Sevens

Volume 7, Chapter 82 – Righteous General Sleigh Walt

Translated by: Reiji

The Third’s memory moved from the battlefield scenery to a tent.

The doctor treating Sleigh who was lying down shook his head.

Sleigh whose breath was already weakening was looking up to the ceiling vacantly. Light was vanishing from his eyes and it was unclear whether he even still had his consciousness.

The Third folded his arms.

『……I didn’t want to die on the battlefield.』

The Fourth who had been keeping quiet all this time took off his glasses and lifted his face.

『Third──Tou-san. Can I show Lyle my memory?』

The Third nodded.

『Yeah, that’s fine. I also want to watch.』

『Thank you.』

The scene switched to the Fourth’s memory──it was the mansion of the Walt House at that time.

.

──That day, Max Walt was in the mansion.

He was worried about his father, Sleigh who was participating in a really big battle.

「Tou-san, I wonder if he’s alright?」

He recalled Sleigh who always came home safely and jokingly say things like 「I want to retire and leave the rest to you」.

「……He’ll be alright this time too won’t he?」

The fourteen years old Max wasn’t at the age to go to the battlefield and stayed behind.

He was gradually getting involved with the work inside their territory and at this rate it was planned for him to assist Sleigh for real in a few more years.

He would inherit the position of feudal lord when he was around thirty years old in the plan.

Max was studying in the mansion, but then the mansion became noisy.

「What is it?」

He exited his room and got down the stair. There a knight was breaking down crying at the entrance.

The mud covered knight was yelling in a kneeling posture like kowtow.

「Our allies won. But, Sleigh-sama was heavily wounded……the doctor said that he won’t have long.」

The young man who his father appointed as a knight hurriedly came here to report. His face looked tired. He was spilling tears of frustration and his body was wounded all over.

Max stood still.

「……Lies.」

The one who was receiving the report from the knight was Passetto Walt──the wife of Sleigh and Max’s mother.

Passetto was listening to the report expressionlessly. When the knight finished his report and let go of his consciousness, she gave instructions to the servants in the mansion.

「Clean his body and lay him down to sleep. After that, gather the remaining males.」

She was behaving courageously, but her complexion was pale.

Passetto married with Sleigh through marriage interview, but their relationship as husband and wife wasn’t bad.

Although she was exasperated with the unmotivated Sleigh, she was a woman who would assist him with a smile.

「……Kaa-san.」

Passetto turned around──and then said.

「Max, resolve yourself. Hurry to where your father is. From today──you are the head of the Walt House.」

Because the inheritance hadn’t been passed down formally, strictly speaking he wasn’t a feudal lord.

But, from the Walt House’s perspective such thing was irrelevant. Someone to drag the territory forward──a feudal lord was necessary.

Max prepared in a hurry and rushed out from the entrance.

He mounted the prepared horse and headed towards the battlefield where Sleigh was at with several guards.

He galloped his horse along a maintained road.

What was in the mind of such Max was,

(Quickly. Even faster!)

The feeling to hurry made Max manifest his Art. The horses were speeding up and continued to run while the guards were surprised.

Max rushed through the maintained road and the battlefield was gradually coming into view.

When he arrived, the soldiers of the Walt House were waiting and guided Max to the tent where Sleigh was waiting.

When the sweaty Max entered the tent, the knights and soldiers around were crying.

Sleigh smiled in pain, and then he held out a blue Gem──the heirloom of the Walt House to Max.

Max grabbed that hand with both hands.

「Tou-san! Tou-san!」

「……Max, sorry. Take care, of the rest.」

He said that, took a deep breath, and then Sleigh closed his eyes and passed away.

Max was trembling.

The doctor nearby said 「It’s amazing how he held out this long. Surely, he was waiting for you his son」, but it didn’t seem to enter Max’s ear.

He spilled tears and tightly grasped the hand of Sleigh that was holding the blue Gem.

The blue Gem looked like it was faintly shining──

.

I who finished watching the memory of the Third and the Fourth stood still on the spot in a daze.

I was speechless in front of the truth that differed from what was written in the book.

I also understood the reason why the Third couldn’t accept being called the righteous general.

The Fourth opened his mouth.

『……After this, his majesty favored me in various things. I felt indebted to him because I didn’t know the truth. Our caregiver the Baron also didn’t tell me anything.』

The Fourth was having a frustrated feeling after learning the truth now.

