Chapter 52
“Do you really not remember?”
<What are you talking about?>
Blanche flapped his wings in frustration.
It really seemed like he didn’t remember a single thing from that night.
Just in case, I checked the necklace.
The radiant blue glow—it was clear. The necklace had definitely changed after that night.
‘What the hell is going on?’
Always like this.
The moment I thought I had a clue, it slipped back into a maze.
‘Master, just how amazing were you that you left behind so many secrets, really?’
If my teacher were standing in front of me right now, I’d want to grab him by the collar and shake him.
<My king, I’ve always wondered. Just what is it you’re searching for?>
“The identity of someone precious.”
<That person you said was dead?>
“Yeah. At this point, I don’t even know if they’re really dead or not.”
<But either way, they’re someone who left your side, aren’t they? Why search for their identity?>
Blanche wasn’t wrong.
After all, it was someone from the past who had left me behind.
“But it pisses me off. I thought we were close. I thought I knew everything…”
In the end, I realized I knew nothing at all.
So little, it was almost laughable.
“I showed them everything, but if they didn’t do the same, it makes me angry.”
<Well, that’s true enough, but…>
“That’s why I’m trying to find out now. I don’t want to stay angry forever.”
I let out a deep sigh and placed Blanche back in his cage.
By now, he seemed used to his little home and settled inside without fuss.
“You worked hard, so should I give you a treat? Anything you want to eat?”
<Really?>
“Yeah, since you did well, I’ll listen.”
<Then give me the sweet blood of my king!>
…God, I’m such an idiot.
I slammed the cage shut and dove straight into bed. Pulling the blanket over my head, I tried to sleep, but Blanche’s pitiful cries rang in my ears.
<My king? Are you asleep? What about the blood? The sweet blood?>
“Danae, a messenger pigeon just came. The beast subjugation ended safely—they’ll be back within five days.”
The next day, Lucas came in happily with the news.
I already knew through Blanche, of course, but hearing it directly from Lucas made it feel real—that it was truly over.
“That’s good. Will there be a welcome party when they return?”
“They’ll probably just drink a lot. Seems like after fighting, everyone wants to get drunk. It’s a world I don’t really understand, though.”
Lucas frowned slightly, shrugged, and added a warning.
“Especially Teon—don’t go near him when he’s drunk. His drinking habits are terrible.”
“Wait, but isn’t a Sword Master immune to alcohol?”
With mana burning away the alcohol, they shouldn’t be able to get drunk.
“If they don’t control it, they can. After battles, he seems to want to get drunk, so he just lets it happen.”
I could understand that.
After seeing blood, you just want to shake off the sticky feeling somehow.
“How bad are his habits?”
“Well, when he’s drunk, he takes his clothes off.”
“…That’s it? Isn’t that not so bad?”
Better than breaking things or hitting people.
“And since Teon is a knight with a good body, it wouldn’t exactly be unpleasant to look at.”
Like a finely sculpted statue—actually, that sounded better than bad.
“He takes off his pants too.”
“…Not his underwear too, right?”
Lucas went silent.
‘…So he does!’
“Ugh. Yeah, I definitely don’t want to see that.”
“Exactly. That’s why you shouldn’t go near him.”
“Right. Do you or Sishe have any drinking habits, Lucas?”
“I don’t drink. I hate that fuzzy feeling. And Sishe…”
Lucas frowned, searching his memory, then shrugged.
“Come to think of it, I’ve never seen him drunk. It’s not like he drinks little either.”
“Fits his personality, I guess. Even with alcohol.”
“You think so?”
Lucas tilted his head, not fully convinced, but anyone who knew the three brothers would think the same as me.
“Anyway, what we need to do is…”
“Prepare plenty of alcohol.”
“Perfect. I’ve already been given the authority to buy provisions for the estate, so I’ll stamp the approval papers generously.”
I tilted my chin proudly, and Lucas chuckled, patting my head.
“Thank you, little lord.”
