The journey back home was incredibly simple.
Even if the distance between Sarham and Merohim was vast, spanning from one end of the vast empire to the other, it didn't matter. Just like when we first arrived here, all Joachim had to do was teleport the carriage carrying Elena and me to the front of the lord's castle in Sarham.
Joachim, who didn't want to part with his daughter, looked at her with a regretful expression until the moment she got into the carriage. However, he didn't delay our departure because of that.
Though it seemed that the gaze he secretly sent me at the end had a meaning different from his actions. Unfortunately, since I was the one who wanted to return to Sarham the most, his intentions couldn't be conveyed to Elena through me.
Joachim sighed for a moment at the sight of me making a face as if I didn't know what he meant, and then immediately activated the magic with a few words.
"I'll see you again soon."
In response, I bowed my head slightly in the farewell greeting. By the time I raised my head again, a pure white light had already enveloped us along with the carriage.
As the magic took effect, the strange sensation I felt when I first experienced teleportation swept over me once again, and the white world flashed before my eyes. Just like before, as the light subsided, we found ourselves in the Kraus lord's castle, not the winter castle.
A week was not such a long time, but perhaps due to the events in Merohim, the sight of my house that greeted my eyes felt more precious than ever before. Opening the carriage door and stepping outside, I was welcomed by a cool breeze different from the one in winter castle.
The sounds of birds chirping, which I couldn't hear in winter castle, reached my ears along with the vibrant colors of the flowers planted to decorate the yard. It started to sink in that this was not a monochromatic world of white but a colorful world, indicating that I had returned home.
"Are you that happy?"
"Yes. I am. Home is always the best."
As I spread my arms wide and took a deep breath of the Southern air, Elena seemed to find my expression amusing and couldn't help but chuckle. Nevertheless, I didn't feel any embarrassment.
What was wrong with me loving my own home?
For the past five years since I possessed Damian, this place had become the only resting place in this world for me. Therefore, there was only one place that could provide me the rest I needed, considering my current mental fatigue.
'Now it's only one year until the start of the original work...'
Like in Merohim, I didn't know what would happen to me in the future regardless of the original story, but at least for the time being, I thought I should refrain from going outside and took some time to reflect on what had happened so far. It was inevitable to be surprised by unexpected events indefinitely. I needed some time to calm my mind.
"By the way, the castle seems unusually quiet today? Father must be aware that we've returned."
Unlike usual, I looked around in the strangely quiet atmosphere of the castle. It wouldn't be strange for Father to be waiting for us at the entrance, but all I could see were a couple of guards standing in front of the iron bars, guarding the entrance.
Even though I had to leave due to my duties, I had made a wooden sword for Alphonse and promised to teach him how to use it before I left. But now, not seeing Alphonse anywhere made me feel uneasy.
Suddenly, an uneasy feeling washed over me...
Just as my relaxed expression was about to stiffen again, the door opened, and a person walked toward us. It wasn't a stranger. The person who came out of the door was Paul, the butler who took over Ken's duties while he was gone. I greeted Paul and asked if anything was wrong.
Fortunately, Paul nodded at my question and replied with a faint smile.
"The Count is currently in a meeting with a guest. That's why the atmosphere in the castle has quieted down."
Upon hearing Paul's words, my tensed face began to relax again.
Come to think of it, this was around the time when the Spring hunting competition usually took place. I had always attended the event without fail, but this year, I had completely forgotten about it due to various incidents and accidents overlapping.
If rumors from other noble families were to be believed, it would explain why the atmosphere in the castle was so calm. In my heart, I wanted to go straight into the meeting room and hand over this ring to Father as soon as possible, but I couldn't.
Lately, even in Merohim, incidents have been occurring around me more frequently, causing me to overreact to even small matters. It seemed like my nerves had become quite sensitive.
Meeting Father would only be possible after he finishes his meeting with the guest, so we decided to return to our rooms first. I approached Hailey, who was unloading the luggage, and tried to escort Elena to her room. However, Elena immediately took the luggage from my hands and declined, saying she was fine.
"Damian, you made a promise with Lord Alphonse. When we return to Sarham, you'll teach him swordsmanship. I've monopolized you for a while, so this time, I should give in to Lord Alphonse, right?"
She then smiled softly and added, "I don't want to be hated by him."
I nodded, saying I understood, at Elena's jokey yet non-joking remark.
Alphonse was an exceptionally talented child, wise beyond his age. However, when it came to swords, he expressed emotions no different from other children his age, perhaps because he hadn't learned swordsmanship due to his weak body, resembling our mother.
Of course, it wasn't as though Alphonse was particularly bothered by my brief escorting of Elena. However, Elena couldn't have been unaware of that fact, so her words were meant to hurry me to meet Alphonse.
As Hailey ended up carrying the luggage again, she looked at me with a sad expression, but I smiled and thanked her for her hard work. Then, I approached Paul, who had been handling Alphonse's affairs in Ken's absence and spoke to him.
"Paul, do you know where Alphonse is now?"
Alphonse's room in the main castle was a place where one could see the yard from the window. So if he had been in his room, he would have undoubtedly come out when he saw us arrive. But Alphonse wasn't here at the moment.
