The news of Jiklin’s defeat spread quickly and soon reached the allied nations, centered around the Caerleon Empire.
However, before they could even celebrate their victory, Prince Ludwin and the Imperial Knights had to deal with the aftermath of the war.
The territory was in disarray, but the biggest problem for both sides was the spirit stone recovered from Rita.
“I don’t think it’s completely destroyed yet.”
Salem frowned slightly as he touched the spirit stone that had almost lost all its light.
Although faint, there was still so warmth left.
Ludwin asked curiously.
“Wasn’t Rita already a born spirit?”
“That’s right. However, since Jiklin wasn’t suited to being a spirit master, she would have needed a separate interdiary to make a contract and use Rita’s power.”
So, Jiklin created a homunculus using Rita’s spirit stone.
It would have been more useful for her to beco a homunculus than to exist as a spirit.
“I think she was a homunculus in normal tis, serving Jiklin, and when necessary, she would also beco a spirit… I think she lived freely like that.”
It was an invention of an absurd level.
Ludwin nodded, frowning.
“I see. I heard the spirit stone was stolen from the Second Elf Kingdom. What will you do with it, Captain Laius? Of course, returning it to the kingdom is sothing even Everan could arrange…”
The prince, trailing off, looked at Laius. Laius t his gaze and nodded calmly.
“For now, it seems to have fallen back into slumber within the spirit stone, so we will take it into our custody.”
“I’m not sure if it’ll ever wake up again. The human kingdom isn’t exactly the right environnt for a spirit to be born.”
Salem added cautiously.
A spirit stone without a spirit is nothing more than a lump of stone. If the spirit within were to disappear, returning it to the kingdom would be aningless.
After thinking for a mont, Laius answered.
“I see, I guess it’s best to just wait and see for the ti being.”
“Very well, then. I will take it that you will be the one overseeing its custody, Captain.”
Ludwin firmly closed the box containing the spirit stone.
Luna and Ray, who had followed Salem, were sitting next to the box, pecking at its surface with their beaks.
Ludwin, who had no way of knowing that, continued speaking politely.
“Sorry to keep you when you’re busy. It’s almost alti, would you care to join ?”
“Thank you for the offer, but I will decline.”
Ludwin asked at Laius’ polite refusal.
“Do you have any other work?”
“No. I’m heading to Arendt.”
Ludwin’s face hardened slightly at the answer he received.
“…Okay. I’ll send you so tea and refreshnts.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
It’s been three days since the battle ended.
Upon hearing the report that Jiklin had been defeated, Crown Prince Cantares, who had offered the usual praise, imdiately ordered their return.
However, the Imperial Knights were inevitably unable to carry out the order.
It was because the troublemaker apprentice knight had been unable to wake up from a deep sleep for several days.
Click.
Arthur and Llewellyn, who were already inside, looked up at the sound of the door opening. Laius, who noticed the two, paused.
“…I’m sorry. If I had known you two were here, I would have knocked before entering.”
“Oh, co on, what’s the big deal between us?”
Llewellyn, leaning back on the sofa, waved his hand. Arthur sat in the chair opposite him.
“Captain, are you here? Salem, welco.”
“Is Sir Arendt still there?”
Salem, peeking out from behind Laius, asked anxiously. Arthur nodded with a wry smile.
“They said there’s nothing seriously wrong with his body. It’s probably just fatigue. Don’t worry.”
Arendt was lying sound asleep on the bed, buried in the blanket.
Arthur asked cautiously as Laius closed the door and ca in.
“What’s the status of the return order?”
“For now, I’ve decided to wait until Arendt wakes up and see how he’s doing before making a decision. You don’t have to worry about it.”
Laius, who had given a simple answer, looked at Llewellyn.
“What will you do, Your Highness?”
“Of course I should go with you.”
Llewellyn said naturally.
“It’ll be alright since my brother is here. They’ve already fought in battles, so they’ve probably gotten a feel for how to deal with the enemies.”
“Yes, I understand. I will convey that to His Highness.”
Laius approached the bed where Arendt had fallen asleep. Then he spoke with a worried tone.
“But I wonder if he’s been sleeping too long… I shook him, but he didn’t move.”
“It must be because he hasn’t been sleeping properly. Just leave him alone.”
Laius looked down at Arendt with a troubled face.
Because Arendt had the habit of curling up while sleeping, the only things Laius could clearly see were the disheveled silver hair on the pillow and the large bandage covering the side of his face.
‘It’s an order to return.’
Cantares’ voice, heard from beyond the communication port, was unusually harsh compared to usual.
Thanks to this, Laius was able to easily sense that sothing unusual had happened.
Along with the fact that Cantares’ mood had beco extrely troubled.
‘That’s probably why.’
The cause was not difficult to guess.
It was sothing he had prepared for, but when it actually happened, he couldn’t help but feel more and more uneasy.
But his heart was not shaken.
Laius had already made up his mind a long ti ago.
As he watched him sleep like a child, covered in all sorts of wounds, his resolve grew stronger.
‘Whatever it is…’
He would never let things just flow as Arendt intended.
He was starting to get fed up with being dragged around by this guy and flustered all the ti.
“…What a pain in the neck.”
Laius let out a short sigh.
At least for now, he just wanted to let him rest comfortably for a little longer.
Arendt blinked several tis.
Blue water filled his field of vision.
He could feel the warmth of the water surrounding him, the sll of the sea, and the rippling waves.
After a long mont of dazed reflection, Arendt realized belatedly that he was subrged in the ocean. The tranquil space, where only water could be felt, wasn’t all that bad.
