Chapter 32 - <12>
Afterward, a raucous banquet was held at the 'Green Forest Inn,' which had been booked for their exclusive use. Everyone, including the reluctantly dragged-along Hellebore, the slightly broken Net, and the somewhat reckless Ritz, reveled in a boisterous celebration of drinking and singing.
Naturally, Franz was one of those caught up in it all. The banquet, filled with tension and confusion, reached a strange level of excitement.
King Edward, surprisingly, was very personable to everyone except Ritz, and not at all kingly. According to Hellebore, Edward was originally a farmer from the Glein Autonomous Region.
Of course, he was descended from the previous king, but his existence had been hidden until the civil war broke out, and Edward had grown up among the common people.
According to the history books, Ritz had been with Edward in Glein since that time. The story was so grand that it was hard to imagine from the sight of Ritz and Edward having a childish argument right in front of him.
The children were no exception to this festive uproar. Having grown accustomed to the king's presence, which they had initially clung to out of curiosity, the children had become completely attached to Edward.
Amidst all this, there was no way Franz alone could escape, and he was forced to participate in the banquet, completely exhausted.
After spending such a frantic night, the group left the inn the next morning with the inspectorate members who came to pick them up on time. The inspector with the walnut-colored hair was named Kenny Fort.
When Kenny came to pick them up in the morning, he was stunned at the sight of Edward.
"…Your Majesty. That appearance… what happened?"
Edward's long hair had been braided into cute pigtails, and even had a flower attached. The culprits were undoubtedly Anna and Lira. But Edward seemed to be quite enjoying it.
"Does it suit me? Anna and Lira did it for me."
According to Ritz, Edward had always been fond of children, and if there was no particular problem, he would sometimes let them do as they pleased. But it was a fact that even Ritz, who was supposed to be his best friend, was bewildered by how much Edward had mellowed.
"Your Majesty… the Prime Minister has entrusted me with your care. I believe that appearance is quite inappropriate…"
Franz agreed with Kenny's gentle admonishment. But Edward, paying no mind to such words, spoke to everyone as if nothing had happened.
"Now then, let's head to the Sabatieri residence."
"Yeah!!"
Anna, Lira, and Dill answered cheerfully.
"His Majesty is a person beyond my comprehension…"
At Hellebore's words, all the adults, including Kenny and Franz, nodded in agreement.
"He's just an idiot, right?"
At Ritz's softly muttered comment, Edward reacted sensitively, spun around, and pulled at both corners of Ritz's mouth.
"Is this the mouth that speaks such things? Hmm?"
Shaking off his hands, Ritz fought back with equal fervor.
"You and your damn good hearing!"
"What?"
"Why is it you only hear my insults!"
"Because your voice is loud."
"No it's not!"
Franz let out a big sigh. This was the king of the country, and the minister who had been missing for over thirty years. Faced with such an unexpected pair, no one could say a thing.
"Ritz, Ed-san, let's go already."
Pulled by Anna and Lira's clothes, the two finally stopped their bickering.
"You're right. Now, Dill, lead the way."
They finally set off for the Sabatieri residence. The Sabatieri house was on the outskirts of town. When they arrived in front of the house, for some reason, Mrs. Sabatieri was waiting for them outside.
"Mom, I'm home!"
Dill ran up and hugged her, and his mother showed him a bright smile.
"Welcome back, Dill."
She was a beautiful woman, a far cry from the stingy and greedy image they had heard from the townspeople and Siglet.
Mrs. Sabatieri let go of Dill, stood before the inspection team, and her eyes fell on a certain person among them. Her eyes widened in surprise.
The person she was looking at was Edward. Edward also had a gentle smile on his face. Did they know each other?
Eventually, with graceful movements, the lady slowly knelt before Edward.
"It has been a long time, Your Majesty."
Surprised, Franz stared at the lady.
"Well, I'll be damned."
Net muttered under his breath.
"I just thought she was an ordinary lady."
