Chapter 208

Mad’s intervention was ruled out, and we were able to arrive at Mashu earlier than planned.

The fact that Ainim and Hira joined is also a different part from the record, but it did not deviate from the big picture.

“There is still a lot of work to be done.”

“It’s not as difficult as it used to be.”

You have to send an expedition to the northern neutral zone beyond the barrier to track Rama and Terra, and to do so, you must mobilize a significant number of manpower, and you must also find the remnants of the battle mages attacking Mash’s palace in Derun.

It was fortunate that it was no different from the record from here on out. Even if something goes wrong, it’s not like Madd doesn’t have the means to deal with it.

“I don’t like your expression.”

“… … It’s because my body doesn’t feel like mine.”

“Is that enough?”

I arrived at the gateway city early yesterday evening and stayed overnight.

Even after dawn the next day, I couldn’t get out of bed. It wasn’t just because of fatigue.

“I couldn’t sleep properly.”

Two constraints by the power of the beginning.

The restriction of wandering prevents the body from staying in one place. Even if I slept, I had to wake up every few tens of minutes and move my body.

If I stay still, the muscles in my whole body scream, and my heart beats like it’s about to burst, so I can’t fall asleep.

Considering that I was fine when I was asleep in the carriage, I think I only needed to change my physical location, but I couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable for a while.

and the restriction of laziness. I thought I would be able to endure this with moderate mental strength, but it wasn’t.

After lying down in such a comfortable position, my body does not move at all. My mind is floating, as if I am not my body.

It was also optimistic that the two constraints would be okay because there are conflicting parts.

Every few tens of minutes, my body gets heavier, then lighter, then normal, then back and forth. It’s not even very fussy.

“Would you like me to stand up?”

“yes.”

I can barely move my body until Ainim grabs my arm and pulls me down.

“Would you like something to eat?”

“I don’t think I can eat properly.”

“Um… … . What do we do. Hira wasn’t there when she opened her eyes.”

“I have something for you.”

Recruitment of manpower to mobilize to the Northern Neutral Zone.

Originally, I was supposed to do it, but when Hira came in the morning and saw my condition, she said she would do it instead.

In the records, Hira was more suitable than I was because information was spread through the distribution network of the Yuxilla family in Mashu. All the influence that extended to Mash was held in Hira’s hands.

Ainim made a sullen expression.

“There is nothing I can do… … .”

“Let’s go for a walk together. I guess I’ll have to move again. Ugh.”

“Oh, yes!”

Actually, it’s still heavy, but I forced myself to stand up. It’ll change soon anyway.

When it comes to waking hours, the restrictions of wandering are much more comfortable than laziness.

I left the inn and walked the streets with Aini. It was a time when people were busy moving.

Looking to the side, I can see that the child’s long hair, which used to be almost down to her hips, almost reached her shoulders.

“Did you cut your hair when you left the imperial palace?”

“yes. I ran out of dye. Is it awkward?”

“no. Fit well.”

Maybe it’s because the color is different, but the cute impression looks completely different.

Ainim said awkwardly, stroking the side of her hair.

“Since long ago, Obama didn’t let me cut my hair short. Did I wake up early when I was little too? But since I spend an hour every morning just fixing my hair. I cut off a handful with scissors and got scolded.”

“Haha, when was that, that’s it.”

“Five years old?”

“Your memory is also good.”

“Don’t you remember Rocks when he was little? Oh, so… … .”

In fact, if I remember when I was that young, it means things on Earth.

It seems that he deliberately didn’t want to ask, but even after he said it, he looked a little flustered.

I said with a smile.

“One or two is fine.”

“… … okay? What happened?”

“My mother died when I was born. My father raised me alone. Oh, this is not the story of Coltman Aindarlock.”

“Yeah, I know.”

This is not the story of Rocktrin. It was a sight that Ai-nim recognized right away.

“I was eight years old. At that time, there were toys for children to play with. They cost quite a bit, so after seeing other kids playing with them, I asked my father to buy them for me.”

“Did you buy it?”

“no. Kids do, but once you buy it, there is no end to it. Such toys will continue to appear once the fashion has passed. I couldn’t have bought expensive toys because of my poor circumstances.”

The father flatly refused his young son’s request.

‘no. Toys are not essential in life.’

Even at a young age, I knew a little about my situation, and in fact, I had never complained so much to my father until then.

Still, the first time I mustered up the courage to ask for that toy, I was shocked that it was turned down with a single knife.

“I left the house.”

“Are you eight years old?”

“I wouldn’t have thought about it too long. I just did it because I was angry. There’s something funny about that.”

Usually, when children say they are in a crowd, they think of crying, blowing and rolling on the floor, but they were keeping what their father had said even then.