He was muttering that if he knew this he wouldn’t feel any gratitude or anything.

The Third didn’t blame the Fourth.

『I think you’ve done your best, you know? You became a Baron and drastically expanded the territory didn’t you? You must have been lacking manpower to manage all of that, it can’t be helped that you couldn’t split your attention to other matters.』

The Fourth raised in rank──he was promoted due to the Third’s achievement.

Because he became a Baron, the territory expanded.

It was great to hear about promotion, but from the perspective of the Third, he felt that the Fourth had it hard to suddenly inherit the position.

『……The truth is really cruel. Even though the Third took down the enemy general, the achievement ended up in his majesty’s hand.』

It seemed that it was arranged so it seemed like the king was the one to take down the enemy general.

The Third was enraged while still smiling.

『That sh*tty bastard. I should have punched him more than once.』

The Fourth also agreed.

『You’re right. I also should have punched him once.』

The two were laughing.

They were laughing──and then they looked at me.

『Do you understand Lyle? With what kind of feelings we fought…… Being called a righteous general is exaggerated. They’re speaking about the selfish and heinous me.』

「……Calling yourself heinous is too excessive isn’t it?」

『You won’t be able to be a feudal lord without being heinous. Well, if there is justice in this world, then the feudal lords are basically villains.』

The Third was gradually going back to his usual self. He looked at me and smiled a bit sadly.

『That’s why I’m thinking. Lyle, it’s fine to not get fixated with the status of a noble. You can just live more for your own sake.』

……For the time being I was raising an objective of becoming a first class adventurer, but I still had nothing that could be called as my life objective.

The Third told that kind of me to live freely.

But, the Fourth’s opinion was different.

『As for me, I wish that Lyle would inherit the territory though. In the first place, he is the legitimate heir……and our emotional attachment to it is just that much.』

It seemed the ancestors starting from the Fourth ahead wished for me to inherit their territory.

The Seventh was also conveying to me that he wanted me to take back the territory.

The Third was refusing such opinion.

『I think there’s no need to be fixated on it though? Lyle’s happiness is unrelated with the territory.』

『There are things that has been accumulated until now. It won’t be hard if we can just discard it so easily.』

The attachment became stronger along with the accumulation of generations.

If the First and the Second were here, what kind of words would they tell me?

.

The next day.

Clara-san and I were sitting on the sofa at the inn’s first floor while talking.

I said the truth to Clara-san, but──

「Eh? Why are you making that doubtful look?」

Clara-san was giving me a gaze as though she was looking at something suspicious. She stopped taking memo.

No matter how I saw it she was doubting me.

「Should I say that Lyle-san’s story is slightly lacking authenticity……the part about punching a king and not getting executed is also dubious, even if you said that the Art and other factors are the reason for that, and the part about the one who defeated the enemy general was also Lyle-san’s ancestor, even if you said that.」

Even though I was speaking of the truth, she didn’t believe me.

As expected this was outside my expectations.

The Third was also screaming.

『Why!? Believe it, Clara-chan! Don’t talk like it’s the sham history book that is ringing of truth!』

Clara-san pondered, and then she made her conclusion.

「Well, the Walt House that was a quasi-baron house at that time being intimate with his majesty is also a dubious story. I can accept them being treated just like every other house. The story about charging at the large army and buying time seemed to be the truth too, but I’m suspicious whether Sleigh Walt really took down the enemy general.」

She was doubting that it was strange after punching the king, Walt House wasn’t crushed after that.

Certainly, thinking normally it was an impossible story.

Even I would be doubting it if I hadn’t seen the Third’s memory.

「……Everything, is the truth.」

「I also understand Lyle-san’s feeling that want to believe that. But, it’s not like you actually saw it yourself……」

I saw it! It was painful being unable to say that.

I was keeping secret about the matter of the ancestors even toward my comrades.

Because of that there was little proof no matter how much I explained that it was the truth…….

「……I will record it as the testimony of a descendant.」

Clara-san wouldn’t believe me.

When my shoulders dropped in dejection, Eva-san approached.

She was really energetic since the morning.

「Ah, Lyle! Is the extra Clara also well?」

Clara-san who was treated as an extra was expressionless in front of Eva-san.

「I’m well, liar Eva-san.」

The two of them were in discord since the morning.

They both had a shared hobby of loving stories, but due to their different personalities the two of them had an incompatible relationship.

