Chapter 146 - <3>
Franz Lucina was holding his head, in a state of extreme displeasure, surrounded by a mountain of documents.
The problem, in the first place, was that his master, Orphe, had disappeared, and he was searching for clues to track him down, so he couldn't complain.
Above all, according to Ritz, there was apparently no other way to enter Roshozu than to get involved with this circus troupe.
From the day he was hired until this very moment in Roshozu, Franz has been swamped with calculating the costs of food and materials purchased in Motiana for the performance, as well as the performance budget.
The country this circus troupe belongs to is a country even further east than Fornu, and in that country, it is apparently necessary to properly report performance revenues and submit them as documents.
He thought they should have just calculated it properly from the start, but it seemed they weren't interested in such things.
Moreover, as usual, he couldn't solely blame the fact that he was in this situation on Anna saying one thing too many.
After all, this time it wasn't just Anna; his own sister, Constanze, had also lent a hand in bringing about this situation. Though they had little interaction, they were brother and sister. He probably needed to take responsibility.
He cross-references the bundle of receipts the troupe members seem to have received from shops in Motiana with the chart of the previous performance's earnings, and calculates the deficit and this time's forecast on the paper he has on hand.
There was also the question of whether it was okay to entrust financial management, the most important task, to Franz, who was only a temporary employee.
But it seemed that circus troupes were rather haphazard groups, and as soon as they saw that Franz was capable of handling a certain amount of paperwork, they dumped it all on him.
Apparently, the circus troupe had never had a dedicated office worker.
The Marguerite Circus Troupe was a large household of about forty members, including the ringmaster Marguerite, the acrobats, and the stagehands.
The ringmaster was plump and round, but the red lipstick was a cute accent. She was a woman with bright red hair and plenty of charm.
Within a corner of that group, the five of them, who were participating only this one time, had to secure their own place. They were given a tent made of sturdy canvas and were able to live together, but their jobs all ended up being separate.
Anna and Constanze were receiving intensive instruction from Marguerite as acrobats. Edward was their chaperone.
When he went to ask Marguerite about a discrepancy in the documents, he was surprised to see Edward. The image of the stern, dignified king with sharp eyes was nowhere to be found; he was smiling and watching over the two of them, completely playing the part of an attendant old man.
Franz, who considered Edward as a king to be a noble and dazzling presence, held his head in his hands, wondering if this was really okay. But if the man himself was fine with it, then it must be fine, he decided, convincing himself with a selfish logic worthy of Ritz.
In any case, for now, he had to somehow stay in this circus troupe and, within their one-week stay in Roshozu, find a way to hear the legend related to the gem they possessed.
But for Franz, whose thought processes were extremely limited, he had no idea how to get information from the Fire Clan.
It seemed that this time, even Ritz couldn't come up with a plan, and he was just tilting his head in confusion.
Apparently, Ritz was not good with the Fire Clan who lived here in Roshozu. When he asked for the reason, it was completely different from his inferiority complex towards the Spirit Tribe, the Clan of Light. He just insisted that he wasn't good with them, and Franz couldn't get a clear answer.
For Franz, who had yet to encounter the Fire Clan, there was no way to imagine where Ritz's aversion came from.
In such a situation, the more he thought, the less he came up with, and his impatience just grew.
Who on earth was his master, and where had he disappeared to? What was his master's true identity, and why was he making him search for it? Why did he want Franz, of all people, to be the first to know?
Various questions drifted through his mind, but his work progressed smoothly. For Franz, calculation and his thought process were two different things. Perhaps he was frighteningly suited for administrative work.
After several hours of immersion, even Franz was getting exhausted when it was finally time for lunch.
What the meal person brought him was a rye bread sandwich wrapped in paper and a small bottle that seemed to be a drink. He was tired of the scenery inside this room and wanted to eat outside.
Staggering away from the desk, he went outside the tent. The hot wind, thick with the lingering scent of late summer, still felt pleasant.