‘That ant…’
Arendt moved his eyes, searching for another being that might be there.
Soon after, he spotted a small elf a short distance away with her back to him.
‘A dolphin?’
Nereid wasn’t alone. Her webbed hands were stroking the beautiful dolphin.
After staring at Nereid for a long ti, the dolphin suddenly spotted Arendt and paused.
Then he left her side and swam leisurely towards Arendt.
“Ah.”
Only then did Nereid look back.
As Arendt just stared blankly at her, Nereid, who had been following the dolphin, cautiously began to speak.
“Are you awake? Can you hear ?”
It was a very youthful voice that suited her face perfectly. It even sounded like a bird chirping.
Arendt, who had been thinking for a mont, finally spoke.
“You were all flustered last ti, but it looks like you’re slowly getting the hang of dealing with humans.”
Unlike last ti when he had difficulty breathing, this ti he was able to speak comfortably.
“I’m just asking just in case. I won’t end up drowning in my sleep like last ti, right?”
“…No, that.”
Nereid, who had been dazed for a mont, waved both hands in a panic.
“That was a real mistake. It’s been so long since I’ve interacted with humans…! Sorry, were you scared? That absolutely won’t happen today. I even borrowed that kid’s voice…”
“Was I scared?”
Arendt asked back in bewildernt.
Only then did Nereid realize her mistake, and she made an “Oh, my” expression.
The opponent was a re human, yet he boldly stood his ground even against Luce and Chernion.
“No, that’s… sorry…”
“…You’re not even a child. I don’t even know what to say.”
Arendt grumbled briefly and waved his hand dismissively.
“Enough. Just get to the point. I appreciate the protection, but personally, I’m not exactly fond of your kind either.”
If Lexion found out they were having such a casual conversation, he would have exploded in fury.
Then Nereid beca a little discouraged.
“Uh… I know. It’s probably best not to get involved. Prolonged contact with soone like wouldn’t be good for you either.”
A dolphin swimming around them affectionately rubbed its long snout against Nereid, as if comforting her. Nereid patted the dolphin gently and continued to mumble.
“You seed quite unsettled, so I thought sothing serious might happen if I didn’t step in… but now, it seems you’re calm again.”
Nereid tilted her head to the side and looked at Arendt with a worried expression.
“Are you okay?”
“What…”
Arendt scratched his head and moved his eyes around. He seed to have a rough idea of what she was talking about.
“Probably.”
Since staying at Count Studler’s laboratory, his head felt like it was about to explode from all the thoughts swirling around.
But after coming to the Everan Kingdom, all sorts of things happened and his thoughts beca more organized.
Now, his vision seed to have cleared up a little.
‘I was stupid.’
Because he realized that he couldn’t run away.
Arendt hesitated for a mont, then continued speaking slowly.
“It might not be completely fine yet, but for now, that’s how it is.”
“Really? That’s fortunate.”
A bright smile spread across Nereid’s youthful face. Seeing that, a sense of emptiness filled Arendt, and he sighed.
“…I don’t know anymore. There’s nothing I can do about it.”
The accident had already happened, so soone might be gnashing their teeth by now.
From now on, it was really impossible to predict even an inch ahead.
“I never thought my mind would change.”
He considered as many variables as possible, but there was one thing he overlooked: the current situation.
Nereus asked again, worried.
“It’s hard?”
“Not really.”
Although he answered easily, Nereid still looked puzzled.
“That sounds like a lie.”
“…”
Arendt, who had been silent for a mont, changed the subject.
“Is that all you want? I’m already a tattered ss, and you’re afraid I’ll have nightmares and be completely destroyed.”
“Yes, that was one thing, but…”
Nereid hesitated for a mont and then lowered her eyes.
“Luce and Chernion are very angry. I wanted to let you know that.”
At the cautiously spoken words, Arendt fell silent for a mont.
After a while, he replied calmly.
“That doesn’t seem like sothing that never happened beofre. Chernion got screwed over, so that makes sense. What about Luce?”
“That must be because things didn’t go the way he wanted them to.”
Nereid, mumbling, hugged her knees in the water.
“I think he expected you to be completely destroyed. But you held on longer than he expected… Maybe that’s why? Because he’s more interested in you than in the hero. I’m sorry, but this is about as far as I can go.”
Nereid had co all the way here to warn him about this.
Arendt, who had been staring at her silently, spoke again.
“…If you’re sorry, please answer a few questions.”
“Huh?”
“Since you are a god, you wouldn’t vomit blood or suddenly die just because you talked nonsense.”
Arendt answered leisurely while Nereid wore a puzzled expression.
“I have a lot of questions about various things. I’ve definitely been through quite a bit myself. Since I’m here anyway, let’s have a proper, thorough conversation.”
A faint smile appeared on the apprentice knight’s face.
The dolphin, having a sense of crisis, quickly bit the hem of Nereid’s clothes and began pulling her back.
Nereid also stepped back with slightly frightened eyes, but Arendt was not easily stopped.
“You’re trying to run away? Wasn’t it your own misbehavior that caused such hardship in the first place?”
“No, that’s…”
“You’re not trying to brush it off with a simple, aningless phrase, like, ‘Thank you for your hard work.,’ right? You know that I’m not a pushover like so hero.”
Arendt continued leisurely.
“If you have even a shred of responsibility, you should be helping out. Why are you acting like it’s soone else’s problem?”
“…”
Nereid soon found herself sowhat regretting that she had truly worried about him.
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