Clara-san was thinking that the truth had to be conveyed accurately.

In contrast, Eva-san was thinking that if it could enliven the audience then some dramatization was alright! Story was something to be enjoyed regardless of the truth.

……They were incompatible.

「Well, Clara doesn’t matter. More importantly, what were you two talking about?」

「Actually──」

When I talked regarding the Miracle of Remlraudt, Eva-san was showing a strong interest. She sat beside me and listened to the story passionately with her face really close.

Then──

「……It’s good.」

「Eh?」

「I like that kind of story. The part where he punches the king flying is also good. The man who is called the righteous general actually hates the king more than anyone! Yep, it’s exciting!」

Even though Clara-san who was seeking for the truth wouldn’t believe the story, Eva-san who wanted a story to be exciting liked the Third’s truth.

The Third was also bewildered.

『……Eeeeh?』

Eva-san grabbed my shoulders.

「Hey, tell me even more. I want to listen to the story that Lyle knows. Let’s talk a lot today.」

Her eyes were serious.

I heard that elves show strong interests towards new topics or unknown stories.

I understood what that meant from seeing Eva-san.

Clara stood up and returned to her room.

「Then, I’ll excuse myself.」

Eva-san called out to such Clara-san.

「You too should go out sometimes. It’s unhealthy to do nothing but read books.」

「……I’ve gone out for shopping yesterday.」

Clara-san said that and climbed the stairs. I felt like she was a bit angry.

Why?

The Fourth was sighing.

『Lyle is really no good. Even after having Growth, only your treatment of woman hasn’t progressed.』

The Sixth was laughing.

『They’re really innocent! Well, let’s watch for a while, the problem is Eva.』

Eva-san looked at me restlessly.

「Lyle, tell me some story quickly. Hey, quickly!」

She was excited and her cheeks reddened.

My heart was beating a little fast.

「No, that──」

While I was being troubled, Shannon appeared bringing sweets.

「Haa, my remaining sweets are only these. I want to go buy more but the outside is cold, and I’m also bored playing with snow.」

She was saying such thing, but only recently she was playing in the snow outside with Monica. I also joined in for a bit but……she was someone who wanted to play the next day too even after playing for the whole day.

「You’re really free huh.」

Being called by me in the morning seemed to make her displeased from how she was making a 「Geh!」 voice.

Eva-san looked at Shannon.

「Why are you bringing sweets? You should eat them in your room.」

Shannon’s shoulders dropped.

「……Onee-sama is starting to mix her chemicals there. Besides, recently she was angry because I dropped food remains everywhere.」

「Of course she would get angry.」

When I spoke that it was only natural, Shannon glared at me.

「You’re really annoying.」

「You’re stupid. I’ll tattle on you to Miranda-san.」

「……I get it. I’ll share these sweets with you so let’s have a discussion.」

「Don’t think I’ll get lured by sweets.」

Eva-san who was watching my exchange with Shannon was chuckling.

「What’s the matter?」

Eva-san looked at me and then she smiled.

「Lyle, you’re like a child. Somehow, it looks like that’s your natural state. You two look like a brother and sister whose age is close with each other I think. The two of you feel younger than your appearances suggest.」

When I was going to protest at what she said, the ancestors were also agreeing.

『Aa~, I get her.』

『Certainly, Lyle is childish despite his age.』

『He’s really energetic when arguing with Shannon.』

『Perhaps that’s because their mental age is close?』

『It’s no good if you don’t be more adultlike. Be kind to Shannon who is like a little sister.』

……I hated the existence of a little sister.

Shannon protested at Eva-san.

「I’m more like Lyle’s big sister! Putting aside our age, I’m more reliable than this guy!」

「You always call me gigolo but, you are more of a gigolo than me! Don’t talk like I’m worse than you!」

We glared at each other, then Shannon put her sweets on the table.

And then she suddenly showed the stance of raging sparrow.

「……You, you’re serious huh. So you seriously want to have a go!」

Shannon was serious.

We who were learning martial arts from Monica were the so called fellow pupils. Exactly because we were fellow pupils that I immediately sensed how serious Shannon was.

I spoke with a serious face.

「Come at me. This is the day I give you a crushing defeat.」

When I also took the stance of raging sparrow, Eva-san was cackling and hitting the sofa.