The canvas tent had poor ventilation, so breathing the outside air finally brought him some relief. Even for Franz, who was sensitive to the cold and strong against the heat, working for long hours in this lingering summer heat was tough.
He collapsed in the shade of a tree outside the tent, clutching his sandwich, and breathed in the outside air. The air he inhaled deep into his nostrils smelled of green. It was a scent he had never been conscious of before leaving on his journey.
It seemed his mind grew dull if he didn't get some fresh air. He stared blankly at the tree for a while, but when he finally sat up, Franz noticed for the first time that the scene before him was completely different from the morning.
"...Incredible."
The words left his lips without him realizing it. In this clearing, where in the morning there had only been a few small tents for sleeping, a giant big top now towered.
He had been so engrossed in his paperwork that he hadn't heard a single sound. He had been completely unaware that something so huge was being constructed nearby.
Even when he strained his ears, he couldn't hear any sound coming from the big top now. Was no one there?
In this state, if someone told him the big top had suddenly appeared through some kind of supernatural power, he would probably believe them.
The big top was that far removed from the everyday landscape, and on top of that, it was a mysterious presence that emitted an unusually strong sense of being.
Seated, Franz silently looked up at the big top that had appeared in a matter of hours. It was massive. He thought to himself, calculating its height in his head, that it was probably equivalent to a house of more than three stories.
The tent, shaped like two cones joined together with two peaks, spread out at the bottom into a single large, round building in the shape of a cone. Its colors were bright yellow and red, and despite being flashy, it gave off a cheerful impression rather than a vulgar one. Its form, soaring against the blue sky, was dazzling to the eye.
Next to it, several giant foot-bellows for inflation were spread out, attached to a green canvas that had been left in place. They probably inflated it by pumping air into it.
Come to think of it, he remembered when the circus troupe and the traveling amusement park came to Saradio, there was a play structure where you could enter a square canvas inflated with air and jump and bounce around.
As he stared up in a daze, leaves fluttered down from the tree above. There was no wind, so he looked up and saw a person's legs.
"Wh..."
He was at a loss for words, and the owner of the legs nimbly descended from the tree. Despite his exceptionally tall stature and well-proportioned, muscular body, the man was abnormally agile. He landed without a sound and raised a hand towards Franz.
"Yo, Franz."
"...What are you doing?"
Of course, it was Ritz.
"What do you mean? Lunch."
In Ritz's hand was a paper-wrapped bundle similar to the one Franz was holding, and a large towel, either to ward off the heat or wipe away sweat, was draped around his neck.
"It looked like the best tree for viewing the tent, so I climbed up, but then you came along, so I came down. Wanna eat lunch together?"
Ritz smiled in his well-suited laborer's attire, looking nothing like a former mercenary captain. Despite having been drafted for manual labor, Ritz seemed to be having a great time, and Franz, whose spirit was somewhat worn down from being cooped up with office work, felt the urge to say something sarcastic.
"Must be nice, Ritz. You seem to have fun wherever you are."
Remembering the expressionless look on Ritz's face in Ciedena, he thought, Oops, but it would be strange to take it back now. However, either oblivious to Franz's anxiety or not even noticing the sarcasm, the smile didn't leave Ritz's face.
"It is fun."
"Good for you."
"Yeah. You should enjoy your fun office work, too."
"..."
He realized after the retort that the sarcasm had apparently gotten through loud and clear. Having no desire to continue the exchange of barbs, Franz fell silent with a slight sense of defeat.
Since leaving Ciedena, Ritz seemed to have cleanly and completely cut away the somewhat gloomy impression and long hair he had from the time of the king's assassination attempt until recently, returning to the thoroughly detached impression he had when they first met. Something must have happened, but Franz lacked the capacity to sense it. He was envious of Ritz's adult ability to smile as if nothing had happened.
"Break's two hours. Can't waste time."
