Chapter 62 - Anna's Great Adventure <5>
Ⅷ
"Think we lost them?"
"I hope so."
Around that time, Anna, after being led by Joe through a dizzying maze of dead ends, was hiding behind a pile of cargo in a narrow back alley. The cargo, stacked high enough to reach the walls, was a perfect hiding spot for the two of them.
They could still hear the angry shouts of the men, so they held their breath and waited silently for them to pass. The voices grew fainter, little by little.
When the voices finally faded, Joe, who had taken a deep breath, took the opportunity to start complaining to Anna.
"Hey, why'd you say something like that back there?"
"? What?"
She had no idea what he was angry about.
"Do people normally say they know the guy those thugs are looking for?"
"But I do know him."
Saying that you know something when you know it seems correct. But Joe slumped his shoulders in defeat at her answer.
"Is something wrong?"
"You really need to learn a bit more about the world."
Being told that by a boy who looked her age but was actually quite a bit younger stung a little.
"But I thought it would be better to honestly tell them what I know."
When she protested in a small voice, Joe yelled loudly.
"It depends on the time and place!"
After saying it, Joe hurriedly clapped a hand over his own mouth. Anna quickly covered her mouth too. After they'd finally gotten away, it would be pointless to call them back.
"Why do I have to go through this?"
"I'm sorry."
At Joe's dejected words, she found herself apologizing. It was true that she might bear some of the responsibility.
But there were some things she couldn't accept.
"My foster father told me that I shouldn't lie."
"…The guy who raised you sounds like a priest."
At Joe's sarcastic mumble as he leaned against the cargo, Anna was so surprised she couldn't help but peer into his face.
"How did you know?"
Joe slumped and put a hand to the ground. She didn't understand why.
"You know, that was sarcasm."
Joe mumbled as he looked up.
"Huh? Sarcasm?"
She had no idea how it was sarcastic, so she asked. Joe explained with a look of exhaustion.
"I was saying your parent is as inflexible as a priest."
"Oh, I see."
"Yeah. In this world, there are things that are better left unsaid even if you know them. What's the point of blurting everything out? Especially in a town near the slums like this."
"…Somehow… I'm sorry."
For Anna, who was raised in a church, speaking honestly about what she knew without hiding anything was very natural; in fact, hiding things was unnatural.
Her foster father had taught her that if she spoke the truth about everything, everything would turn out all right, and she had thought that was true no matter where she was.
Come to think of it, she felt like Ritz had told her before. That there are lies that deceive people and lies that save people. He had said that a lie that saves someone is a good thing. Was this the same kind of thing?
Maybe she really was naive compared to Joe. It was a little depressing.
"It's complicated, isn't it?"
At Anna's sigh, Joe just shrugged his shoulders and said nothing. As the two sat in silence, sighing, they heard voices and footsteps approaching. Peeking out carefully, they saw it was the Ward Family.
"Damn it, where did those brats go?"
The leader growled in frustration and kicked a piece of cargo. She almost cried out but quickly covered her mouth.
"Boss, let's take a break. I'm wiped out."
"Yeah. No one's gonna come here. It's the perfect spot to rest without being seen."
"You're right."
Still hidden behind the cargo, Anna and Joe looked at each other silently. It seemed this was a favorite spot of the Ward Family. They had hidden in a terrible place.
"Boss, where do you think those brats went?"
"Scurrying around like that, what a pain in the ass."
The Ward Family had completely settled in and were starting to relax.
What should we do? We can't escape like this.
She slowly looked at Joe's face, and he had gone completely pale. He probably never imagined he would walk right into such a huge pinch.
But they couldn't stay hidden here forever. If they were found, they wouldn't even be able to get out from behind the cargo and would be caught just like that.
For now, they had to escape from here.
Making sure not to be seen, she cautiously poked her head out from behind the cargo. The men were sitting on top of the cargo, all of them leisurely looking down the road. They might be watching for Anna and Joe to pass by.
The two of them were currently behind the men. Maybe, if they slowly came out from behind and quietly climbed the wall where the cargo was stacked, they could escape.
Thinking that, Anna looked back at Joe, who had been peering out with her. Joe, who had been looking around, seemed to have the same idea and nodded silently.
If that was the only way, they had to try.