「Both of you’re the best! That serious face is great. Even though it looks stupid, the way you two are being so serious really hits the point.」

Shannon and I looked at Eva-san.

「I’m serious here!」

「I’m serious!」

Eva-san was laughing while holding her stomach hearing that.

「Noo good. My stomach hurt!」

When I noticed, the inn’s staffs and guests were also looking at us with a smile.

Shannon and I glared at each other, and then when we were about to start the match──

「……What are you doing, Lyle-sama?」

We were found out by Novem who came down to the first floor.

「Novem!」

「Lyle-sama, that is a bother for the other guests. Please stop from making a ruckus here.」

「Ah, yes, then outside──」

When I looked outside from the window, it was snowing today too. The wind was strong, pushing the snow horizontally which caused the field of vision to be bad. Going outside to fight was……a bit inconvenient in this weather.

I took off my stance and Shannon also did the same.

Both of us similarly didn’t want to fight so much that we would go outside.

Novem let out an exasperated sigh.

「Eva-san too don’t just watch and please stop their quarrel.」

Eva-san apologized to Novem who was warning her but……she was laughing. It didn’t look like she was reflecting at all.

「I’m sorry. But, it was funny.」

「Even so please stop them.」

「Because, recently we can’t go outside so it’s boring. Aa~a, I want to go out somewhere.」

Eva-san lied down on the sofa. She was warned by Novem that attitude was also bad and she stood up.

She looked at Shannon while,

「That’s right! Both of you, won’t you go out together with me this time? It feels like it will be really fun to go out with the two of you.」

「Ee~, me and this guy? Well, I can at least use him as a bag carrier.」

「Bring your own things by yourself.」

「You are really not kind to me. A boy should be kind to a girl.」

「No, I’m not thinking of you as a girl anyway.」

A vein formed on Shannon’s forehead. She kicked my knee.

「Ouch!」

「Stu~pid!」

Her kick was sharp unlike before, anyway it was hurt. Even though this fellow couldn’t do anything due to a lack of stamina just a little while ago, now she was able to make a good movement.

She took her sweets and ran away to the second floor. Novem saw her off and then got angry at me.

「Lyle-sama, please get along with her a bit more.」

「No, but……」

For some reason, I kept getting into a quarrel with that fellow.

Perhaps our compatibility was bad?

Eva-san went 「It’s fine isn’t it」 seeing us like that and said,

「The two of them fight because they’ve got a good relationship.」

I couldn’t accept that and turned a doubting gaze to Eva-san.

「Oh, you don’t believe me?」

When I averted my gaze, Eva-san made a face that said Can’t be helped.

「Like that you don’t really show your natural self to us. You still add ‘-san’ to everyone except with Novem and Shannon. Other than them there is only Monica.」

Even if she told me that, it’s……troubling.

.

──The night of that day.

Novem tried to visit the Walt residence in the capital.

She heard that the house where the capital noble Walt House had been living at for generations was sold and she brought herself here.

The building was in the process of being demolished. The scenery looked different from before.

「I should inform my family of this.」

Novem left her house and chased after Lyle, but she decided to contact them because she also couldn’t leave this alone.

She was wearing a hooded robe while walking under the falling snow.

The snow she stepped on made a sound.

「For the same Walt House to be this different, it’s completely out of the question.」

Novem talked to herself while walking on the snow expressionlessly──

.

──At a bar within the capital.

Three men were being violent in a nearby alley towards Lionel.

「Don’t screw around!」

「You want to win so bad you would cheat huh!」

「In addition you’re picking a fight, are you an idiot?」

Lionel was receiving violence, but there was a reason for this.

He played poker with these three, but Lionel was cheating. His trick was easily exposed and the three were enraged and protested. Lionel then got driven out from the bar.

After that, when the three came out Lionel was lying in wait and assaulted them.

The three also bore marks from getting punched on them.

「Let’s go.」

「This guy, isn’t he the knight who got a bad reputation recently?」

「Now that you mention it, there was that kind of rumor.」

The three left.

Lionel was lying face down on top of snow that was mixed with mud. He then turned around to face the sky.

「……Sh*t.」

The inside of his mouth was cut and blood was flowing from the corner of his mouth.

His tattered clothes was something he had been wearing continuously for several days.

He lost in casino and the reward he received from the subjugation had been used up.

He also sold his house and pawned the medal he had……like that he was using up even the money he obtained.