Plonking himself down under the tree, Ritz opened the wrapping paper and took out a sandwich.
"Whoa, it's got a lamb patty and a fried egg. And tomatoes, too. This is a luxury."
The gluttonous Ritz stared at the sandwich for a moment before taking a bite. It was foolish to just watch, so Franz decided to eat as well.
First, since he was thirsty, he removed the bottle cap and brought it to his lips. It was cold water. Cold water was a blessing in this heat. Perhaps there was a deep well somewhere in this clearing.
While looking around, he glanced at Ritz, who was holding the half-eaten sandwich and carefully observing its contents. Noticing Franz's gaze, he smiled.
"On top of the tomato is raw onion pickled in wine vinegar. Hmm, they used olive oil too. Using green peppers instead of pickles, bold move."
"...You can tell all that?"
"Of course. Who do you think I am?"
Watching the incarnation of gluttony, Ritz, eat with his usual gusto out of the corner of his eye, Franz once again let out a sigh and turned his eyes to the giant big top towering before him. It felt like an extraordinary world existed there, one that had no connection to his ordinary life.
But the ordinary had now stepped into that extraordinary world. Anna, and of all people, his sister Constanze, were going to perform there. If their father, Ville Lucina, saw this, he would probably faint. No, that pervert who liked singers and dancers would probably be delighted.
"What's wrong?"
When he came to, he saw that Ritz had stopped eating and was watching him with calm eyes. When he was looked at with teasing eyes, it was annoying to speak honestly, but with this expression, the words came out naturally.
"I wonder if Anna and Constanze will be okay."
"Who knows."
With a casual tone, Ritz drank water from the bottle.
"I don't know how skilled Constanze is."
"...She's quite good. If she wasn't a Lucina, I think she could have become a Diva."
In fact, Franz hadn't known that at all. When Anna and Constanze had offered to help the circus troupe, Constanze had been told to try singing. When she began to sing a sweet, sorrowful love song in a high, thin voice, Franz had been stunned. He never imagined she was this good. Franz, her brother, was bad at both singing and dancing. He made a point of avoiding them.
"I see. Then Constanze should be fine."
"That's right."
In that case, their worries turned to the other person. Naturally, it was Anna, who immediately stuck her head into things and got hurt, yet was surprisingly unrepentant. After silently eating his sandwich for a while, Ritz spoke up.
"The kind of acrobatics a water spirit user does is completely different from what Anna uses."
"Different?"
"Yeah. You use Fireball, right?"
"I do."
"Could you make that appear in an arch over your head and control it like a ribbon or something?"
He imagined his own flame power in his head and shook his head. Absolutely not. After all, it was only recently that he had learned to gauge its size and explosion timing, so there was no way he could do something like that.
"Just like you, Anna uses Water Sphere. Have you ever seen her change it into other shapes?"
"No."
"Then what about controlling countless small water spheres?"
"Definitely not."
"Right?"
Anna first learned to create a Water Sphere in the capital, but she still couldn't control everything from its size to the direction it flew. Even Ritz, who was calmly sitting next to him, was one of the people sent flying by Anna's super-sized Water Sphere.
In that case, there was a high possibility that Anna was soaking wet after intensive training in water manipulation. When he thought that and looked at Ritz, Ritz let out a deep sigh.
"I'm worried she'll catch a cold."
Until now, those words would have sounded like a complaint, but Ritz had genuinely meant them. The moment he realized that, Franz remembered something and flinched.
Come to think of it, he had heard from Edward that Ritz loved Anna as a woman. It was such an unbelievable story that time had passed without him being able to ask Ritz himself if it was true. This might be his chance to ask.
"Well... it's hot, so it should be fine."
As if talking to himself, Ritz brought the bottle to his lips and drank the water. As Ritz tilted the bottle, Franz steeled himself and asked.
"Do you really love Anna as a woman? Not as a guardian?"
The moment he asked, Ritz spat out his water.