From behind the men who were blankly watching the road, the two began to climb the mountain of cargo, taking the utmost care not to make a sound. From the top of this cargo, they would easily be able to get over the wall.
As they climbed silently but quickly, the men didn't notice them at all.
When they were almost at the top, the two looked at each other in relief.
But at the same time as they relaxed, their thread of concentration snapped. Especially for Joe, who was completely unused to this kind of situation, the feeling of relief from being almost there was huge.
"Ah…"
The piece of cargo he was holding slowly started to lean toward him. He had accidentally put his hand on a light piece of cargo.
"Look out!"
Anna instinctively shouted and grabbed Joe's hand.
"I… made a noise…"
She muttered it instinctively, but it was already too late. All of the men's gazes had turned toward them.
"So this is where you were!"
"Grab 'em!"
They were in another huge pinch.
"We were so close… I'm sorry, Anna."
"It can't be helped, let's just run!"
Joe, having finally regained his composure, started climbing the boxes again. The men approaching from below were struggling to climb the cargo.
The cargo, which a child the size of Anna or Joe could climb without it collapsing, was considerably difficult for an adult to climb. Above all, the weight difference was huge.
"It's okay, Anna, I think we can escape!"
"Okay."
Seeing them start to climb again, the man called the boss shouted in frustration.
"You idiots! If you can't climb it, just tear it down from the bottom!"
At the man's words, his underlings nodded and immediately began to dismantle the cargo from below.
"It's shaking! I'm going to fall!"
"Hang on, Anna!"
The two of them desperately clung to the cargo, but it was two children against five adults. There was no way they could win.
The mountain of cargo was dismantled in no time, and the place where Anna and Joe were standing was gradually brought lower. They were desperately clinging on, but they were already at their limit.
If they fell among the men now, it would be all over. After all, Joe had said these men had no problem using violence, even on children.
"It's no use…"
As the ground beneath them shook unsteadily, Joe let out a desperate cry. While desperately climbing the cargo, Anna tried to think of a way to save Joe, but she too finally ran out of strength.
Unable to climb any further, she just clung to the cargo.
"Alright, let's smash all the cargo at once!"
"Right!"
Is this what they call a desperate situation? Anna thought with a gloomy feeling.
Usually, if something happened, Ritz would save her, and Franz would try to help too. But now, she was alone with a normal boy, Joe.
The men's hands finally reached the cargo where the two were clinging, the only part that had been left.
"It's over…"
But just then, a ray of light appeared.
"Wait!"
Someone had stepped in to stop the men.
What appeared before the two as they cautiously opened their closed eyes were the silhouettes of two men: one with a hat and long hair tied back carelessly, and another, tall man leaning on his sword as if it were a cane.
"Who the hell are you?"
It was the man in the hat who answered.
"You think I'd give my name to a lowlife?"
"You bastard, are you making fun of me?"
Anna definitely recognized that provocative, yet somehow amused and calm tone. Amidst the confused people, Anna alone felt a surge of happiness.
"Hmph, I'll make an exception and tell you my name… I am Edward, a messenger of justice who protects the peace of this kingdom."
At those unbelievably over-the-top lines, the man called the boss froze with his mouth hanging open. Edward must really enjoy a good commotion.
"…Well, you're not wrong, but…"
The other man standing next to him… Ritz… complained to Edward in an exasperated voice. But Edward acted as if he hadn't heard.
"I'm not lying, am I?"
"Well, no…"
It was true that Edward wasn't lying. Edward did indeed protect this country.
Not as a hero of justice, but as its king.
The fear and tension drained from Anna's body. Everything would be fine now. If Ritz was here, they would definitely be saved.
While Anna was thinking this in relief, Ritz was looking at Anna's energetic appearance and sighing with relief himself.
If something had happened to Anna, he had been wondering how he could possibly face Anton. After all, he was the one entrusted with Anna's care.
Ritz bore a great responsibility for Anna. And if this innocent, pure Anna were to be harmed by some street thugs, Ritz would never be able to forgive himself.
After all, Ritz was the one who had sown the seeds of this trouble.
In fact, Ritz and the others had easily caught up with the Ward Family by following the trail of water. But they hadn't been able to find Anna and her so-called friend.