Looking over, Hellebore was also wide-eyed in surprise. They probably had never seen her act like that before.
Amidst all this, Edward calmly smiled gently at Mrs. Sabatieri and acknowledged her bow.
"It has been a long time, Matiora. You are as beautiful as ever."
"You are too kind, Your Majesty. Is Her Majesty the Queen well?"
"Yes. She is well. She was sad when you left."
"Thank you. Those words alone are my happiness."
Mrs. Sabatieri bowed her head deeply.
"I am glad you are well. I was sorry to hear about Luvia."
"Yes. The length of one's life is decided by the goddess. It cannot be helped."
Dill, confused and flustered, looked at his mother, Matiora.
"…Mom?"
Matiora gave Dill a gentle smile, slowly stood up, and placed her hands gently on Dill's shoulders.
"I'm sorry I kept it from you until now. Your father used to work at the royal palace."
"Huh?"
"I did too. I had the honor of serving as a lady-in-waiting to Her Majesty the Queen."
Dill stared at Matiora's face, looking as if he didn't understand what was being said. The others were also frozen in surprise.
In an indescribable atmosphere, the door of the Sabatieri house opened quietly, and the owner of that weapon shop peeked out.
"Oh, mister!"
When Anna shouted, everyone turned to look at him at once. The owner of the weapon shop smiled shyly.
"I heard the inspection team had arrived."
The owner said and silently opened the door wide. As they stood there, bewildered and not knowing what was going on, Edward, who seemed to understand everything, calmly urged them on.
"Let's go inside, shall we?"
Urged on, everyone stepped into the small Sabatieri house. Inside, there was only a single large board, covered with a cloth.
"It was quite a struggle to carry it this far. The mistress and I spent all night yesterday carrying it."
As he said this, the shop owner carefully removed the cloth covering the board.
"Oh, it's a painting."
The large board was a painting in a large frame. In the center, a beautiful woman with a gentle smile was depicted. On her back were large white wings that seemed to embrace everything.
"It's the goddess…"
But the painting had scorch marks here and there, and everything except the goddess was almost unrecognizable.
"So this is where it was."
At Edward's deeply moved voice, Ritz asked.
"Is it from the palace?"
"Yes, though it was burned."
"Burned?"
When Franz couldn't help but voice his question, Edward smiled and answered.
"About fifteen years ago, the royal family had two court painters. One of them, who painted very beautiful mythological pictures, was Luvia Sabatieri."
"My father…"
"Yes, that's right. His paintings were too beautiful. The other court painter was jealous of Luvia's talent, but at the same time, he was intensely captivated by it. His heart was torn in two, and he was driven to madness."
As a result, the man set fire to the paintings of Luvia, which he both hated and loved, and burned to death himself.
"Luvia was a quiet man who disliked conflict. So he was terribly shocked. After that incident, he stopped coming to the palace. Then he and his wife disappeared."
Edward finished his story quietly and looked at Matiora.
"Was life difficult?"
Matiora shook her head quietly.
"It was not difficult. I was blessed with this child with my husband, and I was happy."
"I see…"
Edward nodded.
"Is the treasure you tried to protect, even to the point of causing a disturbance in the town, Luvia's final work?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. I intend to pass my husband's final work on to my son, Dill. However, I found it difficult to protect it with only a woman's strength…"
Edward nodded, and then asked.
"I understand. A final work by Luvia Sabatieri would be a considerably valuable asset for the kingdom as well."
"Yes."
"So you spread the rumor of the treasure and waited until the rumor grew large enough to reach the Royal Capital, is that right?"
"That is correct. I did not have the means to request its storage in the Royal Capital myself…"
She, living in poverty, did not have the money to transport her husband's final work to the Royal Capital. The only people she could trust were in the Royal Capital, and she could not go there herself.
If she had asked someone she couldn't trust, Luvia's painting might have been put in danger. So she devised a plan.
"But did you not consider that you yourself would be in danger?"
At his kind words, Matiora smiled.