That meant Alphonse was somewhere else.
In fact, I had a guess as to where he might be.
"I saw Young Master Alphonse leaving early this morning. The maids said they saw him near the training ground of the knights. Since I haven't heard any news of his return, I assume he's still there."
'As expected.'
It seemed my guess was correct.
Thinking about Alphonse, who would be eagerly waiting for me at the training ground, I couldn't help but smile. It was good to be enthusiastic, but at least he could have waited for me to arrive.
I looked at the patriarch's ring that was still on my hand.
Until a moment ago, all I wanted was to hand it over to my father as soon as possible. But now, I felt relieved that the ring was still in my possession. If I were to take out the sword here without thinking, I might receive a scolding from my father later. However, maybe I should let Alphonse have his way today.
Alphonse was so happy even when he first held the wooden sword in his hand, but since it was a sword used by ancestors in legends, I was looking forward to seeing what kind of expression he would make.
***
Leaving everyone behind, I turned my steps toward the location of the knight's training ground.
It was a place located a short distance from the estate, where the 'Black Dragon Knights', which Kraus took pride in, were nurtured, and it was also my old playground.
It seemed a bit far-fetched to call a place where numerous excellent knights have trained a playground, but when I recalled the mindset I had when I headed there, I had no choice but to express it like this.
Although there was a separate training ground for the Kraus family members' exclusive use, it didn't mean I only wielded a sword there. That place was primarily used as a space for 'conversation' with my father, and in reality, the place where I spent time forging my sword was a general training ground used by other knights.
Of course, as the heir to the Kraus family, I had numerous reasons for going there besides training. One of the most significant reasons was to assess the state of my swordsmanship. Moreover, the primary motive behind this was to find someone capable of replacing my father, who was frequently absent due to work commitments.
So, my expression of it being a playground wasn't entirely wrong.
Facing them and exchanging blows with swords was like a game to me back then. That sentiment remained the same even now.
"I wonder how much everyone's skills have improved..."
It would be difficult to expect significant changes within just a week, but considering I just had a sparring session with Edelweiss' knights, I should be able to make an objective evaluation.
The weather was sunny and perfect for wielding a sword.
"No, no, get a hold of yourself."
Amidst the familiar scent of grass and the sight of the playground, I momentarily lost sight of my original purpose. Alphonse, who took delight in observing my sparring sessions with the knights, would not be pleased if his portion was absent.
"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"
A shout that indicated I was close to the training grounds echoed.
I could see the uniforms of the knights with the Kraus' symbol, not the Edelweiss', displayed. They were standing in a circle, presumably engaged in sparring. As I closely observed the circular fence they created, I could spot a small figure among the tall individuals, resembling a pole.
I silently approached the boy from behind.
Perhaps everyone's focus was on the sparring, none of the knights standing there noticed my approach. Well, that was a good thing for me.
"Yoo."
"Uh -kaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh ... Brother?"
As soon as I got closer, I lowered my stance and, without hesitation, put my hand between Alphonse's armpits. Alphonse shouted in surprise at the sudden stimulation, but he immediately turned around and showed a welcome sign when he realized that I had done it.
But I wasn't done here. When I made a sly grin and raised the corner of my mouth without saying a word, tension started to build on Alphonse's face as if to ask when this happened.
"Now, wait a minute..."
"No. No."
"Hehehe! Hahaha... Ah... Brother, it tickles!"
I stopped tickling Alphonse when Alphonse struggled violently and dropped the wooden sword he was holding. After picking up the wooden sword that had fallen on the ground and shaking off the dirt, I handed the sword to Alphonse again and asked,
"How have you been?"
"Fine..."
Alphonse replied with a lingering voice. I patted his head and checked if he was hurt somewhere. Despite that, he seemed to have avoided any reckless actions in my absence, which was fortunate.
Before long, the attention of the people around us turned towards us. If our commotion didn't attract attention, that would be more strange. But somehow, it felt peculiar. Although it wasn't unusual for pranks like this to happen, the gazes directed at us were mixed with an inexplicable tension.
It didn't take long for me to understand the meaning behind those gazes.
I turned my head towards the source of the particularly intense and piercing gaze.
In the center of the training grounds where the sparring had just taken place, only one person stood. That person was the owner of those gazes.
I looked up and stared at the face sending me such a gaze. The golden light reflected in the sky was so bright that it made my eyes ache. It was like the sunlight itself had taken another form on the ground. In the midst of those golden waves, our gazes met, containing the color of the blue sky.
"It's you!"
A bright and lively voice echoed in my ears.
The wind blew, and the clouds covered the sun in the sky, allowing me to finally see her clearly in front of me.
"Ah."
When I saw the girl standing before me, holding a sword, a surprised sound escaped my lips.
Although it was my first time meeting her, I immediately recognized who she was. Without a doubt, her appearance perfectly matched the description in the novel, and my mind quickly retrieved her name from the sea of memories.
'Noel Estelia.'
The princess of the Empire, and one of the characters who separated Damian from Elena in the novel. Therefore, there was no way I wouldn't know her.
'But, why is she here?'
--- END OF CHAPTER ---