Noticing such attention, Saito blushed, and started to eat more slowly.
“It is delicious. Thank you.”
Tiffania laughed while smiling.
Those children who finished the meal, began to pester Tiffania.
“Tiffa-neechan! Let’s play!”
“Hey hey, I still haven’t finished eating yet…”
“Uwaa! Tiffa onee-chan, mama…”
The boy, approximately ten years of age, buried his face between Tiffania’s breasts, making Saito instinctively spout the stew.
“Gim! Aren’t you big already? You can’t depend on mother forever.”
“Because… Tiffa-neechan grew bigger, just like mother…”
Saito became suspicious about what the boy named Gim said.
“…Hey, your eyes are not discerning. After two-three years, your eyes should be able to distinguish them. Busted!”
When he said so, Gim glared at Saito.
“Tiffa-neechan belongs just to me!”
“Yes?”
Gim ran away.
“What… he misunderstood.”
When he faced Tiffania, he saw her firmly grasped fist resting on her knee.
“Tiffa?”
“N-no! I, I watched you practicing only because you looked happy, and I was just c-curious, so…”
Apparently, she was watching the practice, and Gim felt jealous.
Saito smiled wryly.
“I understand. Because I am close to your age, you are interested, right?”
Tiffania nodded silently. Tiffania grew up in a limited space and has not spoken to the teens of a similar age.
“…But, I wonder.”
“About what?”
“I am not scared of you. The dragon knight boys that I helped some time ago, were scary somehow…”
“I wonder why.”
“Oh well… I thought that maybe the reason that you are not afraid of me, as when I am scared, I become insecure myself, but it is somehow different with you…”
Apparently, Rene and the others were afraid of Tiffania. Oh dear, that could be it. Halkeginia’s nobles seemed to be afraid of elves due to the wars…
However, since Saito was not a noble from Halkeginia, he did not take part in wars either.
“Nonsense. Who would be afraid of such a cute girl like you?”
When Saito said so, trying to comfort Tiffania, she hesitantly turned.
However… when she hesitantly turned with both of her hands on her knees, naturally, her breasts were squeezed by her arms. Huge, shape-changing fruits. He did not know where to look.
Tiffania, noticing that Saito turned his eyes away shamefully; in a panic, covered her chest.
Though she gave Saito a light glare… as if remembering something, she became serious again.
“But… you really don’t want to inform them?”
Saito nodded with a serious look as well. This morning, Tiffania asked if he didn’t want to inform his family that he is all right. He said to Tiffania that though he wanted to return back to that place, no one cared if he is alive or not…
“Your family who was left in Tristain does not worry?”
“It’s all right.”
“I could send a letter…”
“It’s all right.” Saito repeated lonely.
“Your family will surely be worried about your safety.”
“There is no family in Tristain.”
“Then, where are they?”
“In a place where letters can not reach.”
“…Eh?”
“It is nothing. Please forget it.”
Tiffania, not knowing what to say, fell silent. Then noticing that Saito's stew plate was almost empty, Tiffania picked it up.
“I, I’ll bring seconds.”
Saying so, she disappeared in the house.
Saito lightly bit his lip.
After all, maybe he should tell the truth?
That there is a Void user besides Tiffania; to whom I was a familiar.
Though, that might worry her…
He felt someone's presence. Did Tiffania return already? That was very fast. Though I wanted some time to prepare my mind for this moment, there is no other way.
Saito said in a constrained voice.
“Though I do not have family in Tristain, however… There is an important person. Yet… I do not have the skills needed to appear in front of that person anymore. I’m not a familiar of that person already. Therefore…”
His hesitant explanation was interrupted by a low woman's voice.
“What are you doing here?”
It wasn’t Tiffania’s voice.
Frightened, Saito looked up.
The commander of the musketeers stood there.
“I thought it would be harder to find you. I’m disappointed.”
In the living room of Tiffania's house, Saito sat opposite from Agnes.
Agnes, who took off her black mantle and sat on the chair in a green tunic, amazed, watched Saito.
“I entered the forest from the highway, where I was checking village to village. Look, I was prepared for this. For the two weeks we searched through the bigger part of the forest… sleeping with a dew. Had to change shoes. And then I stopped at the first village's garden for lunch. So anticlimactic.
Agnes pointed at the stuffed rucksack and said.
“I see. So you are saying that the Princess looked for me?”
Asked Saito, after hearing about circumstances. Tiffania, with an embarrassed face, stood hesitantly as usual. There was no time to put a cap on her head either.
After drinking the tea on the table, Agnes stood up.
“Let’s go then. Miss, we are indebted to you. Though this is not much, take our expression of gratitude.”
After throwing a bag with golden coins towards Tiffania, Agnes turned to the doorway.
“What?”
Seeing Saito not moving, Agnes made a suspicious face.
“Umm… could you tell the Princess that I died?”
“What? You don’t want to be honored by Her Majesty and removed from the commoner’s list?”
Saito said.
“The Princess will inform Louise about it.”
“So what? Aren’t you Miss Vallière’s familiar?”
“Not anymore.”
“What?”
Saito showed to Agnes the left hand on which runes disappeared.
“Though I do not understand because I am not a mage… there should be letters engraved.”
“At the time when I was dying, the runes disappeared. Since I am not a familiar, I am a free human now. Therefore, please say that I died.”
Though Agnes was gazing Saito… her glance stopped on Tiffania. Being watched by Agnes, Tiffania shamefully hid her ears. Though she was going to erase the memory from behind… was she seen through?
“Elf?”
“…Half.”
“Is that so.” Agnes muttered.
Seeing that Agnes was not afraid of her, Tiffania asked timidly.
“You are not scared of elves?”
“I don't make a habit of being scared by those who do not show malice.”
Sighing, Agnes slumped back into the chair again.
“All right. I will say that you are dead.”
“Really?”
“Aah. Instead… I will stay here for a while.”
“What?”
Saito and Tiffania stared at Agnes with their mouth’s agape.
“There is no date specified. Besides...“
Agnes said in a somewhat tired tone.
“I want to take some rest. Ever since the war started, I haven't had much sleep.”
That night...
Saito, laying on the bed, staring at the ceiling, unable to fall asleep. He heard creaky sounds coming from the corridor. Then, someone knocked against the door.
“Agnes-san?”
He thought it was Agnes who was sleeping in the living room, but he was wrong.