Just as they had entered this alley with the intention of capturing these men, handing them over where they needed to be handed over, and then slowly searching for Anna, they had discovered Anna and her friend about to be thrown from the cargo.
The man who had been standing with his mouth open shook his head with a jolt. He seemed to have finally come to his senses.
"Stay out of this if you don't want to get hurt!"
The man said with a deep, threatening voice. He had probably scared off his previous opponents with that.
But ignorance is a terrifying thing. What did he intend to do against the king and a minister of a nation? Edward and Ritz had been the strongest duo during the civil war.
At the man's bravado, Edward let out a faint chuckle. Ritz could tell he was thoroughly enjoying himself.
He was praised as a hero of legend, but this was the real king. Ritz didn't know what he had been like while he was away, but in the old days, he had often been the first to jump into a brawl like this with him.
"I can't do that. I'll have you return the children."
Edward smoothly drew his sword. The tip of the blade glinted in the dim light. He was showing his opponent that it was a well-polished weapon.
"And what if I say I won't?"
But the man, without even noticing Edward's gesture, pulled out a dagger from his pocket and asked Edward. But it was not Edward who should answer, but himself.
Ritz stumbled forward. In the dim light just after sunset, his face would now be clearly visible to the men.
"Your business is with me, not them, right?"
The man gasped in surprise the moment he saw Ritz's face. It seemed he remembered the face of the man who had beaten him so badly.
"You, from yesterday…"
"That's right. And what you need is this, isn't it?"
From the pocket of his coat, Ritz took out the hair ornament and held it up for him to see.
"Boss!"
"So you were the one who had it."
"Well, it was a coincidence."
With the appearance of Ritz and the others, the men's attention shifted from Anna and her friend. In that moment, he stole a glance at Anna, and she, noticing, gave a small nod.
Anna and the boy cautiously climbed down from the cargo and pressed themselves against the wall. Thanks to not making any noise, they hadn't been spotted.
These men, to forget about the children they had been chasing just a moment ago over something like this, would probably never get ahead in life.
Well, thanks to that, they were saved.
Keeping Anna and the others, who were cautiously moving along the wall, in the corner of his eye, Ritz drew his sword, scabbard and all, and took a stance with his unsteady body.
Even now, he intended to keep his promise to Anna and avoid needless killing.
"Hand that over. In exchange for the brats."
"And if I say no?"
"Isn't it obvious? I'll kill the brats."
Saying that, the man who turned around finally spotted the two of them moving along the wall.
"Tch, you little brats!"
At the man's mutter, his underlings scrambled to catch the children, but it was too late.
"…If you want it back, come and get it."
Ritz put the hair ornament back inside his coat, held his sword in front of him, and shouted at Anna and the boy.
"Run!"
"Okay!"
As soon as he said it, Ritz ran towards the men, cutting between them and Anna and her friend. Anna ran desperately towards the road, and the boy followed suit.
"Ritz! Don't overdo it!"
Edward, running beside him, said.
"You too, old man."
The two of them charged into the group of men, swinging their swords left and right. Unlike his usual greatsword, this one was light. But because of the dizziness, he couldn't keep his center of gravity, making it incredibly difficult to handle.
Still, it was more than enough for these guys.
It had been a while since he had fought alongside Edward, not since the carriage attack, but as expected of his former partner, it was easy to move. It might not look like they had any coordination, but their movements were perfectly in sync.
Edward skillfully deflected daggers with his sword, making them lose their will to fight, while Ritz used brute force to take down the now unarmed men. In his current state, feverish and unable to move properly, this was extremely helpful.
No matter how far apart they were, Edward was still his best friend and partner, he realized with a sense of nostalgia, savoring the fact that he had returned to the Royal Capital.
Meanwhile, Anna had finally caught her breath.
During the commotion, the two of them had found a safe spot and looked back to see that the cargo area they had just been in had descended into a chaotic battle.
Of course, the only ones in chaos were the Ward Family; Ritz and Edward didn't take any of their attacks or have their pace disrupted.
Edward, though not particularly fast, displayed brilliant swordsmanship with no wasted movements, while Ritz, despite his cold, simply overpowered them with brute force.
Joe, seeing the two for the first time, was wide-eyed, completely captivated by their movements.
Anna, too, was seeing Ritz use something other than his greatsword for the first time, so it was a novelty. She thought, though she was an amateur, that all his movements were so much faster than with the greatsword.
