Youngest 007
by CristaeEpisode 7
Wait, hold on.
What exactly is going on here?
“Enough already.”
Clutching my aching stomach, I opened my eyes wide where I was slumped at the edge of the road.
Had Mister finally gotten fed up with me?
—No, that wasn’t it.
The one who cut me off with a frosty chill in his voice was…
The blue-haired knight standing beside me: Sir Leon, Mister’s adjutant.
“His Grace hasn’t slept a single night in days.”
His stern gaze landed on me.
We were on the road heading north from the capital by carriage.
And, quite pathetically, I was suffering from carriage sickness.
This was already the third time I’d dashed out, unable to bear the queasiness of an unfamiliar carriage. I simply couldn’t bring myself to get back in.
“Mister… Can’t I ride a horse instead?”
I had just asked if I could ride with Mister on horseback instead of staying in the carriage.
‘Wait, did he say Mister hasn’t slept?’
Now that I looked, the dark circles under his eyes and his rough skin… Ah, it was because of me.
The realization struck me belatedly.
For as long as I’d been unwell, my sleeping and waking had been completely out of sync.
Yet Mister had always been by my side. If he ever stepped away, it was only for a moment.
‘Because I disliked being tended by anyone else…’
A man of his stature personally cared for me. He never looked after himself.
“We’ve already stopped the carriage three times, and at this rate, we won’t make it on time…”
“Leon.”
Mister growled, his voice low.
“Where did you learn to speak without knowing what should or shouldn’t be said?”
“My apologies, Your Grace. However—”
“That’s enough. Out of my way.”
“Ah, wait a moment! Just a sec!”
Unable to endure the tense atmosphere any longer, I raised my hand sharply.
“What?”
“The blue-haired Mister is right! You really need some rest.”
I squirmed, trying to wriggle out from Mister’s arms where I found myself held.
Huh? Why can’t I move? Usually, just a little effort was enough to hop out.
“I don’t need rest.”
“Yes, you do! You’re exhausted!”
“Exhausted?”
Mister scoffed through his nose.
Fine, I get it. I know. Of course, the continent’s greatest Sword Master possessed stamina that never wore out and a body that never broke!
But still, proper sleep and decent meals are the basics of living like a human being!
“Don’t be stubborn. Sleep in the carriage for a while. I’ll just… Sir Leon!”
“…You mean me?”
“Yeah! I want to go with you. Give me a ride!”
“…What?”
For the first time, an unmistakable look of fluster crossed the otherwise composed knight’s face.
“Ruby, really, I’ll—”
Mister’s grip tightened around me. I shook my head firmly in refusal.
“Come on, those who are tired should sleep inside, and those who feel cramped should travel outside!”
I declared a conclusion that made everyone happy.
“Ah, that’s better.”
Atop the horse, surrounded by open air, I breathed in fresh air to my heart’s content.
Of course, that bliss lasted only a moment.
‘Ugh… so hard… so uncomfortable.’
I shifted back and forth behind the stiff knight, but could never quite find a comfortable position.
‘It was so comfortable when I rode with Mister.’
Not only comfortable—I’d even dozed off.
But it wasn’t just me who was uncomfortable; Sir Leon twisted and shifted as well.
“…Is this really right?”
A short sigh escaped from above my head.
“Are you uncomfortable anywhere?”
Everywhere, from head to toe!
But I just smiled and shook my head.
I wasn’t brazen enough to complain about a bumpy ride.
And besides…
The truth was, I wanted to make a good impression on Sir Leon.
‘Leviathan Mister’s right-hand man.’
Having read the original story, I knew better than anyone how true his loyalty was.
A comrade who had shared life and death, a loyal subject who would dive into the inferno for his lord.
Perhaps that was why, even if Sir Leon was cold to me, I didn’t mind. After all, we were both comrades protecting Levianthan Mister.
“Why did you insist on following His Grace?”
His deep voice came from behind me.
“Uh… Because it was Mister who found me.”
“If you’re hoping to lead a comfortable life as the duke’s adopted child, you should let go of that dream.”
Wow, way to talk to a kid.
Well, I’m not exactly a little kid, but still…
“Zevert isn’t the paradise you imagine.”
A stickler for rules, meticulous to the point of being called cold—Sir Leon was the very paragon of knighthood.
You could tell just by looking at his utterly crisp, unwrinkled uniform.