"I did. But… even so, I did not mind. If anything had happened to me, I believed that Dill would take over everything."
At the conversation between Edward and Matiora, the people were at a loss for words and could only stare at the severely burned painting.
"I'll do my best, so you don't have to worry, Mom."
Dill hugged Matiora tightly and declared with conviction.
"I'll protect Dad's painting. It's okay, I'm not a helpless kid anymore."
Dill looked straight at Anna. Anna nodded reassuringly. But. Matiora's answer was the opposite of that resolve.
"Thank you, Dill. But let's have this final work stored in the Royal Capital. When you grow up and can go to the Royal Capital on your own, you can inherit it."
"But…"
"I think your father would have wanted to see his painting displayed in the palace one more time. Your father loved the palace… His Majesty and Her Majesty the Queen very much."
Edward smiled sadly at Matiora's words.
"So until you become an adult, let's have it displayed in the palace, okay?"
Dill nodded.
"Dad always seemed a little sad, didn't he? If his painting is displayed in the palace, I'm sure he'll be happy."
"Indeed. Then let's consider how to transport and store the painting."
The rest of the group, watching Edward, Matiora, Dill, and the inspector seriously discuss the future of the final work, stood around idly.
"Ritz, how much is that painting worth?"
Franz whispered to Ritz, who was standing dazedly in the back. Ritz groaned in an equally low voice.
"Luvia Sabatieri, you say? That's incredible. Probably around five hundred thousand Giltz at market value, I'd say."
"Five hundred thousand Giltz…"
He couldn't even imagine it. With ten Giltz, one could barely get by for a month, so it was an amount that couldn't be used up even with a considerably extravagant lifestyle.
"A painting's value isn't in its price."
He noticed that the owner of the weapon shop had interjected into their private conversation.
"The value of a painting is in its beauty, which envelops all who see it."
It was a powerful statement, uncharacteristic of a weapons dealer. Come to think of it, he still couldn't quite figure out this man's identity.
"By the way, old man, what were you to Sabatieri-san?"
It seemed Ritz was thinking the same thing, and he asked the shop owner in a low voice.
"I am Ante Elaria. I was the butler of Master Sabatieri's house."
"A butler…"
It finally made sense. He wasn't just a simple weapons dealer after all.
He had tried to find his missing master, Luvia Sabatieri, but couldn't. So he turned his hobby of collecting tools and weapons into a business and opened a shop. He would ask his fellow merchants about the whereabouts of anyone who seemed to fit the description, visit those places, and finally found Luvia Sabatieri in this town.
"Searching for my master who had disappeared, protecting the burned painting left behind in the mansion, how happy I was when I finally arrived in this town where my master was."
He had made a canvas of fire-resistant paper and gifted it to Luvia, who had stopped painting after the shock of his painting being burned.
In other words, the fire-resistant paper Anna and the others had received was what was left over after giving some to Luvia.
"So that's why you said Dill should have it."
Anna and Lira had also, at some point, joined their whispered conversation.
"The thing that was crushing me when Anna-chan saved me was this burned painting, and the ordinary canvas I had hoped he would take up his brush with again, but he wouldn't accept."
"Could it be that you were taking the items from this house and selling them?"
It was unlikely that there were multiple houses in the same town with connections to the royal family. If that was the case, it was highly probable that the spear Franz had received came from here.
Franz sensed a presence and looked to the side. At some point, Net and Hellebore had also joined their whispered conference.
The inspectors on the other side were still working diligently.
"That's right. I was on pins and needles watching your duel when the royal spear appeared."
"So that spear really is from the royal family. I thought so. Old man, that's Mithril Silver, isn't it?"
Ante nodded at Ritz's question. So it was Mithril Silver. He hadn't known.
"Yes, it was a gift to my master from His Majesty."
Perhaps because a question that had been bothering him was answered, Ritz let out a big sigh.
"It's a special metal that only the royal family has. I couldn't stop thinking about it."