"You! Who told you?!"
Ritz yelled, water dripping down his front. If he was this flustered, then Edward's information was accurate. There was no benefit in hiding the source of his information, so he confessed honestly.
"His Majesty."
"That bastard."
"But considering Anna's state at the time, it couldn't be helped."
"Her state...?"
Ritz furrowed his brow with a suspicious look. Come to think of it, after the incident at Merite Village, Ritz had no idea of the circumstances that led Anna to go to him. But telling Ritz of Anna's resolve felt somehow wrong. Anna had her own privacy.
He couldn't bring himself to say that at that time, when Edward tried to persuade Anna to give up on being with Ritz, she had straightforwardly chosen to give her own promising future to Ritz, declaring, "I want Ritz."
But to escape Ritz's suspicious gaze, it seemed better to reveal a little information.
"That Anna was really down."
Whether he had some idea, or whether he knew because Anna had told him something after finding him, Ritz let out a small sigh. Then he looked at Franz, urging him to explain in more detail.
That's where he was stumped. He had no idea what to say or how to say it. After thinking for a moment, Franz decided to give the most straightforward explanation.
"She was more down than I've ever seen her. It was the first time I'd ever seen an Anna who wasn't hungry."
"...Huh?"
"She was just sitting on the spare bed Ritz used, lost in thought. Even though lunch was cream potato croquettes, her favorite."
"Haah..."
"For that Anna to be so down she couldn't eat, that's impossible."
Anna, who had skipped breakfast before being abducted by Jin, hadn't touched her lunch after the incident, despite surely being hungry. She had just sat on the bed Ritz used, hugging her knees.
Even when she was first attacked by bandits on the way from Faldina to the capital, after the incident at Laria's mansion, and when she regained consciousness after being possessed by a ghost, that Anna, who had always complained of hunger, hadn't eaten. For Franz, this was a huge surprise.
But Franz's surprise didn't seem to quite reach Ritz's heart.
"...Listen."
"What?"
"It's certainly a problem if she's not hungry, but isn't there a better way to put it?"
"What do you mean?"
When he frowned, not understanding what he was being asked, Ritz muttered as if giving up.
"Well, it seems I'm more important to her than cream potato croquettes."
"That's right."
"Well, I suppose it would be the same for you or Ed."
Ritz's words were slightly self-deprecating. But Franz deliberately responded to those words with silence. He had to respect Anna's privacy. For Franz, she was a companion, just like Ritz. He wouldn't sell out one companion to another.
"So, what's the real story?"
When he asked again quietly, Ritz silently put the bottle to his lips and drank more water. This time, he waited silently for Ritz to speak. Eventually, Ritz let out a small sigh and scratched his head with his free hand.
"Ed's words are not mistaken."
Hearing it from the man himself was more shocking than he had expected. To Franz, Ritz was a considerable adult, and Anna, even from his perspective, was a considerable child. He couldn't imagine how that had come to be.
"When you go to a big city, Ritz, you always hang out in the red-light district, don't you?"
"Hmm... well..."
Ritz's eyes darted around as he trailed off. Franz, who was raised in his father's harem until he came of age, was already nineteen and hardly a child, so he knew very well what Ritz was doing there. Knowing that, he naturally understood the level of women Ritz dealt with. Uncomplicated, professional women he could be with just for the time he was in that city, with no strings attached.
Anna, pure and innocent and completely untouched by the filth of the world, was the complete opposite.
"And yet... Anna?"
Ritz, who had apparently been searching for words to dodge the question in the face of Franz's confusion, suddenly gave a resigned, wry smile.
"Can't be helped. The heart and the body are separate."
"Wh..."
From the resolute statement, Franz realized that Ritz had completely thrown caution to the wind.
"Yeah, I'll admit it. I love a woman named Anna Myers. So much so that I'm holding my head in my hands, thinking I must be crazy."
