“I see. Thank you.”
Henrietta thanked him in a shaky voice.
A black haired swordsman from a foreign country…
…Could it be Louise’s familiar, listed between the names of killed in action?
Saito Hiraga.
A strange sounding name.
A boy who came from the different world.
The Void’s familiar.
Legendary Gandálfr…
Some time ago, when my mind was blinded, when I turned my wand to Louise… He stopped my spell, Henrietta recalled.
Once again, he stopped.
Not once, but twice… he stopped it.
Hawkins said, looking distant.
“If not for him… Today, Your Majesty’s and mine seats would have been reversed. By all means, bless that brave man. In the name of Your Majesty, give him the blessing.”
That night… in one of Havilland’s palace rooms, Henrietta was lost in thought. It was a gorgeous room made to entertain the guests from the foreign countries.
Someone knocked against the door. One long, two short knocks. It was an arbitrary sign.
“Come in.”
The door opened, revealing Agnes. She carried no weapons or armor and was dressed in simple, plain clothes.
“Did you find anything?”
When Henrietta asked, Agnes shook her head.
“No… there were no clues.”
“I see.” Henrietta nodded.
Following Henrietta, Agnes came to Albion. The Saxe-Gotha revolters from the Tristain army… suddenly, as if waking from a dream, launched an attack on their former allies of the Albion's army.
All soldiers and officers answered the same upon explaining the temporary revolt – “I thought it was necessary to do so.” Was it the cause of some sort of magic – no one knew. It was strange that tens of thousands of officers and experienced men sudden abandoned the victory; still, the cannon ball was shot out and no one could return it. Agnes, following Henrietta’s orders, investigated it for a long time.
“We thought that the water of Saxe-Gotha might be the cause, and let mages to examine it. Yet, no matter how long we examined it – it was still common, normal water. Though nobles pointed out the possibility of Ancient Magic… there is no evidence. We are in a deadlock.”
“I see… Though a mysterious event, you should not give up the hunt for the truth. There are no limits.”
Agnes bowed.
“I did not match Her Majesty's expectations; there are no excuses.”
“Lift your head Agnes. My commander. You are not responsible. Mysterious things that never have been clarified happen in this world, all the time. Ancient Magic, sacred ground, demi-humans, elves, lands of the east, the other side of the ocean, and Void. All of them puzzle the mind.”
“Indeed.”
Agnes said in a tired voice. Agnes was always in motion these days. Her face looked as if it lost its zeal somewhere.
“Commander, I want to give you a new duty.”
“With pleasure…”
Henrietta spoke about what she heard from General Hawkins in White Hall today.
“Miss Vallière’s boy familiar?”
“Correct. He saved the Allied Forces… and the mother country. By all means, it is necessary to confirm if he is alive or dead. The point where he fought against the Albion army in the Saxe-Gotha area… I hear that it is in the northeast of Rosais.”
“Certainly.”
Saying this, Agnes bowed and tried to go out of the room again.
“Please wait.”
“What is it?”
To the surprised Agnes, Henrietta offered a cup from the table.
“Sake?”
Though Agnes lifted the cup while talking, she didn’t press her lips to it.
“There is something I want to ask you. Not as a queen, but as a woman… asking a senior woman.”
“What?”
“…What does revenge bring? Emptiness? Sorrow? Do you regret your doings?”
“Revenge?”
Agnes shut her eyes.
“I, too… cannot find it.”
After the musketeer commander left...
Henrietta thought about the boy that saved the mother country and herself..
She poured wine into the cup again.
Watching the liquid sway inside, Henrietta slowly traced her lips with a finger.
The lips, as if by some spell, felt like they were on fire… Henrietta’s cheeks blushed slightly.
Saito glared at the firewood, hanging on some rope thrown over the tree branch.
“Kiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeee!”
While screaming, he pulled out the sword and lowered it.
-Kachink- came the sound of it hitting the firewood
Then again, he aimed the sword at it and lowered. The wood was diagonally cut and fell to the ground. Applause came from the children who were watching that sort of show from the surroundings.
Saito wiped away the perspiration from his brow.
He was practicing since the morning. He was doing it together with rehabilitation. Whenever he got up in the morning - he instantly ran around the forest. The run was long. After that, he swung his sword; he practiced every day without fail. Derflinger was a useful coach. And the children watched curiously.
“Hey?”
Saito asked Derflinger.
“Haah haah. Is it all right? Hah, I am only swinging the sword. As such, I only train physical strength, not skill.”
“Indeed. However, there is no sparring partner…”
“Aarah. What if there were an expert? You lose even against kids who can swing a sword only a little.”
“Don’t say it so bluntly.”
Saito glared at Derflinger.
“Besides, they are short. It’s no good defeating short partners.”
“Damn…”
“Even though it’s not enough, swing the sword. Right now, partner is not Gandálfr anymore…”
“I know.”
Under the care of Derflinger, Saito continued training.
It continued for two hours…
“T-tired…”
Saito was lying on the ground.
“Mercy. I’m wasted.”
“…You’ve been saying that since the morning.”
Still, it was a comfortable tiredness. He never moved around so much in Japan. The sun shone through the cracks in the trees, and Saito closed his eyes.
“However…”
Saito watched his hand.
“What?”
“I did not know I could move this way.”
He said slightly surprised.
Compared with the time in Japan, he was considerably stronger. If it were the old days, it would be impossible for him to run such distances while swinging a sword. Derflinger was not light at all; it was a large sword. His old self would not been able to swing it around at all.
“Therefore, it is good for you to practice hard. However, I am saying it clearly, as an experienced veteran in combat – you are still an amateur, don’t get cocky.”
“I’m not cocky.”
“You are not yet on the level to withstand an actual combat. Do not be so confident.”
“Nonsense.”
“Aah, partner, you should practice with a sword at least…”
Derflinger muttered hurt.
“Mo, I know that myself! But I can’t do that unflaggingly.”
Saito stood up.
“U-ummm…”
Turning around, he saw the hesitant Tiffania standing.
“What's wrong?”
“…W-will you eat lunch?”
The surrounding children shouted with joy.
The lunch was prepared in the garden behind Tiffania's house, if you could call it garden; since it didn't have any separations from the forest, it was impossible to tell where the garden ended and the forest began.
Tiffania started placing dishes on the table. It was bread with mushroom stew. Seeing that Saito suddenly noticed that he was very hungry.
“Itadakimasu!”
He shouted loudly and began to eat greedily. For a moment, Tiffania was astonished, but then smiled gently. The children were also interested in Saito's behavior, who was loudly gobbling and munching it up.