After leaving the royal capital, we headed towards the camp where our comrades were waiting for us, accompanied by Chris. The surprise of her joining us brought joy, especially since we had thought we would part ways there.
Chris is coming with us? Thats wonderful!
Yes. I look forward to our continued journey together, Chirik.
Among us, Chirik was the most delighted by Chriss decision to accompany us. Chirik and Chris have known each other for a good long ti. She was not only a master of swordsmanship to Magna and Nana but also dearly beloved by the children. The kids waiting at the camp would surely be thrilled by her arrival.
However, in contrast to Chiriks joy, there was one among us who seed to be dejected. It was Lappy, who had to part ways with Liselotte, with whom she had shared a close bond.
After bidding farewell to Liselotte, Lappy clung to my back and didnt move at all. It seed she had already said her goodbyes to Liselotte the day before, but she still couldnt help but feel sad. They had been as close as sisters.
Perhaps Lappy wished for a longer farewell, but unfortunately, Liselotte chose a public place for their parting. Lappy who fully understood the situation had no choice but to leave without much exchange of words.
I was feeling sowhat guilty for such an outco, so I allowed Lappy to do as she pleased without saying a word. I think that she would remain downcast for a few days.
Are you okay, Lappy?
No, Im not okay. Please comfort Chirik.
It was Chirik who expressed concern for the disheartened Lappy. Lappy, who was like a daughter to , and Chirik, who was my disciple, naturally grew close with eachother. This was clear from the fact that Lappy often sought comfort from Chirik even though she was older than him.
Chirik gently stroked the head of Lappy, who clung to my back. Following his comforting gesture, I felt Lappys grip on slightly loosen. It seed Chiriks consolation had a soothing effect on her which was a relief to as well.
Is Lady Chris a warrior serving the Goddess of Protection? Then, you must be quite skilled?
In comparison to Antares and the others, Im more or less in the middle. Just think of as part of a group of such individuals.
The demons are much stronger than I expected. No, it must be because, despite being demons, they never neglect their training. I cant help but respect that But Lady Chris, theres no need for formalities with . Even though Im older, Im still a newcor and not of much help.
Understood. Ill do just that.
Lorenz and Chris were talking with each other in the cargo area of the carriage. Naturally, this was not their first eting. In order for him to accompany us, it was important to obtain permission from Liselotte, who was supervising us. No matter how much we insisted it was fine, if she objected, he wouldnt be able to accompany us.
What worked in Lorenzs favor was Liselottes thoughtful yet accommodating nature. While she set forth several conditions, she ultimately granted Lorenz permission to join us. When Lorenz ca to report his permission to , he was smiling like a little boy.
However, during that ti, Lorenz had spoken only with Liselotte. It would be impossible for a guard to interrupt her masters conversation. As we would be traveling together henceforth, it was crucial to foster camaraderie to better understand each other.
After traveling the highway for a while, our carriage approached a forest on the outskirts of the capital. Outside the forest, the carriages of our comrades who had been left at the campsite erged and it seed like they had packed up the camp in anticipation of our arrival.
Ah, youve arrived wait, is that Chris?
Its been a while. Ive been ordered by the lady to join you. Lets get along well, everyone.
Upon disembarking from the carriage, Chris was t with looks of surprise from our comrades, yet her joining us was sothing to be welcod. She had traveled together with us before, so she was naturally accepted.
However, the reaction to Lorenz, who appeared after Chris, was more complex. Everyone was aware of his circumstances, his presence, and the fact that he would be joining them. Despite this knowledge, an inevitable awkwardness prevailed, which could almost be described as a typical trait of our group.
Everyone, this is Lorenz, who will be joining us.
My na is Lorenz Reiner. I look forward to working with you.
Despite Lorenzs courteous greeting, the response from our comrades was less than warm. Lorenz, who had willingly chosen to join our difficult journey, might have seed odd, but he was by no ans a bad person. It would be best to slowly close the distance during our travels.
This lukewarm reception seed to be within Lorenzs expectations as Lorenz was neither upset nor disappointed. I should probably help him integrate. I connected telepathically with Tigar.
[When its ti for a al, try to strike up a conversation with Lorenz.]
[Sure thing, boss. If hes going from a guest to one of us, sooner is better than later.]
Tigar seed to grasp my intentions well, befitting his forr status as the leader of the Lugall squad. Even now, I wish he would take my place, though he would undoubtedly shy away from the suggestion. Ive always believed he was far more suited for leadership than I am.yet no matter how often I proposed the idea, he always said no. Until he decides to step up, it seems I have no choice but to do my best here.
Ah, that reminds . Speaking of Tigar, I must ask him whether he has reconciled with Leo, one of those who stayed behind. Before I could bring it up, Tigar reached out with his thoughts.
[Hey, boss. What do you think is the best way to make up with Leo?]
[Co now, asking of all people Is what I want to say, but I suppose things havent improved between you two?]