So that meant the spear Franz was holding was incredibly valuable.
"Why did you sell something so important to someone like Siglet?"
"I didn't sell it. He took it without permission."
Hearing this, Franz quietly took out the spear he had attached to his waist and offered it to him. He couldn't accept something that had been stolen.
"That is yours."
"I can't accept it."
Such an expensive item. So Franz tried to push the spear on Ante again. But the spear was held back by another hand that reached out.
"Keep it."
"I can't be so irresponsible, it's too expen—!"
Franz was about to brush away the outstretched hand but hastily swallowed his words. The owner of that hand was Edward.
"Edward-san, since when…"
It seemed they had finished their conversation and had been listening to theirs.
"It is an apology for the trouble caused this time. You should gratefully accept it."
When Franz turned around, Matiora smiled and nodded.
"That spear has a gemstone that amplifies the power of fire. It should be just right for you, don't you think? My husband's painting was burned a few years after he received that spear, so I didn't want to keep a weapon with the power of fire in the house."
If that was the reason, he would accept it without reservation. Franz bowed deeply to Matiora and put the spear back on his waist. So that's why he was able to create such a huge fireball during the duel. It was unlikely he would find another weapon that suited him in the future.
"Now then, everyone, let's see the final work of Luvia Sabatieri."
At Edward's words, everyone nodded.
It took everyone working together an hour to finally break the seal of the cave in the back mountain. It took longer than expected to remove the solidly fortified stone wall.
"Alright, let's go in."
Franz, following behind Ritz who was leading the way with a lamp, was amazed at the size of the cave. The passage was not natural; it was paved with bricks. It was like being inside an old castle.
At the end of the straight path was a large, double wooden door. A sturdy lock was on it, denying entry.
"I'll open it now."
Matiora quietly unlocked it.
"Now, please."
Before the group that entered, a space too large to be a cave revealed itself.
On the wooden floor, there was an old, sturdy-looking chair, and on the desk, there were many paints and brushes.
It was as if the master of this room would appear at any moment.
"This is my husband's final work."
Matiora slowly opened the cloth that covered the entire wall of the large space.
"Wow… beautiful…"
"Amazing…"
Everyone present was at a loss for words at its size, overwhelming presence, and beauty. They felt as if they were being drawn into the worldview that the painting exuded.
A goddess watching over people with a gentle smile.
The Light Spirit King, cloaked in light, guiding people to the righteous path.
The Fire Spirit King, powerfully swinging his sword.
The Water Spirit King, granting healing with warm, clear eyes.
The Earth Spirit King, spreading his arms straight toward the sky.
The Wind Spirit King, weaving songs, unbound by anything.
…And the Darkness Spirit King, reaching out from the shadows….
There, it was, the entire world of myth that he loved most.
A world where people walked, as if guided by the Spirit Kings, spread out, overwhelming the viewers.
"The title is 'Enenoa,' they say."
That sight would surely be something they would never forget, as if it were burned into their eyes.
"Amazing. There's no other word for it."
Everyone, without exception, forgot the passage of time and simply stood there, transfixed.
It took the inspectors, who had hired art dealers from Faldina, almost a week to carefully dismantle and pack that huge canvas.
During that time, Anna had been going out with Lira and Dill all the time, coming back covered in mud. It seemed the three of them were enjoying climbing the cliffs in that back mountain. According to what he heard, Anna had asked Dill, who had climbed the wall, to teach her. Was she envious?
Franz, for some reason, was frequently visiting the old man at the weapon shop. He was probably looking for other hidden gems. He was also buying various things necessary for the journey, so their luggage was steadily being prepared.
"Hey, are you sure it's okay for you to be here?"
The only ones with nothing to do and bored were Ritz and Edward. The excellent inspectors were busy working, but with Edward around, they were frankly a hindrance.
Unable to leave Edward to his own devices, the two bored men spent their time idly, doing nothing in particular until the day of their departure. Edward had brazenly settled into Net's inn, so the inspectors had also made this inn their base. Thanks to that, Net had to book the inn exclusively for them and was busy preparing meals every day.
