is really pure. I think that he doesn’t have that much resolve though.)

Clara too was finally able to understand from Novem’s explanation, so she couldn’t laugh at Shannon.

(I’m really estranged from the subtleties of people. Even so, I never imagined that I would get dragged into an incident this big right after leaving Arumsaas.)

Clara also returned to her work.

Shannon’s role was over, so she left the room while still not feeling convinced.

Clara talked to Novem.

「……Does Novem-san hate Lionel-san?」

「It’s a little bit different from hate. Perhaps it’s regret? I’m sorry. I’m also a little bit confused of how to say it……please forget it.」

It was a complex reply to come from Novem. And then, it seemed she had no intention of speaking more than that and wouldn’t open her mouth──

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