"Are those Anna's companions?"
Joe murmured as if in a daze.
"Uh-huh. That's right."
"…Whoa… they're amazing!"
Joe shouted with a flushed face. Having her companions praised made her feel very happy.
Ritz and Edward were taking care of the opponents that she and Joe could only run from in a matter of minutes.
"Amazing, they're like professional mercenaries!"
Joe said, his voice filled with a breathy, emotional tone. She couldn't tell him that Ritz used to be a mercenary captain. Joe was too excited for her to have a chance to say anything.
Anna looked at her companions again.
Unaware that he was being admired in such a way, Ritz was swinging his sword despite being dizzy and light-headed.
Because his hands were unsteady, he couldn't hold back at all. If he were to unsheathe his sword, he would undoubtedly kill them all.
A massacre in front of Anna and a child he didn't know was out of the question.
"Surrender if you don't want to get hurt! I can't hold back today!"
Ritz landed one forceful blow after another on their legs and stomachs.
"Ugh…"
The men who were hit couldn't even stand, collapsing to the ground and groaning.
A few minutes later, the only one left standing was the leader, the man called the boss. Frightened by Ritz, who held his sword at the ready, the man backed away step by step.
"That hair ornament seems to be something dangerous."
If it was really the key to some kind of smuggling operation, they couldn't just let it go as the king and a minister. Besides, if they came to rescue Anna and ended up figuring out the meaning of this hair ornament, wouldn't that be killing two birds with one stone?
Edward seemed to have the same idea, and on behalf of Ritz, who would start coughing if he spoke too much, he took a step forward.
"Now, why don't you tell us?"
Edward, with his sword drawn, pressed the man.
"Shut up, old man! It's none of your business!"
"…Old man?"
In that moment, the man seemed to realize he had said something he shouldn't have.
"Oh… you call me an old man…?"
The man's face drained of color, turning as white as paper. Ritz suppressed a laugh, trying his best to hold it in.
He stole a glance at Edward and saw that his eyes had changed from their usual cheerful ones to ones that emitted a cold, sharp light.
He's angry now, Ritz thought, still finding it amusing. Even though he sometimes called himself old, being called that by others must have angered him.
In that respect, he was the same as Ritz.
"…You just called me an old man, didn't you? Are you referring to me?"
But in front of his underlings, the man couldn't just grovel and apologize, so he desperately tried to act tough.
"What's wrong with calling an old man an old man!"
"…A fine resolve."
Edward swiftly placed the tip of his sword at the man's throat. The man's eyes couldn't follow the quick movement and darted around.
"Wh-where…"
The man was panicked about the whereabouts of the sword, but the cold sensation of metal against his throat made him understand everything. Edward was lightly tapping the man's throat with his sword.
"Hii!"
At the sensation of the metal patting his neck, the man let out a small shriek.
"Don't move, youngster. If I draw back my sword, your head will fall."
At this point, there was no more need to keep up appearances for his underlings.
"I'll talk! I'll tell you everything! Don't kill me!"
"Oh… is there something you should say before that?"
"Y-you're young! I'm sorry for calling you an old man. Please forgive me."
The man's knees knocked together in fear. He didn't know Edward's personality. He really thought he was going to be cut down.
But Ritz knew. Edward wasn't serious. This was all just a game.
"Ed, stop playing around."
"I was merely teaching this man some respect for his elders."
"I wonder…"
Edward smoothly returned his sword to its sheath. At the same time, the man collapsed to the ground, his eyes wide and vacant as he lost consciousness.
"…See what you did? Pity the poor fool, don't you think?"
He wasn't genuinely sympathizing, but he shrugged as he said it.
"You're right. He's just a small fry, after all."
With the matter settled, Ritz turned to look at Anna.
"Are you okay, Anna?"
"Yeah!"
"You're not hurt anywhere?"
"I'm fine."
Hearing Anna's perpetually cheerful reply, Ritz's strength suddenly gave out. This must be what they mean when they say your knees give way.
He had been holding on through sheer tension until now, but with that gone, the backlash hit him all at once.
Come to think of it, Evans had only made it so he could barely stand; he wasn't really in a state to be on his feet. The moment he remembered that, it was all over.