Hellebore was busy because his punishment had been decided. With the two influential figures of this town arrested, the de facto vacant authority of this town had been pushed onto him.
The original lord of this autonomous region had sided with the nobility during the civil war and had been destroyed. At that time, his two administrative assistants had cooperated to govern the Faldina Autonomous Region.
They were the Rusan and Siglet families. Though a generation had passed, these two families continued to play the same role as the autonomous lord.
Rusan managed the economy, and Siglet managed agriculture, and until now, it had been governed without any problems. But Edward had been watching Faldina carefully.
"On top of that, there's the Sabatieri legacy and your letter. There was no way I couldn't come flying."
"Hmm. And what's going to happen to Hellebore?"
"Oh, he'll eventually become the official autonomous lord."
"You know…"
Ritz tried to complain about Edward's casual remark, but he was silenced by the next words.
"Do you think Hellebore is incapable of the job?"
Ritz thought for a moment, then smiled.
"You're right. There's no one but Hellebore."
No matter what he said, Edward had thought about it and made a decision to protect the residents of this autonomous region.
But Hellebore didn't know that. He had come to Ritz secretly to complain, holding his head in his hands, saying that he had been thrown into a terrible situation by a single, outrageous word from King Edward of Yuresla.
He was nearing retirement, yet he had to work until he died. While complaining, he seemed to be planning to summon his wife from the Royal Capital.
At that time, Heath, who had just returned from the Royal Capital, also got caught in the crossfire. He was dragged around by Hellebore as a secretary and had to run all over the town. He might end up abandoning his unsuitable military career and spending his life as Hellebore's secretary.
Rusan and Siglet's assets were confiscated and were to be distributed by Hellebore for the benefit of this autonomous region. The garden of Rusan's house, which Anna and the others had praised as beautiful, was now open to the public and had become a park for relaxation. Hellebore's work was fast and reliable.
There was also a reason why the inspection team had arrived much earlier than planned. Ritz heard it directly from the busy Heath.
After parting with Ritz and the others, Heath had taken advantage of the small number of passengers and conveniently told the carriage driver that a crisis had occurred in the town and that he had to hurry to the Royal Capital on a secret mission to resolve it.
As a result, the inspired driver had driven the carriage to the Royal Capital in a much shorter time than planned. From there, he heard from Edward.
The letter with Ritz's ministerial seal had been delivered to the prime minister within an hour, and a few hours later, the inspection team had set off from the Royal Capital with Edward on fast horses.
But something still bothered him. Even if it was to capture Ritz, was there a need to move the army so quickly? He couldn't accept that. He still couldn't figure out what the two of them were thinking.
Ritz and the other, who had been doing nothing but playing cards in their free time, finally heard the inspector's words that the packing was finished a week later, putting an end to their idle time.
The day before their departure, while drinking, Ritz asked Edward.
"Ed, you're really taking me to the Royal Capital, aren't you?"
"Of course."
At Edward's unhesitating words, Ritz was conversely bewildered.
"Is it really okay for me to be there?"
"…What are you talking about?"
"Because I abandoned you and everyone else and ran away from Yuresla, didn't I? To come back now, isn't that too selfish?"
Ritz had left the country as a mercenary as soon as the civil war ended and peace was restored to this country. It wasn't that he disliked his companions. It was because his companions were important to him that he had run away from them. He was afraid that his companions would grow old and die while he alone did not age.
"I don't care if it's selfish or whatever. At the very least, I've been waiting all this time for you to come back."
Edward said in a slightly rough tone. Edward hadn't originally been raised as a crown prince. His foul mouth was similar to Ritz's.
"You were waiting for me…"
"Of course. What reason is there to hesitate? You're my one and only friend, aren't you?"
"…Yeah."
Ritz hung his head. It was still heavy on his mind. As he remained looking down, he was suddenly slapped on the back. The force of it almost made him fall forward.