At that frank confession, it was Franz's turn to hold his head, more out of confusion than shock. But in the next moment, for some reason, Ritz let out a small chuckle. After a moment, he let out a small sigh and continued.
"But right now, it's truly just a spiritual thing."
"Spiritual?"
"Of course it is. It's completely unrequited, you know? Besides, with that appearance and personality of hers, if I made a move, there'd be no difference between me and Jin."
"True."
Though Ritz and Jin's level of importance to Anna was likely completely different, to an unsuspecting Anna, Ritz's desires would be a threat similar to Jin's violence.
"If I just spent my days staring at her, I'd burn out eventually. What's wrong with relieving my frustrations in the red-light district so I can remain a safe man for her?"
"You're really owning it."
"Leave me alone."
"But based on what you just said, you do want to make a move on Anna."
Saying he can't make a move because it's unrequited, or that it's wrong because she looks young, all sounded like excuses.
"Is there anyone in this world who wouldn't want to touch the woman they love?"
When Franz stared at Ritz, who had thrown out the words in a defiant tone, Ritz, perhaps realizing he'd gone too far, sighed and scratched his head again.
"Don't look at me with such condemning eyes. It's fine, I can get through this as is."
"'Get through it'?"
"You're worried, aren't you? About us."
"Worried?"
"Am I wrong? For you, Anna and I are your only companions. I understand very well that you don't want things to get complicated. It's true that if I were to attack her, our current relationship would completely collapse. If that happened, it would be impossible for the four of us to travel together anymore."
With Ritz's serious words, the mystery within him began to unravel.
"I see..."
"That's right. In other words, our journey would end because of me. You, who normally doesn't care about other people's gossip, are probing me because of that, aren't you?"
Why had he been concerned when he heard that Ritz loved Anna as a woman, why had he felt the need to confirm the truth with Ritz, and why had he felt anxious about Ritz and Anna's relationship? It wasn't as if he saw Anna as a woman like Ritz did, so why did he feel anxious about their relationship changing... The answer was right in front of him now.
Franz didn't want their current relationship to fall apart. He wanted to remove the elements of uncertainty that could destabilize it. In other words, it seemed that Franz cherished the current situation more than he himself realized.
From the cage-like environment he had created for himself, where he held a vague anxiety and had to cut off all emotions, two people had reached out to him. The journey that had started from there, despite all his complaints, was for Franz like a heart-pounding festival he was experiencing for the first time.
Festivals eventually end, but he absolutely didn't want to end it right now. He wanted to continue this festival for a little while longer. That was why he couldn't help but confront the very person who had created the anxiety, demanding that he do something about it.
Perhaps understanding that Franz had grasped his own feelings, Ritz gave a faint smile.
"Don't worry. We probably won't change at all. I'll probably always have a one-sided love for her, and she'll probably always see me as a big brother figure."
After saying that cheerfully, Ritz suddenly looked lonely and muttered.
"And when she finds a man she loves, she'll probably leave me without a second thought."
Unable to say either "That's probably true" or "I don't think that's the case," Franz maintained his silence and took a bite of the sandwich in his hand. It wasn't a bad taste. As if the wind had blown away Franz's awkward silence, Ritz said cheerfully.
"It's nice once in a while, this thing called love."
"..."
"I'm quite satisfied with the current situation. This is fine for a while. So don't you worry about it."
Mixed in with the lighthearted conversation, Ritz spoke a serious word. Franz, too, silently nodded in return. If that was his resolve, then it wasn't for Franz to say anything. It was true that as long as Ritz could maintain his reason, their relationship was unlikely to change.
After all, the object of Ritz's affection was that Anna.
After a sudden silence, Ritz muttered in a serious tone, as if groaning.
"If Anna and I were to live together, just the two of us, do you think there's a profession that would suit us?"
"...What?"
"I have to find one."
It was like he was talking to himself, but Franz could somehow tell he was speaking his true feelings. As he listened silently, Ritz continued.