He was persecuted by his family, even so Lionel couldn’t stop gambling.

People were saying that it was as though he was a different person when he returned and now he had no more friends who would talk to him──however Lionel was laughing.

「Aa~a, I lost. I wonder what I’ll do after this.」

He was grinning, and then while he was thinking of stealing from other people, a voice addressed him.

「……You’re, Lionel?」

Lionel lifted up his upper body. There he saw Aria standing with one hand carrying a bag.

「Eh, ah──」

「Are you injured? Please wait a second.」

Aria took out a handkerchief and wiped Lionel’s blood for him. Sophia who was standing behind Aria was tilting her head.

「Is he your acquaintance?」

「……He was in my group at the subjugation force.」

「Aa~, from there.」

Sophia looked convinced.

Sophia didn’t notice that this person was Lionel.

Aria was making a slightly sad face. Lionel who participated in the hippogriff subjugation force was in Aria’s group but he ran away from in front of the enemy.

Lionel didn’t want only Aria to see his current figure.

「You stink of alcohol. Your clothes are also really dirty.」

Aria said to Lionel in worry.

「……I have a lot of things that I want to say but, you should work hard seriously. After all you managed to survive.」

Aria gave her handkerchief to Lionel and then moved to leave from there.

Lionel called at her to stop.

「Wa, wait!」

Aria and Sophia turned around.

Lionel stood up and tightly clutched the handkerchief.

「I’m in this state right now but, surely……no, I’ll be great without fail. I’ll be successful!」

Aria smiled.

「I see. Do your best okay?」

She showed her back and waved her hand. Sophia followed after her.

Lionel brought the handkerchief that was dirtied by blood to his nose and sniffed it.

「It’s Aria’s scent. Just you wait. Because I’ll come to pick you up without fail.」

Lionel was making a dark smile. He was staring fixedly on Aria’s back until she was gone from view──

.

We were unable to get out of the capital due to the snow.

We were also on our guard against retaliation from Ralph-san, but for some reason no movement could be seen from him.

He didn’t even place anyone nearby to observe us. Even though I tricked him, he didn’t try to do anything.

「It’s eerie instead like this.」

I walked in the capital that was covered with snow while focusing on my surroundings, even so it was quiet.

Monica who was walking beside me was grinning happily from being able to go out together with me.

「Going on a date with chicken dickwad is the best. The snowy landscape of the royal capital is also really romantic. I’m so pleased that my happy memories are increasing.」

「Happy memories?」

「Please think of it as a record that is composed of my love with chicken dickwad.」

「Hm~m, good for you.」

「Cold! Chicken dickwad is colder than even snow! But, I also love that kind of chicken dickwad.」

Monica was happy no matter what I said to her. I could only feel exasperated at her.

I changed the topic.

「Damian is still staying in the capital you said?」

「You suddenly changed the topic. Well, it’s fine. ……Professor Damian is staying in the capital. I was told that the tools he is ordering haven’t been finished yet. He is staying outside the capital using Porter as his lodging together with that mass-produced product.」

The Porter that Damian created was far larger than even mine.

According to Monica, it was called Dumpcar and it was mainly Lily-san who completed it.

Damian and Lily-san who created it in a short time from Porter’s blueprint were amazing.

「I want to try seeing it once.」

「Fuh, it’s not as good as Porter that is the crystallization of love between me and chicken dickwad. Even so, the situation in the capital is strange.」

Monica was looking around restlessly.

「Strange?」

「Yes. When I went outside I gathered various rumors, but it seems that the crown prince of the Bahnseim Kingdom annulled his betrothal with a princess of another country. And then there is also a rumor that right after that he found a new fiancee──」

「……No way.」

After I muttered, the ancestors were also astonished.

『Betrothal annulment? Did something happen I wonder?』

『Normally that’s unthinkable.』

『It seems stormy.』

『It looks to be stormy.』

『……Please wait. When I was alive, I think the fiancée candidate of the crown prince was the princess of Faunbeux though?』

The Faunbeux Kingdom.

A large country located to the west of Bahnseim. These two countries fought fiercely in the past.

I didn’t know the chain of events that caused the two royal families to perform an engagement with each other, but the betrothal annulment sounded completely strange.

「Oi, is that story true?」

「It’s true. But, the strangeness starts from here. The citizens of the capital are accepting of that news. They don’t make any ruckus, rather I get the impression that it’s the merchants from the outside who are panicking when they learn this fact.」

It shouldn’t be strange even if the citizens of the capital were more uneasy due to this news.