‘He’s the complete opposite of Mister.’
That snoring hero in the back had probably lost half his imperial medals, let alone ever worn his uniform properly.
“Is the north really that harsh?”
“The Duchy of Zevert was founded on lands reclaimed from magical beasts. Those monsters are always waiting for an opportunity to take back their old territory.”
“…”
“That means we’re at war all year round.”
I knew. Reading the original story, I’d always thought what a fitting setting this was for the protagonist of Sword Planted on the Ruins.
For the record, Dark Beasts are monsters created by Dark Mages, and Magical Beasts are monsters that occur naturally in the wild.
‘Magical beasts, dark beasts…’
Imagining how hard Mister must have had it these past ten years made me feel sick at heart.
“Um, Sir Leon?”
I shook off those thoughts and tried to focus on the conversation again.
I felt his gaze from above.
“Do you want me to go back?”
“It’s just that a small, fragile child like you would have a hard time surviving.”
Was I overestimating him if I read a hint of kindness in those words?
“I’ve already heard plenty of that from that brute back there.”
“To speak so rudely to His Grace…”
“I won’t be a burden. Don’t worry.”
I spoke as I looked straight ahead.
The endless cliffs seemed to go on forever.
But I knew. Sooner or later, this road would end, as all things do.
Human life, too. Finite—its end is always death.
But if I can at least face the end as a human, is that too much to wish for?
Rather than just being another casualty in the second war sparked by the resurrected Dark Mage.
‘Since I’ve made it this far…’
Leviathan Mister, Sir Leon, and me as well.
“I’ll make sure the master you serve will never suffer because of me.”
“You…”
A vein popped on the back of Sir Leon’s hand as he gripped the reins.
Just then—
“Ugh.”
Sir Leon, who’d seemed perfectly fine, suddenly clutched his shoulder and groaned.
“Huh? What’s wrong?”
“It’s… nothing.”
But his arm was trembling.
‘Don’t tell me…’
I raised my hand at once.
“I can’t do this. Let me down! Excuse me! I’m getting off here!”
“Don’t be foolish, just be qui—”
Sir Leon, sweating, tried to stop me. Seriously, how had he let it come to this?
“What’s going on?”
With the brief commotion, the carriage stopped and Mister jumped out.
“Mister, something’s wrong with Sir Leon!”
“What?”
“His shoulder, the right one!”
Without hesitation, Mister swung me into his arms and frowned at Sir Leon.
“Leon, is your injury not fully healed?”
“It’s nothing. I’m fine.”
A curt reply, followed by short silence. Then Mister let out a long sigh and ordered the whole procession to halt.
“Set up camp. We’ll rest here.”
“Your Grace! I’m really fine! We can’t afford any more delays—!”
Sir Leon behaved as if something truly grave had happened.
His clenched jaw betrayed his anxiety. Seeing his face, I found myself speaking before I could stop.
“Sir Leon, you know…”
“…”
“The war is over.”
Our eyes met. Only then did I hurriedly try to catch the words I’d spilled.
“I mean… there’s no need to push yourself and hurry while you’re hurting. We’re not going to fight, and, uh…”
“…”
“We’re just going home.”
Well, I’m headed to someone else’s home, but still…
At that moment, it was as if all the tension drained right out of Sir Leon.
“That’s right.”
Mister, who had been quietly watching, gently ruffled my hair.
“And Leon, for the record—a soldier hiding his condition from his superior is a breach of military discipline.”
“Th—that’s…”
Sir Leon, fidgeting with the reins, bit his lip and cast his eyes down.
“…I’m sorry. That was thoughtless of me.”
He obediently dismounted.
“Rest.”
Mister gave his broad back a reassuring pat.
While Sir Leon reflected, our nimble Zevert knights quickly set up camp.
I sat quietly on Leviathan Mister’s thigh, watching it all unfold.
“Huh?”
Just then, something peculiar caught my eye.
“Ruby, where do you think you’re off to, dashing like tha—”
“Oh!”
I crouched at the edge of the camp.
The wind-blown patch of grass was a sight I hadn’t seen in a long time.
‘It’s Abelita Herb!’
A bashful pink flower peeked through the jagged leaves, surrounded by a faint blue glow—the plant’s own magic.
‘This stuff’s great for bruises and pain relief.’
I reached out for the herb. I’d already learned how to harvest it.
At that moment, a firm hand slapped mine away.