“Reason.”
“If it’s the Order, they must have information about the Dead Dragon, and Adrian… he’s probably calm right now.”
“True, he’s the leader of the Order and does a lot of work, but in the end, he mainly serves a symbolic role.”
“Even when dealing with administrative tasks, most of it is handled by the Pope.”
“I believe that if we call Adrian, he’s likely to come all the way to the North.”
“And didn’t Adrian say he had some free time for the time being?”
“Rather than moving to the center from here, it’s actually faster for Adrian to come to the North.”
“The Saint staying at the Moon Tower could teleport to the North’s Order.”
“However, since we can’t go to the Moon Tower, we ultimately have no choice but to call Adrian to solve things here.”
“It oddly seems like an interrogation, but Adele seems to be thinking deeply about it.”
“It can’t be helped, can it? Since we’re staying here longer, we need to gain something definite, and Adrian’s help is absolutely vital.”
“Are you planning to call him to find out the information held by the Order? I understand.”
“After saying that, she shot me a sideways glance and added.”
“You’re just reluctant to accept it.”
“…Would it be enough if I say I’m sorry?”
“No, do you think mere words would suffice? I absolutely detest apologies that are just verbal. If you know you did something wrong, express it directly through action.”
“As she lightly tapped my cheek with her finger and gently swept it, Adele’s lips fluttered.”
“I had a rough idea of what she meant by ‘express it,’ but couldn’t refuse the situation I was in, and I chuckled.”
“Last time it was my forehead, so should I at least kiss her cheek this time?”
“Then I’ll take it as you granting permission.”
“Your boldness makes me sick. Just when I thought it was just the two of us, another uninvited guest shows up.”
“Uninvited guest. From Adele’s perspective, Adrian might feel like an uninvited guest too. Perhaps they could look at each other that way.”
“Regardless, in this situation, all we can do is hope for each other’s help.”
“Right now, I think I can control things, so at least there shouldn’t be any disturbances.”
“As I stepped out of the room to make contact, I locked eyes with Lothos.”
“Looking somewhat exhausted due to the increase in work lately, when he met my gaze, he began to voice his complaints as if he had been waiting.”
“I don’t know what Adele would have said if she heard, but I tended to listen to these complaints.”
I was the type to listen to these complaints.
…After all, if Lothos isn’t in the North, nothing will be running smoothly.
“Just go ahead and kill me.”
“Did you hear that?”
“No, just the fact that you two are in the same room is enough for me to understand. More problems will arise, and perhaps the Duke will end up staying here for a long time. Then the Grand Duke will only focus on the Duke, leaving all the piled-up work to me. Isn’t that right?”
The price of understanding too much in such a short time was dreadful.
As he rubbed his eyes, reddened as if about to burst into tears, he sighed, rubbing his forehead that had grown even wider than before.
Perhaps when we meet next, his hair might even reach the crown of his head.
“I’ve started losing my hair lately.”
“Oh dear.”
“My wife asked me why I don’t come home, wondering if I’m using work as an excuse to do something else. Recently, she saw my appearance and cried her eyes out. After all, no one understands me like my wife.”
“I can understand. The problem is that we can’t stop the Grand Duke’s actions.”
“Thank you for the kind words. But… it seems like you’ll be staying longer than expected?”
As I pondered how to respond to that question and cautiously nodded, Lothos let out a hollow laugh.
I felt sorry for the expression that seemed to have given up, but Lothos calmly smiled again and stroked his grizzled beard.
“Is that so? You’ll be staying for about a month?”
“I might stay even longer.”
“Hmm, a month. Maybe even longer. Hmmm… I guess I have to accept that.”
“You don’t seem too surprised. I thought it was a serious matter.”
“I haven’t been home for about three months, so what’s the big deal about not being able to go home for another month? It’s my subordinates whom I feel sorry for.”
Four months. Hearing that made me feel even guiltier.
Perhaps it would be better to talk to Adele. If time allowed, I wanted to help Adele handle some of the work.
I forced a bitter smile on a face that seemed to have almost completely given up, and Lothos, chuckling, gave me a thumbs up before turning his back.
“Then I hope you have a good time. I guess… I should head to my office.”
“If there’s anything I can help with, let me know.”
“No, it’s fine.”
After briefly turning his head away, Lothos gently replied with a smile.
“What’s the big deal? I’ll just stay up late.”