[Thats right. I went to say goodbye to Zald and the others, but he blatantly avoided Maybe I went too far in our fight.]
Their brawl had indeed been fierce. Despite the healing powers of a demon and Sharls spiritual healing he received, it took until the evening for him to regain consciousness.
Since Tigar had conceded the battle, Leo was technically the winner of their quarrel. However, the victory was hardly sothing to boast about, given the circumstances. It seed Leo himself faintly sensed that Tigar had let him win after he woke up since he never claid victory outright.
[But we wont be seeing each other for a while. Id definitely regret it if we didnt talk about sothing.]
[Yeah, I get that But its hard to start a conversation if its not the right mont]
[The right mont, huh Hmm]
Tigar and Leo were not just important comrades to but also shared a bond akin to a close-knit family. The thought of them parting on tense terms was sothing I didnt want to see. It was ti to wring out whatever wit I had.
Tigar was looking for an opening to engage, while Leo felt a sense of guilt over having the victory conceded to him. Thats it; an idea struck . After conveying my plan through telepathy, Tigar seed impressed and left to gather what he needed for the plan.
Zald, Sophie.
Ah, boss.
Its a bit sad to think we wont see each other for a while.
After parting ways with Tigar, I approached Zald and Sophie, who had chosen to stay behind as well. Zald and I had shared many conversations in the royal capital, and I had also spoken with Sophie, who decided to remain with him. Although it was saddening to think we wouldnt see each other for a while, it didnt seem like the ti for lengthy conversations. I settled for a firm handshake with the two of them.
Next, I intended to bid farewell to Bolts and Leo. but Bolts was nowhere to be seen. Realizing what I was looking for, Zald shook his head in disbelief.
Bolts isnt here. He didnt co.
What do you an?
He said he had no one he wanted to say goodbye to.
Julius and Ariel looked so sad, I couldnt bear to watch.
Incredibly, it seed Bolts had wasted his last chance to see us before parting ways. It was hard to believe he wouldnt even et Julius and Ariel, with whom he usually spent his ti What did we an to Bolts?
It appeared he hardly felt any camaraderie with us, which deeply saddened . I had failed to close the emotional distance with Bolts.
[Boss, we might as well not consider Bolts one of us.]
[Well keep an eye on him, just in case.]
[That might be for the best.]
Zald and Sophie seed intent on excluding Boltz from the category of comrades. Looking back, Boltzs reluctance to voice his own opinions or desires must have stemd from not considering us his comrades.
And as the leader, I agreed with the two peoples opinions expressed through telepathy. There was also the matter in the Galar Kingdom where he had clearly hidden sothing. While I wouldnt go as far as to call him an enemy, it was clear that we needed to remain vigilant.
Dont ntion this to Leo. He cant hide his feelings.
What about ?
Leos straightforward nature made it impossible for him to engage in any form of deception. He was inherently bad at keeping secrets, as his true feelings would inevitably reflect in his facial expressions and behavior. Moreover, Bolts would likely remain oblivious to the caution we harbored against him precisely because Leo acted as usual. For these reasons, it was best to keep this matter hidden from Leo.
Just when I was advising the two to keep this from Leo, the very subject of our conversation approached us. Unlike Leo, I wasnt as straightforward so I effortlessly fabricated a lie.
I was just looking for you, Leo. The goals youve set might be challenging to achieve. Youll likely face many obstacles.
Yeah. Im prepared for that.
Good, thats the spirit. Youre like a little brother to , and I believe you can accomplish them.
Claiming I was looking for him was a lie, but the rest reflected my true feelings. I believed in Leo, who looked up to as his older brother. I was convinced that he could accomplish even the most challenging goals.
Bi Big brother! Ill do my best!
Yeah. Youve got to push yourself.
Tears welled up in Leos eyes when Tigar who was carrying a great sword on his shoulder approached him. While Leo was wiping away his tears with his sleeve, Tigar who had moved close to him pressed the great sword he was carrying into Leos hands.
Dad?
This is the sword I use. Its the best one we have right now.
Our weapons were mainly spoils of war from the battlefield. As a result, their quality was inconsistent, but we prioritized using the best among what we had. The great sword Tigar held was one he had taken from a white-armored soldier he had defeated.
The true strength of the armored soldiers, including the white armored soldiers, lay in their integrated weapons, but there were so among them who preferred to use proper weapons. Tigars great sword was one such weapon and it was a work that matched Tigars skills.
You might not be able to master it with your strength yet but youll soon handle it much better than I ever could.
Dad I
Or do you lack confidence? You think you can achieve grand goals without being able to wield sothing like this?
Ill show you! Im the man who beat Father!
Yeah, thats the spirit. Keep it up, Leo.
Tigar ruffled Leos head vigorously. His hair was all ssed up, but Leo didnt even show any signs of displeasure. This was how the clumsy pair of father and son reconciled.
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