“Don’t cry. If you cry, you will lose to the world. So I didn’t cry.”

“I’m only nine years old, so that’s too much. So how did it go?”

“Because I went out with a big heart on my own. I stayed up all night in a forest far away. Just in a place like that.”

I pointed to the forest on the other side and said. To put it bluntly, it was not a forest, but a well-established park, but there is no such park here.

As a timid revenge, I rode the bus to the last stop so that it could not be easily found.

“It was summer, but it was very cold at night. At that point, I ran out of courage and money, and eventually returned home on my own feet.”

“Are you mad?”

“no. I wasn’t upset. but… … .”

I had fallen asleep on a park bench and had fallen and my shirt was covered in dirt. As soon as I returned home with such a look, my father ran out to the front door with wide eyes.

I reflexively shrank.

I had never held a rod, but I thought I might be hit for the first time. Fortunately or unfortunately, that was just a thought.

“… … My father lost it to the world.”

His father, who always seemed strict and firm, was nowhere to be found.

Hugging me, who had become covered in dirt, my father said he was sorry, he was sorry, over and over again.

“Still, I didn’t cry. I haven’t asked to buy toys since then.”

By the time I entered middle school, my father’s business was going well, so those worries were gone.

He was still a strict person even when he could afford it, but I acted accordingly, so there was nothing wrong with me. I did well in my studies, and my grades were always in the top five in school.

“… … It must have been hard.”

“It was a long time ago, so I wonder if it was like that now.”

“Hey, then is Rocks the old man? Is there a big age difference between me and me?”

“It’s not a little… … . At least I’ve never been called uncle.”

“Whew, I’m glad.”

Ai stroked his chest. What are you happy about?

By that time, I was in pretty good shape. It was a time when I was thinking of going back and grabbing something to eat.

“… … there.”

“yes.”

“Rox… … . When you’re done, are you going back there?”

Ai asked cautiously. I shook my head.

There is no going back. Strictly speaking, the ‘me’ outside is not me.

“No one is waiting for me.”

“My father?”

“He died of an illness.”

“Oh, sorry… … .”

“it’s okay. Because he passed away when I was all grown up. It’s also a bit past.”

“A friend or something… … . That, um, there was no lover?”

“You asked that from the beginning.”

“Oh no!”

He seemed hesitant, but eventually asked. I laughed lightly. I guess that’s what I wanted to ask.

I thought it would be a story that I would bury in my heart and never bring up.

“He is dead too.”

Even as I spoke, I felt rather relieved.

Even the smartest kid can’t understand this feeling because he hasn’t been through it. So I didn’t have much pressure to tell.

“My, I keep asking useless things! i’m stupid… … . I’ll just keep my mouth shut.”

“That’s Okay. It’s not bad when someone listens.”

“Yes… … .”

I grabbed the hand of the child who was holding my mouth with both hands and pressed it down.

“Did you tell me before? You are being punished.”

“I said I made a very big mistake. now… … .”

“You know what that means?”

“yes.”

Ai nodded slowly.

“I loved making up stories. I liked life more when it was full of adversity and hardship.”

“A lot of people like that. All heroic stories are like that.”

“Still, that was too much. I think there was some god who punished me so that I could feel for myself how terrible a story I had made up. and I… … .”

A hero who overcomes all such hardships and adversity and finally gets recognized by everyone and has a happy ending.

“I wasn’t that kind of a hero.”

couldn’t save

‘Cause I’m not a hero

I was an ordinary person. They get flustered in unexpected situations, make mistakes several times, and put themselves or others in danger.

“Rather, in that respect, the hero is closer to His Majesty. So wouldn’t it be nice if Your Highness could do as many things as possible… … . I guess I was thinking something like that.”

Again, it was Ainim who saved me from a crisis. They say that heaven helps those who help themselves, but I’m not even that good.

It’s time to move slowly. Hera might have returned. I said to the child

“Shall we go back?”

“… … still!”

I was turning around first, but the child who was a little behind shouted.

“Still, Lox must be someone’s hero.”

“Maybe.”

“At least for me, for Hira, and for Nasha… … .”

“But if you name each person like that, in the end there will be people you couldn’t save, Your Highness.”

“eww… … .”

Auril, Daisy, O’Neill, and all the countless people who died due to monsters.

Ai-nim hurriedly changed the subject and followed me next to me.

“Eh, what are you going to do after you save Auril?”

“I have no idea. I don’t feel like I can do anything. It’s about returning the borrowed primordial power.”

“Anyway, Rocks can continue to live here. yes?”

“I guess so, what… … .”

“Then I have an idea!”

It didn’t look like it would change anything, but I didn’t bother to stop the child who shouted boldly.

“So, Rox, don’t think strangely.”

I had nothing to answer.

For now, let’s just think about what’s happening right now.