The back of Lothos disappearing looked more pitiful than anything else. A father unable to see his family, a seasoned man tormented by work for months, losing his hair.
The most frustrated man who hasn’t met anyone for months, suffering through work that has made his hair fall out.
A lot has changed, but I felt sorry that it seemed to have only a negative impact on Lothos.
#
When I contacted Adrian, he readily replied that he would come.
Hearing that news, Lothos fell into despair once more, while Ilona shot me a strange expression.
Bunta, on the other hand, was pretty indifferent to the news.
Since the Saint is quite chatty with me, Ilona sneakily approached and asked if I was okay.
“Are you going to be alright? Our Grand Duke probably dislikes this a lot.”
“I got permission. He’s coming out of necessity, so what problem could there be?”
“That’s a relief, but from my position, I feel a bit anxious.”
Ilona’s signature lazy smile belied her obvious concern.
I know what she’s worried about. Still, I think there’s no need to fret in advance.
There wasn’t much difference in attitude when we met last time in the South.
Given Adrian’s character, the chance of friction with Adele seems low, and the awkwardness between them faded when they finally faced each other.
It should be fine. If a fight seems likely, I can just separate them; after all, they’ll be too busy investigating to have the time to clash.
Since they come here through teleportation, it doesn’t take long to arrive.
Adele and I had prepared to welcome the Saint, adjusting for the situation where we needed to proceed as quickly as possible without bringing along other subordinates.
“Didn’t you say they would be here soon?”
Adele, riding a wolf, asked. While she wasn’t dressed elaborately for an informal occasion,
she had tied her hair back with a thin coat, giving off a different vibe than usual.
Nodding, she briefly swallowed her silence and stared into the void.
Adrian might be accompanied by several Paladins.
Since it’s likely to be Berod, I was secretly thinking we should resolve everything quickly in this meeting.
After riding the wolf for a while, I noticed a glow in the distance that I recognized as Divine Power and turned to Adele.
I had asked her to send a sign so it would be easy to recognize, but to create a pillar with Divine Power?
That was still a level I couldn’t even mimic yet.
It might be possible for a Paladin who lives on abundant Divine Power instead of Magic Power, but it’s undeniable that Berod’s strength remains formidable.
“…I felt it last time too, but that Paladin is quite something.”
“He’s known as the pinnacle of Paladins. It’s only natural.”
“It’s work.”
“Still, I’m stronger than that Paladin. Don’t lean on an incompetent person.”
I let out a chuckle at the off-context remark, but Adele, who said it, moved forward and bowed her head towards the Saintess.
Adrian, dressed in his usual white clothes, smiled gently at me.
Surprisingly, Berod showed no expression, but seeing his hammer trembling slightly made me chuckle awkwardly.
“Robert, I’ve come seeking help.”
“I’m sincerely grateful for your presence. Normally, I would need to head to the Moon Tower, but moving seems quite difficult right now.”
“That’s alright. It’s actually quite easy to get from the Center to the North. Has there been nothing unusual in the North? I’ve heard that you two have been together…”
As Adele subtly moved closer to me, Adrian, sensing her presence, cautiously added, “It seems like you’ve become a little closer.”
“Well, we’ve spent a lot of time together, so that’s natural. I apologize for not giving you a grand welcome, but given the urgency of the matter, I feel we need to get down to it.”
At Adele’s response, Adrian nodded slightly.
He seemed to ponder for a moment about the fact that they had spent a lot of time together, but it was just for a brief moment.
Starting to move again with Berod, Adrian soon found himself next to me.
Once he was completely at my side, Adrian verified my presence with a touch of his hand and murmured, “Have you been well?”
Whispering softly.
Adrian’s voice was low enough to not be heard by others, and he wore his usual gentle smile. I felt I should express my gratitude for the help I received when becoming the Head of the Family, but I rarely managed to say it outright.
Just as I was about to speak, Adele slipped in between and frowned at me.
She too spoke in a whisper, but her following words made it impossible not to chuckle.
“I never allowed you to converse with anyone else.”
“…Aren’t you the Saintess? I was just trying to express my gratitude for the help. And since it’s been a while, it seems a bit much not to greet you.”
“When we go inside, do it when I’m not watching.”
Saying that, Adele took the reins of the wolf I was riding and added, “If anyone else is with you besides me, I’ll be pretty angry.”
Her voice was loud enough for Adrian to hear, and I could see his expression subtly changing.
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