"What was that for!"
When he looked up, Edward was grinning with the same unchanging smile as in the old days, holding out his fist to Ritz. The image of the old Edward overlapped with him. Ritz hesitantly bumped his own fist against Edward's.
He was at a loss for words at the nostalgia of the feeling of understanding each other without saying a word.
"Welcome back, Ritz."
"…Sorry. I'm back."
"Don't apologize. I have my own motives."
Edward smiled cheerfully. The reason Edward, at this age, wanted Ritz to come back….
"Could it be… about the succession?"
Edward didn't answer and brought the glass to his lips. But his silence was his answer.
"It's been a long time, hasn't it? It's been thirty-five years since you became king…"
At Ritz's deeply moved comment, Edward looked up.
"It might seem like a long time to you, but it's been long for me."
"…I see."
"Yes. …It's been a long thirty-five years."
"Yeah…"
The two silently reflected on the time that had passed. Ritz recalled the story of the Royal Capital he had heard from Heath before coming to this town. The king had grown quite old and might be abdicating the throne….
"What are you planning to make me do?"
At Ritz's question, Edward just smiled, raising the corner of his lips, but didn't answer. He just had a premonition that he was about to be involved in something terrible.
"Aww, I was planning to go to the Royal Capital secretly and have some fun…"
As Ritz looked up at the sky, Edward grinned.
"Didn't I tell you a long time ago? You and I are a pair of heroes. I'm not going to let you have all the fun."
"…Hmph."
He was happy and nostalgic at Edward's words, but he was also a little embarrassed, so Ritz turned away.
"Well then, everyone, thank you."
Peeking her head out of the carriage, Anna bid farewell to the people who had taken care of her. It had only been a two-week stay, but a lot had happened. It had been tough, and a little nerve-wracking, but she had made friends and had a good time.
Hellebore had also taken time out of his busy schedule to see them off. Of course, that was also to see off the king.
"Colonel… no, I guess you're the autonomous lord now. Good luck."
When Ritz called out from inside the carriage, Hellebore smiled wryly.
"I'll do my best. You do your best too."
"…I don't want to do my best, though…"
"Get a hold of yourself, Your Excellency, the Minister."
"Ah…"
Ritz hung his head, and Hellebore laughed. For some reason, Hellebore seemed to have gotten a little thinner in the past week. After all, he had suddenly gone from being the captain of the garrison to the autonomous lord. The work was completely different, and it seemed tough. Anna, who had popped her head out from beside Ritz, was offered a hand by Hellebore. Anna took his hand.
"You take care too."
"Yes."
Though she had caused him a lot of trouble, Hellebore had helped her without getting angry. On this journey, Anna had only met good people, and she felt truly happy.
"Thanks to all of you, I kept my head on my shoulders. I really appreciate it."
Heath, who had tagged along, shook the hands of Ritz, Anna, and Franz in turn, swinging them around.
"You, don't get lost on the road this time!"
"If you get lost on the road, make sure you look at the direction of the sun, okay?"
"You should calculate your money before you carry it."
After giving each of the three of them advice, Heath shyly put his hands behind his head and grinned sheepishly.
"I know!"
Franz also called out to Ante from the carriage.
"Ante-san. Thank you for everything."
"Oh, don't mention it. You take care too."
After everyone had said their goodbyes, Anna leaned out of the carriage window. Lira and Dill were standing a little way off, as if遠慮 from the adults.
"Lira, Dill."
When she called out to them, the two of them walked over. She reached out her hands as far as she could from inside the carriage and held their hands.
"I'm sure we'll meet again. Until then, take care."
To the verge-of-tears Lira, Anna smiled gently and said. Lira nodded several times at Anna's words. Lira knew that Sears, where Anna was going, was far away, so she probably felt like they wouldn't meet again.
Anna knew that it would be very difficult to meet again too.
"Anna… don't go…"
At last, Lira burst into tears, and Anna couldn't move.