"Anna…"
As he called out, Anna, noticing something was wrong, rushed over in a panic. Unable to confirm she had reached him, his vision slowly began to tilt.
"Ritz!"
"When this cold is gone, you're getting a lecture…"
"Hey, Ritz!"
With that, his vision went completely white. He was slammed hard against the ground, and it hurt like hell, but he was at a point where he didn't care anymore.
"Ritz!"
His consciousness faded with the voices of Edward and Anna, who were rushing over in a panic, as the last thing he heard.
Anna panicked as Ritz collapsed in front of her.
She barely managed to catch his head before it hit the ground, and now Ritz's head was resting on her lap.
After a short while, she heard the sound of galloping horses. The hoofbeats were gradually getting closer. Anna, who had been stroking the head of the completely unconscious Ritz, looked up to see.
"Crap, it's the Military Police!"
Joe started to panic.
"What's wrong?"
When she asked, Joe shouted back at her.
"If we stay here, we'll get arrested, too! It's mutual combat!"
"…Why?"
"Why do you think…"
After looking at the flustered Joe, she looked at Edward, who was smiling calmly. It seemed that what Joe was saying was unlikely to happen. On the approaching horse, Anna spotted a figure in a familiar military uniform and waved.
"Oh, it's Kenny-san! Kenny-san!"
"Huh? You know him?"
To Joe, who asked in a daze, Anna nodded with a smile.
"Yep. He's a friend."
"!"
Behind Kenny, a figure was desperately clinging to him. That figure, at Anna's cheerful call, raised a vacant eye. It was Franz.
"Franz came too!"
"Anna…"
Franz glared at her with a resentful look. It seemed she had made Franz worry again. She needed to reflect on that.
Finally dismounting from the horse, Franz stood there, panting and trying to catch his breath.
"Are you unharmed?!"
Kenny, who had dismounted, rushed over to Edward, his face pale and his hair disheveled, and asked.
"Yes. Everyone except Ritz."
Only then did Kenny notice Ritz, who was unconscious with his head in Anna's lap, and he turned even paler.
"! What happened?! Is he all right?"
Edward shrugged and explained the situation to Kenny.
"He just collapsed from his cold. I suppose the tension wore off."
"…You should have said so first. You're taking years off my life."
Letting out a huge sigh and wiping away the cold sweat, Kenny handed the reins to Edward.
"Hmm? What's this?"
To the bewildered Edward, Kenny whispered in a low voice.
"The Prime Minister was looking for you. It would be best for you to return quickly."
"Ugh… he found out."
Edward groaned.
"What's wrong?"
"Shasta is looking for me, apparently."
At his face, which looked as if he had bitten into a bitter bug, Anna couldn't help but chuckle. Edward would surely be made to confess where he had been when he got back and then get a lecture.
She had heard from Ritz before that the only people who could lecture the fearless duo of Edward and Ritz were Shasta and Edward's wife, Patricia.
"…I wanted to see this through to the end, but it can't be helped. Give me a report."
"As you wish."
Edward reluctantly mounted the horse and looked back at them. Anna and Edward's eyes met. Anna smiled brightly and nodded.
Leave Ritz to me, she conveyed silently. Understanding, Edward smiled and turned his horse toward the castle.
"Then I leave the rest to you."
"Yes, sir."
Watching Edward's retreating figure, Anna stroked Ritz's head in her lap. She learned for the first time that his black hair was quite coarse.
For some reason, she felt a warm, happy feeling. Ritz, who always called Anna a child and never showed his inner self, was sleeping on her lap.
It was rare for him to be so defenseless and at her mercy, so it was a little fun. And she was very happy that he had come for her even though he was so sick.
Ritz was truly kind.
"Anna…"
Called, she looked up to see Franz, arms crossed, looking down at her with a grumpy face and complaining.
"Ehehe. I'm sorry."
"Don't laugh it off."
Franz let out a huge sigh. It seemed she had made Franz worry a great deal as well.
Anna looked around. Joe was pacing anxiously, and the military police who had come with Kenny were tying up the fallen Ward Family and preparing to take them away.
With this, the case was closed. In any case, the incident of Anna getting lost had come to an end here.
Ⅸ
After the incident, Ritz remained in a deep sleep.