"For her and I to live together, we have to choose a path. But honestly, I'm lost. In that sense, I can't see the future."
A way for the two of them to live. Did that mean a job that suited them? He couldn't think of anything on the spot, but the feeling he had had before struck him.
What he could leave behind as he died, what he could leave for the two of them...
The exact details of the idea were still blurry, but Franz felt as if he had somehow grasped the tail of an idea. He didn't know what it was, but he had a gut feeling that he could leave something for the two of them. But he couldn't tell Ritz an idea he had only just caught the tail of. So he abruptly changed the subject.
"But you understood my anxiety well."
He had been wondering about it for a while. Why Ritz had so easily understood something that even Franz himself didn't know about his own heart. Ritz, who had finished the rest of his sandwich and drank all his water, flopped onto his back on the spot and spoke.
"Of course I'd know. Think about it. If you weren't worried about things getting complicated between me and her, the moment you heard I liked Anna, you would have thought this."
"What?"
"'Hmm, Ritz has strange tastes. I can't understand it.' Something like that."
"...True."
Now that he mentioned it, that was true. He remembered thinking that about Greig when Greig had a crush on Anna. He had convinced himself that he was shaken because they were on a journey now, and on top of that, it was the combination of Ritz and Anna.
Come to think of it, it was none of Franz's business who Ritz or Anna fell in love with. In fact, thinking about it, he would probably just say, "Feel free to do as you please," to the two of them. But it would be a problem if these two had a falling out. It would mean the end of Franz's journey, too.
In other words, what Franz was worried about was the ridiculously selfish fear that his own journey might be ended by them. But when he looked over, Ritz didn't seem to care about such things and was resting with his eyes closed.
"But with Anna, you know..."
His true feelings slipped out.
"My apologies for it being Anna."
"I can't understand what's so good about her."
As he shook his head in utter exasperation, Ritz groaned, looking somewhat displeased.
"To me, she's a hundred times better than the Goddess Eneonea."
His tone was so serious that he couldn't help but stare at Ritz.
"Are you serious?"
"Of course I'm serious. You got a problem with that?"
"Not at all."
"She's kind, she's cute... well, the fact that she immediately sticks her neck into trouble is a considerable demerit, but even subtracting that, I'm more than satisfied with her as a woman. You probably wouldn't understand, though."
Ritz's tone became mixed with his usual teasing. It seemed he was pretending to dote on Anna to make fun of Franz. As expected, Ritz closed his eyes and started saying whatever he wanted.
"Well, her chest is small, but it seems to have a good shape, so she has a promising future. No harm in having expectations. And those thin lips are soft and nice, too. Her waist is just the right size to hold with one hand. And that nape of her neck. It's incredibly beautiful. You wouldn't understand that subtle charm, would you?"
The words flowed out smoothly. It was suspicious how much of it was serious. He was probably making fun of Franz for his lack of experience with women.
He was starting to get a little angry, but he swallowed his retort. It was because he noticed a figure stealthily approaching Ritz from behind.
The small figure was creeping up, probably trying to surprise Ritz. It would probably be kind to tell Ritz, who was in the middle of this conversation, but he decided to keep quiet, thinking it would be good medicine for him.
"And above all, the whiteness of her thighs is a rare find. And they're slender and have a beautiful shape, you know? They look so delicious, it's a problem."
"What looks delicious?"
The small figure sat down primly next to Ritz and asked, tilting her head. Of course, it was Anna herself, the subject of their conversation.
"A-Anna!"
Ritz, who had been cheerfully spouting such things until now, jumped up. His flustered appearance brought some satisfaction. And at the same time, he realized that Ritz truly was in love with Anna.
"You were talking about thighs, right? Why do they look delicious?"
"Uh, um..."
As Ritz's eyes darted around, Anna pointed to her own thigh. Ritz's gaze was drawn to where Anna's slender finger was pointing. There, exposed, was Anna's white, well-shaped thigh, the very subject of their conversation. He could see Ritz gulp. Good grief, Franz sighed.