"Don't cry, Lira."
"But… Sears is far away…"
Anna couldn't find the words to say either. She just held Lira's hand and watched her cry, but her throat was tight and the words wouldn't come out.
"It's okay, Lira."
Dill suddenly declared, puffing out his chest.
"I'll take you to Sears, Lira."
"Huh?"
"You, Dill?"
Anna and Lira both stared at Dill. Dill was rubbing his nose confidently.
"Yeah. Because my dad's painting is in Sears. I'll definitely go to the royal palace in Sears someday to see my dad's painting hanging there."
Dill looked at the carriage. A few more carriages were lined up behind theirs. Inside them, the huge painting of Luvia Sabatieri was carefully dismantled and packed. The burned painting was also carefully packed and loaded in the same way.
This painting was to be displayed in the palace's art gallery. Dill had received a pass from Edward so that he could come and see it whenever he wanted.
"Let's go together then! I'll definitely take you to Anna's place."
"…Okay."
Lira blushed and smiled shyly. In the past two weeks, the crybaby heart inside Dill had disappeared. He seemed to have grown up a little. And Lira seemed to be starting to think of Dill as reliable.
She was sure that Dill would never cry again after being beaten by bullies. She knew that for sure.
Anna put her hand on her chest. Had she been able to shine even a little warm light into Dill's heart? Looking at Lira and Dill, Anna smiled.
"Thank you, both of you. I had a lot of fun."
"I had fun too!"
Lira said, wiped her tears, and held out her hand to Anna.
"Anna, promise me, let's definitely meet again!"
Anna firmly squeezed Lira's outstretched hand. She shook their joined hands vigorously.
"Yeah. I promise!"
Anna stared at Lira intently. Lira stared back at Anna. It was a happy, warm feeling.
"Anna, it's about time to leave."
Ritz said gently and placed his hand on Anna's head.
"Okay!"
Anna nodded and slowly let go of Lira's hand. The driver's whip cracked, and the carriage slowly left the town of Faldina.
"Anna! See you again!"
"See you again, Lira!"
The carriage, having left the central plaza, started to move slowly, then lightly.
Anna leaned out, waving to the two of them. Lira and Dill were running after the carriage, calling Anna's name.
But from the window of the gradually speeding carriage, the two figures gradually disappeared from view. Eventually, the carriage began to run along the highway. The plaza where Ritz and Franz had their mock duel flowed away behind them.
The carriage eventually left the stone pavement, and the road turned to packed earth. That was where the town ended.
And so, the group left the eventful town of Faldina. Behind them, a line of carriages followed, quietly carrying Luvia's final work to the Royal Capital where he was born.
"Hey, Ritz, we'll meet again, right?"
As she watched the shrinking town of Faldina, Anna looked up at Ritz and asked. Ritz gave her a gentle, fatherly smile.
"Yeah, we'll meet again. So don't cry."
"Huh?"
Anna involuntarily touched her cheek. It was wet. It was then that she realized she was crying.
"Huh, what?"
She had always been a caretaker at the orphanage, and before she knew it, she had no friends to play with. The children at the orphanage always grew up and left before Anna. She hadn't thought it was lonely, but maybe Anna had wanted friends after all.
In her thirty years of life, she had met friends for the first time, and experienced her first farewell.
"…I'm not crying!"
Anna wiped her tears with both hands and smiled at Ritz and Franz.
"Because I have Ritz and Franz! And Ed-san too!"
Their carriage picked up speed and continued along the traveler's highway towards the Royal Capital.
The three of them had no way of knowing what awaited them in the Royal Capital.
This is the end of Volume 3, 'Protect the Mysterious Treasure'. In addition to the three so far, Edward, who is making his first appearance, will be the final protagonist. We're about to enter a slightly more serious mode, but they will still be themselves, so I hope you'll enjoy it.
Now then, please enjoy the next two installments of our regular bonus, 'Assault! Dinner on the Road'.