If the betrothal annulment became the cause of a war, even the citizens wouldn’t be able to stay out of it.

「Come to think of it, Clara-san said that she felt the atmosphere is strange……」

Monica talked of the rumors she obtained to me.

「This is a vague information so I didn’t pay it any attention but it seems that the princess of Faunbeux is staying in the capital. Even though the betrothal was annulled, she is still lingering here, isn’t that a strange story?」

「…….That’s, strange.」

While I was bewildered, the Third replied right away.

『That’s obviously strange. Perhaps there is something behind the scenes?』

The Fourth was also curious.

『I want to try investigating this but, it’s impossible for the current Lyle to have a meeting with a royal princess.』

……The Sixth spoke hesitantly.

『Aa~, that’s no good. It’s better for the Walt House to not meet with the princess of Faunbeux.』

The Seventh agreed.

『True.』

When I tightly grasped the Jewel, the Seventh started laughing.

『Lyle, the Sixth and I……once fought against Faunbeux.』

……That would certainly be awkward.

But, the Sixth and the Seventh didn’t end it there.

『In the previous generation or the generation before it, there was a heroic king in Faunbeux. ……I took him down in the battlefield.』

『By the way, I beat up his son and chased him away. I also whittled a lot of their territory.』

The two of them talked in nostalgia.

『That guy was strong. He invaded Bahnseim and took down famous knights one after another. He attacked until near the capital Centralle. He was a man that was really worthy to be called a hero but……I was stronger.』

I wanted to hold my head.

『In my time, the other side also came invading. They were rejoicing from being able to take back their territory, but I attacked them there and whittled a lot of their territory instead. How’s that, Lyle? Ojii-chan is amazing right?』

I ignored the Seventh who was boasting about himself to his grandson.

The Walt House had viciously beaten up Faunbeux for two successive generations.

Certainly I couldn’t meet with them like this. Or rather, I didn’t want to meet them.

.

──Weihs territory.

From the large city that was the stronghold of the Walt House, a travelling group that seemed to be nobles passed the gate and departed.

Several gorgeous horse carriages were encircled by a lot of carriages and soldiers.

There were also many horse riding knights. There were also many citizens seeing off the group near the gate.

The eight house head of the Walt House, Maizel Walt was talking inside a gorgeous horse carriage to his family about future matters.

「Good grief, coming and going from the capital is also bothersome.」

His wife Claire Walt was touching the clothes of Celes Walt who was sitting beside her.

「The palace that keeps summoning us is also irritating. Come now Celes, don’t move. Your clothes will be rumpled.」

Seeing his wife tidying up their daughter’s clothes with a smile, Maizel also smiled.

「The two of you will soon be freed from this annoyance. Just bear with it for a bit more.」

The daughter who was making a spoiled expression towards her mother tilted her head at Maizel.

「It will be only the two of us?」

Maizel nodded in disappointment.

「As expected I can’t leave our territory untended. After I send off Celes to the capital, I’ll return back here. But don’t worry. Claire will accompany you Celes. I’ve rebuilt the mansion of the Walt House in the capital for the sake of you two so it will be pleasant.」

Celes pouted in dissatisfaction.

「I don’t want it. I want Otou-sama to come with us too.」

Celes turned sullen. In response Maizel was troubled but he also looked happy. He spoke chidingly to her.

「However, we can’t just neglect our territory right? Don’t worry, after a while I’ll also stay in the capital. After all I’ll be able to see the figure of my cute 『only child』 in her finest hour there.」

Claire placed her hand on her mouth and smiled.

「Indeed. She is our treasured only child after all.」

……Already, their only child was only Celes in their mind. The matter of Lyle wasn’t touched at all.

Celes was arrogant and audacious, but she was a cute daughter in front of her parents.

She hung her head down in dissatisfaction but──

「Please absolutely come to my place at the day of the celebration. I don’t want Otou-sama to not be there.」

「Those words really make me happy as a father. ……I promise, Celes. I will come running no matter what happens on your celebration day.」

Celes smiled with a face that was befitting her age.

She absolutely wouldn’t show to her parents the attitude that she directed to Lyle and other people.

The scene of truly happy parents and child could be found there.

But, there wasn’t any place for Lyle within that family circle──