"I don't think you can eat them... but do you want to, Ritz?"
Anna tilted her head inquisitively, and Ritz, unable to hide his agitation, yelled.
"What are you wearing!"
"Ehehe. Does it look good?"
Anna laughed without a hint of remorse. Her outfit was a far cry from what he was used to seeing her in. She was wearing shorts so short you could mistake them for underwear, barely covering the top of her thighs, and a silk-like camisole on top. Under the camisole, there was no sign of even an undergarment.
Moreover, her long red hair, which she usually wore down in a single neat braid, was tied up high in a ponytail, leaving the nape of her neck exposed.
"It's cool, you know?"
"This isn't a matter of cool or hot!"
"But I'm not changing."
"What?"
"All my clothes are soaked. So I borrowed some clothes that dry quickly. I'm going to keep practicing, you see. Marguerite-san said it's fine because if this gets wet, it'll dry right away. Oh, but when this gets wet, it sticks to my body, which is a little uncomfortable..."
Saying that, Anna pulled the camisole she was wearing towards Ritz. From Ritz's position, he could probably see Anna's chest, as she wasn't wearing any underwear. In contrast to Anna, who was pleased with the ease of movement, Ritz failed to produce a smile, the corners of his mouth twitching.
"Anna."
"Yes?"
"Please, stop wearing such revealing clothes."
"...Ritz?"
"I can't take it."
"Why?"
At the innocent words of the small, wide-eyed Anna, the large Ritz slumped his shoulders in defeat. He was practically crying. Franz could somehow understand Ritz's anguish. For Ritz, who was suppressing his feelings for Anna, this outfit was torture.
Moreover, considering the circus troupe had to set up the big top, the number of male members greatly outnumbered the female ones. For Ritz, it must be unbearable torment to have the woman he liked walking around with a smile on her face in such a revealing outfit.
On top of that, for her wet clothes to cling to her body... even as a companion, Franz was worried about Anna's innocence. But there was no way Ritz's anguish would get through to the pure and innocent Anna, who knew nothing. Ritz knew that too, so he cleared his throat and changed the subject.
"Listen, when you get wet with water, your body temperature drops rapidly. Before you know it, you'll be chilled to the bone. So it's a mistake to wear cool clothes when you're wet."
"I know, but it's hot today, isn't it?"
"It doesn't matter if it's hot or cold. In fact, your shoulders are already cold, aren't they?"
Ritz's hand casually wrapped around Anna's shoulder. Anna settled into Ritz's arms without resistance. He was quite skilled at it. As expected of a womanizer, Franz thought, strangely convinced.
"So at least when you go outside, drape this over your shoulders."
Saying that, Ritz took the large towel from around his neck and draped it over Anna's shoulders, covering her upper body. This way, she certainly wouldn't attract the gazes of the other men.
"Wow, it's warm."
"Right? Listen, except when you're practicing, you absolutely have to keep that on your body. If you catch a cold, you'll cause even more trouble for the ringmaster."
"Okay!"
"Good, that's a good girl."
Saying that, Ritz smiled and kissed the forehead of the smiling Anna who was looking up at him. It was probably an almost unconscious action. For a moment, he looked towards Franz with a guilty expression, but Franz quickly pretended not to see. Anna squirmed as if she was tickled. It was almost the gesture of a couple in love.
But looking at the two of them, there was no such sweet sentimentality. If anything, the atmosphere was more like that of close siblings than the guardian Ritz had mentioned earlier. He keenly felt that the intimacy between the actual siblings, Franz and Constanze, was completely lacking.
"So, did you need something?"
With a guardian-like expression, Ritz easily released Anna from his arms and asked. Anna clapped her hands as if she had just remembered.
"That's right. You see, this evening, people from the Fire Clan are coming for an inspection."