“Lucas, your words and hands are contradicting each other right now!”
Polite speech but a rough hand.
‘Pick one, just one!’
Seeing my sulky face, Lucas couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
As expected, five days later, the Mist Knights returned triumphantly.
They’d fought magical beasts plenty of times before, but never seven all at once. The excitement was written all over their faces.
Just as Blanche had said, no one seemed gravely injured.
A few obvious scratches and bruises here and there, but that was unavoidable.
“Yoohoo! Little one!”
As I was checking everyone’s condition, Baratheon came running at me with his usual loud voice.
Normally he’d scoop me up right after shouting like that, but today he stopped in front of me, maybe conscious of his own battered state.
‘Here comes the bragging about how amazing he was.’
I prepared myself to listen patiently, but instead, Baratheon just blinked at me with a strangely dazed look.
“…What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know, I feel like you grew a little.”
“…We’ve only been apart for, what, half a month?”
Barely even that, if you count exactly.
Even if I was a sprouting seedling, I couldn’t have grown that much.
“Right?”
He agreed, but still tilted his head like it was odd.
“Still, you look like you’ve grown. Maybe because I didn’t see you every day?”
“Teon, again—it’s just been half a month. You make it sound like years.”
I sighed, scolding him, when suddenly I was lifted into the air.
“Well, I think she has grown a bit. It’s her growth period, after all.”
Sishe had picked me up.
“Hey!”
Baratheon immediately exploded.
“You filthy guy, carrying her when you haven’t even bathed for days? Don’t you know better?”
“What are you talking about? I’m perfectly fine. I don’t even smell like you do.”
“This is why I hate mages. Always slinging spells from afar while we knights actually get dirty. Look at me, I’m the only one who looks like this.”
He wasn’t wrong.
While Baratheon was a mess, Sishe looked neat as ever.
‘Wow, he really doesn’t smell.’
I buried my face in Sishe’s chest, sniffing, only for him to frown and lean back.
“Your breath tickles.”
“…Is that really all you have to say after half a month, Sishe?”
“What else is there?”
“Aren’t you supposed to say something like, ‘I’m back safely’?”
“Do I need to?”
The moment Sishe looked at me like I was being ridiculous, Baratheon eagerly raised his hand.
“Then I’ll say it! I’m back safely, kiddo!”
“Welcome back, Teon.”
We exchanged smiles, and Sishe sighed, finally setting me down.
“Pointless.”
“What’s pointless? It’s nice.”
Lucas appeared behind us just then.
“Go on to the banquet hall, both of you. Our little lord here prepared plenty of alcohol.”
“Alcohol!”
Baratheon’s eyes lit up, but then he glanced down at himself and scratched his head.
“Actually, I should wash first. If I drink like this, I’ll just throw up.”
“Good idea.”
Lucas agreed firmly, then turned to me.
“Danae, there’s someone you still haven’t greeted.”
Following his gaze, I spotted the Grand Duke and Hedin, standing quietly among the knights instead of heading to the hall.
Going straight to the Grand Duke felt too daunting, so I waved to Hedin first.
“Hedin, you’re not hurt, are you?”
“No, thanks to your concern.”
“That’s good. And…”
I turned to the side—there was the Grand Duke, standing stiffly.
‘What should I even say?’
No matter how hard I thought, nothing came to mind.
So in the end, the only thing I managed was a plain greeting.
“Welcome back, Grandfather.”
“Mm.”
His reply was curt, followed by silence.
‘Ugh, so awkward…’
With Lucas, Baratheon, and Sishe, it was never like this, but somehow with the Grand Duke, it always turned unbearably awkward.
As I fumbled for a way out, a lively voice suddenly cut in.
“What, you’re not close with your grandfather?”
“…Huh?”
That voice—I knew it.
Startled, I turned my head and saw a cat-eared beastkin girl blinking at me curiously.
It was Miri, the girl who had been with me in the warehouse when I was kidnapped.
“Miri? What are you doing here?”