Anna was worried sick, wondering if it was because she hadn't bought the stew or because she had made him overexert himself. But Franz got angry at her, saying that the cause was Anna going shopping in the first place. Franz said that she had taken Ritz's feverish mumblings seriously.
If that was the case, she was very sorry. She had wanted to be useful to Ritz, but in the end, had she only caused him trouble?
When Ritz woke up, he would give her the answer, so she wished he would wake up soon.
In the meantime, the incident was being dealt with at a tremendous speed.
First, the Ward Family.
They were taken into custody by the Military Police and were being harshly interrogated on suspicion of assault on the owner of the Cheerful Seaman Inn and suspicion of cooperation with a certain famous smuggling ring. The smuggled goods were said to be narcotics flowing in from a certain country.
How they were able to join that smuggling ring was apparently the crucial point.
Of course, that key was taken from Ritz's coat as evidence and handed over to the Military Police. Thanks to Kenny's consideration, the identity of the person who had taken them down on the spot was not made public at all.
There was no way they could say it was the King and a Minister. If they did, it could cause a huge uproar. So it was better to keep quiet. After that, Kenny said with a smile,
"There are quite a few things in this world that you're better off not knowing, Anna-chan."
That Kenny somehow seemed like he was suffering from carrying a lot of things he would have been better off not knowing.
She also heard the reason why Kenny and the others were able to reach that hard-to-find place so smoothly. An old man from an organization called the 'Port District Information Center' had reported it to the Military Police.
That old man was a famous figure within the Military Police, and it was said that if there was an incident in that district, he was the fastest source of information, a highly valued informant.
In the first place, the Military Police couldn't solve every incident in the slums and port areas in detail. Usually, this Port District Information Center took on various small incidents and matters.
Hearing that, Anna knew who that person was. It was the old man who had helped her and Joe.
Anna hadn't known either, but the old man had been worried about the two children who had stumbled into his place and had sent one of his men to follow them.
Thanks to that, the Military Police, Kenny, and Franz were able to arrive at that place quickly.
As the incident was being handled in this way, a change was also occurring in this house. A new resident had been added.
After the Ward Family was taken away, Joe had spoken to Anna, who was about to go home with Ritz, who had finally been put on a horse by Kenny, Franz, and one of the military police.
"I'm heading back."
"Wait, Joe. Before you go, tell me where you live. I'll come visit."
To Anna, who hurriedly took out a piece of paper, Joe scratched his cheek with a troubled look.
"…I don't have a home."
"Huh?"
"I find places to live day by day, like under eaves, and move around."
Anna was at a loss for words. Joe turned on his heel with a somewhat awkward expression.
"See ya."
"Wait!"
Anna instinctively grabbed the clothes of Joe, who was starting to walk away.
"Just for today, just for today, come to my place. Look, you must be really tired today, right? We didn't even get to talk properly. Come on, come to my place."
"But…"
Hesitantly, Joe looked at the expressionless Franz. He looked strangely tense.
"Is something wrong with Franz?"
"…Not really, but."
Looking closely at the hesitating Joe, she finally hit upon the reason.
Anna was used to it, but seeing Franz in such a bad mood for the first time would definitely be scary.
Maybe he felt like he was disliked.
"It's fine with Franz."
"But…"
To the hesitating Joe, Anna smiled brightly. To reassure Joe, who was scared of Franz, Anna spoke to Franz with a cheerful smile.
"Hey, it's okay if he stays over today, right? You see, Joe helped me. So it's okay, right?"
"…I don't mind, and Ritz probably wouldn't either."
Franz's expression remained unchanged, but Anna knew that he was giving his consent.
"Great. Joe, he said it's okay for you to stay over."
Joe seemed confused, completely unable to tell the difference in Franz's expression, but he somehow seemed to agree.
And so, Joe, who was supposed to be staying for just one night, ended up in a completely unexpected situation.
When they arrived at the house, Annie and Evans rushed out as if they had been waiting.
'Anna! You're safe!'
"Why are you so worried?"
'Of course I am! Oh, I was so worried!'
Seeing Annie scold Anna with tears in her eyes, Joe completely froze. Come to think of it, Annie's body was translucent.
"…A ghost?"
To Joe, who had taken a staggering step back, Anna introduced Annie with a smile.