"The Fire Clan... which means the Flame Warriors, right?"
"Yeah. You figured it out fast, Ritz."
"...They're famous."
Saying that, for some reason, Ritz let out a sigh.
"And so, they're going to check the faces of any newcomers who weren't here when they came six months ago, just in case there are any intruders."
"I see."
"If there are no problems, a bazaar will open tomorrow at noon, and we can go shopping!"
Anna was carefree and cheerful. But Franz's heart sank. In other words, if they messed up there, they would surely be suspected. But if it became known that they were travelers who had temporarily joined the circus troupe to hear the legends of the Fire Clan in Roshozu, what would happen? After a moment of silence, Ritz muttered with a sigh.
"We're completely outsiders. We have to be careful not to blow our cover."
"You're right."
"That's right."
He had chimed in at the same time as Anna. But Anna's tone was light, while his own was heavy. Could they be killed? Out of anxiety, he looked at Ritz, who looked back and forth between Anna and Franz before sighing.
"Even if we're found out, I doubt we'll be killed, but, well, it would probably be a bit of a hassle."
His tone was somewhat grave. Ritz really wasn't good with this Fire Clan.
"As expected of the Flame Warriors with their ironclad defense, they really are meticulous."
Sighing, Ritz flopped onto his back again. He folded his arms under his head as a pillow and quickly closed his eyes.
"I'm done thinking. I'm taking a break. If you don't rest when you can, it'll be tough later."
It was Ritz's usual catchphrase, but it felt strangely nostalgic. As he wondered why, Anna, who was sitting sideways to Ritz's left and looking at him cheerfully, let out a small laugh.
"What is it? Something funny?"
Ritz, still lying down, looked up at Anna, who then turned her cheerful face towards Franz.
"Because it's been a while, you know? Franz, you think so too, right?"
"What has?"
"It's been a really long time since the three of us have been lazing around outside in the middle of the day like this."
With those words, Franz was instantly pulled back to his memories of when they had just started their journey.
Come to think of it, back then, because they were traveling on foot, they often lay down in the middle of the day like this under the pretext of taking a break for the sake of Franz, who had little stamina. Back then, when he still didn't know the meaning or purpose of the journey, and it had nothing to do with the survival of the Yuresla Kingdom, they were just walking.
He realized that a year had passed since he had set out on his journey.
He had a purpose for his journey, Edward had joined them as a companion, and now, even his sister Constanze was with them, albeit temporarily. For Franz, who had lived a life devoid of change, it had been a year in which he had learned more than in the eighteen years he had spent in Saradio. He realized that the relationship between the three of them seemed to have changed little by little, but being like this, he forgot even that.
Ritz was still the same irresponsible and careless former mercenary captain. But now, Franz also knew the loneliness within that Ritz. As for Anna, from this perspective, she was cheerful, bright, foolishly straightforward, and hadn't changed at all. Still, Franz knew that Anna possessed a mature kindness and a deep maternal instinct that sought to embrace everything.
And as for himself... he had probably changed the most. Even he could see that. Franz, who had once given up completely on understanding others, seeing all beings as incomprehensible, was now able to take an interest in the existence of others. This was the biggest gain. Still, he had a self-centered dependence. When he finally reached Orphe, would he be able to properly face himself?
"How long is your break?"
"Hmm... about another hour, I think? Constanze is having her lesson now. Ed-san is with her and told me to go take a break."
"Want to sleep then? There's space next to me."
"Really? I'll join you then. What about you, Franz?"
"I have another hour too."
"Then you too, Franz."
Anna offered him the spot on the other side of Ritz. It was true that he wanted to lie down, so he lay down as recommended. The wind blowing through the shade of the tree, which blocked the sunlight, was refreshing and cool, and the dappled sunlight that flickered with each gust of wind was dazzling.
It's only been a year, but I've come a long way. Geographically, we're close, though.
With that thought, Franz closed his eyes.