"Yep. This is Annie, who helps us out around the house."
'Nice to meet you.'
"She's staying over today."
'I understand.'
"…"
Joe, seeing a ghost for the first time, remained frozen.
Annie, who had been tilting her head in confusion at Joe, smiled cheerfully after hearing the situation from Anna and extended her hand.
'Welcome.'
Joe cautiously took that hand. He must have shuddered in surprise at the coldness of Annie's hand.
"Th-thank you for having me."
At that moment, Annie's face showed a flash of realization. She tilted her head slightly, then smiled softly.
'Oh my, you're a girl. I might not have any spare clothes for you.'
"Huh?"
Everyone present, except for Joe, was speechless.
"A girl?"
"…Got a problem with that?"
Joe turned away with a sullen look.
"Um, Joe, tell me your name."
"Josephine. Everyone calls me Joe."
"Josephine!"
And from that day on, Joe, or rather Josephine, came to live in this house as Evans's adopted daughter.
Joe herself had never predicted that she too would end up being raised by the very 'priest' she had complained about to Anna.
Ⅹ
It was two days later when Ritz awoke. Perhaps because he had overexerted himself, he had been completely unconscious and delirious with fever.
As soon as he woke up, he ate with incredible vigor, and just as he was starting to feel human again, he looked over the report that Kenny had brought.
After glancing through most of the report and getting the gist of the incident, Anna came into the room with a girl with short hair. He didn't recognize the girl, who was looking down.
But he deliberately didn't ask anything and just smiled at Anna.
"Hey, Anna. Sorry to make you worry."
At his words, Anna shook her head with teary eyes. Anna probably thought that Ritz had fallen ill because of her.
But it was his own fault. He silently reflected on his mistake. In the first place, it was his fault for getting into a fight, sleeping in the garden, and then mumbling about wanting stew in his delirium. Anna was completely blameless.
Anna gently placed her hand on Ritz's bed and peeked at him. She seemed to have been truly worried.
"Are you really okay now?"
To reassure her, he placed his hand on her head and patted it gently.
"Of course. What happened to that kid who was with you?"
Ritz asked, looking at the girl next to her. Was she a friend of Anna's? She was dressed in a neat and simple dress.
"She's right here. It's Joe."
For a moment, he couldn't grasp what she had said, and after staring intently at the girl, Ritz scratched his head.
"…She was a girl? I thought for sure…"
"Yo."
At Joe's still-rough way of speaking, Ritz laughed. It seemed she might not be wearing this outfit by choice either.
Anna explained that Joe was an orphan and that she had recommended she live in this house.
"And then, Evans-san said, 'Then I'll adopt her.' He said it's perfect since they can't have children."
"I see."
It was true that a ghost and a priest couldn't have children. That might be for the best.
To be honest, Ritz was thinking even further ahead. He hadn't told Franz or Anna yet, but they would be leaving the Royal Capital in the early spring. At that time, he intended to give this mansion to Evans. In the near future, this house would return to Evans. It would be a good thing to have someone living in the house, even an adopted daughter, at that time.
This house was too big for just Annie and Evans.
"You know, Ritz, Joe has a favor to ask you."
"Hmm? What is it?"
To Ritz, who had sat up in bed, Joe approached.
"I want to be a mercenary. Teach me how to use a sword."
"Huh?"
"Your swordsmanship was so cool! I'm going to be a mercenary in the future!"
"…Are you serious?"
"Yeah!"
A dress, this way of speaking, and wanting to be a mercenary…
Her adoptive father, Evans, was certainly in for a tough time.
"Is that a no?"
"…Alright. I'll figure something out."
"Yes!"
It seemed Ritz's first job would be to teach this girl how to use a sword.
And so, Ritz, who was already busy enough with his work at the castle, had just taken on another piece of homework.
This concludes Volume 5. Thank you for reading.
It's been a while since we've had a lot of comedy elements, how was it?
Now, the next volume will be Volume 6, 'The Temptation of the Moonlight Cherry Blossom.'
This volume will proceed with a completely serious development. In other words, it is the climax of the Royal Capital arc.
Who is plotting to assassinate the king, and can Ritz stop them?
Anna and Franz, caught up in the grudges of the past, are…
As always, the prologue and first chapter will be released simultaneously.
Look forward to it~.